Saturday, January 25, 2020
Amartya Sen The Idea Of Justice Review Philosophy Essay
Amartya Sen The Idea Of Justice Review Philosophy Essay Justice is the quality of being just or fair. Justice can also be looked upon as the judgment involved in the determination of rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments. Justice can also be the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, fairness, or equity (Princeton Web 2010). Individuals may look at justice many different ways, but what factors play into deciding what truly is justice? Must you look at fairness in order to be just, must you look at rationality, or even equality and liberty? There will always be debates about how to achieve justice. But due to so many factors being involved, we may never understand what justice truly is. I believe that in order for one to be just, or even to make a just decision on a matter that factors such as rationality, fairness, human rights, and the well being of all parties involved must be taken into account. But this is just my opinion many of todays philosophers often argue what it mean s to be just or even to achieve a completely just state in our society, along with the decisions we make on a daily basis. To call attention to a specific philosopher, Amartya Sen undoubtedly makes a solid stance on what justice truly means. The Idea of Justice is Amartya Sens assessment of political philosophy. He explores what justice really means and has come up with alternatives to the existing model. Sens philosophic arguments are shown by an exceptional set of stories drawn from literature, history, and current events occurring in our society today. There are not many main thoughts of the book, but the thoughts presented are revisited throughout each chapter, to help the reader see the bigger picture. You must be able to examine each idea Sen presents in his text, as they all come together, when being able to achieve complete justice. Although justice may never fully be reached entirely in any society, Sen does an amazing job giving examples and putting each of his arguments in basic text, so that it is easy for the reader to understand what he is talking about. The specific philosophic arguments of the book are highly important when it comes to the ideas of justice. The Idea of Justice is divided into four main pa rts. Part one contains several of Sens most important thoughts throughout the book. They include, reason objectivity, institutions persons, voice social choice, impartiality objectivity, and closed open impartiality. In part two, forms of Reasoning, Sen discusses a number of themes including rationality, plurality of impartial reasons, and rationality other people. Part three contains information on the capabilities approach, lives, freedoms capabilities, and equality liberty. The final part of Sens text speaks to public reasoning democracy, including sections on justice the world, human rights global imperatives, the practice of democracy, and democracy as public reason. Throughout each of these main sections Sens argues very strong points, I will try to give you a summary of the main points throughout each chapter of Sens book along with where he stands on certain topics and how I can relate and feel about what he believes. To call your attention to the preface/introduction, Sen specifically states that what he is presenting here, is a theory of justice which aims to clarify how we can proceed to address questions of enhancing justice and removing injustice, rather than to offer resolutions of questions about the nature of perfect justice (Sen IX). The Introduction elaborates on two approaches to justice, which include the comparativist framework the social contract framework. The comparativist framework is presented using the realization comparison approach. The realization approach prioritizes the social understanding of advancing justice and removing injustice in real societies with their existing institutions. The social contract framework is presented using the transcendental institutionalism approach which was led by the works of Thomas Hobbes. The transcendental institutionalism approach concentrates on perfect justice and the institutions that would be recognized in such a perfectly just societ y. There are two distinct problems indentified here which Sen engages. First it concentrates its attention on what it identifies as perfect justice, rather than on relative comparisons of justice injustice (Sen 6). Sen goes on to explain that this approach tries to only identify social characteristics that cannot be transcended in terms of justice, and its focus is thus not on comparing feasible societies, all of which may fall short of the ideals of perfection. Also it is intended to identify the nature of the just, rather than finding an alternative being less unjust than another. The second major issue with this approach is described by Sen Saying that in searching for perfection, transcendental institutionalism concentrates primarily on getting the institutions right, and it is not directly focused on the actual societies that would ultimately emerge. We need to focus on how change within the actual society is going to be completed, not by getting institutions perfect to the point that they are just institutions. This would do nothing for emerging societies we need to look at society as whole in order to achieve perfect justice by not having only perfectly just institutions. People are sti ll going to act how they choose as well as behave how they choose, so we must focus on society as whole. The nature of the society that would result from any given set of institutions must, of course, depend also on non-institutional features, such as actual behaviors of people and their social interactions (Sen 6). I do agree with Sen in this theory of justice, it should first and foremost, serve as a basis for practical reasoning. Chapter one is to defend a notion of objectivity in our average thoughts of justice.Ã Sen argues for the idea that we should understand reason as the final judge of our ethical beliefs. One must be able to justify and understand his reasoning by critically evaluating reasoning for ethical beliefs. The necessity of relying heavily on reason is important as Sen describes in his work. Sen says, the case for reasoned scrutiny lies not in any sure-fire way of getting things exactly right (no such way may exist), but on being objective as we reasonably can (Sen 40). Sen believes that one must be able to rely on reason in order to fully justify and decide on our ethical beliefs. I must agree with Sen on this point, when he argues that this approach is not going to be one that will allow and individual to get things exactly right, but allow us to be as objective as we possibly can. By scrutinizing your own reasoning, it is highly probable that you will arrive at the best possible ethical decision. We should not get caught up in being overconfident in the decisions of our own reasoning, as this could add flaws to our decisions. The remedy for bad reasoning lies in better reasoning, and it is indeed the job of reasoned scrutiny to move from the former to the latter (Sen 49). This quote explains it all, it is imperative that one must critically scrutinize his/her own reasoning for a decision, and that without this scrutiny theres great chance for bad reasoning. To avoid this, one must critically scrutinize