Culture, Values and Communications

We live in the humanity of demanding worldwide rations. We comprise the aptitude to communicate with the populace thousands miles apart at the flicker of an eye. Though this looks and is, to nearly all, a splendid supremacy to be appreciated, it can be for a few a world bewilderment and aggravation started by their own observations and values. These obstacles to culture assortment subsist because of the ways in which dissimilar cultures ease acuity and values concerning other and themselves.Culture can be depicted as the arrangement through which communication can be invented and sporadic. Culture pacts with the manner people live. Culture is well-read through perception that is shaped in a variety of ways, where we are born and hoisted, the language we study, the people and the surroundings with which we exist and the psychosomatic spur we stumble upon. Reasonably, with the intention of successfully converse with other customs, we should first see the sights to which we pledge to re cognize the ways that we present obstacles distinguish culture variations.Culture usually refers to guides of human bustle and the figurative arrangements that give such actions significance and magnitude. Cultures can be â€Å"understood as classifications of signs and gist that even their maker’s challenge that is short of preset limits, that are continuously in fluctuation, and that interrelate and contend with one another† Culture can be cleared as all the ways of life as well as arts, beliefs and institutions of a inhabitants those are approved down from generation to generation.Culture has been called â€Å"the manner of life for a whole civilization. † As such, it comprises rules of etiquettes, outfit, language, religious conviction, customs, and games, norms of behavior such as law and ethics, and schemes of belief as well as the art. Great societies often have subcultures, or factions of group with separate sets of manners and beliefs that distinguish t hem from a larger culture of which they are a component. The subculture may be idiosyncratic because of the age of its members, or by their race, traditions, class, or sexual category.The traits that establish a subculture as divergent may be artistic, spiritual, professional, opinionated, sexual or a mixture of these factors. Local cultures of the world arise equally by realm and ethnic group and more largely, by bigger regional distinctions. Resemblances in culture frequently happen in geologically close by peoples. Many regional cultures have been prejudiced by get in touch with with others, such as by colonization, trade, migration, mass media, and religion. Culture is vibrant and changes over time.In doing so, cultures attract external influences and amend to altering surroundings and technologies. Thus, culture is reliant on communication. Local cultures alter swiftly with new communications and transportation technologies that permit for better movement of people and thoughts among cultures. An individual and cultural worth is a relative ethic value, a supposition upon which execution can be extrapolated. A value system is a set of constant values and procedures. A standard value is a base upon which other principles and procedures of honesty are based.Values are considered slanted and differ across people and cultures. Types of values comprise ethical/moral norms, doctrinal/ideological (political, religious) values, communal values, and artistic values. It is debated whether some values are inherent. Individual principles develop from conditions with the external world and can alter over time. His reliability in the application of values refers to its permanence; persons have reliability if they relate their values fittingly regardless of arguments or negative fortification from others.Values are applied suitably when they are practical in the correct area. For example, it would be suitable to concern religious values in times of contentment and in tim es of desolation. Personal values developed early in life perhaps opposed to modify. They may be derivative from those of meticulous groups or systems, such as customs, religion, and political party. Nevertheless, personal standards are not widespread; one's relations, inhabitants, generation and chronological surroundings help settle on one's personal values.This is not to utter that the value perceptions themselves are not collective, simply that each individual have a sole origin of them i. e. an individual acquaintance of the suitable values for their individual genes, manners and skills. Values are linked to the customs of a civilization, but they are more broad and conceptual than norms. Norms are set of laws for deeds in particular circumstances, whereas values recognize what should be umpired as fine or awful. Flying the national flag on a festival is a custom, but it reveals the value of loyalty.Wearing dark clothing and emerging somber are normative behaviors at an interme nt. They imitate the values of reverence and sustain of associates and relatives. Communication is the procedure of stabbing to pass on information from a dispatcher to a recipient with the use of a means. Communication entails that all parties have a region of forthcoming harmony. There are aural means, such as speaking, singing and at times tenor of voice, and nonverbal, substantial way, such as body language, sign lingo, paralanguage, touch, eye contact, or the use of testing.Communication is cleared as a procedure by which we allocate and express sense in an effort to generate communal accepting. This procedure needs an enormous inventory of talents in intrapersonal and interpersonal dispensation, listening, examining, communicating, inquiring, investigating, and assessing. Use of these processes is developmental and moves to all areas of life residence, school, society, employment, and afar. It is through communication that association and assistance arise.

The Church as Forgiving Community: an Initial Model

The Church as Forgiving Community: An Initial Model Liberty University Summary To forgive is not to condone, excuse, forget, or even to reconcile. To forgive is to offer mercy to someone who has acted unjustly (Magnuson; and Enright, 2008). The study of forgiveness in this research article leads us down a path of insightful hopefulness for reconciliation, peace, trust, self-esteem and greater self-actualization. Along with humanistic values this article gives the reader a deeper comfort in the mercies that is given from a greater high power when forgiveness is asserted.The overall premise of â€Å"The Forgiving Community,† as an initial model was a great starting point for greater research. Within the article we see why a basic theory could be important and should be implemented, especially in the case of reaching our children before a culture of unforgiveness and grudges engulf them. The main idea of this article was how to train the church community to instill the forgiving model. One of those ideas of how to instill the forgiving model was for forgivers to learn from their forgiveness and understand one must forgive because they have been forgiven for something themselves.As forgiveness is given and received both recipients, especially the forgiver now see that we all live in a world full of brokenness yet we still yearn to be restored into full fellowship with one another. While the authors were building their case for the forgiving community model they really focused on trying to teach the forgiving model. Looking at forgiveness as a model in the church within the numerous levels of its hierarchy was greatly insightful. Because, this lead to a purpose driven environment that was built on the back of repetition.This shows an effort not to exclude anyone out of the conversation as one is trying to make a lifestyle of living in the atmosphere of forgiveness. Interaction At first glance this article seemed interesting to me simply because of its title. It was one of those things that you look at and say, should not it be that way anyway. As a pastor I have been teaching on forgiveness and confession for a number of weeks in my bible study class. Everything that has been read and the scriptures that have been used in my study time have validated my conclusions of the past few weeks.Not only has my conclusions been validated it has now allowed me to deepen my studies with some empirical materials to allow my class to partake into some knowledge outside of scripture interpretation. This journal piece has challenged me as a pastor to become more psychological in my studies and further deliberate in my method of teaching. There should be a continuum of information that is given out not just from the pastor but from every auxiliary leader so that the message is not just heard but is embedded to all that are receiving the message.This will lead to the sustainability of a message and a life of character change, which will lead one to a li fe of self-gratification, healing, love and respect for self and others. Robert D. Enright is not just noted as an author in this article but a lot of his work is also cited in this article. Because of the dynamic references in this article his books are now on my reading list for future sermons and bible study topics especially on the topic of forgiveness.Along with reading his other works, there is a piece of me that wants to see how he interprets the scriptures of forgiveness through the lens of academics. Is there a more spiritual rational for his belief of forgiveness or is it mere empirical data received through research. Application The counseling session topics that will be used in this scenario are rape and forgiveness. Based on the article we would have to establish a level of comfortability and trust for this conversation even to blossom.Because rape is such a private encounter and the lack of trust that is in the mind of the victim; encouraging one to release their fears and pains is a delicate task. Initially, I would create a series of messages dealing with forgiveness, confidence, love, misconduct, rejection and/or acceptance. This would be done in a group setting and the conventional church service setting. There would then be a time of self-evaluation and reflection so that individuals have time to process the actions of their past lives.Afterward, there will be a time of one-on-one discussion to feed the beast of past pains and allow the clients to see since one is still here God has a continued plan past their hurtful ordeal. The subsequent steps of further sessions will be how to forgive others and how to forgive oneself for the past actions after the rape occurred. Using the church as a forgiveness community we will allow others to discuss their past and how they made it through as in the life of Joseph with his brothers in Genesis the 50th chapter.A beginning and ending of any session would begin like this, â€Å"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done† (Genesis 50:20, New Living Translation). You can accept the past. No one sin, no one exploits, no one choice on your part is too big for God to handle or for God to work out. Just look at Joseph! The same brothers that plotted, sold, and lied about him had to rely on him for their survival. You can embrace the present. There is no place in your life to ride the, what if thrill ride.The past is forgiven and gone, and the future is in God’s hands; so you are free to focus on your present: because you’re present is where God’s love, grace and mercy will stream from. You can look expectantly toward the future. Even if you make mistakes today, God still controls your future. Even when things appear to be terrible, you can trust that God is still working out his divine plan for your life. Reference Magnuson, C. M. , & Enright, R. D. (2008). The church as forgiving community: An initial model. Jo urnal of Psychology and Theology, 36, 114-123.

