Saturday, August 31, 2019

Plot Summary: The Nine Guardians

The Nine Guardians ?Nine Guardians? takes places in the State of Chiapas, in Mexico, where from the remains of the Mexican revolution came the presidency of Lazaro Cardenas. His presidency takes places between 1934 and 1940, during the time this novel takes place. Cardenas expropriated foreign-held properties, distributed land to peasants, and instituted reforms to benefit indigenous people and Mexican workers. Cardenas found it unfair for the Indians to not be treated as equals, so he demanded rights for Indians. Land holdings were controlled by a ruling elite.The Indians were encouraged to rise against the landowners and demand their rights. They have the law on their side and they start to realize they don? t deserve to be treated as slaves. With the help of others, Cardenas breaks up large estates and forces families off of the lands. The novel is written from the point of view of the author, Rosario Castellanos. However, a seven year old girl is the narrator through most of ? Th e Nine Guardians?. She takes us through the book by introducing the people surrounding her life and her family? s life.The seven year old girl is the daughter of a wealthy landowner, Cesar Arguello. Since the Arguellos are wealthy, the girl is not raised by her parents, but mostly by an Indian servant, she calls Nana. Nana has nurtured and cared for the girl and her little brother, Mario, since birth. Nana is an Indian that lives with this elite, controlling, possessive, landowning family. Despite the fact that she is treated as a slave, Nana loves the Arguellos. Nana becomes a big influence on the little girl, along with her parents, and the retaliation of the landowners and the Indians against one another.The girl and her brother will become innocent victims mostly because of her father, who will try desperately to hold on to their land for Mario? s future. Some of the damage done cannot be fixed and will remain permanent. It is a tragedy of money, power, and male supremacy. The s ituations that occur will leave a strong impact on how she thinks and feels. From beginning to end, the seven year old girl? s perspective of the Indians will change dramatically. In the beginning, the girl is ignorant to the thought of being an Indian. She doesn? t want to know their history and how they stand in their society. Read also  Summary : Love Is Never SilentShe speaks of how young she is and wants no part of what is going on. She loves her Nana but doesn? t think she knows what she is talking about. The thought that she could have been an Indian threatens her. She wants to be idle, absent-minded, and not aware of her surroundings. Perhaps, she wishes this for Nana also. The Indians frighten her and she is ignorant of their part in society. In this novel, when bad things happen, some of the characters are superstitious and believe they pay for their mistakes through curses given by the sorcerers, especially the Indians.She starts to understand her Nana when she sees her wounded knees done by a curse that has followed her from her home, Chactajal. ?It? s withches? doings that? s afoot, child. They gobble everything up-the crops, peace in the family, people? s health.? Since Nana grew up in the Arguellos house and loved the family she lived with, she was being punished. The Indians could not under stand how she could love those that give orders and have possessions, it was against their beliefs.The girl is angry at first at the Indians and begins to understand the sacrifices and hardships her Nana must have and is going through to be apart of the Arguellos family. From this experience, she starts to see who her father is and becomes disgusted with him because he is one that gives orders and own things. She starts to put a lot of faith in her Nana and believes the things she tells her. She becomes more aware that this time in her life is not going to be a time for fun. She also begins to learn to look with lowered eyes when humility looks at bigness, like the Indians do out of respect for the Nine Guardians.From what I understand, the Indians believe that there are nine protectors of the earth that watch over all and control everything. The girl learns things from her Nana and learns to think differently about her parents. She witnesses an Indian killed because her father trus ted him. It makes her sad and fearful of the power that her father possesses. She is seeing her parents differently. As a child, your parents are the world and they can do no harm. As a child, you think your parents are all-knowing. There comes a point where a child starts to grow up and sometimes perhaps their parents are not who the child thought they were.The girl begins to grow up a little and realizes she is now seeing her parents otherwise, almost with a new set of eyes. Her father is completely self-absorbed, except for the fact that he wants to save his land for his son? s inheritance. He thinks of himself as all mighty. He doesn? t think the Indians are worth schooling when the law demands it be done. Her father thinks the Indians could never learn Spanish and are not worth the pay of a master to educate them. Cesar has a sense of self-importance and cares only that his ? commands have power and his scolding inspire fear.?He despises the government and believes Cardenas is inciting Indians against their masters and handing them over the rights that they can? t use and don? t deserve. ?He (Cardenas) doesn? t know them; he? s never been near them and found out how they stink of filth and drink. He? s never done them a favour and been rewarded with their laziness. And they? re so hypocritical, so underhand, so deceitful!? He sees the Indians as little children. ?Cesar was incapable of speaking to people he didn? t consider his equals.? The story moves from Comitran to Chactajal where her father? s ranch is located.Her father needs to supervise the grinding and branding of his crops done by the Indians. At the Arguello ranch, there are many families of Indians taking care of his land, the Indians that he pays little money too, along with no respect. The family goes to Chactajal without Nana because she is afraid of the witches? curses. On their way, the girl starts to learn about death, how easy it is to die when her cousin shots a deer to kill it. Her an d her brother Mario are surprised at how easy life can be taken away. The feud that explodes against the Arguellos leaves everlasting effects on the children.The girl has seen her Nana? s status in society, she has seen the effect of Nana? s love towards her family, she can no longer go to school because it was ordered to be shut down. she has seen a man killed from trusting her father, Their land is set to fire and the threat that they will die in the fire, her illegitimate cousin is killed in rebellion towards her father, she sees her aunt go crazy, and she believes in the power of sorcery. She misses her Nana and her wisdom on life. She is ultimately going to learn the about male supremacy and the effects it has on society.Her brother, Mario, is the pride of the Arguellos family. The Indians curse the boy to death because of the endless fight her father has for power and wealth. The two things that matter to Cesar the most. ?For the Indian is helpless to do better if the white ma n? s will is not behind him. The Indians are starting to realize they are equal to white men. They lose all respect for the landowners and fight back just as bad as the Arguellos fought to keep them as slaves. They are aware now that they own the ranch and are not obliged to work for anyone because now Cardenas has more power than all the landowners.Perhaps, it would have all been better if Cesar Arguellos realized that male supremacy should not control all of society. Cesar Arguello humiliated his wife, did not treat her as an equal, although she put up with him. He also put his children in jeopardy for having them around in the time of trouble. He didn? t realize what he thought and did was not the way the world was supposed to work. He was one man who believed he had a want to control and posses all the power and the wealth he could manage to get a hold of. His arrogant pride led his family to separation.Her mother, Zoraida, was responsible for her life and her childrens? lives, although she allowed herself to do as Cesar demanded. Her mother demands that Nana leaves because Nana informed Zoraida about the curse put onto Mario? s life. The only reason the Arguello family managed to stay together was because of their beloved Mario. If Mario was to die, not only does she lose her son, but possibly her husband that she cannot communicate with. She fires Nana and leaves her daughter scared and enlightened even more about the people she loves and respects.The girl has lost her Nana, her brother dies because of the curse put on his life, she has lost all respect for her mother and father. She only wants to be with Nana since she is the only one that loves and cares about her. Her brother is dead and she feels guilty because she thinks she could have stopped it from happening. Perhaps, she punished her mother for not caring about her. Her mother only cared and loved Mario. Without Mario, her mother felt she was no longer worthwhile. The girl finally realizes who h er parents are and realizes that her Nana, despite being an Indian, is the one who cares about her.She looks for forgiveness from her dead brother because she realizes that it was not his fault she was a female without love and respect from her parents. She realized that if her father just accepted that the time for male supremacy was to end, then the events that took place may never have had happened. Rosario Castellanos From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Rosario Castellanos| Tombstone of Rosario Castellanos| Born| May 25, 1925Mexico City, Mexico| Died| August 7, 1974 (aged  49) Tel Aviv, Israel| Occupation| Poet and author|Rosario Castellanos (25 May 1925 – 7 August 1974) was a Mexican poet and author. Along with the other members of the Generation of 1950 (the poets who wrote following the Second World War, influenced by Cesar Vallejo and others), she was one of Mexico's most important literary voices in the last century. Throughout her lif e, she wrote eloquently about issues of cultural and gender oppression, and her work has influenced feminist theory and cultural studies. Though she died young, she opened the door of Mexican literature to women, and left a legacy that still resonates today.Contents * 1 Life * 2 Work * 3 Selected bibliography * 4 English translations * 5 Additional reading * 6 Notes| Life Born in Mexico City, she was raised in Comitan near her family's ranch in the southern state of Chiapas. She was an introverted young girl, who took notice of the plight of the indigenous Maya who worked for her family. According to her own account, she felt estranged from her family after a soothsayer predicted that one of her mother's two children would die shortly, and her mother screamed out, â€Å"Not the boy! The family's fortunes changed suddenly when President Lazaro Cardenas enacted a land reform and peasant emancipation policy that stripped the family of much of its land holdings. At fifteen, Castellanos and her parents moved to Mexico City. One year later, her parents were dead and she was left to fend for herself. Although she remained introverted, she joined a group of Mexican and Central American intellectuals, read extensively, and began to write. She studied philosophy and literature at UNAM (the National Autonomous University of Mexico), where she would later teach, and joined the NationalIndigenous Institute, writing scripts for puppet shows that were staged in impoverished regions to promote literacy. Ironically, the Institute had been founded by President Cardenas, who had taken away her family's land. She also wrote a weekly column for the newspaper Excelsior. In addition to her literary work, Castellanos held several government posts. In recognition for her contribution to Mexican literature, Castellanos was appointed ambassador to Israel in 1971. On 7 August 1974 Castellanos died in Tel Aviv from an unfortunate electrical accident.Some have speculated that the accident was in fact suicide. Mexican writer Martha Cerda, for example, wrote to journalist Lucina Kathmann, â€Å"I believe she committed suicide, though she already felt she was dead for some time. â€Å". [1] There is no evidence to support such a claim, however. Work Throughout her career, Castellanos wrote poetry, essays, one major play, and three novels: the semi-autobiographical Balun Canan and Oficio de tinieblas (translated into English as The Book of Lamentations) depicting a Tzotzil indigenous uprising in Chiapas based on one that had occurred in the 19th century.Despite being a ladino – of mestizo, not indigenous descent – Castellanos shows considerable concern and understanding for the plight of indigenous peoples. â€Å"Cartas a Ricardo,† a collection of her letters to her husband Ricardo Guerra was published after her death as was her third novel,†Rito de iniciacion. † Rosario Castellanos said of the collection of her letters in â€Å"Carta s a Ricardo†that she considered them to be her autobiography. â€Å"Rito de iniciacion† is about a young woman who comes to Mexico City and discovers her vocation of a writer.