his/her reasoning of choice or decision. Moving to another argument from Sen, I share the following quote. Justice is rooted in fairness and fairness can be broadly be seen as a demand for impartiality (Sen 54). In order for one to be completely just, the decision must be rational and fair, if a decision is not looked upon as being fair for all parties, you arrive at issues of impartiality. Sens gives his example of three children and a flute, all children having a rational reason as to why they deserve the flute. But if there is not a common vested interest on one solid set of principals between all parties, we run into an issue of what the true just decision is. Institutionally, we cannot address such issues as these. Individuals still have their own morals and values and going to make their own decisions regardless of what is taught. One of the most difficult things is to change an individuals moral values and beliefs, institutionally this cannot be done. Values as these are usually learned at the home-base from parents and guardians and are instilled in us from a very young age. It i s imperative that we do not look at what truly is a just society in order to achieve a just society. As actions such as these will get our society nowhere Sen looks at the social choice theory as an approach to justice as well. Social choice theory is concerned with the relationships between people, their preferences social choice. For example a group of individuals such as a committee making a decision in a voting process, individuals in the group may have different preferences over options that are available to them. This approach deals with the principles of aggregations of preference. Aggregation of social choice may be impossible if the process of choice is to satisfy a set of reasonable conditions. With such reasonable conditions, this could alter the general consensus of a social choice being made by such a committee or group. Even some very mild conditions of reasonable sensitivity of social decision to what the members of society want cannot be simultaneously satisfied by any social choice procedure that can be described as rational and democratic (Sen 93). We can however, become more informally sensitive, if we choose to jus t try and do better rather than to meet the criteria of being fully rational or just. One may use social choice theory as a framework for reasoning, rather than to try and use it completely to achieve justice. Position of observation and knowledge is another important approach Sen discusses in his work. What we observe depends on our position by means of the things that we observe. What individuals decide to believe is based on what we view. How one decides to act relates to his/her beliefs on a particular subject. Observations, beliefs, and actions are vital to understanding and arriving at sensible reasoning. To Sen, Objectivity is a position-dependent phenomenon (Sen 157). This issue [positionality] is quite important for the formulation of a theory of justice and, more specifically, for exploring a theory that gives a special role to public reasoning in the understanding of the demands of justice (Sen 167). It is important here to understand that there is no single way to master a way of making sense of the world or our experience in it. No decision made could ever be rationalized in every single persons mind, something such as this is physically not possible. There are just too many d ifferent people in our society today for that to be able to happen. There will always be a flaw in certain reasoning in some persons view. There is just no way, that every single person in the world would be satisfied with a decision, because we all observe, understand, and put reason into different perspectives. Some placing more weight on rational choice, critical scrutiny, positional objectivity, reasonable behaviors sustainable reason when it comes to making a decision. There are just too many approaches for everyone to be able to agree. So we must take into account all perspectives of others when it comes to justice and just decision making, as Sen states, we must be sensitive to others (206). Respect of others views is exceedingly important here. To move forward, the capabilities approach is also a major theme within the work. The capabilities approach focuses on human lives, and not just on the resources people have, in the form of owning or having use of objects of convenience that a person may possess (Sen 253). The approach emphasizes purposeful capabilities substantive freedoms, such as the ability to engage in economic transactions, or participate in political activities. Poverty is understood as capability deficiency in Sens view. The emphasis is not only on how human beings actually operate but also on their having the capability to do so, which is a practical choice, to operate in important ways if thats what they choose to do. Someone could be stripped of such capabilities in many ways. Ignorance, government oppression, lack of financial resources, and false comprehension, are ways in which one may be stripped of such capabilities. Possession of capabilities strongly implies a responsibility for making use of the m to help others when possible, especially when it comes to the less fortunate. If someone has the power to make a difference that he or she can see will reduce injustice in the world, then there is a strong and reasoned argument for doing just that (Sen 271). If you can see that your capabilities go beyond that of the less fortunate by any means, and that they can be used in any positive manner weather be financial or emotional, I believe that there is no doubt that one should be obligated to reduce injustice in some way shape or form if at all possible. Again this only being an approach, this is not the end all-be all in deciding justice, but undoubtedly can make a difference, and I would have to agree. In basic terms, if you are capable, than you should do something to reduce injustice. I dont feel that you are obligated to do so, but any reduce in injustice, is a step in the right direction. Sen goes on to support the idea that democracy is a universal value, he differentiates between the institutional structure of the contemporary practice of democracy, which is largely the product of European and American experience over the last few centuries (Sen 322-323). In my opinion, one should not assume that because a particular type of institutional structure is up and running, such as elections, voting being counted properly, and etc, that a satisfactory level of democracy has been achieved. Sen believes that having too much institutional focus on democracy has caused particular trouble at the global level. Sen believes that, an uncont rolled media is important to the operation of democratic societies. Sen explains in the text that this contributes to human security by giving a voice to the defenseless and deprived by subjecting the government to criticism from such individuals. I believe this power is key I giving people courage, power, and the ability to express feelings towards actions that are being taken. We sort of put power in the hands of individuals who are not as capable as other, which I do agree with also, because this is a simple way in which we can empower individuals to voice opinions in a manner which may not fall on death ears as usual. We can place emphasis on individuals