Passing in James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of...

In 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man was anonymously published by James Weldon Johnson. It is the narrative of a light-skinned man wedged between two racial categories; the offspring of a white father and a black mother, The Ex-Colored man is visibly white but legally classified as black. Wedged between these two racial categories, the man chooses to â€Å"pass† to the white society. In Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are, Brooke Kroeger describes â€Å"passing† as an act when â€Å"people effectively present themselves as other than who they understand themselves to be† (Kroeger 7). The Ex-Colored Man’s choice to ultimately â€Å"pass† at the end of the novel has been the cause of controversy amongst readers. Many claim his choice to â€Å"pass†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Thus, he is convinced â€Å"passing† for a member of the white society would safeguard him from a life of uncertainty and violence. He is ashamed to be â€Å"indentified with a people [the black race] that would with impunity be treated worse than animals,† affirming his want to be treated as a white person to omit any violence being inflicted onto himself (Johnson 101). This observation coerces the narrator to ultimately decide to â€Å"pass† to the white society. While he declares he will neither â€Å"disclaim the black race nor claim the white race† but he would change (Johnson 101). He will â€Å"let the world take [him] for what it would,† because he refuses to go about life amidst a â€Å"label of inferiority pasted across [his] forehead,† which would occur should he claim the black race (Johnson 101). He recognizes that by intentionally â€Å"passing† he will keep himself out of harm’s way and safe from having such treatment being inflicted upon himself. â€Å"Passing,† for The Ex-Colored Man gives him an initiation into a â€Å"freemasonry of†¦race;† gaining access to a secret knowledge that is out of reach for most individuals (Johnson 59). His ability to view the world from both races enables him to experience â€Å"the attitude of the whole [community] to change,† when he is â€Å"passing† as a black; he is treated differently than when he is â€Å"passing† for white (Johnson 95). This â€Å"freemasonry† is what convinces him the white society is the dominant culture. Success can only beShow MoreRelated James Weldon Johnson Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesJames Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), was a highly talented and celebrated African American writer. He was a poet, songwriter, novelist, literary critic, and essayist. Along with his wide-ranging literary accomplishments, Johnson also served as a school principal, professor of literature at Fisk University, attorney, a diplomatic consul for the United States in Venezuelaand Nicaragua, and secretary for the NAACP from 1920-1930. He is considered one of the founders of the HarlemRead MoreJames Weldon Johnson s The Autobiography Of An Former Colored Man And Nella Larsen s Passing3489 Words   |  14 PagesThe Theme of Passing, Racial Prejudice and Internalized Racism in James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Nella Larsen’s Passing The concept of racial passing refers to the occurrence in which an individual is able to transcend racial boundaries. During the Harlem Renaissance, the term â€Å"passing† meant to signify mixed race individuals who were light skinned enough to pass as white and mingle freely within white society, almost completely undetected. This was significantRead MoreThe Autobiography Of An Former Colored Man Essay2265 Words   |  10 PagesMcGivern, 328). However, issuing social categories based on race or ethnicity links to biased regulations and practices. Johnson’s novel, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, examines ways racial identity is socially constructed through the segregation of Jim Crow Laws, the act of passing off† another race, and through practices of lynching. The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man explores the way racial identity is socially constructed within legally sanctioned forms of racism and discriminationRead MoreRacial Segregation And Jim Cro w Essay2143 Words   |  9 Pageswhite supremacy place on African American life. Racism and Jim Crow were always backed by the threat of violence, moreover, the southern race relations† (Holloway, â€Å"Jim Crow Wisdom: Memory and Identity in Black America since 1940†). The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man takes place during the Jim Crow era displaying the challenges and obstacles African Americans faced during this time. â€Å"Johnson devotes much of his attention to the black middle and upper classes, their constant struggles to hang ontoRead MoreThe Autobiography Of An Former Colored Man By James Weldon Johnson Essay2267 Words   |  10 PagesThe Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson’s novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man was first published in 1912. This novel is one of the highly celebrated works during the Harlem Renaissance although it was published prior in 1912. Johnson graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 1894. He was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as United States consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua. He also was highly involved in the Harlem Renaissance with hisRead MoreOf An Former Colored Man By James Weldon Johnson Essay2163 Words   |  9 PagesIn James Weldon Johnson’s â€Å"Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man,† the is written narrator to be perceived at face first as an average white male, when in fact he is inherently of colored descent. Consequently, in regards to society s principle of the one-drop rule, the narrator then faces an identity complex in understanding whether he is black since society has categorized him on the account of his bloodline, or white because of his exter nal appearance. For at the end of the novel, he makes the consciousRead MoreJames Weldon Johnson s Narrative Of An Former Colored Man By F. Scott Fitzgerald2191 Words   |  9 PagesIn the James Weldon Johnson’s â€Å"Audio biography of an Ex-Colored Man†, Jonhson’s narrator at face first is written to be perceived as a white male, when in fact he is inherently of colored descent in regards to societies principle of the one drop policy. Consequently, the narrator is faced with an identity complex who finds it difficult to understand whether he is black because of societies has categorized him on the account of his bloodline, or white because of his appearance. For in the end of the

Waste in Macbeth Essay - 981 Words

Waste in Macbeth Throughout the play Macbeth, characters change and so do their relationships with other characters. Life is taken for granted, and tossed away as if it’s merely an old toy. Honour and potential of great men tarnished due to their greed and power hunger. The plot develops the idea that A.C Bradley proposes: The central feeling of a tragedy is one of waste. Macbeth is portrayed as a tragic hero, someone who has it all at first but decides to give it all up. Throughout the story the waste of potential, the waste of life and finally the waste of innocence are just some of the types of wastes that can be found, but they are enough to prove the theory. According to critic A.C. Bradley, the central feeling of a tragedy is†¦show more content†¦His potential is no more at that point as he has ruined any chance. â€Å"Ere we will eat our meal in fear and sleep† (Macbeth, Act III, scene ii) shows that Macbeth’s potential has gone from something great to having to be in fear all the time. But it is not only his potential that is lost, but Banquo’s as well when he takes his life. In this play one of the main purposes of Banquos character is to act as a contrast to the character of Macbeth. Banquo is brave and noble - characteristics that Macbeth arguably doesnt. The most evident type of waste in the play is the waste of life. Life is so carelessly thrown away by Macbeth and shows that it has no meaning to him and he takes it at disposal. â€Å"The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees, Is left this vault to brag of.† (Macbeth, Act II, scene iii) is a quote that symbolizes life has no real meaning and can therefore be carelessly wasted. His humanness gets lost because of his power hunger and it’s because of the waste of life throughout the play, that the play becomes one of tragedy and an overall feeling of waste. The following quote, â€Å"I will not yield To kiss the ground before young Malcolms feet,† (Macbet h, Act V, scene viii) shows that he is even willing to waste his own life because of his legacy and prideShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare1023 Words   |  5 PagesTragedy of Macbeth. The Tragedy of Macbeth was a turn from glory to tragedy. A story of a true tragic hero. Macbeth is a brave soldier in a war for Scotland. A tale of a great soilder that was highly praise in his kingdom turn to a tragic murderous sinful king. Macbeth kill his friends and his king to take the throne and power to fulfill a witches prophet .The focus of Macbeth’s tragic story is self ambition,his unrelentless guilt, greediness , and poor judgement. All serve a purpose to macbeth destructionRead MoreThe Presence of Ambition within MacBeth by William Shakespeare1085 Words   |  5 Pageswithin MacBeth by William Shakespeare Ambition is a quality within every human, however it sometimes drives people to partake in totally unnatural actions. As illustrated in William Shakespeares Macbeth, some forms of ambition can push people into becoming a person very sinister and evil. The ambition which Macbeth and Lady Macbeth encounter within Shakespeares play not only drives them to become ruthless killers, but is the cause of the two characters meeting their demise. Macbeth andRead MoreLady Macbeth Feminism Essay1257 Words   |  6 Pagesclassic, 1606 play, Macbeth, as did director Sam Mendes in one of the iconic James Bond films, 2012, Skyfall. Through classic pieces of literature and modern day film, women are forced to compete in a never-ending game; to compete against being depicted as emotionally unstable and as disposable objects of pleasure. Through classic pieces of literature, women are continuously represented as emotionally unstable and insecure. Throughout most of literary history, Lady Macbeth – the scheming spouseRead MoreSleep in Macbeth789 Words   |  4 PagesSleep became a very important symbol in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†. A major theme of the play was guilt and how it ate away at the life and personality of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, tearing them away from who they used to be. The nightmare that their lives turned into was a reflection on their lack of sleep and inability to escape from the evils they committed. Right after Macbeth murders Duncan, he says â€Å"Now o er the one half-world / Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse / The curtainRead MoreMacbeth Ambitions967 Words   |  4 Pagesdo not even believe that Macbeth really had any ambition of his own. I do not think his ambition was not Macbeth’s greatest weakness but more is gullibility and being able to be swayed into the directions of others. In the story of Macbeth of Macbeths miss fortune is caused by first the prophecy of the witches and secondly of the discouragement of his wife constantly degrading him causing him to prove his self willing and able. Also with the swaying of others making Macbeth feel he needed these promotionsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth s Fate823 Words   |  4 PagesNiraj Pant 18 April 2015 Period 3 Tumbarello Macbeth’s Fate Was Macbeth’s fate chained to the prophecy that is destiny or did he have free will? Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes the battle between free will and destiny to make the reader question what the cause of Macbeth’s triumphs and ultimate demise was. Fate may come about in life, but it is ultimately up to a person’s own free will to make their own decisions. Macbeth’s fate in the play is determined by his own free willRead MoreSummary Of Internal Suspense In The Tragedy Of Macbeth883 Words   |  4 PagesMany of the notable events that occurred in The Tragedy of Macbeth were solely based off of the mental aspect of situations- numerous characters experience internal conflicts, which indeed drives them to insanity. For instance, these interior events can hold the feeling of suspense, through providing tension and anticipation in the character’s thoughts in the rising action of the play; Lady Macbeth’s suspense begins as she influences Macbeth to kill for her own benefit. Events can also portray theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesMacbeth Essay Since the beginning of time people looked up to the stars asking Gods their fate. Fate is a belief, that there is a set path for an event that is both unavoidable and inevitable, that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, viewers can observe fate or (prophecy) playing a major role. William Shakespeare was born April 1564 and died May 1616, during his life Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, and 157 sonnets, Shakespeare is also knownRead MoreEssay on The Witches Play the Greatest Part in Macbeth’s Downfall 1099 Words   |  5 PagesThe witches are the first characters we see in the play in Act one Scene one- A prologue of evil. They plan to meet Macbeth when the fighting has finished. â€Å"When the hurly Burley’s done† From the very beginning of the play the witches are planning to give Macbeth the news of his future and so lead to his downfall. They speak to each other about their next action, to meet with Macbeth. The setting in which Shakespeare first presents the witches is On the Moor with thunder and lightening in the backgroundRead MoreHamlet and Macbeth by William Shakespeare810 Words   |  3 PagesHamlet, Macbeth, and Richard III. The length of each play can alter the feeling of being apart of the play for the reader. By far Hamlet has the greatest length of the three, followed by Richard III and then by Macbeth. Despite all three plays being enjoyable to read, the mere length difference of Hamlet or Macbeth or Richard III makes for a more enjoyable and relatable read. Hamlet as a whole is easier to relate to because we get to know and follow Hamlet much longer than Macbeth or Richard