Friday, August 30, 2019

The effects of having a Facebook profile

Facebook. com was created in 2004 and has quickly become a college phenomenon. Lately, it has transformed from a small Harvard students-only project into an exclusive 600 million users strong social portal, offering a window into the people's lives. Facebook, on its most basic level, redefines social networking and allows users to create and maintain virtual profiles that contain personal, academic and contact information. In many ways, Facebook has impacted on the social life and activity of people. The most common effects of having a Facebook profile are the lack of privacy, getting into addiction and neglecting the real, social life. To begin with, one of the major effects of using Facebook is the lack of privacy. Facebook's profiles are full of personal information like who people are, where do they work, what is their favorite music, movie or book. What religion and political beliefs are they. Moreover, there is also information where do people live and study. People share much of privacy, not only with their friends, but with strangers as well. Users upload their photos, let others to recognize them, consequently let others to know where do they party or who do they meet. Not by accident people say â€Å"Show me your Facebook profile and I will tell you, who you are†. Another effect of having a Facebook profile is a problem of addiction to the social network. Indeed, people wake up on a Saturday morning with their cup of coffee, caressing their senses and relaxing their brains. Sitting at their desk and browsing on Facebook. They have 20 new notifications since the previous night, a few group invitations, a suggested page, 5 friend requests, few of which are unknown persons. What is more, they do it everyday, spend major time chatting, searching, poking people on Facebook. They stay indoors, plugged to the web, try to stay in touch with the news. Whether they realize it or not, Facebook is a real part of their lives, a real partner that they see for good morning and kiss for good night. The last but not least effect of having a Facebook profile is neglecting the real, social life. First of all, it is quite easy to become one of many who have virtual relationships and before people realize it, they start to treat Facebook as their everyday social world. This, often results in a fear of real life meetings, as people who type a million words online, can find it difficult to express them-selves in real life. Moreover, it is very common that people add other users of Facebook as their friends, barely knowing them and they pretend to have a lot of friends, when in fact, they know just few of them in real life. To sum up, Facebook is becoming more and more popular, virtual, gigantic social machine. But life is to live and there are thousand of things waiting for people in the real life, nevertheless, they still decide to live on a Facebook profile which strongly affects their lives. The major effects of having a Facebook profile are the lack of privacy, getting into addiction and neglecting the real, social life.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Humanism and the Renaissance + Protestant Reformation Essay

The later Middle Ages is characterized as a time of great transition and advancement, especially pertaining to areas of politics, economics, art and intellect. A new trend towards the pursuit of new knowledge and ideas first emerged in fifteenth century Renaissance Italy. This new area of intellect marks the emergence of humanism, which essentially came to be the defining characteristic leading up to the Scientific Revolution in the eighteenth century. The Protestant Reformation can be seen as the second catalyst to the Scientific Revolution, which occurred around the turn of the fifteenth century. It was the combination of the expansion of humanism first witnessed during the Renaissance creating the desire for knowledge, greater meaning and ultimate truths, with the power gained on part of the individual during the Protestant Reformation allowing for the pursuit of these new questions and ideas which, at the time, opposed existing knowledge that was universally accepted to be true; this combination ultimately culminated in the methods, principles, knowledge and foundations realized during the Scientific Revolution. The Renaissance is a seen a distinct period of time emerging in the beginning of the fifteenth century, immediately following what is now termed the Middle Ages. First manifesting itself in Italy, it is considered â€Å"a period which witnessed transition from the medieval to the modern age, that is to say, the latter part of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth century† (Bishop, 130).[i] Renaissance literally means â€Å"rebirth,† referring to the rebirth of antiquity, or Greco-Roman civilization. Prior to this, â€Å"the advanced knowledge of the natural world possessed by the ancient Greeks meant little to the Romans, and for a long time that knowledge went into decline,† – this is, until now (Henry, 557).[ii] Many aspects of life were greatly impacted, including areas of politics, economics, art and intellect. This new outlook sparked the initiation of a movement toward greater education. Education was seen as the key to living a prosperous and fulfilled life. In particular, the importance of liberal studies was widely agreed upon. Several key events during this time allowed for the spread of knowledge, creating the â€Å"beckoning toward wider horizons† (Buttimer, 11).[iii] For example, the invention of the printing press encouraged the printing of books, which culminated in scholarly research. Additionally, there was a greater availability to the lay people than ever before; previously, there was simply no access to such information. A historian describes this occurrence: â€Å"alien tongues and races have been drawn together, and have learned once again to understand each other’s speech, and to enter into each other’s thought† (Bishop, 131).[iv] Intellect and education began bringing people together who otherwise would not have ever circulated his or her new ideas and thoughts. Some individuals in particular are credited with the fact that â€Å"the reforms enacted were substantial. At an increasing number of Northern universities, Greek became a regular subject and specialists were hired to teach it. Old Textbooks †¦ were abandoned after having been used for centuries and were replaced with products of humanism† (Nauert, 429).[v] Among the individuals most recognized for their impact on this time in history exists Desiderius Erasmus. Inarguably, Erasmus can be seen as a perfect demonstration of a humanist. â€Å"Erasmus was before all else a scholar and a humanist. He was filled with a genuine enthusiasm for learning† (Bishop, 137).[vi] It was this motivated spirit that drove the culmination of the humanistic movement. Intellect and scholarly research was greatly dedicated to religion. Erasmus â€Å"insisted that the dialectic method of the academic theologians had produced a theological science that concentrated on trivial, abstruse questions of little or no real value to the needs of the church† (Nauert, 431).[vii] This argument became the basis for much of Erasmus’ highly esteemed, accredited work; he was â€Å"determined to defend [his] status as orthodox Catholic† (Nauert, 431).[viii] Soon, modern humanists greatest opposition was the church. Many criticized Erasmus, believing that he â€Å"lacked theological training and hence had neither a legal nor an intellectual right to speak and publish on questions involving theology and the Bible† (Nauert, 431).[ix] Until this point in my discussion thus far, not much opposition has been mentioned. It is very important and essential to note that this new topic of new knowledge created extreme amounts of tension, ultimately culminating in the Protestant Reformation. At the same as scholars such as Erasmus, Bacon and Galileo emerged, â€Å"scholastic theologians arrogantly sat back and issued condemnations,† which greatly hindered the advancement of intellect (Nauert, 431).[x] Clearly established thus far was the recently renewed desire for new knowledge; in response, many new education establishments received great support and ideas began to circulate. In order for the continuing and pursuit of the ever evolving goals of humanists, there needed to be some change that would allow for this. This is one contributing factor to Erasmus’ dedication to reforming the church. Conflicts among humanists and scholars â€Å"reflect[ed] a disharmony that is fundamental,† and furthermore came to define â€Å"the dispute over academic competency and ‘exacerbation of the debate during the Reformation’ as the two forces† behind the matter (Nauert, 432).[xi] By this point in time it was seen as a necessity that religion be transformed. Among several attempts throughout history, â€Å"the Protestant Reformation is the only attempt that was successfully institutionalized† (Bellah, 369).[xii] So much work thus far had been the foundational truth: â€Å"scholastic philosophers and theologians spent long years acquiring the skills of dialectical argumentation and familiarity with the opinions of the past authorities, both ancient and medieval† (Nauert, 433).[xiii] It would take great influence to override these criticisms, but Erasmus laid the foundation for Martin Luther. â€Å"Erasmus’ pains were those of a delicate body and a sensitive and intellectual mind, amid surrounds which were uncongenial and indeed fatal to any humane culture† (Bishop, 135).[xiv] Whereas this was so, â€Å"Luther’s misery arose from the pains and travail of his moral nature in his endeavor to find peace with God† (Bishop, 135).[xv] For, it was â€Å"out of these throes of conscience a great religious movement was to be born† (Bishop, 135).[xvi] It was the combination of the significant influence witnessed having been imparted by Erasmus and Martin Luther that finally instigated the long time coming Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was the main event occurring during the Renaissance that allowed for the institutionalizing of knowledge and new ways of obtaining and exploring it. The defining characteristic concerning the Protestant Reformation is â€Å"the collapse of the hierarchical structuring of both this and the other world† (Bellah, 368).[xvii] It was the leadership of modern intellectuals, or humanists, such as Erasmus and Luther that proved to be a catalyst to the movement: â€Å"Luther by a spiritual declaration of independence in which he boldly cast off, once and forever the ecclesiastical authority of Rome† (Bellah, 370).[xviii] It was the consistency marked by the motivation of the ever evolving humanists, with the newly found sense of confidence toward the ability to influence society that culminated in the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution. â€Å"During the late Middle Ages ,the application of natural philosophy logic to theology transformed it into an analytic discipline. The extraordinary nature of this transformation is manifested when we see the kinds of questions that were routinely discussed in the average theological treatise.†[xix] The humanists’ demands for answers and unceasing attitudes at the time finally paid off. Prior to the Protestant Revolution, the many attempts of humanists to voice their opinion and freely explore their new interests without having to fear the authorities. Historians have â€Å"emphasized human attitudes and values† in this fight for intellectual freedom† (Buttimer, 5).[xx] The Protestant Reformation as a continuation of the beginnings of the humanism movement paved the way for the Scientific Revolution. â€Å"Before science could have reached the stage it did in the seventeenth century, there had to be a widespread use of reason and reasoned analysis. The medieval universities supplied the intellectual context for all of Western Europe. They developed a new approach to nature† (Grant, 420).[xxi] The new religious organization allowed for intellectuals and humanists of the time to truly pursue their ideas that were in opposition to previously existing knowledge that had been universally accepted as being true. Overall this culmination of the split between Church and State, the power granted to the individual due to the Protestant Reformation, and the defining characteristics of humanism during the Renaissance were the leading factors in the birth of the Scientific Revolution. Intellectuals in the seventeenth century soon came to view the world and universe as never before. For example, it was now known that rather than existing in an earth-centered universe, they were in fact living in a sun-centered universe. Famous figures in history existing at this time continued the already established tradition, and were able to impart great influence. These figures include, but are not limited to, Galileo, Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, and Isaac Newton. There emerged a shift from thinking the abstract, such subjects that previous philosophers had once been dedicated to, to pondering and experimenting the physical world around them. Prior to this time, Aristotle, Galen and Ptolemy were relied on for foundations concerning the fields of physics, medicine, and astronomy. Just as there were certain individuals and movements that laid the foundations previously, there are also those researchers who were responsible for the carrying on of life into the Scientific Revolution. â€Å"It remained for Galileo, however, to apply the mean speed theorem to the motion of real falling bodies and to devise and experiment to determine if bodies really fall with uniform acceleration. Thus began the new science of mechanics and the beginnings of modern physics† (Grant, 421).[xxii] Before Galileo was even able to begin his investigations concerning the previous, it was essential that the events and transformations during the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries occurred. More modern discoveries attributed to the seventeenth century and furthermore during the Enlightenment, would have been seriously delayed had this transformation not occurred. People were finally granted the power, and discovered a new found sense of confidence when it came to the pursuit of new kn owledge and ideas. If it had not been for this fight, individuals like Galileo would have had this job to do themselves. It is important to note that the culmination of the Scientific Revolution did â€Å"originate with the great scientific minds of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the likes of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton† (Grant, 421).[xxiii] Furthermore, this historian in particular states that â€Å"although it is possible to insist that the full-blown concept of intertia did not appear before Newton, there can be no denying that Galileo, Pierre Gassendi, and Descartes played a role in opposing the Aristotelian concept that everything that moves must be continuously moved by something else and in suggesting instead that once something was moving perhaps it might simply carry on moving until something else stopped it† (Henry, 554).[xxiv] Several important foundations for the study of nature, and in general life at its core, were products of the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, and ultimately the Scientific Revolution. If it were not for the perseverance of humanists, and their sense of devotion, the advancements included in the Scientific Revolution may have not come for some time down the road. One of the most important outcomes that is still used as a basis today for scientific experimentation is the scientific method. â€Å"The scientific method is such that, whatever the weaknesses of human endeavor, scientific truths will steadily emerge and will come to be recognized and established as a matter of inevitability† (Henry, 555).[xxv] In a way, Henry’s definition of the scientific method can be seen as already applying to the transformation that created it. ———————– ENDNOTES: [i] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [ii] Henry, J. H. (2008). Isis. Ideology, Inevitability, and the Scientific Revolution, 99(3), 552-559. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/591713 [iii] â€Å"Geography, Humanism, and Global Concern.† Anne Buttimer. Annals of the Association of American Geographers , Vol. 80, No. 1 (Mar., 1990), pp. 1-33. [iv] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The Sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [v] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 . [vi] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The Sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [vii] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 . [viii] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [ix] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [x] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [xi] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [xii] Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 [xiii] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [xiv] â€Å"Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [xv] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [xvi] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [xvii] Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 [xviii] Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 [xix] Grant, E. G. (2004). Scientific Imagination in the Middle Ages.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Todays business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Todays business environment - Essay Example The new external factors are new people, their culture, society, language, political system, work habits, social system, regulatory system, and taxes legal and technological base. Legislations and government rules and laws determine the political environment of the new country. Every country in the world follows its own system under the sovereign rule and the company who enters into that country has to follow those laws and systems. Economic environment is also different in that country because economic requirement, financial system export/ import requirements may be different to those in the domestic country Technological base and the work environment may be different .The internal variables in the new country may be absolutely different and the company entering into that country has to adjust to those variables as quickly as possible to be successful. There may be many threats and responsibilities posed by the new system and environment that has to be answered by the new entrant. T he major factors that bring in changes in the host economy are: The first and foremost consideration before entering into a new country is to assess the economic benefits of investment in that country. Whether the project is profitable in the long run or whether it is sustainable in the new circumstances and environment or whether the new investment in that country is free from undue risk are to be considered and answered before The debt possibilities and structure in the new country must be assessed deeply before the strategic move. The impact of debt on global corporation whether personal, corporate private or public may be very high sometimes. The best time to enter into a new country is the time of rising cycle of the business. It is possible to understand the up trends in the economy and enter in to that country in the best opportune time. The advantage of doing so is to avoid getting the investment into loss and ensure good returns in booming period in the economy. Recent examples are the two booming economies in Asia-India and China. Many multinational companies found the way into china for last decade or more and made their investment yield high returns. Similarly from 2003 Indian economy also started raising its head and many foreign companies entered into this country in Automobile, consumer, electronics, infrastructure and information technology sector. On the opposite many Indian companies also have their openings into other countries as takeover or into Greenfield projects. High debt symptom is to be studies carefully before deciding about new investments in foreign courtiers. High level of debts is an economic indicator that might put the economy into danger zone. For example USA, which is running in trillion-dollar debt, is a bad indicator for investors from outside. High level of de