human rights here, which an important factor concerning human rights is to protect individuals freedoms, thus freedom of speech freedom of press being highly important. Sen says that human rights are moral rights, strong ethical pronouncements as to what should be done (357). According to Sen, reasoning concerning justice should not be restricted to one state or population, but rather be global. If the importance of public reasoning has been one of the major concerns of this book, so has been the need to accept the plurality of reasons that may be sensibly accommodated in an exercise of evaluation (Sen 394). We must look at every possible angle that the book discusses in order to find an answer to the idea of what justice truly is. If you cannot effectively rationalize all aspects of the idea of what justice is, it will be difficult for you to be able to ever understand what justice is. As Sen states the reasons may sometimes compete with each ot her in persuading us in one direction or another in a particular assessment, and when they yield conflicting judgments, there is an important challenge in determining what credible conclusions can be derived, after considering all argument (Sen 394). Which I most certainly agree with, it would in fact be a difficult task to determine a credible solution, but it is imperative that you must consider all of the arguments at hand.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Kristof vs. Bambi
Kristof vs. Bambi The purpose of ââ¬Å"For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifleâ⬠by Nicholas D. Kristof is to inform the reader that deer are causing death and destruction all across America and to persuade the reader to believe the only way to end this is to hunt deer. Kristof begins the essay by grabbing our attention proving deer are over populated, destroying the ecosystem, and killing Americans in car crashes every year. He then leads us to his thesis ââ¬Å"Letââ¬â¢s bring back hunting. â⬠Kristof notes that these days many people view hunting as cruel and brutal and are opting for other methods for deer control now due to their sympathy for deer. He believes methods such as birth control are a waste of time and money and if something does not change soon it is only going to get worse. Kristof also proves in his essay that there has been a significant decline of hunting stating, ââ¬Å"For every hundred hunters who die or stop hunting, only sixty-nine hunters take their placeâ⬠(pg. 183). He wants us to know while you can be sympathetic to the deer we have an environmental imbalance, a serious problem and the only way to solve it is to put feelings aside and hunt. Kristof then offers us another way to look at hunting. That it is environmentally friendly. He even goes on to say, ââ¬Å"It connects people with the outdoors and creates a broader constituency for wilderness preventionâ⬠and makes sure to note ââ¬Å"At a time when America is goggled away with logging, mining, or oil drillingâ⬠(pg. 183), which touches the hearts of environmentalists. Kristof gives us two options in this essay: sit back and feel sorry for the deer that may kill you and your planet, or accept that hunting is normal and instinctive and to pick up your rifle and restore environmental balance. The situation prompting Kristof to write this article was the over population of deer that is continuing to grow. I think this essay was wrote to inform readers of the over population of deer and the destruction they are causing. He also notes in this text that hunters are on the decline perhaps proving this is one factor that is contributing to the over population of deer. This essay was published in the New York Times and I donââ¬â¢t believe this article was aimed toward a specific audience. Most of his readers are probably from the city and could really care less about deer population. They probably found the article funny but I doubt any of them were persuaded. Kristof makes it clear in this essay what the main purpose of him writing the article is, which is to inform the reader about the deer problem and attempt to persuade the reader to agree with him that Americanââ¬â¢s need to bring back hunting. Kristof also gives facts throughout the text to back up some information on the issue. He uses a lot of research and data to inform the readers of the deer problem. For instance, he notes in the text a study done for the insurance industry which states ââ¬Å"deer kill about 150 people a year in car crashes nationwide and cause $1 billion in damage. â⬠(pg. 83) This is very convincing that there is a deer problem and I feel this evidence is credible. However when Kristof discusses attempts other than hunting to control the deer population he doesnââ¬â¢t explain them fully and tells us they donââ¬â¢t work with no evidence to back up his claim. For example Kristof tells us about some towns that are experimenting with deer birth cont rol then states ââ¬Å"Deer contraception hasnââ¬â¢t been very successful, though. â⬠(pg. 183) And we are just taking his word for it, he gives us no real evidence that this method doesnââ¬â¢t work. This also happens to be an example of my next topic that I found with the text. I found one Strong fallacy that Kristof uses to try to persuade his audience. It is called special pleading or stacking the deck, this involves using arguments that support your position but ignoring arguments against. Kristof does this in a way that was not easy to catch right away. He does give the reader other solutions for the issue but does not explain those good enough to really understand or see why they are not good options, he just tells us they are. Making this entire essay a fallacy showing only his arguments and not letting the audience understand all of the options. Kristofââ¬â¢s essay is an entertaining and mildly informative piece of writing. I was immediately drawn into the text when he offered the quiz. I found myself reading wondering what joke Kristof would make next and fascinated that he could be so funny and make an argument at the same time. Kristof does convince me that there is a problem with todayââ¬â¢s deer population but I am not convinced hunting deer is the only way. By only mentioning a few other options to reduce the deer population and not explaining them thoroughly, I was left feeling unsure and wondering should I even consider his side? I felt this way because he had to leave the other information out to make his argument stronger. I also felt by only stating those couple of options and then making a mockery of them, he was almost shamming his audience into taking his side on the issue. I think this essay was a fun read but I find the argument weak, it is going to take a better argument than that for people to turn on Bambi. Works Cited Kristof, Nicholas D. ââ¬Å"For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle. â⬠New York Times 4 Dec. 2005. Rpt. in Current issues and enduring questions. Sylvan Barnet, Hugo Bedau. 8th ed.. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martinââ¬â¢s, 2008. 183-184
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Analysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 999 Words
