Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Communications Persuasive theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communications Persuasive theory - Essay Example This I learned after believing a beer advert that portrayed that taking the beer could make one think better and refresh one’s mind. The messages that really persuaded me to indulge into taking the beer ran like â€Å"drink the beer for better mental refreshment and enhancement.† In most cases, we experience value, belief and lifestyle change as a result of persuasion that is presented through such media adverts, as I was persuaded to believe this message in the advert. An attitude is a precursor of behavior; the manner in which the message was decoded and evaluated made me to develop a liking to this message and was eager to try to benefit from alleged mind refreshment, notwithstanding that I was still an intermediate student. This perceived benefit made me to have a weak control on my behavior, and within no time I was ready to experience the new feeling that I was persuaded to try by the advert. Goldsmith (2000) elaborates that advice messages are potentially threatening to the public or an individual, and may in fact threaten the recipient’s positive face. As I went head to try the effectiveness of this message, I in fact discovered that the advert was distorted and wrong, as I was seriously affected by the beer to an extent that in the following two days, I could hardly walk out of my room. Ego involvement dictates that the more one is motivated in an issue, the more likely that their attitudes will predict behavior. My strong motivation to trying the advert message led me to excessive drinking resulting to the serious repercussions that I faced later on. The theory of planned behavior explains that the behavior al intention is the determinant of the future behavior, with the intention being influenced by independent constructs, which are; the attitude, perceived behavior control and the subjective norm (Jones, Sinclair & Rhodes 2004). The

Monday, October 28, 2019

Spirituality and Family Resilience Essay Example for Free

Spirituality and Family Resilience Essay Perhaps no other social institution has a closer link with religion than does the family. In the case where the family becomes particularly â€Å"sacred, the danger of family violence is also as real as in the various forms of the secular religion of love. When the family as such, mostly forms of marriage and children, is seen as an untouchable value by the outside world, by family members and by the church. The risk exists that family members will want to keep all injustice and violence that occurs inside the family members will want to keep all injustice and violence that occurs inside the family a secret.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A woman or a child often receives the message to sacrifice her or himself for the sake of the family: to behave in a proper way and tolerate the violence in order to safeguard the family. As child are existentially loyal to their parents (Boszormenyi-Nagy Spark, 1973)1 and partners who are beaten often lack self-confidence, most will want really to keep the family intact, because it is, in spite of the violence, valuable for them. The risks exist that religion might be used as a means to legitimize power balances in the family that can become very oppressive. The idea that the family is sacred often emphasizes the traditional, marriage-based family, which usually goes together with a pattern of traditional roles. Although sacrifice has a certain value, justice should not be overlooked. When love is only conceived of in the second person, it supposes a kind of never-ending love and devotion to the other. This can be seen as a form of self-sacrifice in spite of me. The human person has to compare and weigh goodness towards the unique other with the right of each other person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The belief in the cross does not call people in the first place to activism, but enables a deep spiritual experience of devotion arising from belief in God. The human person can give him or herself without having to create their whole lives themselves. In these sense, the metaphor of sacrifice, within the framework of the Christian belief in God, is liberating. On the basis of Christian faith, some parents can find new hope and courage. In difficult situations parents may realize that they have done everything in their capacity and that they have to leave the rest trustingly in the hands of God. In this way, families may overcome difficult situations and achieve a high degree of resilience (Spousel, 2003).2 The cross and faith in the resurrection cannot only liberate people from the often frenetic effort to realize a perfect intimate life, but also may motivate people to protest against suffering and evil. The cross is a sign and a message never to forget the sufferings of people (Merz, 1997).3 The death of Jesus on the cross and the Christian faith signify a protest against the rhetoric of the necessity of sacrifices in the name of a higher aim. It is not God who asks for sacrifice, but people themselves who require sacrifices of others in an abuse of power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite ample evidence that global indexes of religiousness are linked to a family functioning, the mechanisms by which religion uniquely influences family dynamics are not well understood or empirically documented. To advance the scientific study of religions role in families, we delineate how the construct of sanctification applies to marital and parent-child relationships as well as to the entire family systems according to diverse religious traditions. We define sanctifications as a psychological process in which aspects of life are perceived a shaving spiritual character and significance. Todays families face a myriad of problems including economic difficulties, physical health addiction problems, and many stressful work related issues. There is acceptance among many Americans that religion facilitates positive and healthy family interaction and enhances the life satisfaction of its members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religious affiliation and participation may provide and/or enlarge the social support system available to the family by increasing the number of friendships with other families. This social support may lead the family to believe they are cared for and loved, esteemed and valued, and belong to a network of mutual aid. Social support has also been found to be an important factor in a familys ability to overcome crises. Churches may enhance a familys social support by encouraging group activities. Religious affiliation and participation may strength families by providing enjoyable activities. Many religions provide direct education in supportive family values, attitudes, and behaviors. The themes of charity begins at home and do unto others as you would have them do unto you are supported in all of the worlds major religions. Religions assist families in formulating and maintaining moral values and ethical codes of conduct. Most religions also operate to counteract several human tendencies that hinder relationships. Religion operates against such easy solutions by encouraging families to stay together and work out their difficulties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion may strengthen families is by encouraging families to believe in, and seek, personal and family assistance from God. Belief in divine intervention may be another resource providing comfort, inspiration, or guidance fro family members. The influence of God is difficult to measure, but many people perceive its very real effects in their lives. For many, God is a reality, and when God assists humankind by petition, then divine influence is another source of help to families that is encouraged by religions. It is useful to consider the role of religion in family change in the Western world within the context of the teachings and authority of the Christian Church. The Roman Catholic Church developed the view that, while marriage, pro-creation was seen as the primary purpose of sexual relations; and intentional interference with this purpose, by either contraception or abortion, was prohibited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The Protestant reformers adopted a somewhat different view of marriage but continued to hold the ideal of a lifetime marriage, although they allowed divorce for a limited set of serious causes. Celibacy was de-emphasized during the Reformation but the prohibitions against contraception remained strong. In fact, the proscriptions against divorce and birth control remained fairly monolithic in Christian churches well into the 20th century (Thornton, 1985).4 The Catholics have become less unique, fundamentalist Protestants have become more distinct. Given the historically strong interests and doctrines of the Christian churches concerning family matters, it is difficult to imagine how far-reaching family changes of the last two centuries could have occurred without provoking fundamental re-examination of theology, doctrine, and programs. Heated and extensive debates concerning family changes and appropriate responses to them are not new phenomena but have been endemic for a century in the Western world (Wilcox, 2007).5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The foundations of national morality are laid in private families. The institution of marriage played a vital role in promoting the moral health of the American republic, both by civilizing men and fostering a family environment where children were more likely to grow in virtue. They knew that the new republic’s commitment to liberty and limited government dependent in no small part on the capacity of American men and women to form and maintain families that fostered fidelity, hard work, self-control, and a measure of independence. They knew, in other words, that self-government begins at home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Modern Americans, however, seem no longer to see as clearly the connections between our nation’s half-century retreat from marriage and dramatic declines in child welfare, as represented by marked increases in adolescent delinquency, depression, and suicide over this same period. They do not see how this retreat is implicated in unprecedented increases in the size and scope of the police state over the last half century-in, for instance, the prison-building boom of the past three decades, the responses of federal and state governments to the spiraling crime rates of the 1970’s and 1980’s. And they do not see that the poor and working classes have been hit hardest by the breakdown of marriage in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the first time in history-not just American history but the history of known human society-people began to toy with the idea that children and marriage were really two discrete life phenomena. _______________ 1Cf. I. Boszormenyi-Nagy and G.M. Spark, Invisible Loyalties: Reciprocity in International Family Therapy (New York: Harper and Row, 1973. 2Cf. L.M. Spousel, ‘Spirituality and Family Resilience.’ Family and Focus 48 (2003): F5-F6, at F5: ‘Many parents have told me that it is their faith that allows them to persevere. They found relief when they acknowledged that they had done all they could do for their children and began to trust in a higher power. This process of â€Å"letting go† created hope and encouragement, not a sense of giving up. Families were able to bounce back and move on with their lives’ 3Ct. J.B. Merz, Zum Begriff der neuen Politschen Theologic 1967-1991 (Manz: Matthias-Grunewakl, 1997), 201. 4These unpublished data are derived from a panel study of women conducted between 1962 1980.Also see Thornton (1985). 5Otto, Rudolf, 1923. The Idea of the Holy. References: Boszormenyi-Nagy Spark, G.M. (1973). Invisible Loyalties: Reciprocity in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Family Therapy (New York: Harper and Row. Merz, J.B (1997). Zum Begriff der neuen Politischen Theologic 1967-1997.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manz:Matthias-Grunewakl., 201. Otto, Rudolf. (1923). The Idea of the Holy. Spousel, L.M. (2003). Spirituality and Family Resilience. Family Focus 48. Thornton, A. (1985). Changing Attitudes Toward Separation and Divorce:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Causes and Consequences†. American Journal of Sociology (Jan.) 856-872.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Siddhartha Essay -- essays research papers