Characters’ Transformation Essay Free Essays

Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen which was foremost published in 1813. It is more than a narrative of love which revolves around the lives of the Bennett household and the affluent male visitants of Hertfordshire. The broad assortment of personalities in the narrative contributed to the novel’s attractive and compelling characteristics to day of the month. We will write a custom essay sample on Characters’ Transformation Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now However. the novel seemingly portrayed several transmutations in relation to the chief characters. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy were clearly different sorts of people who subsequently proved themselves to be the ideal lucifer for each other. Clearly. the transmutation of Elizabeth and Darcy’s characters were made possible by their ain pride and biass against each other. This fact. hence. illustrates the thought that the character transmutation would most probably non happen without the defects and headlong judgements of the two chief characters of the Jane Austen’s celebrated novel. Character Transformation Thoroughly reexamining the whole context of the narrative. the diverse personalities of the characters are what made it possible to get in a certain character transmutation. Each character is provided a characteristic that is distinguishable to other characters. Elizabeth Bennett. an interesting character so. possesses traits which are really much different from her sisters. Here is one of her statements to Darcy included in Chapter 19 where she rejects him the first clip he proposed to get married her and considered to be one of the polar bends in the narrative which caused the alteration in both Elizabeth and Darcy’s character: I do assure you. Sir. that I have no pretense whatever to that sort of elegance which consists in torturing a respectable adult male. I would instead be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you once more and once more for the award you have done me in your proposals. but to accept them is perfectly impossible. My feelings in every regard forbid it. Can I talk plainer? Do non see me now as an elegant female. meaning to blight you. but as a rational animal. talking the truth from her bosom ( Austen 97 ) . Elizabeth Bennett’s character speaks much of a strong personality which is highly opinionative and bold. Unlike her younger sisters. she does non let societal position and wealth to interfere with her criterions for love. However. in her statement. biass toward Darcy are apparent for she has already judged him without cognizing him good foremost. However. at the terminal of the narrative. she regrets holding misjudged the adult male upon cognizing the existent Fitzwilliam Darcy. On the other manus. Darcy’s character besides reveals pride and bias on his first feeling towards Elizabeth. His statement where she declared Elizabeth as tolerable but non beautiful plenty to involvement him because of her hapless societal position discloses how proud he was to avoid being acquainted with such a adult female ( Austen 9 ) . Similarly. he took back his word when he found out how interesting and intelligent Elizabeth was which led him to squeal his feelings and offer a matrimony proposal. Unfortunately. his first proposal was rejected. Upon the terminal of the novel. it is sensible to reason that Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy really have similar features which can be considered dry. Both are intelligent. witty. opinionated. and proud. There are besides cases when they have exposed Acts of the Apostless of biass towards some characters in the narrative. chiefly themselves. Elizabeth deemed Darcy to be an highly chesty and proud adult male when she by chance heard him state that he was non interested in her due to her hapless position in the society. She thought him to be a spoilt affluent adult male who is unsociable and selfish. In return. Darcy besides showed his biass towards her by thought that she was non right for him because she belonged to the lower category portion of the society. Hence. the state of affairs indicates how their unprompted and superficial judgements of each other led them to take back their words and eliminate their pride and biass towards each other. They bit by bit transformed into low existences who were capable of acknowledging and accepting their defects. Harmonizing to Christopher Booker. writer of The Seven Basic Plots: What we see here is a narrative wholly shaped by the implicit in signifier of Comedy. but in a new sort of intervention where the conventions about misinterpretations. camouflages. failure to acknowledge individuality and ‘dark’ figures acquiring caught out are no longer presented in the footings of the old phase devices. but instead more subtly. in footings of the gradual disclosure of people’s true character from behind first misguided feelings. and the find of true feelings. in a manner which corresponds more to our experience of life ( Booker 134 ) . Therefore. two people. even with similar features may non hold similar end products and can still be regarded contradictory in footings of beliefs. Like the characters in the narrative. all have distinct personalities which enabled them to make up one’s mind the manner they did. If Elizabeth did non hurriedly judged Darcy in the first topographic point which led her into rejecting his first matrimony proposal. Darcy would non hold humbled himself into farther prosecuting Elizabeth despite her initial rejection. He would non hold rescued her household from societal shame and uncover his true nature. Simply put. Elizabeth would non hold alteration her sentiment about Darcy and most likely reject him still. She would non hold fallen in love with him and alter her ways of being filled with biass. The undermentioned scenarios created a immense impact in the adulthood and development of the characters in the narrative which proves that the transmutation is so dependent on the characters’ actions and determinations. Harmonizing to Nhu Le’s on-line article entitled. The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet. she points out that: Although Elizabeth comes to hold that Darcy’s old actions were so justified. . . this transmutation â€Å"disables† Elizabeth’s capacity to get at. and act upon. her ain judgements. On the contrary. Darcy’s missive strengthens Elizabeth’s independency of head. By accepting the fact that she has misjudged Darcy. Wickham. Jane. and Bingley. Elizabeth sharpens her ability to spot character. In bend. she develops a solidly based assurance ( Le ) . As one critic puts it. â€Å"Both Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy develop an consciousness of their topographic point in the community and a acknowledgment of the effects of their ain speech† ( Colebrook 158 ) . Conclusion Clearly. the statements stated above place the construct that Elizabeth and Darcy’s character transmutation would non hold been possible without their errors and initial false feelings of each other. This validates the fact that their development as persons is extremely rooted from their determinations and headlong judgments—or instead their ain pride and biass. Works Cited Austen. Jane. Pride and Prejudice: A Novel. London: R. Bentley. 1853. Booker. Christopher. The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. 2005. Colebrook. Claire. Irony. London: Routledge. 2004. Le. Nhu. The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet. 16 December 2008. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Colorado. edu/pwr/occasions/articles/lizbennet. hypertext markup language gt ; How to cite Characters’ Transformation Essay, Essay examples

Personal Tragedy Essay free essay sample

Personal tragedies occur to everyone whether he or she is rich or poor. Many people face tragedies in their lives and they have a deep depression which they have to deal with. If they think about it every day it will only make it worse. Families who lose their love ones especially in war experience great pain and grief which take a long time to heal. Tragedies can occur anytime anywhere. Humans have to realize the importance of losing their loved one. In the book â€Å"Things They Carried† the character Lavender and his group lose a lot of his soldiers during the Vietnam War and Lt. Cross faces a personal tragedy when lavender gets shot because he feels it’s his fault. In today’s world people are dying everywhere but especially in the Middle East where about 4,000 American Soldiers have died in the war and also many civilians are being killed. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Tragedy Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The families of the deceased American Soldiers have to suffer the tragedies People faced with tragedies and they have to overcome and move on with their lives. I have also had personnel tragedy when I lost a loved one from my family. My grandfather and I really had a special bond. He had a heart problem I was really sad and confused because I kept saying to myself it’s not true. I make a text to self-connection. In the book â€Å"The Things They Carried† Kiowa sees her friends die in the war Norman Bowker commits suicide because of all the stress in the war. It is like they are fighting a meaningless war because they don’t know what they are fighting about. Humans have dealt with tragedies overtime and noticed they can overcome it. In the book â€Å"The Things They Carried† Ted lavender group faces a series of tragedies throughout they war. When Lt. Cross dies and also Kiowa dies in the pile of sh**t field. In the book â€Å"Rite of passage† by Richard Wright the protagonist Johnny finds out the family he has been living with is a foster family and he decides to run away thinking the streets will take care of him but he tragically dies in a Robbery break-in. when his parents find out they are shocked and will have to live with this guilt all their lives. People face tragedy and don’t realize how it affects them physically and mentally. Tragedies are not destined to happen but people make them by making their own choices. For example soldiers in war they choose to go nobody is forcing them join the army not thinking about consequences but they are passionate. Families have to move on and they think of the positive memories they had with that individual so they can be happy and not think too much on the situation it’s not the world that cause the tragedy but it’s the people. There have been many tragedies all over the world since the beginning of mankind. Religion can also play a part in personal tragedy. For Christians the death of Jesus Christ (pbuh) was a personal tragedy because he gave up his life for his people. In Islam Mohammed (pbuh) sacrificed his life for all the Muslims. Humans have been dealing with personal tragedies all their lives and people have to suffer the consequences whether tragedies occur in fictional or non-fictional world.

The Catcher in the Rye Holdens Insight About Lif Essay Example For Students

The Catcher in the Rye: Holdens Insight About Lif Essay e and WorldThe Catcher in the Rye: Holdens Insight About Life and WorldThe book Catcher in the Rye tells of Holden Caulfields insight about life andthe world around him. Holden shares many of his opinions about people and leadsthe reader on a 5 day visit into his mind. Holden, throughout the book, madeother people feel inferior to his own. I can relate to this because although Ido not view people inferior to myself, I do judge others unequally. Holden and Iboth have similar judgements of people from the way they act and behave. We alsoshare feelings about motivation as well as lack of it. After reading this book,I came to the conclusion that Holden and I are much more similar than Iinitially believed. We will write a custom essay on The Catcher in the Rye: Holdens Insight About Lif specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Holden portrayed others to be inferior to his own kind all throughout the book. He made several references as to how people arent as perfect as he was. Thereason he Stradlater fixed himself up to look good was because he was madly inlove with himself. (pg. 27) Holden had an inferiority complex. He was afraid ofnot having any special talents or abilities and used other methods to make himout to be a rough tough boy. Boy, I sat at that goddam bar till around oneoclock or so, getting drunk as a bastard. I could hardly see straight. (pg. 150) Holden tried all he could to fit in. He drank, cursed and criticized lifein general to make it seem he was very knowing of these habits. I myself havefound me doing this at times, also. I, at times, feel the need to fit in to agroup and do things similar to what others do in order to gain acceptance bythem. I smoked a cigar once with two friends of mine because they kept going onand on about how great cigars were, but that was only once. Holden and I bothplace people on levels other than our own for amount of knowledge and likenessto ourselves. Holden used the term phonies to describe more than a few people in this book. He used the term to be what a person is if they dont act naturally and followother peoples manners and grace. Holden didnt like phonies, he thought of themas if they were trying to show off. He didnt like it when they showed offbecause it seemed so fake and unnatural every time they would do so. At the end of the first act we went out with allthe other jerks for a cigarette. What a deal thatwas. You never saw so many phonies in all your life,everybody smoking their ears off and talking aboutthe play so that everybody could hear how sharp theywere. (pg. 126)I know many people like this as well. I do not like phonies either. I have manyfriends who talk using full vocabulary just to try to impress you, and otherswho make note of everything they see to show you how perceptible they are. People do this when they have a fear of their own individuality and feel thatthey need to ace different to get people to like them. Holden and I both dislikephonies. We do not like people who take on roles of others to seem more likeablebecause they are insecure. Throughout the book Holden displays a lack of motivation for many things inwhich he should do. Holden couldnt even call up an old girlfriend whom he knewa long time ago. But when I got inside this phone booth, Iwasnt much in the mood any more to give oldJane a buzz. (Pg. 150)Holden also had a problem getting his motivation together in order to completeschoolwork and succeed in his prep school. I have similar problems with mymotivation and find at times I must be in the mood to do something in order forme to accomplish it. This stems from our experience in the past being that wecan get through life, or the part weve been through already, with minimaleffort. Holden has had this opportunity to notice this as his parents have beenshuffling him around to different schools every time he flunks. He feels hisparents will be there to move him somewhere else and take care of him every

Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Essays

Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Essays Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Paper Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Paper Due to advent of globalization and the immense occurrence of health problems in the contemporary society, healthcare practitioners divulge into a rather â€Å"modernized† conviction on how to improve the quality of their services for the benefit of humanity. Conceivably, the vision by which these practitioners are aided is a manifestation that the seeking towards the improvement of humanity’s way of living is constantly developing, hence, commencing on rather efficient means to cure and prevent manageable diseases which during the earlier decades were sought to be irrevocable (Gartee, 2006). In such delight, the mounting ability of technology on providing an efficient lifestyle is feasibly working on its utmost lead- the dilemma on paper works and compilation of medical patients has been conclusively time consuming thus, there appeared to be a remedy to such hassle- the electronic medical record. However, the access upon such records has been limited only to the hospital where the patient has been admitted and the other bureaus or offices which may need it in some circumstance were not given the â€Å"efficient† access to these records, making the â€Å"emergent† need time-consuming to comply. Consequently, the healthcare landscape came up with the revolutionized Electronic Health Record which enables the society to browse their medical record online, as well as with the other medical entities (JAHIMA, 2007). Current legislation surrounding its implementation In the year 2005, the United States of America gave a proposition to medical practitioners and hospitals as well that the pursuance of the project will not be of burden to them- giving them assurance that they are to grant the doctors with free electronic records system- which eventually triggered the publics consent on the feasibility and availability of the new system[1]. Consequently, several countries trusted the idea and have perceivably imposed the system and have catered such in a â€Å"shared† system[2] wherein the government and the hospitals both carve up their part in the maintenance of the EHR (Health Data Management, 2007). Hence, there appears to be a predicament on the case, since there are these critics who have observed a flaw in the program conveying the fact that the government is using this system and is allots a ‘larger’ amount compared to that calculated. There even involves politics in the imposition and various scrutiny on its ability to â€Å"develop life† and â€Å"change the future† of the healthcare arena constituted deliberative discussions- the standards in the system has not met the society’s expectation, although it has lessened the death rate in the country and the â€Å"donations† fraud[3]- seemingly float up in the whole gist of the story. [1] See nytimes.com/2005/07/21/health/21records.html?_r=2oref=sloginoref=slogin. [2] Ibid. healthdatamanagement.com/html/current/CurrentIssueStory.cfm?PostID=18930 [3] Ibid. http://emradvice.wordpress.com/category/ehr-legislation/

Ethics, Abolition of Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics, Abolition of Man - Essay Example e related to the traditional morality when in fact when new values are established, the person himself influencing such values is a product of the tradition morality from which he had been nurtured. One then cannot deny the relationship to one’s traditional values. This can be attributed to the fact that when one establishes values, there is only one way of classification, that is being traditional or the established one. Thus, complete rejection of tradition values is required for the new ones to be accepted, which can be considered a great challenge specifically when values are also related to the actions of the social surroundings. One cannot separate himself from his community. For that matter, in the determination of values and ethics, the social interaction is one of the important factors (p. 27-30). The main point discussed in the second chapter is the real nature of values. It is a common notion that values and ethics can be related to the actions and obligations of a person for the good of the many. For that matter, doing a good deed for example can be perceived as an act that can benefit a larger portion of the population. In times wherein there is conflict between the good of the community and the good of a person, the person needs to sacrifice himself. This can be in general one of the utility of the person in the community, to save it or sacrifice for it. Basically, this is one of the notions for which morality can be achieved. This can be attributed to the fact that people commonly seek self preservation. The traditional values then can be viewed to have been established on the basis of the need of the people during the corresponding time and became values through practice and through the development of norms (p. 27-52). Lewis argues that utility though cannot be a source of ethical obligation since the said concepts are distinct. Utilitarianism is on self preservation and viewing the events and elements of the surroundings as a tool

Developmental theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Developmental theories - Essay Example Each of the stages of development in Erikson's theory is a "sensitive phase" that represents the optimum time period within which to resolve a crisis (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Whether the resolution is positive or negative, the results function as the foundation of the next crisis period (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Middle childhood, was also termed the Latency stage by Erikson and occurred during the ages of 6-11 years (Slater & Bremner, 2003). The beginning of this period paralleled the concrete operational stage of cognitive development of Jean Piaget's (1952), where the child begins to conceptualise more systematically, can consider several factors of a situation at once (decentration), begins to classify and categorize, and can perform conservation (as cited in Austrian, 2002). The child must resolve the socio-emotional conflict of inferiority vs. accomplishment (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Children at this time are encouraged to work together on tasks and so the child compares their ability to create and achieve goals with the achievements met by their peers (Austrian, 2002). The significant others at this time, according to Erikson, will be peers at school and in their neighbourhood (Slater & Bremner, 2003). However, their social sphere in general is extending beyond their parents and famil y, to incorporate teachers and other members of the community with whom they are coming into more contact with (Slater & Bremner, 2003). As such, all these social beings contribute to the socio-emotional growth of the child (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Systematic instruction is required for the child during the latency stage, with the direct involvement of relevant role models critical to the child's development of a sense of industry (Coughlan & Welsh-Breetzke, 2002). Lev Vygotsky (1978) also emphasised the critical need for social interaction for development, although his theory focused on the social process of learning for cognitive development (as cited in Austrian, 2002). According to moral theory of Lawrence Kholberg (1970), middle childhood is a time of progressing from the stages of preconventional to conventional morality (as cited in Austrian, 2002). Hence, the opinions of social others become more important and the child's behaviour conforms to meet social norms (Austrian, 2 002).Erikson viewed the latency period as a developmental period where the child must learn to tame their imagination, and orient themselves towards learning the social norms of their culture, and of learning the educational requirements for their age (Slater & Bremner, 2003). The child continues to develop their sense of autonomy and independence as initiated in the

Response to ''why can't Ex-Felons vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response to ''why can't Ex-Felons vote - Essay Example Loss of political voice is the worst type of oppression citizens may be exposed to. They are no longer able to choose the leaders they desire. In such states therefore, the statutes governing the right to vote should be amended so ex-felons regain eligibility to vote. This will restore the political voice of crime-hit districts. The restoration of rights to vote should not be left to depend entirely on the governor, as this will mean that not all ex-felons will be allowed to vote. Looking back in history, disenfranchisement laws were crafted to bar blacks with even minor criminal record from polls and this brings about the issue of racism. This limits blacks from exercising their right to vote and such laws should be made more reasonable so that even states populated by blacks do not lose their voice in American politics with time. In any nation that believes in democracy, ex-felons should be allowed to vote as this leads to bitterness and alienation. Sometimes these people have honestly transformed yet no matter what they do, they are not allowed to contribute to the politics of their nation. Such people end up going back to crime as life with the restrictions of an ex-felon is unbearable. It is only fair therefore if they are allowed to vote. This issue has been confused as partisan between the republicans and democrats, with each group having different views, as it is clear to them that restoration of voting rights to these people will change the political alignment. However, this should not be the case in a democratic nation. In the law of any nation, and this includes America, voting is a basic human right and not a privilege. This right essentially defines one as a citizen of a specific nation. When ex-felons are denied the right to vote, then they can no longer be described as citizens, they are therefore

