The ancient cultures of the world Essay Example for Free

The ancient cultures of the world Essay Food plays a very important role in the development of civilizations and cultures. The cultures that were able to come up with abundant food supply were able to raise large populations that aided in them being able to control large empires. The less sufficient populations were easily conquered by the others. It is clear that food played an important role in all of this. Yet, as the world turns, there is less and less emphases being placed on being able to control food supply as countries all over the world are able to trade with each other for food items. Dominance is no longer hinged on the amount of food but in other matters. The role of food is not being understated but rather just reduced in rank as other important matters take precedence pursuant to the fact that food supply has more or less been secured especially in the developed countries and cultures. 1. The ancient cultures of the world such as the early Native Americans, Incas, Mayas, Egyptians, etc. , all ate what was available from the land around them. For example, each early Native American tribes had a specific diet based on the geography of the region of the United States they were located in. Culture, however, did have an impact on how and why many early civilizations ate the foods that they ate. Some early Native American tribes ate buffalo because it was not only a source of food, but also a source of clothing and shelter. Culture in some instances has affected what certain religions can and cannot eat. For example, Muslims and Jews cannot eat pork, while Hindus cannot eat meat. In the US, freedom and equality has allowed many different cultures to practices what they wish. Many different types of food cultures are evident throughout the United States. US society, though, has changed some of those practices and made them more practical and efficient to fit society’s needs. For example, instead of spending all day cooking for a certain religious holiday, a family can go out and buy the foods they need already cooked and ready to eat. This is something that does not often occur in other parts of the world, but fits in with the convenience of US society. It is interesting to point out, however, that while it is argued that culture plays a big role, religion perhaps exerts a bigger role. The abundance of meats and pork in those regions would have made these ideal foods that were convenient and could sustain the growing population much easier than alternative foods that were often tied up with rituals. Perhaps, the better perspective would be that food is connected to culture and not to necessity or geography. 2. Food began as fuel for the body in its simplest form, but has transformed into an important part of culture and religion. I think culture and geographical location play a very important part in the foods that we eat. Foods beginnings were very natural, but the changes in the way we harvest, grow and prepare foods have changed food to a very unnatural process. It does seem as though food has always played an important part in the culture and religion of society. Food in the United States seems to be on a path to becoming less important in the religious and cultural values as we have so many different cultures that are being combined into one society. I feel that the informality of meals in today’s society is changing the way that we look at food as a part of our daily lives. Meals were times for family in the past and now, it seems like we are always in hurry and trying to eat when we can, rather than making it a social or cultural event. The change that food has had in culture over the years can be attributed to its abundance. As so aptly pointed out, food has become less important and less part of society as a cultural event because of the abundance. In a country that has no problem with food supply, the United States, by ensuring a steady supply of food, has diminished its cultural and social impact. 3. I believe that geography had a lot to do with what people ate historically. Because traveling was so much more difficult, it was impossible to go around at the rate we can so they were stuck in the region that they lived. I think a lot of food customs were built that way. Back then though, I believe that it was â€Å"natural† because they hunted and gathered wild plants and animals instead of raising them how we do now. Historically, all of an animal was used. Every edible part was eaten and all the non-edible parts were used in some capacity. I think that idea paired with the animals being wild made it natural. Nowadays, I totally agree that it is an unnatural, but essential process. We do need the food to survive and with the population of the world, there is no chance all the wild animals would be enough to eat off of and to preserve. I do believe that the foods we eat has everything to do with the culture we were brought up in. Watching the video Bugs for Breakfast totally proves this point. Eating is just as much important to cultures as the special traditions. Heck, most traditions involve eating traditional food. There is no way to separate food and culture. We don’t eat for just necessity like the past. We eat for pleasure. Food is appreciated differently these days according to the difficulty that we have had acquiring it. Hunter gatherer communities made sure that every part of the kill was used because there was no guarantee when the next kill would be. Yet, as man learned how to domesticate and raise food, the priorities became difficult and man now had a luxury to refuse the parts that they don’t want.

