Visual Art in Greek Mythology Essay Example for Free

Visual Art in Greek Mythology Essay Visual art is one of the most important facets of ancient culture. Not only is visual art aesthetically pleasing to the senses, but it aids us in grasping the concepts of civilizations and stories that we could not fully understand in simple text. Greek mythology has bred some of the most beautiful works of art ever created. These works tell the stories they represent in lively form, color and style. One of the most famed works of art representing Greek mythology originated in 460-450 BC. This is the statue of Zeus. There are arguments about whether it is Zeus or Poseidon, because they are both pliable possibilities, but for simplicitys sake, let us assume it is Zeus. The statue of Zeus is one of great pride. He stands without hesitation. He appears to be in his 40s, but his physical body is muscular and shapely. His very stance is once that demands attention and respect. This represents his role: Zeus the chief god. Zeus is strong, powerful, and just. In the statue, Zeus is about to throw one of his lightning bolts of justice. His face is very stern and focused, as if he is seriously concentrated on the matter at hand. He stands unashamed of his exposed manhood, which is very representative of Zeuss character. Zeus is most known for his tendency to spread his seed throughout both the goddess world and the mortal woman world. It was considered a great honor to be a son or daughter of Zeus. Years and years later, in 1622, a sculptor named Gian Lorenzo created the sculpture Pluto and Proserpine. This sculpture represents the story of the capture of Persephone by Hades. Hades, the Roman Pluto, is depicted holding Persephone, the Roman Proserpine, by her waist and thigh. Persephone is turned away from Hades, pushing his face away. She attempts to squirm free of his strong grasp, a look of horror and fear on her face. It would seem this represents the moment Hades brings her to the underworld and tells her she is to be his queen. It is clear they are in the underworld because of Hades dog at his side. As Persephone pushes him away, he almost looks offended at her refusal. It is clear she cannot escape, for his body is obviously strong and muscular, and both her feet are off the ground, but her attempt is a feisty, determined one. This shows how much she does not want  to stay with Hades in the underworld. The pain she feels is so apparent; her other arm is raised, as if reaching for some sort of escape, and her face is turned, as if she wouldnt even look at him. The open mouth of Hades dog also indicates that theres some sort of struggle going on, like it is barking. There is so much violent, sexual energy in this sculpture. It probably also represent the very moment before Hades ravishes Persephone. Moving further through time, the beautiful painting Cupid Kissing Psyche is created by Francois Gerard in 1798. This piece is absolutely mesmerizing. In the story of Cupid, or Eros, and Psyche, Eros is commanded by his mother Aphrodite to shoot his arrows at Psyche and make her fall in love with an ugly creature because she is jealous of her beauty. When Eros sees Psyche, he himself falls in love with her, and takes her away to be his secret bride. The only condition she must follow is that she cannot see him, for she cant know his true identity. At first Psyche is frightened, but begins to love Eros, still unknowingly. This painting represents this stage of the story, where Psyches love for the unidentified Eros is growing. The very color scheme of this painting is intensely calming and serene. Psyche sits amidst beautiful scenery, staring straight ahead. Eros is next to her, but she does not seem to notice. His hands are so close to her, but its hard to tell whether he is touching her or not. The beautiful youth of Eros is obviously deeply in love with her. Though Psyche cannot see Eros, her face seems to sense him there, and there is no trace of fear. Though it is a painting of Eros and Psyche together, I believe the painter intends for it to be an expression of their love, and not a literal scene. (Meaning, Eros is not actually there beside her. ) She is holding herself tenderly, as if treasuring a memory. Both their bodies are painted so softly and so insanely beautiful that the mind is overcome by their love when viewing this work. In 1809, painter John Vanderlyn painted Ariadne Asleep on Naxos. Ariadne was a beautiful brown-haired maiden who fell in love with the hero Theseus. Ariadne aided Theseus in his slaughter of the Minotaur, and in return, requested to be his bride. Theseus accepted her offer, and after defeating the Minotaur, brought her with him. On the island of Naxos, however, Theseus abandoned her as she slept. This painting represents the moment Theseus sails off, as seen in the background to the right. Ariadne sleeps, stretched out on the ground, her body exposed and relaxed. She looks peaceful, as if she is happily dreaming of her lover, Theseus. The red shades used around her body give her a sexual energy, and yet she rests on a cloth of white, representing her innocence and virginity. Perhaps she is dreaming of her long-awaited wedding with Theseus and the birth of her sexuality. It is tragic in the sense that she may be thinking all these things, while her fiance is sailing off without her and she has no idea. But because she is portrayed in such a desirable way, it almost hints that there will be someone else. As one story goes, the god Dionysus finds her on Naxos and makes her his wife. There is a burst of light where Theseus is sailing away, representing a love that leaves her. But there is another burst of light coming from the opposite direction, hidden in the left, illuminating her body, possibly representing a love that finds her. Painted more recently, in 1908, is Apollo and Daphne by John William Waterhouse. The story behind this painting begins with a conversation between the sun god Apollo and the god of love, Eros. Apollo asks why such a youth like Eros is carrying around weapons of war, and Eros becomes offended. Eros shoots Apollo with the gold-tipped arrow, making him fall desperately in love with the wood nymph Daphne, while he shoots Daphne with the lead-tipped arrow, making her despise Apollo. Apollo pursues Daphne and she rejects him. Daphne is soon transformed into the laurel tree, and Apollo is seen professing his love to this tree. This painting shows the end of the chase. Apollo is reaching for her, his face locked to hers. In his other hand is his musical instrument, ready to woo her. Daphne looks distressed and frightened because of Apollos persistence. The roots begin to hold her in place, beginning the transformation. In their faces, you can see the results of Eros arrows. Apollo is so focused on winning Daphnes affections that there seems to be nothing else in the world for him to do. Daphne seems so repulsed by him, you can almost hear her scream Leave me alone! just by looking at her face. These five examples really express the importance of visual art in mythology. Because we can see these pieces whenever we want, we can relive the stories whenever we want as well. They allow us to really see the thematic emotion behind each story and each god, goddess, nymph and mortal. They take the immortals and make them, well, immortal.

