Our appearance Essay Example for Free

Our appearance Essay Our appearance, the way we dress, etc. , reflects who we are. It is therefore important to be consistent in the style we adopt through our lives. By juliettebr our appearance, the way we dress, etc. , reflects who we are. It is therefore important to be consistent In the style we adopt through our lives. The way we dress says a lot about our personality. It can reflect our lifestyle, t can show our music taste etc.. A good appearance can favor our popularity and It can even improve our self-esteem. Hoaever, does the way we look really reflect our ersonality? And If we arent consistent in our style, does It make us different people? On the one hand, when we dont kncr. l someone we automatically judge someone just by their appearance. A wise person once said: *You never get a second chance to make a first impression. We make up an opinion about the person and most of the time we can say whether someone is nice or not. This opinion can be true, but it can also be harmful when we think its a prejudgment. On the other hand. ou cant judge a book by its cover. The same as with persons. Wearing a black jacket with spikes will not turn someone toa gothic. and wearing old-fashioned clothes will not turn someone in a grandparent. Everyone has to develop their style during life because that will make us unique, In summary, we have to give the people around us an idea of who we are so we just have to be ourselves and mirror our personality in the way we dress, There is nothing wrong with n ot being consistent in our style, but we have to be sure that Our appearance iS the real us.

Emerging issues in tourism: Chennai, South India

Emerging issues in tourism: Chennai, South India 1 Contents Introduction of destination Tourist attractions History Lifestyle Beliefs and traditions Urban and cultural tourism SWOT analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Conclusion and Recommendations Bibliography Introduction of destination Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the heart of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, often referred to as the ‘Gateway to South India,’ it can be found on the south-eastern coast of India. With its strong transport and commerce links both nationally and internationally it has rightfully earned its status as the fourth largest metropolitan city in the country. It is a bustling city of 178-sq-km packed with diversity at every street corner. It boasts of not only a rich cultural and religious heritage, but also a historical one, where the mark of the British Rule is evident in the various recommended tourist destinations. Its population of a staggering 6.4million consists of citizens from the 7 different religious backgrounds, these not only include the 6 major religions, but also the rather surprising one known as Parsis. Additionally, the 4 languages of English, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam are widely spoken across the city. Tourist attractions Chennai being the spiritual hub and the keeper of South Indian artistic religious traditions has many awe striking sites to visit, alongside the more modern cosmopolitan developments of luxurious hotels, swanky bars, boutiques, clubs and restaurants. Marina Beach spanning a distance of 8.1 miles is the longest natural urban beach of the country and one of the most beautiful and second longest in the world. Fort St.George is possibly the most important landmark in Chennai’s history. It was built in 1644, by Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, the founders of Chennai and the officials of the British East India Company. It was the first place of British settlement and was also under French occupation for a short period of time. The Fort Museum, which was formerly opened in 1948, is the place where tourists will find fine collections of various artefacts from the colonial period of the country. The impressive collection includes medieval weapons, coins, original writings, and much more. Gandhi Mandapam spanning over 16 acres is the home of 10 memorials including those for Mahatma Gandhi, is a great attraction where visitors can see the beautiful carvings on the historical buildings and be a part of various festivals including Gandhi Jayanti. Between 9-10am every Sunday devotees of Shri Aurobindo gather to pray and meditate. There are a large number of temples, churches and mosques that hold great historical significance. These include Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Meenakshi Amman Temple, The Shore Temple, St Andrew’s Church, San Thome Cathedral, Luz Church, The Wallajah (Big) Mosque, and The Thousand Lights Mosque, to name just a few. The War Memorial of Chennai offers a glance into the heroic past of India. These are just a few of the renowned places to visit for an individual looking to immerse and enrich themselves with the cultural legacy of Chennai. History Chennai is said to be around 400 years old being the location of the East India Company’s first settlement – said to be officially founded in 1639. However â€Å"The Kapaleeshwarar temple, the Pallava Port and the Parthasarathi Temple of the 7th century are the effervescent facts to prove that the Chennai city has been present since the time immemorial† (Chennai.org, History of Chennai, Para 1). History accounts that the city was ruled by â€Å"well-known dynasties of South India, such as the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Vijaynagar kingdom.