Nature And Development Of Special Interest Tourism Tourism Essay

Nature And Development Of Special Interest Tourism Tourism Essay SIT- special interest tourism is a part of existing tourism industry today. Nowadays, people are more confident about travelling abroad and looking for something different rather than for sun and sand holidays. Special interest tourism is a type of holiday, replacing the traditional mass market travel packages and allows tourists to choose holidays appealing to their individual and personal needs. According to the World Tourism Industry or WTO, special interest tourism can be defined as the specialized tourism that involved individual or group tours by those people who wishes to develop their given interests or visit sites and places that has a relation or connection with their specific interest or subject. The aim of SIT is to satisfy specific needs or interests of individuals or groups. The structure of SIT is similar to that of the overall tourism industry. There are many sub-sectors serving individual and personalized needs of tourists, such as: Travel intermediaries Travel facilitators Attraction and entertainment Activity and events providers Accommodation providers Transportation Travel intermediaries provide information about destinations packages, travel options also making bookings for the customers. They can be represented in the form of tour operators or travel agencies. The main aim of travel agencies is: to sell holidays and associated products such as insurance, cars hire. Travel agents act as the link between the customer and travel producers. They are usually well trained and can help clients with the advice or provide them with brochures, leaflets or any additional information. They have access online to GDS system, which gives worldwide schedule of all transport. Tour operators sell combined holidays packages via travel agents or direct to the consumers. There are two types of tour operator: the wholesaler operators, who operate only through travel agency, and the direct sell operators, who market their products direct to the public. They purchase separate elements of accommodation (hotels, guesthouses, and self catering apartments), transport (road, sea, air) and travel services to make a tour package. Many tour operators are making special packages around a particular event, e.g., Olympic Games. There are many web sites specialize in certain products, like lastminute.com that specialize in discounted accommodation. Travel facilitators are all the range of services offered to the consumers. It can be: tourist information centre, tour guides, medical providers, currency exchange bureau. Transport providers are those operating any major form of transport. These would include airlines, water based transport and land based, such as roads and rails. Land based transport covers all forms vehicles such as bus, taxi, private car, and bicycle. Rail travel has become very popular since opening of the Channel tunnel. Rail companies provide a scheduled service within a home country and customers can reserved the seats by themselves. The airlines can be divided into scheduled, which operate with regular published schedule, e.g., British Airways, and charter airlines, which fly to certain destinations under charter to a tour operator. Many countries have their national airline, like British Airways in UK. Water based transport is represented by ferries and cruise ships. Ferries operators provide vital links between islands, rivers, seas. Cruising can be river cruises, sea/oceans cruises, e.g. Mediterranean, Atlantic oceans, and can be considered as a special interest when there is something additional from cruise, like education or special hobby. Tourist choice of transport will depend on price, destination, time, accessibility of the destination. Accommodation can be reserved individually or can be purchased by tour operator. Guest facilities will vary according to the type of the place. Accommodation can be divided into two categories: serviced accommodation (where all meals are provided), and self-catering accommodation (where occupants provide their own food). A 5 star hotel can provide a full range of services, such as restaurants, plasma TV, function rooms, mini bars in the rooms, room service available 24/7. In the caravan park you can only find fast food shops and vending machines. Providers of attractions need to undertake the market research in order to meet all the needs of tourists. Typical attractions can be man-made (theme parks, zoos), natural (mountains), cultural (Louvre Gallery in Paris). A lot of destinations are promoted via special events (World Cup, Olympic Games) or various activities (diving, winter skiing resorts) In addition to attractions, a lot of destinations are promoted via special events or activities, which include World Cup, Olympic Games. The development of special interest tourism. Special interest tourism can date back to earliest forms of tourism. The first tourists travelled for specific reasons, e.g., religious, cultural or for trading purposes. Around the same period, the Greeks travelled to religious festivals, leading to construction of sea ports and accommodation. In Medieval Times the pilgrims and missionaries became the most active travelers. Pilgrims travelled to the sacred places such as Santiago de Compostella, Jerusalem, driven by their religious convictions. Tourism grew over the centuries and spread to all over the world. The new part of tourism, known as Grand Tour, was developed in the early 17th century under the reign of Elizabeth 1.The young men from wealthy families were travelling across Europe to complete their education. London, Paris, Venice, Rome were visited by the young aristocrats to improve their knowledge in the arts and literature. The tours lasted as long as 3 years. In 1841 Thomas Cook put together the first package tour in history. Thomas Cooks organized tour consisted of: accommodation, travel tickets, timetables, attractions, travel guides and tours, currency exchange. The first tours were for specific needs and catered more to the mass market with the growth of the company. Thomas Cook started offering tours within UK and soon moved to Europe. The development of tourism in the 19th century increased due to advent of the railway. It became cheaper, easier and safer to travel, so not only the privileged classes were allowed to travel. The industrial revolution brought leisure travel to Europe. The middle class had more time and money to travel thanks to the efficient machinery. In the post war period the development of wide-bodied and faster aircrafts contributed to the growth of the mass tourism. Increase in disposable income has made tourism accessible for a large majority of population. People could afford to take more than one holiday per year. Another factor that contributed to the growth of mass tourism was increase in global wealth leaving people enough disposable income to spend on holidays. The political liberation of the colonized countries built a lot of new tourist destinations, reducing the cost of holidays. Nowadays, it becomes more popular self-drive holidays to Europe, cruising holidays, Middle East destinations such as Dubai, Egypt, etc. Travelling on the cruise liner gives you opportunity to enjoy your time, there are a lot of activities on the board and the social life is very active, which makes you enjoy holidays even more, staying on the board of enormous liner. Low cost airlines leading to mass tourism travel around the world, e.g. Easy jet airlines. The social factor which contributed to the growth of tourism is linked with the new attitude to world travel and leisure. People are searching for new destinations, trying to find something unusual and unexplored. Development of leisure centers along with the increased independence of women has also contributed to the tourism. Changing demographics, such as aging population, grown up children have made a big impact on the SIT market. Sustainable tourism is one of the growing industries, which seeks to protect tourism destinations and reduce an impact of the environment and local culture. With the advent of internet, tourists can attend the locations using web-based interface programmers at the same time reducing the traditional impacts such as travel, accommodation, food wastage. TASK 2 Understand how special interest tourism matches customers, products and services. 2.1. Discuss the range and classification of tourism products and services available to travellers. There are  many kinds of special tourism interest; it can be educational tourism, sports tourism, sex tourism, health and beauty tourism, arts and entertainment tourism and a lot more. Products can also be divided into various categories, such as rural, urban, over or under water, in the air and others. The classification of special interest tourism products: Educational Cultural Adventure pursuits Historical attractions Religious events Health and wellness Sporting and entertainment events Educational Tourism There is no doubt that educational industry has already become one of the most popular types of special interest tourism. The Grand Tours of the 17th century were organized for youth with the purpose of education. Nowadays, many people are travelling to broaden the education, to learn a foreign language and to take a special course. As an example, the short term language courses are designed for students to improve their second language. Cultural tourism People who take cultural holidays are likely to visit museums, galleries and exhibitions, or going to opera or theatre. Heritage tourism is focused on historical attractions and resources. Cultural tourism gives visitors the opportunity to understand and appreciate the essential character of a place and its culture as a whole, including: -history and archaeology -people and their lifestyle -cultural diversity Many cities have had capital of culture status, including London, Dublin and Prague. Religious events tourism Religious holidays focus on visiting places with religious significance, like Lourdes in south of France or Holy Land Tour. The Holy Land is a land filled with history, passion and with presence of Jesus. The tourists can uncover the world in which Jesus lived and also enjoy the activities, such as scuba dive, hike, and camel ride or just have fun on the sun. There are specialist tour operators which organize such tours, like The Pilgrimage Trust, a charity, which organizes tour to Lourdes for children with disabilities. Sporting tourism People can take holidays to watch the sport or participate in special events. There are specialist operators offering packages for World Cup, Olympic Games. For instance, Club La Santa provides luxury Spain holidays, sports holidays and fitness activity holidays. The resort features over 25 different sports and different entertainment is available. Health and wellness tourism Health and wellness tourism is now available for consumers seeking to enhance their well being through their travel experiences. The aim of tourists is to look and feel better, to lose weight, to slow the effects of aging, to relieve pain or discomfort, or to manage stress. This market has become very popular as people are becoming more health conscious. There are two main types of health and wellness tourism: spa resorts and medical tourism. There are many spa hotels offering fitness classes, beauty treatments and different types of massage. Holy Island is one of the best spas in UK, located off the west coast of Scotland. The founder and vision holder of the Holy Isle Project is Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master in the Kagyu tradition. There are many retreat and course programmes taking place in the Centre for World Peace and Health. The island has several areas reserved for birds, animals and tree planting programme. (http://www.holyisland.org/) SIT can be classified according to the type of environment: Land Air Water based Rural/urban Nature/wilderness Trekking, cycling and hiking are examples of land based special interest tourism. The two main modes of travel are road and rail. Some luxurious trains appeal consumers special needs and allow passengers to see spectacular sights from the train. The Blue Train is a magnificent moving five-star hotel. The routes of The Blue Train both scheduled and chartered take guests through some of the most admirable places of the countryside. The train has luxurious suites with baths and double beds .The guests can enjoy exquisite meals freshly prepared on board by top chefs. Water based tourism can be presented in form of underwater activities, like diving, and above water, like swimming, cruising and surfing. The Great Barrier Reef is well known for its diving activities, situated on the north-east coast of Australia. It the worlds most extensive stretch of coral reef and is probably the richest area in terms of faunal diversity in the world. Nature and wilderness tourism focuses on observation of wild animals and birds in their usual environment. As an example it can be tours to Africa Safari or tours to botanical gardens. Wilderness tourism experiences with undeveloped natural environment, which can include isolation and challenging conditions. 2.2. Diversity and classification of tourist types. The key to success in SIT is to ensure various tourist types are well matched to the tourist products. Demand for tourism can be influenced by 3 basic factors: -purpose for travel (educational, cultural, for health, for sporting events) -ability to travel (sufficient disposable income, time, freedom of movement) -travel choices (knowledge about destinations, environmental factors, ability to travel) Various typologies have been made to classify tourists according their preferences. The best known are by Cohen and Plog. Eric Cohen classified tourists according to the nature of the environment they prefer. He places tourists into four following groups: Organized mass tourist-typically they buy pre-organised packages from tour operators; prefer safe and secure environment and are likely to return to familiar places. Individual mass tourist- compare to organised mass tourist show more flexibility and have a lot more personal choice. The explorer- looking for unexplored destinations. The drifter- generally likes adventurous travelling, e.g. camping in the wilderness area. Stanley Plog describes three types of tourists: Allocentric- confident travelers, who enjoy the travel and exploration Midcentric- tend to adopt the destinations after they have been discovered by allocentric Psychocentric- are less confident and prefer secure environment Market segmentation is a process of dividing the market into different groups with common needs and wants. The most common types are: Geographic location Demographic Socio-economic segmentation Psychographic segmentation Geographic location is based upon people live and can be subdivided by country, region, city size, and climate. Where people live in the city can also reflect their income level and ability to buy. Demographic segmentation is the most common in market segmentation. It can be divided by: Age (snowbirds, empty nesters, young budget travellers) Gender (women trying to escape from the usual environment and go for holidays, ex. spa breaks; men prefer to travel to more adventurous places) Religion (retreats, pilgrimages) Psychographic segmentation determines tourists behaviour, their lifestyles, activities and attitudes. Socio-economic segmentation considers aspects such as occupation, status, social class, income level. Task 3 Understand the appeal and motivation of special interest tourism for customers. 3.1. Analyse the appeal to customers of special interest tourism features and benefits. Appeal can be characterised as a kind of tourism products that will enable customers needs to be satisfied. The motivation is closely linked to the appeal and seeks to identify peoples needs and wants. The appeal of the location can be influenced by different factors, like cost, time availability, facilities. If you are planning a family holidays to sea and sun destinations, there are a lot of countries to choose from. The specific location has to appeal to numerous needs and wants of the family, e.g. child-minding facilities, special kids menu, available playground, etc. Appeal can be influenced by features of the destination, like beaches, attractions, number of facilities within the resort. There are a number of other factors that can contribute to the appeal: Uniqueness of the destination (Great Wall of China is one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance). Level of comfort (the tourist seeking luxury accommodation may find the appeal in 5 stars hotels). Authenticity of the location (the authentic cuisine or traditions appeal to many tourists visiting particular country). Political factors ( the political instability in Egypt led to a reduction in the flow of tourists) Environmental factors (tourists tend to avoid places affected by natural disasters, e.g. earthquakes) 3.2. Identify and explain how the motivations of tourists are met by special interest tourism locations and features. Motivation can be defined as internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal.(Businessdictionary.com) Abraham Maslow outlined a motivational hierarchy consisting of five categories of human needs arranged in ascending order: physiological- basic needs satisfied by such stimulus as food and sleep; security- need for a safe environment free from immediate threat; social-love needs and desire for social acceptance; esteem-need for enhancement and acceptance of self; and self-actualization-striving for full realization of unique characteristics and potentials. The key notion in the model is that as a need category lower in the hierarchy becomes satisfied, its determination of behaviour diminishes and the next higher need category becomes proponent (Adler, S., 1999, p 7). Maslows hierarchy of needs assumes that we all have similar needs and wants to be satisfied. Therefore, it is important to apply motivations in relation to different tourist types. Motivations for SIT can be divided into two groups: Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Intrinsic motivation includes internal desires to perform a particular task, do certain activities because it gives you pleasure, such as challenge, skill improvement or relaxation. The skill improvement relates to educational tourism and gives people opportunity to increase their knowledge in particular field (foreign languages courses, cookery schools in France). One of the main motivations for holidays can be a need to rest, to escape from everydays routine. Extrinsic motivation is the factors external to the individual and unrelated to the task they are performing.   Examples include money, status, rewards, and sustainability. Motivation can also be influenced by demographic factors: Education (tourists with high level of education are likely to participate in education based activities) Age ( old couples are seeking comfort and opportunity for sightseeing, while young people are looking more for fun and relaxation) Family life cycle ( parents with children are motivated by places with numerous kids facilities) TASK 4 Understand management needs and issues of special interest tourism. 4.1. Evaluate the organizational and support logistics involved in the management of special interest tourism trips. Profitability- is the main goal of all the businesses. Meeting the tourist expectations and providing safe and secure travel arrangements will lead to profitable growth for travel companies. The main thing is to make products profitable attractive for customers by putting correct prices and making them attractive for the market. Market research is an essential tool for any businesses. It helps to identify potential customers, their needs and expectations. Target marketing is a group of customers to be aimed. Potential customers with similar needs and characteristics are identified and divided by market segments based on age, income level, etc. Each travel product is made up of several segments, e.g. hotel, transport, accommodation facilities and for the tourists is all have to be organized and put together well. There is a range of challenges coming with travel products, e.g. Tour packages, where the travel agents are responsible for every aspect of the trip. Examples of operational challenges may include: Travel permits: visas requirements Infrastructure: essential shops, medical facilities Language: difficulties in understanding the foreign language Transport: availability of transfer coaches or taxis. Logistics is the management of business operations, such as the acquisition, storage, transportation and delivery of goods along the supply chain. (http://www.investorwords.com) An SIT sporting event package tour will include a number of logistical issues to take care of, including: Transportation Accommodation providers Tour guides Equipment suppliers Access to the destination Apart from all the operational and logistical challenges, the SIT providers have a number of administrative requirements to deal with. Travel insurance provides the financial protection in the case of unexpected loss of luggage or cancellation of the trip. It is important to read and understand all the policies before making a purchase. Visas issues may vary according to the country tourists going to. For example, members of the family of the EU citizens do not need visa to travel to the EU countries. Vaccination against diseases is an important requirement for tourists travelling to remote destinations, e.g. some parts of Africa. All the tour operators and travel agents should be aware of the laws concerning travel and tourism and pass the relevant information to the tourists. One of the main points to be considered for all the businesses is to have satisfied customers. It will results in more profitability, less marketing cost and a good reputation for the company. 4.2. Discuss the ways operators resolve issues that affect special interest tourism. There are many issues that can affect special interest tourism, some of them are known in advance and others are unexpected. It is always better to identify the potential problem and create the awareness of possible outcome. The main categories of the possible issues in SIT are: Risk management Socio-cultural issues Environmental issues Economic issues (recession, oversupply) Quality assurance Risk management is an important part of planning for businesses. The process of risk management is designed to reduce or eliminate the risk of certain kinds of events happening or having an impact on the business. ( http://www.whatisriskmanagement.net/) There are many different types of risk that can be classified as follows: Health- unexpected accidents, food poisoning Travel- delays of the flight, flight cancellation due to natural disaster Theft- loss of personal documents, etc. Furthermore, risk can be classified as known risks (tourists are travelling to politically unstable areas) and unexpected risks (loss of documents, illness). The main goal of risk management is to protect the customers from unacceptable levels of risk and also build the reputation for travel organisations, avoiding financial losses. According to Sadgrove (2005), the process of risk management is as follows: Identify and assess risks Set policies Implement policies; manage risks Monitor risks Tourism providers should always advise customers on risks by giving advice how to behave in unfamiliar situations or providing the current information about the risks that might be present in the resort. Socio-cultural issues can result in social breakdown of the destination, increase in crime and loss of local culture. The ecotourism is becoming very popular nowadays. Tour operators and travel agents have to be aware of the environmental issues relating to products they offer. Some of the issues are: ecotourism and sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism provides information how to respect local cultures and the natural environment and protect the diverse wildlife of the destination. The need to provide the best quality and to keep the standards high is one of the main issues of SIT providers. The best quality could be achieved by: Providing the full training for the staff Good knowledge about the products being sold Right people on the right job Requesting feedback from customers Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is no doubt that tourism had been the most important industry of any country that is why most of them are doing their best in order to maintain and preserve all of their resources that can attract the attention of their target tourist.

