Acid Rain Cause And Effects And Issues Essays - Sulfates, Bases

Acid Rain: Cause and Effects and Issues Introduction Acid rain has become an environmental concern of global importance within the last decade. With the increasing environmental awareness of the "unhealthy" condition of our planet earth the concern about acid rain has not lessened. In brief, acid rain is rain with pH values of less than 5.6. When dealing with acid rain one must study and understand the process of making Sulfuric acid. In this project we will take an in depth look into the production of sulfuric acid, some of its uses and the effects of it as a pollutant in our environment. Sulfuric Acid Industry in Ontario Among the many plants in Ontario where sulfuric acid is produced, there are three major plant locations that should be noted on account of their greater size. These are: (1) Inco. - Sudbury, (2) Noranda Mines Ltd. - Welland, and (3) Sulfide - Ontario There are a number of factors which govern the location of each manufacturing plant. Some of these factors that have to be considered when deciding the location of a Sulfuric Acid plant are: a. Whether there is ready access to raw materials; b. Whether the location is close to major transportation routes; c. Whether there is a suitable work force in the area for plant construction and operation; d. Whether there is sufficient energy resources readily available; e. Whether or not the chemical plant can carry out its operation without any unacceptable damage to the environment. Listed above are the basic deciding factors that govern the location of a plant. The following will explain in greater detail why these factors should be considered. 1) Raw Materials The plant needs to be close to the raw materials that are involved in the production of sulfuric acid such as sulfur, lead, copper, zinc sulfides, etc.. 2) Transportation A manufacturer must consider proximity to transpor- tation routes and the location of both the source of raw materials and the market for the product. The raw materials have to be transported to the plant, and the final product must be transported to the customer or distributor. Economic pros and cons must also be thought about. For example, must sulfuric plants are located near the market because it costs more to transport sulfuric acid than the main raw materials, sulfur. Elaborate commission proof container are required for the transportation of sulfuric acid while sulfur can be much more easily transported by truck or railway car. 3) Human Resources For a sulfuric acid plant to operate, a large work force will obviously be required. The plant must employ chemists, technicians, administrators, computer operators, and people in sales and marketing. A large number of workers will also be required for the daily operation of the plant. A work force of this diversity is therefore likely to be found only near major centres of population. 4) Energy Demands Large amounts of energy will also be required for the production of many industrial chemicals. Thus, proximity to a plentiful supply of energy is often a determining factor in deciding the plant's location. 5) Environmental Concerns Most importantly, however, concerns about the environment must be carefully taken into consideration. The chemical reaction of changing sulfur and other substances to sulfuric acid results in the formation of other substances like sulfur dioxide. This causes acid rain. Therefore, there is a big problem about sulfuric plants causing damage to our environment as the plant is a source of sulfur emission leading to that of acid rain. 6) Water Supplies Still another factor is the closeness of the location of the plants to water supplies as many manufacturing plants use water for cooling purposes. In addition to these factors, these questions must also be answered: Is land available near the proposed site at a reasonable cost? Is the climate of the area suitable? Are the general living conditions in the area suitable for the people involved who will be relocating in the area? Is there any suggestions offered by governments to locate in a particular region? The final decision on where the sulfuric acid plant really involves a careful examination and a compromise among all of the factors that have been discussed above. Producing Sulfuric Acid Sulfuric acid is produced by two principal processes-- the chamber process and the contact process. The contact process is the current

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 6

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 6 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Chapter 6 of The Great Gasbyis a major turning point in the novel:after themagical happiness of Gatsby and Daisy's reunion ins Chapter 5, we start too see the cracks that will unravel the whole story. Possibly because of this shift in tone from buildup to letdown, this chapter underwent substantial rewrites late in the editing process, meaning Fitzgerald worked really hard to get it just right because of how key this part of the book is. So read on to see how it all starts to fall apart in our full The Great Gatsby Chapter 6 summary. Gatsby and Daisy each try to integrate into the other one’s life, and both attempts go terribly. Gatsby can’t hang with the upper crust because he doesn’t understand how to behave despite his years crewing a millionaire’s yacht, and Daisy is repulsed by the vulgar rabble at Gatsby’s latest party. Recipe for eventual disaster? Absolutely. Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 6Summary A reporter shows up to interview Gatsby. He is becoming well known enough (and there are enough rumors swirling around him) to become newsworthy. The rumors are now even crazier: that he is involved with a liquor pipeline to Canada, that his mansion is actually a boat. The narrative suddenly shifts timeframes, and future book-writingNick interrupts the storyto give us some new background details about Gatsby. Jay Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz. His parents were failed farmers. He is an entirely self-made man, so ambitious and convinced of his own success that he transformed himself into his version of the perfect man: Jay Gatsby. Before any of his eventual social and financial success, he spent his nights fantasizing about his future. James Gatz met Dan Cody, a copper and silver mine millionaire, on Cody’s yacht on Lake Superior. Cody seemed glamorous, and Cody liked Gatz enough to hire him as a kind of jack-of-all-trades for five years. They sailed around, indulged Cody’s alcoholism, and Gatz learned how to be Jay Gatsby. Cody tried to leave him money in his will, but an estranged wife claimed it instead.Nick tells us that Gatsby told him all of these details later, but he wants to dispel the crazy rumors. The narrative flips back to the summer of 1922. After a few weeks of trying to make nice with Jordan’s aunt (who controls her money and directs her life), Nick returns to Gatsby’s