† (Chennai.org, History of Chennai, Para 1.) In 1522 Sao Tome port was built by the Portuguese. The Christian apostle St. Thomas also settled into the city and the positive impact of this is perhaps seen within the Christian community of modern day Chennai. The bustling city of Chennai that we see today is due to the influence of two merchants of the East India Company, Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, who set up the factory. In the 17th century Chennai was known by the name of Tondaimandalm, and a small village called Puzahl used to be where the military had their headquarters. The British held a strong position of power by mid-18th Century; this then led to the creation of Madras Presidency. The beginning of the industrial revolution in Britain ensured that Tamil Nadu also reaped the benefits; railways in the late 19th century allowed Tamil Nadu was able to establish strong networks with many important states and their capitals; this helped the growth of communication and business, thus leading to economic benefits. Chennai did not become the capital of Madras State until after it had attained independence from the colonial rule in 1947, it was then renamed Tamil Nadu. The city underwent another renaming ceremony in 1996 when the state government took the decision to change the city’s name from Madras to Chennai. The changes that Chennai underwent over the various centuries, soci ally, culturally, economically, and historically, is what makes Chennai one of the most unique, interesting and multi-faceted cities of India, giving it a unique selling point for the tourist industry to tap into and maximise the number of tourist visitors from all over the world. Lifestyle It is widely known that the people of Chennai live a simple and humble life, which is often said to be steeped in religious practices, superstitions and delicious traditional food. The people of Chennai are mostly described as being friendly, accepting of new people and extremely cultured and religious. It would not be a surprise to the eyes to find groups of people by the beaches at sunrise carrying out the ‘Suryanamaskar’ (Sun salutation). Religious festivals are celebrated with great pomp, filled with colour and vibrancy usually including everyone, not only from one street but neighbouring streets. The cost of living in Chennai is known to be amongst the lowest in the country, which allows for more economic comforts within a family household. Traditional arts including Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam are at the heart of the Tamil culture, and it wouldn’t be uncommon for at least one family member to play an instrument or be well versed in Sanskrit or enjoy a S aturday morning class in Bharatanatyam dance. Education is given the utmost value in a household as it is seen to carry the key to opening doors to a brighter future. This bustling city is the home to the biggest motor industry in India, with streets jammed with traffic and the Sea ports seeing daily imports and exports, seems to be the least likely place in which one could relax and unwind, but the Chennai lifestyle has ancient meditation engraved at its core, which could be the very reason why the Chennaiites are so chilled out and humble people. Beliefs and traditions Chennaiites are traditional minded people, who value their culture immensely and on a daily basis follow age old rituals with full faith and dedication. The women of the household traditionally carry out the early morning ‘kolam’, which is the drawing of patterns and waves on the entrance of the home. This is traditionally made of rice powder and said to welcome the auspicious into the home. Chennai celebrated many festivals both local and national. A couple of these are: Pongal:- This festival is celebrated in January for three days. It is the harvest festival of showing gratitude and offering thanks to Sun, Earth and the Cow. On this auspicious day families at dawn in their respective homes gather around a new earthen pot. As the pot of milk boils over, signifying prosperity, a shout of ‘Pongalo Pongal’ reverberates in the air. Arubathimoovar Festival: Literally, Arubathimoovar refers to the 63 saints of Shiva idolized for leading exemplary lives of devotion and penance. Every year the bronze figures of these 63 saints are carried in a colourful procession through the streets of Mylapore. Urban and cultural tourism â€Å"Today’s travel and tourism industry has grown into a global economic powerhouse whose combined direct and indirect impact on the world economy, according to the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2012 was US$1.2 trillion; 260 million jobs; US$70 billion in investment and US$1.2 trillion in exports.† (Fuller, 2013)Over the next 10 years travel and tourism industry has been predicted to grow by 4.4% on average each year. These figures exceed the growth of any other sector and other industries like retail and public services. A number of factors are fuelling this growth, and the demand for the travel and tourism destinations is growing. Sociologist highlight that the biggest factor is said to be the growing middle class across the globe, especially in countries like Russia, India and Brazil. It has been predicted that over the next 1-2 decades this middle class band will continue to increase, which in turn will increase the number of people wishing to travel ar ound the globe. There are several countries which are popular tourist destinations, these being France and USA, with India not far behind as the 11th fastest emerging destination worldwide, with a 6.4% growth predicted between the years 2014-2024. The modern world is seeing a boom in the travel and tourism industry like never before; in 2013 the online travel bookings revenue worldwide had raked in $34bn. The Global international tourism revenue stood at a whopping $1,159bn. Global hotel industry totalled at $457bn. Cultural tourism has been defined as the â€Å"subset oftourismconcerned with a country or regionsculture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.