The Strength Trainer?s Guide to Success Essay -- essays research paper

Your body has about 650 muscles. No matter that you care about just four or five of them, all of which can be sculpted with maybe a half-dozen strength-training exercises. You still need all of them to perform the normal functions of everyday life; breathing, eating, walking, sucking in your stomach at the beach. Of course everyone wants to have the perfect body; however, few of us don’t effectively know how to reach our body building goals. Since muscle growth is such a slow process, weight-lifting should be broken down into three muscle developing stages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first stage of muscle development is the process of preparing your muscles for growth. This is the stage all beginning weight-lifters should start from. A muscle will not grow until the muscle is at its’ peak condition; this means your have to slowing condition your muscles in order to move to more powerful and intense exercises. In this stage, you want to do lots of different exercises and variations of exercises; use a high number of repetitions, at least 12. However, only do each exercise once during your workout. Most beginners have the mistake of trying to push themselves to hard at the start of their training and find themselves so sore they won’t be able to train for a week or more. Soreness is the sign that your muscle are not at its peak condition. This is why advance lifters don’t get muscle soreness nearly as bad as beginners, even when the advance lifter does much more intense workouts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try to do exercises that isolate a muscle or muscle group rather that multiple muscle exercises. An example would be doing a set dumbbell flies, instead of a set of barbell bench press, for your pectorals exercise. Try to train three times a week having at least a days rest between workouts. Set up your workouts so you are doing â€Å"push† exercises one day, such as presses and squats, and â€Å"pull† exercises on the next workout, such as pull-ups and hamstring curls. This is a good way to keep track of your training and it makes sure your muscles get enough rest in-between workouts. This stage of muscle growth takes around six months of training in order to move to stage two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stage two is the start of the actual muscle building process. After six months of training: you have largely improved your muscular strength; noticed ... ...are working the same body area in another exercise you do during the workout. Try to do about half isolated lifts and half core lifts. A good stage three workout for an upper-body â€Å"pull† day would be: abs, an isolated exercise; biceps curl variations, isolated; variations of back rows, core; and finally pull-ups variations, core. During the variations of exercises, do about two sets per variation. Stage three is three days a week with at least one days rest in-between exercises, as well. Continue in this stage until you reach your desire strength training goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Remember that muscle growth is a very long and slow process, and it needs a healthy, high-protein diet as well as weight-training. It takes time and a lot of effort in order for sufficient muscle growth to accrue. It really isn’t all that bad though; after the first month or two going to the gym will just be a habit and you won’t be walking around as sore from the lifting. Research has shown people up to the age of 65 can built muscle and strength; therefore, almost anyone, by following the three stages of muscle development and training, can reach their strength training goals with success!

An Acquaintance with Darkness

An Acquaintance with Darkness by Ann Rinaldi Ann Rinaldi has written a book that weaves history and fiction into a wonderful book, and this is why I have chosen this book. It covers some important parts of history and the reader sees it through the eyes of a thirteen old girl. The book is dark with intrigue and gross medical stuff, so students should love it. While the assignation and arrest of Mary Surratt is the major historical event around which the book is written, it is more about the state of medical science in the US at the end of the war and how it was impacted by the war.For instance, Rinaldi's author's note starts out focused on the history of medical dissections in the united states, and then goes on to describe its history in Europe. She then describes the history of hospitals, medical schools and medicine in the US. She doesn't turn towards the conspiracy to kill Lincoln till later. Emily's best friend is Annie Surratt, the daughter of Mary Surratt who was hung for her part in the conspiracy to murder Lincoln. Students will see this part of history through a different point of view, not just learning about it through their textbook.I also think students will relate with Emily, because she wants to see the good in everything. She wants to believe the world is a good place. She judges her Uncle for something she believes is horrible and doesn’t understand because of her young, innocent age. Then the reader sees her grow as into a young lady, where she isn’t so innocent anymore. Emily realizes the world isn’t perfect and she shouldn’t have judged her Uncle, because he was snatching dead bodies to help medical science and save more lives during a horrible time of war. At the end of Ann Rinaldi’s book, she has questions for teachers to discuss with their students.This will make it easy to have literature circles with students. This book relates to my content area because it is a historical fiction book. Ann Rinaldi ha s taken many facts from history and put them in a wonderful fiction book. If I was a teacher of History, I could relate this to our unit on the Civil War around the end of it when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. This book takes a look at the Surratt Family and how they were involved with John Wilkes Booth. This is usually a glimpse of history many students don’t know about. I don’t remember learning this when I was in school.I think kids are interested in anything related to death, and this book is full of it. They will learn about Lincoln’s assassination, the hanging of Mary Surratt, and how doctors snatched dead bodies to benefit medical science. This book ties a lot of factual information to the Civil War, and it is interesting to read. I think this is a way to supplement the main textbook, to give kids a different perspective of the war. Many of our discussions in class have centered on supplementing the main text. I think by adding interesting books about what they are studying will make them want to learn more about that era.So by picking this book that tells about a girl in the time of the Civil war, they will see certain aspects of that time period in a different way. They will be able to relate to it more because this girl is around their age. They will be seeing it through her eyes. I think this is so important when teaching, because I want kids to be excited to learn about history. I think to do that you have to find some way to relate it to them. Having kids around that age, I have found that they don’t care about it if it doesn’t relate to them, or they can’t understand it, or it’s boring. I know a lot in school will be boring to them.That is why it’s important to find certain things to â€Å"jazz† up the lesson. After reading this book, I found myself wanting to learn if doctors in that time really had to snatch bodies to study on. I think this book will be a way to get them interes ted in studying certain parts of the Civil War. I think they will want to learn more after reading this book. The two main activities that I could use in my classroom that relate to the book, are Literature Circles and List-Group-Label. I will introduce the book with the List-Group-Label activity to see what prior knowledge the students have.By doing this activity first it gets them thinking about the Civil War Era and discussing it. I hope for some students they will learn things they might not have know before the discussion. Then during the time that we are reading the book, I will have them split into groups every Friday and do literature circles. I will have discussion sheets that they will have to fill out as a group. This will give them a chance to learn from eachother and give them a since of responsibility. I think these activities will work well together in creating a fun unit.

Proposed Solutions for Working Together Essay

â€Å"Most would agree that trait represents a disposition to behave expressing itself in consistent patterns of functioning across a range of situations† (Pervin, 1994). Many things play into the traits that we end up with as adults. These traits have a profound effect on how we interact with groups. Difficulty can always be found when a group is attempting to work together due to variances in personality traits. The key to working together as a group is to understand the differences and similarities that each group member possesses in order to reach the wanted outcome of the group. According to the personality assessments based on the Big Five taken by Team B the similarities in common are vast and the differences are minimal so working together should be easy. As the tests suggest, the team members are mostly agreeable and dependable so when a plan for action is reached then the team will fall in line to handle what needs to be done in order to reach the agreed upon goal. Even though the Big Five can be looked at as limiting the personality to only a five dimensional plane, the basis of the dimensions that are there can tell about the personality of individuals. â€Å"Just as stereotypes bias our perceptions of an out-group, implicit personality theories may bias our perceptions of others† (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). In Team B there seems to be no evidence that there would be limitations to achieving their goals.

Definition of a Reaction Intermediate

Definition of a Reaction Intermediate An intermediate or reaction intermediate is a substance formed during a middle step of a chemical reaction between reactants and the desired product. Intermediates tend to be extremely reactive and short-lived, so they represent a low concentration in a chemical reaction compared with the amount of reactants or products. Many intermediates are unstable ions or free radicals. Example in a chemical equation: A 2B → C E The steps could be A B → C DB D → E The D chemical would be an intermediate chemical. A real-world example of chemical intermediates are oxidizing radicals OOH and OH found in combustion reactions. Chemical Processing Definition The term intermediate means something different in the chemical industry, referring to a stable product of a chemical reaction that is then used as a starting material for another reaction. For example, benzene and propylene may be used to make the intermediate cumene. Cumene is then used to make phenol and acetone. Intermediate vs Transition State An intermediate is different from a transition state in part because an intermediate has a longer lifetime than a vibrational or transition state.