Female offenders are more likely to be referred to psychiatric Essay

Female offenders are more likely to be referred to psychiatric counselling than men. Discuss, taking into account the impact of gender stereotypes in the criminal justice system - Essay Example That, however, does not mean that women are more likely to be referred to psychiatric counseling than men. It appears that, as the number of female inmates continues to increase, prisons and jails fail to catch up with the pace of change in inmate demographics. Like many years ago, the criminal justice system lacks resources needed to meet women’s health needs. The corrections system continues to ignore the health care needs of female prisoners, turning mental health complications into the most viable explanation to women’s criminal acts. That women-offenders are more likely than incarcerated men to display the signs and symptoms of mental health complications has been abundantly established. The current state of research provides a wealth of information concerning the most serious mental health challenges faced by incarcerated women. Understanding the mental health trends in women offenders is crucial for the development of more relevant criminal justice frameworks and detecting the stereotyping and bias affecting female inmates in the corrections system (Freudenberg 2002). According to Covington (2007), when it comes to mental health, 73% of female inmates in state prisons display the signs of mental health disorders, compared to only 12% among the general population. 75% of those who meet the criteria for mental health disorders also display the symptoms of substance dependence or abuse (Covington 2007). This is probably why the largest percentage changes in delinquency have been noted in female youth (Cruise, Mar see, Dandreaux & DePrato 2007; Snyder & Sickmund 2006). However, the link between mental health complications and crimes committed by female offenders are beyond the scope of this discussion. More important is the current state of mental health in women-prisoners and its implications for the criminal justice processes affecting the corrections system. In this sense, the results

Research Proposal What attributes of eco-labels are important to Essay

Research Proposal What attributes of eco-labels are important to consumers - Essay Example This research proposal seeks to ascertain the eco-label attributes that consumers consider important. Eco-labelling has the fundamentals of information economics written all over it. Eco-labels help consumers in understanding the impact of a product on the environment. They use the information to make a decision on whether to support the product or not (FAO, n.d.). In economics, Stigler portrays information is a valuable resource. For example, a consumer will go around asking for product prices from different sellers. The consumer will continue asking until he or she gets the lowest price. It is apparent that the consumer will not relax until the marginal cost of the product equals the marginal cost of obtaining additional information (FAO, n.d.) Eco-labels provide valuable information on product characteristics, history, and cost, which influences consumer decisions (Delmas & Lessem, 2014). The level of importance that consumers attach to eco-labelling is high because eco-labels contain information about the product quality (Teisl, Roe, & Hicks, 2002). Research has shown that information of product quality is very difficult to obtain in the marketing compared to information on prices (Leopold Center & Iowa University Business Analysis Laboratory, 2004). Consequently, consumers are willing to pay higher for the information product quality (Loureiro & Lotade, 2005). It helps them avoid purchasing disappointing products. The level of uncertainty that come with product labels can push consumers to prefer information on quality. Therefore, consumers prefer the quality attribute of eco-labels on products (Delmas, 2010). Eco-labels influence consumer product preferences. A comprehensive theoretical analysis of the economics of analyzes reveals that some consumers will make purchasing decision based on the eco-labels. Typically, consumers make purchase decisions based on product quality and price. In fact, some consumers can purchase products at

Classifying talent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Classifying talent - Essay Example The first talent chosen for the analysis is playing the piano. It is really a talent for it involves performance of musical pieces with special ability of mind and hands and virtuosity. In other words, playing the piano as a talent requires physical, mental and psychological skills. The uniqueness of this talent lies in the ability to master the musical instrument and being able to perform the hardest musical pieces in front of the audience, under psychological pressure. It is complexity of musical pieces, hours, days and even months of hard work on the performance and virtuosity which make this talent admirable and great. Overall, a person who has this talent obtains such characteristic features as diligence, patience to work a lot of time and not to give up, love of the beautiful, and perseverance. One more relatively wide-spread talent is dancing. This talent lies in a person’s ability to use his / her physical abilities to perform eye-pleasing movements to music and both render and trigger emotions. Thus, this talent also requires mental, psychological and, more importantly, physical skills. The uniqueness of this talent is in a person’s perseverance and hard work to get particular physical skills to be able to perform very specific and complex movements. Very often, it is physical form and gracefulness that are usually praised in this talent. Just like any other talented person, one that has this talent is hard-working, diligent, patient, and passionate. Today, there are many actors but not so many of them have a real talent of acting, which lies in the ability to get into characters and perform in front of an audience or camera. This talent requires mostly mental and psychological skills which allow some kind of transformation and influence on the viewers’ minds. The uniqueness of the talent lies in the person’s ability to warm to the role so much so that other people

Marco Trend Analysis of Smartphones in the Telecommunication Industry Research Paper

Marco Trend Analysis of Smartphones in the Telecommunication Industry - Research Paper Example A competitive environment therefore is affected by the following six macro trends: Demographic, sociocultural, economic, technological, regulatory and natural environment (Mullins & Walker, 2010). This paper will analyze the macro trends that affect the smartphones in the telecommunication industry and how the trends might impact the successful marketing of the smartphones by different telecommunication companies. The first macro trend is technological trend such that the telecommunication industry has to keep up with latest technology in the market. Many customers in the western world do not only buy smartphones but buy them keeping in mind the latest operating systems and other features that are make the devices perform better and faster. Statistics showed that demand for smartphones in Europe and the U.S stalled in 2011 because many customers waited for the flagship of devices that featured the latest versions of key operating systems. Slowdowns are also seen in Asian and Latin Am erica of about 23.9% compared to last year 28.2%. This figure show the leading provider of smartphones, Nokia, as other companies trailed behind (Wall St. Cheat Sheet, 2011). This trend is seen to go on for the coming decade and this is because of the new technologies that emerge every year such as Symbian systems, android systems, windows systems and increased processing capabilities and power. The second trend is the sociocultural trend such that we have witnessed the growth of the mobile phones from the texting and calling only device to a device that has helped us connect with friends and family all over the world. Social networking, gaming and shopping are part and parcel of our daily lives. The smartphones have changed how people engage in these activities. At the moment many smartphones allow for instant communication both through text and video. In five years’ time, with the development of the 3G and 4G lite technologies, will see the smartphones take advantage of thi s and bring video conferencing to the phone. Many companies will need to adapt to the change in the industry and focus on how to best meet the social needs of the people. The third trend is the economic trend where a look at the previous three two years show a decline in the sale of smartphones because of the economic recession. Many people opted to buy budget phones because of increased prices that they could not manage. People’s spending reduced as the impact of the recession took toll on them. The market of smartphones declined. In the coming years the economy in many parts of the world is picking up and more people are bound to buy smartphones. This is because companies have realized the need for the people in the lower end of the market to own such products in order to build the economy. Many have come up with smartphones that are cheap and affordable. A good example is the Nokia C3 smartphone and the ZTE Blade. These phones have the latest technology at reduced prices ( Mohapi, 2011). The trend is seen to continue with many of these companies wanting to penetrate other untapped markets such as Africa. Increased sales will be seen in these areas if the smartphones will be cheaper as is the trend now. The above identified trends will affect the marketing of smartphones in one way or another. Marketers need to come up strategies

How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits Essay

How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits of this to a company support your answer with examples - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the effects of motivation in the workplace. The employees responsible for maintaining a workforce motivated are the managerial staff. The manager is also accountable for the overall performance of the workforce and the company as a whole. There are different techniques that managers can utilize to motivate the staff. A technique that can be used to motivate workers is reinforcement. Reinforcement is the administration of a consequence as a result of a behavior (Schermerhorn, et al.). The use of reinforcement can help increase the persistence of a worker. Two conditioning theories associated with reinforcement are classical conditioning and operating conditioning. Classical conditioning is a form of learning that takes place due the presence of stimuli that manipulates behavior. Giving a dog a steak after an action is an example of classical conditioning. In human beings an example of stimuli at work is seeing the boss smile. Operan t conditioning differs from classical conditioning in that it manipulates the consequences. Managers can use positive reinforcement to increase the likelihood of an employee repeating a behavior. An employee can also be influenced not to commit certain behaviors by imposing negative reinforcement consequences such as punishment. Content theories of motivation deal with an attempt to satisfy individual needs. A popular content theory that managers can use to motivate the staff is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is composed of a pyramid of five needs. The five needs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization (Cherry). The physiological need deals with the need for biological maintenance including food, water, and substance. A manager can ensure this need is met by giving the workers a lunch hour, two fifteen minutes breaks during the shift, and as many bathroom breaks as needed. Safety has to do with the need for security and protection. Hiring a security guard to secure the work premises is a way to comply with the worker’s security need. The social need is associated with love, affection and sense of belongingness. A manager can help comply with the social need in a company by fostering a work environment of collaboration and teamwork. The esteem need deals with the need for respect, prestige, recognition, competence, and mastery. A good manager can comply with this need by promoting from within and by creating a code of ethics at the firm. Self-actualization is the highest order need of the pyramid. This need is associated with desire for fulfillment and to be able to expand and use a person’s abilities. Managers can help fulfill that need by offering training and development opportunities to its employees. A process theory of motivation that can help managers inspire their workers is equity theory. According to equity theory an individual’ s motivation level is correlated to his perception of equity, fairness and justice practiced by the management (Managementstudyguide). When an employee feels there is an injustice in his level of pay in comparison with other employees with the same level of experience and job position the worker will react adversely to the situation. The perceived injustice will cause the employee to lose motivation and perform poorly. A manager can comply with the implications of equity theory by working with the human resource department to analyze the salary scales of

Vacation place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Vacation place - Essay Example The setting rests as the best toured by most of the people from all over the world. Additionally, there lies a stately stone manse called Villa Milocer that lie on seaside estate adorned with beautiful olive trees and embraced by the ancient cedar and forests made of pine. Therefore, planning a vacation in Aman Svet Stefan is the best as it offers the beautiful views with pink sandy beaches. The pink sandy beaches receive many people travelling from all over the world bringing aboard the best for those who like to interact with the beautiful women. The place presents the best of its kind as statistics show that more women than men tour the site. It is the most admired by men that would like to check out for the fragrance embodied of the beautiful women the world over. Notwithstanding, this locale has the richest individuals offering the best deals for car hire for the preserve of comfort. Nevertheless, after an enjoyable day, the island provides the best for its visitors to rest, relax, and stay better the next day. It offers an extended selection of suites with collections of dining venues, entertainment, and wellness. In addition, the place has the best hotels that one can spend comfortably. The Sveti Stefan offers the most comfortable areas for sleep that are pocket-friendly while giving the best for the visitors. Thus, the Aman Svet Stefan stands out to be the best place to take your