In the days of Siddhartha, there were different ways of achieving the Enlightenment. Learning about the Enlightenment couldn’t be taught with words, but can be taught mentally, and individually. Siddhartha went on a voyage to achieve enlightenment and finally learned about it. It all takes place in ancient India where he lived with his father who is a Brahmin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha was a handsome man who lived with his father in ancient India. Everyone in the village wants Siddhartha to become a Brahmin like his father. Govinda, who is Siddhartha’s best friend, together they perform all the rituals of religion and does all the rituals which bring him peace and happiness. Siddhartha doesn’t want to become like his father, he feels that his father and the elders of the village have not achieved enlightenment and he feels if he keeps living with his father, he will never learn. Siddhartha longs for something more, that the elders haven’t done. Siddhartha and Govinda want answers for the achievement of the enlightenment. One day, Samanas passed through the town begging for food. Samanas believed enlightenment can be reached through asceticism. Siddhartha believes that the Samanas can provide him with some answers. Siddhartha then joins the Samanas even though his father doesn’t want him to join. Govinda als o wants to find a path to enlightenment, and he joins Siddhartha in his new life. Siddhartha adjusts quickly to the ways of the Samanas. The Samanas have be...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Porche Changes Tack

Porsche Changes Tack 1) What has been causing the changes in Porsche’s ROIC? Porsche’s ROIC was quite impressive compared to other competitors of 15. 15% in 2004, while others struggled to reach 6% to 7%. They had great strategic planning to keep ROIC high by outsourcing and using a combination of licensing. For example, for Porsche Cayenne, they co-manufactured with Volkswagen saving a lot on required capital to support its business. In addition, Porsche had licensed with Valmet of Finland to build the Boxter under Valmet’s owned capital, reducing Porsche’s capital needs. However, ROIC was not too good in fiscal 2003/04.What has been hurting Porsche’s ROIC in the recent years was their mistake of holding on to excess cash. If they have funded it invested capital might not have grown. 2) Evaluate the firm’s financial performance and compare to its peers. Porsche saw pleasant operating margins compared to its peers with its 911, Boxter, and Ca yenne models. They saved expenses in technology and capital by outsourcing with other companies for the Boxter and the Cayenne. Another factor that Porsche did well was focusing on rewarding management on financial performance (its long term performance and profitability) rather than on the opinions of the market.One thing that did hurt or complicate Porsche was that it was holding high non-interest bearing liabilities. Another factor that showed Porsche different was their aggressive company culture of providing cars from its origin rather than expanding capital abroad. Its value of sales and production could be better off if it put manufacturing and assembly plants in the U. S. and it could avoid risks of big changes in currency rates. 3) Consider Porsche management’s announcement of its intention to take a 20% equity interest in Volkswagen in September 2005.In your view, is management acting in the best interests of all shareholders? You may work alone or in a study group for this analysis. Like it said in the case, this decision seems to be more personal than one that would be the best interest of all shareholders. The case highly emphasized the valuable relationship between the Porsche and Piech families and that through preservation of stakes by them would be through the expense of nonfamily shareholders. I, too, concur with the analysts and critics who are against this decision because the two companies have two different histories and techniques of creating profit.Also, Volkswagen is a very big manufacturer compared to Porsche and on top of that isn’t doing so well. This may cause conflicts with Porsche as it might begin to prioritize goals for Volkswagen and not pay more attention to issues/threats it may have. Porsche could actually be better off (in future returns) if its 3 billion Euros were returned back to its shareholders. Although this argument may go on and on, ultimately the best decision is to compare in which situation the com pany will deliver profitable growth since to both family owners and shareholders, growth is commonly important. ttp://usc. summon. serialssolutions. com/search? s. cmd=addFacetValueFilters%28IsFullText,true%29&s. fvf=ContentType,Book+%2F+eBook,&s. q=green+business+trends&s. rf=PublicationDate,2010:* http://www. ibisworld. com/industry/green-sustainable-building-construction. html http://go. galegroup. com. libproxy. usc. edu/ps/retrieve. do? sgHitCountType=None&isETOC=true&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=usocal_main&resultListType=RELATED_DOCUMENT&searchType=BasicSearchForm&contentSegment=&docId=GALE|CX1930200055

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Body Language Communication In Nursing Essay