Systems Analysis and Design Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Systems Analysis and Design - Case Study Example Additionally, without any multilingual facets, it did not meet the peoples’ needs who speak diverse languages. Contemplative media vision was thus, in need of a new website to serve as a better communication means for its customers. To attain this goal, the project team began by carrying out a literature review and went on by following the four phases of the system development cycle, that is, planning, analysis, design and implementation. The final website was at last successfully developed to meet the project objectives. The aim of contemplative media vision is to employ media to empower, heal and bond people to their best part. This new inspiring media has the capability to help people find their true purpose, reinforce their ability to bond compassionately with others, as well as motivate them to find greater achievement in every area of their lives (Satzinger, Jackson, &Burd, 2012). The application also specializes in creating music for healing settings that deepens someone’s connection to what is most useful. It is enhanced by the influence of a musical recording. Products of contemplative media feature the sympathetic verbal messages of the worlds humanitarian and spiritual leaders. They also have those of common people facing unusual circumstances. Client from diverse departments can obtain the same use cases, for instance, may have the same client goal for employing the system. Owing to conventional Buddhist texts, along with veteran meditation instructors, contemplative practices are allied to a broad range of occurrences, some constructive and wonderful, others fairly tricky and testing (Satzinger, Jackson, &Burd, 2012). Since these incidents fall externally to the framework of western medicine along with science, there has been very little attempt to study experientially and document the complete collection of contemplative experiences. Consequently, lots of Western

Great depression in USA Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Great depression in USA - Coursework Example The other great expansion was amount of buyers. All this factors that experienced great expansion led to the increase in buying public utility stocks contributing to a rise in their prices. In October 1929, America experienced a dramatic fall in utility price. The decline in utility price caused panic among the margin buyers and they had to sell all the stocks (Divine et al., 751). 2. What was the legacy of the New Deal? The legacy of the New Deal is that it played a crucial role toward alleviating the worst suffering of the depression. For example, the early New Deal contributed in assisting bankers and industrialists (Divine et al., 762). Moreover, the early New Deal tried to assist large farmers and members of the labor union (Divine et al., 762). However, the New deal was still being held captive of the conventional thinking of the day. It is not possible to say that the New Deal would have ended the depression basing in the historical facts. For example, development of the World War II interrupted the process. 3.  How did Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s political philosophy affect his New Deal? Roosevelt political philosophy contributed to a decline in his New Deal (Divine et al., 751). He played a crucial role in defeating a number of conservative Democratic congress representatives and senators. Roosevelt’s target gleefully changed the interference with local politics. Divine et al., (774) indicates that only one of the men that Roosevelt sought to defeat lost in primaries. The worst blow of Roosevelt’s New Deal came in the economic sector. Most of the business executives claimed that Roosevelt recession reflected a lack of confidence in FDR’s leadership hence leading the New Deal to become ineffective (Divine et al., 751). 4. How did Herbert Hoover deal with the depression? Hoover blamed the depression on foreign policies. He rejected various proposals for bold government and relied instead on voluntary cooperation within the b usiness of which he used to halt the slide (Divine et al., 754). Moreover, he called various leaders associated with industries to the White house and secured agreement to maintain prices and wages at a high level. Hoover also believed in voluntary efforts that played a significant role in relieving the human suffering brought about by the depression. On this case, he called private charities and local governments to help in offering clothes and food to the needy ones. With the request of Hoover, Congress managed to cut taxes in an attempt to restore public confidence. He also managed to adopt a few federal works projects such as boulder dam in order to provide jobs for the young people (Divine et al., 754). 5. What were the weaknesses of the New Deal? Through the New Deal, Roosevelt managed to develop the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Through this organization, the burden of unemployment eased but it failed to overcome depression (Divine et al., 760). This means that one of the weaknesses of the New Deal is failure to overcome depression. Through the New Deal, the WPA filed to prime the American economy by increasing consumer purchasing power. The other weakness associated with the New Deal is that it led to a growing frustration and the appearance of more radical alternatives. These alternatives challenged the conservative nature of the New Deal that made the FDR to shift to the left (Divine et al., 760). Part 1 (B) What were the forces that caused the stock market to crash? According to the article, one of the causes that led to the

Analytical Comparison and Contrast Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analytical Comparison and Contrast - Coursework Example Here, the artworks, ‘The Blue Boy’, an oil painting by Thomas Gainsborough, and ‘Pinkie’, a portrait by Thomas Lawrence, are made use to compare, under the subject: Two artists’ conceptions of a single theme. Thesis statement: Analysis of similarities and differences between two Artworks to attain an inference on the same by considering the artists, the viewers, and related facts in history or society (special references to the artworks: ‘The Blue Boy’ (portrait), by Thomas Gainsborough, and ‘Pinkie’ (portrait), by Thomas Lawrence). Analysis The analysis of the artworks ‘The Blue Boy’( See appendix -1) by Thomas Gainsborough, and ‘Pinkie’( See appendix -2) , by Thomas Lawrence is based on the following factors like the artists, assessment as a viewer, and other related facts in history or society, and strictly based on similarities and differences. I. Artists A. Similarities One can easily identify a number of similarities between Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence. The following are some important similarities. First of all, the first names of the artists (Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence) are similar. Besides, both the artists made use of the same medium to express their creativity (say, oil and canvas). Both the artists were British citizens, who primarily focused in portrait painting. Within their lifetime, they were considered as noteworthy portrait painters in Europe. As pointed out, they made use of oil and canvas as their medium, which was most suitable for portrait painting. Both the artists transformed their personal interest (say, drawing/painting) into their career as painters. B. Differences There exist a number of differences between Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence. The following are some important differences. Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury. On the other side, Thomas Lawrence was born in Bristol. Thomas Gainsborough’s father wa s a weaver by profession, but Thomas Lawrence’s father was an inn keeper. Before becoming a landscape painter, Thomas Gainsborough was a landscape painter. James Ernest Thorpe states that â€Å"The Blue Boy was often thought of as Gainsborough’s greatest painting† (435). Later, he turned to portrait painting. But Thomas Lawrence was genuinely interested in portrait painting. Thomas Gainsborough completed the painting ‘The Blue Boy’ in the year 1770, but the portrait ‘Pinkie’ by Thomas Lawrence was completed in the year 1794. Thomas Gainsborough married Margarett Burr and had children. On the other side, Thomas Lawrence was forced to be a lifelong bachelor. Besides, he was forced to lead an unhappy personal life. Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait painting helped him to keep himself away from economic problems. On the other side, Thomas Lawrence was forced to face economic problems in his life. II. Assessment as a viewer A. Similariti es When one tries to assess the artworks ‘The Blue Boy’ and ‘Pinkie’, one can easily identify a number of similarities. Some of the most important similarities are pointed out below. First of all, both the works are portraits of youngsters booming with energy. The medium made use by the painters is similar, i.e. oil and canvas. Both the paintings are presently owned by The Huntington (museum/ art gallery) in California. Both the paintings are from England and are considered as best examples for portrait painting in Europe. Besides, both the artworks are considered as showpieces at The Huntington. As these portraits are exhibited in the same gallery, most of the viewers consider that these works are completed by the same painter. The position of the youngsters (models) in the portraits is helpful for the viewers to have clearer look on their faces. Both the works give

Expression of a persons mental state Essay Example for Free

Expression of a persons mental state Essay Emotions, feelings and intuition is the expression of a persons mental state, normally based on the persons internal (physical) and external (social), sensory feeling.[8]  We use emotions to determine our personal state of mind, we can be angry, sad and confused; and through emotion we can arrive at the truth that we are depressed. Regardless this truth only remains legitimate if the causes of the emotions remain constant. Likewise in the case we change the context of the situation, such as instead of it raining it were sunny, that person wouldnt feel as depressed and a new truth would emerge. Ethics is the study of morality; analysing if behaviour, thoughts and actions are good or right as opposed to bad and wrong.[9] Ethics plays a major role in the modern world as every public and social source, especially the media, are advertising what is nice and evil, good and bad, right and wrong. It is like the legal system, but it is more vague and theoretical also the consequences tend to be social as opposed to being sent to jail. Ethics are open to interpretation by each individual each society or even a culture as a whole. Where in the majority of Western countries it is seen as morally wrong to have more than two wives as well as illegal, in some Arab countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia it is acceptable to have more than one wife if you can support them. Sometimes the more wives you marry, the more money you must have, therefore the wealthier you are.[10] It is interesting to see how a large amount of people can interpret the same truth, such as in this case, which was brought to my attention by a guide during my stay in China. The use of footbinding on 6 year old girls in China during 1,000 years to impress the Emperor[11], was at the same time interpreted completely differently by an entire society. Westernized countries have never deformed their bodies, for status, erotic or social reasons as it is seen as morally wrong. It all depends on the context, and in this case it is the different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs of the two societies. History is the objective study and interpretation of information about the past.[12] To any historian a vital area of focus is the validity of sources to arrive at a truth. For example an unedited video would be considered reliable as it shows what happened without any tampering of the source as opposed to a journal, which could be biased.  However if the source is biased does it mean the truth is no longer valid ? For example when I was a little kid my parents (the source) used to tell me the Three Kings would come every January bearing presents and so they did. To me at the time it seemed as a truth and it was still valid, because I got my presents. Its not until we change the context, e.g.: present day, that the truth loses all its validity. This shows that the truth we derive from the validity of the sources is completely relative depending in the context which it is presented in, which means that the truths we know now may not be considered truths in the future.  Mathematics is a science dealing with logic and aim to derive theorems from axioms.[13] Whether it was discovered or invented we will never know, however one thing is certain; maths is highly influential in our day to day life; for example, technology, finance and architecture. We assume that mathematics provides us with an absolute truth; 1 + 1 = 2  However during my IGCSE course I experienced the ambiguity of maths (in the following example), which since then has left me thinking, if we could continue using maths as a source for truth.  The fraction 1/3 when written as a decimal number is .333 where the dots indicate that the sequence of 3s is infinite.  Thus we might write the equation:  1/3 = .3333  Multiplying both sides by 3 we get:  1 = .999  Therefore:  1 + 1 = 2 We know the first equation is a truth as we have been taught this in school and the world of mathematics revolves around that equation being valid. However using mathematical induction and rationalisation we have induced that the last equation is also valid. Nonetheless we arrive to the conclusion that they both can not be equal in a same frame of reference.  Once again Margaret Atwood, shows that the truth as we know it, cant be absolute as it varies depending on the context in which it is proposed. Answering the question Does this mean that there is no such thing as truth ? I believe there is always a truth as depending on the context, any situation can be manipulated to arrive at a truth. However I dont think Universality[14]; an idea which is universal, and exists everywhere, throughout the Universe nor an Absolute Truth exists, as the value of every thought changes depending on the context. As the Relativists would say; its all Relative.  I think a more appropriate title would have been: Does this mean there is no such thing as an absolute truth ? as the use of Context is all allows for there always to be a truth but not one that is absolute. Bibliography: Atwood, M. (1996), The Handmaids Tale. Vintage (pg. 202) http://dictionary.reference.com