house. Tom Buchanan and an East Egg couple who has met Gatsby before stop by while horseback riding. It’s unclear why – for a quick drink maybe?Tom has no idea who Gatsby is, but Gatsby goes out of his way to remind him that they met ata restaurant a few weeks ago (in Chapter 4), and to tell him that he knows Daisy. Gatsby invites them to stay for supper. The lady of the couple disingenuously invites him over to her dinner party instead. Gatsby agrees. Nick follows the guests out and overhears Tom complaining that Gatsby has clearly misread the social cues – the woman wasn’t really inviting him for real, and in any case, Gatsby doesn’t have a horse to ride. Tom also wonders how on earth Daisy could have met Gatsby.The three leave without Gatsby, despite the fact that he accepted the invitation to go with them. The next Saturday, Tom comes with Daisy to Gatsby’s party.Nick notes that with them there, the party suddenly seems oppressive and unpleasant. Gatsby takes them around and shows them the various celebrities and movie stars that are there. Tom and especially Daisy are somewhat star-struck, but it’s clear that to them this party is like a freak show – where they are coming to stare at the circus, and where they are above what they are looking at. Gatsby and Daisy dance and talk. Tom makes see-through excuses to pursue other women at the party. Daisy is clearly miserable. While Gatsby takes a phone call, Daisy and Nick sit at a table of drunk people squabbling about their drunkenness.Daisy is clearly grossed out by the party and the people there. When the Buchanans are leaving, Tom guesses that Gatsby is a bootlegger, since where else could his money be coming from? Daisy tries to stick up for Gatsby, saying that most of the guests are just party crashers that he is too polite to turn away. Nick tells Tom that Gatsby’s money comes from a chain of drug stores. Daisy seems reluctant to go, worried that some magical party guest will sweep Gatsby off his feet while she’s not there. Later that night, Gatsby worries that Daisy didn’t like the party. His worry makes him tell Nick his ultimate desire: Gatsby would like to recreatethe past heand Daisy had together fiveyears ago.Gatsby is an absolutist about Daisy: he wants her to say that she never loved Tom, to erase her emotional history with him (and with their daughter, probably!). Nick doesn't think that this is possible. Gatsbytells Nicksabout the magical past that hewants to recreate. It was encapsulated in the moment of Gatsby and Daisy’s first kiss. As soon as Gatsby kissed Daisy, all of his fantasies about himself and his future fixated solely on her. Hearing this description of Gatsby’s love, Nick is close to remembering some related phrase or song, but he can’t quite reach the memory. The intense, overly romantic way Gatsby describes his first kiss with Daisy is a solid clue into his over-idealization of her as almost a fairy tale figure of perfection. It’s totally fair to expect her to live up to that, right? Key Chapter 6 Quotes The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of Goda phrase which, if it means anything, means just thatand he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty. (6.7) Here is the clearest connection of Gatsby and the ideal of the independent, individualistic, self-made man – the ultimate symbol of the American Dream. It’s telling that in describing Gatsby this way, Nick also links him to other ideas of perfection. First, he references Plato’s philosophical construct of the ideal form – a completely inaccessible perfect object that exists outside of our real existence. Second, Nick references various Biblical luminaries like Adam and Jesus who are called â€Å"son of God† in the New Testament – again, linking Gatsby to mythic and larger than life beings who are far removed from lived experience. Gatsby’s self-mythologizing is in this way part of a grander tradition of myth-making. Tom was evidently perturbed at Daisy's running around alone, for on the following Saturday night he came with her to Gatsby's party. Perhaps his presence gave the evening its peculiar quality of oppressivenessit stands out in my memory from Gatsby's other parties that summer. There were the same people, or at least the same sort of people, the same profusion of champagne, the same many-colored, many-keyed commotion, but I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn't been there before. Or perhaps I had merely grown used to it, grown to accept West Egg as a world complete in itself, with its own standards and its own great figures, second to nothing because it had no consciousness of being so, and now I was looking at it again, through Daisy's eyes. It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment. (6.60) What for Nick had been a center of excitement, celebrity, and luxuryis now suddenly a depressing spectacle. It’s interesting that partly this is because Daisy and Tom are in some sense invaders – their presence disturbs the enclosed world of West Egg because it reminds Nick of West Egg’s lower social standing. It’s also key to see that having Tom and Daisy there makes Nick self-aware of the psychic work he has had to do to â€Å"adjust† to the vulgarity and different â€Å"standards† of behavior he’s been around. Remember that he entered the novel on a social footing similar to that of Tom and Daisy. Now he’s suddenly reminded that by hanging around with Gatsby, he has debased himself. But the rest offended herand inarguably, because it wasn't a gesture but an emotion. She was appalled by West Egg, this unprecedented "place" that Broadway had begotten upon a Long Island fishing villageappalled by its raw vigor that chafed under the old euphemisms and by the too obtrusive fate that herded its inhabitants along a short cut from nothing to nothing. She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand. (6.96) Just as earlier we were treated to Jordan as a narrator stand-in, now we have a new set of eyes through which to view the story – Daisy’s. Her snobbery is deeply ingrained, and she doesn’t do anything to hide it or overcome it (unlike Nick, for example). Like Jordan, Daisy is judgmental and critical. Unlike Jordan, Daisy expresses this through â€Å"emotion† rather than cynical mockery. Either way, what Daisydoesn’t like is that the nouveau riche haven’t learned to hide their wealth under a veneer of gentility – full of the â€Å"raw vigor† that has very recently gotten them to this station in life, they are too obviously materialistic. Their â€Å"simplicity† is their single-minded devotion to money and status, which in her mind makes the journey from birth to death (â€Å"from nothing to nothing†) meaningless. He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: "I never loved you." (6.125) Hang on to this piece of information – it will be important later. This is really symptomatic of Gatsby’s absolutist feelings towards Daisy. It’s not enough for her to leave Tom. Instead, Gatsby expects