To Kill a Mockingbird vs A Time to Kill To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic film, originally published as a novel by Harper Lee in 1960 and republished as a film by Robert Mulligan in 1962. This movie is based on a white attorney, Atticus Finch, defending an African American man, Tom Robinson, which was accused of raping a white woman. This trial illustrates how server racisms was in the early 1960ââ¬â¢s. A Time to Kill is the prefect demonstration to show how racism still exists 30 years later. In 1966, Joel Schumacher directed A Time to Kill (1996). This movie is about a 10 year old black girl, Tonya Hailey, that was brutally raped by two white men. On the day of the trial, her father, Carl Hailey, takes justice into his own hands and kills the men that assaulted his daughter. Carl is represented by a white attorney, Jake Brigance. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and A Time to Kill (1996) has many similarities. Jake and Atticus has risked their entire life, family and career to protect an African American man whole heartedly. In doing so, both attorneys put their family and friends in danger. Jakeââ¬â¢s wife and daughter were attacked by the Kul Klux Klan. The Klan put a burning cross on their front porch in the middle of the night while they were sleeping, hoping to kill the two while Jake was still at work. This caused his wife and daughter to leave him alone in town until the trial was over. Jakeââ¬â¢s assistant was stripped necked by the Klan and beaten inhospitably than leftShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Theme Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1765 Words à |à 8 PagesAnalysis Of Themes In To Kill A Mockingbird The novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, published in 1960, comes out during a flourishing time of tremendous segregation and injustices in the United States. In fact, during this time in America, Civil Rights Movement are at their peak; also, some residents are pushing for equality for all, during this time period. One of those United States citizens who is exposing the South for what it truly is, is Harper Lee. Harper Lee, born on April 28, 1926Read MoreAnalysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay1360 Words à |à 6 PagesAnalysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In 1960, Harper Lee published her critically acclaimed book To Kill a Mockingbird. Only a year after being published the American classic novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction as well as the Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Gregory Peck stared as Atticus in the successfully adapted 1962 motion picture of To Kill a Mockingbird that won an Academy Award. This book is based on many childhood experiencesRead MoreEssay on Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1323 Words à |à 6 PagesAnalysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ââ¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbirdâ⬠by Harper Lee is a story of national magnitude that contains complex characters. Harper Lee deals with the emotions and spirits of the characters insightfully. A few of these characters display courage at one point or another in the story. These flashes of courage come during turbulent times of the story, and often led to success. Atticus Finch displayed courage on numerous occasions. Without his wife he had toRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1431 Words à |à 6 PagesPrison in To Kill A Mockingbird Historically, women have spent time living in the shadows of men, purely because of their gender. Women are oppressed and expected to conform to certain gender roles/expectations because of their sex, just like men. Caitlyn Jenner is a transgender female. Her name was Bruce Jenner however she felt trapped in a maleââ¬â¢s body when deep in side she knew that she was a female. Caitlyn Jenner did not fit well into the stereotypical description of a male. Harper Lee wrote ToRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee988 Words à |à 4 PagesDo you have the courage to stand up for good when evil lingers all around? To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the great depression, while facing social status discrimination, racial discrimination, prejudices, and stereotyping. However, there remained courage by some to see good in all. While Atticus Finch was of a higher social status as an attorney in Maycomb, he always displayed the courage to sta nd up for what was right, or for good, even when evil lingeredRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1078 Words à |à 5 Pagesmeans those who are poor have less. In To Kill a Mockingbird many of the poverty struck people are looked down on because of status, and there is little to support why they are. If someone has less, it does not necessarily indicate they are less, they just donââ¬â¢t have the means to be where others are in society. Today, there are many, even some who work, that live in poverty. When they get looked down on it is an injustice to society. In To Kill a Mockingbird, two examples of poverty are the CunninghamsRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee785 Words à |à 4 PagesInequality is an issue that the American society has been struggling to solve for generations. Though we would like to say that this problem has been solved throughout time, it sadly has not gotten much better. In the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee takes us back in time to when this issue was more commonly known, the 1930ââ¬â¢s. The Finch family had lived in the town of Maycomb for generations and throughout the book it was clearly shown and stated how both women and blacks were seenRead MoreAnalysis Of Harper Lee s Kill A Mockingbird 1593 Words à |à 7 PagesAnalysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Major Themes â⬠¢ Standards of behavior â⬠¢ Morals/values â⬠¢ Racism Important Symbols â⬠¢ Mockingbirds (Innocence/ morals and values)ââ¬â The book depicts mockingbirds as innocent creatures that shouldnââ¬â¢t be harmed since they did nothing to harm others. While practicing with their rifles, Atticus tells Jem and Scout that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. The mockingbirds share a connection with Tom Robinson since they are both innocent and donââ¬â¢t deserve toRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee880 Words à |à 4 PagesAnalysis on Tom Robinsonââ¬â¢s Trial Harper Leeââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbirdâ⬠is set in a small Southern United States community called Maycomb during the Great Depression era. The whole book primarily revolves around segregation and racism and how it relates to Maycombââ¬â¢s history. It eventually leads to the trial of Tom Robinson where he is accused of beating up and raping Mayella Ewell. Even though it was clear that Tom Robinson did not do anything wrong he was convicted by an all white jury simply becauseRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1545 Words à |à 7 PagesSouth during the 1930ââ¬â¢s, Harper Leeââ¬â¢s To Kill a Mockingbird was an instant classic that has endured for more than half a century. Still taught in schools and often referenced in popular culture, Leeââ¬â¢s story of the Finch family in tiny Maycomb, Alabama is known as a ââ¬Å"Great American Novelâ⬠because of Leeââ¬â¢s entertaining examination of so many timeless, socially relevant themes. T hrough her characters of Atticus Finch, his daughter Scout, and their mysterious neighbor Boo Radley, Lee considers the theme of
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Role of the Mexican-American War in Bridging the Gap...