†(Wikipedia 2015, Para1.) Its focus is to allow the tourists to gain a realistic experience of the destination’s cultural heritage, along with the other attributes mentioned in the quote, whereas urban tourism looks solely towards marketing the history and the landmark of the city to increase business. Research reveals that cultural tourism is somewhat in its infant stage, where many countries have been working hard to nurture it and market it on a global platform, as they have realised the revenue it provides for their cities, on the other hand urban tourism is somewhat in its mature stage of development. However, the increase in global capitalism and consumer awareness along side the development of modern technology has allowed it to be bought into the limelight and government alongside sociologists are conducting deeper research into trends and gathering statistical data, to utilise for domestic fiscal gain. Where the development of such tourism is beneficial there are some practical issues that can hinder the development of urban and cultural tourism. These are the planning process for the infrastructure and the government’s approach to this. The various people and the roles they will play on a governmental level. Then there is the organisation of the relationship between public transport and the travel industry. Furthermore what may seem like a menial, job of signage in and around the city, is a vital element for the satisfaction and ease of a visitor. It is important to know and further analyse the behaviours of the tourists and what destinations would be more economically viable to invest in and maintain. There could be obstructions with traditional values and corporate cut throat approaches when it comes to making a cultural heritage landmark a tourist attraction. Many countries are employing various strategies to ensure that they continue to be innovative and gain the benefits from the industry. Cities are evaluating the access to the destinations and attractions. They are creating marketing strategies to ensure maximum exposure to the public, and furthermore analysing the cultural barriers that may exist for tourists to visit certain destinations. To ensure that there are no oppositions from the locals, governments are also looking into the economic benefits the communities can also gain from such developments, thus making it an attractive proposition. Chennai is no exception from such investments and strategic planning. It is important to note the advantages and disadvantages to the growth of urban and cultural tourism within a city. Table 1: Merits and Demerits SWOT analysis Carrying out a SWOT analysis would be beneficial and most suitable, in order to distinguish the key values and impacts of tourism in Chennai. Strengths Chennai has many strong attributes which make an attractive tourist destination. The city and its people pride themselves in the retention of strong cultural and religious heritage, which allows tourists to gain an authentic experience. Bhartnatyam and Carnatic music are two of the cultural legacies, which can be enjoyed at the many concerts available by renowned artists. Chennai has been able to balance the modern western influences well with its traditional values and beliefs. Whilst keeping up with the modern world. Visitors can find many tourist attractions and beaches, which can be enjoyed in the hot weather that Chennai sees all year round. A varied cuisine, due to the mix of cultures again allows the visitors to have a choice whilst retaining authenticity. The Automobile industry is very attractive for those wishing to settle there as there are plenty of job opportunities. There is a steady stream of revenue for the city enabling economic stability allowing for standard of liv ing to be maintained. Domestic tourism is strong and on the increase. Chennai has a strong transport network utilising all three modes rail, sea, and air. With strong links both nationally and internationally. Weaknesses Despite many positives Chennai has two core areas it needs to invest in as this could have a grave impact on the attraction and retention of the number of tourists visiting. One being safety; it is a real issue within the city as many tourists do not feel safe on the public transport, especially females. Additionally, the government must make investment in the maintenance of sewerage and drainage seriously- this poses a critical problem as it can easily make a tourist destination unattractive, thus lose tourists and damage the economic benefits. Opportunities There is still scope for improvement and growth in Chennai and this could be done with strategic marketing within the tourist industry. These could include catered holiday packages with specific design, these could include: pilgrimages, cultural site tours, spiritual breaks with particular focus on meditation and yoga, education perhaps in the arts, water sports at the beaches and lastly there is a strong scope for medical tourism, which is one the rise globally. Threats The biggest threat Chennai faces are the growing number of slums. There is a lack of investment in infrastructure and maintenance of heritage places, which would not make the destinations attractive. Traffic air pollution, filth leading to health issues taking away the