Daisyto repudiate herentire relationship with Tom in order to show that she has always been just as monomaniacally obsessed with him as he has been with her. The problem is that this robs her of her humanity and personhood – she is not exactly like him, and it’s unhealthy that he demands for her to be an identical reflection of his mindset. "I wouldn't ask too much of her," I ventured. "You can't repeat the past." "Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can!" He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand. "I'm going to fix everything just the way it was before," he said, nodding determinedly. "She'll see." He talked a lot about the past and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was. . . (6.128-132) This is one of the most famous quotations from the novel. Gatsby’s blind faith in his ability to recreate some quasi-fictional past that he’s been dwelling on for five years is both a tribute to his romantic and idealistic nature (the thing that Nick eventually decides makes him â€Å"great†) and a clear indication that he just might be a completely delusional fantasist. So far in his life, everything that he’s fantasized about when he first imagined himself as Jay Gatsby has come true. But in that transformation, Gatsby now feels like he has lost a fundamental piece of himself – the thing he â€Å"wanted to recover.† Through all he said, even through his appalling sentimentality, I was reminded of somethingan elusive rhythm, a fragment of lost words, that I had heard somewhere a long time ago. For a moment a phrase tried to take shape in my mouth and my lips parted like a dumb man's, as though there was more struggling upon them than a wisp of startled air. But they made no sound and what I had almost remembered was uncommunicable forever. (6.135) Just as Gatsby is searching for an unrecoverable piece of himself, so Nick also has a moment of wanting to connect with something that seems familiar but is out of reach. In a nice bit of subtle snobbery, Nick dismisses Gatsby’s description of his love for Daisy as treacly nonsense (â€Å"appalling sentimentality†), but finds his own attempt to remember a snippet of a love song or poem as a mystically tragic bit of disconnection. This gives us a quick glimpse into Nick the character - a pragmatic man who is quick to judge others (much quicker than his self-assessment as an objective observer would have us believe) and who is far more self-centered than he realizes. Just what is Nick’s missing â€Å"fragment†? Is there an emotional part of him that is fundamentally lacking? Chapter 6 Analysis Let's work to connect this chapter to the largerstrands of meaning in the novel as a whole. Overarching Themes The American Dream. It’s not a coincidence that in the same chapter where we learn about James Gatz’s rebirth as Jay Gatsby, we see several other versions of the same kind of ambition that propelled him: A reporter on the make follows a hunch that Gatsby might turn out to be a story. Nick spends weeks courting the aunt that controls Jordan’s life and money. And in the deep background of the party, a movie star’s producer tries to take their relationship from a professional to a personal level. Everyone in the world of the novel is out to climb higher, to get more, to reach further. Plus, we see the people at the very top of the social hierarchy (Tom and Daisy) repeatedly look down their noses at this social climbing and generally act petty and miserable - which creates that sense that even for those at the top, happiness and fulfillment are elusive. Motifs: Alcohol. Despite his idolizing of Dan Cody, Gatsby learns from his mentor’s alcoholism to stay away from drinking – this is why, to this day, he doesn’t participate in his own parties. For him, alcohol is a tool for making money and displaying his wealth and standing. Society and Class. A very awkward encounter between a couple of West Egg, Tom, and Gatsby highlights the disparity between West Egg money and East Egg money. To Nick, the East Eggers are fundamentally different and mostly terrible: For fun, they ride horses, while Gatsby’s main vehicle is a car. They issue invitations that they hope will get declined, while Gatsby not only welcomes them into his home, but allows people to crash his parties and stay in his house indefinitely. They accept hospitality without so much as a thank you, while Gatsby feels such a sense of gratitude that his thanks are overwhelming (for example, when he offers to go into business with Nick when Nick agreed to ask Daisy to tea). This also demonstrates the fundamental inability to read people and situations correctly that plagues Gatsby throughout the novel - he can never quite learn how to behave and react correctly. Immutability of Identity. However far Gatsby has come from the 17-year-old James Gatz, his only way of hanging on to a coherent sense of self has been to fixate on his love for Daisy. Now that he has reached the pinnacle of realizing all his fantasies, Gatsby wants to recapture that past self – the one Daisy was in love with. Love, Desire, Relationships.No real life relationship could ever live up to Gatsby’s unrealistic, stylized, ultra-romantic, and absolutist conception of love in general, and his love of Daisy, in particular. Not only that, but he demands nothing less of Daisy as well. His condition for her to be with him is to entirely disavow Tom and any feelings she may have ever had for him. It’s this aspect of their affair that is used to defend Daisyfrom the generally negative attitude most readers have towards her character. Daisy Buchanan's Motivations. Daisy’s reaction to Gatsby’s party is fascinating - especially if we think that Gatsby has been trying to be the â€Å"gold-hatted bouncing lover†for her. She is appalled by the empty, meaningless circus of luxury, snobbishly disgusted by the vulgarity of the people, and worried that Gatsby could be attracted to someone else there. Daisyenjoyed being alone in his mansion with him, but the more he displays what he has attained, the more she is repelled. The gold-hatted routine simply won’t work with her when the Gatsby she fell in love with was an idealistic dreamer who was overwhelmed by simply kissing her - not the seen-it-all keeper of a menagerie of celebrities and weirdos. Listen, you either love the circus, or you hate the circus - but the circus is what you’re getting with Gatsby. Crucial Character Beats We find out Gatsby’s real origin story! He was born James Gatz and created a whole new persona for the future successful version of himself. When he was 17, Gatsby met a millionaire named Dan Cody, who taught him how to actually be Jay Gatsby. Tom and Gatsby exchange words for the first time (they met once for a hot second in Chapter 3, but didn’t speak)! They meet by coincidence when Tom’s friends bring him to Gatsby’s house in the middle of a horseback ride. Tom and Daisy come to one of Gatsby’s parties, where Daisy is disgusted by the vulgar excess and Tom goes off to womanize. Gatsby and Nick discuss the possibility of recreating the past, which Gatsby is apparently trying to do in order to be with Daisy. Gatsby thinks that reliving the past is definitely a completely real thing that normal people are able to do. What’s Next? Compare the description of this downer of a party with the much more fun-sounding one in Chapter 3, and think about what changes when the party is seen through Daisy’s eyes rather than Nick and Jordan’s. Check outthe novel’s timelineto get thehang of what happens when inthis chapter’s flashback. Evaluate the Tom and Gatsby face to face matchup by contrasting these two seemingly opposite characters. Move on to the summary of Chapter 7, or revisit the summary of Chapter 5. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Big brother Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Big brother - Research Paper Example In addition, children spend much time in the watching of television via the internet. The long time spent on the computer affects the physical health of children and adults alike. This also affects a person’s social life because it limits the time spent in socializing and making of social networks. Computers will lead to the destruction of humankind in the near future. The children’s perceptions of reality are compromised leading to inability to make sound judgments. In addition, the cognitive and the development of the child are affected. Communication has also been shifted to the use of computers. Staying long with a computer also contributes in the increase of weight among people because of lack of required body exercise. This also affects the eyesight of a person because of overexposure of the eyes to a lot of computer monitor screen light. Accessibility to the computer deprives many people of the power of imagination hence creativity and innovation power of people is compromised. The use of computers has paved way for computer data hackers and software piracy, which has resulted in the loss of confidential information from secured locations. In addition, this has resulted in the loss of billions of dollars through the cyber-crimes. ... The computers have resulted in less time for social affairs for many people resulting in domestic chaos and conflicts. This arises as a result of lack of time for socializing and problem-solving with friends and relatives of an individual. Unfortunately, the internet exposes the children to pornographic movies and videos, which corrupt their minds. This may also result in the commission of immoral acts by the children. Communication online is not a good channel to convey confidential information because of lack of trust for the two people from different graphical user interfaces. Technology makes people to cut ties with their friends and acquaintances, which erode the aspect of human co-existence. In fact, a person is turned into a robot. According to Meghanathan, Dhinaharan and Brajesh, there is a price paid in the use of technology though it makes life easy (32). Computer technology lacks the mechanism of rectifying the children after they commit mistakes due to technology-based ex posure like pornographic movie watching. The people encountered in the course of utilizing computer technology in using information, sometimes mislead the public with regard to acquisition of communication skills. For instance, the mumbling nature of most speakers on TV sets denies children the opportunity to learn the language through the media. In addition, the violence films broadcasted negatively impact children because  they seek to rehearse the taekwondo skills on TV and online movies. The vulgar language used in these instances is emulated by the children leading to immoral behavior among the children. Indeed, the swearing manifest in most movies is emulated by the children. These behaviors are provocative in society thus the

Research on brand strategy, Chinese brand issue and countermeasures Dissertation

Research on brand strategy, Chinese brand issue and countermeasures - Dissertation Example Chinese brands lack the global standards of competitiveness. They have been focusing on the development of self-owned brands but they continue to face issues such as a weak brand and lack of brand protection consciousness. Thus with the aim to recommend an affective brand strategy for Chinese enterprises, three objectives were set in the study. Extensive literature on the subject was reviewed and then based on a qualitative study, and purely on secondary data the study objectives have been achieved. Reason why Chinese brands have not been able to establish in international markets range from low quality perception, to adherence to Chinese brand names and the lack of competency to decide on brand positioning and brand personality. Chinese brands are known to simply respond to opportunities without implementing brand strategy. The benefits of an effective brand strategy have been amply highlighted throughout the study which includes loyal customers, higher market share and larger reven ues. Brand strategy helps brands adopt a differentiation strategy and focus on specific elements. Citing the examples of Haier and Lenovo, the study finds that an effective brand strategy can help domestic Chinese brands to achieve success in the international markets. Through brand positioning, through a planned growth strategy, Chinese brands can develop sustained competitive advantage even in foreign markets. An effective brand strategy helps overcome the negative perception associated with Chinese brands. The study concludes by suggesting counter measures that Chinese brands can adopt to establish in international markets. Limitations to the study have been highlighted and recommendations for further research on the subject have been made. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale of the Study 3 1.3 Research Aims and Objectives 5 1.4 Structure of the Study 5 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Chapter Overview 7 2.2 The concept of brand 7 2.3 Concept o f Brand Strategy 8 2.4 Theories governing brand strategy 11 2.5 Reasons for poor brand strategy 15 2.6 Chapter Summary 17 Chapter III Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 18 3.2 Research Design 18 3.3 Chosen Method 19 3.4 Research approach 20 3.5 Data Collection Strategy 20 3.6 Data Analysis 22 3.7 Ethical concerns 22 Chapter IV Findings and Discussion 4.1 Chapter Overview 23 4.2 Findings 23 4.3 Discussions 30 4.4 Chapter Summary 33 Chapter V Conclusion and Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion 34 5.2 Countermeasures 36 5.3 Limitations of the Study 38 5.4 Recommendations for further research 38 References 39 Tables, Charts and Figures Chart 1.1 Brand-consciousness Chinese consumers 2 Figure 2.1 Brand Equity Pyramid 9 Table 4.1 Guangdong Tea Exports 28 Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background With the economic development and improvement in people’s living standards, products have become increasingly rich, offering value to the customers. In fact, competition in every field has made busi nesses and markets turbulent prompting marketers to create a distinctive brand image for their products. This requires change in the way organizations build and sustain brands. Most powerful brands in the world support their brand as an asset, essential to the organization’s long-term strategy (Davis, 2002 cited in Tregert & Westerlund, 2003). Since brand is an asset with an assumed value, brand awareness, brand associations and brand loyalty have to be actively managed. Global brands across the world have