ABOLITION TO SECESSION VIA MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR 1 The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) marked a midpoint in U.S. history that bridged the gap between the abolitionist movement and the Civil War, which is not always recognized but is in some ways still with us today. Teacher Eric Burnett, for example, outlines a long list of catalysts leading up to the Civil War itself but omits the Mexican-American war even though the Civil War catalysts go back through the 1840s all the way back to Eli Whitney inventing the Cotton Gin in 1793 (2010, n.p.). The Mexican-American war, however, aggravated the division between the free, abolitionist North, and the pro-slave South, where the abolitionist Northerners saw the U.S. annexation of Texas and the lands north of the Rio Grande after the decisive victory over Mexico, as an attempt by the slave states to extend slavery and enhance their power when additional slave states were created out of soon-to-be-acquired Mexican lands (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2012, n.p.). This re-opened a conflict that had been lying dormant since the Missouri Compromise of 1820, where Missouri and any new states south of the Missouri border would enter the Union as slave states, but anything north of Missouri would enter as free states. This aggravated the political division that would result in the birth of the abolitionist Republican party, and cause the imbalance between the pro-slave South, against the anti-slavery North, that led directly to Jan. 1861
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Analysis Of John Greene s Our Stars - 971 Words
Pain and suffering often go hand-in-hand; this, of course, has helped the characters from The Fault in Our Stars by ââ¬Å"John Greeneâ⬠develop stronger relationships with one another and evolve to be more mature: pre-maturely growing in a sense. Plot development within this story is rather deep, progressing towards an increase in maturity within the lines as we go further on. The main point that stands out to be within this is suffering, not just because of the emotional abuse the characters are put through, but as well as the distraught it will have on them in the future. It seems that within the rather painful story-line, there are many different themes. This story is also about temperance and virtue, but I would like to concentrate on the importance of this one for now: The two main characters in this film or story can represent pain and suffering. Usually contrasting each other, these two fit well together since they are very alike meaning this could be why these two people are placed together as a couple, like a jigsaw. In this, we are taught just how amazing something can be to build and how much work you put into it, but, on the other hand how something can be so easily destroyed and how it can fall down to your feet within a couple of moments. Not many people come to realize this until it s too late, but these two obviously know before the time comes. Maybe that s what makes this so emotional to the readers. Unsurprisingly for a novel about kids dying of cancer,Show MoreRelatedComparative Essay: ââ¬Å"Original Creation of the Earth (the Big Bang vs. Sis Day Creation)â⬠Phsc 2101438 Words à |à 6 Pagesinterpretation that goes beyond a clear plain meaning of the text is considered to compromise Biblical authority and capitulate to evolut ionary theoriesâ⬠. 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Though weRead MoreCoca-Cola Ad Campaign Essay5516 Words à |à 23 Pagesincrease the number of people who drink Coca-Cola Classic, make our advertising more creative, and to ultimately beat our competitors. Our target market can be explained in just one word, everyone. Since Coca-Cola Classic had been around for many years everyone has heard of it. It does not matter what age, race, religion or what kind of financial status you have. The main thing that we need to do, is to take back all of the people that our competitors have taken away from us over the years. 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CONTENTS Introduction to the Workshop Topics And Themes The Nature and Scope of Organisation Theory Levels of Analysis The MetaphoricalRead MoreCoco Cola18335 Words à |à 74 Pagestheà cornà used to produce corn syrup often comes from genetically altered plants.[8]à Some nutritionists also caution against consumption of high fructose corn syrup because of possible links toà obesityà andà diabetes.[9] This causes problems with Coke s distribution and bottling network, because specific franchise districts are guaranteed an exclusive market area for Coke products. Mexican-made Coca-Cola may often be found for sale in stores catering to the Hispanic immigrant community.à Kosherà forà Passoverà Coke
Monday, December 16, 2019
Action Plan for New Nivea in a New Market Segment Free Essays
string(105) " or which tend to promote local culture would go a long way in endearing the new Nivea to target market\." The improving economic conditions in various parts of the world provide individual companies with market opportunities that need to be exploited completely. Some Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FCMG) manufacturers have already made this move whereas others are still concentrating on traditional highly developed economies. This paper illustrates how Nivea, the skin care manufacturer, can exploit market opportunities offered by the fast developing nations. We will write a custom essay sample on Action Plan for New Nivea in a New Market Segment or any similar topic only for you Order Now The paper will specifically extrapolate on how Nivea can develop a wholly new skin care product that would be marketed to specific market segments in the aforementioned nations. The first section highlights on external audit of the new market and product situation, whereas the second part provides internal audit. An action plan for two months before product launching and 12 months after the launch is illustrated throughout the paper. Part I: External Audit The fast developing nations, especially in Asia, provides FCMG manufacturers with grand opportunity to expand global sales. The past three decades have indeed seen disposable incomes in formerly poor countries s increase tremendously. China and India are the best example of countries whose inhabitants have experienced ever-increasing incomes. Higher incomes mean that Indians and Chinese are able to afford products that seemed to be luxury before. Skin care products fall in such category, meaning that Nivea has a ripe market its product portfolio. The younger generation in both countries is especially the ones that Nivea needs to target. The growing taste of luxurious skin care products demands that Nivea embark on supplying products to this lucrative market segment. In addition, the company has to consider developing new products that are specifically designed for this generation; just supplying products from traditional markets might not make significant impact. This market segment need products they can easily associate with, not just imports. Developing a product specifically for the Asian market would therefore get better reception before competitors think of making a similar move. Customers in this market segment would take a pride in using product specifically developed for their uses, as the company reaps benefits through improved sales and market dominance. Nivea is not the only skin care product manufacturer eying the lucrative