Key Communication Issues Of Interracial Relationships Cultural Studies Essay

Key Communication Issues Of Interracial Relationships Cultural Studies Essay What are some key communication issues of interracial friendships? Interracial friendships provide a context of equality in which intergroup differences may be addressed to reduce prejudice and conflict. Measures of the extent of interracial friendships also reflect the state of race relations in a society, capturing the positive feelings between group members rather than the negative sentiment so often emphasized in studies of racial attitudes. When friendships cut across racial lines, they represent a form of bonding capital and a form of bridging capital (Samovar Porter, 1994). There are several communication issues which arise in interracial friendships, and these may cause communication barriers among friends (Samovar Porter, 1994). The first issue is language, and this may prove to be a communication barrier if interracial friends do not adequately understand each others language. This may serve to affect the friendship, as they will not be able to understand each other. Another issue that may arise relates to culture. Differences in perception of culture, especially if friends see issues from different viewpoints, may be a barrier to communication. This issue is more pronounced when there are inherent differences in religious views, by friends from different religions. Finally, differences in ideologies of perception of life between interracial friends may act as a barrier to effective communication. Some people are conservative while others are liberal, and when such friends are having conversation, this might degenerate into conflict due to different views and opinions. This happens if the friends are not accommodating the other person s opinions. 2. What are some key communication issues of interracial romantic relationships? Although interracial and intercultural romantic relationships have been present throughout history, they have rarely been culturally encouraged or even accepted. In fact, these relationships have often been prohibited. Ultimately, however, an increase in racial and/or ethnic diversity within the United States should cause a corresponding increase in interracial and intercultural dating and marriage, eventually promoting greater acceptance of these relationships (Gudykunst Kim, 1992). There are several communication issues which arise in interracial relationships , and these may cause conflicts among couples (Gudykunst Kim, 1992). Similar to interracial friendships , language can prove to be a communication barrier if interracial couples do not adequately understand each others language . They may be unable to communicate effectively , and this may harm their relationship . Similarly , differences in perception of culture may be another communication issue in interracial romantic relationships. Although many communication issues are the same across all romantic relationships, these relationship must also contend with issues of discrimination and identity. In interracial romantic relationships, the partners are aware of social disapproval. In some instances they are alienated from friends and families. They are required to consider social and historical forces concerning race and sexual identity in ways that other couples are not. Their communication behaviors reflect these concerns. Romantic relationships and the communication that occurs within them vary widely. Cultural scripts guide how people conduct conversations in romantic relationships, too. The factors include individual differences like love style and the degree of security or certainty about the relationship, as well as contextual considerations like geographic distance and social sanctions. 3. How can computer mediated communication (CMC) can both facilitate and hinder intercultural relationships? Computer-mediated communication (CMC) refers to human-human interaction via the computer. Some of the popular applications of CMC are email, instant messaging (IM), chat rooms, bulletin boards, and newsgroups. Compared to face-to-face (FtF) communication, CMC liberates communicators from the need to be physically co-present and thus from the consequent influence of nonverbal cues. Although some theorists and researchers argue that CMC-based intercultural relationships cannot be as rich as those formed in FtF encounters, others have identified ways in which CMC can actually increase intimacy among intercultural relationships. Research findings suggest that under Computer-mediated communication (CMC), intercultural contact can lead to reduced prejudice and positive attitude change (Klak Martin, 2003; Rubin Lannutti, 2001). These kinds of discussion facilitate person to fully describe and interpret the intercultural world and experiences in which they live. online discussions can provide a dialogic starting point for connecting with persons lived experiences- their own and others. online discussions facilitate dialogic learning is that they provide a comfortable venue in which people can explore controversial and/or ambivalent feelings about intercultural topics. People may not offer their true voices and experience on these issues in face-to-face discussions due to the fear of creating incommensurable or irreconcilable differences or because of a social desirability issue. However, the filtering out of nonverbal cues, not being able to see the reactions of others, or the identity characteristics (age, gender, race etc) that may hinder communication-makes everyone feel more at ease. 4. Define popular culture. Popular culture could be defined as sets of values, beliefs, trends or modes of symbolic expression readily available to and acknowledged by the masses (McCluskey, 2006). Popular culture is opposite from high culture which is widely accepted by high class and usually considered of great value and does not attempt to appeal the crowds attention. on the contrary, popular culture is wildly liked and propagated by the public, with the aim of attracting publics attention and making profits. As Williams (1976) expounded, popular means being seen from the point of view of the people rather than from those seeking favour or power over them. In addition, popular culture is different from folk culture which is more ethnic and traditional while popular culture usually has nothing to do with outmoded and it only deals with what is in fashion. Popular culture was spread by commercial need. The products from popular culture such as films, magazines and fashionable dress are all goods merchants use for profit-making. From this point of view, commercial destination is a distinct from other forms of culture among popular cultures identities. Since popular culture was born, an indispensable friend of it which is so-called mass media has been accompanying with it, including newspapers, television, radio and internet. obviously, people have to use, at least one kind of mass media when they feel like learning news, searching something in the latest fad and keeping in touch with others. It infers that mass media is something like ligament and support of popular culture. Another characteristic of popular culture is that it is often adopted by young people, almost the monopoly of the youth. Consequently expressions of popular culture in everyday life are always exciting and fashionable, such as Hip-hop and Bungee jumping. Also, most enthusiasts of fast food, short text message and rock n music are youth. Young people enjoy themselves in popular culture with no doubts. 