beauty of attractions and beaches. The use of cameras prohibited in various attractions, as it is considered an act of sacrilege, can put tourists off. There is a gap in investment in the development of roads to the more rural areas, which could be a source of revenue. Low standard of local transport and pickpockets also pose a threat to Chennai being an attractive destination. Conclusion and Recommendations Chennai is one of the most beautiful cities in the South with a great deal to offer. It has a range of tourist attractions. It is vibrant and colourful; jam packed with authentic cultural and traditional values and rituals which are still upheld by the locals of the city. Chennai has come a long way from where it was 5 years ago within the tourist industry. There were clear shortcomings, where information of tourist attractions was not strategically marketed and the resources and natural landmarks were not used to the full capacity to benefit not only the industry, city, but also the local people. For Chennai to ensure that it reaps the rewards of the rapidly growing global tourist industry it may be in their best interest to make some enhancements and fundamental changes. The government needs to commit to cleaning the city up, in terms of sewage and drainage, but also the investment is needed to solve the ever growing slums in the city. Security to be enhanced by providing tourist only buses for those travelling in groups. The government needs to make if economically beneficial for the city to continue to retain its cultural heritage and not lose this for commercial commodity. Lastly in order to allow the tourists to experience the real Chennai steeped in history, culture and traditional values they must continue to invest in the renovation and preservation of the heritage and tourist sites, to ensure the attainment of benefits for the long term. Word Count: 2,748 Bibliography Culture of Chennai. Available from: http://www.chennai.org.uk/chennai-culture.html Facts on Chennai. Available from: http://www.chennai.org.uk/facts.html History of Chennai. Available from: http://www.chennai.org.uk/history.html http://www.chennai.org.uk/monuments/george-fort.html http://www.chennai.org.uk/tourist-attractions.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_tourism E. Fuller, Impact Of The Worlds Travel/Tourism Industry Adds Up To More Than A Walk On TheBeach, 2013. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfuller/2013/12/03/impact-of-the-worlds-traveltourism-industry-adds-up-to-more-than-a-walk-on-the-beach/ http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/7858/Chennai-growth-stimulates-travel http://www.inpolis.de/inpolis-projektdetail_1_en.html http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/tamil-nadu/chennai-madras/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-chennai-madras https://sriramv.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/tns-tourism-revenue-peaks-but-what-about-chennai/ http://www.statista.com/topics/962/global-tourism/ http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/renovation-of-gandhi-mandapam-nears-completion-in-chennai/article5101635.ece http://tourism.gov.in/writereaddata/CMSPagePicture/file/Primary%20Content/MR/Pplan/tamilnadu.pdf Task 1 Student Name: Pankaj CTH Number: 78108

Philosophy-imputable Acts :: essays research papers

Dr. Kitchel Ethics 2314 "Imputable Acts in Regards to the Fate of a World" An act is called imputable when the person committing the act is in possession of both knowledge and consent in regards to the action at hand. Imputability is a thing that is always completely possessed or completely not possessed by a person. Imputability causes accountability. Accountability has degrees upon which it is based and these degrees depend on whether or not the person was influenced by some modifier of either the intellect or the will. Imputability's requirements, knowledge and consent, have to do with the relationship between the act in question and whether or not it is a good or evil act. An act is either objectively, morally good or evil. To the degree that the person committing the act is aware of this in the form of either knowledge or consent is the degree to which the act itself is imputable and thereby also the person is accountable for the act. The characters in C. S. Lewis' novel, "Prelandra", make choices and perform acts that drastically effect the outcome of the world in which the novel takes place. Some of these acts are wholly imputable while others are not. However, all of the acts are either good or evil. As a result of this, the novel illustrates the importance of being able to distinguish the difference between good and evil acts in the consequences that befall its characters from their own actions within the novel. The novel's protagonist, John Ransom of Thucalandra (Earth), is sent by Maleldil (God) to the planet of Prelandra (Venus) in order to stop the Bent Oyarsa (Satan) from corrupting that planet as he did with Earth though Ransom has no knowledge of the exact purpose of his journey upon leaving or even once he is there on the planet. Once he arrives on the planet, he encounters the person he deems "the Green Lady." Lewis' character, the Green Lady, is Prelandra's counterpart to the Eve character in the Genesis story of creation in the Bible. After meeting her and realizing who she is, Weston the villain from the first book appears in Prelandra. He is there on a new "mission." This new mission is no longer for the survival of the human race as it was on his journey to Malacandra but is now for the survival of the "Human Spirit.