Asian market, as other global companies are making onslaught in the region (Haig 2006). A greater number of competitors are also supplying imported products to this market segment, meaning that Nivea would be making the initial move of developing and marketing products for this new market. Nivea competitors in these markets can be classified into three groups. First is the group consisting of local manufacturers that have been in the business for many years. The availability of modern technology has enabled these local players to perfect respective products to international. The perfection of respective products mean that indigenous companies are able of competing effectively and defend their market position. The second group includes international players with experience in other markets. This group is most competitive and indeed the one that Nivea should not ignore. The improving economic situation in the region will continue attracting more competition from existing firms. The third group includes companies willing to enter into the Asian lucrative skin care market. Nivea management should further consider that local and international companies could get into joint ventures that could be hard to out-compete. The company should therefore consider a similar approach. A joint marketing venture with local companies should especially be considered in the two months before the launch. This is in understanding that professionals working on local companies have better understanding on consumers and their needs (Riezebos, Kist Kootsra 2003). PESTLE Analysis Pestle Analysis is hereby used to illustrate externalities that Nivea will have to handle in the process of introducing new product in the market segment. These are the issues that the company has little control; they factors are discussed below in detail: Political This factor refers to issues that may affect company operations and thus entry of the new products into the new market segment. National or regional politics have recently determined trade issues in various parts of the world, including Asia. Senior management should therefore consider being informed on political policies that may affect future business. China and India have been on the forefront on the process of creating friendly political processes for companies to establish operations (Pelsmacker 2006). Nivea is thus poised to benefit from friendly trade regime from the two countries. The company can even take advantage of improving investment opportunities in the region to produce therein and consequently supply to other countries in the region as well as worldwide. The company will thus be creating a strong foundation for competitiveness against local and international industry players. Economic: This is among the driving factors leading to Niveaââ¬â¢s entry into the Indian and Chinese young adult market segment. Indeed, as described earlier, this segment has been experiencing expanding disposable incomes that can be used to become Nivea customers. Just like in other countries, the expanding middle class in China and India are having influence over rest of society that would like to copy behavior (Kapferer 2004). Endearing Nivea products to the middle class would eventually see rest of population in the two countries becoming consumers. The region holds good fortunes considering that economic progress being experienced currently is poised to continue in coming decades. It is for this reason that Nivea should seize the opportunity of embarking on supplying new products in the Asian sub-market. Social: This factor regards social sensitiveness that the company has to consider, especially before entering the market segments. This should especially be considered in the two months prior to supplying company products in the region. The social issues should further be considered when preparing for advertisements that must not be offending in any way. In addition, the target market should be able to connect with the product socially, which could include packaging and presentation. Having products connecting with people socially, or which tend to promote local culture would go a long way in endearing the new Nivea to target market. You read "Action Plan for New Nivea in a New Market Segment" in category "Papers" Any clash with the local culture and customs could result to the company being out competed by other industrial players. Technological: The technological factor refers to production and production processes used to manufacture products and subsequently supply to consumers. Nivea management should in the two months before rolling out the products ensure putting the technology in place. In addition, Niveaââ¬â¢s senior management should embark on being on the forefront of using modern technologies that would improve productivity. Embarking on taking this route would provide the company with long run high productivity, meaning that only high quality products would be generated from Nivea. Relying on technology for continued quality improvement would result to more endearment with consumers in the region. Management should thus embark on improving technology in order to keep improving. Environmental: The environmental factor is hereby taken to mean issues affecting the industry as a whole. This especially includes the size of competition and the future of the industry. The number of competitors is a key determinant of competitiveness. Few players does not necessarily mean low competition as more companies can enter the industry in later time periods. Industrial effect on environment is also addressed in this factor. Participants have to thus ensure reducing and totally eliminating the effect of operations on the environment, such pollution. Governments in various parts of the world have heavy fines and punishments to companies and individuals whose operations affect environment negatively. Companies have on the other hand embarked on reducing effects on environment as part of their corporate social responsibility (Bruhn 2002), which is something that Nivea should take seriously in China and India. Legislative: This factor applies to government policies that could affect operations relating to production and supply of skin care products in respective jurisdictions. This is a factor that Nivea cannot in any way control. The company should be well prepared to deal with new legislations that could come before and after launching new products in the market. In addition, the responsible managers should embark on developing ways and means of coping with operational changes that could come with new legislations. Overcoming legislative challenges should form the key foundation for success in the market segments, considering positive relationship between the company regulatory authorities and consumers. Part II: Internal Audit This second part highlights internal factors that Nivea can use to create strong foundation for success in the new market segments and its new product line. The company has been in the business of manufacturing and supplying skin care products since 1911 (Nivea 2008). The company has since expanded operations to many parts of the world, but has in most cases supplied products manufactured for older market. Indeed, the current undertaking would be among few occasions that Nivea has embarked on developing new products for new markets. The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis below illustrates how the company needs to apply before, during and after launching. Strengths: Niveaââ¬â¢s track record of manufacturing