Mary Shelley’s Frankenstei Essay

The audience is made to feel that Frankenstein himself is evil, for playing with life and mocking God. The sounds made by the monster are similar to those made by wild animals, but also they sound like the monster is in pain, which would make sense as Frankenstein has just rejected him. We see Frankenstein’s former professor talking through a gate. This signifies the difference of opinion and belief between the two doctors. Sound effects are used very well in the creation scene, especially the non-diagetic musical score that has been added. It is mainly in a minor key, but has drastic changes to a major key when there is extra tension in the frame. It creates a build up, and when there is suddenly a pause with no music, tension is created, then when something dramatic happens, the audience shows a greater reaction. The use of diagetic and non-diagetic sound is very good in this scene, for example when the electrical probes go into the monster’s feet and there is the sound of crunching bone. This is diagetic sound. Music is an example of non-diagetic sound. The sudden silences at some points in the scene allow the audience a chance to reflect upon the immorality and reality of what Frankenstein has done. Camera angles are used to make the scene more effective and more enticing to the viewer. If there is a large quantity of movement and change in camera angles, then the shot is used to create responses in the audience. There are many randomly strange camera angles in the creation scene, and we don’t really ever see the whole of the creature’s body when it comes out of the copper vat, this is because the monster was made of lots of parts and wasn’t really a complete person in the doctor’s eyes. In the creation scene, we experience many different shot types, such as an extreme low angle shot when the monster is being lifted into the air on the body tray. This is to symbolise the life being created and is mocking God. The mis-en-scene of the frame when Victor is running up to the dais in his large billowing coat is very cluttered, which in my opinion represents his mind being a jumble of thoughts. I think there are a lot of shots in the creation scene that represent the stigmata of Christ. For example, when the spikes are driven into the feet and hands of the monster when he is not alive, in the copper vat. And the extreme close-up shot of Frankenstein’s head, then of the creature’s head. The doctor’s head bears no (visible) injury, but his creation has huge scars as if his head had been crowned with thorns. Also, there is the part where the monster is lowered into the copper vat, which looks oddly like a sarcophagus (a type of coffin used to bury Egyptian pharaohs in ancient times), this represents the descent into hell that Frankenstein is embarking on. This is mocking God yet again, and shows the immorality of Victor Frankenstein. When we see the low-angle shot of the monster hanging on the chains, it resembles the crucifixion of Christ. There are violins playing at this point, which symbolises the loneliness that Victor is feeling from the rest of the world. There are many different visual effects used in the creation scene, such as the lighting striking the window behind the monster, when he appears in Frankenstein’s bedroom. Another special effect was the make-up used on the monster’s face to make it look more dramatic and horrifying. There is also the amniotic fluid that the monster is born in, when that spills out the copper vat, it makes the audience feel sick and repulsed. Only diagetic sounds are used at this point, there is no music. When the monster is lifted up to the ceiling, the circle of light around the body represents Leonardo Da Vinci’s â€Å"Vitruvian Man†, which is a drawing that shows the proportions of a perfect human body. This is ironic as most of the monster was made of murderers and criminals- hardly perfect people. The editing in the creation scene is very clever, I have previously mentioned the lecturer being super-imposed over a frame; there is also the part where all the scientific equipment is displayed. One shot dissolves into another, which resembles them being combined together to make the monster. The pace in the scene changes from being very fast when Frankenstein is giving the monster life, to a lot slower when the monster is â€Å"born† and trying to stand up. Overall, I think that Branagh has made the film much more appealing to the audience by using the effects available to him. He uses location, costume, characterisation, dialogue, sound effects, camera angles. Shot types, visual effects, editing, and pace to make a very effective film. I am most impressed by the way he read between the lines of the Mary Shelley novel to give the audience lots to think about. I also liked the way he used discreet blasphemy to show that what Victor Frankenstein was doing was immoral and mocking God. I think that Branagh has more than done justice to the Shelley novel. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Macbeth’s Misunderstanding of Evil

Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, captivates the audience and readers with a unique plot and note worthy characters. Of these characters, Macbeth, not unaffected by evil, an internal or external force that compels an individual to do harm to others, ultimately reaches self-devastation by his own hand. His choices lead him to do so. Macbeth, the tragic hero of the play, allows his flaw of misunderstanding of evil guide him to destruction. As the tragic hero of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is perceived a character with values. Shakespeare portrays him as a tragic hero, having one flaw, but primarily an honorable character. In act 1 a servant tells about Macbeth’s experiences on the battle field. The servant relaying the events of the battle to the king refers to Macbeth as â€Å"For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name (2). † This shows that others view Macbeth as being brave. Macbeth, also said to be â€Å"Like valour’s minion (2),† clearly can be seen as courageous because he models himself based on heroism and bravery. Macbeth â€Å"unseam’d [the enemy] from the nave to the chaps,/ And fix’d his head upon our battlements (2). † This shows Macbeth’s strength and power in battle. It also displays his loyalty to the king because he kills the enemy. Macbeth, being brave, strong, and loyal, is a decent and wholesome character. Although Macbeth exists as a note worth character, he misunderstands evil and this flaw leads to his demise. In act one Shakespeare shows Macbeth’s curiosity in the witches who are the epitome of evil. When the three witches tell Macbeth that he can potentially be the Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland, he wonders how and requests more information from the witches. Macbeth’s speech reveals that he has much interest in what the supernatural powers of the witches can tell him. When he says, â€Å"Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more (6)† he asks them to give him more information about how he can become thane and king. He believes that the witches are giving him useful information and he has faith that he will prosper if he listens. Macbeth also displays his curiosity when he says, â€Å"and to be king/ Stands not within the prospect of belief,/ No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence/ You owe this strange intelligence? (6)† He wonders how he can become king and inquires about the witches’ source of information. This shows that he believes that good can come from evil. Macbeth does have ambition, but he has ambition only because he misreads the witches’ intentions. His ambition causes him to want to be thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland, but the misunderstanding of evil causes him to believe that his dreams of being more powerful can come true. After continuing to misunderstand evil Macbeth finally fully commits to evil in act three. Shakespeare shows his audience that Macbeth has made a choice to stay with evil because he has faith that evil is getting him where he wants to be. In act 3Macbeth admits that he is looking forward to hearing the rest of the witches’ prophecies. In scene three he has made a commitment to evil. He acknowledges the fact that righting his wrongs can be possible, but because he believes being evil will gain him power, he chooses to continue on the path of the murderous actions he has already taken. When Macbeth says, â€Å"More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know, By the worst means, the worst (46). † he is revealing that he would like to hear the witches’ predictions and find out what he has to do in order to move himself further up the social ladder. When he says, â€Å"I am in blood Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er (46)† he is committing to evil. He believes that turning back to good could be possible, but he chooses to follow the witches’ prophecy because he believes that good will come out of his evil actions. His ambition and excessive pride do play a role in causing him to commit to evil, but he only takes on those other characteristics because he misunderstands the wicked forces working against him. After committing to evil, Macbeth realizes that his life no longer has value and therefore does not have a life worth living. Shakespeare breaks the mold of tragic heroes’ demises being their downfall with Macbeth. Macbeth’s demise is that he now has an empty life. It finally occurs to Macbeth that he lives a life that does not posses any qualities that give meaning to life, when he says, â€Å"I have lived long enough: my way of life/ Is fall’n into the sear (73)† he comes to the conclusion that he now lives a wicked life that will propel him towards being condemned to Hell. He also says, â€Å"the which should accompany old age,/ As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,/ I must not look to have (73),† at which point he realizes that his life no longer has any meaning because he has no honor, emotion, self control, or loyal friends. These are the things that make life worth living, and because none of these qualities are preserved within him he approaches his downfall rapidly. Macbeth’s downfall, being that he lives a meaningless life, is proof that an individual’s fate is the direct result of the choices he makes. Shakespeare’s theme in Macbeth, an individual can control his own fate by the choices he makes despite the temptations of supernatural forces, can be demonstrated by Macbeth choosing to commit to evil and as a result eventually having a fate worse than death. In the final act of the play Macbeth speaks of how he no longer has emotional reactions to events that would have previously aroused him. When he says, â€Å"my senses would have cool’d/ To hear a night-shriek (76)† he confesses that once before he would be nervous after hearing noises at night. Now that he has made many bad decisions he will never again react to a â€Å"night-shriek†. Macbeth also says, â€Å"Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts,/ Cannot once start me (76). † Again he is saying that happenings that would have fazed him before he committed to evil will not faze him now. He has fated himself to become cold and callous. Throughout Macbeth, Macbeth is seen as a note worthy and honorable character. He has only shown one flaw, his misunderstanding of evil. His misunderstanding of evil ultimately leads to his own death. He acknowledges his flaw at the end of the play which proves that he is a tragic hero. Unfortunately, Macbeth caused his own death, due to his misunderstanding of evil.

