Persian Gulf War Essay -- essays research papers

The Persian Gulf War all started because of one country’s greed for oil. Iraq accused Kuwait of pumping oil and not sharing the benfits, and Kuwait was pumping more oil than allowed under quotas set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, it decreased the price of oil, Iraq's main export. Iraq's complaints against Kuwait grew more and more harsh, but they were mostly about money. When Iraqi forces began to assemble near the Kuwaiti border in the summer of 1990, several Arab states tried to intervene the dispute. Kuwait didn’t want to look weak so they didn’t ask for any help from the United States or other non-Arab powers for support. Arab mediators convinced Iraq and Kuwait to negotiate their differences in Saudi Arabia, on August 1, 1990, but that meeting resulted only in charges and countercharges. A second meeting was planned to take place in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, but Iraq invaded Kuwait the next day, leading some people to think that Ira qi president Saddam Hussein had planned the invasion all along.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Iraqi attack began shortly after midnight on August 2. About 150,000 Iraqi troops, many of them veterans of the Iran-Iraq War, easily overwhelmed the unprepared and inexperienced Kuwaiti forces, which numbered about 20,000. By dawn Iraq had assumed control of Kuwait City, the capital, and was soon in complete control of the country. The United Nation Security Council and the Arab League immediately condemned the Iraqi invasion. Four days later, the Security Council forced an economic restriction on Iraq that forbidden nearly all trades with Iraq. Any armed attempt to roll back the Iraqi invasion depended on Saudi Arabia, which shares a border with Iraq and Kuwait. Saudi Arabia didn’t have the power to fight Iraq alone .So Saudi rulers did eventually open the country to foreign forces, in mainly because they were worried by Iraq's aggressive negotiations also U.S. intelligence reports claimed that Iraqi forces were well positioned for a strike against Sa udi Arabia. Beginning a week after the Iraqi take over of Kuwait and continuing for several months, a large international force called the â€Å"international coalition† gathered in Saudi Arabia. The United States sent more than 400,000 troops, and more than 200,000 additional troops came from Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, Kuwait, Egypt, Syria, Sene... ...ps. The UN continued to maintain most of the economic restriction on Iraq after the war, and several coalition countries enforced other sanctions. The sanctions allowed Iraq to sell limited amounts of oil for food and medicine if it also designated some of the revenue to pay for damages caused by the war. Until December 1996, Iraq rejected this deal as an violation on its power. Hussein also complicated matters by mobilizing forces on the Kuwaiti border in late 1994 and by interfering with the work of UN inspectors. This interference almost led to new military conflict in 1998, but a UN binding agreement allowing the inspectors to resume work averted the immediate crisis. Reports that Iraq was continuing to block inspections prompted the United States and Britain to launch a four-day series of air strikes on Iraqi military and industrial targets in December. In response, Iraq stated that it would no longer comply with UN inspection teams, called for an end to the sanctions, and t hreatened to fire on aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones. Through early 1999, Iraq continued to challenge the patrols, and British and U.S. planes struck Iraqi missile launch sites and other targets.

friendship in a separate peace by John Knowles :: essays papers

friendship in a separate peace by John Knowles Finding out who someone really is can be a very difficult thing to do. Knowing who some one is inside and out takes time and dedication. I learned that there are a few key factors when getting to know who some one really is. Character determination of a friend can be based on three things, honesty, trust, conflicts, and how they are resolved . The book a separate peace by John Knowles deals with all of these issues in the case of friendship. You can use these three factors to see how good of a friend a person can be, and determine there true character. All through the fifteen years I’ve lived this life there has always been one redundant term told over and over. Honesty is key, and if your talking about a friendship that ‘s true. If you don’t have honesty you don’t have anything to base your relationship on. Being honest to a good friend should be subconscious, and if it’s not then I wouldn’t consider them a good friend. You shouldn’t have to struggle with a friend to be honest. In a Separate peace Finny is always honest and speaks his mind. Gene on the other hand comes across honest, but you can never really tell. He should not have told Finny that he jostled the limb on purpose if he wasn’t even sure himself. In the movie Dead Poet Society each and every group member was honest to each other, and that’s why they were the best of friends. Also, they learned to think honestly by themselves from their teacher through ways of poetry. Much like how Finny learned hones ty through sportsmanship. Without knowing if Gene is honest or not, Finny and the members of the Dead Poet Society would have made much better friends. These friends where honest, and therefore could trust each other. Trust each other to resolve conflicts and become stronger friends. Conflicts are another way to determine someones true character. When a conflict occurs you can see what they do and how they react to the situation. Like when someone is cornered, and in danger of losing their life. Those animal instincts are a great way to see who some one really is. In a separate peace Gene deals with his conflicts by not talking about them and pushing his feeling down till they are gone.