5. How can cultural group portrayals in popular culture forms influence intercultural communication? In the international arena, scholars have turned to the notions of cultural imperialism developed in 1920s in the critique of popular culture, especially U.S. domination of the resources and media market in the world and its implications on intercultural communication (Condon Yousef, 1975). These scholars believe that people are informed about other cultures from popular media and cultural products. The media representations of other cultures can be used to remove the misconceptions and stereotypes of other cultures. one of the incredible uses of popopular culture as medium of intercultural communications is hidden behind its own cultural icons. The cultural role-models, could be distinguish to be based on two types real and fictitious (Gudykunst Kim, 1992) Popular culture icons can penetrate in the cultural communication on a multi-ethnic multi-cultural level. The first level is the representation of the real life, success stories, of a few dozens of people who are incredibly blessed and through their work and dedication had managed to achieve an international fame and glory. The vast wealth that they had acquired in the process is there just there to complement their stardom stature. Their real power, at lest in the context of pop-culture, is their ability to communicate and moreover to reach their followers through the world, a loyal army of supporters ready at all times to spend parts of their often moderated income on products or memorabilia with which to add to the financial wealth of their role-models, celebrities of different status ex: actresses musicians etc. The perfect example of the popular icons could be the one of the most controversial celebrities Madonna. She had undergone, different image transformation, form a boy-toy playgirl in the 80s through a flamboyant queer/gay culture supporter to a loving and down to earth mother in a matter of few decades. However, throughout all stages of her constant image change she had mange sharply to influence cultural change trough out the globe and to raise and promote and established new ideas and social values. The role of the popular icons as a role models, should not been underestimated, as that power is by far the most useful tool which the pop culture posses as the means of intercultural communication. 6. How does the media portray racialized others? Through media people are taught and reminded of their social position by all three kinds of representation-race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Gender, race, and sexuality are all part of an interlinked system of representation that helps describe and define who has power in relationship to others. In this interlocking system, some are constructed as having power and dominance, and others are depicted as being powerless and submissive, and sometimes subservient. The subordination of some is requisite for the empowerment of others. In this world of media representations, visible differences are highlighted and some time accentuated so as to clarify who has power and who does not. Whiteness comes to having meaning in relation to the representation of racialized others. As the late Ruth Frankenberg suggested, whiteness is a product of negative difference; people come to understand themselves as white through a process by which they know who they are by what they are not. Another way of saying this in relation to Asia and Asian Americans is that whiteness becomes meaningful when contrasted to Asianess. Whiteness is therefore a default racial identity, an identity that does not come from the inside so much as being define by what is not observed to be constitutive of the other. 7. What are some recommendations to increase diversity in media, particularly according to gender, race, ethnicity, and physical ability? Historically, the media relied on stereotypes to attract the largest possible audience, thus they reinforced rather than challenged the attitudes of society. The left maintains stereotypical depictions and coverage emphasizing minorities are problems that remain. Studies show African Americans and Hispanics are still more likely to believe the media are biased in their coverage of race and ethnicity than whites, supporting the notion the media are skewed right (Gonzalez et al., 2004). Native Americans are often portrayed as stoic warriors. News and entertainment coverage of Native Americans reinforces the notion that their cultures are almost dead, as current issues are rarely addressed and they are often depicted in traditional garb. Asian men are most often depicted as martial arts experts, while Asian women suffer from too-frequent portrayals as geishas. Women in all media are portrayed as being in relationships rather than careers and as seeking romance more frequently than male characters on television and in film; in essence, the media stresses their domestic interests. The dominant ideology of gender coverage is patriarchal. Today, the representation of many minority groups in media remains small for the population and representation of all groups remains somewhat inaccurate or restricted but strides continue. 8. What are the characteristics of intercultural conflict? Intercultural conflict occurs because of an individuals lack of knowledge regarding external cultural norms and values. Neither of these individuals communicated effectively with each other and the messages conveyed were not as the communicator intended. This created a sense of vulnerability and frustration for both the parties involved (Jameson, 2007). The major characteristics of intercultural conflict are the following: (1) conflict involves intercultural perceptionsperceptions are filtered through our lenses of ethnocentrism and stereotypes, and perceptions color our conflict attribution process; (2) conflict involves interactionconflict is sustained and managed via verbal and nonverbal behaviors, and verbal and nonverbal behaviors are culture-bound concepts; (3) conflict involves interdependencefor a conflict to arise, the behavior of one or both parties must have consequences for the other, for otherwise the conflict parties can walk away from each other easily; (4) conflict involves both self-interest and mutual-interest goalsconflict is a mixed-up and incomplete jigsaw puzzle, both parties needing something from each other in order to complete the entire picture; and (5) conflict involves the protection of intergroup imagesin an intercultural or intergroup conflict situation, conflict parties have to worry about protecting b oth individual and group-based images. 