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Evil, a Challenge to Philosophy and Theology Essay

Evil, a Challenge to Philosophy and Theology - Essay Example As one of the giants of his field Ricoeur once again sets us thinking in his deep and mystical fashion which is so characteristic of his continental philosophy. His major works include masterpieces on existentialism, phenomenology, psychoanalysis, politics, religion and the theory of language. In Figuring the Sacred, Paul Ricoeur offers a "hermeneutic critique of different responses to evil,lament and blame,myth wisdom and theodicy."3 "Lament and blame ..Differentiates between evil as suffering and evil as wrongdoing if lament sees us as victims blame makes culprits of us Ricoeur observes that infact these two categories are always intertwined .We can feel guilty for committing an evil act while simultaneously experiencing seduction or invasion by an over whelming force outside us".4 Ricoeur's work discusses the entire intellectual and religious history of the west. In his essay "Evil, a Challenge to Philosophy and Theology" (1985) Ricoeur discusses how evil is symbolised and the problems behind such symbolisation. He has pointed out how the concept of "theodicy" becomes inadequate during such an analysis. Ricoeur deals with the haunting human dilemmas like guilt and lament and goes to profound depths making conclusions which are often subtle yet familiar to the seasoned critic who is almost always left speechless by his understanding of realms not yet explored in religious psychology and theology. The bo The book forms along with its essays a very thoughtful reading for religious people as well as the common lay people .Ricoeur reminds us of many things which we ignore like to the role of God in everyday philosophy and thought. With Ricoeur the title speaks for itself when life becomes the very tumultuous path to "figuring the sacred". The book constantly invokes a subtle awareness in the minds of the reader, reminding us to shield our thoughts from negativity and trivialization while we "figure the sacred" who actually lives within our hearts and minds. Bibliography 1. Book review by Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary,Decatur, GA available at http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1996/v53-1-bookreview4.htm 2. Figuring the Sacred: Religion, Narrative, and Imagination ,By Paul Ricoeur,Minneapolis, Fortress, 1995. 3. On Paul Ricoeur: The Owl of Minerva By Richard F. Kearney,pp

Brazil's Education Minister Forges a New Role for the Ministry Essay

Brazil's Education Minister Forges a New Role for the Ministry - Essay Example As such there different processes that need to be implemented in order to turnaround the activities of the ministry such that the education sector can be improved. First and foremost, the new minister and his executive have a task to design the functions as well as jobs in the ministry so that it can operate towards the attainment of the desired goals. Basically, job design is the process by which characteristics and qualities of jobs are determined and created (Jackson & Schuler, 151). Technology is one major factor that affects job design and it is the duty of the Ministry of education to ensure that they harness the use of new information and communication technology in gathering information about the necessary steps that should be taken in order to improve the performance as well as quality in the education sector in Brazil. The other important function of job design is to attract, accommodate, motivate and retain a workforce that is diverse in terms of lifestyle, gender as well as capability (Jackson & Schuler, 153). Without a proper job design, it may be quite difficult to attract the talented people to certain jobs since they would also not be aware of what would be expected of them. Having designed different job tasks in the Ministry of Education in Brazil, the other processes that ought to be taken into account is to recruit competent employees and make sure that measures designed to retain them are put in place. Robbins (165) posits to the effect that recruitment helps the company to select the best candidates out of a potential poof of employees. This process is not an end in itself since it is supposed to be complemented by other activities that are designed to improve the overall performance of the whole sector. The Ministry also ought to put in place measures that are designed to motivate the employees so that they can put optimum performance in their

Monday, August 26, 2019

Effective team and performance management Essay

Effective team and performance management - Essay Example Performance management is an integrated and strategic approach to deliver flourishing results in organizations, by the improvement of performance, and by building the capability of individuals and teams. Performance management is important in achieving qualitative performance and superior standards. This project deals with the functions of effective team and performance management, and how they weekly reflects on the group exercise explaining the significant success factors in the growth of a team. It describes its reflections on the experience of practical seminar activities of team and performance management. It also explains group experience from the view of group members imaging their experience. This study evaluates the principles of inter-personal relationship, tries to understand group behaviour and dynamics of organizational behaviour, by analysing the various factors that influence individual behaviour in a team. The study evaluates effective management practice and behaviou ral skills in a team environment, which generate personal as well as organisational performance impact. Regarding effective team and performance management, the study classes include four activities, and they are animal survival reflection exercise, the activity can which adapt learning skills with the level of educational achievements. Other activities are egg flying activity, Belbin’s team role and lost on the moon. These activities study group behaviour and group efforts which help n building an effective team. 2.1) Reflect on what you learned from the group exercise in week one - three (Learning outcomes 3 and 4) It was a great experience that I received during the activities in the class as a team. I enjoyed it a lot. In the group exercise, from week one to week three, I learned about the application of organizational behaviour, and the theories of learning in the context of business. I also learned the factors that influence individual behaviour in a team. In the week o ne activity, I came to know the ways to accomplish assigned work, to respect team members, and how to hold on when the group falls beyond its expectations. The team began to perform well in norming stage. â€Å"Groups can also exert enormous in?uence on individuals through the medium of norms† (International Relations and Group Processes n.d) Each individual began by contributing their best for the improvement of the team. As a result of this, more effort was exerted by the group thereby bringing harmonious relation among the team members. All group members presented themselves at the meeting on time, so that they could closely follow the proceedings of the meeting, and no one was supposed to interrupt the meeting by arriving late at the venue. I, as a team member also learned about how to behave in a meeting, when to present our own opinions, if any; and to encourage silent members in the group to speak out. Decisions were made by the unanimous support of the team members. à ‚   A significant factor of success in the growth of a team, depends on the concept that all players in the team are equal in decision making; and that every team member is valued, and that they that contribute well for the team. All members should be honest in their communication, and should speak frankly without hurting the self-esteem of co-members. The active participation of team members in

Sunday, August 25, 2019

ETHICS MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ETHICS MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The individual scenarios illustrate the importance of ethics in management in their day to day activities. The CFA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is used as a guideline in resolving each given problem. The Code and Standards  serves as the ethical yardstick of investment professionals all around the world, setting aside the aspects of job title or position, cultural differences, or local laws. The values of integrity, competence, diligence, respect, and in an ethical manner with the public, clients, prospective clients, employers, employees, colleagues in the investment profession, and other participants in the global capital markets are hereby applied in the sample problems in order to resolve the ethical issues presented in this paper. Keywords: ethics management, ethical dilemma, code of ethics, professional conduct, values, global investment ETHICAL MANAGEMENT This paper presents some of the common problems encountered in the professional environment by applying CFA In stitute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct to as a guide in order to resolve the ethical dilemmas. The CFA Code of Ethics emphasizes the values of integrity, competence, respect and how to maintain professional competence by placing the interests of the clients above individual interest. On the other hand, the CFA Standards of Professional Conduct highlights the values of professionalism, duties to clients, employers, colleagues, the integrity of capital markets, investment analysis and recommendations and conflicts of interest. Both are used as point of reference in resolving ethical dilemmas and ethical conflicts by applying ethical theories. Problems A & B As a sales representative, I am faced with the ethical dilemma of whether I should close the deal with Fortune 500 company even if I know that the other 2,000 computers will be delayed in delivery and I will earn a sizeable profit by receiving a big commission from such sale and will definitely boost the compa ny’s stock option. As a mother of two children, my kids are entitled to receive support from me, the money that I will be earning will help our family to defray our daily expenses. On the other hand, I will be in violation of the Code of Ethics as I should â€Å"act with integrity, competence, diligence and respect to my clients. I am expected to put the interest of client above my own personal interests†(CFA Code of Ethics 2010). One of my duties to my clients is to be fair in all my dealings with them. In this case, if I pursue with the sale with personal knowledge that the other computer units will not be delivered on time, I am guilty of putting my personal interest above the interest of my client. The long term effect of this sale to Fortune 500 would mean that their company will incur losses because of the failure of delivery on the part of our company. Our company will stand to lose a valuable client if I choose to close the deal without informing them that we c annot deliver on time and blame the delay to the manufacturer of computers. The short term effect will be advantageous on my part as I will receive a lucrative commission and the company will also benefit from the sale by receiving a boost in the company’s stock price and help our executives who want to exercise stock options. In the end, my final decision will be to forego with the deal even if our company will stand to lose a reasonable amount of profit and also if I lose the chance to earn personal gain. The Standards of Professional Conduct requires that in cases of â€Å"conflict of interest, I should make full and fair disclosure of all matters that could reasonably be expected to impair my independence and objectivity or interfere with respective duties to my clie

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Business entity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business entity - Essay Example The limited partnership is not subject to federal income tax. The limited partnership allows the acceptance of two partners who contribute a different fund amount and a third partner who only contributes his or her services in lieu of capital, considering each of the owners has a spouse and adult children. Normally, the limited partner’s contribution to the partnership is lower than the general partners’ contributions. The limited partners are prohibited from participating in the management decisions of the partnership. Only general partners are allowed to make management decisions (Clifford, 2008). In terms of limited partnership’s liability, the creditors can get the general partner’s family assets to pay for the liabilities of the limited partnership. On the other hand, the creditors cannot get the limited partner’s family assets to pay for the liabilities of the limited partnership’s liabilities (Clifford, 2008). The best form of business for a small business is limited partnership. For a limited partnership, a small business can easily grow to become a big business when the most opportune moment comes. As the business profits continue, all the limited partnership’s partners can increase the store size, sell more product types, or up a new branch in another locality (Clifford, 2008). Analyzing the above information, many persons want to form a limited partnership. The limited partnership is tax exempt. The creditors can only get the general partners’ assets. Only the general partners can make partnership decisions. Convincingly, the limited partnership works best in the above business

Friday, August 23, 2019

There is a large discrepancy in wealth distribution in the PRC. In Essay

There is a large discrepancy in wealth distribution in the PRC. In fact it has amongst the most unequal levels of distribution o - Essay Example This paper examines the implication of wealth inequalities in the PRC, particularly regarding individual’s way of living, education, housing, transportation, employment, and human rights for a citizen in the PRC; in relation to that, the paper will address whether people who are deprived access to these things can even be considered citizens. The paper will also highlight the effect of sexual, racial, and class discriminations on the patterns of consumption in the PRC and the manner in which the different social groups in China define and promote popular culture in the consumption patterns. As already mentioned, wealth inequalities have a very profound impact on individual’s way of living; generally, the large disparities between the rich and the poor in the PRC results to social inequalities since they deprive the poor access to most of the very basic yet fundamental social opportunities and services in life. For instance, the huge gaps between the rich and the poor in the PRC implies that the poor have been deprived access to decent lives with since basic needs such as food and shelter will almost always remain an elusive dream beyond their reach. Poor households in the PRC cannot afford daily provision, leave alone healthy dietary, and nutrition and they have to struggle for bare survival to see another day; apart from that, poor housing or lack of housing altogether predisposes the poor to harsh environmental conditions, which further aggravate their already worse condition. Housing projects in the PRC have been monopolized by the affluent and well-educated group that has the financial flexibility to live in those rich neighborhoods (Doray Demers 297). This implies that those without financial flexibility cannot access decent housing in decent neighborhoods like around Beijing (Tomba 1). Additionally, the poor cannot afford quality medical and healthcare, and are more likely to suffer even from simplest of all common treatable diseases. Poor n eighborhoods in the PRC have a disparity of healthcare facilities, and the least that are available do not even offer quality healthcare services either; Lack of quality healthcare and housing coupled with poor nutrition inevitably results to despicable living conditions. Apart from that, wealth disparities also deprive the poor access to quality education since it leads to unequal access to educational opportunities; whereas the rich can afford quality education for their children, the poor lag behind simply because of limited educational opportunities and high cost of education. Uneven wealth distribution also implies that some areas of the PRC are more developed thus have more education facilities that offer quality education than others, which are underprivileged due to disparities in wealth distribution. The rich neighborhoods in the PRC have enough schools, which provide enough opportunities for children from socially affluent families to access to education, unlike poor neigh borhoods that lag behind in development, thus have few congested schools that offer low quality education. In this respect, the limited access to educatio