Aliens and Faith Essay

There are many religions throughout our world. Some are even based on the actual worship of what these believers call, Aliens from outer space. The majority of religions though do not believe in intelligent life outside of human beings on planet Earth. Christianity is a main religion practiced worldwide; part of its belief for most believers is just that, that we are the only intelligent life created by the Christian God. The possible existence of extraterrestrial life though does not give reason that religious beliefs are not true. The belief of an omniscient creator of all things, including our never ending expanse of Universe and the possibility of what it holds, show that an omniscient creator’s power is never ending and our faith should be as well. All religions require you to have faith, and with faith we can accept any possibility. When people entertain the idea of extraterrestrial life they feel it casts doubt that the gods or God of many religious beliefs cannot coincide with the reality of life. Quoting an anonymous source, here is one opinion: Christians claim that the Bible has all the knowledge of how, when, where, what and why life was created and everything that God has done. The Bible explains that God created angels and humans and animals on earth. That pretty much covers everything God has created from earth to heaven. If God doesn’t mention aliens in His creations and only speaks of how He sacrificed Himself for us it could be claimed that God did not create any other life form outside earth. I think it would be absurd if God created other life forms in other parts of the universe and gave them free will and then going through another self-sacrifice. Besides, there is only one evil source, namely Satan that serves as our earthly test. This Satan only dwells on earth and not in other worlds. That is why aliens cannot exist. If aliens exist or come to earth it directly proves that Christianity is a fake (QTD). Yet we are taught in this religion in particular to have faith in the God of Christ. That our faith can move mountains or raise the dead, if we just believe, then it can be done. In Him all things are possible. Aliens can still be a possibility even with religious beliefs, extraterrestrials and religion can still exist together. Keeping in tune with the Christian religion, also being the popular religion worldwide, we hear that the catholic faith of Christian belief states that they believe and are researching the existence of extraterrestrial life being a reality. In my opinion this possibility exists,† Funes, the director of the Vatican Observatory, told L’Osservatore Romano. † Astronomers believe the universe is made up of 100 billion galaxies, each of which consists of 100 billion stars,†¦ Life forms could exist in theory even without oxygen or hydrogen. † (News). The Catholic Religion is the oldest Christian based religion historically and is very dominant and deeply rooted with many assets. They will have scientist, astronomers, and researchers continuously providing facts and reasoning behind this coexistence. Ted Peters writes: â€Å"During the formidable period of medieval Scholasticism, despite the forceful impact of Aristotelian philosophy, Christian Theology was by no means wedded to the idea that God created only one world†¦ Not only did some of our best minds affirm the idea of multiple worlds, some even spoke positively regarding the existence of extraterrestrial life. † (Delio 250) There is the belief that any other life forms created where angels or demons and that aliens are not part of these creations. We can show that alien life forms can coexist with even these creations and it not disprove religion still. There are few places in the bible that speak of life outside of humans and none mentioning aliens or extraterrestrial life, but they are there. â€Å"praise ye him , all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts†¦for he spoke and they were made. He commanded and they were created† (Psalm 148:2). Contrary to popular belief, the Bible does not say that the only intelligent beings populating the universe are humans, in fact God created countless â€Å"non-human intelligent beings† before mankind. God is known throughout the Bible as the Lord of Hosts (Flynn). To show faith in the God of Christ we can believe in the possibility of these beings and it not disprove them. Even in scriptures it does not come out and say it but it gives seed to the idea and possibility that God did create other hosts of this life. On a more general level the fact that alien life exists would mean that we are not the center of the universe. Most religions now recognize that the earth is just a lump of rock, they still believe that WE as human being are the most important thing in creation, that we occupy a special place in God’s plan. The existence of aliens would seem to make this implausible especially if they are more advanced than we are (on all levels, intellectually, spiritually) This would mean that God has acted in the development of the aliens in a away he did not act in ours, which in turn would mean that we do not occupy the paramount role in God’s creation, which as I said is a fundamental idea in religions. For Christianity, Judaism and Islam the existence of aliens is especially problematic. All these religions are based on the idea of a covenant between us and God. Weidemann, a self-confessed Protestant Christian, mentioned a few potential answers. Maybe aliens are not