9. What are the contextual sources of interracial/ethnic conflict? Interracial/ethnic conflict is a dynamic process; any one episode is typically the result of multiple sources of conflict (Hall and Mildred, 1987). In other words, conflict can simultaneously involve personal and cultural issues. In order to provide insight into how conflict often becomes racialized, we describe various sources of interracial/ethnic conflicts. Improper communication is a key source of intercultural anxiety and disagreement. The communication process is quite different among other cultures by how, when and why something is said. Communicating to one group may have different meaning to another based on tone, facial expression or nonverbal indicators. These ideas consist of a persons communication style. Miscommunication can happen when an individual communication styles are unique from someone else. In todays diverse workplace, we may have to deal with a co worker whose communication style differs from ours. Learning effectively to communicate among all different cultures is essential regardless of our line of work. For example, arguing, in some cultures is normal, others it is an unfriendly behavior, and for some the argument is highly emotional. Some cultures characteristics might be more reserve while another tends to be more forward in communication. In some cases, a cultures frankness, and values, such as telling it like it is while other groups maintain harmony. A persons accent varies greatly especially within the same language. We should not pre judge ones accent and make assumptions about that persons background. 10. What is the relationship between ethnicity, gender, religion, and conflict communication? Conflicts often arise in any form of relationship. Whether be in an intimate relationship between a husband and wife, employee with a co-employee, superior officer and employee, friend and friend, parents and children, teacher and student, brother and brother, and so many other relationships. In our lives, we often face many conflicts and disagreement on certain issues (Gudykunst and Young, 1992). These conflicts and disagreement are often based on different ethnicity, gender or religion. But even with the existence of conflicts, there are good ways for conflict communication resolution. Conflict communication does not mean that you have to sacrifice your principles; it simply requires one to come to a point to recognize the other persons view, respect it and to further avoid another conflict communication in the future. Any conflict communication must be resolved at the earliest time to prevent further injury to both parties. Although at times, this is not easy for either party, it is still the best way to do it. When there is an impending conflict communication, the best remedy is to talk and not to wait for any future time to settle a conflict. Because of the busy lives of most persons today, conflict communication is often times unavoidable. However, this could be solved and apprehended immediately as long as you keep an open mind to it. Conflict communication should be seen as a means to enhance relationships by finding out a conflict, giving solutions to it and building stronger and better relationships between two different ethnicities, genders, religions.

Ben And Jerrys SWOT Factors

Ben And Jerrys SWOT Factors Ben and Jerrys is the ice cream company which is having the production facility in Vermont and marketing and selling the ice-cream most of the countries in the world. Ben Jerrys started making enquires about the Japanese market to start their operation in the world second largest ice cream market where the annual sales is approximately 4.5 billion USD. Even though the market is big and it is one of the toughest markets among the other. Here the language and the audience both seem unpredictable and understanding them without knowing their language is more difficult. But Haagen-Dazs have already entered into the market before 10 years. Ben and jerrys is the late entrant among those six leading players. It is the market where the consumers where demand high quality products and also with the more number of varieties and styles. Arguably this is the most affluent country in the world. Though Haagen-Dazss financial figures were not published, market intelligence suggested the ice cream maker had Japanese sales of about $300 million. Haagen-Dazs had managed to capture nearly half the super premium market in Japan. On the one hand, Haagen-Dazs would be a formidable competitor that would likely guard its market share. On the other hand, there would be no apparent need for Ben Jerrys to teach the local market about super premium ice cream. The market seemed to welcome the case information presents a situation report of Ben and Jerrys strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats (SWOT) factor report. Strengths Established successfully in the global markets in terms of USA and non USA Ben and Jerrys another part of their synonymous for social responsibility is Caring Capitalism. Ben and jerrys gave 7.5 percent of pre-tax profits to social causes like Healing Our Mother earth, which protected community members from local health risks, and Center for Better Living, which assisted the homeless Ben and Jerrys sell its ice cream with the chunky ingredients and catchy flavour names like Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey Weakness Ben and Jerrys unquestionably held the second largest market share (at 34 percent compared to Haagen-Dazs 44 percent) of the American super premium market, the company had started to lose market share. Hired Perry Odak at the recommendation of one of its member at a base salary of $300,000 with a start date in January 1997 Ben and Jerrys brand had the countrys fifth highest share of the ice cream market in terms of value, it still accounted for only a small 3.6 percent of the market Opportunities Seven- Eleven interested in bringing Ben and Jerry to Japan was that Seven-Elevens combined USA and Japan operation would become so important to Ben and Jerry Haagen-Dazs was being sold for 250 Yen per 120 ml and seven Eleven wanted to position Ben and Jerrys at a slightly lower price point Yamada would expect to add selected flavours of Ben and Jerrys ice cream cups to the Dominos delivery menu In todays health conscious societies the introduction of more fat-free and healthy alternative ice cream and frozen yogurt products Threats Ben and Jerrys was beginning to lose market share in both the total ice cream market and more importantly, the super premium market As the product would be exported from the United States, there would be a risk of negative exchange rate movement that could make exports to Japan no longer feasible Ice cream should be pack in personal cups and not in a 473 ml (one pint) size that Ben and Jerrys currently packed. The main fact is that small cups were the ice cream is seldom consumed as a family desert in Japan, but rather is consumed as a snack item. Customers mostly like to have that as an individual serving. Designing a small cups need the company to install new machines on the existing plants. The expense is more than $2 million for new equipments. Argument on General Terms Ben Jerrys began making inquiries about opportunities in Japan, the second largest ice cream market in the world, with annual sales of approximately $4.5 billion. Although, the market was big, it was also daunting. Japan was known to have a highly complex distribution system, its barriers to foreign products were high and the distance for shipping a frozen product from America was immense. Ben Jerrys would be a late entrant, more