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The poems you have studied Essay Example for Free

The poems you have studied Essay Education for leisure; in this poem the first line suggests that there will be something to do with death as the first line is Today I am going to kill something, ,anything this suggests the person is a murderer for some kind of animal or possibly a human, in this poem that person that is talking has no feeling, I can tell its talking about them self because in the poem every single line it refers to him/her self like in line nine I am a genius. I could be anything at all there he/she refers to there self as a genius and saying that they could be anything saying they have the power, the person is acting like this because they are sick and tired of being ignored as they say at the beginning of the poem, this person has no feeling at all to go and just kill someone face to face looking in there eyes to see there pain, in the poem the person starts off killing little gold fish, then a budgie, he thinks he can do anything he wants as he said in line two to three . And today I am going to play |GOD| as he has killed a fish and a budgie he says in line seventeen there is nothing left to kill so he calls the radio and tells the man he is talking to a superstar, he says this as a last try to get attention, a despite struggle to get people to notice him, but the radio cuts him off, they he looses it, he gets a bread knife out of the draw, as the pavements glitter then he grabs someones arm. Grabbing some ones arm that is the next step, to kill a human, he is gone mental, has no emotional feelings for any one because they have no feelings for him, he doesnt get noticed, and he finally has had enough for it. Havisham by carol Ann Duffy Havisham; you can tell she loved him, but also at the same time hated him more then you possibly could because she states on the first line beloved sweetheart. That shows that she loves him for him being a sweetheart but straight after that she shouts basted this shows that he really hates him, also in the first line it says that she has ropes on the back of her hand that she could strangle with, and this is a metaphor for the tendents for the back of her hands so she wants her hand round his neck, this says to me that she will do anything to kill this one man no matter what way it is. He stood her up years ago and she wants to kill him for what he has done, in the 4th paragraph it says I stabbed a wedding cake, now give me a male corps this implies to me that she doesnt like any men for what her husband did to her years and years ago , she cant trust any men anymore, so she wants to kill most men for what one person had done to her years ago, in this poem by Duffy. Is like the first one they want to kill something because in this one she wants to kill her husband for standing her up and leaving her but she still had emotion for him she still loves him ,and in education for leisure by Duffy the person just wants to kill something kill anything in fact, just because he is being ignored, he wanted to be noticed and people to know his name but they didnt so he started to kill animals then he went to kill humans. The man he killed In the man he killed, is about two men meeting in an inn and they sit down and stare at each other, in this poem there is a line where he says I shot him dead because .. that says to me that there wasnt really a reason to shoot him dead and that he took a mans life because he said he was his foe. In comparison to education for leisure in this one the man shoots the other man, he kills him because he had to, it was either his life or his own. So he shot him dead as in education for leisure.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Reluctance of Gay Essay Example for Free

Reluctance of Gay Essay Domestic violence is a prevalent criminal and social issue because this occurs in various cultures and types of domestic partnerships. This is the reason for the establishment of laws and processes to aid victims of domestic violence. However, addressing domestic violence is not at all simple because the difficulty not only lies in the weak protective measures or loopholes of laws and criminal justice processes but also the failure or reluctance of victims to report their experiences to the police much less file action against the perpetrator, who happen to be their partners. Nevertheless, the reason for the reluctance is not entirely legal. Socio-cultural and religious factors could come into play that dictates acceptable and non-acceptable behavior. Economic factors also contribute to the reluctance. Psychological factors could also intervene in the decision to report victimization. (Roberts, 2002) A similar situation occurs even in cases of domestic violence among homosexual or same-sex couples. There is even a lesser probability of victims of homosexual domestic violence to report victimization than domestic violence between heterosexual couples because of the additional discriminatory situations that homosexual domestic violence victims face. (Renzetti, 1996) Heterosexual and Homosexual Domestic Violence Victimization Violence or abuse happens in homosexual partners as often as in heterosexual couples but there are similarities and differences in the situation faced by heterosexual and homosexual couples that could explain the reasons for the lesser likelihood of victimization reporting by homosexual domestic violence victims. As all victims of domestic violence, heterosexual and homosexual partners also undergo emotional dilemma in telling people about the violence or abuse much less report it to the authorities. However, homosexual partners also need to deal with homophobic issues arising from their social circle and the community in general so that they have to first deal with their homosexuality and homosexual relationship before even dealing with reporting domestic violence. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) Similar facts on domestic violence apply to both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Even partnership of the same sex does not necessarily provide a guarantee of equal status of the partners forming the relationship. It is also difficult for a victim of domestic violence in a heterosexual and homosexual relationship to leave the partnership. Blame on the victim in both types of partnership also occurs to influence the decision to report the incident. Remorse is also commonly exhibited by the abusers in both types of relationship to give the victim false hope over the cessation of the abuse. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) Reporting of Homosexual Domestic Violence Victimization to the Police There are differences in the domestic abuse experienced by heterosexual and homosexual victims and these differences comprise the reasons for the lesser likelihood of victims of domestic violence in same sex relationships to the report the abuse to the police. First is the limited recognition and understanding of domestic violence in the case of homosexual couples. This is perhaps due to the complex issue of accepting homosexual partnership more so with homosexual domestic violence. Lack of understanding or unacceptability of homosexual partnership would likely yield to negative reactions from society and evasion in addressing homosexual domestic violence. Aversion and evasion are the expected reactions of society to issues that it cannot understand. (Peterman Dixon, 2003; Brown, 2008) Moreover, it is not only society in general that lacks an understanding of homosexual relationship and domestic violence, the victims themselves could find it difficult to assess their situations and decide on the manner of dealing with the problem by considering emotional factors such as attachment to the partner and fear of being alone especially when they receive little support for their sexual preferences in their own social circle. Some of the victims who have not yet divulged their sexual preferences to their family, friends and co-workers also have to admit their homosexuality in reporting the abuse to the police. Many may not be prepared to do this. (Island Lettelier, 1991; Cruz, 2003) They may not even think about going to the police for protection. Even within the gay and lesbian community, domestic violence is a largely suppressed issue. An explanation is the prevention of the further antagonism of the community. Reports of domestic violence in the gay and lesbian community would further complicate attempts of the community to foster community acceptance. It was only in the late 1990s that domestic violence in same sex relationships started to receive due consideration. (Renzetti, 1996) Nevertheless, as long as the issue remains problematic on the part of the victims and the gay and lesbian community, reporting to domestic violence cases to the polices in homosexual relationships would remain nil. Second is the lack or limited services available to gays and lesbians who have experienced domestic abuse. Lack of knowledge or non-existence of venues for reporting domestic violence could be a reason for the failure or reluctance of gays and lesbians who are victims of domestic violence to report the abuse. (Peterman Jackson, 2003; Brown, 2008) Although there are help desks for women in police stations catering to gendered issues such as victims of domestic violence these are not commonly thought of as also available to gay and lesbian victims of domestic violence. These desks or sub-sectors of the police do not explicitly ban gays and lesbians or make services exclusive to women but the perception about the services offered and the people to whom the services were intended apparently do not include gays and lesbians who have experienced abuse. Of course, reports could be lodged with the police but these are likely considered as other crimes such as physical injuries instead of the more defined crime of domestic violence. In effect, even if homosexual victims make the report, they may not receive sufficient services for victims of domestic violence such as counseling and advice on the legal processes. This could be the reason why many opt not to take the risk of prejudice involved in reporting the crime and not receiving any support. Moreover, the slow response of the gay and lesbian community towards domestic violence has resulted to a small number of support groups that could help victims learn about remedies commencing with the report of the abuse to the police (Renzetti, 1996). Third is the lack of sensitization of health care workers, law enforcement personnel, and criminal justice professionals regarding domestic violence experienced by homosexual partners. In the case of medical workers, most have not received orientation or learning about domestic violence between same sex couples and the manner of dealing with the issue when raised to them. This means that they cannot give advice to victims on the remedies available to them or coordinate with law enforcement authorities in handling the issue. With regard to law enforcement officers, they could be hesitant to take reports because of uncertainty on how to handle the issue because of non-recognition of domestic violence among homosexual partners. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) In addition, law enforcement and criminal justice workers that are homophobic could disregard the issue altogether resulting to the re-victimization of the victim through discrimination. The police force carries a very macho culture so that gay men, who are victims of domestic violence, although by another gay partner, may be ridiculed or ill-treated. It is the risk of experiencing these adverse attitudes and behavior from the police together with the fear of stigma that dissuades victims of homosexual domestic violence to report the abuse to the police. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) Conclusion Victims of domestic abuse in a homosexual relationship fail or become reluctant to report abuse to the police, more so than victims of heterosexual domestic violence, because of a number of multi-dimensional reasons. Victims have to publicly deal with their homosexuality in reporting the abuse and many are not prepared for this. There is also limited support from the gay and lesbian community that for a long time has suppressed the occurrence of domestic violence among homosexual partners. There is also fear of stigma and discrimination by police officers in reporting the incident. These reasons imply that the addressing domestic violence in the case of homosexual or same sex partners would also be multi-dimensional. The solution involves change in the perception of society towards homosexuality, albeit a difficult feat. The gay and lesbian community also needs to rationalize and clarify issues relating to domestic violence to establish support for victims. Police officers require sensitization towards homosexual domestic violence in order to fulfill their duty of protecting individuals regardless of their sexual preference. References Brown, C. (2008). Gender-role implications on same-sex intimate partner abuse. Journal of Family Violence, 23(6), 457-462. Cruz, M. J. (2003). Why doesnt he just leave? : Gay male domestic violence and the reasons victims stay. The Journal of Mens Studies, 11(3), 309-323.Island, D. , Letellier, P. (1991). Men who beat the men who love them: Battered gay men and domestic violence. New York: Harrington Park Press. Peterman, L. M. , Dixon, C. G. (2003). Domestic violence between same-sex partners: Implications for counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 81(1), 40-47. Renzetti, C. (ed. ) (1996). Violence in gay and lesbian domestic partnerships. New York: Haworth Press. Roberts, A. R. (2002). Handbook of domestic violence intervention strategies: Policies, programs, and legal remedies. New York: Oxford University Press.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Status of Women in patriarchal Indian