is among the strengths that will make market penetration in the new segment possible. Company products thus command a huge following in historical markets, which could be replicated in the new markets. The strength of going at greater lengths to meet consumer demands is best being applied in the Asian market through new products. This start by designing products that easily meet consumer skin care needs adequately. The second step is the organizational culture of getting customer feedback on all products, whether new or old in respective markets (Flapper 2005; Pecotich 2006). This allows consumers to express their concerns or satisfactions with the products. The target market in India and China would thus get opportunities to inform Nivea representatives on how the new products could be improved. The company can thus embark on improving the products in line with consumer demands and tastes. The long-term result is continued improvement of company productsââ¬â¢ competitiveness in the lucrative Asian market. Weaknesses: The entry into wholly new market segment with brand new products serves as the greatest weakness, considering that the company has certainly never had such undertaking in the region. There are few learning opportunities for the involved officials to get lessons. However, notes Keller (2006) Nivea has a history of turning weaknesses into business opportunities that have been exploited to the maximumââ¬âthis should also happen with introduction on new products in the Asian sub-market, especially in the beginning stages. Opportunities: The improving economic conditions in the fast developing Asian countries provide ripe market for Nivea skincare products. Ever increasing segment of the populations having more funds to spend on company products. Nivea should thus position itself in tapping into this lucrative market. In addition, the company should take advantage of the improving business environment in the region. China and India are increasingly becoming competitive in the international arena, which has resulted to many companies setting operations there. Companies that have taken advantage of reduced operational costs. Nivea, too, should embark on setting foot in the two countries, and subsequently produce for local market and export to other countries. Threats: Competition from local and international firms brings out major threats for Nivea entry into the new company. Local companies have for many years been able to perfect respective products to international standards (Hymes 2007). This has made them formidable competitors in skin care industry. New entrants therefore understand they are up against tough players. Naivea management further needs to consider that international skin care industry participants are also eying the same Asian market, which compounds competitive challenges. Bust as illustrated earlier, Nivea has had a history of outdoing competition on many fronts. Repeating this feat in China and India is thus more likely to happen. How to cite Action Plan for New Nivea in a New Market Segment, Papers
Saturday, December 7, 2019
The study of amitav ghosh novels free essay sample
Amitav Ghosh can be seen as the flag bearer of the fearlessness and freedom that the contemporary Indian writer in English embodies. Although Salman Rushdie is the pioneer who put the post colonial scene on the literary map, yet Amitav Ghosh has become one of the central figures to emerge after the success of Rushdie`s Midnight`s Children. Yet when compared to Rushdie, published criticism on Ghosh is not very substantial. Most of the critical essays are limited to his more popular fictional works like The Shadow Lines, In an Antique Land and The Calcutta Chromosome. Ghosh is one writer who combines history with a very contemporary vision of a world free of discrete cartographical divisions. The advancement in electronic technology, instant communic ation and networking, a proliferation of global television channels has to a great extent dissolved all kinds boundaries and br ought the world a lot closer. Amitav Ghosh`s prime thematic concern likewise is using the travel motif to create a neutral space where barriers dissolve and borders are blurred. It is precisely this cosmopolitanism which makes today`s Indian novelist stand at par with and not separate from global writers of English. More over the constant concern with the subaltern who`s lost in the annals of history, endears him to the readers. The immense amount of research that he puts in to his works is woven beautifully in a blend of generic expectations making them perfect encasements for the prominent thematic concerns of contemporary Indian literary world. A critical study of the prime thematic concerns of Amitav Ghosh`s novels is thus an opportunity not just to peruse a substantial body of work that meditates up on a core set of issues concerning post colonialism in the contemporary fiction al writing with special focus on the marginalised subaltern; but also to view history with a novel perspective. The proposed research work, is an attempt to make a thematic study of the fictional works by Amitav Ghosh and a revelation of the patterns inherent therein. A tentative scheme of chapter progression is as under. Chapter I: Introduction: The introductory chapter is an endeavour at placing Amitav Ghosh in Modern Indian literary context. With due emphasis on the author under study, due credit has been given to the predecessors, the harbingers of Indian novel in English who set the stage and prepared the soil for the contemporary novelists. The emerging trends in terms of thematic concerns of novelists of today have been studied in the light of chan ging patterns across 2 decades. Chapter II: The second chapter entitled ââ¬ËThe Migrant Subaltern: The Traveller in The Circle of Reasonââ¬â¢ attempts an analytical study of The Circle of Reason, the first novel by Amitav Ghosh, with focus on the migrating subalter n and his predicament. The chapter discusses how the novel written in the style of magic realism, popularised by Salman Rushdie in his Midnightââ¬â¢s Children ââ¬â a mixing of historical and fantastic elements to create an interesting work of fiction, can be studied as a bildungsroman, the study of coming of age of the main protagonist Alu. Carrying forward the travel motif, his picaresque adventures in the course of his journey from Lalpukur, across the Indian Ocean to the oil town of al-Ghazira on the Persian Gulf, form both the setting and the chief concern of the novel. Ghoshââ¬â¢s penchant for obliterating borders both in terms of themes as well as generic experimentation is introduced in this very first fictional work. But overriding all this is the representatio n of the subaltern class and the travel motif as the subalterns are in a perpetual journey. Indian philosophy inspires the circular pattern of this novel. Ghosh takes inspiration from The Bhagavad-Gita to name the three sections of the novel. The three par ts are named after the three gunas ââ¬â Satwa, Rajas and Tamas with the respective characteristics dominating in each part. Chapter III: Entitled ââ¬ËThe Blurring Borders: Post-Colonial Travel in The Shadow Linesââ¬â¢, this chapter discusses the impact of momentous events like the freedom movement of Bengal, the second world war, the partition of India and miasma of communal hatred breaking out into riots in East Pakistan following the Hazratbal shrine incident in Srinagar in 1964. It is an apt revelation of the fragility of partition, borderlines between