You are approached by a Grandparent who is hearing impaired how do you facilitate the best environment and through your body language and how you speak with him to ensure you communicate with him in a way which meets his needs and is respectful of his impairment I was approached by a child’s Grandparent with an hearing impairment who wanted to speak to me I instructing the Grandparent to follow me to somewhere quite, has this allowed us to speak and there to be no interruptions or other notices to distract him or myself, I looked at him and make eye contact when I spoke this allowed him to lip read if he needed to and continue eye contract when he spoke back to me to let him know that I paying attraction, I spoke clearly in a steady pace but not too slowly so that this made him feel that I was talking to him like he was incapable of understanding, he told me at one point that he did not hear me I did not get frustrated with him I just repeated what I had said a little louder a nd tried to make my speak more clearly and tried to steady my pace a little more, I tried to always make him feel comfortable in my company and that his impairment was not an issue and that he could approach me at any point he needed to and that I would listen and do my best to communicate in a way that he was comfortable. (Case Study) You have children in your setting whose parents do not come to the setting as they walk there or are dropped off by day nursery staff or childminders. How do you ensure parents get the information they need. At the school that I work we send regular letters home to all parents and carers and on a weekly basis we send a newsletter home with every child, when in placement I hand each child the letters in their hand and they I instruct them to put the letters into their reading folders for parents and carers to read, I then walk around the classroom to ensure that each child has placed the letters into their reading folders, if there is a letter of great importance then there is a text message sent to all parents or carers informing them of the letter and its importance and that they must check their child’s reading folder. If there is a matter that is very important or urgent for example a possible stranger danger then a text message would be sent immediately to the parents or carers followed by a letter sent home. If a child minder or  day nursery staff collect the child I myself of which ever teacher spoke to them they would also inform them of any important letters in the child’s reading folder and inform them to let the child’s parent or carer know when they collected their child.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Charlie Chaplin Essays - United Artists Films, Free Essays

Charlie Chaplin Essays - United Artists Films, Free Essays Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin stars in the movie City Lights, a silent, black and white film, made in the 1930's. Chaplin, who portrays the character of a tramp, is the comic hero throughout the movie. It is odd that the film casts a tramp as the comic hero. Usually, no one laughs at a poor tramp; people tend to have pity and sympathy for a tramp or not even associate with one. Many of Chaplin's actions are common everyday routines for him, but his actions and gestures provide humor and comic relief in the film making him the comic hero. Henri Bergson discusses the comic in "Laughter". Bergson writes about the comic by breaking it down into different parts such as the comic in general, the comic in character and the expansive force of the comic. The Webster's Dictionary only goes as far as defining the comic as "an amusing person." Bergson, however, chooses to stay away from giving the comic a distinct, dictionary-like definition; instead he describes it, gives examples and dives deeper into the c omic's meaning and purpose (62). Through diverse roles and Charlie Chaplin's simpleness, many aspects of humor grow out of accidental happenings and coincidence. Bergson provides reason and understanding to back up what people think is funny. The first part of the comic, which is the comic in general, kind of describes itself; this information is general to all comics. Comedy can be expressed in many ways, but laughter always accompanies it (71). Laughter always happens in a group or originates in a group because it is easier to laugh in a group (62). Since laughter is a social event, it acts as a form of social correction (71). While comedy can be demonstrated on purpose, comedy can also occur at unexpected times or during normal times. Bergson suggests that comedy is accidental (67). As in Chaplin's case, his normal actions are funny to onlookers but not for himself. For example, when he is in the restaurant with the rich man, he is walking across the dance floor and he can't manage to keep his feet under him. Laughter comes from people watching the film, but Chaplin is not laughing he is just trying to cross the dance floor to get to his table. The more normal the action, the more comic the action is to others (68). Co medy "aims at the general" because it will be more humorous if people can understand it with little or no thought involved (157). The comic in character is another part of the comic that takes in a wide range of elements. Mostly, the comic is always in character. Charlie Chaplin is the comic in the film and the character is himself, which isn't supposed to be funny. Only his actions are funny. Bergson says, comedy "begins, in fact with what might be called a growing callousness to social life" (147). This is true in Chaplin's role because he is a tramp. He does not have to worry about what people think of him. He can pretend to be blind to the ways of the world. For example, Charlie Chaplin wakes up on a new city statue on the day of its unveiling. He never thought to himself, "what effects will this have on my social status?" Chaplin was not concerned with the impressions he would make. Chaplin could be a gentleman though, even though he couldn't afford it. He certainly was kind to people he met, the rich man and the blind woman. Bergson would probably suggest this is funny because Chaplin realizes his positio n in life and does not worry about it, while rich people worry about everything. His carefree attitude towards life lightens the mood, even causing it to be funny. The expansive force of the comic can be seen very often throughout the film. Charlie Chaplin has so many effects on characters in the film. The comic has such an impact on the rich man's life especially; he saves his life. In Bergson's words Chaplin would be considered a "social masquerade" when he pretends to be a fellow millionaire just like the rich man (89). When Chaplin is befriended by a drunk millionaire, Chaplin "masquerades" as a stuffy