About ways to reduce the impact of a particular lifestyle behavior Research Paper

About ways to reduce the impact of a particular lifestyle behavior - Research Paper Example The â€Å"Inconvenient Truth† that Al Gore presented establishes a significant response from the public, even in some government institutions around the world. The report of Gore presented a remarkable issue that tries to link the significant contribution of mankind to the destruction of the environment. Gore presented the point that the contribution of the human activities to the pollution in the environment is staggering as a result of economic activities and other personal activities prior to the preservation of life and establishing the advancing economy. In the case of cars on the road, many business establishments cannot simply move in their economic activities or business activities if they will not use cars, as a basic requirement in the advancing level of industrialization in the 20th Century. This leads fossil fuels to become the highlight or issue in the prevailing environmental pollution. However, the point that fuel or oil to be considered as the lifeblood of the economy in the 20th Century cannot just be simply eradicated. Every individual or business establishment might have a substantial requirement for fuel. If it is not for personal gain, it must be for the achievement of certain economic objectives. Unfortunately, this has become the remarkable trend around the world today. Every day there are various vehicles on the road that are on the go in contributing to a certain level of greenhouse gases emission. Eradicating them might not be the ultimate feasible solution as for now, but trying to minimize those running on the road will be a significant contribution to the reduction of harmful gases emission like carbon dioxide. For this reason, taking the carpool or subway is viewed to be a significant contribution in alleviating the degree of air pollution in the environment. Studies found that cars, especially around 10 percent of the older ones alone are significantly contributing around 50 percent of air

Unemployment in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unemployment in UK - Essay Example Unemployment in UK The thing that makes unemployment most dangerous is that it directly affects the growth of a nation and this is becoming evident for UK. United Kingdom, arguably Europe’s most influential country over the history has been dealing with this ailment since the early 1970’s. The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was last reported as 8.4% in December 2011. (Hamilton) Due to this it is very important to analyze the cause of this mass unemployment in UK, and to find viable solutions to this particular problem. Summary of Articles As proposed by Hamilton, in his article â€Å"U.K. Unemployment Increases as Global Outlook Cut: Economy† published in Business Week (January 18, 2012), mass unemployment in UK touched its zenith in 16 years in November 2011. This was primarily due to Britain’s plunge into recession again. The unemployment rate according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rose to a staggering 8.4%, the highest recorded since January 199 6. The number of people attaining jobless benefits rose to a figure of 1.6million. The World Banks’ estimation of global growth has experienced repeated down grades in last three years. The prime reason that has been forwarded by them is a declining state of the UK economy. Since UK is a part of the European Union and enjoys a quite significant status hence the euro-area crisis is being compounded by Prime Minister David Cameron’s budget cuts. This is affecting consumer confidence negatively and will lead to a further loss of employment for about 700000 workers by 2017. As specified by Nida Ali, an economic adviser in the Ernst & Young item club, the future for the labour market is pretty dismal. She even expects the rate of unemployment to rise by another 9.3% in a year. ITEM (Independence Treasury Economic Model) Club acknowledged that Britain has been struck by recession once again and Europe’s incapability to end the crisis of debt had a simultaneous effect on Royal Bank of Scotland group in United Kingdom. It has proposed last week that it will shut down its corporate-finance units and equities that will cut down almost 35000 jobs. Hamilton has also cited the ITEM club regarding the possibility of 600 job cut by â€Å"Premier Foods Plc† to illustrate the grim situation in UK job market. (Hamilton) According to Barrow in his article â€Å"Foreign workers take yet more UK jobs as number of Britons in work plunges and youth unemployment hits 1 million† published in Daily mail UK, a prime reason for unemployment in UK is the increased absorption of foreign workers by the firms belonging to UK instead of own domestic workers. Most of the business entities in UK hire foreign workers and that has left United Kingdom’s unemployment rate at the highest in 17years. The ministers termed this as â€Å"unacceptable†, but the management of the reputed entities in UK pointed out that many young British workers are lazy an d incapable at basic works, which made them to shift towards the foreign workers. As an example, the proportion of foreign workers at a leading firm of plumbers, â€Å"Plimico Plumbers†, has doubled over the past two years because the domestic British workers lack the right work ethics. Furthermore it is often seen that the workers are more interested in real wage than nominal wage courting a fall in their purchasing power. (Barrow) Evaluation & Conclusion It has been specified by Hamilton that the Prime Minister of UK has been administering a budget

Creative writing bio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creative writing bio - Essay Example The reason for this is that they produce the best steel in the world. After we import their steel, we produce ovens, pots and other kitchen supplies from them. I hope I will be able to succeed and take our business to the next level in future.My Learning of Other Cultures, Global Issues, and PrejudiceI have been to China, India, Kazakhstan, Romania, UAE and many other countries. My travels helped me a lot and taught me about the different cultures and the people. I liked Hong Kong more than everywhere. This may be probably because of the people who are very helpful and are always smiling and the city is so clean proper and regular. The advantage of living in Istanbul is that the people living in Istanbul are very well connected to all parts of the world because of its geographical locations. Moreover, Istanbul is now a blend of different ethnicities and I am very proud of it. I am very open-minded and I do not possess any prejudice against any nation. I actually believe that no count ry has progressed by being prejudiced. Prejudice and discrimination is something, which I am against of always. This is because the irrational attitude and opinions about one group towards other always lead to no progress. The negative prejudices can harm an individual and may even stop the individual from providing best of his own ability. I have a very open minded towards all people and countries of the world. I think that people can progress only when they work together towards their combined success.

Engineering analysis 2 Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Engineering analysis 2 - Speech or Presentation Example This method, of course, introduces error due to the nature of the treatment that is given to the differential curve by division into small steps. This error term keeps on increasing with every step, and does not ensure high accuracy. The Runge-Kutta method however, has a very ingenious modification to this method, which makes it much more powerful by reducing error through RK4 by magnitudes of the order of 105. The modification that is made is to cancel out the error in every last step of the process. This is done by using the trial step just as in the Euler method: The last term is the error term associated with the second step, and it is much lower than the one in Euler Method. This form of Runge-Kutta is known as RK2. To reduce error further, further step error reduction formulae are used, which involve different coefficients of the higher order error terms. These are formulated in RK4 or 4th order RK method as: The table clearly shows how low the error percentage in the RK4 method is. This shows the power of the method, though it is to be made known that this is not the most powerful of all methods. But still, its ease of usage makes it the most common technique and the best choice when very high accuracy is not

Impact of Organization Culture on Applying Total Quality Management Essay

Impact of Organization Culture on Applying Total Quality Management - Essay Example The provision requires a set of structural procedure to identify the problem and accord the needed entity that presents alternatives in efficiency generation. In the organization culture, the measure involves the measurement of the members’ practices in completing the missions set within the structure. Achieving TQM may require strategies that are included in finding solutions to available problem. The relationship of organization culture and TQM may be found in the application of the strategies that involve acquiring best practice. The TQM entity has been applied to deliver the changes required in achieving progress and changing the organization’s outlook. However, there is no single measure to apply the strategy because each organization requires varied approach in the implementation. The impending question is included in the strategy applied to achieve TQM in relation to the organization culture. The need may be to change the culture of the organization or apply exis ting culture to achieve the phenomenon. Despite the disparities that are evident in articulating the contribution of organization culture to achieving TQM, the measure is granted that the former has an impact on the implementation of the later. Literature review Irani, Beskese and Love (2002) explain that organizations have implemented the strategies witnessed based on existing organization culture to achieve TQM. ... The culture being the ability of a cohesive relationship within members to share experiences and expertise to perform tasks may be the needed strategy in acquiring TQM. The need to perform tasks according to the presentations included by the policy makers in delivering outcomes may require a given strategy. The selected strategy would qualify as the organization culture implemented during the events presented in delivering efficiency. A stable organizational culture is witnessed in the performance and the desire to deliver substantial outcomes (Tsung-Hsien & Yen-Lin, 2010). This is the leading strategy in deliberating effective TQM that would direct results to achieve the company’s mission. The contribution of the company culture would be witnessed in their efforts to articulate the necessary strategy in deliberating best practice to fix internal and external problem (Irani, Beskese and Love, 2002). Conversely, Pool (2000) explains the relationship of organizational culture wi th TQM to be linked to the learning outcomes. TQM has generated efficiency in the organization and service delivery of variable organizations (Pool, 2000). Before the culture is established, the training included to provide a substantial relationship within the organization members. The learning outcomes would establish the relationship to create the organization culture to be practiced in solving problems. To learn as a group would contribute to a problem solving practice that would be reflected as the company’s norm (Pool 2000). These are the needed strategies to link TQM and organization culture in achieving progress in service delivery. Methodology To support their claim, Irani, Beskese

The social perception of hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic Research Paper

The social perception of hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic - Research Paper Example The Weimar Republic’s condition was an exceptional case not only due to the then reparation cases after war but also worsened by decisions made by economists and those who were in power to contain the situation. Hence, leading to indescribable suffering to the then citizens where prices based on studies so far contacted seemed to change on hourly basis. Weimar Republic’s fiscal decisions during then meant to curb the situation not only aroused intense debates shortly afterwards as evident from scholars who based on their financial knowledge criticized them even to date. This is according to the way in which the then economists without keenness of the upcoming results decided to print more money for public’s use. According to Widdig, this was through the â€Å"policy of easy money†, which entailed the government to embark on excessive printing of more money without adjusting inflation and interest rates (Ferguson 270). Hence, contributing to the hiking of g oods’ prices at an extremely alarming rate, which in turn yielded to varied mixed reactions not only among the then few economists who knew the end results but also other scholars afterwards. During then, economists of the day seemed to suffer from myopic state in terms being unable to ascertain what will befall the state if they advised the government to print more money with the intention of clearing its internal debts. This study seeks to address the following two key questions, 1. How contemporaries experienced and understood hyperinflation; is a very interesting one. 2. How contemporary perception compare to the retrospective analysis of historians and economists only at the end. Between 1921 and 1923, citizens based on their mode of payments, expressed mixed reactions concerning the then depreciating paper currency besides universal woes that faced Germany’s economy. Those who relied on fixed payment like monthly salaries due to the then escalating prices of good s in relation increasing paper notes experienced utter desperation. This is because after payment most of them were unable to purchase what they needed whereby upon receiving after receiving their salaries or wages rushed immediately to a nearby shop to buy what they could afford before money started to depreciate (â€Å"BBC†). Those who were in short term payment terms like wages seemed to enjoy the deal because they were capable of negotiating their wages on daily basis or based on hourly intervals to be able to cater for their expenses as well as purchase what they needed (â€Å"BBC†). Despite wage mode of payment benefiting a few people during then although through struggling, the state of hyperinflation was evident not only among those contended to be on investment spree but also the entire state (Ferguson 10). The latter according to Ferguson (10) included industrial sector, which tried its best to produce more goods meant for the public who had money but kept on depreciating due to the hiking of goods. Hence, increase the demand of goods that turned out out to be extremely high among the people who despite having money could not afford to acquire them because prices were changing spontaneously and within very short time. For instance, a certain father according to BBC news headed to Berlin to purchase a pair of shoes for his son but on his arrival, he could only purchase a cup of coffee and save the remaining to cater for his bus fare (â€Å"BBC†). In addition, numerous citizens who had for long worked hard to