Increasing Brand Equity Through Viral Marketing Marketing Essay

Increasing Brand Equity Through Viral Marketing Marketing Essay Together with a friend/business partner, I have been developing a new business venture for the last two years. We are building an online platform for DJs, producers and record labels in the dance music industry (It is like a facebook developed for the dance music industry). It is not finished yet and we are still conducting research. Therefore I am going to write my thesis about this topic to expand my knowledge, with the main advantages to use the outcome of my thesis for my business venture. We will offer services to artists and producers to distribute their music efficiently with the main goal to become famous. Marketing is key in this recent concept and it is a new marketing phenomenon that has not been dealt with properly before by theorists. The fact that it is not a very common topic and it will be more difficult to find relevant papers makes it more challenging and therefore more interesting to write about this topic. Strategic brand management and marketing theories are used as a theoretical reference point when the artist branding practises are being evaluated and interpreted. The focus is on three theoretical concepts, viral marketing, brand awareness, and brand equity. Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Case background: Globalization and digitization of the dance music industry Over the last few years, the dance music industry has been undergoing a revolutionary change. The emergence of Internet is having a significant impact on the supply chain for dance music. Figure 1, based on Premkumars digital distribution strategies (2003), shows that physical distribution has been replaced by digital distribution. Sharing music through the internet has never been this easy. Modern communications technologies have created new opportunities and increased competition. The digitization and globalization of music asks for new ways to promote and distribute music globally. Figure 1. Dance music distribution: shift in the supply chain a) Pre Web1.0 Physical distribution (until 1999) Artist Record Label Distributor Retailer Consumer b) Web1.0 Digital distribution through record labels (1999 2005) Artist Record Label Distributor Consumer c) Web2.0 Digital distribution and promotion through viral marketing (2005 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Artist Record Label Viral marketing Consumer The advent of the Internet is having a significant impact on both the supply chain for music and the dominance of the big record labels (Graham et al., 2004). The digitization and globalization of the dance music industry has led to a decrease of importance of record labels. Artists do not need record labels anymore to promote and distribute music. With intense competition, it is prudent for record labels to concentrate on their core competency of music creation. This way, record labels can remain truly relevant and valuable to both established and new artists (Crawford, 2001). This change of the supply chain of distributing and promoting music has led to a major structural change in the role of the artist. While the future may look bleak for the major record labels, it looks much more positive for artists and consumers (Graham et al., 2004). The individual artist brand has become more important in order to successfully gain competitive advantage in the dance music industry, which is becoming more crowded and aggressive because of the emergence of internet. It is more difficult for individual artists to be unique and share their sound these days. Because of the increase in importance of the artist brand, artists should understand brand management practices. Consumers should be made aware of the existence of the artist, and therefore brand awareness is very important. Entertainment products, like music, by established names are generally believed to perform better in the market. The charts of top selling offering (e.g. Billboard 200) are primarily populated with established artists, providing ample support for this perception (Moore et al., 2006). In other words, success of artists depends on artist brand awareness. Brand awareness measures consumers knowledge of a brands existence. It refers to the proportion of consumers who know or recognize the  brand. Brand awareness is an often undervalued asset; however, awareness has been shown to affect perceptions and even taste. People like the familiar and are prepared to ascribe all sorts of good attitudes to items that are familiar to them. Awareness is often transferred into perceptions of technological superiority and market acceptance (Kover, Aaker and Joachimster, 2000). According to Aaker (1991), brand awareness is a dimension of brand equity. Brand equity refers to that part of the value of a product that is attributable to the brand name. However, this paper will use brand equity in a different way than other theorists do. In the dance music industry, brand awareness plays a key role in the success of an artist, and therefore this thesis focuses on brand awareness and its relation with brand equity. Explicitly or implicitly, it is generally accepted that brand equity plays a role in the sales of entertainment products (Moore et al., 2006). This study measures brand equity as the difference in success between an established artist and a similar unknown artist. Once an artist is established, its success develops like a snowball effect or so-called virtuous circle. Artists should understand how to create and increase their brand equity and benefit from this sweeping change of the dance music industry. In the past, artists were promoted by their record labels and their success depended on the artists and labels network. Word-of-mouth played a big role in the distribution and promotion of music. The emergence of internet and the diminishing power of record labels have made it easier for artists to share music (globally) and therefore reach more people. New communication platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and blogs increased this phenomenon even more. This has also led to new possibilities for artists to create brand awareness. There are different ways for artists to promote themselves or get promoted to increase brand awareness. Record labels are used to share and distribute music in record shops and on the Web, artist agencies are used to handle and arrange event bookings, and artists themselves can promote themselves in their network. Because of the importance of word-of-mouth marketing to promote artists and music in the dance music industry, and the emergence of internet, artists should look for new ways and possibilities to share, promote, and distribute music through the Web. Viral marketing is a marketing tool that creates word-of-mouth through the internet. Therefore, this thesis will focus on the concept of viral marketing and whether it can be used to increase brand awareness in the dance music industry or not. The goal of viral marketing is to use consumer-to-consumer (or peer-to-peer) communications-as opposed to company-to-consumer communications-to disseminate information about a product or service, thereby leading to more rapid and cost effective adoption by the market. With viral marketing, consumers become promoters of the brand and spread the word to their friends. This thesis will explain the effects of viral marketing on the creation of brand awareness, which will consequently lead to brand image. This study refers to the first phase of the awareness process. 1.2 The problem statement Critics find the availability of free online music as life-threatening, while others think the new music industry will benefit from digitization and globalization in other ways. Describing how artists can benefit from the digitization and globalization of the music industry by creating brand awareness and brand equity through viral marketing is the main goal of this thesis, leading to the formulation of the following problem statement: To what extent does viral marketing create artist brand awareness, and thereby result in an increase of brand equity in the dance music industry? 1.3 Research Questions In order to be able to give an accurate answer to this problem statement, a set of research questions needs to be formulated to get a clear understanding of its context and implementation. The research questions are: What are brand awareness and brand equity and what is their relation? What is viral marketing and is it effective? What is the relation between viral marketing and brand awareness? What is the purpose of using viral marketing to create brand equity in the dance music industry? What is the effect of viral marketing on brand equity in this case? 1.4 Conceptual model Brand image Brand awareness Viral marketing Brand loyalty Brand equity in the dance music industry 1.5 Relevance Academic relevance There are several generally accepted theories about brand equity (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993; etc.). Despite the age of these theories, they are still widely used in research these days. Brand equity is defined in terms of the marketing effects uniquely attributable to the brand (Keller, 1993). Aaker explains the dimensions of brand equity, but his and other theories fail to explain direct causes of brand equity. A comparison between Aaker and Keller will explain the importance of brand awareness in its relation to brand equity. This study develops a new framework based on those existing theories with new practical insights developed for the dance music industry. Research and theories in this area are outdated and need to be revised to be applicable on this case. The focus of this thesis will be on brand awareness, because of its importance in the dance music industry as explained before. Brand equity occurs when the consumer is aware of the brand (Keller, 1993). Therefore, brand awar eness is of great importance in the creation of brand equity it is defined as the first phase of brand equity in this study. Other dimensions of brand equity, like brand loyalty or perceived quality, are established, once consumers are aware of the brand. This thesis does not focus on the effects of brand equity, but only looks at the first phase; brand awareness. This will be applied to the dance music industry, thereby resulting in a deeper insight and understanding on the importance of brand awareness related to the creation of brand equity. This thesis will focus on a relatively new phenomenon of word-of-mouth through the web: viral marketing. Viral marketing has been studied intensively the last years, but little is known about the effectiveness of viral marketing and whether it influences consumers actual behaviours (De Bruyn Lilien, 2008). This study will provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of viral marketing on brand awareness and brand equity, which will explain whether viral marketing is a useful method to use to create brand awareness, resulting in brand equity. Marketing theories about (customer-based) brand equity and viral marketing are used as a theoretical reference point when the artist branding practises are being evaluated and interpreted. Managerial relevance There is much uncertainty and indifference toward the new digital music industry. The visible disadvantages of the consequences (decrease in sales of music) are easier to measure than the indirect advantages of the consequences (exposure, acquaintance, distribution convenience). Internet increased the convenience of sharing music. However, artists themselves find it difficult to share their music effectively, because competition has increased significantly. Internet allows new artists to provide consumers with unprecedented amounts of song samples. This resulted in an enormous increase in music choice. As a consequence, new artists face tough competition in their efforts to get adequate attention on the internet (Crawford, 2001). Creating and managing a real brand is important for an artist to become successful. Because of the increase in importance of the artist brand, artists should understand brand management practices. Consumers should be made aware of the existence of the artist, and therefore brand awareness is very important. Artists and record labels increasingly try to promote themselves via social media, because it is a free and easy way to reach a large amount of people in a short period of time. But little is known about the effects of viral marketing. The effects of viral marketing on brand awareness will be studied in this thesis, in order to provide artists and record labels with a useful and effective tool to increase their brand equity. 1.6 Thesis structure The second chapter will explain of the terms brand awareness and brand equity in the dance music industry. In the third chapter a description of the term viral marketing will be given along with the effects of viral marketing. The interrelationships between the different variables will be explained in the fourth chapter. First the relation between brand awareness and brand equity will be explained and then the relation between viral marketing and brand awareness will be explained. The final chapter will contain the conclusions from the study including a discussion and suggestions will be given for further research. Chapter 2: Brand awareness and brand equity This chapter will shortly explain the terms brand awareness and brand equity. First, existing theories about brand equity and brand awareness are described and explained in order to build a theoretical background for this study. Then, the relation between brand awareness and brand equity will be described. 2.1 What is brand equity? Brand equity is a widely used marketing concept and there are numerous definitions for brand equity. In a general sense, brand equity is defined in terms of the marketing effects uniquely attributable to the brand for example, when certain outcomes result from the marketing of a product or service because of its brand name that would not occur if the same product or service did not have that name (Keller, 1993). Keller (2008) showed and explained the process of building strong brands in his Customer Based Brand Equity model. He focuses on brand-added value which he defines as the differential effect that consumers brand knowledge has on their response to the marketing of that brand. The process consists of the following dimensions: brand salience, brand performance, brand imagery, consumer judgement, consumer feelings and brand resonance. Aaker (1991) defines brand equity as a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand its name and symbols that add to or subtract from t he value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or to that firms customers. Aaker identifies five assets; brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty, brand association, and other proprietary brand assets. Keller explains brand equity as a customer-based process consisting of several steps which are related, while Aaker explains brand equity as set of brand dimensions without making a distinction between a firm and its customers. This thesis defines brand equity as the difference in success between an established artist and a similar unknown artist in the dance music industry. Figure 2 visualises the brand equity process in the dance music industry. It combines Kellers conceptual framework of customer-based brand equity and Aakers theory of brand equity to develop a new framework which explains the process of building brand equity. Figure 2. Brand equity in the dance music industry Brand loyalty Brand awareness Brand image According to Keller (1993), Customer-based brand equity occurs when the consumer is aware of the brand and holds some favourable, strong, and unique brand associations in memory. The different types of customer-based brand equity are discussed by considering the effects of these dimensions of brand knowledge on brand loyalty and consumer response to product, price, promotion, and distribution strategies. The focus of this thesis will therefore be on brand awareness, and how to create brand awareness, because it is of great importance in the creation of brand equity it is the first phase in the creation process of customer-based brand equity in this study. Brand image, brand loyalty and other dimensions of brand equity occur once brand awareness is established. This process is in line with Stalpers findings (2011); brand equity includes brand awareness and brand image, which subsequently could lead to popularity and brand loyalty. The relation between brand awareness and brand equity will be explained in paragraph 2.3 and a method used to create brand awareness will be explained in chapter 3. 