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Casino Gambling Guide

Table Of Contents How to Play Baccarat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 How to Play Blackjack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 How to Play Craps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 How to Play Big Board Keno . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 How to Play Roulette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 How to Play The Slot Machines . . . . . . . . . . 22 How to Play Casino Poker/Texas Hold’em . 24 How to Play Video Poker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 HOW TO PLAY BACCARAT As with all table games, you begin by changing your cash money into gaming chips. In Baccarat, these gaming chips are quite a bit bigger than the regular casino chips. There is absolutely no reason for this other than the aura of special importance that Baccarat seeks to cultivate. Perhaps the casinos think that players will feel better about betting large amounts if they have big chips in their hands. But no matter how big these chips are, they function in exactly the same way as any other gaming chips in play throughout the casino. They can be changed for cash if you wish, or for regular casino chips. At the Baccarat table it doesn't matter which seat you take. Unlike Blackjack, in which position selection can be advantageous in a game with more players, in American Baccarat you are not playing against the other players, or against the House. Your betting action is against the cards. It therefore makes no difference what the other players bet on, or how much, or what order the cards are dealt in. In Blackjack, for instance, other players at the table ahead of you in the turn of dealing can affect what cards you will receive when it's your turn to draw. This is why position selection can be so important. But in American Baccarat this doesn't matter. Even if a designated player at the Baccarat table does draw the cards, no player decisions are involved. Whether any additional cards are drawn depends entirely on... Free Essays on Casino Gambling Guide Free Essays on Casino Gambling Guide Table Of Contents How to Play Baccarat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 How to Play Blackjack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 How to Play Craps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 How to Play Big Board Keno . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 How to Play Roulette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 How to Play The Slot Machines . . . . . . . . . . 22 How to Play Casino Poker/Texas Hold’em . 24 How to Play Video Poker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 HOW TO PLAY BACCARAT As with all table games, you begin by changing your cash money into gaming chips. In Baccarat, these gaming chips are quite a bit bigger than the regular casino chips. There is absolutely no reason for this other than the aura of special importance that Baccarat seeks to cultivate. Perhaps the casinos think that players will feel better about betting large amounts if they have big chips in their hands. But no matter how big these chips are, they function in exactly the same way as any other gaming chips in play throughout the casino. They can be changed for cash if you wish, or for regular casino chips. At the Baccarat table it doesn't matter which seat you take. Unlike Blackjack, in which position selection can be advantageous in a game with more players, in American Baccarat you are not playing against the other players, or against the House. Your betting action is against the cards. It therefore makes no difference what the other players bet on, or how much, or what order the cards are dealt in. In Blackjack, for instance, other players at the table ahead of you in the turn of dealing can affect what cards you will receive when it's your turn to draw. This is why position selection can be so important. But in American Baccarat this doesn't matter. Even if a designated player at the Baccarat table does draw the cards, no player decisions are involved. Whether any additional cards are drawn depends entirely on...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Research Paper no Plagiarism