Peter Hunt argues that 'while (children's) books reflect the Essay

Peter Hunt argues that 'while (children's) books reflect the underlying preoccupations of a culture, the most notable ones also - Essay Example The emergence of newer varieties of fictional historicism is related, partly, with the attempt to regain cultural representation for adolescents, blacks, and minority groups. As a result, these social objectives are connected to the recovery of mistreated literary works, such as those that have never been regarded deserving of scholarly attention (Ringrose 2009). As Peter Hunt argues, literary works for children that are constantly recognised are those that undermine or challenge adult perceptions and beliefs of the period in which they are written. Thus, revolutionary children’s literature ridicules adults and adult-recognised organisations like the school and the church. By challenging the adult world and giving importance to a world where in children build their own values, these literary works are usually contentious and controversial. In this literature, most significantly, children have control, such as control over their own identities, their environments, and adults (R ingrose 2009). However, due to the diversity within the cultural framework of children’s literature, it is hard to oversimplify the components which inspire these works in children’s literature. ... Narrated through the perspectives of various characters, the story manages to maintain an unbiased and impartial standpoint on the lifestyle and culture of the teenage addicts and their different, mainly failed, efforts to stop the drug addiction. The series of events which encompass Tar and Gemma in the novel reveal the period’s fear of the influences of modern society on childhood values. The conflict in human relations, mainly depicted in Gemma’s family, seem to intimidate Romantic notions of childhood. The child, separated from the nuclear family’s ideals and the faiths of established religion, dominated by worldly interests and the explosion of sexualised, ‘impure’ depictions of the body, has become a menacing, irrepressible force (Flewit 2009). Adolescents, such as Burgess’s characters, can be offenders or drug addicts and, per se, represent a society which is wild and unruly. Although there is a growth in children’s literature, l ike Junk, which discusses these issues, they are frequently criticised for their hard realism, illustrating further current anxieties that children will become ruined adolescents. The moralising preoccupation of Junk that takes on a direct relationship between children’s literature and deviant behaviour discards the effort, on Burgess’s part, to encourage children to think and act independently. It is the difficult topic of sex and vice in children’s literature which has been the most challenging for grownups. The Other Side of the Truth by Beverly Naidoo Beverly Naidoo strives to make sense of the impacts of apartheid through the story of Sade and Femi Solaja in The Other Side of the Truth. The core notion of this

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICAL Dissertation

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICAL OUTCOMES IN POST SECONDARY ACCELERATED ADULT EDUCATION STUDIES - Dissertation Example The presence of high attrition within these institutions that offer adult education along with the pressures of accountability are also very high (Hubble, 2000). Previous research shows that most of the adults who withdraw usually do so when they have accomplished their goals or when they want to join other programs that would suit them more. They also indicate that most of the adults who drop out of school usually return when their situations are altered creating a cycle where they drop out and return severally (Skilton-Sylvester, 2002). The process of utilizing class or lecture attendances as the major measurement of persistence actually undervalues other effective activities in learning that should otherwise be encouraged. This includes learning activities like personal studies along with distance learning (Ziegler, Bain, Bell & Brian, 2003). According to Comings (2008), persistence is the period that adults stay in education programs while engaging in personalized studies when fo rced by circumstances to withdraw from attending classes or lecture lessons. He additionally stated that the adult students should return to attending the lectures when their lives demand so. Previous surveys carried out on adult students in the United States indicate that, the adults who have previously been involved in vocational trainings, self-studies and other forms of education were more likely to have academic persistence than those who had not (Rudy, 2003). They also indicate that adult students who have specific needs are more likely to persist than adults attending these institutions but with no specific goals. The institutions proving adult education programs should provide more learning options such as distance learning to those adult students who are no longer willing to join classes or attend lectures (Hubble, 2000). Adults can be engaged in better understanding while managing the forces that advance or affect their learning activities through perspective that is learn er centered so as to effectively support their persistence (Ziegler & Durant, 2007). There are several factors that have been identified as affecting the adult students’ academic persistence. These factors have been identified as ranging from different situations, institutions, dispositions, demographic factors along with emotional or relational forces (Ziegler, Bain, Bell & Brian, 2003). The situational problems that affect an adults persistence in education include problems associated with their employments, finances, the support of their children, families, transport and health issues along with abuses from their fellow learning mates (Reder & Strawn, 2001). The institutional forces that hinder the adults from persisting in education programs include the level or contents of the program, its location and attendance or reentry guidelines that are utilized in the institution (Hubble, 2000). On the other hand, the adult students may be prevented from excelling in their chosen fields by the attitudes they have developed towards the studies, their self-efficacies, resilience’s along with failure attributions (Long, 2001). Finally, the adult student’s academic persistence may be affected by demographic and emotionally related forces. The demographic forces include age, sex and their diverse cultures whereas the emotional forces include the community support they are accorded, encouragements along with the care

Learning as a Process and as a Product Essay Example for Free

Learning as a Process and as a Product Essay When you ask people what do they think about learning? They only think in the final result. Isn’t to important to comprehend what that really means, and how big and important is the process. It is to simple to analyze what we have been learned before just making us the question If we really remember what we learned? But no everyone think in learning as a process. How do we learned that? If it was difficult? It’s the same learning as a process and as a product? Learning is the end product of some process. But when is learning a product? Learning as a product is when a person knows completely and totally that he/she dominates the knowledge, but also he/she have been qualify to do that â€Å"knowledge† what it means that he/she not just know the theory but also have the experience. The final product of the learning may show the capacity or level of each student and let the teacher know who needs more practice in a specific area. It depends on what they were working on, but it doesn’t mean that they are going to tell you or notice that the student really acquires the knowledge or the skill or if they need a more advanced or lower level to do the activities. Wich it means that learning as a product is the goal that the â€Å"learning process† must have. Learning as a process will be the behavior changes of certain experiences that people have had. Learning as a process goes further than learning as a product, because in one what it matters is the final result, and in another one what it matters is how was it? It’s not the same if I learned something just memorizing without practice. Besides If a learn something with theory and practice my final result it’s going to be better. It’s to important the process in which each person learned, because that will ensure you that you really understand and dominate what people taught you. That’s why everyone should recognize the difference between learning as a product and as a process.

Beowulfs Boasting

Beowulfs Boasting Beowulfs Boasting Beowulfs boasting is not merely to show how great he is but rather to keep true to his word and honor as a man. Beowulf does not boast for the sake of making himself look good. Marie Nelson from the University of Florida defines that there are two types of boasting that can be found in this Anglo-Saxon tale. The first form of boasting is modern boasting which consist of bragging and the second is an act of promising. Nelson states that the first type of boasting helps to establish Beowulfs credibility as a man who can be trusted to do what he says he will do, while type two boasts show the degree to which he commits himself to follow through on his promises (1). Anglo-Saxon boasting differs from modern boasting because modern time boasting focuses on making one look better than someone else. Anglo-Saxon boasting consist of making promises that are to be kept in order to keep ones honor intact. Modern boasting focuses more on displaying ones best attributes for all to see. Boasting is not merely a way to show off to others. Beowulf uses boasting to show loyalty to his liege. He shows his respect for his king, Hygelac, by vowing to keep the honor of his countrymen secure. One thing that always concerns Beowulf is keeping his word. He hopes to keep his word to Hygelac, and return home with his men after successfully defeating Grendel. In lines 199-201, Beowulf states his plans to aid Hrothgar in his troubles and defeat Grendel. Beowulfs community did not [try] to keep him from going along with his plans. (Heaney, line 202) No one questions Beowulfs boast because he has proven himself in the past and his word is valid. The boasting is a way to prove how honest what one says to be true. According to Dr. Kelly Taylor from the University of North Texas, Boasts were taken seriously. Boasts were understood to be serious utterances with personal, social, legal and political consequences. Beowulfs boasting represents a pledge to his King and community that he mu st keep. Beowulf keeps his word throughout the poem as he makes promises to defeat Grendel, Grendels mother, and the dragon. Modern boasting can be seen in the poem as well. In lines 480-490, there is a description of the Danes boasting about [waiting] for Grendel with their whetted sword. The Danes were bragging to show how courageous they would be when Grendel came to attack but later the reader learns that many of the boasting men were slain by Grendel. Beowulf is a man of his word. Lines 407-426 detail Beowulfs request to Hrothgar, asking his permission to fight Grendel. Beowulf boast to Hrothgar about his abilities and the strength of the mean of Geats. As Beowulf speaks to Hrothgar, the reader notices that he does not sound conceded when speaking to the king but rather humble. However in lines 415-418, the reader recognizes boasting in the contemporary use of the word. He discusses his strengths and how capable he is of fighting Grendel. This type of bragging helps support Beowulfs promise to Hrothgar. Beowulf is selling his skills, as well as the capabilities of his men, to Hrothgar and his community. While Beowulf is convincing Hrothgar to honor him the duty of fighting Grendel, he also mentions he would like to heighten Hygelacs fame and gladden his heart (line 435-436). On line 2145, Beowulf returns from the adventures and presents all his gifts to Hygelac as a sign of loyalty. Beowulfs boasting is a form of honoring his king as well as maintaining his reputation as a great warrior. Beowulfs boast reassure the people of Heorot that they will be safe. The boasting is a morale booster for them. When the people of Heorot thought all hope was lost, Beowulf arrives to raise their spirits. The Oxford English Dictionary defines boasting to mean to speak of with pride. Beowulf restores pride to the people of Heorot with his boasting. This bold speaking allows the people of Heorot to trust Beowulf and have confidence that he can slain the beast they call Grendel. Beowulfs heroic boasting is what makes him a great warrior, it allows him to prove himself and to show what he is capable of. In lines 630-639, Beowulf is speaking to Wealhtheow about his intentions for the battle with Grendel. Marie Nelson from the University of Florida states that Beowulfs promise-boast within these lines defines that Beowulf takes his promises very serious (Nelson 5). Beowulf states I shall fulfill that purpose [of killing Grendel]or meet my death here in the mead-hall (line 636 and 638). The lines state that Grendel will try his best to fulfill his promise and if not he will meet his fate at the hands of Grendel and is willing to accept them. Anglo-Saxon boasting is all about willing to accept fate but using all of ones abilities to keep a promise. Beowulf keeps his promise and defeats Grendel. Another form of the bragging type of boasting can be found in the poem when Grendels arm is put up for display for the country men to view. Although modern boasting can be seen throughout the poem, promise-boasting was more valuable to the Anglo-Saxon men rather than bragging (Nelson 5). Boasting is a form of showing off as well as a form of honesty. Both types of boasting are shown throughout the poem. Beowulf tends to brag less and make more promises. In the end, he succeeded in accomplishing all of his promises and thus confirming his boast. Works Cited Nelson, Marie. Beowulfs Boast Words. Diss. English Department, University of Florida. Florida: Springer, 2005. 23 Jan. 2010. Boast. Oxford University Press. 2009. 23 Jan. 2010. Taylor, Kelly. Boasting. 2004. 23 Jan. 2010.