The Status of Women in patriarchal Indian Chapter Two: The Status of Women in patriarchal Indian.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His Rights and Her Duties Introduction India is countries with a history spanning hundreds years of a multiplicity inequality, where customs and culture practise had and still have strong influence on the social and political life of the population. India is also a country with tights to social caste system, with variety religions believers. This social mixture makes difficult for Indian women to escape discrimination, reach better opportunities and empower themselves not only inside the household, but also in a village and in a community, or even on the countrys political stage. On another hand, India has modern approach to technology and development with fast growing economy reaching 7,7 percent GDP in 2009 and further forecast of growth to 9 percent this year. (Trading economics http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?Symbol=INR) Indian family structure. The most outstanding feature of India is a strong patriarchal and patrilocal character of this state. Majority of Indian states are patriarchal with only few examples of matrilocal and matrilineal structure like Kerala. In patriarchal society both boys and girls take their identity from the father. But while the son is recognize as a permanent member of the family, the girls are more luckily be viewed as a transit element of this unit to another predominantly husbands family. This also influences inheritance and resource distribution inside family. The land and properties are usually inherited by male successors and transmitted throw them to the next generation. According to the traditional legal practice a daughter has only rights of maintenance the land during her life in a family. As soon as she got married her right of land use are dismissed and taken back to family unit. Only a son has rights to property and land at birth. Women position in patriarchal India is reduced to good daughters, good wives and mothers. Wifehood and motherhood are commonly accepted as key roles for women in an Indian society and by those implications they should not pursue any different profession. Especially this once required by higher education or specialised trainings, which make them, lose focus on main household duties. Patriarchal system in an Indian society also means that the family unit is based on the joint household structure, where only one male is a head of house. Usually this role does belong to a father. He does make choice in terms of marriage alliance, both daughters and sons, decision about buying and selling properties, and maintaining family property day-to-day life. In terms of domestic arrangement the elder woman in a family is in charge. The new bride has the lowest and submissive position in this family chain (p70-76 Women status in India and Empowering them throw Education Dr Bijayalasini Prahary 2010). In addition a patrilocal character of the Indian family means that a married couple will be leaving in a husbands father house or in close distance to a natal home. And because an inheritance in India is usually traced through man, not a woman, the whole family sets are related to males who live together and share a property or even in case of tribal groups a wife. As a consequence of a male dominated role in a family and kinship system women are treated as a less important tool in a kin, and often an easy disposable member, simply replaceable by new brides. For example, in cases where a woman is childless common practise for husband is to send her back to her maternal family and replace by a new wife. The daughter situation is much more difficult. As daughters position is concerned, their residence in the fathers household is temporary and they do not have rights to family assets. Especial as girls quite often are subjects of early age arranged marriages, so their lives in a unit ar e short. In case of a wife, the husband family treats her as an outsider who is descended from some other patriarchal extended kin. Interesting enough with age and giving a birth to son a woman can gain better setup inside the household, but she will always be perceive as an outsider. Legally the minimum ages at marriage are 18 for women and 21 for man, but in practise, according R C Mishra, close to 60 percent of women of rural India are married before reaching legal age. Especially that the legal provisions are rarely enforced by local authorities, what allows prohibition against child marriage to be continued and it seems wildly accepted in pure areas of India. We have to remember that Indian population is strongly influenced by custom and religious believes. As a consequence of early married many of girls, who are not ready physically and mentally to give a birth at young age, are dying during pregnancy (p94-97 women in India towards gender equality R C Mishra Authorspress Delhi 2006). The patrurialchal structure of the family clearly influences the relationship inside a household. Any womens decision-making power is restricted by their low positions in a house. For example, if the mother-in-law lives in a house, a new woman in a unit has to ask her for permission and approval in domestic arrangements. If the brother-in-law is there, he is the person to ask for consent to leave the house. Also at presence the sister-in-law in a household, a new bride needs to submit herself to her decisions. Many of women in joint families are enable to take any independent decision in respect to their own daily activities. The wife has to live by her husbands and often his family wishes. The daughter has to live by father and family arrangements. (Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Bilkis Vissandjà ©e 2006). According to studies made by R C Misha nearly 90 percent of women in Uttar Pradesh, and over 80 percent in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh need permission before they can leave the house. Even in matters of cooking, a third of interviewed women in Uttar said that they had been excluded from decision-making on cooking. ((p94-97 women in India towards gender equality R C Mishra Authorspress Delhi 2006) Indians family structure means that it is a bride responsibility to make major adjustments in a marriage. Girls should be prepared to make sacrifice in terms own needs, be modest, hard worker and always contribute to new family wealth being. Many Indians strongly believe that not only young girls should get married early but as well be less educated than the males in the family. The reason behind this is to preserve the male-based hierarchy and perception of man roles in a household as a breadwinner and security provider. Another factor is that unmarried innocent girl symbolises family honour and purity, and is considering as a blessed gift for the whole house. In India, especially in pure regions, rural areas, girls specialise in domestic work such as looking after siblings, preparing and cooking food, cleaning the house and fetching water and firewood. Boys on the other hand are manly involved in working on the family farms, looking after livestock and engaging in income-earning activities. (p1-11 statues of rural women in India Dr S C Shama 2009) But due to economic situation quite often girls are taking over also boys responsibilities in farming and earning money for family needs. Also social discrimination has a huge impact on women rights to land. Norms of female dependence on males are justified through a range of social mechanisms. About one in third of households have been run by women alone as they husbands left in research for jobs outside agriculture industry. Still women get less paid then man for the same work done. Two third of women in India cant read or write. They cant sleep before the man in household (p1-11 statues of rural women in India Dr S C Shama 2009). (p 40-44 Gender Discrimination in Indian Society, L Packiam, Allied Publishing Privet Limited 2006 New Delhi) In addition, even among Indian women exists huge inequality related to treatment at work place and on social stage. Women belonging to the privileged and dominating classes enjoy mach more freedom and opportunities than they are often denied even to man from subordinated and unprivileged casts and groups. Women for the privilege cast are more educated and can place themselves in better position on an employment market. Still it does not change the fact that women are on the bottom of the order in every social group and casts, landless people, displaced and migrants (p1-11 statues of rural women in India Dr S C Shama 2009) Dali women are the hardest touched by discrimination not only at home but as well at Indian society. As the lowest cast they suffer every day form injustice and wrongdoing. The case of a girl student from Gujarat is only one of many examples of hash treatment by upper class and Indian traditional authorities. The girl made a mistake of joining the dancing in the mai n square of her village, in which most of the participants were of the upper caste. The upper caste boys pulled her out and threatened to rape her. For interfering, her mother was slapped. In the hope for justice, she forced her parents to file a complaint to the police against her assailants. For complaining to the police constantly the upper caste families in a village intimidated her mother and members of her family until it had been withdraw. This only one from many examples showing how difficult is for women from lowest cast to deal with disadvantages to be born into Dalit cast. It is estimated that around 50 thousand Dalits girls were sold every year to Hindu organizations that are involved in the Devdasi system as a female servants of god and are sexually exploited. These women from the poorest cast have no control over life, wealth and they cannot expect help from Indian justices system and local authorities. Human Right Watch Report in 1992, http://aapf.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/mahey-the-status-of-dalit-women-in-indias-caste-based-system.pdf (The Status of Dalit Women in Indias Caste Based System Sonia Mahey, University of Alberta) Women in Indian population. India is one of the countries where the female population is counting in less proportion to male population. According to UNICEF Indias Report on Child Sex Ratio birth of females children is declining steadily. Figures from 1991 showed the sex ratio was 947 girls for 1000 boys. Ten years later it had fallen to 927 girls for 1000 boys. Furthermore, since 1991 in 80 percent of all districts in India had recorded a declining sex ratio with the state of Punjab being the worst in leading the statistics. States like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have recorded more than 50 point decline in the child sex ratio in the same period. http://www.unicef.org/india/media_3285.htm Delhi recorded sex ratios 821 while Haryanan 851 and Uttar Paradesh 898 (p6 http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/7602/1/MPRA_paper_7602.pdf). The Karela state is the only one in India where overall sex ratio is constantly in favourable to women. According to MPRAs data sex ratio was in 2001 1058 as per 1001 census (MPRA 10 march 2008) The fact is that more then 1 million pregnancies are aborted every year after the identification as females. Female children, who escape abortion or infanticide, get into social, economical and political discrimination. Through socialisation female children are throwing into women role expectations in Indian society. From the moment of birth girls are subjected by parents reinforcement to take on traditional role in a society and secondary position after male. From the birth girls are view as a weight responsibility and son as a valuable resource. This discriminations continue throw the girls whole lives and effecting ever aspect of they daily existence. At home patents give priority to needs and interest of their sons then daughters. The teenager girl is denied involvement in decision making in the family. She hardly takes any decision, which affects her life directly. Even in terms of relationships girls are restricted. A son can choose and love a girl of his choice, even refuses t o marry parents choice of a bride, and whomever they selects the final world would be his. On contrarily, the daughter has to submit herself physically and mentally to family decisions. Every her movement is watched by relatives and in huge measure by the whole community, especially in a village environment. She is strictly instructed to behave herself. Expression of love towards a boy even of the same cast is not possible (L Packiam 2006, p16-18). Of course the restriction towards girls can be more loosen up in economically privileged and higher cast families. Although India is going throw an intensive economical and in same point political changes, which impose social transformation on girls right to education, the elimination of traditional and still strong dominated view on women lower position seems to be unattached by those changes. Girls education The conventional view on girls upbringing has huge impact on their formal education. India has the largest population of non-school-going working girls. The country literacy rate for women is 39 percent versus 64 percent for man. For example in Uttar Pradesh is even lower, around 25 percent for women. This low rate of girls in an education lies down to parents view that the educated girl brings no returns to her future roles, mainly as a homemaker and perhaps agriculture labour. The point is that girls increasingly are replacing brothers on farm duties while carrying domestic responsibilities at the same time. This is significant reason for not sending daughters to schools. A large proportion of nonworking girls is kept at home only because they household responsibility. Also next point for not sending girls to school is to protect their virginity. Especially when schools are communal for both: girls and boys. In addition long distance to education institutions with travel expenses m akes impossible to change paten of basic education for girls (Dr Priyanka Tomar 2006, p 10-13). The reality is that women literacy rate stands less than 50 percent for whole India. United Nation had estimated that 245 million Indian women cannot read or write and furthermore this number covers wide throw states, religion groups and casts. For instance, while 95 percent of women in Mizoram are literate, only 34 percent of women in Bihar can read and write. The average Indian female has only 1.2 years of schooling, while the Indian male spends 3.5 years in school. More than 50 percent girls drop out by the time they are in middle school. On the other hand life expectancy has increased for both: males and females to 64.9 years for women and 63 years for men. According to UN Statistic Division (2000) also the workingwomen population had risen from 13 percent in 1987 to 25 percent in 2001 and still grows. Another confirmed point of strong male dominance in an Indian society is the fact that only women belied to be responsible for childless marriages or giving successive birth to female babies. In those cases it is common to expect a wife to find a second wife, for her husband, which is natural in rural areas that she is coming from her own family kit (L Packiam 2006, p35 -37). In such traditional country like India with strong male role perception as a head of large family it is important to have sons who continue family line and look after their assets. Work and women A further aspect unequal right for women and men are related to workplace and conditions they are work. Women work longer hours than man and their work is less paid or not paid at all. Women contribution in agriculture, whether it is farming or commercial agriculture, is far more demanding as they need to as well concentrate on domestic duties and ruining household, fulfilling they traditional roles as a mother and wife. It had been found (Andhra Pradesh 2006, p.12-17) that the working day of a woman labour in agriculture during the farming season last 15 hours from 4 am to 8 pm, while man work from 5am to 10 am or 11 am and from 3 pm to 5 pm. It means that women have to work in difficult weather conditions (Dr Priyanka Tomar 2006, p 12-17). Both transplanting and weeding required from women worker to spend the whole day working in mud. What is more they work under hit of sun, while mens work such a ploughing and watering the fields is always carried out early in a morning (Neera Bha rihoke 2008, p. 41). Still women labour contribution is barley recognizable as an economic productivity and input to a family household (Dr Priyanka Tomar 2006, p 12-17). In rural India women get paid 60 percent or even less than men for doing the same work. Table 1 shows the wage rate in agriculture between male and female workers between 2004 and 2006 register by Government of India. According to this table women get only 41.58 rupee for ploughing work while men are paid almost double. Also in another jobs women do seems to be paid less than men. Table 1: Wage Rate in Agricultural occupation 2004-2006 Occupation Wage of Men Wage of Women Ploughing Sowing Weeding Picking Crushing 72,28 66,09 57,97 54,60 60,62 41,58 46,17 46,73 41,49 42,73 Source:Ministerof Labouer, Gov of India Women play significant role in agriculture, taking on any job required in land farming. Table 2:1 shows percentage of distribution of female labour in cultivation, agriculture and household in 2001. According the chat around 51 percent women are involve in household industries work while 43 is employed in agriculture, and only 6 percent in cultivation. Table 2.2 shows percentage of male worker participation in cultivation, agriculture and household. The diagram picture that 59 percent men are employed in cultivation in compared to 43 percent women labour. In addition male labour continues 38 percent employed in agriculture. This number is less than 51 percent women labour. Not surprisingly only 3 percent men worked in household as this sector is consider being a female duty. Source : National Sample Survey Organization, 55th round (July 1999 June 2000) Source : National Sample Survey Organization, 55th round (July 1999 June 2000) http://ncw.nic.in/pdfreports/Impact%20of%20WTO%20Women%20in%20Agriculture.pdf IMPACT OF WTO ON WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE RESEARCH FOUNDATION SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY NEW DELHI NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN NEW DELHI According to the UNFPA State of World Population report on India, published in 2005, about 70 percent of graduate Indian women were unemployed taking under consideration that women represent 90 percent of the total minor workers of the country. Whats more, rural women engaged in agriculture farming constitute 78 percent of all female with regular paid work, making they a third of all labour involved in farming on the land. Furthermore, the report point it out that due to the traditional gender division of labour these women get on average 30 percent lower wages than men. Also the total employment of women in organised sector is only 4 percent even though that industrial production increased since the 1980s with more jobs in factories and outside household. Evidently data shows increased trend among companies to rely on using cheap labour in production stage, mostly women and children. It is well known that women and children work in huge numbers in bangle making weaving, brassware, l eather, crafts and other industries, including clothed and technology factories. Yet, only 3 percent of these women are recorded as manual worker. They are forced to work for almost charitable wages and are excluded form all social security benefits like a health care or a pension. A study organised by SEWA in fourteen Indian trades found that 85 percent of this women earned only 50 percent of the official poverty level income. Another feature of women unequal treatment in Indian society is limited access to health care. Giving complicity of underlying factors like sons preference in a family, early marriages, lack of access to hospitals, education and general women position in a household, is not surprising that life expectancy of females is lower than males. For majority of Indian states the average women life expectancy is 60 years. However life expectancy age for Indian women had been altered for different states, regions in India. In Kerala, for instance, women life expectancy is 75 years of age, while in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, the poorest states of India, womens age expectancy is even lower 57 years (R C Mishra 2006, p.85-87). This shows as well that other factors like women religion and a cast they belong to, political and economical environment do have huge impact on life expectancy this particular gender. In addition women are quite often subjects of sexual and gender related violence within household, but also outside family walls. They low position make them easy target for raps, molestation, kidnapping and abduction, dowry deaths and domestic violence. Especially illegal practice of dowry existing in many cast groups, quite common in rural areas, causing concerns as legislation reinforcement seems to be powerless in execution women rights and protection. Women in politics Furthermore on political stage it seems women are seriously underrepresented, The fact that Indian government accepted the Representation of the People Act from 1951, which reserves one third seats in national and states parliaments for women, makes milestone in acknowledging women participation in a society and they needs for changes. This is a positive step that gives women political rights to be represented and ability to influence legal policies of this country. On the other hand the Act can be viewed as a need for enforcement democratic India to accept women basic human rights to be equalised with men in area like education, workplace, household and marriage, inheritance of properties, land. However in reality women are not even count for a quote of Indian representatives on a political stage. For instance in a list of the Communist Party of India only three out of sixty candidates are women. Even worse situation for female representation can be found in Karelas parliament. On a list of the Congress Partys for Karela only one woman has been listed in election among seventeen candidates taking part. The main opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party, has just twenty-six women among its one hundred sixty six candidates. Just six women among 71 candidate seats represent the Samajwadi Party. http://news.oneindia.in/feature/2009/wanted-women-in-indian-parliament.html Throw the years the number of women parliamentarians has never exceeded 15 percent of all seats. Participation of women in the Parliament Lok Sabha (lower house) after election in 1999 was only 8,8 percent, while in Rajya Sabha (upper house) was 8,2 percent (Source: Election Commission of Indias Website) This shows that womens participation in political processes is slow and almost invisible, can be even recounted as exclude form the state life. It is mainly due to various social, economic, historical, geographical, political and cultural factors. Illiteracy, lack of access and control over income and other resources including land, restrictions to public spaces and legal systems in favor of a man continue to harm women any effort to political contribution. In the Indian culture women have always been in a lower status than men and in this terms Indian women display great reserve, respect and submissive mannerisms when they speak to men. The rule Being a male-dominant society, men rule and women follow applies in every aspect to Indian society structure (A male participant Womens Political Participation in Rural India p.437). The Indian constitution grants women equal rights with men, but strong patriarchal traditions persist, with womens lives shaped by customs. In most of Indian families a daughter is viewed as a responsibility, a problem, which needs food and protection. On the other hand sons are idolized and celebrated. May you be the mother of a hundred sons is a common Hindu wedding blessing. This has influenced women access to education, to gaining power in household and a community. It seems that without strong reinforcement of traditional custom and values any government legislation cannot be productive. Recognition of women imputes into Indian economy and politics is another step towards improvement their lives. .