Indian Biscuit Market: Segmentation and Customer Analysis

Indian Biscuit Market: Segmentation and Customer Analysis For an effective and efficient segmentation, however, a mix of all of these above mentioned parameters have to be used. Extending the above concept of basis of segmentation, the criteria of segmentation across different conditions is naturally different. For example, for the general understanding of a market, one should keep in mind the benefits sought, product purchase and usage patterns, needs, brand loyalty and switching patterns On the other hand, for positioning studies, product usage, product preference have to be taken into account. On one hand, incase of advertising decisions, when media usage and psychographic /lifestyle is considered seriously, on the other hand for distribution decisions, store loyalty and patronage clubbed with benefits sought in store selection is contemplated over. Also, it has been often concluded that the segment profitability is affected by five principal factors : Industry Competitors and the threat of segment rivalry Potential entrants to the market and the threat of mobility The threat of substitute products Buyers and their relative power Suppliers and their relative power Last but not the least, to decide on segmentation, a knowledge of following five patterns of market coverage is important . They are :- Single segment concentration, selective specialisation, product specialisation, market specialisation, full market coverage. PROMOTION :- For any promotion strategy to be successful, it is primarily important that the flow of thought process behind it be understood. A Marketing Plan is essentially a mix of Product, Place, Price, Promotion, physical evidence and Process Management . This Marketing Plan is a derivative of Marketing strategies and objectives, which is in turn derived from Corporate Objectives. And on an overall level, all of these are derived from the Final Corporate Strategy . Amongst these, the Promotion mix consists of a wide variety of selling tactics like Product Placement, Advertising and advertorials, Packaging, Personal Selling, P.O.S., Publicity .Sponsorship, Sales Promotion, Exhibitions, E-Mails, Text messaging etc. While developing the communications Plan, the following points have to be kept in mind by a Marketer :- The nature and detail of the target audience. The Short-term and Long-term communication objectives The messages that are to be used The Communication channels that will carry the message The Budget The Mix of communication tools that is to be used and how the elements of the promotion mix are to be integrated and how, in turn, the promotions mix is to be integrated with the marketing mix. The measure of the ROI of the campaign. Apart from the above mentioned, approaching the customer in a Integrated Marketing Communication Channel is the most effective. i.e. by achieving a higher level of integration between the individual elements of the communication mix, the planner should achieve a greater degree of clarity and consistency, with the result that there will then be a seamless integration of messages and a broader reach . Brand Management A fundamental element of any product strategy is the role played by the brand. Brands are designed to enable customers to identify products or services that promise specific benefits. As such they are a form of shorthand in that they create a set of expectations in the mind of customers about purpose, performance, quality and price. This in turn allows the strategists to build added value into products and to differentiate them from competitors. To be truly effective, a brand strategy has to develop over time and reflect environmental conditions. There is therefore a need from brand development, the key elements of which involve a detailed understanding of: Current perceptions of the brand amongst customers and the trade The expectations of both customers and the trade The strengths and weakness of each brand within the portfolio The value of each of the brands The links that exist between the different brands owned and the nature and significance of any overlaps and gaps The dangers of brand cannibalization When and where new brand names need to be developed The opportunity for brand stretching Probable competitor moves The starting point for this involves analysing the brand in order to understand detail what it means to customer and how much it is worth. In doing this, the strategist needs to identify the core values, the scope that exists for extending the brand name into other product or market sectors, and the areas that must be avoided at all costs. Developing a brand strategy For many organisations, branding is a fundamental element of the product strategy and provides the basis for a consumer franchise that, if managed effectively, allows for greater marketing flexibility and a higher degree of consumer loyalty. However, it needs to be recognised that branding involves a great deal more than simply putting a name on a package. Instead it is about creating, maintaining and proactively developing perceived customer value, it is only in this way that the organisation is able to promise and continue to deliver to the consumer a superior value than that offered by competitors. It follows from this that any brand strategy is, of necessity, a long term process that involves an investment in and commitment to the development of the brand over time. This long term perspective involves the dovetailing of a number of issues, but in essence can be seen to be concerned with the two principal issue that emerge