Research Paper no Plagiarism Research Paper no Plagiarism Research Paper no Plagiarism The objective pursued by tutors who assign research paper writing is to make student think critically and express thoughts logically.   This objective is easy to set, however, is not so easy to achieve.   Here are some helpful research paper ideas. First, as trite as it may sound, you should not put off writing a research paper to the last day, hoping that five pages college research paper is half an hour of work.   It does not mean that you have to set aside all of your plans and start writing you English research paper right now.   At least an hour a day should be devoted to researching, planning, writing, formatting, and editing.   While being in a shower, for example, you may think about your research paper writing. When the time comes and you decide to start research paper writing, you already know what you should write and what type of information is necessary. Secondly, although research paper writing excludes plagiarism, it is impossible to write a research paper without consulting and citing numerous publications. Therefore, you have to start collecting material. If you have enough time, it is a good idea to devote some of it to information gathering. Thirdly, it is good to discuss research paper topic with someone. It would be really wonderful to discuss it with research paper adviser. Besides, research paper adviser will propose you something interesting and help you narrow the topic. Your research paper adviser might shed light on your own vision of the topic.   Moreover, while talking with some, you can show your own intensive work of thought. Fourthly, it would be a good idea to explore the characteristics of your muse. Inspiration is rather a capricious thing. So, when your head is full of thoughts, the muse breathes in the neck, it is time to start research paper writing. Research Paper Help Research paper writing is a student's reflection on the assigned problem (or the one that is of interest to the student).   Research paper topic should be relevant to the course and be of interest to readers. Therefore, while writing a research paper, you must present different points of view.   Your ultimate goal is to demonstrate the depth of research and thorough understanding of the topic. You are welcome to quote other authors, but moderately and by the occasion. Footnote should be made at the bottom of the page (the author of the book or article, publication date, page). In addition, you should include a full list of consulted and cited literature.   Bibliography list is the final page of your research paper writing. College research paper writing it is absolutely an independent work written in your own style and language. PLAGIARISM must be EXCLUDED! Moreover, the plagiarized text is always visible for experienced tutor.   Placing an order at you receive r esearch paper no plagiarism. It means that your research paper is written from scratch and all sources are fully referenced at the end of the paper and within it.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Burger King Beefs Up Global Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Burger King Beefs Up Global Operations - Essay Example The corporate headquarters of Burger King is located in Miami, Florida. Miami is often referred to by Latinos as the capital of Latin America. The firm’s reputation in Miami which is one of the cities in the United States with the highest population of Latinos spilled over into the rest of Latin America (Uts, 2011). In terms of geographic considerations the proximity of Miami to the South America and the Caribbean region enhances the ability of Burger King’s management to visit these countries and for franchisees to visit corporate headquarters. Marketing is the value chain activity that adds greatest value to the company. The success of Burger King is highly dependent on its ability to attract return customers. Advertising has been used by the company to build the brand value of the firm. The company finances a lot of its marketing budget by charging its franchisees a 4% marketing fee on all sales which is independent of the 4.5% royalty fee it charges (About, 2011). 3 . The international expansion of Burger King came at a slower pace than its main competitor in the fast food industry, McDonald’s. An advantage of being the first to the market is that first entrants create greater brand value recognition than followers (Kotler, 2003). A second advantage of entering a market first is the ability to obtain a greater market share. Companies that follow have to invest a lot of money in advertising to steal market share away from the first entrant. A third advantage of being first in the market is the ability to lock up contracts with suppliers. This is very important especially in markets that have a limited amount of suppliers. The most important supplier for a hamburger chain is the slaughterhouses that provide the meat. On the other hand it is advantageous to enter the market later because the first entrant takes all the risks of the market not being suitable for the product the company offers. Another advantage of entering later is that the first entrant spends large amounts of capital to build up the demand for the product and is also responsible for creating the supplier network. 4. An advantage for a company such as Burger King in comparison with local merchants is that Burger King has greater purchasing power than the competition. Burger King can take advantage of economies of scale and as a consequence the firm can implement a lower price structure to attract customers. The local merchants have advantages over Burger King such as having a fixed customer base and greater knowledge of the customers eating preferences. 5. Burger King has more than 2/3 of its stores located in North America. The company has to move away from this strategy due to the fact that the fast food industry in this region is very saturated particularly in the United States. There are over 160,000 fast food restaurants located in the United States of America (Numberof, 2010). The company’s strategy must change to achieve greater internat ional penetration. Burger King currently has a physical presence in only 40% of the 210 countries worldwide (Garabain, 2008). Emerging economies should be the prime target of Burger King particularly the BRICS (Lukyanov, 2011). The BRICS is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The population of China and India combined represent 36.66% of the world’s population. 6. It is advantageous to penetrate countries that have large numbers of youth and shopping centers. The main consumers of fast food are teenagers, generation

Organizations & Behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizations & Behaviour - Assignment Example This is mainly the case when the leadership situation in the organization is competitive in nature. Servant leadership is mostly applicable in an organization that believes in values, which is a factor that was not culturally applicable to Fancy footwear. The three most valuable motivation theories for managing different groups within an organization is inclusive of Herzberg’s theory on money as a de-motivator, the four personal styles and the theory of motivation that involves three basic needs. The basic needs in this case are affiliation, achievement and power. The theories of motivation are based on the concept of intrinsic motivation, which is stronger than extrinsic motivation. A vital thing to consider is the fact that the manager in an organization cannot be able to motivate the employees, but can be able to create an environment that enables them to motivate themselves. Consequently, the application of the three motivation theories focuses on the creation of strong working relationships through the development of vibrant working environments. Managers in an organization should be willing to exert efforts towards the achievement of the organizational goals, whose conditioning takes into consideration the ability to satisfy the needs of individuals in the organization. Motivation involves getting someone to do something that he or she wants to do (Salas, 2013, 18). Motivation is a vital task for managers since it compromises their ability to encourage, delegate, communicate, train, brief, challenge, and provide rewards to the other people. The normative view of group dynamics gives a description of how to perform activities as well as organize the group. The second consideration of group dynamics involves a set of techniques that includes sensitivity training, role-play, group dynamics transactional analysis and team building among other considerations. The other view of group