2.2 What is brand awareness? Brand awareness measures consumers knowledge of a brands existence. It refers to the proportion of consumers who know or recognize the  brand (Keller, 2001). A brand can increase the demand for a product in several ways. Brand awareness makes it easier for consumers to identify products with the well-known brand names  (Mary W.Sullivan, 1998). Therefore, brands provide information by increasing awareness and serving as a proxy for quality. According to Keller (1993), brand awareness plays an important role in consumer decision making. One reason Keller mentions, is that brand awareness can affect decisions about brands in the consideration set, even if there are essentially no other brand associations. Consumers tend to prefer familiar, well-established brands. A minimum level of brand awareness may be sufficient for product choice, even in the absence of a well-formed attitude (Bettman and Park 1980; Hoyer and Brown 1990; Park and Lessig 1981). In this thesis, artist brand awareness refers to the extent that a consumer knows or recognizes an artist. Chapter 4 will explain why brand awareness is of great importance in the dance music industry. 2.3 Brand awareness and brand equity In contrary to other theories about brand equity, this thesis only focuses on the relation between brand awareness and brand equity. As explained before in previous paragraphs, brand equity occurs when the consumer is aware of the brand (Keller, 1993). Once brand awareness and thus brand equity is established, we can look at the effects of the dimensions of brand equity on brand loyalty and consumer response to different strategies. According to Keller (1993), high levels of brand awareness and a positive brand image should increase the probability of brand choice, as well as produce greater consumer (and retailer) loyalty and decrease vulnerability to competitive marketing actions. Chapter 3: Viral marketing The phenomenon viral marketing will be explained in this chapter. The goal of this chapter is to get a better understanding of viral marketing and its effectiveness. Advantages and disadvantages will be explained. The final paragraph will explain how viral marketing can be used to create brand awareness. 3.1 What is viral marketing? Marketers are looking for new ways of communicating with customers and creating a dialogue with customers. The growth and evolution of the internet has led to the creation of a new format of word-of-mouth; viral marketing through new media. It is the online version of word-of-mouth or so-called network marketing. The goal of viral marketing is to use consumer-to-consumer (or peer-to-peer) communications-as opposed to company-to-consumer communications-to disseminate information about a product or service, thereby leading to more rapid and cost effective adoption by the market (Krishnamurthy, 2001). Viral marketing and its offline counterpart word-of-mouth differ in two ways (De Bruyn Lilien, 2008).: Viral marketing practices are electronic by nature; there is no face-to-face communication. Viral marketing referrals are usually unsolicited, that is, they are sent to recipients who are not looking for information, and hence are not necessarily willing to pay attention to them. According to the same authors, Viral marketing occurs when consumers willingly become promoters of a product or service and spread the words to their friends; they are driven to do so either through an explicit incentive (e.g., financial incentives, need to create network externalities) or simply out of a desire to share the product benefits with friends (e.g., fun, intriguing, valuable for others). Viral marketing utilizes multiple new media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Twitter, which enable customers to take a more active role as market players and reach (and be reached by) almost everyone, anywhere, and anytime. These new media threaten long established business models and corporate strategies, but also provide ample opportunities for growth through new adaptive strategies (Hennig-Thurau et. Al, 2010). Social media is essentially a new form of virtual word-of-mouth marketing. It is harnessing different social media networks. Viral marketing is a marketing strategy that creates a buzz around a product/service. It essentially acts like a virus, exploding the message to the masses, which can be used among all types of media, including social media. 3.2 What are disadvantages of viral marketing? From the last paragraph, it can be concluded that viral marketing works extremely rapid and the transmission of the marketing message is comparatively inexpensive. This all sounds promising, but marketers need to be aware of potential risks connected to viral marketing. Viral marketing is a relatively new phenomenon and the effects are difficult to measure (De Bruyn Lilien, 2008). The next paragraph will explain the effectiveness of viral marketing. According to Wuyts et Al (2010), a viral marketing campaign relies entirely on consumers to spread it, which makes it impossible for marketers to further control this process once the message spreads over the Web as a virus. In addition, consumers can edit a message once they will forward it to their peers, which makes it difficult to control the content of the message itself. Furthermore, consumers that unwillingly receive messages could consider such messages as spam, which may damage a brand. Finally, a marketer cannot control a campaigns timing (Welker, 2002). Control can thus be seen as the most important and challenging factor of a viral marketing campaign in order to maintain a good relationship with consumers. 3.3 Is viral marketing effective? Previous examples of successful viral marketing campaigns indicate that viral marketing could be effective. The most famous viral marketing campaign that put viral marketing on the map was the campaign by Hotmail in 1996. It helped Hotmail become the leading personal web-based email service provider. Hotmail users forwarded messages with a small endnote: P.S. Get your free email at Hotmail. With this campaign, Hotmail recruited 12 million subscribers in 18 months with a marketing budget of only $500 000 (Kirby and Marsen, 2006). As stated in previous paragraphs, it is important for marketers to understand the process and pitfalls of viral marketing in order to create a successful viral marketing campaign. De Bruyn Lilien (2008) support this statement: To better understand why and how viral marketing can be effective, we must understand its pass-along process and its underlying mechanisms of influence. The same authors say that by leveraging the power of interpersonal networks to promote a product or service, viral marketing campaigns are an effective means to transform communication networks into influence networks capturing recipients attention, triggering interest, and eventually leading to adoption or sales. But not all social networks are equally effective. It seems that networks of friends (as opposed to networks of professionals or colleagues) are more suited to the rapid and effective diffusion of peer-to-peer online referrals. 3.4 Viral marketing and brand awareness Viral marketing through new media is a relatively new phenomenon. As explained in the previous paragraph, viral marketing is considered as an effective tool to transform (electronic) communication networks into influence networks. In order to explain the relation between viral marketing and brand awareness, the marketing objectives of viral marketing should be explained first. Viral marketing through new media on the Internet is used to increase brand awareness or achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) and to create market share in a short period of time on a shoestring promotion budget (Krishnamurthy, 2001). De Bruyn Lilien (2008) developed a multi-stage model of word-of-mouth influence through viral marketing, which includes the following stages: Awareness:  The consumer knows the alternative exists, but may not have either interest in it or sufficient information to understand its possible benefits. Interest. The consumer is aware, develops some interest, and hence decides to learn more about the product. Final decision. The consumer has now taken an observable action, a purchase of a good or service or the sustained adoption of an innovation. As discussed before, viral marketing has some pitfalls. But what is this relation with brand awareness? Once the message is spread over the Web, it is impossible for a marketer to control this process and influencing what and how the message will be spread. This could lead to negative publicity. But does this harm a brand? Although popular wisdom suggests that any publicity is good publicity, prior research has demonstrated only downsides to negative press. However, according to a study by Berger et Al (2010) negative publicity could lead to positive outcomes. They argue that negative publicity can increase purchase likelihood and sales by increasing product awareness. This means that the old wisdom could be true in terms of creating awareness: any publicity is good publicity. Chapter 4: Interrelationship between variables Chapter 4 will apply all the previously described relations on the dance music industry. A more practical insight will be given about the meaning of brand awareness, brand equity and viral marketing within the dance music industry. The first paragraph will focus on brand awareness and brand equity. The final paragraph will explain how viral marketing can be applied in the dance music industry. 4.1 Brand awareness and brand equity in the dance music industry Brand equity includes awareness and image of a brand, which consequently could lead to a certain level of popularity and brand loyalty. Products and services with a strong brand are expected to comprise a higher quality. When an established artist with a strong brand releases a new song, consumers will expect high quality based on the experience that they have with that particular artist. As a consequence, consumers perceive less risk, and brand loyalty will be higher, which will make them less price sensitive. Furthermore, established, popular artists are able to charge more for their gigs (shows), because of their strong brand (Stalpers, 2011). Understanding how to reach high levels of brand equity by creating a strong brand is therefore important for artists to become successful. Especially in the dance music industry, brand awareness is important, because in general consumers will particularly listen to music from artists they know or recognize. Because of the enormous availability and supply of online dance music, consumers will filter music based on different aspects like genre or recognition. To create brand awareness, artists should understand brand practices to know how to position themselves in the market as a brand. The individual artist brand is important in order to successfully gain competitive advantage in the dance music industry, because established artists, like established brands, have name recognition, and have developed a certain image, and, furthermore, are associated with particular type of products (Levin et al, 1997). The presence of a recognized artist signals quality to the prospective consumer much as a trusted brand name implies quality in a product. 4.2 Viral marketing in the dance music industry As stated before, networking plays a large role in the dance music industry, especially compared to the general (mainstream) music industry. This is due to the fact that DJs in the dance music industry do not only play their own music, but also others work. A rock band, for example, only performs its own songs, but a DJ in the electronic dance music industry plays songs from several artists. They discover new music by sharing music with their colleagues and friends. Therefore networking and word-of-mouth is very important in this particular industry. As explained before, viral marketing occurs when consumers willingly become promoters of an artist and spread the words to their friends; they are driven to do so either through an explicit incentive (e.g., financial incentives, need to create network externalities) or simply out of a desire to share the product benefits with friends (e.g., fun, intriguing, valuable for others). Especially the last incentive (desire) would be an applicable incentive for consumers to share music. Also record labels can benefit from viral marketing, because they can guide artists to create a successful viral marketing campaign. The internet made it difficult for new artists to get adequate attention. These new artists can turn to record labels, which can assist them in getting attention through intense marketing efforts. Record labels can also facilitate the music creation and distribution process for these new artists (Crawford, 2001). Viral marketing is useful for artists because it is inexpensive and fast, as explained before. Welker (2002) confirms this statement: Obviously the call for cost reduction in marketing communication makes it necessary to consider viral strategies which are a new interpretation of the good old word-of-mouth-paradigm (Welker, 2002). The main goal for new artists is to create awareness. As concluded in paragraph 3.4; any publicity is good publicity to create awareness. Does this also apply to new, unknown artists in the dance music industry? According to the study by Berger et Al (2010), negative publicity should have differential effects on established versus unknown products. They found out that negative reviews hurt the sales of books, in this case, by well known authors, but it increased sales of books that had lower prior awareness. This confirms the statement that any publicity, whether positive or negative, increases or creates awareness. For a new artist it means that the main downside of viral marketing, namely control of the message, does not apply, because what and how the message will be spread is not important, the fact that it is spread is what counts. Chapter 5: Conclusion, discussion and recommendation This chapter will summarize the findings, discuss limitations and implications, and make recommendations for future research. The first paragraph will start with a short, but clear, answer on the problem statement, following by a more extensive conclusion. 5.1.1 Problem Statement The problem statement of this paper is formulated as follows: To what extent does