from the discussion above 1. Where the brand is currently and how it is perceived 2. How the brand is to be perceived in three, five and ten years time, and how this might best be achieved. With regard to the first of these, the starting point for any brand strategy involves identifying: The brands current market positioning Competitors positioning strategies and resource bases The way in which the market is likely to develop, and the implications of product, brand and market life cycles Customers perception of the portfolio of brands in the market Customers expectations and the extent to which these are being met both by the brand and its competitors Levels of customer loyalty across the market The financial, managerial and operational that can be called in managing a brand The bases for competition The relative importance of the brand to the organisation Managerial expectations of the brand It is only against this background that the strategist is able to develop a vision for the brand. Finally in developing the brand strategy, the planner needs to give consideration to a series of financial issues, including the margins and contribution that the brand is required to generate in both the short and the long term, and the levels of investment that the brand needs if it is to achieve the objectives set. Consumer Behaviour From the viewpoint of the marketing planner, the mix of cultural, social, personal and psychological factors that influence behaviour is largely non-controllable. Because of the influence they exert upon patterns of buying, it is essential that as much effort as possible is put into understanding how they interact and ultimately, how they influence purchase behaviour. in doing this, it is important not to lose sight of the differences that exist between customers and consumers, and the implications of these differences for strategy. Against the background of an understanding of the factors influencing motivation, the marketing strategists needs them to consider the influence of perception, since it is the way in which motivated individuals perceive a given situation that determines precisely how they will behave. Consumer is at the centre of all decision making in an organisation. The linkage of the consumer to other aspects is shown in the following diagram. We can see that on the left, the consumer interacts through his perception, understanding (cognition), beliefs and social influences. These aspects determine the behaviour of the consumer. The search for this behaviour is through market research and insight mining. The market Research gives fodder for the strategy to be formulated. MARKSTRAT SUMMARY Before entering any market, it is important to understand what the market stands for, the kind of products in the market, the competitors that the company will face and various external and internal factors that will play a crucial role in making decisions after every quarter/period. The Industry Cheetah has 6 players in the Market namely A, E, I, O, U, Y. After the initial feelers of the whole simulation, it was evident that we would have to focus on certain key areas and others would be on low priority. The key-focus areas that were decided were :- Philosophy, Guiding Principals and Organization Product Portfolio Research Development Advertising and Sales Force Decisions Pricing Effects Competitor Dynamics New Product Launches Production Planning and Inventory Management Financial Focus After setting the above agenda, the next step was to decide what needs to be done in the first period. The single point agenda in this case was to enter the Sonite market while keeping away from the Vodite market . The logic behind this was that to, make Vheetah Y the Stock price leader clubbed with highest ROI. A snapshot of results varying across different periods are as follows :- Base (period 0): 1000 Period 11 (End): 1687 Highest: 2485 (Period 6 End) Lowest: 1000 (base) Highest Stock Price in Industry: 3244 (Cpny. I) Some of the pertinent stock prices Index observations over the periods were :- SPI increased by 68.7% after 11 periods compared to base value. A very encouraging positive growth was seen from Period 0 to Period 6 (138.9% growth from Period 0 to Period 6) On the Contrary there was a continuous decrease in SPI from Period 7 to 11 (32.11% decline in Period 7 to period 11). The high-point of the SPI game was that at the end of Period 6, Cheetah Y was the market leader in terms of SPI. A company vs Company comparison of SPI shows the following results :- The next focus shifted to pushing the Product through Sales and advertising .The logic behind our heavy Advertising Budget was that there was no point in having a perfect product if the target market does not know about it. A fine balance of quality and quantity does the trick.Down the line, Cheetah Y also realised that it is wisest to allocate the money to the products with the highest Return on Investment. Also, from a strategic point of view, it makes a lot of sense to be opportunistic and increase the advertising money when the competitors are squeezed for money . In this regard, the most important function is Competitive Advertising which defines a product (in this case SYGU and SYCA) against what its communication dimensions and message quality are. Initially, the dimensions Economy and Performance and Performance and Convenience fared pretty badly . But towards Period 7 (from Period 3 to Period 7), it reached the message Quality Excellent. Parallely, in the Vodite Market, the product VYLE on the communication dimension Economy Felxibility it scored a message quality