Implement excellent marketing strategies Assignment

Implement excellent marketing strategies - Assignment Example The most crucial issues related to the decision making methodologies involves the concept of integrated marketing communications to be the best weapon for the marketing managers to come up with good marketing plans to build strong brands. These strong brands form the best solution to overcome any form of competition from the rivals in the global economy. Marketing communications define the set of diverse communication strategies implemented to market the products and services of a company. The communication strategies play a vital role in making or breaking the value of the product in the market. The directors of the company push the marketing managers to extremes in order to obtain the estimated results. These estimated results definitely relate to the position of the company in the global market. Marketing communications comprises of Advertising media, branding of a product, building customer relationships, promotion of a brand, sales promotion so on (Frost & Sullivan, n.d.). All these factors specified play a major role in the construction of good brands by the marketing managers for the products under production. Now-a-days consumers are always looking for various services provided by the producers. Production of a particular product has become a dependent factor based on consumer demand (Kate Maddox, 2006). Major concentration of the marketing strategies deals with the methodologies involved over communicating the apt information concerning a product to the consumer. These communications form the backbone of the brand image formed for a product based on the idea developed in the consumers mind regarding the various features associated with the product. A consumer is always driven by a brand that ensures the quality of the product and also provides easy methods of gaining the appropriate information without any hurdles. The consumer prefers to gather all the necessary information within no time; this can be the best opportunity for the producers to provide all the information with apt details and also present a demonstration of the product functionality to gain the customers loyalty. This sort of communication helps the company to build a huge set of loyal customers who prioritize the brand options and always get back to the brand that they are confident about. Building a Strong Brand Brand is considered as a promise made to the consumer by the producer over the quality of the products and services that they offer to the customer. This is basically the major factor that defines the quality associated with the products the company manufactures (Tom Blackett, 2004). Brand image has become a matter of prestige and pride to the consumers of this new era. Brands provide the authentication over the quality of the product to the consumer in order to make the purchases confidently out of the wide variety of choices. As they say there is no free meal in this world, the consumers prefer to invest their hard earned money into products that perform up to their expectations. Consumer satisfaction

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment 3 - Essay Example The point of view being taken from the individual is purely through a profit or money-making mindset. Concerns such as data security and data storage are literally thrown out the window, as social media is purely seen as a selling point for companies and individuals alike. Using social media for the affable and leisurely means of communication across transnational borders for family and friends is not in the mindset of the individual in the aforementioned conversation. The notion of making money while you sleep has been discussed widely in internet marketing and social media marketing circles throughout the past decade; so much so that individuals coming into the profession of social media marketing are led to believe that they too can make money while they literally are asleep. Yet there are a number of facets, both moral and ethical, that must be considered when using individual data from social networks for the purpose of advertising through social media networks. How would custom ers react if, whilst completing their online banking, they were to see an advertisement pop-up offering a meal discount at the latest restaurant they went to? Undoubtedly customers could become a bit finicky when they begin to realise their spending habits are not only being tracked, but are actively used to further promote additional products and services. People hate to be sold, yet a pop-up on a customer’s screen may just be the trigger to earn even more money from them. According to data obtained from the World Bank on worldwide internet users (â€Å"Internet users as percentage of population,† 2012) 32.77% of the world’s population is now using the internet. All people of the aforementioned percentage would be interacting with some form of social media, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google, Yahoo, and so on. The potential of advertising through such mediums in an effective and visually aesthetic way is unfathomable. College dropouts are turning into overnight internet multimillionaires as they are beginning to understand the power of social media marketing. The golden years of elderly experienced working hard for one’s money by working 10, 12, 14 or even 16 hours per day has been replaced with young moguls, who with a keyboard, a mouse and internet access have the capabilities to begin running their own online business from the comfort of their own home with no prior qualifications or experience required. Evans (2010) states individuals are able to develop the use of social media marketing more than just by selling and promoting: it is through the use of effective â€Å"dream-like† visualisation from the business owner to the prospective buyer which will entice them to purchase a particular product. Today, entrepreneurs have taken quickly towards information selling and using social media as a form of exponentially increasing their brand awareness. Where previously, word of mouth was predominantly seen as a b usiness’ driver in future sales, today it is simply the click of a â€Å"Like† button on Facebook, or a photo or instant â€Å"tweet† to friends on Twitter which will determine the success and viability of a company. Business owners will also need to embrace social media marketing and use it to its fullest potential. A number of traditional offline businesses such as postal services are starting to move towards gearing a greater portion of their business activities towards the online arena.

But These Things Also Essay Example for Free

But These Things Also Essay ‘But these things also’ brings â€Å"to the centre of attention what has previously overlooked†, as Judy Kendall writes. Thomas explores his fascination with the unimportant in this poem and looks at the connection and merging together of Spring and Winter. Much like his other poetry, here, Thomas struggles to put his finger on precisely what he means. This is shown by his inability to separate and distinguish between the two seasons. The poem begins with the first two lines focussing on Spring, however, by following this with two lines focussing on Winter, Thomas explodes our first expectations of usual ‘spring poetry’ of bright and beautiful images. Instead, he catches the limbo between the two seasons and we are presented with the idea of the grass being ‘long dead’ and ‘greyer now’. This pessimistic tone is not what one usually connotes with springtime, but with the cold and bleak winter. By putting the images of the two seasons so close together in this stanza, Thomas reinforces his presentation of their connection. The last line of the stanza, ‘than all the winter it was’, changes the natural syntax of the words. The stress focuses of ‘it was’, emphasising what has past, which creates a sense of longing, introducing the idea that, like in ‘March’, Thomas is desperate to find ‘the key’ the last two lines of the first stanza finish with the words ‘now and ‘was’, bringing together images of the movement of time and emphasising the gap between the present and the past and importantly, Thomas’s focus on that gap. The second stanza uses inscape to look at things, which are seemingly unimportant. These things show the remains of winter, therefore connecting the seasons further. Once again, Thomas alters the syntax of the words to create a more beautified image.’ The word ‘bleached’ would usually have a much more negative connotation of fading and perhaps even the loss of hope, however By placing the word at the end of the first line and after the word ‘little’ he takes away the harshness of the sound and makes it more delicate and gentle. As well as this, Tomas’s use of enjambment stresses the soft ‘L’ sounds in ‘the shell of the little snail’, which further emphasises the smoothness of the words. Following this, the sexural pause halfway along the  second line, highlights the plosive sounds on the image of the ‘chip of flint’. This draws our attention to the minute details, which Thomas considers and accentuates the signs that spring is not quite here yet. By observing nature in this much detail, we see how valuable Thomas considers it to be, it creates a sense that although these things are small and often overlooked, they are significant. The final image in this stanza is of the ‘purest white’ bird dung. At first it appears odd to be beautifying such a thing as bird dung, but by following it with the words ‘purest white’, Thomas introduces an idea of innocence and positivity, as well as a contrast with the previous image of something ‘greyer now’. This brief glimmer of hope however, is shattered in the next stanza. In stanza three, the image of ‘white’ no longer has positive connotations, but it feels as if Thomas could be referring to the relationship between the colour white and death. This instantly darkens the tone and the notion of mistaking bird dung for violets presents the idea that Thomas is truly desperate for any indication of spring’s arrival. The following violent images of ‘winter’s ruins’ and ‘winter’s debts’ create an oppressive feeling which moves further from the previous idea of hope. Continuing the pattern of Thomas’s other poetry, the word ‘something’ appears ambiguous and vague, creating a sense that Thomas still isn’t quite clear on what it is we are paying ‘winter’s debts’ with. The final stanza of ‘But these things also’ begins to fill us with hope once more. The ‘chattering’ birds create a sense of rising morale and the idea of keeping their ‘spirits up’ sounds optimistic. Despite this, when we eventually think that Thomas is going to make a definitive statement, ‘spring’s here’ he reintroduces the feeling of ambiguity with the words ‘winter’s not gone’. This leaves the poem with a sense of not knowing and uncertainty. This reminds us of Thomas’s tendency to never give absolutes and that he likes balancing a positive idea with a negative. This paradox leaves us with the idea that the winter is preventing the spring from arriving. Throughout the poem, there is a regular rhythm, given by the Iambic  Tetrameter, which is occasionally shortened to show the indecisive and unclear seasons. There is never a climax during this poem due to it all being one long sentence. Robert’s talks about Thomas’s use of enjambment and fluidity, which gives a sense of him thinking and working through his thoughts.