Politicians and Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Politicians and Elections - Essay Example The expectations of the electorate regarding personal conduct and characteristics of politicians, immensely impacts the decisions of voters on the people to choose during the election period (Thurber, 2004). The perceptions held by the electorate significantly affects the decision making process of the electorates. Within political scenarios, various challenges define the success of political campaign, including the presence of a crisis and the ability to handle the crisis amicably. These perceptions commonly occur in three dimensions of personals character, associated individuals and characteristics regarding the citizenship of the person. During the campaign period, the politicians aim at convincing the electorate to change the negative perceptions held, regarding the politicians. The rhetoric method of self defense could be utilized in damage control of an individual’s political character, as well as personal character. Though the method could be identified as containing pa ranoia or arrogance, the utilization of the method by George Hansen enabled him to continually get re-elected into the United States congress. The character of this politician underwent serious scrutiny within the congress, and outside the congress. During the campaigning period, Hansen continually employed the method of delivering rhetorical speeches as a way of seeking to convince the electorate about his questionable character. The issues arising within the political scenario, surrounding Hansen, centered on his personal behavior and professional conduct (Short, 1987). This included felony charges and accusations of providing false information regarding his wealth. While defending his political character during the election period, Hansen immensely utilized rhetoric speech to persuade the electorate otherwise, regarding his tainted political character. Voters appear to consider the character competence of politicians over the proposed policies, and in turn increase the desire for politicians to present themselves as capable, regardless of their perceived public image. The crisis within politics appears to affect the electorate decisions adversely; hence the management of these issues remains fundamental to successful campaigning. Accusations of deceptive dealings between opposing candidates continue to present surmountable crisis within campaign teams. The response offered to the public could be termed as a damage control measure for the candidates. While some candidates might choose to answer such image tainting crisis through the media, others speak directly to the electorate as a way of convincing them. Political analysis cannot define the better method of crisis control; however the candidates choose modalities which they deem fit for their campaign teams. Proper handling of political crisis stands between success and failure for any prospective political candidate in modern politics. The challenges presented by political crisis could adversely affect t he probability of candidates getting elected into prospective seats. In handling the political crisis that questioned his integrity, Hansen delivered speeches to the electorate. Concerning the prevalent issue of age, President Reagan failed to deliver any speech; however, he rhetorically joked about the issue and utterly ended the recurrent speculations regarding his age (Hahn, 1987). The methods utilized in handling political crisis depend heavily

An Analysis Of The Gift Market Within India Marketing Essay

An Analysis Of The Gift Market Within India Marketing Essay On the basis of the literature review and study of the gifting industry, there is a need to introduce a newer and more innovative way to gift for individuals as well as corporate houses. The research establishes the need for personalization  [3]  , creativity and uniqueness to enhance the value of a gift.  [4]  It helps communicate clearly how much meaning and value the recipient holds in the givers life. A gift which is personalized as per the recipients interests, personality and hobbies makes it a more memorable experience and is likely to lead to greater emotional connect between individuals and enhanced, more loyal business relationships for corporates  [5]  . In spite of the added advantages of a personal and well thought of gift, people and corporate houses are either hard pressed for time and are ready to pay a premium for convenience and saving time or they are at loss of how to express and what to communicate through a gift. Thus, establishing a need for service provider to fulfill the above need gaps. From a research perspective an attempt will be made to understand in the importance of personalization in gifting and the role of gist service providers in the process of gifting., 2.2 Research Gap Research for gifting amongst individuals throws light on what is gifting, what parameters do people look at before giving a gift, the trends and attitudes of certain target groups towards gifting, anxiety in the gifting process. Among corporates the research currently studies how corporate gifts help increasing and enhancing business relationships and marketing efforts. There is a need to study specific parameters that enhance the value of the gift and the gifting process. Through this project and the preliminary research, gaps in the gifting industry for individuals and corporates will be identified and researched further in detail 2.3 Nature of study The flow that will be followed to arrive at an entrepreneurial opportunity and business concept in the Indian gifting industry for the Venture Incubation project will include a literature review on the gifting industry and primary and secondary research to support the concept proposed. After this a business plan will be developed and tested in the market. Finally an experiential report of the same will be given. 