sinners, like human beings, and as a result are not in need of saving. On the other hand, the principle of mediocrity – the notion that own case in point is most likely standard except if there is proof to the opposite – casts skepticism on this, he pointed out. Weidemann stressed that if there are extraterrestrial rational creatures at all, it is safe to believe that virtually all of them are sinners as well. He added that if aliens are sinners Jesus did not save them too. Weidemann asserted that their position among intelligent creatures in the universe would be very outstanding (Delage). With extraterrestrial life in the universe being seen as a possibility and many biblical references giving seed to this as truth, believers maybe are being tested with this theory as another way that we are tested in our faith. We are asked to have faith without seeing, and to believe without question the infinite intelligence of God the infinite possibilities he has, to let the unknown exist and still believe with a faith unfounded.

The Current Marketing Environment of the Airline

This report will evaluate the current marketing environment of the airline industry in Europe. This will involve looking into different area of the airline industry such as deregulation and open skies, current economic conditions, distribution channels, pricing and revenue management. It has been proved that the airline industry is probably one of the most competitive and complex industry in the world. According to Mintel report (2009) in the past decade, air travel has grown by 7% per year. Travel for both business and leisure purposes grew strongly worldwide. Scheduled airlines carried 1.5 billion passengers last year. In the leisure market, the availability of large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 made it convenient and affordable for people to travel further to new and exotic destinations. Distribution channels In all areas of marketing links must be made between the customer and the product. These links are known as distribution channels. Airlines use a variety of these channels. All of them are giving rise to particularly intense debate at the present time, because the different channels result in different costs, and because they vary in the extent to which they allow airline to exercise proper and necessary control of the channel. S, Shaw (Airline Marketing & Management, Fifth Edition, Page 194). Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) It’s impossible to talk about distribution channel in the airline industry without mentioning GDSs. For nearly twenty years, the subject of Global Distribution Systems has been a controversial one in the airline industry, and it remains so today. S, Shaw (Airline Marketing & Management, Fifth Edition, Page 204). Until the early 1970s, contact between airlines and their distribution outlets was mainly by telephone, this was both time consuming and costly and became unsustainable as the industry grew. As the 1970s preceded, the first, pioneering carries set out to automate airline/travel agency contact. In order to do so, direct links were provided from each agency location into the airline’s reservations computer. Instead of phoning, agents could use the keyboard of Visual Display Unit to make bookings direct with the airline concerned. Besides saving a great deal of time, this also gave agent visual confirmation that required reservation had been made. Airline today In the old, regulated environment, European airlines relied on external channels (travel agents, consolidators, tour operators) to distribute up to 90 percent of tickets. Distribution via these channels typically cost an airline 17 to 20 percent of the ticket price, accounted for by travel agency commissions (including bonus â€Å"overrides†), computer reservation company booking fees, credit card fees, and the airline’s own costs (such as its salesforce). Since then, CRS technology and economics have changed a lot: thanks to the development of alternative distribution channels, such as the airlines' Internet websites or their call centres, consumers have nowadays access to a multiplicity of information and booking channels for air transport services. About 40% of all airline tickets in the EU are booked via alternative channels and about 60% via travel agents and CRSs. Bookings made via the major global distribution systems (GDS) accounted for 64% of all airline passenger revenue in the U.S. in 2008 for U.S. point-of-sale transactions, but the figure has dropped below 50% in Europe, according to (Mintel report realised 2008) in the size, role and value of GDSs in travel distribution. The decline in Europe has been sharper, falling from 56% in 2006 and 51% in 2007 to 47% in 2008.The decline is attributable, in large part, to the rapid growth of low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair, that rely exclusively or primarily on direct bookings. 69% of the nearly â‚ ¬18 billion in air travel sold by European LCCs in 2008 was booked via their own Web sites. Deregulation and open skies Throughout its history, the airline industry has been constrained by decisions made by politicians and governments. Government have controlled where airlines can fly, and aspects of their product planning and pricing policies.’ They have also had a major involvement in the industry through the ownership of airlines. They have always had a role in regulating airline safety standards, a role that remains important and, principle, relatively non-controversial. For many years, and in almost all aviation markets, government controlled airlines’ route entry and capacity and frequency decisions. In recent years, substantial regulatory reform has taken place, giving carries the challenge and the opportunity of responding to a free economic environment. In describing the system of economic regulation of the airline industry, a fundamental distinction has always been between the regulation of domestic services which are solely under the control of one government, and international services, which require the agreement of at least two. Until relatively recently, almost all domestic travel market were highly regulated. The Agreement replaced and superseded previous open skies agreements between the US and individual European countries. Deregulation is also stimulating competition, such as that from small, low cost carriers. The EU's final stage of deregulation took effect in April 1997, allowing an airline from one member state to fly passengers within another member's domestic market. Beyond Europe too, ‘open skies' agreements are beginning to dismantle some of the regulations governing which carriers can fly on certain routes. Low-Cost Airlines in Europe Budget airlines’ have been one of the main drivers of growth in intra-European travel, over the past decade. However, after a period of rapid expansion, it seems that the sector is now reaching maturity and that the growth is likely to slow down in the coming years. The low-cost business model is geared to short-haul routes, which allow for a quick turnaround of aircraft. As such, LCCs are increasingly in competition with other modes of travel, especially rail, which has undergone a substantial upgrading in recent years. The European Air travel today has many more cheap air travel options than a decade ago. The partial deregulation of air travel in Europe in the 1990s allowed the rise of low-cost airlines, and flying even short distances in Europe is often cheaper than taking the train. The days when national flagship carriers dominated air traffic and were regarded as national symbols are gone, and the fierce competition from low-cost airlines has led to bankruptcies and mergers of several large and reputable airlines. But with so many more airlines operating in Europe, comes the difficult choice for travellers to figure out how to get the best prices and the services they desire. Low-cost airlines have exploded onto the European market in recent years, and routes that were traditionally covered by national airlines now face the stiff competition of low-cost carriers. Current economic conditions The correct down fall of the economy has hit hard in all most every industry, but has hit even harder at the European airline industry. The air transport sector has been hit hard by the ongoing financial and economic crisis. Both demand and supply have been retreating at an almost unprecedented pace since early 2008. According to the IATA, international passenger demand fell by 5.6% in January 2009 compared to the same month in 2008, which was a full percentage point worse than the 4.6% year-on The current economic conditions cause consumers to make cutbacks. France, however, remains on a growth curve after several years of declining popularity. City and short breaks are increasingly popular as holidaymakers head for France for a quick-fix getaway. Even with the current economic conditions people are still using the air transport for quick getaway, †¢ European airlines affected The hardest hit has been the ‘flag carriers' who have suffered hugely due to the slump in premium and business travel, coupled with the sharp rise in fuel prices. British Airways Plc in November posted a larger than expected first-half loss and predicted revenue would slump by one billion pounds by the end of 2009. Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG in October provided a gloomy outlook for the airline industry and reported that its third quarter operating profit fell 21 percent. Air France-KLM posted a current operating loss of 543 million Euros for the six months ended in September, compared with a current operating profit of 592 million Euros for the same period a year earlier. Pricing and revenue management Pricing is a crucial activity for the air transport industry as airplane seats a perishable commodity. Before deregulation of the major air travel market, pricing were a relatively a simple matter, as carries generally enjoyed a monopoly, duopoly or at least a cartel situation with other carries on most routes. (Mintel June 2009) Since deregulation, the focus has switched towards filling the aircraft, which has led to greatly increased price discrimination (charging different customer segments different prices). The results has been rising load factors but decreasing real yield, as prices charged to marginal customers can be brought down to very low level (e.g. Ryanair) since the marginal cost of carrying one more passenger approaches zero.( Mintel 2009) Soaring fuel costs and impending EU Emissions measures spell danger for the industry. Load factors are also slipping, as a ‘golden period’ of fleet expansion threatens to cause a state of ‘over-capacity’. To maintain the cheap ticket model, carriers are going to have to drastically raise their ancillary revenues (in-flight sales, charges and add-ons) and increasingly expand into accommodation and transfer services, in order to cope with the economic and legislative storms they are flying towards.