Critical Evaluation Of Brand Strategy Of VGI

Critical Evaluation Of Brand Strategy Of VGI Abstract This report is a depiction of the brand strategy adopted by an automobile company Volkswagen. This primarily covers the brand management by the company including the critical evaluation of the brand strategy adopted with context to its brand value, brand image and brand positioning. The report provides the reader to have critical analysis of the brand management and at the end of the report a conclusion is drawn on the basis of analysis in the body of the report. In main part of the report there is VIP analysis followed Boston matrix and product life cycle for the detailed explanation of topic. Various brand strategies adopted by the company are also touched in this part of the report. The conclusion is followed by some suitable recommendation of the brand strategy management of the company. Introduction Branding The concept of branding in market is related to the production of brand and in the views of Hankinson Cowking (1993) that branding is tagline that used to differentiate product from other competitors in market. Branding is defined as identity of a specific product, service or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol or slogan. The world brand began simply as a way to tell one persons cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. The word brand began has continued to evolve to encompass identity- in effect the personality of o product, company or service. In the views of Johnson and Scholes (2002, pp. 140) branding is an important feature for saturated market and for the slow growing markets. The brand provides recognition and allows adding value, image and position to the company. An effective brand strategy is very useful for the survival and future growth of company. Branding is used to promote the products of the company in an easier and effective way. It builds up identity and for communicating the story of brand as in India the concept of storytelling is popular tool for advertising. Importance of Branding The branding is the face of the product that company offers to its customers hence every company has to toss their branding strategy effectively. Since this is beneficial in making the impression of product or services in the mind of customers. An effective and impressive brand name always attracts the customers and keeps the position and image of the company in their minds. This even gains to make the customers think and moved towards the use of another product of same company to which they are not familiar. A good quality brand image in business matters a lot; the brand of the company is always seen as in differential part of the company which shows its value and quality. With an effective and strong brand the image of the company goes rise. Strong brand of business facilitate other brands to link with each other different products of the company. The brand name of company used for the different products of the company for effective selling in market. (Source Hankinson Cowking, 1997 pp- 156) Company Introduction VOLKSWAGEN DAS AUTOS The automobile company is well known for its services and higher satisfaction among their customers. Volkswagen group of India is subsidiary of worldwide famous Volkswagen AG. It switches to brand of Volkswagen in addition to two other existed brands of Skoda and Audi in Indian market. These brands possess its own character manoeuvres in an autonomous manner. The establishment of this subsidiary was in year 2007. In Indian autos market the brand image is featured by the size of vehicle, technologies of driving and different features like ABS, EPS and air bags and galvanized bodies of automobiles. Multi branding v/s Corporate Branding There are two main concepts taken corporate branding and multi branding that are explained as followed by the company: Multi Branding: Concept of multi branding in the company mainly based on the objective to become most innovative manufactured volume complies with best quality product specifically considering medium to long term classless. With theme and slogan Vorsprungdurch Technik of Audi brand in considered as solid brand in automotive premium segment. In addition brand of Skoda is a combination of intelligent concepts in using space and technical innovation also covering the design and good money value (Kapfere, 2009, pp 276). Corporate Branding: Volkswagen carries three main brands by having messages of responsible innovation and providing Enduring Value. The car under the corporate brand there is passenger cars convey reliability and quality and engineering of German skills at the global level. This facilitate in becoming the first choice in millions of the customers when buying a car. Critical Evaluation of Brand Strategy of VGI In the views of Porter (1993), for successful administration of a company there must be an identified strategy that itself serve as a position and must be able to handle competition through brand strategy of the company and is primarily differentiate into three parts as. Cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy. Brand strategy of Volkswagen is well maintained. As India is important market for the strategic marketing especially in automotive industry. There are good opportunities for future growth as a result of outstanding conditions of demands. But the noticeable condition is that there is very high competition full with challenges of conditions of market, different lifestyle, and behaviour of consumers. Branding is key success factor for Volkswagen in order to gain good market position and competitive advantages therefore it become very successful in the Indian Automobiles of market. As branding plays a vital part for the Volkswagen and make it differentiate from other competitors in market. Kotler has viewed his comment on the leadership that a cost leadership is not possible, differentiate is their competitive strategy (Kotler, 2008, p.468). Also Varey considered brand as unique and for selling the proposition in the emerging markets. Branding Value of Volkswagen The brand value is an important aspect of a brand. This can be illustrate as the customers are usually willing to spent or pay more for that product that is related to any known brand, they preferred brand that the product. The brand value is hence defined as that extra money made by a company or can be made from the selling of its products in solely way only due to the name of its brand. For example For Volkswagen group India there is late entry of the Volkswagen group of India in the market as compared to other competitor rivals. Due to this company has lack to gain the first mover advantage in market and hence less gain in the brand value. For further development the company in order to strengthen its brand value it follow the strategy by making corporate statement innovation for everyone. While marketing any product, importantly in India, the most crucial factor is quality and price of product as India is at a halt a poor country. Brand Image for Volkswagen Brand image is specified as those qualities which are related to the association to customers with the particular brand. It is expressed as the human behaviour and their wants and desires, but not enough it also associates with the situational use, price and quality of the brand. Here example can be taken as the Mercedes Benz which possesses a string brand image due to its product quality and features and their price, this came to make an image of brand in the minds of customers about that particular product. The brand image is not an inherent character for a company brand though this can be achieved through the advertising and campaigns. Brand image is identity of the product in market and is a symbol of the company that make its impression and image in the minds of customers. The Volkswagen with its new brand name Das Auto along with its vision, the company is going to create new image by surrounding proximity and convenience via affordable innovations. The Volkswagens brands of Skoda and Audi managed in such a way that curved their position in stiff ad competitive automobile market and creating their baton of brand image in consciously sensitive markets like India. Brand Positioning In the view of Armstrong (2002), brand positioning zeroes in on customers and gives them a reason to buy a product in preference to others; it differentiates a product from other products based on attributes. Walter (1997) also states that position of brand is perception among target customers. The Volkswagen group of India as came back into market after the period of ten years it has going to position its brand again in the minds of their customers and in market. The company has positioned its brand bracketed to set of above middle classed customers whose income is above average and have the thrill to show off as and where compared to brand Audi which is expensive and very showing type is designed for those types of consumers that are sporty and want to show off more with expensive expenditure. On contrary the Volkswagen brand is suitable for the average persons and also full the desire to show off. The company has managed them with a separate position in market. According to a stat ement given by the director of VW passengers cars Mr. Neeraj Garg that the company will take some time for making its position and there is a slow process to gain position into the minds of customers of India. Segmentation In India most driving factor is recognised affordability, due to this the market of domestic cars is segmented on to accordance with their prices. There is price based competition in Indian market therefore the car is segmented as below: Multi Segmentation Geographical segmentation Demographical segmentation Social Class Marketing Strategy Marketing Strategy adopted by Volkswagen brand after its launch in India in 2007 in relation to marketing Mix Marketing Mix Marketing mix of Volkswagen Brand Source: Kotler, P Armstrong, G (2004) For brand strategy of Volkswagen there is involvement of first P according to marketing mix is Product as described in model. The product in this model is defined as that combination of services and goods sell to the customers by the company or organisation in target market (Armstrong Kotler, 2005). From analysis it is found that product is also a part of Brand name. Design and quality are the main product features that possess variety in them. Here an example can be quoted for a brand of Volkswagen Touareg that has been sold in India comprises of a package of seating, engine, breaks and engine etc. (Volkswagen India, 2009). Hence for product strategy the company is equipped with variety and design in their products including warrant for them which in turn results in good response from the customers and make them satisfied and bring loyalty in them. The second P in this model if marketing mix is price. Price is of a product or service is defined as that amount which is paid by customer to the organisation or company for buying their products or services offered to them (Armstrong Kotler, 2005). While discussing the price strategy it has been found that there are 61 dealership offers high prices for the products to sell in India as compared to their rivals like Honda city and Ford, but there is variation that the company charge interest rate by 4.5 5.0 % instead of other rivals make with 8% or more as a loans given by banks or building societies of other rival car makers. This facility is attributed by the Volkswagen financial Services that aided to support the sales of the company to their customers. There is next P for the marketing mix is Place that is also very crucial in Brand management. The place usually referred to that place where there is availability of products of company to their customers. As in concerned to Volkswagen the company involved in using dealers and distributors for the purpose of the sales of their products. There are two modes for the dealers to get authorised either through franchised or direct ownership of company. For the company their network related to their dealers is very important and is maintained in a proper way because the product of the company are introduced through them to the customers, hence it is very important. In the views of Kotler 2005 the company usually share their losses and profits both with their dealers for purpose to maintain the quality of cost leadership. At present the Volkswagen has fine relationship with their dealers in India and also involve in the dealing of their products with Skoda with 61 leaders (Top News, 2010). The last and fourth one P is Promotion. The promotion has variance in their objectives that has to be achieved in market. The promotion is usually handled with the tool of advertisement. The promotions for customers are added through the advertisement that results in the excitement among them. The aim of promotion is to pull in target consumers. These promotions are based on the scheme of non profit but in turn results in the profit for the company (Bradley, 1993). For example the Volkswagen Company in year 2009 has launched a promotion named Pre Monsoon campaign published by Motor beam, 2009. This promotion is for the purpose to establish the brand of company India. In India the company offered a variety of range of services to their customers and fro this company is getting profit from the promotions of the company brand. Pricing strategy Pricing strategy of Volkswagen: In the vies of Lowe and Doole (et al 2006), for any company at the initial stage of launch in market introduced with two adopted strategies for pricing, one is marketing skimming price strategy and other one is market penetration pricing. The company Volkswagen has choose the strategy of market penetration pricing. In this strategy previously the prices were set high so that there can be coverage of initial investment this is so because the company had invested a lot of money in the business to set up the unit in Pune, Maharastra. Ansoff Growth Matrix Model for Strategy Source: Kotler, P Armstrong, G (2004) For further analysis there is discussion in accordance with the given model of Ansoff Growth Matrix for Volkswagen. This model usually depicts the different areas of market development of the product of the company. This development is in relation with company and that aspect that are very important for the diversification of market. The thing is that this company has been diversified as it enters into new market. Market development According to Reiziger (et al, 2003) when a company took entrance into a new market and launch themselves by introducing existing products this is came to know as the development of market, and the main aim of the company is to lure the customers from the their existing competitors in that exiting market i.e. new market. The company Volkswagen has got the entry into Indian market in 2007 by launching their product Jetta, then after two years in 2009 the company has launched two new cars in market with their existing brand using the brand value in market these cars are ionic beetle and the Touarge sedans (Volkswagen India, 2010). Diversification Again in the views of Reizger (2003) this is the entrance of any new company with having the launch of their new product under its own brand is termed to be diversification. This strategy is commonly recognised as most risky one as there is introduction of two new entities one is market and other one is product. For the Volkswagen diversification is not so risky, as it has already successfully launched a variety of cars in the market with its own brand and in accordance with its brand image and with every brand it has inched higher and created sense of the demand in the market on every launch of new products. Most currently the company has as innovation there are four new car that has gone to be launched in 2012 and these new coming products are SUVW, Couple, Up and Blue Sport (Volkswagen, 2010). Conclusion Recommendation: As from above discussion it is concluded that Volkswagen has got an effective branding strategy but there are some factors that has to be taken into consideration for the company to make its brand VIP. In India this company is represented by three brands i.e. Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen and posses their own identity and features and an independent manner in market. The brand of Volkswagen along with Audi and Skoda provide good level of consistency and excellence in the market within the existing value, image and position of its brand in target market of automobiles. It has also been concluded that the company adopted brand leveraging strategy. The product launched by the company are good from all aspects and given for strengthen the brand image and identity in market. Having discussion over the marketing mix all the aspects of the marketing mix by the Volkswagen are handled in an effective way, company cover all areas of price, promotion, place and product well but there is some need to pay emphasis over the promotion and price aspect of the brand strategy to get the good response in market. It is also concluded that there is lack of loyalty factor in Indian market of Auto brands as compared to the other markets. The company Volkswagen is new in the market and hence there is low brand awareness of the company in market. There must be raise of awareness among all the required fields of market. There must bring up some improvements and creation of the brands. As in Indian market which is basically driven by the price and prerequisites, company Volkswagen carry on its brand with the quality factor only. This is criticised here because this strategy will create hindrance in the brand development and prosperity of the company. The factor of Cannibalization can be seen as it can pay an important role for the Volkswagen approach for the branding i.e. multi branding approach and hence resulting in the brand that are new take the business away from that which are already established in market. There are some suggestions that the company can adopt for the effective brand management are to drive the response of the customers as they are the key link for the success of the company and there must be online and offline programmes of marketing. The company has to be involved in the Build Brand Engagement process to learn how the consumer wants to link up with the brand of product. They must continue to attempt at increasing the customer loyalty.