A Report on the Strategic Culture and Marketing Strategy of Canon

A Report on the Strategic Culture and Marketing Strategy of Canon This is a report and detail analysis of internal structure and culture of Canon. Canon is an established international firm in the photocopy and imaging industry. It operates in diverse range of markets which includes business solution, computer imaging, broadcast and communication, medical system and industrial product. This report further evaluates the overseas opportunities of Canon using PESTEL framework. PESTEL is used to analyse the macro environment and to indentify the key drivers of change affecting the company. The analysis of the internal structures and culture of Canon was carried out by using the McKinseys 7S model and SWOT framework to analyze the company internal capabilities. This report is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on the analysis of internal structures and culture of Canon. The McKinseys 7S model and SWOT framework are used in this section for the analysis. The second part relies on Ansoff matrix to assess the overseas growth options available to Canon. The last segment is an analysis of the overseas opportunities for Canon and recommend a suitable overseas market for the company to entry. 2.0 An assessment of Canon internal structures and culture The structure in organization arises as a result of the necessity of the people in organization to know who is in charge, what their role is and who to turn to if there is any concern. Therefore, whether small or large, local, national or multinational, an organization has to have a structure. Henry Mintzberg (1983, p.2) submits that the structure of an organization is the sum total of the ways in which its labour is divided into distinct tasks and then its coordination is achieved among these tasks. Canon as a horizontal organisation includes worldwide Group companies and management committees which are established to address important management issues, and serve a mutual-check function complementing its system of products and operations  [1]  . In this regard, the structure of Canon significantly affects how the company pursue and realized its strategic objectives. It allows or constraints workers (as the case may be) to actually makes changes and get culturally align with the company strategy. All of the company strategic initiatives rely on the ability of the worker to manipulate the culture of the company that guide employee behaviour in the organization. Cooperate culture is the sum of the sociological markers and behaviours of those within an organisation. The degree to which this aligns with the organisation core values is a powerful driver for success. In using the McKinseys 7S model and SWOT framework, the analysis of Canon internal structures and culture are further expatiated. 2.1 Canon Global: McKinseys 7-S and Swot analysis Introduced by McKinsey and Company in the 1970s, the 7-S model has revolutionalised the way management thinks about organisation effectiveness. It is essentially a framework developed to address the critical role of coordination, rather than structure in an organisation. The 7-S that is strategy, structure, staffing, style, skills, system and shared value are used to analysed Canon simultaneously below. 2.1.1 Analysing Canon: The Mckinseys 7S model In terms of strategy, Canon aims to achieve and sustain its goal of becoming a truly excellent global photocopy and imaging company through its five key strategies for growth. Particularly, its strategy follows from the company adoption of the kyosei philosophy in a global corporation plan. Canon operates a flat structure. It is a horizontal organisation which includes worldwide Group companies and management committees (Refer to Appendix 1). It is important to note that different firms are structured in different ways depending on their size, their culture, their activities and their history. Canon represents what Boje and Dennehy submits as a post modern organisation (2000) and therefore able to strategically respond to the contemporary business environment. A post modern organisation comprises a networked set of diverse, self-managed, self-controlled teams with poly-centres that is many centres of coordination that fold and unfold according to the requirements of the tasks. Being a post modern organisation not only explains the systemic nature of Canon, the ability of the company to implement the kyosei philosophy in every segment of the company is also a clear example. Likewise, teams are organized in flat design, employees are highly empowered and involved in the job, information is fluid and continuous improvement is emphasized throughout. Canon is a flat organization that values and entrust the experience of its staffs to do what is right in the organization. As of December 31, 2009 Canon staff strengths stood at 25,683 globally. It is has highly technical and talented staffs. Canon recognises that learning and development is an important aspect of an organisation growth and development (Sadler-Smith, E 2006, p.2), it has invested on training its staffs and this has leads to an improved skills and knowledge by its staff and in particular area of staff expertise. Canon approach to the articulation of its value is based on aligning individual and organisational goals. Therefore with well trained staff, Canon has developed the ability overtime to compete favourably in the industry. Canon has sustains a vitalised culture among its employee for a long period of time (Kono and Clegg 1998, p. 176). The company ability to ensure that its shared value are integrated into the company as a whole and that they are limited to the management levels explains its style and shared value. Furthermore, the style at which an organisation chooses to pursue its objectives is crucial to the successful realization of those objectives. The core values are foundational to everything that the company does, and organisational style of doing things is part of the core values. It helps defines how the employee, dealers and suppliers are going to help the company contribute to achieving the organisation vision. Canon is an organisation that prides on excellence and technology. Canon of invention is an invincible powerful force that gently nudges the workers into compliance with being continuously innovative. Canon marketing campaign often takes account the local consideration and languages. The kyosei corporate philosophy symbolizes the corporate value which is the shared value of the company. Kyosei means living and working together for the common good which embody the broader share value of the organisation All people regardless of race religion or culture, harmonising living an d working together into the future. 2.1.2 The Swot analysis of Canon This section involves the identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as regards to Canon. The SWOT analysis is a management instrument for developing structured response options to deal with external threats and exploit opportunities. 2.1.2.1 Strengths The unique concept and quality of the services offered by Canon is its one major competitive strength. It has been able to sustain this through its focus on inventions and also continuous management innovative reforms. Improved management quality refers to the achievement of real-time management that immediately puts into practise strategies based on well-horned decision-making process (The Canon Story, 2009/2010). The strength of the company to maintain its competitiveness also emanates from good customer relationship it has established with its customers overtime. It has succeeded in transforming the mindset of its employee to be focus on total optimization and profit and has thus enable the employees to relate to customers in an effective and efficient ways. In addition, it has multi skilled labour that cut across all segment of the organisation expertise and they are very effective in matching both the tangible and intangible company resources to its strategies. 2.1.2.2 Weakness Despite the fact that Canon is a global name, it has not extensively exploits other business areas and domains outside its traditional markets of Europe, United States, China and Japan. It should not only restrict its participation to exhibitions in markets outside its traditional zones, it has to be seen to establish production lines in such emerging economies like Brazil and South Africa. This has the potential of sustain its global competitiveness and these markets are rapidly growing with major global impacts. It will also bolster the company diversification process. 2.1.2.3 Opportunities Although, the company expansion into China is also applicable to all major brands in the imaging industry, Canon major opportunity for competitiveness stems from this expansion into Asian countries. In this light, it will be able to benefits from the rise in the demand for digital product in these countries. It bolsters its capability to capture growing demand worldwide for digital products. By focusing on China and other Asian markets, Canon can benefits from the growth potential of these rapidly emerging markets. 2.1.2.4 Threats The major threats to Canon in the industry are from its competitors products. There are intensive competitions among the major players such as Sharp, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung and others each striving for excellence. This creates intensive competition for substitutes products that Canon has to deal with. However, it should be noted that Canon is responding adequately by establishing fully automated production lines built around automated machinery and robot to sustain international competitiveness. 3.0 An examination of Canons strategic business growth In this section, the Ansoff Matrix is used to analyse the process of Canon strategic business growth. The Ansoff growth matrix is a tool for strategic business planning. Although, it must be used along with other decision making tools, the Ansoff Matrix is a tool that can be used to formulate growth strategy for business and market. Table 1 shows the matrix as developed by Igor Ansoff below: As shown in the above diagram, the matrix formulation considers two growth areas which could be the launch of a new or existing product in the markets and growth of a new or expansion of the existing markets. Therefore the growth strategies are developed based on the formulation of growth strategy for the business concerning the products and markets. These are: One, existing product in an existing market, which is indicated as market penetration. Two, new products in an existing market, this is indicated as product development. Three, existing product in new markets, this is market development, and four, new product launch in new markets which is the diversification strategy. Canons Ansoff Matrix 3.1.1 Market Penetration The market penetration strategy of Canon is focus on selling the existing product in existing markets. The company in selling its existing products in the markets can embark of product price cuts in other to increase the sales in existing products. The primary objective is to continue to achieve higher market share in existing markets which of course involve improving the elements of the marketing mix. 3.1.2 Market Development This will involves launching the existing products into a new market overseas or targeting new segments in the home market. For example, Canon launch its products in various countries with different purchasing powers therefore the company will have to match the cost of production of their product in competition with others existing business in the same county. 3.1.3 Products development This simply involves the development of a new product for their loyal customers in the existing markets. This mainly is been carried out by creating new products with modified feature to attract customers. Canon uses this as strategy of continuously developing and upgrading its products while at the same time aiming to ensure the loyalty of its customers. 3.1.4 Diversification Diversification involves that Canon enter a new market with completely new products. This strategy may be suitable for Canon as it has gained a market share in established markets and are seeking new growth opportunity of business which has reach saturation in their markets. Therefore, it can invest completely in new areas as it is doing now medical imaging and other advanced technologies. 4.0 An evaluation of overseas opportunities for Canon The PESTEL framework is used here to analyse Canons overseas opportunities and its suitability for overseas market entry. The market environment where an organisation stands contains both the micro and macro aspects of the environment. PESTEL is used to analyse the macro environment and to indentify the key drivers of change affecting customer buying behaviour in the photography and imaging industry. The PESTEL framework for Canon in three countries is first tabulated below before the short analysis is done. Factors (PESTEL) China USA Brazil Political Attract Investment Investment friendly Attract investment Economic High consumer demands High consumer demand High consumer demand Social Rapidly expanding middle class Large middle and buoyant middle class Growing middle class Technological Growing rapidly Established Growing Environmental Conducive Conducive Conducive Legal Unstable Stable Stable Table 2: PESTEL Analysis The above table shows a simple evaluation of how the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors affect Canon business expansion in three countries. In terms of the political factor, China, USA and Brazil political environment are conducive for investment. They are attractive for investment and as such there is opportunity for expansion by Canon. In China, the economy has been growing between 9%-11% every year since the 1980s. Chinas rapid economic growth is reflected in a high concentration of Ultra-High Net Worth Individual (Ultra-HNWIs); it raises the peoples standard of living. This is also similar to Brazil where consumers purchasing power is on the increase. Therefore the Chinese economic development over the past three decades, Brazil growing consumer consumption and United States large middle class are indications of market opportunities for Canon. The rapidly and upper class in China seeks to enhance its identity and quality of life with luxury goods which is a good opportunity for Canon as its concentrates into high-tech products. China is not only an attractive market because of its large population, Chinese consumer markets is increasingly tending towards high-tech products. The growing demand for medical imaging products in China is an opportunity that Canon has to tap into. In regards to the environmental factors, a keenly awareness of the industry, market, trends, demographics and burgeoning technologies is important for Canon strategic business development. For instance, there is growing global need for technology that protects the environment and as such Canon can seek to expand its capacity in this area. The tremendous opportunities that springs from globalization should be balanced by the need to remain vigilant of changes in the societal, political and business climate of the world at large. While the existing laws in China which is in various jurisdictions governing issues such as taxes, personal privacy of China is uncertain and unstable, the legal factors in USA and Brazil are very conducive for Canon rapid business growth and expansion programmes. 4.1 Canon market entry strategy The market entry strategy pursue by a company depends on its vision, the company attitudes towards risks and importantly the available investment capital. The level of risks and financial rewards increases as a company moves from market entry strategy such as exporting to joint venture to licensing and ultimately to direct investment. Canon evaluates the revenue channels such as licensing, investment and strategic alliances/partnership and uses that as a market entry strategy with minimal risks. A firm choice of mode of entry to a market is central to the implementation of its international strategy (Pehrsson, 2008). Canon has often taken a broad approach to international market entry. This is because most of its products are often available through distributors in many major capitals. It makes the company an already existing entity even before any major entry into such markets. With the advantage of first player in the market, Canon has build up a strong reputation to maintain market position. However, when existing company seeks to enter developing markets, there are additional strategies and issues to address. Canon usually replicates its style and the strategy that have serves it well without significant adaptation. Therefore, Canon normally enters new markets with the objectives of achieving greater market penetration. Largely, this approach has been successful for the company in China.