The Downfall of Tess in Thomas Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles Essay

The Downfall of Tess in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles Tess of the D'Urbervilles is considered to be a tragedy due to the catastrophic downfall of the protaganist Tess. From the early days in her life, her father John had begun to destroy her, which then led to Alex D'Urbervill and eventually finished with Angel Clare. Each dominant male figure in her life cocntributed to her tragic downfall which the reader encounters at the end of the novel. It is unfortunate how one woman can be ruined by the three most important and dominant people in her life. Tess's downfall began with her experiences with her father. She grew up with a father who drank excessively and did not give her any type of guidance or support. His characteristics are revealed when he sends Tess to Tantridge to dliver the beehives, due to the fact that he is too drunk to do it himself. Rather than taking responsibility for the dreadful accident Tess had with the family's horse, he sends her to the D'Urbervilles mansion to seek their name and fortune. Following this, when Tess delivers her baby upon returning from Tantridge, the reader once again sees John's true sides of how horrible he is and how he destroys his daughter, by not letting the parson come and baptize her child, Sorrow, yet he is on the verge of dying. Her son's name reflects just how miserable she is and how much pain she is going through, because of Alec. Throughout these incidents the reader can see just how Tess is selfless andl oyal to her family and is focused on helping them, so she goes and seeks help from her family members. The outcome of this is unfortunately useable, her downfall. Tess's journey to Tantridge and her introduction to Alex is the be... ...one she could trust and rely on, but this had not occurred. Even though it was not intentional, Angel himself had driven Tess into Alec's arms, when he had left her. She was forced to go back to him, because of poverty and because of her family. When Tess found out Angel had returned from Brazil, she found the the only way out of her recently started relationship with Alec was by murdering him. It is distressing how all three dominant male figures in her life had chosen to hurt her so immensely. Unfortunetly Tess is very influence by people, whihc leads her to face many horrible incidents throughout her life. She is selfless, loyal and weak which makes it easy for her father John, Alec and Angel to hurt her and cause her pain, which eventually caused her downfall. Therefore it is correct; the catastrophic downfall of Tess is due to the men in her life.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

When it come to be publicly acknowledged that the United States government planned on using atomic bombs to fight the war against Japan, a group of scientists who had worked on the atomic bomb for many years, felt the need to protest the idea. Leo Szilard who was a head of the group of scientists came up with a petition for the president for his associated scientists to look over. In his petition he asked the President â€Å"to rule that the United States shall not, in the present phase of the war, resort to the use of atomic bombs† (Szilard, par. 1). Szilard’s thoughts mentioned in the petition sought the strength and persuasion needed to sway the President that the use of the atomic bomb was uncalled for because of the shortage of facts presented, their poor reasoning found in the writing, and the failure to communicate the significance that their arguments held in the decision. In the petition Leo Szilard uses pathos over and over to try and sway the President’s view of using an atomic bomb to fight against Japan. While the argument is persuasive, he used the advantage of the alre...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Water in New Jersey Essay -- Environment Environmental Essays

Water in New Jersey Residential, commercial and industrial development is the largest contributors to landscape change in the state of New Jersey. When buildout occurs in one region, development pressure begins in another, virtually insuring the Megalopolis concept of one huge urban corridor stretching between Boston and Washington D.C. Year after year, farmland dwindles, roads become congested, and more residents are left to compete for diminishing natural resources. Desperate measures and newer technologies are incorporated to replace poor planning and lack of vision on behalf of decision-makers caught between competing interests. When the long term health and wellbeing of the established population and the short term gain of a limited number of people compete for vital natural resources there should be no question who's interests should prevail. Water resources tend to be taken for granted in New Jersey and why shouldn't they? Rainfall and runoff from snowfall are plentiful, averaging over forty inches per year. The state is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Delaware River on the other, with reservoirs containing billions of gallons of water, and large underground aquifers in between. It's hard to imagine a shortage of this abundant resource. Under normal conditions, this would be the case, but under drought conditions, as has been experienced throughout the winter of 2001 - 2002, the residents of New Jersey are forced to confront the stark reality of the situation that we may be entering into a severe water supply crisis. Mandatory water conservation and stiff penalties for noncompliance may do what preservation and antidevelopment advocates have been trying to do for decades in the state of Ne... ...ment to New Jersey using water resource concerns as a tool to limit large-scale suburban development. These southern agricultural counties are a unique region where large numbers of people are dependent on valuable groundwater resources to continue living in a healthy environment. References New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 1993, New Jersey 1992 State water quality inventory report, chapter IV, 44p. Blair, Russell, 2002, Telephone interview with Cape May County Agricultural Agent, March 5, 2002 New Jersey Farm Bureau, 2002, Statistics obtained at website as of March 5,2002, www.njfb.org New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2002, Statistics obtained at website as of March 5, 2002, www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/ United States Geological Survey, 2002, Statistics obtained at website as of March 3, 2002, www.usgs.gov

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Marketing Plan Mkt 421 U of P