Pricing And Distribution Strategies

Pricing And Distribution Strategies According to Christian Louboutin Shoes are a mirror of what you want, what you are or what youre missing (Time, 179, page 68); these words has inspired the launch of a new footwear brand -LKS. The concept of this new product is to bring forth a new generation for womens footwear. LKS is to launch a pair of shoes that will be the missing piece of the puzzle. It will encompass the comfort factor but will also have the creative element for the fashion conscious. The inspiration for this product is that it can be worn from day to night, all day every day. This is because the product will have a detachable heel system which will allow the person to interchange the height, the design of the heel or just wearing the shoes as they are. The diagram below will illustrate the concept: Detachable heel clips into place Studies show that wearing high heels can cause Lower Back Disorders (Work, Volume 41, 2012) and can also affect posture whilst at work (Teller Vision, 2013). This is one of the reasons why LKS is launching the detachable heel to tackle these claims. Further to the detachable heel concept; each heel will have its unique design whether it is a metallic stiletto heel or it is a chunky Perspex one. Every one of the designs will reflect the persons personality or styles which are interchangeable. In addition, the idea of the detachable heel is so that an ordinary pair of flat ballerina pumps for example can transform into a pair of glamorous six inch heels; that not only looks chic and fashionable but is also suited to the consumers personal taste. Part A: The Brand Name LKS Love Killer ShoesThe brand name LKS was originally made up of initials from the group as like most footwear brands: Kurt Geiger, Russell Bromley and Jimmy Choo. The initials of the brand can be interpreted as a paradox to our original concept of comfort Love Killer Shoes. The fact that the brand strap line uses the word Killer is humorous as it is a play on the idea that the product is comfortable but it can also mean that the product can be transformed into something amazing. It displays that the brand is quirky, unique and creative. However, the brands logo will depict simplicity. Please refer to the below design: The logo is simply LKS written in a white font in a black background; which includes the strap line Love Killer Shoes underneath also in a white font on a black background. The reason for the choice in colours is because it is minimal and classic like the luxury brand Chanel or Alexander Wang. It can also be compared to the hair straighteners brand GHD with their strap line of Good hair day, every day. LKS vision is to aid the 21st century woman in balancing ones working life with their leisure time. As the population of women in the UK is greater ((51%), Home Office) than mens, the brand aims to sell to women. These women will be working professionals ((Social Grading of A C1), NRS (n.d), Keynote (2012)). People of Social grading A C1 make up a large proportion of consumers in the UK who purchases shoes (Keynote 2012). Statistics in June 2011 shows that (73.1%) women were more likely to purchase shoes much more than men (51.3%). It has also been decided that the brand intends to sell to women between the ages 20 and 34 as Part A: The brand name (contd) these ages showed one of the highest consumer purchases in 2011. (Keynote, Footwear, 2012). Despite the economic climate the footwear industrys growth in 2012 showed a growth of 3.7% (Mintel, July 2012) and as footwear is now seen as a fashion essential many consumer especially women are always looking to buy shoes. Statistics shows that 27% (Mintel, Footwear Retailing July 2012) of consumers buy shoes because they want to find something comfortable; which is one of the reasons why LKS is to launch this unique footwear where comfort and style are put into one package. Part B: Promotion (Please refer to Mood Board) Part B: Promotion, Mood Board justification LKS sole focus is the design of the heel, rather than the entire shoe. LKS product will be trendy, quirky and innovative; therefore a range of materials, colours and patterns will be used in its production. The product will also be catwalk-esque, and high street oriented thus catering to fashionistas. LKS detachable heels will each have its own distinctive design and colour (refer to mood board). Jewel colours (greens/yellows/blues/reds) will be incorporated to make the heel vibrant, depicting their glamorous and gem like nature. For example a green will signify the colour of an emerald. Metallic colours gold and silver will bring edginess and incorporates the rock image instantaneously to the shoe. Different materials in addition to the colours will create texture to the heel and emphasise the difference of LKS heels compared to other normal heels. The brand will be willing to mix and match a variety of fabrics with different colours and patterns. This will become the basis for all the heel designs. The diversity of the designs means that LKS can create heels to correlate with the seasons trends. When considering the marketing strategy, it is crucial to consider the promotional mix. According to Jobber (2009) there are six main components that make up the promotional mix, these include: Advertising, Direct sales, E-commerce, Personal selling, Sales promotion and Public Relations. It is essential to relate to the target audience of young professionals when choosing the most relevant and wide reaching promotional tools. LKS has chosen to utilise Advertising, E-commerce and Public Relations. A push strategy (Jobber, 2009) will be used to stimulate consumer demand for the product. It has been estimated that 1107 million (TfL statistics, n.d) people utilise the underground every year; this means that there will always be a consistent high footfall especially during peak commuting hours. Therefore, part of LKS advertising will take the form of advertisements on the London Underground. These advertisements will capture commuting young professionals interests. In addition, advertisements will also be placed on buses, both inside and outside. This will ensure that LKS maximises the use of all methods of commuting. Part B: Promotion, Mood Board justification (contd) Magazines and newspapers will also form a basis for LKS advertising. LKS will focus on high end glossy magazines such as Elle which has a combined readership of around 1 million (National Readership Survey, April 2012) for print and website compared to Vogue which has an estimated 1.4 million (National Readership Survey, April 2012) combined readership. Limiting the print in only high end glossy magazines will aid LKS to develop a prestigious image and also to show the young stylish professionals that LKS products are of high quality and are the latest must-haves. To further aid with the advertising of LKS; it is important to ensure that the brand gets acknowledgement from these high end magazines. LKS will send out sample products to fashion bloggers and magazine companies for them to review the products and therefore extend brand recognition. Social media is currently becoming an essential part of the daily life; hence the brand will strongly focus on E-commerce which will be social media websites such as Facebook, twitter and Instagram. Statistics shows that on Instagram alone there are 90 million monthly active users and 1000 comments are posted every second (Instagram Press Centre, n.d); LKS will launch with an Instagram account allowing consumers to access new product launches including exclusive insider photos of all aspects of LKS; offering their feedback to ensure the consumer feels valued and connected to LKS. Further to Instagram; Facebook itself has 1 billion monthly active users since October 2012 (Facebook Newsroom, n.d) and twitter (Tweetstats, n.d) who has nearly 1 million users and will indefinitely support the advertising of the brand through competitions and limited sneak peek photos and information. The use of Public Relations will develop the relationship between both consumers and the media. LKS clever stunt will capture both consumer and media attention; taking influence from Lanvin for HM who used Marble Arch in London as a giant billboard by projecting images onto it (Popscreen, n.d). For example, LKS can place a giant shoe, highlighting the detachable heel in Trafalgar Square. Part C: Pricing and Distribution Strategies There are three pricing methods (Jobber, 2009); Cost, Competition, and Marketing Orientated Pricing. LKS will be focusing on the Marketing Orientated Pricing which means that it takes into account a wide range of factors; that aids in price setting. LKS product is of a unique nature therefore the price of the product will be higher than a conventional pair of high heels. The brand wants to be perceived as a high quality luxury brand on the high street and so a premium pricing strategy will be used. Reports on Keynote (2012) shows that consumers highest spending on footwear in the year ending June 2011 is between  £20  £149. As mentioned, LKS will be targeting young professionals in the social grading A C1 so it was essential to set a price that is both affordable for this target group yet will also provide the basis for LKS to be seen as a high end brand. Although LKS product is different from any other products on the market; the competition aspects are still considered to play a vital role in the pricing strategy. It is important to be able to identify the various types of competition in the market, shown in Figure 1. To define LKS Immediate Competitors, the brand has looked at other parts of the footwear industry; what other brands offered on the high street. Kurt Geiger is at present one of the leading footwear brands in the UK and is a retailer that supplies luxury and fashionable shoes. It has been estimated that at the end of January 2011 the company had a turnover of  £185 million (Keynote, 2012). This is one of the main direct competitors of LKS, as both brands are targeting the stylish, young professionals. As shown on the table for Kurt Geiger the pricing range is from  £55  £410 which is a large variation compared to Russell Bromley and CJG. LKS Recommended Retail Price will be starting at  £100 which is competitive against the lowest price point of the main competitors and does not make LKS to be perceived as a cheap brand but a premium one. There are three aspects of channel strategies LKS must consider: Channel Selection, Distribution Intensity and Channel Integration (Jobber, 2009) Distribution (place) To allow for greater consumption and transparency (Jobber, 2009) the main route of distribution will be through online sales and concessions within the well established department stores. The use of an intermediary is essential to distribute to concession as this will assist to improve efficiency and accessibility for consumers (Blythe, 2009) as the products will be dispersed in smaller batches allowing measurement of stock and an even distribution. However, with online commerce; direct producer to consumer channels are the most effective as young working professionals may not have the time to shop in LKS concessions; online shopping will be the most efficient way. Distribution Contd (Intensity) There are three types of distribution intensity. LKS has reviewed all three types: Figure 2 (Source: Jobber, 2009) LKS has opted with Selective distribution into high end concession stores. This will create brand prestige along with brand loyalty. The use of department stores offers a guaranteed footfall compared to a stand-alone store. Harrods for example has over 1.3 million customers every year from more than 134 countries (Chamber Cocktail, 2011). Using Selfridges, Harrods and Libertys as a platform for the product will allow well established customers the chance to try something refreshing, but from a trustworthy and recognised shop. E-commerce has provided consumers with the ability to shop from home; especially when people work all day and have no time to browse around in shops. Online shopping has grown rapidly throughout the years; an approximate value on average for weekly internet sales is  £466.1 million in August 2012 (Office for National Statistics, 2012) which is a growth of 7.5% compared to the previous year. Alongside online website a mobile application will be launched allowing for increased accessibility for shopping on the go.