of Excellent. A combined overview of how the sales department fared for Cheetah Y is given below. Also, it gives the insight into what cheetah Y fared vis-a-vis competitors and current market scenario. Base (Period 0): (a) Sales Volume: 167.53 Kilo Units (b) Revenue: K$ 48659.3 Million Period 11 (End): (a) Cumulative Sales Volume: 539.60 Kilo Units (b) Cumulative Revenues: K$ 1463564.9 Million Highest Sales in any Period (Units): 788.4 (Period 7 End) Highest Sales in any Period (Revenue): K$ 193776 (Period 7 End) Lowest Sales in any period (Units): Base Lowest Sales in any Period (Value): Base Highest Cumulative Sales (revenue) in industry after 11 periods: K$ 1949822 (Company I) (A snapshot of Sales Volume across all the competitors) After investing in adequate sales force across Speciality Stores, Department stores and Mass Merchandise, the next logical step was to analyse the Market Share after each period. Some of the key highlights in case of market share were :- Market Share at Period 11 (End): 7.03% Highest: 28.35% (Period 5 End) Lowest: 7.03% (Period 11 End) Highest Market Share in Industry (Period 11 end): 38.88% (Company U) The broad strategy to achieve the initially set agenda is that first we enter the Cheetah market with minimum number of products, and with zero product in the Vodite Market. Also, offering the same product across multiple segments enhanced the revenue base. There was an overall increased emphasis on targeted advertising to increase brand awareness. The Pricing strategy also worked in this direction, i.e offer the product at a cheaper price than the competitors (even when the product is superior) . But as dynamic as our market strategies, even the Market threw up a lot of surprises. There were the constantly changing consumer needs, aggressive product development of competition, large disparity in growth rates in different segments of the two markets. Thus a snapshot of the strategies pursued are given below, vis-a-vis what actions were taken . Thus, from the above describes strategies pursued and an analysis of their results, the following lessons were learnt : Offer customized products to each segment in the market Keep track of changing consumer needs; modify products accordingly If the product is not performing well, remove from market Pay emphasis to RD Observe competition and their strategy; tweak strategy suitably Advertising spend does not necessarily lead to greater sales Lowering price will not improve sales even in a price sensitive segment Possible Applications of the learnings :- There is space for growth for additional brands in the customer segments of Buffs and Singles as the entire market is concentrated in just a couple of players. A well positioned and well priced brand definitely has a lot of promise in these segments. We need keep a tap on ideal value evolution of the physical characteristics or dimensions. Continuous re-evaluation and modification of existing brands like SYGU and SYCA should be done and marketing and advertising efforts should be employed keeping the changes in mind. The position of SYGU brand needs to be questioned and, if need be, repositioned with a modified RD project. A product/brand catering exclusively to the Followers segment in the Vodite should be launched with the desired physical characteristics. Need to define the space for competition so that maximum efforts can be employed there with minimal overlap and wastage with any concurrent efforts for any other brand of the company a case in point is Company I which has excellently defined brands in each of the customer segments of Singles, others and followers. Need to use the MDS and SEMANTIC scales more precisely for setting advertising objectives for SYGU and SYCA. COMPANY STRATEGY :- Biscuit industry is the third largest producer and fastest growing industry in FMCG sector.Its Estimated Value is approximately Rs 5000 Crore. It forms a part of the Organized sector: 60% (approximately). Major Segments in which it operates are Glucose, Marie, Cream, Crackers, Milk. Major Brands in the industry right now are : Britannia, ITC, Parle, Priyagold, Dukes etc COMPANY OVERVIEW :- Britannia is Indias second largest food company with Sales close to Rs. 20 billion. Over the years it has shown a Consistent annual growth rate of 15-20% . It Sources products from more than 50 factories spread across the country. Key product lines include Biscuits, Bread, Cakes and Rusk .Product range serves to the whole spectrum from mass market to the premium segment . FINANCIAL ANALYSIS :- An indepth analysis of past few years shows that the Gross sales increased to Rs 2317.11 Cr in 2006-07 indicating a growth of 28% . Britannias Profits declined by 33% due to increase in input prices and stiff competition (like Parle, itc, Priya ). An interesting trend showed that Dividends of the order 100-150% were provided for the past 5 years. Although Britannia followed the industry growth rate for the past 3-4 years, the profit margin followed a zigzag pattern. But owing to Inflation, Costs have increased significantly on the production as well as on selling front. Company has very small debt and its Debt-Equity ratio is 0.01. Company is maintaining good debt rating for future requirements.PBITDM (Profit Before Interest Tax Depreciation Margin) expressed as a percentage of Sales is 6.58.ROE is at a healthy Rate of 21.14% .Current ratio has been improving over the years and hence the solvency position of the company. COMPETITIVE ANLAYSIS :- (Marketing Mix of Britannia ) PRICING :- On the basis of price, the biscuit market can be segmented into