Catholic form of Christianity Essay

The Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity as said to differ on many fundamental issues. Most individuals, in attempting to distinguish between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, immediately just cite that the differences are in the Pope or Purgatory or even sometimes the filioque. Historically, however, the differences are far more numerous and quite profound. The first fundamental difference between these two religions is on the issue of the fall of man. Roman Catholicism teaches that all humanity is liable for their â€Å"original sin† and that all men are born with â€Å"original sin†. The implications of Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden in the Roman Catholic Faith are that man is born with original sin and nothing more, unlike the beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox, who believe that when Adam sinned against God, he introduced death into the world. The fall of Adam or the fall of man in the view of the Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity signifies the mortality of man and that death highlights the passions in man such as anger, hate, lust and greed which are borne out of the realization of death. Roman Catholicism ignores the Orthodox conception of man as slave to death and instead believes that man’s passions are manipulated by the devil. Another fundamental difference between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism is on the issue regarding the interpretations of canons. In the Roman Catholic faith, canons are rules or guides for governing The Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church also continually evolves these canons by introducing new ones or revising them to suit the needs of the changing times and cultures. The Eastern Orthodox does not regard these canons as laws, which regulate human relationships or secure human rights. The Orthodoxy views canons as the means of forging the â€Å"new man† or â€Å"new creature† through obedience. Canons are trainings in virtue that are meant to produce holiness. While the Roman Catholic Church, as previously mentioned, currently updates the canons and discards the old ones, the Eastern Orthodox Church Orthodoxy never discards the old ones because of their belief that those cannons were also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Arguably, the most important fundamental difference between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic forms of Christianity is in the manner of knowing the existence of God. The Eastern Orthodox faith believes that man’s knowledge of God is intrinsic in his nature. Man is born with the knowledge of God because it is inherent in human nature and that is how man knows that God truly exists. This belief also holds that man’s knowledge of God is fixed in nature and man cannot know anything more about the truths of God unless God chooses to reveal this to man. This belief is contrary to the Roman Catholic belief that God’s existence is constantly known, felt and verified by an examination of the other things that God has created in this world. Human reason, as the Roman Catholic Church believes, is capable of knowing and proving the existence of God. Man is capable of beholding the essence of God with his intellect and with the assistance of grace. The Eastern Orthodox Church therefore believes that God’s existence is already known to man by his nature while the Roman Catholic Church establishes the existence of God through man’s use of reason. These Three (3) fundamental differences, fall of man, canons and proof of God’s existence, differentiate what seem to be similar if not identical branches of Christianity. But as many have said, it really does not matter how you worship and revere God in so much as you follow the truths in life such as charity, love, peace and respect for all of mankind.