Images and Imagery in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

Imagery in Macbeth  Ã‚     Ã‚   Shakespeare uses a variety of techniques in order to add depth and the underlying subtext within his plays. 'Macbeth' is no exception, he uses the stark imagery of clothing, the sickening physicality of blood and the concept of darkness to communicate a number of themes.   In turn this conveys important symbols that can be found within the play.    Within 'Macbeth' the imagery of clothing portrays how Macbeth is seeking to hide his "disgraceful self" from his own eyes and those around him. Shakespeare wants to keep alive the ironical contrast between the wretched creature that Macbeth really is, and the disguises he assumes to conceal the fact. In my opinion, the reader thinks of the play honors as garments to be worn; likewise, Macbeth is constantly represented symbolically as the wearer of robes not belonging to him. He is wearing an undeserved dignity, which is a crucial point that Shakespeare has made. The description of the purpose of clothing in Macbeth is the fact that these garments are not his. This perhaps leads to the notion that Macbeth is uncomfortable in them because he is continually conscious of the fact that he is not the rightful owner.    Below we can see the way in which that Macbeth's new honors sits ill upon him, like loose and badly fitting garments, which in essence belongs to someone else:    "New honours come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use."(Act I, iii: 144)    Specifically the use of the word 'strange' allows the reader to see how he fills uncomfortable in what he is wearing and therefore the role that he is performing.    In a Shakespearean tragedy, he is known to create a unique t... ...contrast to moments with less detailed subtext.   These depths of meanings are vitally important within Macbeth as it signifies not only character intention but plot devises that manipulate the lives we see on stage.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto: Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1991. Campbell, Lily B. Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes, Slaves of Passion. Gloucester: Peter Smith Publisher Inc., 1973.  Ã‚   Edwards, Terence. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Macbeth. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1977. Hunter, G.K. "Macbeth in the Twentieth Century." Aspects of Macbeth. Ed. Kenneth Muir Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott, Mark W. (Editor).   Shakespeare for Students.   Gale Research Inc. Detroit, Michigan. 1992   

Did The Expansion Of The Aztec Empire Lead To Their Downfall? :: essays research papers

Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec Indians originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs were a small, nomadic tribe living in the border territory on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. (see map I) In the 13th century they settled in the valley of central Mexico. The Aztecs finally found refuge on a small island in Lake Texcoco, where about 1345, they founded the town of Tenochtitlan. The island was found through a prophecy which said they would settle where they found an eagle perched on a cactus. (see diagram I)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the next century the Aztecs grew to be greatest power in Mexico. As they grew in political status they became sophisticated and civilized, learning from established peoples who had been town dwellers for more than 1,000 years. (Ekholm, Gordon F.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec empire consisted of numerous, loosely connected urban communities. Land ownership was communal. Each local group was composed of a few families that jointly owned a piece of land. Part of the yield of cultivated land was given to the state as a kind of tax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology depended more on human skills than on mechanical devices. Iron and steel were unknown, although copper and bronze were used for tools and Mexican jewelers made ornaments from gold, silver, and their alloys. Wheat, barley, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats were unknown until introduced from Europe and the Mexicans were efficient farmers who made full use of irrigation, terracing, and fertilization of the fields.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aztec Mexico was rich and civilized. The state controlled every aspect of life. Schooling and training in the martial arts were compulsory for all boys, while the girls were trained in gathering, cooking, and the sewing arts. A centralized bureaucracy looked after the collection and storage of taxes, matters of legislation and punishment. (Peterson, Frederick)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life for the Aztec's was good. Because of the complexity of their government all were happy. Then in 1519 Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, met the Aztec leader Montezuma in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma believed that the Spaniards had come in peace, but he is proven wrong in 1521 when the Spanish, lead by Cortes, violently conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this report is to answer the question â€Å"Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall ?† I feel that it most likely did. This is because when the Aztec's were conquered they were the most powerful civilization in the New World. The Spaniards saw them as â€Å"the ones to beat† to gain supreme power in the Americas. Did The Expansion Of The Aztec Empire Lead To Their Downfall? :: essays research papers Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec Indians originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs were a small, nomadic tribe living in the border territory on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. (see map I) In the 13th century they settled in the valley of central Mexico. The Aztecs finally found refuge on a small island in Lake Texcoco, where about 1345, they founded the town of Tenochtitlan. The island was found through a prophecy which said they would settle where they found an eagle perched on a cactus. (see diagram I)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the next century the Aztecs grew to be greatest power in Mexico. As they grew in political status they became sophisticated and civilized, learning from established peoples who had been town dwellers for more than 1,000 years. (Ekholm, Gordon F.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec empire consisted of numerous, loosely connected urban communities. Land ownership was communal. Each local group was composed of a few families that jointly owned a piece of land. Part of the yield of cultivated land was given to the state as a kind of tax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology depended more on human skills than on mechanical devices. Iron and steel were unknown, although copper and bronze were used for tools and Mexican jewelers made ornaments from gold, silver, and their alloys. Wheat, barley, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats were unknown until introduced from Europe and the Mexicans were efficient farmers who made full use of irrigation, terracing, and fertilization of the fields.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aztec Mexico was rich and civilized. The state controlled every aspect of life. Schooling and training in the martial arts were compulsory for all boys, while the girls were trained in gathering, cooking, and the sewing arts. A centralized bureaucracy looked after the collection and storage of taxes, matters of legislation and punishment. (Peterson, Frederick)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life for the Aztec's was good. Because of the complexity of their government all were happy. Then in 1519 Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, met the Aztec leader Montezuma in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma believed that the Spaniards had come in peace, but he is proven wrong in 1521 when the Spanish, lead by Cortes, violently conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this report is to answer the question â€Å"Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall ?† I feel that it most likely did. This is because when the Aztec's were conquered they were the most powerful civilization in the New World. The Spaniards saw them as â€Å"the ones to beat† to gain supreme power in the Americas.

Queen Elizabeth Essay

‘The Taming of the Shrew’, written by William Shakespeare between 1589 and 1594, is a romantic comedy set in the Italian city of Padua. Since the play was written, the audience’s idea of comedy has changed quite dramatically. In the fifteen hundreds, an audience would have enjoyed obvious, visual aspects of comedy such as we would see in a modern-day pantomime, whereas an audience watching the play today would also enjoy less obvious aspects such as sarcasm, irony and dry humour. Shakespeare, although aware of Queen Elizabeth’s position as a strong and independent woman, also had to fulfil the expectations of the time. This is why the ‘feminist’ of the play comes out ‘Tamed’ at the end. Women were expected to be obedient to men, whether husband, father or elder, in the same way as commoners were subservient to the King and aristocracy, a model of society often referred to as the Great Chain of Being. This hierarchy supported belief in the Divine Right of Kings and, similarly, in man’s superiority to woman. The fact that the play is set in Italy further strengthens the link with the Italian tradition of Commedia dell’Arte, one of the major influences on modern pantomime. The subject of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ – who shall have sovereignty in marriage – is also part of a long and well established tradition in English literature offering many opportunities for comedy, for example Chaucer’s ‘Wife of Bath’s Tale’ and Noah’s wife in the Medieval Mystery Plays. The play is primarily about love and respect between husband and wife, though there are many other underlying themes: the relationship between master and servant, violence, and oppression, sexual compatibility, marriage and its materialistic assets, family, and the relationship between appearance and reality. As the title suggests, the play follows the struggles of Petruchio and Katherina in courtship and marriage; Petruchio takes on the challenge of marrying the famed ‘Shrew’, known in Padua for her scolding tongue and uninviting attitude, and by the end of the play manages to tame her. It sheds light on the belief of the time that women should be completely obedient toward their masters, and that Kate realizes she will get nowhere resisting men and relents to Petruchio’s authority.