the following: Low Range Biscuits (less than Rs 40 per kg.) Medium Range Biscuits (Rs. 40-70 per kg.) High Range Biscuits (over Rs.70 per kg.) Britannia caters to the upper middle and high end of the market with a touch of premium to it. On the price quality matrix, Good Day biscuits can be classified as following a High-Value strategy. PROMOTION :- Britannia has engaged into various Integrated Marketing Communciation activities some of the more prominent ones are mentioned as follows. Since Consumers are becoming more health conscious Swasth Khao Tan Man Jagao (Eat Healthy, Think Better) campaign directly addressed this new trend (Tiger Biscuits). A new logo was created encapsulating the core essence of Britannia healthy, nutritious and optimistic. Good Day is positioned as a healthy and nutritious product and it advocates values that stand for health, hygiene, family, trust and taste. Since events form a major chunk of the Brand visibility agenda, Britannia sponsors a lot of Sports and sporting events as key channel for promotions. One of the majorly acclaimed campaigns of Britannia is Britannia khao, World Cup jao campaign in 1999 and 2003 and was awarded the most recognized sales promotion among all Cricket World Cup-related sales activity SEGMENTATION AND CUSTOMER ANALYSIS :- Before delving deep into Segmentation Targeting and Positioning, it is important to identify what the Key information areas are, specially the Demographic profile of the consumer on the parameters age, sex, income level and occupation. Some of the personal characteristics of consumers include the identification of When do customer consume biscuits, Type of biscuits consumed, Where do the customer purchase, Purpose of buying (personal consumption, gifting, serving guests), How much do consumers spend on biscuits, Factors Affecting the buying decision, order of preference etc. Different products will have different target group depending on the above mentioned factor. Though a Good-day would appeal to the consumers as a mid-range biscuit, a further extension of that product called Good-day Choco-nut falls in the category of High-end biscuits. RD :- Qualitative Research includes an in-depth analysis of the consumer needs and wants and for this, a wide variety of tool may be used. For ex ample, FGDS with a set of consumers to identify major factors influencing the purchase decision of biscuits (and Interacting with friends and family Quantitative Research Customer survey using questionnaire.Survey done through both face to face interviews as well as online. Tools Used are Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Fishbein analysis . Consumer Behavior and MARKET RESEARCH IN CHEETAH Y Market Research forms the basis of almost all of the strategically important decisions that a Company makes over a period of time. Consumer psyche, Brand perceptions, Buying behaviours, Priority or preferences, all of these form the building blocks of information, on the basis of which a decision maker even goes to the extent of changing the very core proposition of a Brand ! BRAND AWARENESS :- To understand the awareness level of brands across our own company Cheetah Y and across competitors, it is important to have a comparative analysis. This has been made possible by Consumer Survey on brand Awareness Segment by Segment . The report delves deep into what exactly is the level of brand knowledge amongst the following segments :- Buffs, Singles, Pros, HiEarners and Others. Initially when the game began, the product SYGU occupied highest mindspace share amongst Singles while the product SYCA occupied highest mindspace amongst Pros. At the end of all 12 periods, SYGU continued to occupy the highest share amongst Singles while also capturing a significantly high percentage amongst Buffs. On the Contrary, the mindspace percentage of SYCA increased excessively for Buffs and Hiearners.Also one more product SYCO was introduced which managed to gain the highest mindspace . This helped in taking proper measures to increase brand awareness amongst the desired segm ent and helped in understanding the impact of increasing advertising expenditure . The next logical step after studying the Brand awareness is to find out that how much of it is actually getting converted into Purchase. To study the Purchase intentions, the report Consumer Survey-purchase Intentions is the apt report. Here we inferred that purchase intention for SYGU was the highest amongst the Singles, which is in sync with the level of Brand awareness amongst them. Also the purchase intention for SYCA was highest amongst the Hiearners which is again in sync with the Brand awareness.IF we analyse the trend across 12 periods, we notice that there is a visible trend reversal i.e. SYGU purchase intention was highest amongst the segment Others while incase of SYCA, the PROS showed the highest purchase intentions . This can be attributed to the fact that a lot of investment was made in the Advertising research and hence overall advertising budget which increased the brand awareness and purchase intention considerably. BUYING BEHAVIOR of consumers :- So where exactly are Cheetah Ys target audience buying from ! This is important to understand because it helped us plan the salesforce and distribute the salesforce accordingly amongst the Speciality stores, Departmental stores and Mass merchandise stores. At the start of period 1, Buffs were mostly buying from Speciality stores, Singles were mostly buying from speciality and Departmental stores while 50% professionals were buying from Speciality stores.High earners preferred to buy