1950-1960 Essay -- Essays Papers

1950-1960 During the 1950's, the United States experienced great change with the end of World War II, making it difficult to label the busy decade. America was the most powerful nation in the world and it was a time of complacency. The United States accepted two new states, Hawaii and Alaska (www.fifties.com). The science world boomed with new inventions; televisions broadcast nationally; rock n' roll was popular; commercial hotel and fast food chains became common; the car industry exploded; vaccinations for measles and polio were discovered; and birth control pills were introduced (Layman VII). Another event in the 1950’s was the ratification of the 21st Amendment, which limited presidents to two terms in office. The 1950's "baby boom" was also an affect from World War II. The American population increased 19% throughout the 1950's. One-third of Americans was under the age of fifteen (Layman 262). Another issue for the United States in 1950 was the Civil Rights movement. There was one court case that changed history forever. On May 17, 1954 in Topeka, Kansas, a black third grade girl, Linda Brown, was denied admission to a school that was for white children. Schools stigmatized black children, thereby denying them the equal protection guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. The court finally agreed with Linda’s father and Thurgood Marshall. The United Sates was modernizing, however, discrimination was still a large problem (www.fifties.com). If American was a growing society, it was also a society on the move. Life was progressively getting faster. Drive-in business and shopping malls were convenient. Mass culture brought material wealth to America, but many wondered at what cost. Poorer citizens were ignored, and the work et... ...ed States was once again beginning to modernize and grow. This not only affected American attitude, but it affected art and literature throughout the world. WORKS CITED Berman, David. "Pop Art: An analysis of English and American Styles." (www.st.townson.edu/~dberma2/). Candace. "Index Fifties Web". March 15, 2001 (www.fiftiesweb.com). Ginsberg, Allen. "America." The American Tradition in Literature. Vol. 2. Ed. Perkins, George and Barbara. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999. 1795. Hughes, Langston. "Feet Live Their Own Life." The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. Perkins, George and Barbara. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999. 1604. IDA (15) University of Dayton Annual Reports. "Annual Reports of the President 1950." Layman, Richard. American Decades: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 1994. Wehrle, William O. A History of the University of Dayton. Dayton, 1962.

Comparison of Still I Rise and Realities of a Black Woman Essay

Comparison of Still I Rise and Realities of a Black Woman Compare and Contrast the poems Still I Rise By Maya Angelou and Of course when they ask about the Realities of black women by Grace Nichols. 'Still I Rise' written by Maya Angelou and 'Of course when they ask about the "Realities" of black woman' written by Grace Nichols, are the two poems that I will be comparing and writing about. These poems are expressing the opinions of how white people would like to see or how they see black women. I understand that the word culture means a wide range of ideas, knowledge and beliefs. That is usually shared between the people of a country, place, race, group or religion. The word Culture can also mean a way of life, or set of every day activities, for example a Muslim will worship five times a day. I also understand that with in one culture it is possible to have many different cultures. Both poems are from a different culture to my own. The poems and poets come from the same culture, which is black. Grace Nichols originally came from Guyana and Maya Angelou originally came from Missouri. Both poets are black each poem suggests this in its own individual way as in the poem "Still I Rise" the poet Maya Angelou uses the word "Slaves", and in the past slaves have usually been referred to as black people. In the poem "Of course when they ask about the 'Realities' of black women" the poet Grace Nichols uses "I like to see we black women", This suggests that she is not just writing about black women and that she is a black woman herself as she changes her language from "I" to "we". The poem "Still I rise" by Maya Angelou is mainly about one black woman. In the poem it is saying about a black woman being t... ...propriately. The line which didn't work for me was "I am the dream and hope of the slave" this is because when this poem was written there would have been less slavery and I do not believe that she is the dream of the slave. The rest I very much like. Grace's poem confused me and some part did not make any sense to me so I found it very hard too follow in what was being said. This poem has a lot of depth. I think it is not straight to the point, this to gives the impression that Grace may still fear to speak about her past. The structure and shape of the poem I didn't like not like. To me it looked as thou no time had been taken was a rush and burst of thought all at once. Over all I preferred Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise2 I think that she is a very strong black feminist writer. I hope that in the future we will be looking at more of her work.

The Media and the Uneducated Masses Essay -- Media Argumentative Persu

The Media and the Uneducated Masses In the United States or any country with favorable or democratic government, freedom of the media is essential. However, many analysts believe that freedom granted to the media gives it power that may be used abusively, power to influence the public. These critics are against a sort of, "Lesse-fairre" attitude of the government towards the media. At the other end of the table however, some feel that freedom given to the media may go unchecked, for it is the people that influence the media and control that power. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between... James Hallow attempts to approach this issue in his work "Why Americans Hate the Media". In this text Hallows examines the evolution of the media and its relationship to the public it caters to. In the thirties, media mimicked sleepytime Sunday morning political debates that one would watch on the public access channel. They, in many ways were considered "boring." Networks were growing more interested in attracting their audiences. As the years advanced and technology followed, media began taking different approaches to arouse the public. Conflicts on television where seen as a more interesting and productive approach to increasing ratings. After a while, interviewers would attempt to provoke debate, mud throwing and even emotion out of it's political guests. Politicians who be allowed air-time to address questions presented by viewers and interviewers. One major complaint however, was that the media was more interested in evoking a resp... ...nterpretations of data. You may receive the news, but how you receive it may decide how you interpret it. But perhaps it may actually be a symbiotic relationship between the two entities. It may be that the media manipulates the masses and the masses manipulate the media. It is true that the media could enhance how the public may feel towards a public figure or towards a recorded event. Television could make a person a hero or villian at the whim of the presentor through the use of rhetoric or just the data that was selectively presented to the intended audience. But people's slightest reactions in turn can affect the media's presentation on the issue. After all it is a harsh group of critics that one is trying to appeal to, therefore it is really a delicate ever-changing balance between the desires of people and their hosts.