Team C Product – Safety Step University of Phoenix MKT/421 Robin Reis March 29, 2010 Organizational overview Ames is a leader in North America and is known for its quality non-powered garden and lawn products. Ames was founded in 1774 by Captain John Ames. During most of the company’s past 230 years of service the company produced only shovels and controlled 60% of the U. S. market share (n. d. ). Over the past three decades Ames has purchased several companies to widen its market share to include quality non-powered lawn and garden products. In 1991 Ames acquired the Garant Company a Canadian company and in 1997 purchased Woodings-Verona and IXL. Over the next decade the shovel giant continued to purchase various companies in the garden and lawn business. The shovel giant is again looking for ways to expand its product line; Ames will introduce a new daughter company called Safety Step. Ames is a leader in quality products and customer satisfaction, Safety Step will keep the same quality and workmanship and focus on the customer. The Mission Statement is to develop and deliver the most reliable non-powered lawn and garden products including tools and decorative accessories that provide quality to our customers, maximize sustainable profitability, and drive shareholder value. We believe that our global manufacturing strategy, based primarily upon a blend of domestic manufacturing and sourced product, makes us cost-competitive while allowing us to provide a high level of customer service (â€Å"Ames true temper,†). Safety Steps is in the heart of the snow and ice to ensure quality product development is continued. The main headquarters is in Mount Washington New Hampshire. The average snowfall in Mount Washington is 260. 6 inches (NCDC, 2010), with an annual low mean temperature of 19 degrees. Mount Washington is noted for its extreme weather conditions, one of the world's highest wind velocities (231 miles [372 kilometer] per hour) has been recorded there in 1934 (Britannica, 2010). The production plant is in Marquette, Michigan. The city has an annual snowfall of 141 inches (NCDC, 2010) and an annual mean temperature of 8. 7 (Current Results, 2010). Safety Step is introducing a heated floor mat to allow both homeowners and commercial businesses a safe, snow and ice-free walkway into and out of their homes and businesses. The mat will have multiple attachments and color options to fit the demand of the customer. New Product Description The following paragraphs below take in consideration a new product that our parent company will amplify a tangible product for a household consumer and commerc ial customer. The difference between the consumer products market and the business product market is derived demand – the demand for business products derives from the demand for final consumer products (Kerin, Berkowitz, Hartley, & Rudelius, 2006). This product provides safety steps while walking through and on increment weather, snow, ice, or wet surfaces. The technology and design of the durable nonslip diamond-top surface has ? in diameter holes for excellent drainage and safe passage as pedestrians walk on surface. A mat that covers a walkway or porch that prevents snow and ice from forming called Safety Step. The mat can be purchased in different lengths and widths and has additional attachments for steps. The mat is plugged into an outlet that keeps the snow and ice from forming on it. The mat uses low wattage technology minimizing the amount of electricity used during operation. The product contains a circuit that will turn itself off in case of any power interruption or surge. It has a non-skid, non-slip proof surface that even when wet will prevent a person from slipping on it. The mat dimensions are two feet wide by five feet long. ? SWOT Analysis The external and internal factors of a business forces their company and management to come up with solutions to potential threats. A SWOT analysis aids to guide business strategies and identifies threats and opportunities an acknowledging the external and internal factors into the business plan will allows a company to achieve goals, and keeping a vision and mission of that company from failure. SWOT Analysis StrengthsWeaknessesOpportunitiesThreats Highest quality of products Safety step can be looked upon as seasonal item Uses a new type of technologies’ Competitors can alter Safety Step Provides safety steps for pedestrians as they move on surfaceCostly to hold inventory in warehousesCustomer service personal commitmentIncreases production; therefore, increases in production causing prices to increase Versatile can be used in landscapingCan be ordered 24hours online Strengths The uniqueness in the marketplace comes from the vision, mission, and values of Ames. We are well known worldwide and earn the trust of many customers and deliver the highest quality of products and services to our customers. Pedestrians walk with confidence and safety. Unique colors and costume features attract versatility. ? Weakness The Safety Step may be looked upon as only a seasonal item. Incremental weather only; therefore, overlooking the fact that the Safety Step technology design provides efficiency, safe comfort, and in all kinds of weather. Opportunities The unique colors and custom attachments provide a wide range of surfaces uses. The technologies that Safety Steps requires extra workers; therefore, providing new jobs. Ordering on telephone has direct access to talk with customer representatives, earning and keeping the trust of personal commitment. Promotes less injuries and lost time at work, or decorative yard landscaping feature. Threats Competitors can alter the Safety Step to make something similar whereas Ames would have to do fast adjustments; therefore, causing an increases in production or cost making the Safety Step less appealing because it becomes too expensive to own. Trends Recently on the news everyone has heard about how crazy the weather has been. The State of Washington covered in snow for weeks; the state of Texas covered four days of nine and 10 inches of snow. The world’s ever-changing environment it is a perfect time to launch a great product like the Safety Step. Marketing Research Market research for the Safety Step consists of consumer analysis and industry analysis. Consumer analysis will consist of secondary data gathered from the 2000 US Census Bureau that lists the potential households in cold weather states that may purchase the Safety Step. Primary analysis will consist of surveys of shoppers at a few targeted stores in the regions in which the Safety Step is planned to be sold. Demographics Demographics for the Safety Step are areas of the United States that experience cold weather below 35 degrees F. The Safety Step can be marketed to both consumers and businesses. Consumers would purchase the Safety Step to ensure a clear snow free/ice free walkway during the wintertime. Using the US Census Bureau results from 2000 there are 31 states in which the Safety Step may be marketed. Appendix A shows the states and the total households per state. The Census results show a US market potential of 60 million households in 31 cold weather states. Psychographics The consumer psychographics are homeowners in cold climates that have walkways prone to ice buildup. Homeowners with ice buildup fear someone slipping on the ice and causing an injury. Homeowners can be liable of injuries sustained on their property because of negligence. Safety Step will prevent any ice from forming on walkways removing the fear for the homeowners. Behaviors (e. g. purchase behaviors) Safety Step will be marketed to homeowners stating the benefit that the product provides to the consumer by eliminating ice buildup. The convenience of placing Safety Step on the walkway at the beginning of cold weather and plugging it in will be communicated to the consumers to promote the product. Geographical considerations Safety Step will be marketed in the colder states because of its snow/ice melting features for the consumer market. The business market will also be targeted in the colder states. Industrial Analysis Competitor Analysis Safety Step competition for the consumer market comes in many forms. The snow shovel is one source of competition in which the homeowner believes that if they just shovel well enough there will be no need for the product. Another competitor is the chemical product that the homeowner throws on top of the ice and as the chemical starts to work the ice is melted. The shovel and chemicals both need to be used after the snow or ice has built up whereas the Safety Step prevents snow and ice from forming on the walkway eliminating the potential of someone slipping. Segmentation Market segmentation for this product is important to justify the necessary marketplace needs. This product may be useful for some clients, and yet others may not find a need. This segmentation process is important to understand the needs of the client. A client who lives in Mexico is most likely not going to need a mat that warms up. This is understandable that this is not the target demographic . Criteria The geographic segmentation involves extensive research into the needs of the clients within the different areas. Demographic segmentation is based on the age, income level, purchasing power, gender, family size, nationality, religion, education (Mathe, 2010). The demographic segmentation focuses more on the larger purchases that a family may make such as a home or vehicle. Target Markets The sale of this product is more likely to be based on geography. Certain states with different climates will be more inclined to purchase a product that they can use in the winter. The Safety Step will be marketed to the all states that have a temperature that drops below 40 degrees in a normal year. These states will be the primary sales areas, but the product will also be available through website and catalog throughout the world. This product is important for those who have had issues with bad weather and are having issues with safety outside. Differentiation and Positioning The competing consumer products are shovels and chemical products that melt snow and ice after it has formed. Safety Step will be marketed with the approach that the mat melts snow and ice before it can build up on the customer’s step. The plan is to draw attention to the fact Safety Step is a safer product because it does not allow the snow and ice to build up on the step whereas the competitor’s product does. This will give Safety Step the unique position of promoting the product as safer than the competitor’s promotes. Another marketing strategy that will be used is the Safety Step’s ease of use. The plan is to market Safety Step to the consumers with the information that the all the consumer needs to do is lay the mat down on the step and plug it in before the weather turns cold. The approximate cost to operate is $0. 02 per hour. This is an estimate based on the cost per kilowatt-hour is $0. 15. Cost per kilowatt-hour may vary by state or region. The marketing approach will continue by stating Safety Step will provide a snow/ice from form on the walkway even during a heavy snowstorm unlike shovels or chemical products that require the consumer to go outside and shovel or apply the chemical to the step. The position defined with ease of use approach will be put the Safety Step on the consumer’s steps at the beginning of the cold weather plug it in and the consumer does not need to bother with the product until spring comes. This will differentiate the product from shovels and chemicals that have to be used frequently during winter months. Product Life Cycle Product life cycle needs to be understood and managed for a product to be successful. The market introduction phase for Safety Step may be a longer process than other products handled by Ames Company because there is no other product currently on the market similar to the Safety Step. The marketing approach during the introduction phase will be to demonstrate the product at local Home and Garden shows held in major cold weather cities throughout the United States. Additionally, direct mailings will be sent to households in major cold weather cities informing the consumer of the product. These approaches should provide the interest needed for the product to move into the market growth phase of the product life cycle. The market growth phase of Safety Step should last one winter season and possibly even two winter seasons before competitors develop a similar product. During the market growth phase advertising will continue with the direct personal approach for sales. The plan is to have one-on-one meetings and demonstrations of the product in the customer’s home. It is expected that the demonstrations will increase word of mouth publicity that will increase sales. Once the consumer interest has been established and the competition has similar products Safety Step will enter the market maturity phase of the life cycle. During this phase the marketing approach will be to offer discounts for consumers who buy more than one Safety Step. The advertising for Safety Step during the maturity phase will point out Safety Step’s durability and quality attributes as well as pointing out any other attribute that Safety Step has that the competition does not. The maturity phase of the life cycle should last a minimum of two to three years before another better product is introduced and sales start to decline. The sales decline life cycle may be short in duration as the new products take sales away from Safety Step. The approach during the sales decline phase will be to advertise the Ames company brand along with the products quality and durability features. The product price may also have to be reduced to keep consumers interest. The price will only be lowered to such that the company is still making a small profit but not much. The production of Safety Step will be stopped once the competition has driven the price below the cost to produce the product. Planning a marketing strategy for all four phases of the product life cycle will help to make Safety Step a successful product. Marketing mix In order for an organization to be successful, balance marketing fosters the termination of a new product or service. When examining the marketing mix for a product launch or new service eliminating the threat factor can happen if managed correctly. Understanding the tools are necessary, as marketers call the four Ps, will put the right product or the right type of service at the right point of sale price. Product and Service A new product or service first step is to consider where to begin, create and develop the process launch unto the public. An organization considers itself first when asking does it meet the needs in the perspective for the customer, how assessable can the organization provide and distribute its product or service; moreover, will the customer consider that the new product is a fair price and easy to remember the brand because the marketing communications developed. Type of Product Introducing Safety Step when weather grows tough and budgets are tighter, customers can rely on Ames to offer a quality new product at an extraordinary price. Safety Step is a heated floor mat offered to both homeowners and commercial businesses. This product provides safety steps while walking through and on incremental weather, snow, ice, or wet surfaces. The heated mat electrical waves built within provide enough heat to penetrate through snow and ice. The melted and wet surface drains from the sides of covered area. The technology and design of the durable nonslip diamond-top surface has ? in diameter holes for excellent drainage and traction. Features †¢Vinyl top is tough enough to take abuse from works shoes and wheelchairs. †¢Safe comfort provides workers with a cushioned area to stand or work that decreases strain on feet and legs. †¢Resist oil, greases, and liquid †¢ Runners (sides of the mat) are beveled around the entire mat to prevent tripping hazards †¢Snow /ice melting features for consumers/ business markets †¢Versatile can also be unitizes landscaping Identification/ Brand Ames Corporation is a quality merchandiser that customers can trust with reliable service. Ames distinguishes products from the competition with unique colors, and custom features that extends mats through easy attachments. Production and Delivery Service Products can be ordered online through secure shopping 24 hours a day. If a customer is registered through Ames website, Ames will offer discounts of 10%. Orders on a telephone have direct access to talk with a customer service representative. Orders in and service by mail fax, online or phone features to keep any customer happy. Ames has several large warehouses with large stock quantities. Shipping in some cases will be free, and for large orders because of super size surfaces coverage, Ames provides installing services as customer courtesy. Pricing The Safety Step mat has little to no competition in the market in comparison to other products as potato chips. The research has shown that less than 10 competitor mats are available for purchase now. The competitor’s mats range from $99. 95 to $127. 