Marketing Influences Essay

Introduction Generally marketing deals with buying and selling a products or services. And consumer behavior is a branch of marketing deals with the process that the consumer purchase or do not purchase the products and services (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). For the retailers and all other businesses consumer behavior is analyzed for identifying key successful marketing strategy. Marketing strategy is the combination of product, price, promotion, channel of distribution and market segmentation (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). There are various factors that affect the consumer behavior for buying a product or services. And for making good strategic marketing decisions any firms or organizations need to understand those factors like cultural, individual, organizational etc (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Analyzing consumer behavior become very important for this competitive world. For gaining competitive advantage it’s important to give more value to the customer than the competitors (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). According to Quester, Pettigrew and Hawkins (2006), customer value means the differences between the benefit they get from the products and the cost that they spend for acquiring those products. Quester, Pettigrew and Hawkins (2006) emphasize that giving best customer value mainly requires the firms to react immediate to consumer needs more quickly than rivals. This essay is based on a case study with three questions. And these three questions will be discussed simultaneously. First question is based on describing the situational influences that would affect the customer decisions for buying a products and services. Second question is based on the case that Kate wants to purchase a gift for her boyfriend’s birthday and identify the three situational influences that affect the Kate’s purchasing decisions. And the third question is describing the key marketing strategy by which a marketer might be able to utilize the situation to a market specific type of products or brands. Question 1: Answer As states before that this question is based on describing the situational influences that affects the customer decisions for purchasing products. Any  organizations or companies have to understand that which situations is affecting the customer buying decision of their products or services and how the marketers could serve the best when those situations arise (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Marketers activities should be designed in the context of the situation the consumer faces which influence the customers for purchasing the product when MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 2 ID: 11511633 they face such situation (Foxal & Yani-de-Soriano, 2005). A consumer’s choices are affected by various personal influences such as mood and if there is limitation of time for purchase etc. Now-a-days people are using electronic source for the initial information for purchasing the products (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Relating to consumer behavior a number of attempts have been made to classify the situations and the classification has been made by Russel Belk (Belk, 1975). According to Belk there are five types of situation that influence customers’ decisions. They are physical surroundings, social surroundings, temporal perspective, task definition and antecedent states (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Physical surroundings include the location of the store, interior decoration, smell, sound system, lighting, visible surroundings of the materials to the stimulus object (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Those surroundings can significantly influence consumption of the customer and can convince to coming the store repeatedly. (Solomon, Dann, & RusselBennett, 2007). Social environment also affects customer motives for purchasing products or usage of products. In a consumer environment if there are large number of people present then it could increase arousal levels. For example, in a store if there are huge number of people present then automatically arouses another consumer for buying products from that store (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Temporal factors is the time constraints for a customer. Sometimes consumer could situation for buying with limitation of time that also affects the consumer buying decision. Relative to past or future event for the situation time may also be measured (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Task definition includes the intention regarding purchase the products or requirements to  select the store or products. For example, consumer behaves differently when they buy products for gift compared to purchasing for themselves (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). For evaluating the purchase of products customer mood or physiological conditions at the time of purchase may have huge influence for making decisions (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Among those five influences let’s elaborate on two situational influences. They are temporal factors and task definition. Temporal factors are situational influences which deal with time that available for purchase. The availability of time for purchasing the product has a big impact to the customers (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). In that context, the information search will be short if the time is limited and the use of short information will be made some suboptimal purchase (Sim & Goh, 1998). As a situational influence time has a bug impact to the customer buying decision. MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 3 ID: 11511633 For example, the consumers are less like to visit any departmental store if they have limited time but if they are not time pressured they would like to visit more (Kenhove & Wulf, 2000). The number of product alternatives would be smaller for the time constraints. For this the brand loyalty might be increased for many customers. (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Some corners store and convenience store are the successful considering this time factors as a situational influences. Task definition means the reason for purchasing a product or influences the buying decision. The reason may vary to different buyers and user roles performed by the individual (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). For example, gift giving is general reason but gift giving in occasion is specific reason that influence the behavior of the purchasing a product (Ruth, Otnes, & Brunel, 1999). Generally people increase their purchase in specific occasions. Best marketers understand these patterns