than 10 years behind Haagen-Dazs in gaining a foothold in the market. In addition, there were at least six Japanese ice cream manufacturers selling a super premium product. The company currently packing in a 473 ml (one pint) size but the market is for the personal cups. The main fact is the ice is the favourite snacks for the people in Japan. So the personal cups will pull the market towards the brand. Ben and Jerrys have not having the machinery to make the small cups. It would require around $2 million for new equipment and Ben and Jerrys are also ready to install the machineries in the existing plant itself. But in this period of time invest of $2 million for this purpose will affect the deal further. Japanese buyers basically expect the product on the perfect specification which they need. The Japanese customers are having the capacity to demand the company to offer the products on their specification. Merits and Demerits of entry modes: Ben Jerrys management was interested toward an entry into Japan it was not a good business plan. Entering into such a complicated market where the language and the audience everything is different. The entry will happen with the good financial background and the best management. The product is exporting from the Vermont so there is chance could be risk of negative exchange rate. It makes the company to face the unprofitable situation. This is the main risk factor on emerging the business in Japan for the Ben and Jerrys. The positive and negative factors are more in the entry of Japanese market for the company. There are lots of chances to get the distribution inside the country. On that entering with the help of Seven-Eleven is the safest way to the ban and jerrys. It reserves the freezer comaprtment for their product in the 7000 conventional immediately across the country. On the parallel side there is also a chance to lose the popularity among the audience. The Seven-Eleven planned to place the product within the conventional stores. Where the chances are like placing its product among the other existing market leaders. It will reduce the chance to be exploring the market like the Haagen-Dazs have done. Chances to become a store brands is too low. The deal between the Ben and Jerrys and Seven-Eleven will never affect the any existing product in the market. On the whole of business agreement there is a major drawback in signing the agreement and it is the ice cream package size. Ben and jerrys package size is 473 ml but the Seven-Eleven insisted Ben and Jerry are to be packaged only in 120 ml personal cups. The main factor is that Japanese market is mainly for the personal cups. They often consume ice cream in one of their snack instead of family desert. Yamada the company proposed to Ben and Jerrys to have the full control on the sales and marketing in Japan. By giving the full sales and marketing control to Yamada will helps the Ban and Jerrys in the positive way. Because dealing in an unfamiliar market like Japan will sure difficult for the company to operate. It also cares for the company to get the instant expertise in the unfamiliar market. Yamada is already known to the market in the frozen foods and building a chain for Dominos in Japanese market. By signing a legal agreement will make the Yamada to start the marketing process. It makes the Ben and Jerrys to be the leading brand in the market. And Yamada have already expected to add the different flavours to Ben and Jerrys ice creams and also planned to add some of its flavour to the dominos delivery menu. But so far no agreement has signed which makes there is no any specific plan. Seven Eleven can make the company to start the instant operation in Japan. But apart from that it cant make any more development in the branding. Because as Seven-Eleven committed it will sells six cups per day will never generate more popularity and revenue to the company. Ben Jerrys was the new product to the Japanese market and it is not having an enough budget to run a marketing campaign in the Japanese market. Seven-Eleven is the only hope for the company to handle the promotional efforts. But it never committed any specific plan with the company. Logistics Ben Jerrys had long been shipping ice cream to the West Coast and to Europe in freezer containers. Shipments to Japan were feasible in delivery reliability especially key, and, of course, costs would have to be minimised. Logistics research indicated it would likely take at least three weeks shipping time from the plant in Vermont to the warehouse in Japan. The product could not be shifted to another customer nor could another customers product be shifted to Japan.

Uses of Petroleum :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Petroleum products are used widely in our everyday lives. They are used to power automobiles produce containers and to keep us warm. Petroleum, or crude oil is liquid composed of various organic chemicals. It is found in large quantities below the surface of Earth and is used as a fuel and as a raw material in the chemical industry. The word petroleum comes from the two Latin words â€Å"petro† and â€Å"leum† â€Å"petro† meaning rock and â€Å"leum† meaning oil. The chemical composition of all petroleum is principally hydrocarbons which are a family of organic compounds, composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen. Petroleum is formed under Earth’s surface by the decomposition of organisms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The remains of tiny organisms that live in the sea are trapped with the sands and silts that settle to the bottom in sea basins. These deposits become the source rocks for the generation of crude oil. The process began many millions of years ago with the development of abundant life, and it continues to this day. The sediments grow thicker and sink into the seafloor under their own weight. As additional deposits pile up, the pressure on the ones below increases several thousand times, and the temperature rises by several hundred degrees. The mud and sand harden into shale and sandstone and the remains of the dead organisms are transformed into crude oil and natural gas. Surface deposits of crude oil have been known to humans for thousands of years. In the areas where they occurred, they were long used for limited purposes, such as caulking boats, waterproofing cloth, and fueling torches. By the time the Renaissance began in the 14th century, some surface deposits were being distilled to obtain lubricants and medicinal products, but the real exploitation of crude oil did not begin until the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution had by then brought about a search for new fuels, and the social changes it effected had produced a need for good, cheap oil for lamps; people wished to be able to work and read after dark. Once petroleum forms, it flows upward in Earth’s crust because it has a lower density than the brines that saturate the interstices of the sands and carbonate rocks that constitute the crust of Earth. The crude oil and natural gas rise into the pores of the coarser sediments lying above. For several years people had known that wells drilled for water and salt were occasionally infiltrated by petroleum, so the concept of drilling for crude oil itself soon followed.