through Departmental stores. However, after understanding the buying behaviour, appropriate salesforce was installed in each of these store types. Hence after period 12, singles ended up buying equally from Speciality, Departmental stores and mass Merchandise stores. The result of all the efforts and budget put into Marketing has a direct impact on the market share and stock prices. In this regard, the Report Consumer Panel- Market Shares based on Unit Sales provide the perfect insight into the market share distribution of the two products amongst Buffs, Singles, pros, Hiearners and others. In the Period 1, the highest share of revenue for SYGU was coming from Singles, while highest share of revenue for SYCA was coming from Hiearners (this is in sync with the BRAND AWARENESS report). However, down the line after 11 periods, the highest share of revenue for SYGU was coming from Others while major revenue contributors for SYCA was the segment pros. Since the brand awareness for the product SYCO was low, this duely reflected in in share of revenue being almost nil from each of the segments. After understanding the current scenario and facts and figures related to Brand awareness and Brand purchase intentions, it becomes imperative to do an apt amount of Advertising Research and an estimate of Competitive advertising. The Market research report tells us that initially all the products in the Sonite Market had a rating of poor against the various communication dimensions, except SULI . But over a period of 12 periods, while the communication dimensions and ratings and its corresponding ratings for all the products (and companies) changed, the ratings for SYGU AND SYCA remained poor and only SYCO got a message quality of Good. This can be analysed through the fact that though investment in advertising was being made, simultaneously the changes in the parameters Design, Power, Weight etc through RD was not made. This resulted in a mismatch between the product quality and what is being advertised, hence resulting in poor message quality.

Critos Argument Essay -- essays research papers

The purpose of "Crito" seems intended to exhibit the character of Socrates in one light only, not as the philosopher, fulfilling a divine mission and trusting in the will of Heaven, but simply as the good citizen, who, having been unjustly condemned is willing to give up his life in obedience to the laws of the State. The main argument that seems to entail the discussion between Crito and Socrates is the opinion of the majority on Socrates’ fate. In the "Crito" Socrates states, "Why should we care so much for what the majority think?" (Plato 45) Socrates believes that we should not care what the majority thinks because those who are reasonable people will understand. However, Crito’s counter-argument to this is that the majority can cause great harm; therefore we should care what they think. Socrates further goes on to say the majority acts haphazardly; therefore, they cannot do great good or great harm (Plato 45). Crito says that "the opinion of the many" would judge us wrong if we didn't help you (and anyone in your position would agree that you ought to escape). Socrates notes that some opinion is right and some opinion is wrong. It is not simply a matter of mere opinion, but of correct opinion. The authority in this case is the actual truth of the matter. Socrates introduces a distinction between true opinion and false opinion. And the path to the latter is through argu ment and reason. By appealing to the opinion of "the many," Crito seems to be committing the Ad Populum Fallacy (i.e., something is right, true, etc., because the majority of the population says it is). Socrates seems to pose an open argument: the opinion of the many says that escaping from jail is right – but is it right? Socrates seems to believe that although the majority believes it is right for him to escape from jail he is going against what he believes to be true. Socrates believes that he has a tacit consent with the state by living in Athens for 70 years he has accepted their laws. Furthermore disagrees with retaliation and rejects Crito’s suggestion to flee to Thessaly he will be welcomed there and free to speak. Socrates seems to have adhered to the belief that if he was born and raised in this state and had children here he must have agreed with the ways in which the state operates; therefore, he cann... ...ur country to intervene and help countries less able. South Vietnam needed the support of the U.S.—especially when the North Vietnamese forces threatened them. 	Thus, in conclusion I believe that Socrates was correct to disregard the opinion of the majority. Socrates accepts his fate, for this reason alone he is not a coward. Socrates disagrees with retaliation and has faith in the government of Athens. Although Socrates may not agree with the decision of the assembly to put him to his death, he realizes that he was done wrongly by the assembly rather than the laws of Athens themselves. I believe Socrates feels this way because he has lived under the laws of Athens for 70 years and he has raised his children under the same principles. Socrates accepts the fact that being a member of society demands a certain respect and obedience. Without the rules and punishment system Athens would not be able to function properly. As Socrates decided to become a citizen of the state of Athens he also takes along with him the responsibility of being a citizen of that state. In following the more reasonable people I believe Socrates is merely followi ng the path in which the Gods intended.