The concept of self

Changing ideas, beliefs and values impacts an individual's self-schemas and ay lead to a changing of consumer behavior or the removal of behavioral constraints (Blakeley, 1996). Self-concept can be described as multi-faceted (Arnold, et al, 2004), and includes a collection of images, activities, goals, feelings, roles, traits and values. These play a part in different aspects of an individual's perception Of self. The Me-self (Mead, 191 3) can be considered the socialized aspect of the individual and represents a constructed self- image from learned behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of others and society.The Me-self has been developed by the knowledge of society and social interactions and is considered a phase of self that is in the past (Mead, 1913). The I-self however, plays the role of the active observer, the knower, or the information processor (Arnold, et al, 2004). The ‘l' therefore, can be considered the present and future phase of self and represents an individua l's identity based on the response to the â€Å"iv aspect (Mead, 1913). For example, the ‘I' understands how society says an individual should behave and socially interact and they align with the perceived set standards, and that notion becomes self.The ‘Me' and ‘l' have a didactic relationship, almost like system of checks and balances. In essence, the Me-self prevents an individual for example, from breaking the rules or boundaries of societal expectations, while the I-self allows the individual to still express creativity and individualism (Mead, 1913). The I-self and me-self further interlink and enables an individual to understand when to possibly push boundaries that govern social interactions (Mead, 1913).Charles Cooley's (1988) concept of the looking glass self, states that an individual's self grows out of social interactions. The view that an individual has of themselves comes from the interpolation of personal qualities and impressions of the perception s of others (Isakson, 2013). Cooley's (1988) concept on the looking glass self describes that how we see ourselves does not come from who we really are, but rather from how we perceive how others see us.This can influence the monitoring self of consumer where a high self-monitor individual may be more highly concerned about how they are perceived by others and may change their behavior to be viewed in a more positive manner rather than a low self-monitor individual, who may have stronger self beliefs and may tend o behavior more consistently (Arnold, et al, 2004). The extended self, as theorized by Russell Bell (1 988), comprises of external objects, in which the emotional attachment to those objects become perceived as being a part of ourselves.Our possessions are a major contributor and reflection of our identities and this construct of the extended self involves consumer behavior rather than buyer behavior (Bell, 1988). Marketers are interested in the concept of the extended self as consumers regard possessions as a part of themselves and this would enable understanding of consumer behavior and consumption patterns. The most direct form of evidence by Bell (1988) supporting his theory on the extended self is found in the nature of self-perceptions.Firstly, Bell (1988) found that the extended self was not limited to external objects and personal possessions, but also included persons, places as well as body parts and vital organs. This thinking is used especially when marketing goods with connotations of patriotism in most of the world. For example, the slogan used by the famous soft drink company L&P ‘ rural famous in New Zealand†, appeals to and makes potential nonusers highly involved if they consider New Zealand part of their extended selves (Watson, 2001).Bell (1988) further argues that perceived characteristics of an object may not always correspond with the perceived characteristics Of self. To demonstrate, he proposed that an individual c an consider an object like the Statue of Liberty to be a part of themselves, but not actually holding a self-concept composed of characteristics attributed to the statue. Marketers are interested in the concept of self because it is much more than just brand or brand image. Non-brand images, such as example a cigarette smoker or a person with a Ferreira can contribute strongly to self.Post-acquisition object bonding, which may happen after buying a dog can be identified by marketers as a possible strong influence to the sense of self (Bell, 1988). Marketers are interested in the role possessions play in influencing and shaping an individual. For example, after buying a dog, advertisements about dog food, which have never appealed to the individual before, now do. Marketers can play a persuasive role in stimulating need recognition to the individual brought about by their purchases.Besides intro over objects, control by objects, as Bell (1988) theorized may also contribute to an item being viewed as a part of self. We may impose our identities on objects but possessions may also impose their identities on us (Furry, 1978). The longer we possess or get possessed by the object, the more a part of self it becomes (Furry, 1978). Marketers use this knowledge of the extended self in the form of samples, test drive with cars, 10 day free trials with products.Understanding self-concept helps marketers realism that time spent with the product or object is time that an individual may feel more notionally attached to it and have a harder time parting from it. The concept of extended self is of high interest to marketers