Case Study: Dell :: essays research papers

Case Study: Dell Dell can be one of the most successful companies mostly due to its direct marketing strategy. Unlike other computer companies which sell their product through retailers, Dell provides their computer and service directly to customers. The direct-selling model makes the company understand their customers better and eliminates the retailer cost. What is more, each PC is customized to the customers who can specify what components they want. Dell also holds little or no inventory and assembles products as soon as an order placed. The company can save inventory cost and apply new technology on their product quickly by using the just-in-time approach. In 1996, Dell became the e-commerce leader, for its website is not only some pages describing the details of products but also an online shop specializing computers for consumers. People can buy computer on the website which covering 80 countries, 27 languages/dialects, and 40 currencies without leaving home. Therefore, direct marketing strategy with low cost (low price), customization and e-commerce is the key factor for Dell’s success. Blois et al (2000.p.20) argued that marketers have been making increasing efforts to integrate direct-marketing activities within their overall communications mix. For instance, when a new computer comes into the market, the company should integrate every aspect of its campaign like TV Ads, online promotions, sending emails and brochures to the potential customers and so forth. Such Integrated marketing communications which can generate the awareness of the new product are likely to become popular in the future. Furthermore, in order to remain its top position, Dell has to develop new market such as camera and printer.

Illuminating The Path Of Progress :: essays research papers

Illuminating the Path of Progress Thomas Alva Edison is the most famous inventor in American History. Edison designed, built, and delivered the electrical age. He started a revolution that would refocus technology, change life patterns, and create millions of jobs. He became famous for his scientific inventions, even though he was not a scientist. His real talent was his ability to clearly judge a problem and be persistent in experimenting. He was the master of the trial and error method. Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He was the last of seven children born to Samuel and Nancy Edison. Edison's early life was spent in Ohio near the nation's busiest grain port. He spent time exploring the canal and played near his father's shingle business. When Alva was a child, he had scarlet fever. The fever damaged his hearing and delayed his entrance into school. Edison was curious about the world around him and always tried to teach himself through reading and experiments. Alva spent three years in home schooling. He was taught by his mother. He later returned to school but left at age twelve to get a job and help support his family. Edison got his first job selling newspapers and snacks to the passengers on the train between Port Huron and Detroit. Edison bought a used printing press in 1862 and published the Grand Trunk Herald for passengers. It was the first newspaper published on a train. When Edison was fifteen, he was taught Morse code and became a manager of a telegraph office. Edison got the idea for his first invention from working here. His first inventions were the transmitter and receiver for the automatic telegraph. At 21, Edison produced his first major invention, a stock ticker. In 1869, when Edison was twenty-two, he patented his first invention and advertised that he would devote his time to bringing out his inventions. The first patent received by Edison was for a vote recorder. Years later Edison's design was put in use by state legislatures for use by the public in general elections. By the age of twenty-three Edison owned two factories to manufacture telegraphic equipment and had money to pursue his research. On December 25, 1871, Edison married Mary Stilwell. They had three children. Two of his children were nicknamed Dot and Dash after the Morse code. In 1880 Edison made a discovery in science. He noticed that when a metal plate was inserted into a light bulb, the plate became a valve and the current could be controlled. This discovery is known as the "Edison Effect.