Friday, October 18, 2019

AMERICAN MUSIC AND POLITICS PAPER on rapper Jay-Z Research

AMERICAN MUSIC AND POLITICS on rapper Jay-Z - Research Paper Example From the beginning of genres such as jazz, gospel, soul, blues, up to the era of hip-hop and rap, it is noticeable how most of the well-known music that are the products of black culture are deeply-rooted in the ideals of spiritual, intellectual, cultural and aesthetics (Banfield 4). The need for reinvention as well as an innovation of artistic expression within the Black culture bore youth art forms such as rap and hip-hop out of necessity (Banfield 38). Also, by reading between the lines of songs from these genres, how the artists interpret the society can be seen through their eyes (Banfield 5).Within the past two decades of society, the rise of hip-hop, modern rhythm and blues or just R&B, as well as rap became the updated means of expressing their anguish and sufferings, even though they have considerable freedom compared to previous generations. The selling point of genres such as hip-hop and R&B were their availability in the streets, their independence from most large music labels, as well as the fact that their core is the embodiment of the nation’s historic racial struggles (Watkins 4). Another is that aside from the music, other art forms such as break-dancing and graffiti art became synonymous with it in promoting the modern Black culture (Harris and Terborg-Penn 188). Fueled by the disruption of neighborhoods such as the black community in the Bronx, most of the messages of the disruption of peace and the corruption of culture were expressed into an art form of vernacular and activism-like protest (Banfield 43). Thus it is noticeable why most well-known hip-hop and rap are not only explicit but also emotional. Also, there is an objectification of human experiences, struggle, reason, inquiry and expression in contemporary form that makes hip-hop a valuable and extremely relevant part of the African-American cul ture in the suburbs (Banfield 45). At the start of the

Medea Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medea - Assignment Example With several instances of conflict the play moves ahead through a number of death, sorrow and finally lead to a tragic end with Jason losing everything (Tigane 7-15). The assignment examines how different characters of the play fail to meet the criteria mentioned in Aristotle’s Golden Mean. Moreover, the assignment even elaborates the character as per Aristotle’s ethics as well as the Golden Mean. The failure of the characters to meet the ethics as specified in Aristotle’s Golden Mean has been effectively discussed in the paper. Aristotle’s theory of Golden Mean elaborates on the basis of origin, measures and development of virtues important for the enhancement of happiness, which is considered to be the ultimate goal of human life. This happiness is desired solely for oneself and has nothing to do with the material pleasures and possessions. The golden mean even elaborates on the fact that many people are of the opinion that the material possessions can bring ultimate happiness. Observably, Aristotle’s ethics are based strongly on theological as well as practical approaches, which define the wellbeing of human as a whole. The continuous acting in accordance to the virtues could be observed as a source of happiness that lasts longer and not just provide short term happiness. The ethics is completely centered on the character of a person as it is the most important element that helps in developing the virtues. This development of the virtues leads to a long lived happiness. Accordingly, it can be justified that ethics helps in developing the human character such that the person will be able to enhance their style of living and draw pleasure and happiness from their life. Moreover, ethics helps to identify the different characteristics that are present in one individual and that helps in developing the happiness throughout the life (Cunningham 5-15). Medea. The character was so blind to take revenge on her husband that she was not

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Forced Marriages and UK Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Forced Marriages and UK Law - Essay Example This essay stresses that forced marriages involve the use of threats to get people to enter marriages against the will. Existing UK laws on marriage render such marriages null but voidable. There is no existing criminal liability for partaking in the imposition of forced marriages. Legal reforms have created a civil provision to combat forced marriages. However, this leaves much to be desired. This is because there is a general problem of fear and sympathy for perpetrators by victims because of the familial links that exist between them. In order to prevent forced marriage, it is recommended that there should be a separate criminal law that would complement the criminal statute. Debate should however continue on this subject. This is necessary because there is the need for new issues and situations in the UK society to be integrated into the legal statute to protect the vulnerable appropriately at every point in time. This paper examines forced marriages in the context of UK law. The aim of the paper is to evaluate how sufficient the laws on forced marriages in the UK are. This paper makes a conclusion that the UK House of Commons identified that domestic violence and forced marriages are the main challenges to family law in the UK in recent times. The UK recognises forced marriage as a form of domestic violence and child abuse. The UK social and legal system makes a sharp distinction between forced marriages and arranged marriages . This distinction is necessary because arranged marriages have a bit of a different legal position in the UK society. This is mainly steeped in the concept of choice. Whereas the parties in an arranged marriage might choose to live within the marriage without any duress, a forced marriage is one where one party is forced or coerced into the whole union. 'Duress' defines the main basis for the definition of a forced marriage. As such, a marriage in which duress is not used to coerce one or both parties into the marriage is valid socially, morally and legally in English law. 2.2 Forms of Forced Marriages There are three main types of forced marriages6: 1. An individual who fears that s/he may be forced to marry in the UK

Decisions in Paradise Paper part 1,2, and 3 Essay

Decisions in Paradise Paper part 1,2, and 3 - Essay Example It is often seen that fast urbanization and the technological advancements have been responsible for global climate change which may have contributed to the increased frequency of natural calamities, throughout the world. Kava too is prone to natural disasters and at the same time external factors like terrorism and internal strife, has produced many securities among the local population. Hence, we need to apply the technique of decision making that would help us to decide on the projects that are best suited to benefit both Kava people and us. ‘Decision matrices are most effective where you have a number of good alternatives and many factors to take into account’ (internet). Decision Matrix Analysis would facilitate us to reach to the right decision because it incorporates a huge range of factors for the various projects that can be started here. The various business options may include tourism, petroleum, natural gas and agricultural produce. The few of the salient fac tors that may influence the decision include existing interests of the company, preliminary cost, scope, local resource, local development etc. ‘Using such a distributed assessment framework, the features of a range of evidence can be catered for whilst the assessor is not forced to pre-aggregate various types of evidence into a single numerical value. Both complete and incomplete assessments can be accommodated in a unified manner within the framework’ (Yang, 2001). Kava is bestowed with rich local raw materials which include products like petroleum, natural gas, cocoa, spices, sugar etc. Another area that has vast potential is the tourism industry that can be developed into a roaring business. Initially we must identify two areas which can be developed into concrete business solution. Later the company can diversify to introduce new areas for fresh ventures. Therefore, looking at