My China :: Personal Narrative Essay

My China I had lived in Beijing for a year and a half at the age of four, and had attended Chinese nursery school. I had also grown up speaking Mandarin at home. However, I was not at all prepared for what met me the year we spent in Beijing when my father headed an international program for a small group of American students. At the time, though I spoke Mandarin without a foreign accent, my vocabulary did not extend far beyond a grade-school level, and I was next to illiterate. Well aware of that, my parents, fond followers of the "sink or swim" theory, dropped me off at the local Chinese school the first day of classes and promptly disappeared. In thinking back, I can honestly say that during the first few months I was completely in the dark both socially and academically. There were so many intricacies of the classroom that no one had prepared me for. I was shocked by the power that the Chinese teacher held over the students: the volume with which she scolded them even after they had been reduced to muted sobbing and her unceasing rhetoric about their duties to the ancestral land. I was shocked at the same time, however, by her extreme involvement in and dedication to the lives of the students. The relationships shared among the students were foreign to me as well: I had to get used to girls holding hands with girls and boys likewise with boys. Arguments were settled in the open, often with loud screaming and eventually crying. Nothing was suppressed. I made all sorts of blunders, such as wearing my hair down, crossing my legs when speaking to the principal, or forgetting to stand when answering a question in class. Actually, the students greeted everything I did with laughter, giggling, and stolen glances in my direction. It took me so long to understand and accept the nature of that laughter. Gym class (or rather, military marching drills class) provided me with the ultimate chance to be a blundering fool. Though the students assured me that the teacher was speaking Mandarin, I could hear only a garbled shout of "Fragrance," followed by some vowelless consonants, while the others somehow heard "Face right and march." Of course, my being run into was not beneficial to the appearance of the drill.

Physics of Rail Guns Essay -- physics weapon weapons rail gun

The concept of a rail gun is simple: two parallel bars connected to a power source produce an electric field. This electric field can be used to propel a projectile along the bars. If enough amperage is provided, the projectile can achieve velocities of up to 4 km/s. The U.S. Army has been interested in the potential of electromagnetic guns for quite some time. In 1988 the University of Texas Center for Electromagnetics began work on a 9 MJ range gun, which would be designed to launch 2-4 kg projectiles at velocities of up to 4 km/s. Design features of this range gun included up to 230 MJ stored energy, 6 kV and 3 MA peak output ratings, and a 9 shot repetitive fire capability. In the early 1990's, the U.S. Army, along with the Marine Corps, showed much interest in the Cannon Caliber Electromagnetic Gun System (CCEMG). This project seeks to demonstrate an elecrtomagnetic gun system designed from a system/mission prospective. The CCEMG showed a 3 times increase in energy and power density over the range gun system. The U.S. Army plans to produce electric tanks by the year 2015 with electromagnetic guns mounted on them. The all-electric tank would include electric vehicle drive and suspension and electric armaments. In this concept, the flywheel energy can be used as a flywheel battery to provide power for vehicle acceleration and regenerative braking, and will also produce electrical power for the electromagnetic armaments. This is the perfect example of how physics is still impacting the world in which we live. A rail gun in it's simplest form is a pair of conducting rails separated by a distance L and with one rail connected to the positive and one the negative side of a power source supplying voltage V and current I.... ...an use the right hand rule. Since all the angles involved are 90 degrees, the resultant force has a magnitude resulting from the simple multiplication of the magnitude of i and B and the value of L. (|F|=L|i||B|) To determine the direction, lay your right hand along the path of the current through the projectile, with your fingers pointing in the direction the current is travelling. Next, curl your fingers in the direction of the B field. Your thumb will now be pointing in the direction of the applied force. Bibliography 1. Jengel and Fatro's Rail Gun Page. http://home.insightbb.com/~jmengel4/rail/rail-intro.html 2. Pappas, John. University of Texas Center for Electromechanics http://www.utexas.edu/research/cem/ 3. MIT students. Amateur Rail Gun Production Journal http://www.railgun.org 4. United States Patent and Trademark Office http://www.uspto.gov/

Film Review of The Crucible :: Essay on The Crucible

Film Review of The Crucible The Crucible: A Film Review Who'd have thought that simple dancing could cause so much chaos in a small town. This is precisely what happens in the film The Crucible (Nicholas Hytner, 1996), which was originally written as a play by Arthur Miller. This story is based on actual events, which helps in showing the accuracy of the events. The story takes place in Salem in 1692, during the Salem witch trials. The story starts when a group of young girls, particularly one named Abigail, are caught dancing around a fire in the woods by the town preacher, Samuel Parris. In an effort to avoid getting in trouble, the girls begin to make accusations against the townspeople, saying that these people are witches who forced them to dance. As the hysteria grows in Salem, people begin to question their own neighbors, simply out of spite and vengeance, among other things. The Crucible is certainly historically accurate in it's portrayal of the townspeople's beliefs and attitudes. It is a film that should be seen to view the way people were in the seventeenth century. Fear was probably the biggest reason for all of the happenings. Fear is what got the girls started on their accusations, as they were afraid to get in trouble. They knew that if they were thought to be conjuring spirits, they would be hung. The townspeople were also afraid, especially of those who were different. They felt that they must be rid of anyone who disagreed with their beliefs. Just look at how the Puritans treated the Indians. They feared the Native Americans because their beliefs were different than their own. Also, the main reason that people were accused in the first place, is because when Tituba was being questioned, they were asking if she saw Sara Good and Sara Osborne with the Devil. Of course she said yes, they were threatening to kill her. Another example of fear in the village, is the fear of accepting your own actions and taking responsibility. The Puritans believed in predestination, and if the girls were dancing just to dance, and not because the Devil took them from their path to God, the townspeople would then have to take the responsibility for that, as it would be thier fault for letting these girls go astray. They were also afraid of change. Change in their beliefs would shut down the entire town, because it was built mainly on their ideology.