Linguistics and Language Essay

The term dialect (from the ancient Greek word dialektos, â€Å"discourse†, from dia, â€Å"through† + lego, â€Å"I speak†) is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language’s speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors, such as social class. [2] A dialect that is associated with a particular social class can be termed a sociolect, a dialect that is associated with a particular ethnic group can be termed as ethnolect, and a regional dialect may be termed a regiolect or topolect. The other usage refers to a language that is socially subordinate to a regional or national standard language, often historically cognate to the standard, but not a variety of it or in any other sense derived from it. Dialect: This is a complex and often misunderstood concept. For linguists, a dialect is the collection of attributes (phonetic, phonological, syntactic, morphological, and semantic) that make one group of speakers noticeably different from another group of speakers of the same language. COMMON SOURCES OF MISUNDERSTANDING: 1) DIALECT is NOT a negative term for linguists. . Often times, for example, we hear people refer to non-standard varieties of English as â€Å"dialects†, usually to say something bad about the non-standard variety (and thus about the people who speak it). This happened quite a bit during last year’s ebonics controversy. But, the term dialect refers to ANY variety of a language. Thus, by definition, we all speak a dialect of our native language. 2) DIALECT is NOT synonymous with accent. Accent is only a part of dialectal variation. Non-linguists often think accents define a dialect (or that accents alone identify people as non-native or foreign language speakers). Also, non-linguists tend to think that it’s always the â€Å"other† people that have â€Å"an accent†. So, what is â€Å"accent†? 3) ACCENT: This term refers to phonological variation, i. e.variation in pronunciation Thus, if we talk about a Southern Accent; we’re talking about a generalized property of English pronunciation in the Southern part of the US. But, Southern dialects have more than particular phonological properties. Accent is thus about pronunciation, while dialect is a broader term encompassing syntactic, morphological, and semantic properties as well. A final note on accent. WE ALL HAVE ONE! There is no such thing as a person who speaks without an accent. This is not an exercise in political correctness, by the way. It is a fact. In sum, a dialect is a particular variety of a language, and we all have a dialect. Accent refers to the phonology of a given dialect. Since we all have a dialect, we all have an accent. Idiolect: Another term that we must be familiar with is idiolect. â€Å"What’s an idiolect? † you ask, on the edge of your seat. An idiolect is simply the technical term we use to refer to the variety of language spoken by each individual speaker of the language. Just as there is variation among groups of speakers of a language, there is variation from speaker to speaker. No two speakers of a language speak identically. Each speaks her or his own particular variety of that language. Each thus speaks her or his own idiolect. Role of Dialect: Language says a lot about our identity. Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans all speak differently. When we meet somebody from a different part of the country, they may use different words, sounds or grammatical structures. A dialect is a variety of language that is characteristic of a certain area. For instance, in the Northern Cape, people refer to older people as grootmense and paper as pampier whereas in Pretoria they are called oumense and papier. If you hear colored people from Cape Town speaking Afrikaans, they sound different to Afrikaans spoken elsewhere. People from Natal speak English in different ways to people from Johannesburg etc. So often, the way we speak says a lot about where we are from, who we are and what we care about. So studying dialects is one way of validating people’s identities and ways of life. Characteristics of Dialect: There are ten characteristics of dialect. 1. Dialect can be identified by variation of grammar. 2. Dialect can be identified by variation of vocabulary. 3. Dialect can be identified by variation of prosody. 4. Dialect can be identified by variation of sentence structure. 5. Dialect can be identified by variation of figures of speech. 6. Variance of parent language by social class of speakers. 7. Variance of parent language by region inhabited by speakers. 8. Likely will not have its own written literature. 9. Likely speakers will not have state or nation of their own. 10. Likely region-specific for speakers. Difference between Dialect and Register: To describe differences we have to first understand these two terms separately. What is Dialect? A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a variety of speech differing from the standard literary language or speech pattern of the culture in which it exists: Cockney is a dialect of English. What is Register? In linguistics, a register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. For example, when speaking in a formal setting, an English speaker may be more likely to adhere more closely to prescribed grammar, pronounce words ending in -ing with a velar nasal instead of an alveolar nasal (e.g. â€Å"walking†, not â€Å"walkin'†), choose more formal words (e. g. father vs. dad, child vs. kid, etc. ), and refrain from using contractions such as ain’t, than when speaking in an informal setting. Now it is time to differentiate both terms. A dialect is a variety of language used by different speech communities, whereas register is a variety of language associated with people’s occupation. Register is to do with variation in language use connected with topic matter. â€Å"One’s dialect shows who (or what) he/she is, while one’s register shows what he/she is doing†. Dialect is a special form of speaking belonging to a group. Register is a linguistic term used to describe changing how one talks based on the situation. 1. Dialect: a local variety of a language*, usually understood by speakers of other dialects of the same language, often without a standardized grammar or spelling, used mostly for non-formal purposes in a local community or among people coming from the same community but living in another community than that they came from. There is often no consensus if such a local language variety is a dialect or a language. The choice is usually taken on the basis of political or conventional criteria and never on linguistic ones. 2. A speech register: a way of speaking or writing including vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation (or spelling) chosen by individuals to express themselves depending on the circumstances they speak: high register (formal occasions like parliamentary speech, official documents, celebrations), low register (informal occasions, conversations among family or friends’ group). There are also many in-between registers and specialized occasions like religious services, sport events, and so on. An individual may choose his dialect as a speech register for informal occasions, and a standardized language of a larger social unit on formal occasions (often called diglossia). Register: In linguistics, one of many styles or varieties of language determined by such factors as social occasion, purpose, and audience, also called stylistic variation. More generally, register is used to indicate degrees of formality in language use. The different registers or language styles that we use are sometimes called codes. According to a linguist Robert MacNeil (1989) the example of Register is; â€Å"It fascinates me how differently we all speak in different circumstances. We have levels of formality, as in our clothing. There are very formal occasions, often requiring written English: the job application or the letter to the editor–the dark-suit, serious-tie language, with everything pressed and the lint brushed off. There is our less formal out-in-the-world language–a more comfortable suit, but still