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Forced Marriages and UK Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Forced Marriages and UK Law - Essay Example This essay stresses that forced marriages involve the use of threats to get people to enter marriages against the will. Existing UK laws on marriage render such marriages null but voidable. There is no existing criminal liability for partaking in the imposition of forced marriages. Legal reforms have created a civil provision to combat forced marriages. However, this leaves much to be desired. This is because there is a general problem of fear and sympathy for perpetrators by victims because of the familial links that exist between them. In order to prevent forced marriage, it is recommended that there should be a separate criminal law that would complement the criminal statute. Debate should however continue on this subject. This is necessary because there is the need for new issues and situations in the UK society to be integrated into the legal statute to protect the vulnerable appropriately at every point in time. This paper examines forced marriages in the context of UK law. The aim of the paper is to evaluate how sufficient the laws on forced marriages in the UK are. This paper makes a conclusion that the UK House of Commons identified that domestic violence and forced marriages are the main challenges to family law in the UK in recent times. The UK recognises forced marriage as a form of domestic violence and child abuse. The UK social and legal system makes a sharp distinction between forced marriages and arranged marriages . This distinction is necessary because arranged marriages have a bit of a different legal position in the UK society. This is mainly steeped in the concept of choice. Whereas the parties in an arranged marriage might choose to live within the marriage without any duress, a forced marriage is one where one party is forced or coerced into the whole union. 'Duress' defines the main basis for the definition of a forced marriage. As such, a marriage in which duress is not used to coerce one or both parties into the marriage is valid socially, morally and legally in English law. 2.2 Forms of Forced Marriages There are three main types of forced marriages6: 1. An individual who fears that s/he may be forced to marry in the UK

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Business Globalisation in Central and Eastern Europe Assignment

Business Globalisation in Central and Eastern Europe - Assignment Example These changes have occurred in different stages and businesses have undergone various transformations in order to remain relevant in the market. This paper explores different stages of globalization with a special focus on how Coca-Cola Company has responded to every phase of liberalization. Pearce (2006: 28) argues that every institution and business must commit to enhancing its global competitiveness as a crucial strategic goal. In the current business environment characterized by intense competition, no business organization can succeed if it fails to match with the high standards set by its competitors in the particular market niche. There are two phases of globalization recorded in the history of international trade namely old and new globalization (Manea and Robert, 2004: 203). International trade undertaken from 1893 to 1913 is classified in the old phase while the new phase entails trade from 1915 to the present. Although these phases are defined by an increasing gross domest ic product ratio and growing international investments, there are distinct differences. In the old phrase, there were high barriers to trade caused by high tariffs. However, the new phase has witnessed a drastic reduction of tariff barriers, resulting in the opening international borders to a high volume of trade (Manea and Robert, 2004: 215). The new globalization has witnessed the expansion of new markets, services and the emergence of global brands. Many countries are members of international trading organizations formed to set the norms and standards of trade. In addition, emerging issues such as democracy, human rights, and market economy are increasingly defining the norms and rules of new globalization. At a business level, the new globalization creates the necessity of expanding from local to regional levels. This implies that businesses should no longer distinguish between foreign and domestic market, but concentrate on enhancing the quality of their products, because of in tense competition at both levels (Anderson, 2000: 62). Businesses undergo five stages before becoming global firms. Generally, exporting goods or services is the initial stage of engaging in international business by local firms. In later stages, most businesses establish ventures in foreign countries (Anderson, 2000: 86). Narula (2003: 35) identified five stages that businesses undergo before developing into a global corporation. The first stage entails exporting using overseas dealers and distributors. In this stage, the business is predominantly domestic and it engages the services of foreign dealers as it expands into new overseas markets. In the second stage, the company has already established a foothold in foreign markets and therefore exporting its products using its own distributors and dealers (Narula (2003:43). During the third stage, the company is more established in the foreign markets. The firm begins undertaking to manufacture its products, sales, marketing, and othe r activities on its own (Pearce, 2006: 57).  