Irc, Cva and Var †New Methods in Basel Essay

I. Introduction Last financial crisis was seen as a strong slap on the global economy. It has awakened Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) about the importance of an aggregation between market and credit risks that banks have to cope with. In accordance with Saunders and Cornett (2011), definition of market risk is â€Å"the risk related to the uncertainty of an FI’s (financial institution) earnings on its trading portfolio caused by changes, and particularly extreme changes, in market conditions†. Interest rate risk and foreign exchange risk are some typical example for market risks (Saunders and Cornett, 2011). Meanwhile, credit risk is defined as risk increased when borrowers, bond issuers and counterparties in derivatives transaction may default (Hull, 2010). According to Madigan (2010), it would be greater risks when credit and market risks associated than the sum of individual factors. Therefore, it might lead to worse impacts to banks’ operations. From the crisis’s consequences, Nout Wellink – chairman of the Basel Committee believes that it is necessary for supervisors to learn experiences from recent events, thus set up new methods for banks to cope with fore problems (Ferry, 2008). These new rules which are reflected in Basel III support each other to efficiently measure and manage correlated risks, thus calculate capital requirement to cover these risks. A report by Goeth (2010) defines Basel III as an extensive set of measures reformed in order to enhance the regulation, supervision and risk management in terms of banking. This report mentions new methods with their strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness to help banks control and measure risks effectively, especially combination of credit and market risks. They are incremental risk charge (IRC), credit valuation adjustment (CVA) and stresses value at risk (VAR) model. II. Incremental Risk Charge – IRC 1. Strengths of Incremental Risk Charge Model In order to avoid crisis, banks must satisfy capital requirement demanded by Basel Committee to cover individual as well as correlated risks. IRC is a method which helps banks to estimate minimum capital needed to cover risks from unsecuritised credit instruments caused by default and migration events (BCBS, 2009b). It means IRC model calculates the maximum risks in the worst case when banks cannot securitise any products. As a result, banks have to set up the suitable capital for their own business and make sure that they can overcome difficulties even in the worst situation. In other words, banks will be safe from default and migration events, and more importantly, they can avoid crisis by using IRC model. In Basel III, with IRC model, risks can be measured for a one-year capital horizon at 99.9% confidence level, instead of a 10-day VAR at the 99% confidence level as in Basel II (Davidson, 2009). The extension of capital horizon is one of IRC’s strengths because it can evaluate and calculate  banks’ risks more effectively and accurately than 10-day VAR. The reason is one-day or 10-day VAR cannot comprise completely large cumulative price variation occurring several weeks or months as well as large daily losses which only happen two or three times per year (BCBS, 2009b). As a result, one-year horizon is the optimal time for banks to rebalance their capital. 2. Weaknesses of Incremental Risk Charge Model Under BCBS’s approval, banks are expected to improve their own IRC models to calculate risks for individual positions or sets of positions (BCBS, 2009b). It means the Committee hopes banks will have their own choice of liquidity horizon which is appropriate with their business without any issued industry benchmarks or standards (Stretton, 2011). However, it leads to inconsistence within banking system. Furthermore, supervisors have to face with more difficulties in process of evaluating banks’ IRC model. Although IRC helps bank to capture risks more effectively, especially when market and credit risks collide, there is a significant weakness still be existing. It is the overlap of counterparty credit risk cooperated with over the counters (OTC) and repo-style transactions between IRC and CVA (Stretton, 2011). As a consequence, it will lead to duplicate capital charge for the banks. Suggested by Linsz (2010) – the corporate Treasurer of Bank of America, the Committee should apply an integrated approach to combine the overlapping risks by deleting the risk above in IRC model, hence build up more accurate capital charge for banks. In fact, Bank of America thinks duplicated capital charge is inappropriate with risk management practices (Linsz, 2010). 3. Effectiveness of Incremental Risk Charge Model According to BCBS (2009b), IRC model mainly compounds two types of risks: default risk and credit migration risk. The origin of default risks can be obligors’ default and/or default events. As a result, it may lead to direct losses and/or indirect losses respectively. Meanwhile, credit migration risks may come from internal or external rating downgrade or upgrade as well as credit migration events (BCBS, 2009b). A study by Kealhofer et al. (1998) and Kealhofer (2003) (cited in Varotto,  2011), there are two main methods applied to rate company’s performance which are Through The Cycle (TTC) rating and Point In Time (PIT) rating. Both two rating methods are used to evaluate repay ability of a business, thus bank sets up its own capital to cover risks in case of the business’s default. Nevertheless, there are several differences between TTC and PIT ratings are as follows. While TTC rating tries to achieve stable rating which is not influenced by economic variation over mid-term or long-term, PIT rating reflects changes of the market as well as credit migration through the credit rating in a short-term. A study by Benford and Nier (2007) found that banks prefer to use PIT rating because it can update market variations and reflect them through enterprise’s credit rating downgrade or upgrade more effectively. In other words, IRC model which is used to estimate capital requi rement for banks based on their risks is influenced by both credit and market risks. III. Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) 1. Strengths of Credit Valuation Adjustment A capital charge for credit valuation adjustment (CVA) is a procedure used to calculate capital requirement for mark to market losses associated with counterparties’ decreased creditworthiness (BCBS, 2011b). Compare with the traditional method, CVA is more dynamic because it allows a bank or a financial institution to have trading opportunities with large exposures that excel limits set up to oppose future risks – the thing that the traditional method does not permit (Algorithmics, 2009). In fact, based on high risk, high return theory, banks have chance to increase their profit by the trading opportunities as above. Therefore, applying CVA approach instead of the traditional one may help banks achieve much profit. 2. Weaknesses of Credit Valuation Adjustment When banks apply CVA approach, they have to face with a difficulty which is seen as weakness of CVA. It is banks cannot identify and evaluate counterparty’s credit rating accurately (Cameron, 2011). One of the reasons of this disadvantage is derivatives which are originally purchased between bank and counterparty can be transferred to the third party, then fourth party and so on†¦ As a consequence, the bank cannot control its  counterparties effectively, thus it will lead to bank’s incorrect rating counterparty. Another reason might be mistakes of rating agencies because they do not have enough information about banks’ counterparty. Therefore, it will cause inaccurate risk measure when applying CVA approach. In addition, a report undertaken in this area (Cameron, 2011) shows that there are some participants found CVA’s structuring is sophisticated to apply in several real situations. The dealer proves that there still be existing a lot of pitfalls and problems through the calculating risk process. As a consequence, it might lead to many difficulties for banks in using CVA. 3. Effectiveness of Credit Valuation Adjustment A study by Barus et al. (2010) found that CVA approach uses one-year market risk horizon instead of 10-day. It is the same horizon with model as well as VAR models; therefore it helps banks manage risks easier based on integrated time horizon between risks controlling models. In addition, BCBS (2011b) states that CVA capital charge includes charge for mark to market losses and counterparty’s devaluation in creditworthiness. If banks purchase securities at current time, then their market price decreases, banks will take an expenditure called mark to market losses. CVA captures these risks above means it covers market risk might occur to the banks. In fact, within the last crisis, only one-third of counterparty credit risks were due to actual defaults while the remaining two-thirds caused by CVA losses, especially mark-to-market losses (Goeth, 2010). As mentioned above, CVA also captures risk of counterparty’s devaluation in creditworthiness. According to BCBS (2011a), creditworthiness mentions ability to repay or meet debt obligation of an individual or an enterprise. Therefore, when the counterparty’s repay ability deteriorates, it will lead to increasing of CVA capital charge for banks (Bushnell, 2007) in order to help banks prepare an adequate capital. Put differently, CVA not only captures market risks but also cover credit risks that banks have to face with. As a result, CVA and IRC model associate and support each other to help banks measure and manage combination of market and credit risks more  completely effectively. IV. Stressed VAR 1. Strengths of Stressed VAR Model According to Butler (1999), VAR is defined as calculation used to measure â€Å"the worst expected loss that an institution can suffer over a given time interval under normal market conditions at a given confidence level.† After the crisis in the year 2007, Basel Committee realised that market condition is not always consistent. Therefore, stressed VAR was created to compute VAR which would be performed on the present portfolio of a bank in case that the related market elements were going through a stressed period (BCBS, 2009a). Based on VAR calculated, banks are required to have an appropriate amount of capital to cover their worst expected loss. One of VAR charge’s strengths is it reduces the pro-cyclical capital which are disadvantages for the banks. As stated by Christopher Finger (cited in Pengelly, 2011), recent data used for calculating VAR moved around and around, and it might lead to bad aggregation of more volatile markets, dealers’ losses and enlarged capital. 2. Weaknesses of Stressed VAR Model The weaknesses that can be easily seen in stressed VAR model is stressed VAR cannot capture migration and default risks of banks. That is the reason why banks also have to apply IRC model to capture these risks. Furthermore, stressed VAR also cannot cover mark-to-market losses which need to be measured by CVA approach. Therefore, banks have to cope with more complexity in risk measure; as a consequence, banks can make more mistakes in calculating risk process. One more important point is stressed VAR is not able to measure risk in a normal market condition, thus banks need to use one more different model – normal VAR calculation to measure this type of risk. Consequently, it will require really careful and complicated risk management system in order to measure risk accurately. 3. Effectiveness of Stressed VAR Model In accordance with BCBS (2011c), the effectiveness of stressed VAR model is performed through it can include all risks, for instance interest rate risk,  commodity risk, etc. over a period of stressed market that banks recently experienced. In other words, the more types of risks stressed VAR can cover, the more accurately banks can measure and manage risks. From the stressed VAR’s definition mentioned above, BCBS suggested that â€Å"it should be based on the 10-day, 99th percentile, one-tailed confidence interval VAR measure of the current portfolio, with model inputs calibrated to historical data from a continuous 12-month period of significant financial stress relevant to the bank’s portfolio.† It means stressed VAR uses the same time horizon with IRC and CVA in order to help banks reduce mistakes in risk calculating process due to united horizon. Concurrently, the same time horizon also assists supervisors to revise banks’ risks more effectively. Besides, in order to set up an effective risk management method, banks have to use time-series data of 12-continuous-month for stressed VAR model that includes financial stress event which is relevant to banks’ portfolio (BCBS, 2011c). As a result, the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009 is the time period suggested by the Committee to banks to be used for building stressed VAR model. V. Conclusion In Basel III, three new methods above – Incremental Risk Charge, Capital Valuation Adjustment and Stressed Value at Risk – are concurrently used by the banks and they support each other to measure and manage risks more effectively. Strengths of one method are supplementary for others’ weaknesses. That is the reason why banks are required by Basel Committee to add both of three methods into their risk management. With normal VAR model, IRC, CVA and stressed VAR approaches help banks not only control risks as individual factors but also measure and manage risks as a combination, especially the aggregation of credit and market risks more efficiently. From that, banks need to set up their own capital which is appropriate with their financial situation in order to face with difficulties that the financial crisis 2007-2009 was the typical example. Besides undeniable advantages of three new rules, the largest banks in the world, such as Bank of America, UBS, Royal Bank of Scotland, still found  significant weaknesses and gave comment on the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s consultative documents. Basel Committee should concern about these recommendations to readjust Basel III in order to set up an accurate and effective regulation documents for international banks to help banks in particular as well as financial institutions in general avoid disasters as the financial crisis happened in 2007 to 2009. VI. References Algorithmics, (2009) Credit Value Adjustment and the changing environment for pricing and managing counterparty risk. [Online]. Available at: http://www.algorithmics.com/EN/media/pdfs/Algo-WP1209-CVASurvey.pdf (Accessed: 02 January 2012) Barus, R., Battaglia, F., Jagannathan, R., Mendis, J., and Onorato, M., (2010) Basel III: What’s new? Business and technological challenges. [Online]. Available at: http://www.algorithmics.com/en/media/pdfs/algo-wp0910-lr-basel3-exd.pdf (Accessed: 02 January 2012) Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, (2009a) Analysis of the trading book quantitative impact study. Bank for International Settlements. Basel. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, (2009b) Guidelines for computing capital for incremental risk in the trading book. Bank for International Settlements. Basel. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, (2011a) Application of own credit risk adjustments to derivatives. Bank for International Settlements. Basel. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, (2011b) Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems. Bank for International Settlements. Basel. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, (2011c) Interpretive issues with respect to the revisions to the market risk framework. Bank for International Settlements. Basel. Benford, J. & Nier, E. (2007) Monitoring cyclicality of Basel II capital requirements. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/fsr/fs_paper03.pdf (Accessed: 28 December 2011) Bushnell, C. D. (2007) Detailed Comments on Market Risk NPR’. [Online]. Available at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/SECRS/2007/February/20070213/R-1266/R-1266_17_1.pdf (Accessed: 06 January 2012) Butler, C. (1999) Mastering value at risk: a step-by-step guide to understanding and applying VAR. London: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Cameron, M. (2011) ‘Securitising CVA’, Risk, 24(2), p. 29. Davidson, C. (2009) ‘Urgency and uncertainty’, Risk, 22(4), p. 72. Ferry, J. (2008) ‘Wary of the IRC’, Risk, 21(9), p. 26. Goeth, P. (2010) Basel III – Design and Potential Impact. [Online]. Available at: http://www.garp.org/media/529782/basel%20iii_goeth112410.pdf (Accessed: 28 December 2011) Hull, C. J. (2010) Risk management and financial institutions. Boston, MA Harlow: Pearson Education. Linsz, D. M. (2010) Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Consultative Document â€Å"Strengthening the Resilient of Banking Sector†. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs165/boac.pdf (Accessed: 28 December 2011) Madigan, P. (2010) When market and credit risk collide. [Online]. Available at: Available at: http://www.risk.net/risk-magazine/feature/1652766/when-market-credit-risk-collide (Accessed: 03 January 2012) Pengelly, M. (2011) Stressed VAR questioned by risk managers. [Online]. Available at: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8Hl5fareW-UJ:www.risk.net/risk-magazine/news/2024562/stressed-var-questioned-risk-managers+Stressed+VAR+questioned+by+risk+managers&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk (Accessed: 28 December 2011)