crime and media :: essays research papers

Abstract Crime in today’s society is very drastic. Even though crime has drop within the last 30 years, I still believe that there is a large variety of criminals out there waiting to be caught and punished for the crimes committed. On a large part, some of the crimes that are committed daily have a lot to do with the television programs that can be watched every night by every single individual. Some of the most famous or favorite television shows have an impact on our not so good society. In the following paper I will summarize the findings on the types gender, race, age, and types of crime that criminals and victims go through. Crime and the Media 3 Crime and the Media   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America’s Most Wanted is one of the most popular show nationwide. The types of individuals that are featured in this shows are among the most wanted by the FBI, depending on the crimes committed. I do want to mention that basically all of the individuals that where featured in this show tonight are African Americans. To be exact about 75% where blacks, and the other 15% where white, and the last 10% where from Hispanic backgrounds. To me that was very surprising because most of these shows have at least a variety of race and or ethnicity involved somehow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also noticed that most of these individuals where African American Males. These individuals range between the ages of 18 to about 30 years old. There was a very old male probably around his late 50’s charged with sexual assault on a minor. This was the criminal case that involved an older White male. According to my findings I did see that the young black males where involved in different crimes. These crimes ranged between Theft, Homicide, Sexual Assault.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can honestly say that for some reason African Americans commit more criminal offenses, according to the show, â€Å" America’s Most Wanted†. This is one of the crimes that really makes me very upset. This black individual stabs a 14-year-old, female to death, while she was on her way to school. At a different time and day, this individual strikes again, attempting to kill another 14 year old, female. â€Å" Americas Most Wanted†, (Television Series, 2005) Fox. Crime and Media 4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was trying to realize why all this individuals commit all this horrible crimes, the only reason that I can come up with is that for some reason the childhood these individuals had scared them for life.

Violent Video Games did Not Cause the Columbine High School Shooting Es

â€Å"I feel like getting a baseball bat, breaking it over his head, and then STABBING him with the broken end!!!!† vents Eric Harris about his local weatherman on his web page (Anton 5). Harris, being one of the killers in the Columbine High School shooting, was called a â€Å"die-hard gamer who loved the interactive bloodbath called DOOM† (Anton 2). Doom was thought to be one of the factors in Eric Harris’ violent tragedy. The question is: did playing Doom lead to him being a violent child, or did being a violent child lead him to playing Doom? Proceeding my perusal of articles and research, written by authors with scientific credentials or otherwise, I have concluded that video games are no more to blame for the ebullition found in today’s society than any other possible cause. However, the incessant brouhaha as well as the negative notoriety surrounding media and video games refuses to cease or let up. These claims—for or against video games—are ultimately subjective and inconclusive and very little can be confidently derived from them. Granted, the violence found in our youth is growing rapidly, and there must be external reasons for that, but using video games as a scapegoat will not rectify anything. Video games have been subjected to much finger pointing and blame for the too often seen violent tragedies as of late. David Grossman, a military psychologist that researches â€Å"killology,† is one of the many who provides his opinion against video games. Killology is a term he coined for the study of the methods and psychological effects of training army recruits to circumvent their natural inhibitions to killing fellow human beings (Grossman 1). By observing past wars (preceding killology), one can see how much people will... ...C IGN. 19 March 2002 http://pc.ign.com/articles/091/091815p1.html Grossman, David. â€Å"Trained to Kill†. Christianity Today Magazine – COVER STORY: Trained to Kill. 10 August 1998. Christianity Today. 20 March 2002 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/8t9/8t9030.html Anton, Mike and Lisa Ryckman. â€Å"In hindsight, signs to killings obvious†. In hindsight, signs to killings obvious. 2 May 1999. RockyMountainNews.com. 20 March 2002 http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/shooting/0502why10.shtml Tzemach, Gayle. â€Å"Blood and Gore Onscreen†. Violence Invades Video Games. 1 December 2001. ABC News. 19 March 2002. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/dailynews/internetgames981201.html Zarozinski, Michael. â€Å"Video Game Violence†. Violence in Video Games. 12 September 2001. Louder Than A Bomb. 19 March 2002 http://www.louderthanabomb.com/vg_voilence.htm

Salvador Dali Last Supper