2.4 Deliverables of the Venture incubation project Research findings An innovative package and concept to provide gifts in a unique manner and provide convenience to the individuals and corporates in the process of gifting Validation report by testing and implementing product and service offerings in the market Literature review 3.1 What is gifting? The following is a study of the meaning of gifting and the unique trends in consumer behavior related to gift giving. Challenges to retailers and the negative effects of gifting have also been studied to understand what are the influential factors affecting a gift giver and recipient. Why we shop, Emotional rewards and retail strategies, by author Jim Pooler(2003), explains Gifting as a form of Shopping from the heart. He states People will spend far more money to please another person with a gift than they will spend on shopping for themselves. According to his study, Gifting represents one of the most illogical shopping behaviors. Why are people so anxious to please others with gifts? Pooler (2003) describes Gifting as a tool to make a statement about ones feelings. This in turn leads to strengthening of an emotional bond between the giver and the recipient. The emotion or expense in a gift is considered a measure of ones respect, esteem or love for one another. Example- a child drawing a card for his mothers birthday or a lover writing a poem or a person spending hours looking for the perfect gift is making an emotional investment and represents what one person thinks of the other. Gifts act as a tool for expression especially when articulating ones feelings become difficult. In such a case, they act as mediator between the two people involved. According to Unitymarketingonline, the  Greeting Card, Stationery, Gift Wrap Party Goods and Paper Crafting Report 2007 is a $37.4 billion market  [6]  .The greeting card industry which specifically represents a $7.5 billion industry in the US market, thrives, on its ability to provide emotional expression. Greeting cards are also commonly used to accompany gifts well.  [7]  This multi-billion dollar industry offers real advantages of helping one express their deep emotions briefly besides saving time, effort, money and providing convenience.  [8]  According to Danziger, with 70 % of American household purchasing greeting cards, it makes it the third most frequently purchased product that people do not need. This directly implies the power of the gifting and emotional consumerism. Gifting is a two way process -A challenge disguised as an opportunity for the marketer and retailer in the gift business is the understanding that a gift is meant and directed both towards the receiver and the giver. According to Pooler (2003), A customer is always seeking re-assurance that the given gift will bring him/her as much emotional satisfaction as the person for whom he is buying it. Thus, gifts at one level bring personal satisfaction and are self-indulgent in nature. People are irrational when they gift- Another advantage for the marketer in the gifting business is the irrational and unjustified expenditure a consumer is willing to make on it, so as long as it makes emotional sense. Thus, customers are largely price insensitive, especially if the strength of the relationship between the receiver and giver is strong. This allows retailers t tap into the potential of high margin products. Gifting is largely occasion specific-Lastly, occasions and holidays such as anniversaries, Valentines days and in India religious festivals such as Diwali and Dhanteras represent an area of gifting where demand is literally inelastic. Not purchasing a gift on such days is unthinkable. Occasions such as Valentines, Anniversaries, Mothers day, where a son, husband, boyfriend is in a situation where he must make a purchase act as a major opportunity for specialty stores selling chocolates, flowers, and jewelery. Male shoppers are more ready to high prices and do not look for bargains in such situations thus presenting an advantageous scenario for retailers. Gifting leads to anxiety- David B Wooten has explored the negative effects of gifting by detailing the emotional trauma a giver goes through in the process of choosing the perfect gift for the recipient. Some of the factors that up the stress levels while gifting are:  [9]   Effect of the gift on the recipient- The giver is constantly thinking about the reaction of the recipient towards the gift and the consequential effect on their relationship.. This is possible when the effect of the gift on the recipient is positive and helps build and strengthen the relationship between the giver and the recipient. Thus, this represents an opportunity for retailers or gift service providers, who can make the experience of giving gifts simple and tension free. Obligation to reciprocate sparks tensions (Mauss1954) Disparities and comparison between gifts may lead to negative emotional outcomes (Belk and Coon 1993). This may be due to absence of set parameters or guidelines before exchanging gifts. Differences and expectations -Green and Alden (1988) cited differences between individual goals and group expectations as sources of anxiety among givers. Sherry et al. (1993) cited the unattainable expectations that recipients impose upon givers as a possible. Both act as sources of anxiety as the consequences of such differences and expectations are likely to be negative. Inappropriateness of gifts- can lead to frustration, social embarrassment, threaten social ties and likely to leave long lasting bitter memories. (Sherry et al. 1993). Recipient woes- Otnes et al. (1992)have points out different types of recipients Difficult and Picky ones have expectations that are either hard to meet and Unfamiliar ones have expectations that are hard to determine Such recipients impede a gift givers efforts . Dark side of giving  [10]   Concerns about gift interpretation and the fact that a giver cannot control these interpretations gifts suggest that that scholarship on self-presentation and social anxiety can help illuminate what has been called a dark side of giving. Retailers challenge and opportunity -Keeping in mind the above frustrations and anxiety that goes on in the mind of the consumer. It poses as a real challenge for marketers, retailers and new gift service providers to mitigate these anxieties. This may be providing convenience, better consumer insight, and personalized gifts. There seems to be a need for specialists in the gifting service AN EXPANDED MODEL OF ANXIETY IN GIFT-GIVING The expanded model of anxiety in Gift Giving proposed by Wooten in this research (Figure 1) explains the sources of the anxiety in gift giving . This brings out why retailers and marketers must try and mitigate these emotional anxieties NOTE.-All effects are positive unless otherwise noted. The letters G, R, and S denote characteristics of givers, recipients, and situations, respectively. Figure 1.1-Study of trends, attitudes and behavior of youth towards gifting. Megha Nainwal, Batch of 2004, MICA, 3.2 Gifting Industry- World and Indian Market The world gift market represents an industry in excess of $300 billion. It accounts for 10% of world consumer economy, which is equivalent to spending one out of every ten dollars on buying gifts.  [11]   The Indian gift market is still in nascent stages with per unit consumption being very low as compared to developed markets of US and Europe ( 0.5 as against 30+)  [12]  .The Indian Gift Market is a Rs.1000 crore gift market is looking up to progress at a rate of 10% (2007 estimates)  [13]  . A large part of this gift market is unorganized, thus making correct estimates of the size of the market difficult. The Premium and Gift Market is mostly concentrated out of the major cities. Mumbai is the largest centre, followed by New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad.  [14]   The Indian Gift market comprises of organized retail stores, local and regional players and social organizations as well. In the organized sector, the two leading players in the specialized gifting stores include Archies and Hallmark. The Indian market is highlighted by important festivals such as Diwali and Holi for gift giving , however, westernization of culture has led to occasions such as Valentines day, Mothers day, Father s day becoming popular gift giving occasions. 3.3 Gifting market- Social, shopping and gifting trends The following represent changing social, shopping and gift giving trends in the market: 1) General increase in gift purchasing budget- According to Unity Marketing online- The Ultimate Guide to the  American Gift Giving Market. The   Report 2007:The Who, What, Where, How Much and Why of Gift Giving Shopping  , the typical gift giver spent $2,643 on gift purchases in 2006, with an additional $78 spent on gift cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and other gifting accessories.   This represents an increase of 13.5 percent over the average amount spent by gift givers in 2005. 2) Gifting 365 days a year-According to,Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping:   Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience ,People are spending more for gifts on occasions that occur throughout the year rather than holiday occasions such as Christmas. 42 percent of gift shoppers annual budgets were spent buying gifts for gifting occasions, as compared to 38.5 percent in 2005.   There is no longer a single gifting season. 3) Corporate Gifting, a tool to enhance marketing and PR efforts- In the recent years Corporate gifting has emerged as an important tool in the market communication mix of companies. In the corporate world, gift giving can be a double-edge sword (Pachter, 1995).A corporate gift if tactfully presented can help improve business relationships with customers and employees, create goodwill, develop new relationships and promote the companys business. The three identified categories of corporate gifts are: Low value, High volume to promote companys name Standard gifts, suit most occasions and not occasion specific- They are perceived to be of higher value and presented in a more personal way Luxury gifts-high value, low volume products that address an individual and carry prestige based on strong brands (Mintel, 1997). There has been a shift in business gifting from it being a sales promotion tool to corporate gifting being used to build relationships. The total value of the promotional industry including corporate gifts and incentives was 10.1 billion in 2001 (Mintel, 2000, p. 16). Corporate gifting requires an organization to keep role, purpose, budget and recipient in mind while gifting. Secondly, the choice, occasion and timing of gift are important. Lastly, cross cultural implications of gift giving must be taken into account, because in some countries a gift may be considered a bribe. Corporate gifts should be chosen with care and maintain a personal touch. Research shows people appreciate personalized products especially if they use them regularly. Most successful gifts today are personalized or have a personal touch; they are more creative and more memorable  [15]  . One study estimates that more than one quarter of all business gifts today are imprinted with the recipients name or monogram (Feder, 1998). DSouza and Sansburys (2000) research on business gift-giving in India gives some interesting insights. Asked about gift giving 86 percent of respondents said they viewed it as a norm that businesses should practice. Additionally, the research shows it is common to accept gifts to close a deal and gifts often serve as a tool for strengthening supplier relationships. The research also talks about reciprocity, which is considered a universal moral standard (Steidlmeier, 1999) particularly in Asian business context to build trust, respect and show appreciation (Stafford, 1997). 3) Emerging specialized consumer segments-Gender separation as a trend is likely to find stores making specialty sections for men and women. Additionally, demographic targeting as per psychographic buying behavior will be important to meet consumer needs individually. Gift buyers can be segmented on the basis of their purchase behavior. The typical American Gift Shopper can be divided into the following personalities  [16]   Emotional Ethel/Ed most involved gift giver and shopper and spends the most time and enjoys the process as well. Both men and women fall into this segment almost equally.. Practical Patty Plans her gift shopping and is likely to make checklists and be practical about her purchases. She spends more than the average gift shopper. Gift-Challenged Charlie Wants and feel the duty of giving gifts but finds the process difficult in terms of finding and selection. He spends less than average on gift purchases. Just-in-Time Justin- gives importance to gifting and spends average on his purchases. He knows what to buy, however always waits till the last minute. The men and women ratio is 60 :40 Such segments mark a need for retailers and marketers to make efforts in meeting demands of these niche segments with specialized products and individually assess each consumers needs. Traditional, generic products for gifting are likely to lose out and there will be a rise in personal , customized products. 4) The evolution of the shopping hierarchy and Gifting for self  [17]   The traditional pyramid of shopping is evolving, as we find that the pie of shopping for self actualization, personal fulfillment and emotional gratification increases. Elaborating the fourth level of shopping for esteem needs, it is about people feeling good about themselves and the situation they are in life. And this feeling is derived from the things they own and purchase. The fifth level of shopping is extremely indulgent in nature and people are willing to spend a lot to acknowledge themselves and make one self feel good. Gifting being a self- indulgent activity as described in the research above, will fall in this level of shopping. Additionally, experiential shopping such as travel, cruises, spa treatments also fall in this category. These experiences are purchases purely for the value of the experience and not to show-off. According to a study among Attitude amongst Indian Youth on Gift purchase, 92% of the respondents between age 18 to 30 year olds bought gifts for themselves.  [18]   As the economies of the world progress and disposable income rises, most people will tend to fall in the category of shopping for self actualization. Access to internet to purchase time and convenience or buying tickets to a cruise that provides self actualizing experiences via dance shows, rock climbing walls, concept restaurants will be the norm. Fig 1.2 Jim pooler (2003), Why we shop, Emotional rewards and retail strategies Evolution of the levels of shopping,, pg 141 5) Experiential gifting  [19]   Not much importance has been given to experience gifts however, the UK marketplace alone, represents experiences bought as gifts from specialist experience companies (for example, Virgin Experience Days, Experience World) around  £239 million per annum (Mintel). Additionally, there is also an unknown figure for gifts bought from individual leisure, activity, entertainment, hospitality and tourism suppliers. Trade and lifestyle magazine evidence (Consumers Association, 2002; Knight, 2003) suggest that the intangible experience is an increasingly popular gift choice Unity Marketings Gift Tracker survey in the USA describes it as a hot gift category for the future (Souvenirs, Gifts, Novelties, 2005, p. 92) People are purchasing experiences to share and make memories with the people they love and even for themselves. As a marketer there is an unfulfilled need gap in the industry for such gifts especially in the Indian markets. 6) Internet shopping gaining ground  [20]   People prefer Internet shopping for many reasons. Convenience of shopping from home, more and better access of information, reduces hassle of travelling and shopping from stores and they dont particularly care about the in-store experience. The value- adds of internet shopping mitigates the disadvantages such as giving up experiencing the product, personal service and immediate physical transaction of goods. Online shopping statistics  out in  February 2009  show a significant annual increase of  13%.  [21]   According to a Nielsen study in 2008, India emerged as the 3rd biggest nation when it comes to online shopping and using a credit card online. Also, 85 per cent of the world Internet users purchasing goods or services online use credit cards as the most common form of payment. As competition increases it will become more and more important for websites to become favorable, memorable and unique in the minds of the consumers. 7) Choosing a thoughtful gift The Long Tail Gifting phenomena explains ,consumers will be looking for more and more unusual gifts that reflect a persons real interests.  [22]  . According to an Indian study on youth attitude toward gifting, the following were analyzed to be the most important factors influencing the decision of choosing a gift. Gifting what a recipient would like as per his tastes/interests, occasion, permanent reminder, unique, surprise value, individuality and personalization. All these factors spell a trend towards gifting something different and suited to the receivers personality. It is no longer enough to gift traditional gift items. Additionally, Indian businesses such as www.pringoo.com and www.craftmygift.com in addition to many other personalized gifting websites all around the world suggest a growth in this category. One can personalize any item from a mug to a mouse pad to even a wine bottle label. Gifts and Accessories, the only sourcing tool for novelties, states that Personalized product industry has very bright promising future ahead for a simple reason that everybody loves a personal message or their name on a product. Gift recipient would like 9% Strength of relationship 8% Quality 8% Occasion 8% Permanent reminder 7% Functionality 7% Uniqueness 7% Surprise value 7% Budget 7% Express Individuality 7% Personalization 7% Novelty /Humor 6% Themselves like to receive 6% Handcrafting 5% Brand make 1% Fig 1.3 Factors in order of importance while choosing a gift  [23]   8) Time is money As work pressures continue, more and more consumers will find themselves spending more money to buy time. The case of working women must be kept in mind who will find themselves multi-tasking and more willing to spend greater portions of the household income to save time.  [24]   This implies the need for service providers to provide convenience to consumers in terms of time and effort spent. As marketer/retailer, one can charge a premium for providing such services. 9) The new old Consumers will find themselves producing homemade, hand crafted gifts such as wood carvings, paintings etc.  [25]   10) New Gifting categories such as Virtual gifting- Facebook applications such as Farmville, restaurant city and free gift applications will emerge. Other examples of emergent categories include green gifts for the environmentally concerned.

Homophobia :: Gay Lesbian Bisexual Prejudice

Homophobia refers to a prejudicial belief that gay, lesbian, and bisexual people are threatening. They see them as sick, unnatural, immoral, or disgusting people that are inferior to heterosexuals and they deserve to be hated. Homophobia tends to occur on several distinct but joined levels. These levels are personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural. One of the main reasons why people tend to be prejudice against gay, lesbian, and bisexual are based on inaccurate stereotypes and lack of information that is provided by society. Society portrays sexual minorities as sick, perverted, or nonexistent. There are quite a few people who are not aware that they may know healthy gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. Many people, fearing they might be gay, lesbian, and bisexual, prefer to attack individual who are as a way of avoiding self-identification. People tend to link homosexuality and bisexuality with sexual behavior. Since we live in a culture that is reluctant to acknowledge any form of open sexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality is slowly becoming a problem. Our society is more accepting of the traditional male or female relationship. However, we fail to notice that people can lead successful and creative lives without having to fit a set pattern. People who feel uncomfortable or uncertain about their sexual orientation or relationships think that going against the norm can be disturbing and intimidating. My friends often ask me why am I friends with people who are gay I would in return ask them why wouldn’t they be friends with someone who is gay as a way of challenging their knowledge and beliefs. For example, when someone makes a statement against gays having the right to marry, I ask them why and how they think this could possibly hurt anyone. I ask whether they feel it is fair to tell that person that his or her dreams of romance and marriage to the person he or she loves is disgusting. Would they rather have that person put such thoughts out of their minds and plan to live a loveless and passionless life?