as the digital age is a relatively new phenomenon. In the digital world, there are a number of differences with concept of the extended self, mainly due to the destruction by the advancement of technology (Bell, 2013). This means that the numerous objects that were marketed to individuals can now be accessed and complied into one platform.Furthermore, it c reates different ways that individual interact with and project themselves onto others (Bell, 2013). However, Bell (2013) proposes that an individual may have a different online persona as compared to offline. A marketer's interest lies in the understanding of an individual's online sense of self, for example, a consumer purchasing from an online website to accurately interpret the individual's online attitudes and beliefs. Self-concept consists of two dynamic processes, interpersonal and interpersonal.Within the facets of self, these two processes play an influential role. The interpersonal process is an individual's cognitive processing, affect and motivation (Archer, Gurney and Moan, 2013). The interpersonal process makes up the I-self and has socially-developed self- knowledge involving goals, strengths, limitations and moods. This process interacts with the external interpersonal self, which includes social perception, choice of situation, interaction strategy and reaction to f eedback (Arnold, et al, 2004) and vice-versa.Marketers are interested in understanding interpersonal and interpersonal processes as individuals' perceptions are generally different from One other. This is due to an interpersonal self shaped around each individuals own personal experiences. Individuals act based on what dynamic self process they are feeling at that time (Arnold, et alarm 2004). Therefore, marketers would better understand their target market by having apt knowledge of these two processes. Possessions are not only considered a part of self, but also are important in the development of self (Bell, 1988).This contributes to the self-narrative of an individual which comprise of coherent stories and personal experiences that provide a sense of continuity in time and space (Arnold, et al, 2004). Marketers are Interested in the self-narrative of individuals as they can arrest goods to support this, for example, photos albums. Photo albums provide an individual with the mean s to document highlights of their lives which can be viewed at any time they so desire. These possessions seem to contribute to the maintenance of the self-concept and narrative as such objects act as reminders or conformers of our identities (McCracken, 1987).With age, an individual's boundary of self develops as it goes through multiple role transitions (Rosenberg-Walton 1984, p. 352). Transitions are of interest to marketers as an individual's self-concept is changeable and is especially yeoman during certain transitions (Arnold, et al, 2004). A consumer's role transitions are marked by changes in consumption patterns (Arnold, et al, 2004). For example, buying a home, graduating from University, or having a baby can be key role transitions in an individual's life. Role transitions can also be linked with a consumer's levels of self-esteem.The positivist of a person's attitude towards him/herself plays an influential role in their behavior and consumption choice (Arnold, et al, 20 04). Low self-esteem can be related to concerns over the looking glass self which in turn influence impulsive purchasing (Arnold, et al, 2004). Marketers can play a key role in increasing the level of involvement and marketing goods which reflect the individual's' self traits to support the transitions. Marketers can use the concept of the changeable self to add or strengthen beliefs in an individual.This can influence an interpersonal process that consumers go through, self- gifting. Self-gifting frequently carries messages about an individual's self- distinctiveness, for example, brand slogans which have the phrase ‘Like no other' (Arnold, et al, 2004). Individuals increasingly seek pleasure in objects hat they buy for themselves as gifts (Kara, 2008). This may be attributed to a positive feeling of accomplishment (Kara, 2008) and consumers may appeal to brand slogans with the phrases ‘reward yourself or ‘you deserve it'.In conjunction with this, self-gifting can also occur as a response to a negative attitude brought about by, for example, feelings of stress. Grub and Growth (1967) state that goods are symbols which communicate a message between an individual and society or their significant others. Consumption communicates socially shared meanings about identity (Arnold, et al, 2004). If a product is to serve as a symbol as a communication device, it must be first gain societal recognition (Grub & Growth, 1967). This process is essentially a classification system which places these products to others in society.These classification systems are society's way of piecing and organizing their activities in a sensible manner (Grub & Growth, 1967). Fashion as an example, illustrates the link of symbolic classification and consumer behavior. When a particular style of fashion becomes popular, a segment of society may direct their behavior towards the archiving and consuming of items manifesting this style (Grub & Growth, 1967). Therefore, an act of classification not only directs self action, but also a set of expectations may be aroused towards the object classified (Grub & Growth, 1967).Marketers need to understand the essence of the object resides not in the object itself but in the direct relation between the object and the individuals