98. These mats are primarily online with little to no advertisement. The Safety Step will be priced accordingly to ensure sales are possible for the company and the employees. Although there is not a single way to price a product there are many ways to test the market and find an appropriate price for an item. The pricing strategy for this product begins with performing a market analysis, segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Understanding that this mat is most useful in an environment that is more likely to have ice or snow is necessary when analyzing the market. The product sales will need to be focused on the beginning of the winter season. The spring and summer months are less likely to have a large amount of sales. The demand will increase in the beginning of the winter cycle; the price of the item should coincide to help sell the item. The cost of production will also have an effect on the product. The company will attempt to maximize the current profit, while taking into account revenue and costs. Maximizing the quantity of product is justified to have preparation of customers. The status quo is keeping the product stable avoiding price wars among other companies. The company will choose to focus on a cost plus pricing method to achieve the production costs as well as a small profit to achieve a toehold in the market. Once the product has been placed for sale the market will show the company what if any reduction of price should take place. If the product sells quickly than the company may need to reevaluate their pricing strategy for the future. Safety Step will be price competitively at $99. 00. Production costs for each mat is roughly $38 dollars, distribution costs is a percentage of each sale and base pay for the sales team. This comes to about $15 dollars per mat sold. If the staff sells 100 mats to a retailer, they will net $1500 dollars. Marketing of the product is $3 dollars per mat. The retail price of the mat should be $99 dollars; this price is based on the $56 dollars in costs and overhead with $10 dollars going to the retail establishment for sales. This leaves a profit of $33 dollars per mat. This profit will go toward revelation of the product and the continued manufacturing of the product. Based on 100 mat sales the company would make $3300 dollars in profit. This mat must have 1000 sales in order for the company to have a good profit base. Once the market has been tested with this price the sales will show if the product price is too high or too low. Placement The company will have Safety Step manufactured at the existing facility in Camp Hill Virginia. This manufacturer will complete an established amount of mats within the necessary time frame. Production costs are based on the different sizes, and components of the mats. The company may decide to focus on three sizes than they must have three separate prices and production costs for the mats. The company will focus on one mat that is 24 x 5; this particular mat has 120 volts and 263 watts. This mat is one color and one size to make the production costs less than they would be in the future. Promotion Promoting a product is not only about developing the correct product at the correct time, but also the communication involved with all parties. A company would not want to promote a product that was used for ice and snow in a climate that never receives snow or ice; the likely hood of the product selling is not very high. Promotion is the fourth â€Å"P† in the marketing mix designed to teach the end consumer about the product, what the product does and how the product can help the user. What benefits the consumer will receive from the product and will the price of the product fit into the budget. Promotion is also used to persuade a customer that the product is the correct one for him or her. The promotional mix is a combination of personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and websites. The first thing a company needs to ask its self is what strategy they believe will work best for the company, will they use the â€Å"PUSH† or the â€Å"PULL† method. Safety Step believes the â€Å"PULL† method would work best for the new heated mat. The PULL STRATEGY requires direct interface with the end user of the offering. Use of channels of distribution is minimized during the first stages of promotion and a major commitment to advertising is required. The objective is to â€Å"pull† the prospects into the various channel outlets creating a demand the channels cannot ignore (Center for Business Planning, 2010, para 12). The product cannot be promoted effectively in warmer areas causing the company to work with specific areas and to build a strong bond with customers to help ensure safety. Safety Step will focus on the benefits of product advertising. This is especially beneficial when you have introduced a new approach to solving a user need and comparison to the old approaches is inappropriate (Center for Business Planning, 2010). † Initial Sales Promotion Safety Step will focus sales of the heated floor mat through the company website www. safetysteps. com. Sales from the website are virtually free of charge to the company with only a small set up fee and the process of fulfilling the orders. Personal selling to households and businesses in major cold weather cities will be the main focus in the initial selling process. Safety Step wants to have a personal relationship with its customers; with one-on-one meetings and demonstrating the product in a home or business setting to allow the customer to feel comfortable to ask questions and see the product in person with no pressure. Safety Step believes that with this approach the product can sell its self and the customer will learn Safety Step is about not only safety but also the customer. Safety Step will advertise through direct mail via an 8 ? x 11 glossy sheet showing areas used without a mat and also used with a mat. Ames the parent company has a large database of addresses, phone numbers and e-mail address for both businesses and homeowners available to Safety Step. The flyer will also picture other options currently available for snow and ice removal including salt pellets, sand and rocks, Sodium chloride (NaCL), which may contain cyanide. Calcium chloride (CaCl) is slightly better because less goes farther, but it is still not ideal, considering its run-off still increases algae growth, which clogs waterways. Potassium chloride is another salt to avoid. Customers will learn the advantages of Safety Step and how it will not only help the customer but also landscape plants, especially those particularly salt-sensitive, like tulip poplars, maples, balsam firs, white pines, hemlock, Norway spruce, dogwood, redbud, rose bushes, and spirea bushes (The Daily Green, 2010). Landscaping can be an expensive cost to customers and the Safety Step can eliminate the need for chemicals that can cause damage and even death to landscape plants. Safety Step will have promotions for customers who wish to purchase more than one mat and with the purchase of the accessory all in one transaction. Contests also can be used to find the most creative ways a mat has been applied around a business or home. This will not only benefit the customer but also the business with a flow of new ideas and ways to better help the end user. Budget Safety Step has allotted a budget of 11. 7 million dollars for the first year of operations. Areas covered include personnel, marketing research, marketing communication, channels, customer acquisition, retention, and other. Safety Step has looked at each area and broken each section into sub-sections see appendix B attached. Safety Steps has allotted the largest portion to the personnel section. The personnel section has sub-sections of salaries/wages, benefits, payroll taxes, commissions, and bonuses. Salaries and wages tops out the chart at 7. 2 million in burden with taxes coming in second at two million. Safety Step believes the allotted amounts should cover the personnel section with a contingency included. Marketing and Research have a budget of 260 thousand dollars. This amount covers both the primary and secondary research for the Safety Step mat. Secondary research has been allotted approximately five thousand per month to cover quality problems should they exist. Safety Step and the Ames Company are known for their quality products and service and keeping a fund for problems is essential. Marketing Communications falls second in regard to cost of budget. A budget of 1. 1 million has been set. The areas with the larger amounts being spent are branding at 240 thousand, advertising at 435 thousand, and public relations at 140 thousand. Advertising the Safety Step in a positive and customer-focused atmosphere is critical for the continuance of the product. Channels have a budget of 96 thousand. Channels include communications and training, promotions and incentives, and commissions/bonuses. Commissions and bonuses are awarded in December of each year allowing a budget only in December. Training and communication is included to ensure the quality of the sales team at Safety Step. Incentives are also included each month to promote the sales team. The sales team, production, and office staff will need focus and drive and offering incentives will help with morale and positive workflow. Safety Step has a section for other to include postage, attorney fees, telephone, travel, computers, and office equipment. Postage will be a large expenditure with mass mailings to costumers to educate them in Safety Step. Travel is the largest expenditure in the other sections; because of the need for salespeople in strategic areas (cold weather cities) to promote Safety Step. Computers and equipment is the second largest expenditure for the other section, Safety step believes in year two this amount should drop dramatically. Computers and office equipment are needed to offer both the customer and employees piece of mind. The computers can offer piece of mind by fast reliable service for ordering, processing claims, and tracking inventory. Attorney fees are in the section to have an on hand attorney office for any needs that may arise. Monitoring and Evaluating Effectiveness A successful development process for Safety Step starts with Ames 5D Principles; in addition, will apply a perceptual map for identify opportunities by highlighting unsatisfied needs of the customer to gain an edge because Safety Step goal must differentiate. DISCOVERDEVISEDESIGNDEVELOPDEPLOY Good Data Organizations values and Philosophy Perceptual Map SWOT Analysis Message Strategy Brand name, label, and packaging Production staff functionality controls changes and defects Execute with confidence Production method and delivery of service Target Customers and customers feedback Measurable Data Developed copy writer and creative art ads Testing phase implementing mat to diverse weather conditionsPlan activities around promotions Purchase Behavior Marketing Strategies Competitor AnalysisPromote safety step phrase in visual and verbal expressionsResearch and testing staying ahead of the competition Evaluate preparations for the next four years plan Review and research Geographical ConsiderationsPlanning process through project managers Challenging target market , but avoiding costly errorsTracking movement of sales and awareness of recommendations Perceptual map gives a visual representation to the marketing team of customers’ perception of Safety Step aids in the positioning strategy. The insight gained from the perceptual map can be formulated through the four parameters’; therefore, implementing a guide of a before and after execution. Ames understands that increase of profit and sales drives the success in marketing execution, but a good marketing team also understands it is not the best indicators. During the course of an execute launch of a new product sales sometimes remain flat. Ames will identify all performance indictors with comprehensive reports so that through execution of the 5Ds principles, perceptual map, and knowing the parameters for development will be modified the next four years. The success of Safety Step growth stage in an oligopoly market can keep the competitions in uncertainly. Ethics and Social Responsibility The marketing efforts will be monitored to ensure that Safety Step will be promoted accurately to the consumer. The advertisement for Safety Step will only contain information that is true and accurate for the product. Packaging of the product will not have any misleading claims but rather describe the product accurately. Salespeople will also receive training to communicate accurately the product without pressuring customers while they are demonstrating the product during the door to door campaign. The company’s goal is to promote the product accurately by having knowledgeable salespeople that provides product information not pressure. Conclusion Developing a marketing plan with Perceptual Maps, SWOTT analysis, identifying environmental factors affect marking decisions. These business decisions move the product life cycle and identifies the appropriate price strategy along with public relations opportunities for Safety Step. Therefore, allowing Team C to answer all questions, without this structure information could not be obtained in an orderly prompt manner. ? References: (n. d. ). Ames true temper: past present and future. Retrieved from http://www. ames. com/aboutus. html (n. d. ). Ames Shovel Works. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from http://www. responsiblegrowthforeaston. com/shovel_shop/ShovelWorksHistory. pdf Center for Business Planning (2010). Marketing Plan. Retrieved March 21, 2010, from http://www. businessplans. org/Market. html Current Results (2010). Coldest Places in United States. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www. currentresults. com/Weather-Extremes/US/coldest. php Kerin, Berkowitz, Hartley, and Rudelius Chapter 9, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2004 New York, NY Mathe, AR (2010). Market Segmentation Targeting Positioning. Retrieved March 15, 2010 from website http://www. scribd. com/doc/24765486/Market-Segmentation-Targeting-Positioning-by-amarnath. NCDC (2010). Snowfall – Average Total In Inches. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from Pearce, Jack and Richard Robin, ( 2004). Chapter 1, Overview of Strategic Management. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from University of Phoenix, rEsource, Bus475 course Website. The Daily Green (2010). 9 Eco-friendly Ways to De-Ice Your Driveway. Retrieved March 21,2010, from http://www. thedailygreen. com/living-green/blogs/green-products-services/driveway-ice-environment-55013001 U. S. Census Bureau, (2000). United states — states; and puerto rico . Retrieved from http://factfinder. census. gov/servlet/GCTTable? _bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format=US-9|US-9S&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTH5_US9&-CONTEXT=gct (n. d). Washington, Mount. Retrieved from Britannica Online database. ? Appendix A: 2000 US Census Bureau Total Housing Units Geographic areaTotal housing units United States115,904,641 Alaska260,978 Colorado1,808,037 Connecticut1,385,975 Delaware343,072 District of Columbia274,845 Idaho527,824 Illinois4,885,615 Indiana2,532,319 Iowa1,232,511 Maine651,901 Maryland2,145,283 Massachusetts2,621,989 Michigan4,234,279 Minnesota2,065,946 Montana412,633 Nebraska722,668 New Hampshire547,024 New Jersey3,310,275 New York7,679,307 North Carolina3,523,944 North Dakota289,677 Ohio4,783,051 Oregon1,452,709 Pennsylvania5,249,750 Rhode Island439,837 South Dakota323,208 Utah768,594 Vermont294,382 Washington2,451,075 Wisconsin2,321,144 Wyoming223,854 Total59,763,706 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000) ? Appendix B: Budget (amounts in thousands) Marketing Budget Plan Safety Step JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal Personnel Salaries, wages800 400 400 400 800 800 800 400 800 800 800 $ 7,200 Benefits 100 100 100 100 100 $ 500 Payroll taxes 500 350 400 150 200 200 200 $ 2,000 Commissions and bonuses 100 $ 100 Total$800$400$1,000$400$1,250$800$1,300$0$550$1,100$1,000$1,200 $ 9,800 Market Research Primary research 100 100 $ 200 Secondary research10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 60 Library management $ – Total$10$0$10$100$10$0$10$0$10$0$110$0 $ 260 Marketing Communications Branding60 60 60 60 $ 240 Advertising50 100 50 25 100 100 10 $ 435 Web sites2 2 2 2 2 10 10 10 2 10 10 10 $ 72 Direct marketing20 10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 80 Internet marketing10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 80 Collateral $ – Press relations5 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ 35 Public relations20 20 20 20 20 20 20 $ 140 Analyst relations $ – Events5 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ 35 Total$172$2$12$2$62$160$110$85$62$160$160$130 $ 1,117 Channels Channel communications and training10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 60 Channel promotions and incentives2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 $ 16 Channel commissions/bonuses 20 $ 20 Total$12$12$12$10$10$12$2$2$0$0$2$22 $ 96 Customer Acquisition & Retention (CAR) Lead generation 10 10 10 10 10 $ 50 Customer loyalty2 5 5 2 5 4 3 $ 26 Total$2$0$0$10$10$5$5$12$0$15$4$13 $ 76 Other Postage8 10 10 10 10 $ 48 Attorney fees5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ 60 Telephone2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 $ 24 Travel12 8 8 8 8 12 12 12 8 18 18 18 $ 142 Computers and office equipment10 5 5 5 10 10 10 10 5 10 10 10 $ 100 Total$37$20$20$20$25$39$39$29$20$45$45$35 $ 374 Total Marketing Budget$1,033$434$1,054$542$1,367$1,016$1,466$128$642$1,320$1,321$1,400 $ 11,723