respectable. There is language for close friends in the evenings, on weekends–blue-jeans-and-sweat-shirt language, when it’s good to get the tie off. There is family language, even more relaxed, full of grammatical short cuts, family slang, echoes of old jokes that have become intimate shorthand–the language of pajamas and uncombed hair. Finally, there is the language with no clothes on; the talk of couples–murmurs, sighs, grunts–language at its least self-conscious, open, vulnerable, and primitive. † Role of Register: Its chief importance is social. It signals the kind of interaction the speaker wants, or acceptance/no acceptance of the kind of interaction expected in any situation. For instance, level of formality is a major aspect of English register. Highly formal register can signal authority, disapproval, unfriendliness. Informal register can signal various things: genuine friendliness; a fake attempt to come across as friendly; or even deliberate disrespect if the other speaker expects formal register. Choice of register can also signal social class, in areas where this is still an issue. Higher classes tend to use a more formal register in ordinary conversation. Understanding the difference between register and grammar is important, as many speakers confuse the two: particularly in thinking that only formal register is correct grammar. This can lead to major errors of register: for instance, the highly formal â€Å"It is I† is only correct in the most formal register, and using it under any other circumstances will make a speaker sound a pompous idiot to most speakers. Characteristics/ Features of Register: 1) Language Styles â€Å"Every native speaker is normally in command of several different language styles, sometimes called registers, which are varied according to the topic under discussion, the formality of the occasion, and the medium used (speech, writing, or sign). â€Å"Adapting language to suit the topic is a fairly straightforward matter. Many activities have a specialized vocabulary. If you are playing a ball game, you need to know that ‘zero’ is a duck in cricket, love in tennis, and nil in soccer. If you have a drink with friends in a pub, you need to know greetings such as: Cheers! Here’s to your good health! â€Å"Other types of variation are less clear-cut. The same person might utter any of the following three sentences, depending on the circumstances: I should be grateful if you would make less noise. Please be quiet. Shut up! Here the utterances range from a high or formal style, down to a low or informal one–and the choice of a high or low style is partly a matter of politeness. † (Jean Aitcheson, Teach You Linguistics. Hodder, 2003) 2) Participants in an Exchange â€Å"Like variation in our manner of dress, stylistic variations in language cannot be judged as appropriate or not without reference to the participants in the interchange (i. e. , speaker and listener or reader and writer). For example, you would not speak to a 5-year-old child, an intimate friend, and a professor using the same style of speech. Using the term eleemosynary ‘charitable’ would probably be inappropriate for the child and the friend, while using number one ‘urinate’ would probably be inappropriate for the friend and the professor. † (Frank Parker and Kathryn Riley, Linguistics for Non-Linguists, 3rd ed. Ellyn & Bacon, 1999) 3) Register Features â€Å"Register features are core lexical and grammatical characteristics found to some extent in almost all texts and registers. . . . â€Å"Any linguistic feature having a functional or conventional association can be distributed in a way that distinguishes among registers. Such features come from many linguistic classes, including: phonological features (pauses, intonation patterns), tense and aspect markers, pronouns and pro-verbs, questions, nominal forms (nouns, nominalizations, gerunds), passive constructions, dependent clauses (complement clauses, relative clauses, adverbial subordination), prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, measures of lexical specificity (once-occurring words, type-token ratio), lexical classes (hedges, emphatics, discourse particles, stance markers), modals, specialized verb classes (speech act verbs, mental process verbs), reduced forms (contractions, that-deletions), co-ordination, negation, and grammatical devices for structuring information (clefts, extra position). â€Å" A comprehensive linguistic analysis of a register requires consideration of a representative selection of linguistic features. Analyses of these register features are necessarily quantitative, because the associated register distinctions are based on differences in the relative distribution of linguistic features. † (Douglas Biber Dimensions of Register Variation: A Cross-Linguistic Comparison. Cambridge University Press, 1995) Sociolinguistics: (Wikipedia) â€Å"Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society. Sociolinguistics differs from sociology of language in that the focus of sociolinguistics is the effect of the society on the language, while the sociology of language focuses on language’s effect on the society. Sociolinguistics overlaps to a considerable degree with pragmatics. It is historically closely related to linguistic anthropology and the distinction between the two fields has even been questioned recently. It also studies how language varieties differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e. g. , ethnicity, religion, status, gender, level of education, age, etc. , and how creation and adherence to these rules is used to categorize individuals in social or socioeconomic classes. As the usage of a language varies from place to place; language usage also varies among social classes, and it is these sociolect that sociolinguistics studies. † Sociolinguistics is the study of how language serves and is shaped by the social nature of human beings. In its broadest conception, sociolinguistics analyzes the many and diverse ways in which language and society entwine. This vast field of inquiry requires and combines insights from a number of disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, psychology and anthropology. Sociolinguistics examines the interplay of language and society, with language as the starting point. Variation is the key concept, applied to language itself and to its use. The basic premise of sociolinguistics is that language is variable and changing. As a result, language is not homogeneous — not for the individual user and not within or among groups of speakers who use the same language. By studying written records, sociolinguists also examine how language and society have interacted in the past. For example, they have tabulated the frequency of the singular pronoun thou and its replacement you in dated hand-written or printed documents and correlated changes in frequency with changes in class structure in 16th and 17th century England. This is historical sociolinguistics: the study of relationship between changes in society and changes in language over a period of time. Branches of sociolinguistics: Sociolinguistics can be defined broadly or narrowly – Broad: branch of linguistics studying those properties of language which require reference to social, including contextual, factors in their explanation Narrow: seeks to explain patterned co-variation of language and society; seeks rules to account for that variation. Some traditions of sociolinguistic investigation: 1) Linguistic variation: (sociolinguistics proper): focuses on the linguistic variable that correlates with social differences. Unit of study is language itself considered a part of linguistics. 2) Ethnography of speaking: emphasis on various aspects of context that are involved in differing interpretations of language use. Unit of analysis is not language itself but rather the users of language: the speech community generally considered part of sociology or anthropology. 3) Language planning (also applied sociolinguistics, sociology of language): emphasis on practical aspects of this study. Much about language contact issues and language use in education.