classifying the object (Grub & Growth, 1967). Self-enhancement can be brought about by the purchase and consumption of goods in two ways. Firstly, an individuals' self-concept ill be maintained if they believe the good is societal accepted and classified in a manner that matches their self-concept. A product as a symbol contributes to one's looking glass self as the products' conveyed meaning creates symmetry matching the image an individual has of themselves.Secondly, an individual may receive either positive or negative reinforcement from significant others and this strengthens their self-concept with growth and change based on desired reactions from society (Sequester, Pettier, Spanis h, Raw Hill, 2014). Marketers are interested in this area of self as it splays image congruence where self-concept is enhanced through the transfer Of socially accepted meanings Of the product or brand (Arnold, et al, 2004). An individual's self schemas can be used by marketers to market goods which align with an individual's beliefs (Peter & Olson, 2010).This concept of self-enhancement directs consumer behavior to use goods to close the gap between actual and possible selves. These possible selves can be past, present or future. Consumer nostalgia as a past possible self is a powerful and rich tool that marketers can use to tap into an individuals' self. Nostalgia stems from a consumer's yearning for the past, often dissatisfied with the present state and coming future and to compensate, an individual may purchase vintage or retro looking goods to ‘bring them back to their perception of the golden ages (Shah, Lie, Teen & Lu, 2014).The similar concept may be applied to a futu re desired self in the form of anti-gambling advertisements. An individual may begin to increase their involvement towards their desired gambling-free self and may start to pay for counseling services to achieve this. In conclusion, the concept of self is multi-faceted and interrelates with one another, influencing behavior. The sense of self, socially created, is dynamic with consumers' motives playing a part in their consumption choices to develop or maintain their concept of self. Our possessions are a reflection of our identities and an expression of our beliefs.

Cultural and Economic Forces in the Maintenance of Reproduction of Essay

Cultural and Economic Forces in the Maintenance of Reproduction of Social Inequality - Essay Example There is certainly the difference of social class due to economic differences. The wealthy and poor are discriminated not only by money but by their appearance and cloths also. The social class has mobility unlike racial stratification. For e.g. some maids may be working to support their studies and after which they will be working in higher paying and more skilled jobs which would take them to higher class socially. The maids and the hotel guests are two poles of different social class based on their economic conditions. The two groups have homogeneity within the group while great difference between the groups. Hence it is better explained by economic polarization of Esteban and Ray (As cited in Palacios-Gonzlez and Garca-Fernndez 1). The polarization differs from inequality in the sense that as the income increases the inequality decreases. The income is considered around the global mean while the polarization centers on many factors. As the polarization increases the social confli ct also increases (Mogues and Carter (4). It is true, though, that the different class of hotel maids put them at culturally disadvantaged position as well. They are excluded from high culture group and restricted in their cultural practices (Benett et al 268). It is to be noted here that the cultural capital alone is not sufficient to remove such class inequality, possession of social capital is necessary to give future generations advantages or being the high social class citizen. In other words the social class with economic capital provide transmission and reproduction of social advantages to next generation while lack of these results in exclusion from advantageous social class (Benett et al 268-269). Case 2- Minorities in the bus (William Harry Shipps) : The minorities including the black Americans had taken to travel en mass in particular buses and avoid those carrying predominantly white people. The racial and ethnic basis of social inequality still continues despite the abolition of slavery in USA. The Marxist view considers inequalities unacceptable though at the same time it finds these inevitable as consequences of unequal availability of cultural and economic capital. According to them the system allows uninterrupted access to strategic and basic resources to some people while restricting access of these to others. Moreover, different groups in social hierarchy are placed at various social distances in terms of cultural and other factors. This different access to opportunities is explained by a number of ideological explanation that not only maintain the social distances but also make these look normal and inevitable (Bartlett 199-200). As a result Marxist explain class as group's ability to own or access a good and that whe re blacks and other American minorities are still at disadvantage. The other reasons for persistence, of this social inequality, is non-mobility that makes racial categories inert for very long time compared to the social class categories. For e.g. blacks are considered as racially subordinate group when it comes to education and occupational opportunities. These opportunities overlook the individual qualities and