B2B – Product Marketing Plan.rev1

The vison of the wool manufacturing sector of Australia is to expand its export sales to emerging markets in the ASEAN region. Emerging markets are those of the developing countries with high demand on basic raw materials for clothing manufacturing and other industries related to uses of fiber, plus the corollary products from the same category of industry. Emerging markets maybe from developing countries, rather than highly developed ones. The mission would be to penetrate these emerging markets, create a foothold with the right liaison procedures and obtain long term contracts for wool, wool products and its ancillaries.The main objective is to increase the export revenues of the wool manufacturing sector, thereby contributing to the GNP and GDP of Australia to improve per capita income and to generate more employment. The specific objectives are: a. To find out the trade channels of emerging markets in the ASEAN Region and penetrate these markets. b. To develop the right strategy how to penetrate these emerging markets and establish long-term trading activities with the same. c. To research more uses of the wool fiber as raw material, whether in bulk raw wool or thread wool or fabric wool.d. To involve foreign investors as allies in the development of wool fiber for new uses of wool and its corollary products mentioned herein. e. To secure a captured market in exchange for foreign investments. 1. 1 Sales Objectives The general sales objective is to establish a continuing and growing demand for export sales of wool, wollen products, probably new developed products out of wool, and corollary wool products, e. g. sheep meat or lambchops and sheep leather. The increase in sales may not actually mean increase in profitablity in the short term.It is the long term objective that is the main focus in order for sales projections to be drawn with ease and followed. Long term projections can only be done if investment-marketing contracts can also be drawn with the prob able buyer of the manufactured products. It would be an investment laden project, such that the need for investment can be specifically pinpointed in terms of machinery, labor, working capital and project costs or, in order to find out the specific uses of the capital investment.From there, the Return on Investment (ROI) or the Return to Equity (ROE) can be calculated and deemed to be viable or feasible to Autralian preferences. Thus, the sales objective considers the long term viability of the project and determines what level of equity the Australians should allow any foreign investor to come in and intervene in the wool industry. 1. 2 Product Positioning There is no substitute for a high quality, optimum priced product and consistent supply and these factors must be the position of the products.In order to elaborate further the market position, it is best to enumerate the products that may come from the wool industry, expound the charecteristics of the products and analyze where it uses would be. Thereon, there could be research and development (R&D) to improve the product so that there is value added when it is sold. a. Bulk Raw Wool Fibers Bulk raw wool fibers maybe classified. The usual process starts with sheering, washing, bleaching, drying and bailing. Then there can be classifying, perhaps, into which batch comes from a more mature or younger herd of sheeps or known sheep varieties.Another way, which would need R&D, is to find out how to separate the long fibers from the short fibers. Then the method of classification can be into long and short fibers. Machineries can be designed to seggregate which fibers are long or short. Both kind of fibers can be wooven into fabric with different characterics and long fibers can be an additive in matress production for car seats. In Europe car seats have organic fibers as substitute for foam cushions, and is already a regulation. Foam cushions produce toxic fumes when it burns in case of accidents.b. Wool Thread If and when wool can be seggregated into long and short fibers, there can also be two kinds of threads produced. Short fibers will produce thread with short elasticity because the spinning process produces a more fine textured thread. Long fibers will produce thread that is more elastic, which is wool’s characteristic and has been accepted by users of this thread. Fine thread from wool can become a new product which can be compared to cotton thread. c. Wool Fabric When wooven into cloth, long fibers make the cloth stretchable.The stretchable fabric is usually used for insulation such as sweaters and blankets, the main finished products of wool. Although standard woolen fabric is good insulation, it has a charcteristic very distinct from cotton cloth. The wool fibers are a bit abbrasive and may induce allergy or itchiness to human skin and is generally heavier than cotton fabric. Should there be fine thread from short fibers wooven into wool fabric, then the outcome would be fine and lighter cloth, which can become a versatile material in sewing clothes.Definitely, this range of product development needs R&D. d. Sheep Leather Sheep skin can be processed into leather to manufacture rubber shoes. China and Korea are becoming top producers of rubber shoes. Those countries could be the target market of sheep leather if it were tanned in Autralia. Thus, tanning sheep leather can become a side manufacturing concern of the wool industry. Cow and kangaroo leather from Australia is already known in the world market. It would not hurt if the sheep leather market can be developed.Rather than disposing sheep skin as fertilizer, it may be manufactured into leather. e. Sheep Meat or Lamb Chops It is only logical that there is consistency in the supply of raw materials for wool. Thus, backward integration to produce wool becomes an inevitable factor when there are plans to expand the wool market. Therefore, sheep production, which Australia is also known for, becomes an integrated portion of the wool export industry. Sheep are proliferous and multiply like goats and there will be surplus of sheep in terms of number of heads if the wool industry were to expand.Lamb meat can become one of the ancillary products of the wool industry and capacity of processing plants for fresh or even canned sheep meat must be ready when the market is developed. 1. 3 Product Objectives It is best to enumerate again what are the probable export products derived from the wool industry: short fiber raw wool, long fiber raw wool, fine wool thread, ordinary wool thread, lamb chops/sheepmeat, and sheep leather. The overall product objective is to enhance the development of products manufactured from the wool sector. This sector starts from the livestock production of sheep, an integral part of agriculture.Wool must not be the only product that can derived from this industry. In terms of short and long fibers that need R&D, new machineries may have to be brought in. This c ould be done by asking foreign investors to conduct the research, design and fabricate the machinery themselves. The machines needed would pertain to milling machines, weaving, and knitting machines. If China were the choice of partnership, it has already developed its machineries for weaving and knitting. It may be the milling machine that should be designed in order to segregate the short and long fibers before milling into threads.The threads may be further processed so that the texture could be close to or the same as silk, a well known Chinese fabric. In any case, innovation should come in so that the end products becomes a new one and will probably have its place in the fashion world, which is very big business. Should this happen, there will be curiousity from European buyers, thereby creating a damand, as the capital of fashion is in Paris, France. This would expand the manufacturing sector thereby generating more employment for the locales.In terms of sheep meat, blast free zing and cold storage facilities upgrade may be needed for the expansion of the industry. Foreign investors may also be invited. The same protocol may be applied to sheep leather manufacturing. The machineries acquisition can be negotiated such that it may come in the form of a loan, whereby, part of the payments would be in the form of manufactured products the machineries would churn out. In general, the direction of this concern is towards expanding the manufacturing sector in processing, increase employment, generate export revenues and foreign investments.1. 4 Pricing Objectives General market re-entry, just like pricing, is an art. The general pricing objective is to retain optimum profits that would benefit the industry in the long term. The volume of business may compensate the optimum profit margins when the demand for the manufactured products increase. The pricing should be generally lower than competition. This would attract foreign manufacturers to buy the wool and wool en products. When it comes to leather, the pricing should be comparable to hog leather (e.. g. Hush Puppies use hog leather).Only when if it becomes a fad and is highly sought for, should sheep leather prices be increased to a maximum level. Shoes are a basic necessity too. Leather bags and luggage may not be a necessity and fashion trends may dictate the demand for these leather products. When it comes to sheep meat, prices should go lower than that of pork or chicken prices as cheap food is a sign of progress. Generally, product innovation should be one of the largest factors in product objectives. It is a fact that wool has been a fabric since the medieval ages and is outdated.Sheep meat has been a staple food to some countries but has not been promoted as a low cholesterol meat. Sheep skin could have been used only as insulation or rough clothing during the medieval ages also, and not as leather for shoes and bags. Innovation is altering the product so that when it is used or co nsumed, it is new and attractive. Thereon, consistency in supply and quality again should be sustained. Lastly, when innovation is implemeted, the product or products has to pass the taste and preferences of the target market. Test marketing can be done through the trade envoys in the various embassies.That wold be part of promotion and advertising already. 1. 5 Retail Objectives As previously mentioned, one of the objectives is to sell the products to wholesalers and not go into direct retailing. The fibers of bulk wool, and wool thread may be sold to textile mills suppliers. The woven fabric may be sold to textile wholesalers whose down the line customers are tailors, haberdashers and manufacturers of apparel. The leather can be sold to large leather wholesalers. Lastly, the meat can be sold to a main office of a chain of grocery stores. 2. 0 SWOT Analysis of the Products a.Short and Long Wool Fibers in Bulk, Fine and Ordinary Wool Thread, and Fine and Ordinary Wool Textile Wool f ibers and products are unique in a sense that it provides better protection against cold weather. It is organic in nature and does not come from synthetic resins. It has been known to be the source of textile since production in Europe started. Clothing sewn from wool generally cater to residents of temperate and artic countries. Australia, because of its vast grazing lands can produce sheep in voluminous quantities assuring the consistency of supply. These are the strengths of these products.The weaknesses of wool products is that Australia’s geographic position is far from temperate and artic zones that are most populated, no market. On the side of the globe where Australia is located, the most developed market is Japan. Europian markets are not that accessible due to the distance which would increase freight costs. Another weakness is the acceptability of wool sewn clothing. Though fabric from wool make good blankets, its acceptability seem to be outdated because of the em ergence of felt and other cotton like materials that are also thick and provides good insulation from the cold.Blankets and sweaters are the most sewn apparel from wool, with the introduction of thicker textile substitutes, the demand for wool decreased. Another weakness is in terms of the acceptability of the fabric when in contact with human skin which may induce allergies. Lastly, the fabric produced is heavier in terms of weight, than other fabrics. Opportunities lie in the current and biggest emerging market, China. China is about 2 billion in population. China is an aggressive market because it has positioned itself in the ASEAN Region with trading agents and its strategy has become an open trade policy if proper liaison can be done.With very cheap machineries fabricated from the mainland, it may be possible to negotiate the R&D portion for the bulk wool fiber. The biggest threat comes from its largest competitor, cotton. Cotton is light and is very variable in terms of sewing clothing. Countries producing cotton are located near the tropical zone and are positioned nearer the emerging markets than Australia, meaning the freight costs are cheaper. b. Sheep Leather The strength of this product also lie in Australia’s capacity to produce it in bulk and it may come out cheaper than cow leather.The opportunity lie in the huge market in China and Korea for leather and it may mean the introduction of the product at the right quality, quantity and price to garner this market. As earlier mentioned, China and Korea have been manufacturing rubber shoes. The threat is again is in its competitor, cow leather, and Australia’s own leather production may be the same culprit. Balancing the export of the leather products, whether it comes from cow, kangaroos or sheep might be hard to implement if there is over production. c. Sheep Meat/Lambchops The strength of this product lie in the consistency of production.With the vast grazing lands in Australia and it s agriculture technology, sheep production has become comparable with cow production. Australia has gone into export of lamb meat during the mid 90’s, but has not fully developed the market potential. Australia is also known for its beef supply, though sheep meat has already been marketed (e. g. Philippines), the market forces somewhat gave the impression that supply is inconsistent. The weakness of this product is its acceptability because of its semi-pungent odor and knowledge has to be transferred to those who would cook it.Sheep meat, the same with goat meet, has to be processed or seared with heat first before it is cooked and the process is just simple frying of the exposed surfaces. There is a very large market opportunity for this due to two (2) given and existing circumstances: (1) there is growing consciousness about the carrying capacity of bad cholesterol of pork, chicken and beef, and (2) Muslims do not eat beef and they tend to shy away from pork as customary pr actice, instead, goat’s or sheep’s meat is preferred. The Muslim people and Chinese (because of the large population) in the ASEAN would also be in need of food.The opportunity to develop the demand for lambchops or sheep meat exists. This is a very large opportunity because there are large Muslim populations also in the same region. Mindanao in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have a significant number of Muslims in their populace. Sheep meat has threats from cheap pork and chicken meat (beef prices are very high). Producers of pork and chicken in the ASEAN have been in the doldrums too because of the high cost of feed ingredients but once in a while there is glut in these particular markets when the U. S. and Canada dumps its excess production into the ASEAN region.The nations where excess are dumped generally protect their producers by imposing high tariffs for these products and this may also pose a threat if sheep meat becomes a lot cheaper than prices of pork or chicken. 