countries and the cartographical lines which claim to separate people and communities. It is the collective consciousness and the memory of common historical events that transcends the boundaries of nations and brings people of different countries together. The Shadow Lines is a non-sequential journey moving back and forth from past to present and back again with the narrative taking the characteristics of a palimpsest, with past seeping through to the present. Ghoshââ¬â¢s division of the book into two parts ââ¬ËGoing Awayââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËComing Homeââ¬â¢ to bring home the implications of ââ¬ËHomeââ¬â¢ in a post colonial scenario, 3 where the native is the traveller, is discussed. CHAPTER IV: Entitled ââ¬ËGiving Voice to History: Subaltern Revived i n In an Antique Landââ¬â¢, the fourth chapter is an attempt at discussing , how Ghosh gives a prominent voice to the obscure subaltern, who is lost in the oblivion of historical annals. The narrative of the book can be split into two distinct parts. The first is Ghoshââ¬â¢s autobiographical account of his anthropological research trip to Egypt as a researcher where, as he reveals to the reader, he experiences alienation and cultural isolation. The second part is Ghoshââ¬â¢s discovery of Bomma, the Indian slave of Abraham Ben Yiju, a Jewish merchant from Tunisia, who arrived in India around 1130 AD, vi a Egypt and Aden. Typical of a Ghosh novel, In an Antique Land also creates borderless cultural spaces with a free flow of religious and cultural ideas and practices. The novel defies the classifications of genre, being an amalgam of a travelogue, an anthropological research thesis, ethnography and a novel. But all said and done about history and research, it is the concern for and an insight into the world of the subaltern that predominates the rest of the ideas in the book. Chapter V: The fifth chapter entitled: ââ¬ËThe Subaltern Researcher in Ghoshââ¬â¢s Medical History: The Calcutta Chromosomeââ¬â¢, is an attempt at analysing how The Calcutta Chromosome further continues Ghoshââ¬â¢s peculiar themes and techniques albeit in a changed garb. Set in the near future, the main narrative of the novel revolves around an examination of the history of late nineteenth century malaria research by Murugan, the cynical protagonist, who is of the conviction that there is a secret history that has been erased from the scribal records of medical history. The chapter tries to unravel the theme of post -coloniality, dealt with in an unconventional manner, wherein, it is the subaltern colonized native who has the upper hand, in place of the privileged colonizer. And the fact that it is a woman, who spearheads the research work, implies the victory of the twice -colonized female, that too, one belonging to the backward class of sweepers. Throughout his entire oeuvre, Ghosh has exhibited his love of histories, and his novels stick to the verity of annals to a great extent. The chapter discusses how Ghoshââ¬â¢s concern with the predicament of the subaltern who has been obscure in history, predominates in this medical history in the guise of science-fiction. 4 The book revolves around discovering the ââ¬Ëinterpersonal transferenceââ¬â¢ of knowledge, since it offers to dissolve the barriers between elite and subaltern classes, between the educated and the illiterate. Th roughout the text, readers are in the quest of the real discoverers and what they have discovered. The chapter highlights how the borderline between the discoverers and ââ¬â those who are discovered is a very porous one, bringing into focus Ghoshââ¬â¢s persistent concern with the dissolution of boundaries. Chapter VI: The sixth chapter entitled, ââ¬ËPost-Colonial Migrations: The Displaced Generations in The Glass Palaceââ¬â¢ is devoted to unravel the theme of alienation and colonial displacement of the characters , who cross boundaries and make several transitions during their lifetime, in the novel The Glass Palace. The emphasis, like all Ghoshââ¬â¢s fiction is again on highlighting the obliteration of borders that is a result of crossovers and transitions presented in the novel. The Glass Palace is a perfect manifestation of almost all the major concerns of Ghosh, blended into a wonderful epic narrative. But over riding all the thematic concerns is the theme of post -coloniality. Nation formation is a major tool in the process of colonization and The Glass Palace records and indites the experiences of first such races inhabiting British occupied territories in South East Asia, who are dying to make their own nation. The novel is the authorââ¬â¢s attempt to remap the history of three south Asian countries, Myanmar, India and Malaysia all sites of the British Empire through the late 19 th and 20 th centuries. The turbulent cultural crossovers, conflicts, histories and nations as a metaphor of loss make up the central concern of Ghosh. This displacement and movement on an epic scale leads us to the major concern of Ghosh in most of his fictional and even non -fictional works which is the blurring and a subsequent obliteration of borders whether geographical,à cultural, racial or even psychological. Chapter VII: The seventh chapter entitled: ââ¬ËBorders ââ¬â Dissolved: An Ecological Perspective of The Hungry Tideââ¬â¢ takes an eco-critical view of Ghoshââ¬â¢s The Hungry Tide where it is predominantly nature that takes the onus of destroying and re-defining boundaries. It attempts to discuss how Ghosh deals with the more intimate world of personal divisions between men and women besides geographical divisions. The chapter further discusses how Ghosh continues his experimentation with genres by combining ecological p erspectiveà 5 with scientific research work and a pervading desire for a society free of all divisions. Chapter VIII: The eighth chapter is conclusive in nature and is devoted to the manner in which the various themes are interrelated. It sums up the finding s of the preceding chapters and offers an overall view of the findings. The chapter takes a birds eye view of Ghoshââ¬â¢s non-fiction which is the true precursor of the themes dealt with by him. Besides his essays the chapter also dwells briefly upon Sea of Poppies and River of Smoke, Ghoshââ¬â¢s latest venture. Through an analysis of Ghoshââ¬â¢s fictional works, the proposed work has tried to unravel the various thematic concerns that have recurred in his novels. The omnipresent travel motif and the desire to dream o f a world free of divisions and separations, has been inculcated in all his works, though in varying manners. The predicament of the migrating subaltern and the changing perspectives of the post colonial subject are discussed , involving a variety of characters in diverse and exotic geographical settings that change with each of his work. All his works characteristically defy any categorisation in terms of genre. To conclude the proposed research work, it is discussed how Ghoshââ¬â¢s fiction reveals recurrent patterns of the major themes of boundary crossing and travel which chiefly involve the subaltern class with each fiction involving mass movements of individuals. A vision of a borderless space where all divisions blu r and disappear pre-dominates all the themes. Ghosh diligently researches each situation and location, emphasizing the history behind it, in all his fictional works which are difficult to classify and limit within the characteristics of particular generic expectations.
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