Hamlet Essay

small t induce represents numerous things tragical hero, over-thinking educated mankind, and poor friend. He is also a revolutionary, a philosopher, and a dreamer, and reconciling these good qualities with the deleterious proves as maddening for the audience as it does to village him self. However, what is often lost in the walk of Christian theologies in the race is the occurrence that nihilism as a obdurate force, guiding small towns actions (or inactivity, as the causa may be) and serving as the catalyst for tragedy.Nihilism serves in the encounter as a kind of eldritch nether region into which men manage Ham permit bottom of the inning find themselves beingness pulled into. It represents fewthing that, to critical confidential information and those like him, comes across as something off a salvation it represents an prospect to free adepts self from the need to act, and instead welcomes someone to run low completely absorbed in the being of contemplation . This downms ideal for small town the student, however when he is asked to take action by his tonely come, he is torn between his neat nature and that which others expect of him.Unable to weigh in himself, Hamlet becomes unable to hash out in anything at all, which forms the crux of the plays tragic object lesson dilemma. Whether Hamlet was intended to be a anarchist or the work nihilistic in nature is a question beneficial for debate. jibe to Donald Wehrs, Placing the threat of nihilism at the heart of tragedy, Shakespeare seems to anticipate, if non inaugurate, Romantic and Modernist vocations for publicationsoffering literature as the state of affairs where signifi undersurfacece after the debunking of story and metaphysics may be reclaimed (68).According to such a reading, one of the purposes in the narrative of Hamlet is the debunking of mythology. This would subject some of the odder features of the playfor instance, the very non-Catholic ghost of King Ha mlet (himself seemingly a remnant from the suppositions of purgatory) juxtaposed with very Catholic concerns of whether Claudius ordain ascend to heaven or descend to hell based on the exact moment that he is killed he cant be killed, fit to Hamlet, when he is fit and sea watchwordd for his passage.However, Wehrs points out that nihilism is the threat, and not the death Hamlets tale is not nihilistic simply for the sake of focus storytelling, merely because it reveals that when lives unravel (as they do in all tragedies), a belief in nothingness effectively leaves nothing crumb no substance lurking behind the hide of life. Why, then, the debunking? Why both(prenominal)er lampooning the fatuity of certain metaphysical notions/superstitions while suave adhering to the Christian belief structure?The assist is as simple as it is liai male child by dint of the story of Hamlet, Shakespeare attempts to fabricate a system of morality that is independent of faith of ghostly affiliation. After all, Hamlet is shown as someone torn between moralities, deliberateness the social responsibility of complying his fathers request for revenge with the religious responsibility of avoiding bloodshed and murder.He is a man torn apart by his multitude of beliefs, not his lack of beliefsthe illustrious to be or not to be speech represents a descent into nihilism, but it is an abyss that he was driven into by trying to follow the often-arbitrary dictates of what is right and what is wrong. It is no coincidence that the best intentions of Hamlet agitate many more(prenominal) souls to death than the deliberate machinations of Claudius. According Tzachi Zamir, some of Shakespeares tragic characters (such as Macbeth) are able to resolution nihilistic navel-gazing by virtue of action.Hamlet, on the other hand, is more interested in escaping (537) the physicality of the origination his philosophical nature lends itself more readily to the nihilism that he stumbles in to. This is found in the to be or not to be speech, as Hamlet notes With this regard their currents turn awry / And fall back the name of action. It is interesting to note that the nihilistic Hamlet causes more death and death than other tragic characters who have a spiritual belief structure in place Claudius, as written above, is a cold-blooded murderer, but also a repentant man who does not let his life be consumed by forces beyond his control.Macbeth readily admits that the violent murder that begins his own tragic downfall will manoeuvre him to hell, but he cannot help himself. In this spectrum of morality, Shakespeare seems to be implying that good actions can be tainted (following Aristotles Poetics, his tragedies almost continuously feature glorious characters being brought low) and bad actions can be redeemed (the contrast of Shakespeares tragedies are, of course, the comedies, in which everyone is a case of mistaken identity or two away from true love and knowing ma rriage).Hamlet seems to perceive this on some level I must be cruel, yet to be kind. The worst go against, then, becomes inaction Hamlets inaction is a result of his inability to believe in anything, and it seems to clog up the very gears of Hamlets world it is unsurprising, then, that the entirety of that world grinds to a halt from this disruption. Worse still, he tethers the inaction to his ability to movement, when in truth, it is only reasoning that can save one from nihilism.As Grace Matthews points out, Hamlet, a sacred young man, vacillates between faith and atheism, he becomes vulnerable to the deception that evil offers us it is only by resisting succumbing to nihilism with thinking that we can protect our church property and live meaningfully as a result. Hamlets sin is not thinking Hamlets sin is overthinking. Perhaps the most strident character in declaring that Hamlet is a nihilist play is that of Harold Bloom.According to him, Shakespeare invented what Nietzs che, and Dostoevsky, and others afterwards started to telephone call nihilism. Its a pure Shakespearean invention. He links this rather explicitly with the character of Hamlet himself Im not sure that until you have the deputation you call Hamlet, that you have anywheresomeone who changes every time he or she speaks, and who does it by this weird thing of overhearing oneself, which I cant find out front Shakespeare.For Bloom, the notion of Hamlet being nihilistic lies in his psycheal inability to create an identity for himself his mind is tugged by reason in one direction, by honor in another direction, and by verity in yet another direction. As cliche as it may sound, Hamlet is unable to believe in anything else because he is unable to believe in himself. excursion from the obviously bloody consequences, how does this further the notion that Shakespeare intended this to be a veto thinga nihilism to be avoided at all costs, instead of an empirical safety blanket for indivi duals to hide themselves in?The answer to this is the fact that Hamlet is portray as less than a person throughout the entirety of the play. In point of fact, his spectral father rattling displays more than more personality and substance than his son does. Hamlets identity is in reflection he can be a jocular young man with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, an educated conspirator with Horatio and an angered son with his mother. Without them, though, Hamlet is unable to be anyone at all.Shakespeares Hamlet as a play, and his Hamlet as a character, will remain the center of debate for centuries more to come. However, it is important that the discussions of fate and philosophythe very kind that Hamlet would have happy in at Wittenbergdo not overshadow the small things that comprise his tragedy. Shakespeare dangles both Lutheran and Catholic theology in front of both Hamlet and the viewer, but does not advocate one over the other. Rather, both serve as a warning for the only real spiri tual evil the inaction of nihilism.Ironically, it is only through the use of reasoning that one can overcome the lure of nihilismthe temptation of surrendering all responsibility and simply succumbing to the ebb and flow of the tides of the world. However, through Hamlet we see that an overabundance of reasoning can actually cause this effect if one overlaps spiritualty and secular education, then everything is thrown into disarray, and the moral compass is not simply disturbedones entire moxie of a true moral uniting is thrown right out of the window. In its place is a path that can lead only to heartbreak, bloodshed, and chaos.