3. 0 Strategies The brand positioning of wool, woolen products, sheep meat and leather may take the low key, low profile stance at first. Raw material from Australia, final product made in China or Korea. Australians may, might as well take advantage of the cheap labor from these manufacturing countries, and should allow the same to manufacture the end or final products such as shoes and apparel.When it comes to sheep meat, it could carry an Australian brand since there is no other large sheep production in the region. The market entry or re-entry strategy can be to invite Chinese investors to conduct the R&D portion for the short and long fiber segregation. Let them develop and fabricate the machinery then buy the machinery from them with the intent to supply the manufactured fibers to them also. With fiber segregation, comes thread production, then textile milling or fabric production. The Chinese have already machinery for these and it could be included in the package.It may revolutionize Australia’s textile industry. The practice of machinery acquisition in exchange of manufactured end product or raw materials have already been done by the Chinese in Thailand and the Philippines. To exemplify, vapor heat treatment plants for mangoes were put up in Thailand in corroboration with a private company and the Thailand government, provided the Chinese will buy the entire mango produced. In the Philippines, decorticating machines for coconut fibers were loaned to a government agency in charge of the coconut industry, provided all the fibers (whether short or long fibers) were bought back.Thus market entry or re-entry is possible with the Chinese, to supply the R&D, needed machinery, and provided all the produce would be bought back. The general strategy for market expansion is to let foreign investors come in and put up their own plants to manufacture the mentioned products herein, provided they market the products themselves. Sal es strategy advertising is easy with the global upgrade in information technology. But, for the general public to be aware of emerging new policies of trading in Australia could require direct advertising in television and newspapers.This could be done through the trade consuls of the embassies of Australia in the countries within the ASEAN Region. The strategy for product positioning can be generalized to be generic sold products at first, and then acquire a brand name later on. This could probably mean that the goods are traded are in bulk status. 3. 1 Sales Strategies For market segmentation, the particulars could be Japan, China, and Muslims from the ASEAN Region. It would be better to cut off the supply with Japan first, let China enter.Market forces should be monitored for control and market research. China has several retail outlets in key cities in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagasaki, etc.. ). For Muslims, which would pertain to sheep meat marketing, trade consuls can offer counte r trade measures to promote the product. Counter trade means there is no change hands of currency but plain barter. This is usually done on a government to government (G-to-G) basis. Stratety in distribution would be in terms of volume. The best would be to allow China to buy all, as this has been their practice with other countries.Slowly remove the Japanese market and let the Chinese do the trading and networking, make the Chinese Australia’s allies in trading. Definitely there will be some unpleasant reactions with the U. S. and the U. K. with these move, thus the Australian government should be ready for this. 3. 2 Product Strategies The product strategies can come in terms of service and support. When the Chinese have decided to enter into Australian territories, they might as well have some incentives like free trade zones, less tariffs for machineries, dedicated warehouses and maritime discounts in berthing their ships.This can justify adjusted lower FOB pricing rates and the high costs of freight.. 3. 3 Pricing Strategies Now that the general strategy is to tap China as an emerging market, at first FOB prices of the manufactured goods must be 5 to 10 per cent lower compared to its competitors. This should be done provided a yearly marketing contract can be inked with the Chinese. Chinese traders practice forard buying; which means that they might opt to buy the whole production for one year of a manufacturing plant, securing a low price and selling the manufactured goods when prices of the goods go up.This semi-monopolistic in nature but works very well if a company is into trading and has very huge capital base. Forward buying is very capital intensive. 3. 4 Retail Strategies The trends for market position of wool and its corollary products should start from the very basic step of the product chain that it can access abroad, the wholesalers. China is a wholesaler and bulk trader. The manufacturing sector of wool and other products must at first , take a stand that their final export product must give a privilege for better profit for the wholesalers as their allies.In the short run, this may mean that in order for the products to penetrate the retail market, other people outside the wholesalers network must be deplored and employed by the wholesalers themselves. It also may mean that the wholesalers that are buying the final export products could independently establish their own retail chains. Thus, the first position of the wool and other corollary wool products should be that of the wholesalers dominion. The next, and without violation of the terms and conditions with the current wholesalers, would be the retailing sector. 5.0 Budget The product marketing plan must come in phases; therefore, it would be hard to arrive at a fix budget for the total project cost of implementing the plan. Only in the first phase can a budget be appropriated for approval. The first phase would be to approve the concept and policies in the m agistrates of the Australian government and conduct advertising and marketing campaigns for the re-aligned trade and marketing policies through the embassies. TV and newspaper promotions would be the bulk of the cost of the campaign. Let us estimate the allocation at A$ 200,000.00 per country, targeting seven (7) countries; total estimated budget is A$ 1. 4MM. This can suffice buying airtime and newspaper publishing for one year. Additional single-liaison staff maybe hired in the embassies but the representation allowance should be flexible, as Chinese representatives are hungry for wine and dine related negotiations. 5. 0 Future Trends and Issues of Marketing Concern The future trends in the global market: more use of organic fibers and leather rather than synthetic substitutes because of the characteristic that synthetics churn toxic fumes when it burns.In the last few decades when there was little awareness on accidents concerning toxic fumes, the trend was to use non-organic fib ers. But when research resulted to synthetic fibers as the source of toxicity, the manufacturing sector using synthetics has slowly reverted to organic sources. This is the same trend with foods and sheep meat as health food will become a fad. The future issues that may arise are that of capital flight to Australia from China, exchange rate fluctuations, currency retention in the partner countries. This can be addressed by lowering or totally eliminating the trade deficits between partner countries.Whereas, Australia may buy Chinese machinery and equipment in return for a captured export market, at both profitable levels of operation, ROI’s and ROE’s can be internally kept a secret within and between both trading partners. 6. 0 Conclusion The product marketing plan designed herein to increase the export revenues of the wool manufacturing sector in Australia is to garner a corresponding increase in the gross trade revenues of the country as a whole. It must consider the balance of trade with the ally it will do the trading with.In terms of foreign investments, the trading partner, in this particular case it is China, Australia must be very cautious in the pricing of the machineries and the technology that China will bring in. Machineries and technology prices are hard to determine especially if the entity who would buy such were not involved in the actual design of the latter. Australia could only specify the technical data and the percieved or target outputs of the machineries. At any rate, technology is a fast maturing factor. New technologies emerge as the old ones are still being used.It may be that the cost at the start would be very high, but as the machineries depreciate, the technology depreciates and so with the cost. Further, the after sales service agreement with the Chinese for the machineries could be designed in a such a way that the acquisition of spare parts and other necessary materials to run the machineries can be less costly. T hese would all depend on the transparency of the trading partner. The logic behind it is that both partners should make enough profits from a sustainable industry and the profits should be declared as transparent as possible.This is the very reason why the long-term goals are the focus of the product marketing plan. The rest of the strategies can be adjusted along the way if the plan implementation should follow another path and not as intended. The planners can think of 1,001 strategies and can implement some of them after the planning stage. When implementation diverts from what has been as planned, alternative strategies could be applied. The best thing that could happen is to be right the first time, during implementation. References: Agdayemawer, M. L. (1992). International marketing strategy.Jaipur, India: Printwell. Alexander, P. , Earland, C. , & Hudson, R. F. Wool : its chemistry and physics. Argy, F. , & Committee for Economic Development of Australia. (1992). A long term economic strategy for Australia : key policy themes : an Australia that works, a vision for the future. Melbourne, Vic. : Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Argy, F. , & Committee for Economic Development of Australia. (1993). A long term economic strategy for Australia a discussion paper. Canberra: CEDA. Australia. Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Wool. Situation and outlook. Canberra: A.G. P. S. Australia. Wool Textile Industry Study Group. , & Australia. Dept. of Industry and Commerce. (1980). The Australian wool textile industry : a report. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Wool, Australia. Canberra: ABS. Australian Wool Corporation. , & Running Stitch (Textile group). (1985). Wool quilts old and new : catalogue to an exhibition June 16th to 30th 1985, Wool House. Parkville, Vic: Australian Wool Corporation. Baker, M. J. (2000). Marketing strategy and management (3rd ed. ). Basingstoke: Macmillan. Bell, M. L., & V incze, J. W. (1988). Managerial marketing : strategy and cases. New York: Elsevier. Bosanquet, N. (1977). Economic strategy : a new social contract. London: Fabian Society. English, W. The textile industry: an account of the early inventions of spinning, weaving, and knitting machines. Findlay, C. C. , Itao, M. , & Australia-Japan Research Centre. (1994). Wool in Japan : structural change in the textile and clothing market. Pymble, N. S. W. : Harper Educational Publishers in association with Australia-Japan Research Centre Australian National University. Harvard business review.Marketing strategy series, pts. Hughes, J. (1967). An economic strategy for Labour. London: Fabian Society. Indian Statistical Institute. Economic strategy and the Third Plan. International Wool Secretariat. Interior Textiles Group. (1986). Wool upholstery handbook. Ilkley: Development Centre International Wool Secretariat. Jenkins, J. G. The wool textile industry in Great Britain. LEADACHINA INTERNATIONAL IN VESTMENTS PTE LTD. (2006). Investments & Trade. 2006, from http://leadachina. en. ec21. com/company_info. jsp LeCouteur, G. S. Wool! Modern myths, new horizons, with an introd.Longworth, J. W. , & Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. (1990). The Wool industry in China : some Chinese perspectives. Mount Waverley, Vic. : Inkata Press in association with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Maclaren, J. A. (1981). Wool science : the chemical reactivity of the wool fibre. Sydney: Science Press. Munro, J. H. A. Wool, cloth, and gold : the struggle for bullion in Anglo-Burgundian trade, 1340-1478. Neal, C. M. , Quester, P. G. , & Hawkins, D. I. (2004). Consumer behaviour : implications for marketing strategy (4th ed.). Boston, Mass. ; North Ryde, N. S. W. : McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Onions, W. J. (1962). Wool : an introduction to its properties, varieties, uses and production. London: E. Benn. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (1981). Emission control costs in the textile industry. Paris: Oecd. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Group of Experts on the Social Aspects of New Technologies. (1988). New technologies in the 1990s : a socio-economic strategy. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Ponting, K. G. (1961).The wool trade : past and present. Manchester: Columbine Press. Ronald, H. B. (1987). Wool before the wind : a history of the Ronald family and the Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Company. South Yarra, Vic: Landvale Enterprises. Ryder, M. L. , & Stephenson, S. K. (1968). Wool growth. London: Academic Press. Stifel, L. D. The textile industry – a case study of industrial development in the Philippines. Textile Council Of Australia. Statistical handbook of the textile industry in Australia. Toyne, B. (1984). The Global textile industry. London ; Boston: Allen & Unwin.United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The Textile industry : perspectives for industrial development in the second United Nations development decade. New York: United Nations. University of New England. Dept. of Adult Education. Wool and wool marketing. White, L. (1981). Wool in wartime : a study in colonialism. Sydney: Alternative Publishing Co-operative. Winyard, S. (1980). Trouble looming : low pay in the wool textile industry. London: Low Pay Unit. Woldendorp, R. , McDonald, R. , & Burdon, A. (2003). Wool : the Australian story. Fremantle, W. A.: Fremantle Arts Centre Press in association with Richard Woldendorp. Wool Research and Development Fund (Australia), Australian Wool Board. Wool Production Resarch Division. , Australian Wool Corporation. Production Research Dept. , Wool Research Trust Fund (Australia), Australian Wool Corporation. Research and Development Dept. , & Australian Wool Corporation. Research projects (Wool Research and Development Fund (Australia)). Sydney: Australian Wool Corporation Research and Development Dept. W ool, R. P. (1994). Polymer interfaces : structure and strength. Munich: Hanser Publishers.