February 4, 2009 Surrealistic Meeting Salvador Dali drew the pictureâ€Å"The Sacrament of the Last Supper†in 1955. This painting has quite a bit of emotion as you look and see how the apostles are kneeling. This image was created to show the futurism in the resurrection of Christ. Futurism rejects the traditional form and include art into modern technology. In this painting the most significant detail in this portrait, would be the spirt above the table in form of the cross. This figure is Jesus sprit rising out of him the night before he was going to be crucified.Everyone at the table see this spirt floating out of him and that is why they are bowing their heads. Along with this spirt rising, the large windows in the background, Dali seemed to want all the heavens see what is going on during this meal. Salvador Dali's picture is a totally different setting than the original painting of the last supper. Dali's is set in a peaceful table with bright sun that is showing happine ss and the bright future of everyone at the table. With the mountains covered in snow the setting must be cold but the people in the picture look very warm with just their light robes on while praying.Dali's picture shows the man rising above the table must be the spirit of Jesus leaving his body the night before he was crucified. The arms reaching over the people at the table show his power, strength and desire to protect the loyal ones. The Jesus at the table is in torn clothes, symbolizing a struggle during the day. He looks at peace, like he is ready for his punishment the next day. Out stretched arms of his spirit means he is floating up to the heavens, so the only thing left is just his body or shell. The other people at the table are praying for his spirit and giving thanks for the bread and wine he left them on the table.On the left arm of Jesus is a dove sitting on his hand that symbolizes the calmness of the situation. His right hand, with the fingers that look like they a re pointing to the spirit rising above shows the world  that his spirit will not be stopped no matter what they do with his shell he will live on. This surrealistic setting is the sign that Dali is portraying Jesus as a wonderful peaceful man. He is facing his ordeal with courage and dignity. He looks to be telling his people not to morn and not to hate for what is about to happen. Letting everyone know to keep faith in him and all will be well in the future.The sun shining through the clouds indicates the day is calm and warm even though the mountains have snow in them, It seems Jesus is assuring them that he will keep them all warm with his heart. There is a boat on the shore and that must mean someone with wealth and power showed up for the supper, it might belong to the one person that is in the gold robe. The setting of this background might be a place by Dali's home or  a place where he wanted to live. The big wooden beams and stone dining area proves this is a strong plac e and built to withstand anything.The arms of Jesus spirit are going through the beams and must mean that nothing is as strong as the spirit of Jesus. This surrealistic setting is the sign that Dali is portraying Jesus as a wonderful peaceful man. He is facing his ordeal with courage and dignity. He looks to be telling his people not to morn and not to hate for what is about to happen. Letting everyone know to keep faith in him and all will be well in the future. This painting has a very peaceful and serene theme as shown by the mountains, and the calm face of Jesus.

Descartes Essay Essay

None of the proposed philosophical theories is exact, not even a combination of two or more theories (Sayre, 2011). However, Descartes has unique way of metaphysical argument concerning existence of God. Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV) ends surprisingly with a claim of God’s existence, which can be deduced from the interrelationship between mind, soul and our existence. Descartes began the fourth section by discussing about himself. The reading up to the point where he gives credit to a supreme being, God, could only suggest that Descartes was discussing about his philosophical thought about his being as a man. However, the discourse twist came when he inferred, â€Å"something indeed having every perfection of which I could have any idea, that is—to explain myself in one word—by God† (Bennett, 2007, p. 16). After this inference, the discourse changed to one that discussed the existence of God. It was at this point that it became clear that the ending would be more of God’s existence rather than a conclusion of Descartes as a human being. The change of discourse from exploration of self to a proof of God’s existence through personal evaluation was indeed an ingenious thought. Most of the times we try to prove existence of God or lack thereof by evaluating what are outside us. However, Descartes made a self-evaluation on intrinsic values of himself as a human being. By deconstructing his strengths and limitations, he was able to realize a fair conclusion about the existence of a supreme being, which we refer to as God. Therefore, the ending was different but offered a concise conclusion on God’s existence despite starting on a different discourse. References Bennett, J. (2007). Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting one’s Reason and Seeking Truth in the Sciences. Retrieved from http://www. earlymoderntexts. com/pdf/descdisc. pdf Sayre, H. (2011). The Humanities Culture, Continuity, and Change: New York: Pearson College Div.