of situations in which people more tend to buy (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). For example, in promotional activities bookstores invest heavily for the lead up to Christmas because many people are tend to buy books as Christmas present and to stock for reading them during summer holidays (Solomon, Dann, & RusselBennett, 2007). Question 2: Answer Kate is struggling to make a decision and wants to buy her boyfriend a smart phone to his birthday and she was running out of time. The three situational influences that affect Kate’s purchasing decision are task definition, temporal factors and social surroundings. Task definition as told before is the reasons that influence the customer to buy a product or services (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). And the reason could be general and specific like gift giving in a occasion in which also influence the buying patterns (Ruth, Otnes, & Brunel, 1999). In this case the task is specific which the birthday of Kate’s boyfriend. However people feel their needs of products or services for reason whether it’s general or specific. In this case, Kate feel need for buying a product for giving gift to her boyfriend in his birthday. So according to Ruth, Otnes and Brunel (1999), the task was specific for Kate for purchasing the smart phone. Temporal factors as situational influences include the availability of time for purchasing any product (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Here Kate had very limited time for making decision though the birthday of her boyfriend was very near. She had two options that MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 4 ID: 11511633 whether to buy iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy SIII. As given before that less time gives less information for making decision (Belk, 1975). So Kate had to make a decision so she couldn’t consider the information very well and she had to choose smart phone randomly from the given two options. Last situational influences that affect the Kate’s decision is social surroundings which means the presence of other people who could have an influence on the individuals consumer’s behavior (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Considering behavior social influence is very significant since the individuals behavior is visible and they tend integrate with group expectations (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). In this case Kate has limited time for making decision that she had two options that iPhone 5 which is recommended by her boyfriends’ childhood friend who knew John’s personality very well as well his character and another option  is Samsung Galaxy SIII which is recommended by the salesmen who is expert in smart phone. Shopping and consuming goods in public is highly visible activity which has several social influences others (Shim & Eastlick, 1998). Though the buying patterns of Kate was not so highly visible activity like shopping and consuming goods in public rather it was individual buying decision. Though Kate had limited time to decide whether what to buy then she asked for recommendation in two people one was sales person and another was friend of John which they have influences for buying smart phone. Question 3: Answer In modern competition marketers need to give more value to the customer compare to the competitors (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Customer value is the difference between the advantage they get and the costs they spend for getting that advantage. So considering the situation marketers need to serve best to the consumer for purchasing product (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). Marketing Strategy is the combination of product, price, distribution and promotion which emphasize a particular group of customers (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). So using these key marketing strategies a marketer can utilize the situation to market a specific brand and product type by understanding consumer behavior. Lets describe the three key marketing strategies that how a marketer might be able to utilize situation for a specific type of product. Product type and quality is very important for the marketer. However, thousands of new products are introduced in the marketplace annually. So marketer need to satisfied customer MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 5 ID: 11511633 by their products for successful business (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Also marketer needs to analyze and understand the needs and requirements of potential customer by which marketer can give the required product in such situation to the potential customer (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Price is another important marketing strategy and marketing mix as well. A marketer needs to understand consumer behavior in order to structure it properly (Quester, Pettigrew, &  Hawkins, 2006). For example a company desiring high quality brand and for this the price should be high. So, if the target customer believes that price-quality relationship. So considering the target market situation price might be structured (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). Promotional activities are another important term for the product. By high quality campaign consumer might be convinced for buying that product. And also at any occasion or festival marketer could bring new promotions for the consumer that might influence the buying process (Foxal & Yani-de-Soriano, 2005). For example, any gift shops or bookshops spend more in promotional activities before Christmas that lead the people for purchasing products or books for gift as they intend to buy (Solomon, Dann, & Russel-Bennett, 2007). So considering task definition as a situational influences marketer could use these promotional activities. Conclusion Understanding of consumer behavior could make the long term success for the products (Quester, Pettigrew, & Hawkins, 2006). And to be successful it’s very important to understand the customer behavior considering the various situational influences (Belk, 1975). In this essay the theories of situational influences that affect their buying decision is discussed and after three of the situational influences is described in case of Kate who was struggling to make the best buy. And in last question how marketer might be able to utilize situation in aspects of using key marketing strategy is described. It is easy to understand that how situation could influence the buying decision process by this essay. MKT510: Consumer Behavior M. M. Tamim 6 ID: 11511633 Bibliography Belk, R. W. (1975). Situational Variables and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 158. 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