Islamic Women

Islamic Women†¦ Is There an End to their sufferings? The question proposed in the title is basically a direct response after going through Geraldine Brooks’ essay â€Å"Nine Parts of Desire; The Hidden World of Islamic Women† in its second chapter. Geraldine poses several ideas and personal experiences in which she tries to understand the mystery of the perpetuating repressive and barbaric practices (genital mutilation, infibulations, hysterectomy, and honor killings) that have nothing to do with Koranic teachings.She starts her essay in a detailed description of a gruesome and shocking scene of a hysterectomy procedure that took place under poor and unequipped conditions (Brooks 33). Many women that were subjected to such practices ended up dead. For such manner, Dr. Abrehet Gebrekidan, a gynecologist, offered the Eritreans help since her skills will ensure their survival (Brooks 34). Furthermore, the Kuran refused the existence of the dreadful genital mutilation procedures, but the women were not educated enough to read it (Brooks 35).And despite the consequences of such procedures, they believed that such procedures were to safeguard the girls’ chastity where the honor of the fathers and brothers depended on (Brooks 37). As for men, they believed that these operations are equivalent to their honors, therefore they must repress women sexualities by turning off their pleasure sites otherwise they will end up as prostitutes (Brooks 35). The prophet Muhammad, who is the ideal person of all Muslims, believed that women should enjoy sexual intercourse with their husbands. And that it is forbidden to take away women desires (Brooks 39).According to Muslims, specifically Shiite, adultery â€Å"sigheh or muta† is acceptable and sanctioned by a cleric where the couple are together mainly for having sex and providing money (Brooks 43). Brooks also mentions the idea of honor killings that were and still adopted in some Islamic tribes. Th ey believe that fathers and brothers have the right to kill their own daughters or sisters when suspecting that they are having sexual intercourse without marriage (Brooks 49). Brooks obviously mentions that the Kuran (Islam) is not a mean of oppression to women, but then why are there so many women oppressed?All this leads to my personal stand towards such an essential and critical issue. I agree with Geraldine Brooks that Islamic women should strive against such unfair practices and beliefs, and to free themselves from the power of ruled Islamic men for they are suffering from severe consequences. Islamic women should articulate spokeswomen to put an end to their miseries where they can maintain physical, social, and emotional stability. Imagine you were one of the African women who were subjected to such horrifying operation, how would you feel? Frightened, disgusted, hopeless, and worthless.Genital mutilation is a result of delusions of men where they think that their honor will be preserved and maintained through such operations. It is devastating what they do to such women. Their clitoris is cut off in an unprofessional way with poor and unclean equipment which led them to suffer from a lot of pain during sexual intercourse. Moreover, such women used to bleed to death during such operations or if not during the operation then later by suffering from severe infections and debilitating anemia (Brooks 34). To prove such point, Brooks reflected the real life experience of a woman that had her clitoris cut off when she was eight.After getting married, she was subjected to pain every time she had sex with her husband. And giving birth to her last fifth child ended her life (Brooks 33). Women are suffering from physical malfunctions and even death for something they are born with. Is it fair for men to have their honors preserved at the expense of losing so many innocent women? Isn’t there another way? According to the Kuran in Islam, and the hadith of t he prophet Mohammad, women have the complete right to enjoy sex and satisfy their pleasures with their husbands.Men and women are equal when it comes to sex; however they should be married as the Sharia (Law) of Islam states (Brooks 39). The Islamic religion did not mention about hysterectomy and did not approve of it as a way to reflect man’s honor. The prophet Muhammad considered sex to be not only a mean to have children but an enjoyable and pleasurable relation between the couple, and he himself enjoyed it with all his wives (Brooks 41). Moreover, some people might think that the citizens in Saudi Arabia are always confused about sex since they’re women are covered with a veil.However, these people talk about sex all the time and it is not a shy topic for them. For example, Brooks knew a couple in Saudi Arabia that fell in love over the phone and agreed to instantly marry. When Brooks was invited to their home, she was surprised that women there talk about sex all the time and it is a mean for pleasure (Brooks 40). This ensures and proves that women who are having sex while married and enjoying it, is socially and religiously acceptable. But despite that, people are ignoring such issues and girls that did not even reach the age of ten don’t have a choice.They are just taught that it is important for them to undergo hysterectomy for the sake of their families. The horrors of these operations keep haunting them throughout their lives until they are long gone. One by one, all these women are being killed for the sake of their spouses believing that it is the right choice. It is so ironic to me that women get married to die instead of living happily ever after. Women are definitely imprisoned by the power of men. Till now, the sufferings of women that I’ve explained are because of men’s demands and authorities.To be more precise, here comes the notion of so-called â€Å"honor killing†. To men, and especially Islamic me n, honor is extremely important to them and the family in their own society. It is so important that they would kill their own flesh and blood for the sake of preserving their honors. In her essay, Brooks mentions the example of the nineteen years old girl that was found tied up in a burned-out car. She was murdered by her own father because the girl was pregnant and unmarried (Brooks 51). The poor little girl had an affair probably with her loved one, and for that she faced her miserable destiny.Isn’t it all cleared out now? All these crimes, inhumane acts, and the never ending miseries of women are the result of the demands and satisfaction of the ruling men. Therefore, gynecologists revealed a new modern way for such girls to protect themselves for death by undergoing a procedure called hymenoplasty, also known as hymen reconstruction surgery. Lebanon is one of the Arab countries that adopted such procedure (Hankir 387). In Lebanon, the majority of people find having sex b efore marriage a taboo and a sin. To them, virginity of a girl is something so sacred and it determines her honor.Therefore, a girl must remain virgin until she gets married otherwise no man will accept her, and it will cause a lot of problems in her family (Hankir 387). For example, a twenty five-year-old Diana wants to get her hymen reconstructed because she is afraid of losing the one she wants to marry, and she can’t risk having her family find out. Obviously, the man she loves doesn’t accept her as a non virgin (Hankir 387). But the generation now a days is very much different than the generation of our parents and their parents. Sexuality, and especially in Lebanon, has become something normal between two couples.Many teenagers are having sex since their beliefs and mentalities are more up to date and westernized. Also, they can always resort to hymenoplasty as a solution for their â€Å"sins†. I believe that this procedure is somehow helpful in certain ca ses. For example, when a girl gets raped, she can undergo hymenoplasty to cover up for something she had nothing to do with. If she didn’t, many boys will refuse to marry her, and she will be judged wrongly all her life. Genital mutilation is definitely not a substitution for honor killing and vice versa. Both highlight and reflect crimes, inhumanity, and barbarity.Can’t we all just build a society where it is banned from men controlling women and having the right to kill their daughters? A society where women are as much powerful as men and are not afraid to hide their reality with a plastic surgery? Also, there should exist an acceptable punishment for those girls far away from ending their lives since God only is responsible for such duty. To sum up, we live in the Arab world where man was and is still dominant over women. Men tend to control the lives of women as they want to as if they are nothing more than slaves.Honor killing, genital mutilation, and no educatio n are all part of the plan of men. Women are just for satisfying the pleasure of men, and giving birth. Men fear the idea of educating women since they will become as powerful as men and seek to free and protect themselves from the captivation of men. And this leads me to my final stand. Women are capable of living a much more healthy and happy life by strengthening their will and educating themselves. They should not tolerate the demands of men for they bring nothing but miseries and severe consequences on their lives.