Monday, October 14, 2019

Disease trends of the delivery healthcare systems Essay Example for Free

Disease trends of the delivery healthcare systems Essay Advances in global health and science have assisted the disease trends. It has become a never ending mission to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease as well as injury and disability. There have been noted demographic changes in the past 50 years that have resulted from changing trends in child, maternal, and adult death rates (CDC, 2011). Among these are rises in obesity and aging. As these health concerns continue to climb we will have a greater impact on the delivery of services from health care. The importance of these trends assists in prevention and protecting one’s self from new diseases and illnesses as well as old ones. One of the noted trends in healthcare is aging. Focusing on the world’s age composition is one way to understand the impacts and changes in further years to come. According to the US Census Bureau (2013), the elderly population age 65 and older during the twentieth century composed one in every twenty five individuals. In the twenty first century, this same population composed one in every 8 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). This showed that the life expectancy of humans has become longer. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2013), the population in the United States in the year of 2010 was 308.7 million. This indicated a near 10 percent increase over the past ten years. This same 2010 census showed that the elderly population composed 13 percent as opposed to only being 9 percent in the year of 2000. The notable change was determined that there were fewer people in the 65-75 age range but there were more individuals in the 75-85 age ranges. It proved that there were more increasingly elderly individuals reaching into their seventies and even eighties. This increase in age showed that life expectancy and advances in medicine have contributed to individuals living longer lives. This would indicate that as long as medicines and healthcare continued to advance, so would the elderly population in growth. Environmental factors directly contribute to population growth. For one, as the population continues to grow in size, the  natural resources and undeveloped land becomes utilized to accommodate this expansion. Clearing the land and making it more desirable offers more room to continue additions in the population. This in turn offers an increase in the resources that can be utilized for healthcare and science in the creation of vaccines and medications. This increased development has also led to the finding of new resources such as unknown species of plants and animals. These newer found resources can be tested to see if they offer any properties in the expansion of healthcare and medications. The Medical Plant Consortium (2013) states, â€Å"Our major goal in this project has been to capture blue prints of medicinal plants for the advancement of drug discovery and development.† The medical plant consortium further adds well known medicines such as digoxin used for cardiac muscle stimulation comes from the fox glove plant and some of the chemotherapy medications such as vinchristine come from the periwinkle plant. Another noted environmental factor is that the population density has grown over the years. In addition to the population growth, land clearing has been increasing for the purpose of crops farmed for human consumption. The combination of needed developed land for farm crops and the growing population has only contributed to more land being cleared for further discoveries. Some of the changing demographics have been an increase in the population density. Over the years due to advancements in medications and healthcare improving the human life expectancy, th ere is an indicated increase of individuals per square mile than years prior. This is due to the slow development of land but also human life expectancy increasing. January 2011 ushered in the first of approximately 77 million baby boomers born from 1946 through 1964 and surging towards the gates of retirement. Each year 3.5 baby boomers turn 55.† This increase indicates that by 2030 there will be more than twice in the elderly population that in the year 2000 (Transgenerational, 2009). The aging trend is likely to experience an increase in the health issues of today. As we live longer there is more wear and tear to our bodies that developed the need for further medical assistance. As we age our blood vessels and arteries become stiffer causing the heart to have to work harder to function. The longer the heart has to function under this strain, the more likely complications will occur. These factors are directly linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. In addition with aging,  ones bones tend to lose bone mass. This not only weakens t hem increasing the risk for fracture but effects muscle function. Over time muscles lose flexibility and strength. These factors contribute to arthritis. According to the CDC (2013), one of ever two persons will knee arthritis and one in every four will develop hip arthritis. This clearly supports that disease and illness will become more likely as we age. In order to reduce health related problems in aging one should remain fit and incorporate an exercise regimen into their daily life. In addition eating a healthy diet, not smoking, managing stress and taking a daily supplement can help prolong age related diseases (CDC, 2013). Currently the obesity rate in the United States is nearly two of every three persons (Surgeon general, 2009). Research has shown that the united states have the highest population of obesity. A report done from July 2013 shown that the united stated passed the obesity rates of Mexico (Medical News Today, 2013). The U.S. obesity rate has grown from 13 percent in 1960 to 32 percent in 2004 (surgeon general, 2009). References: 1- Centers of Disease Control (CDC), 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/distrnds.html 2- Department of Health and Human services, 2012. http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/index.aspx 3- U.S. Census Bureau, 2013. http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/statbriefs/agebrief.html 4- U.S. Census Bureau, 2011. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf 5- PHYS.org, 2013. http://phys.org/news/2011-12-medicinal-benefits.html 6- Transgenerational- design matters, 2009. http://transgenerational.org/aging/demographics.htm 7- Mayo clinic, 2013. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aging/HA00040 8- Surgeon general, 2009. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/testimony/obesity07162003.html 9- Medical News Today, 2013. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265556.php

Sunday, October 13, 2019

An Overview Of Teaser Advertising

An Overview Of Teaser Advertising Zoon, V.I.B, On ne peut larreter; these ad shouts for ones attention but there is no brand name. As you pass by, the hoardings yell out to you they look extremely familiar but yet they reveal nothing except the promise of more to come. Sometimes they work in a tizzy while sometimes they ask a response out of you. It is suspense with a purpose to tease. These are Teaser advertising. In Mauritius, this style of advertising which tend to advertise for a new product while keeping the target audience interest arouse each day and at the same time creating a sort of buzz around the ad-the teaser, has become a craze lately. The Zoon Teaser advertising proved to be successful in teasing people. Nevertheless some people consider Teaser advertising to be Much Ado about Nothing (quoting the word of Shakespeare). But, why is there so much fantasy about communicating and advertising a product? Today, advertising is considered by many to be the most important factor in the success of the company as most organizations -small and large- that rely on marketing to create customer interest, are engaged in consistent use of advertising to help meet marketing objectives. An organization can have the best idea, product or service, but without effectively delivering their messages to its target market, these ideas, products and services can go unnoticed. An effective creative campaign in the form of a teaser can set a company apart from the competition and allows it to give to its potential customers an image of what makes the brand different from the competition which has for goal to be top of the mind of these busy consumers. This means that the name of the business or the brand is the first thing that pops into their head, when looking for a product in the respective category. Furthermore, given info rmation asymmetry that prevails in the market, advertising is a communication tool that cannot be missed to signal potential clients and Teaser advertising with its ability to create buzz and word of mouth is for sure a successful method to spread news about a subject. But even if advertising including Teaser plays a crucial role in positioning the product in the mind of customers, does this type of advertising push people to buy the advertised product as such? Therefore does this type of advertising always work? Does it create this sort of buzz that it wants to cause? Does it create this sort of buzz that it wants to cause? Does it has an impact on people and how do they react to it? Does it act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase? To know more about this interesting aspect of advertising and to explore this specific area of advertising, a study has been conducted towards this perspective by considering the recent teaser ads in Mauritius. This study will allow discovering and evaluating this particular technique of advertising and explore the surrounding galaxy of such tool of advertising. 1.1 Aims and Objectives Ø Understanding the concept of Teaser advertising o Teaser Ad as an advertising practice o Teaser Ad as a communication tool o Teaser Ad in relation with customer attitudes Ø Evaluating the effectiveness of Teaser advertising in the Mauritian context Ø Analysing Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase 1.2 Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase H1: There is a relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase Hypothesis 2: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. H1: There is a relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. Hypothesis 3: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. H1: There is a relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. Hypothesis 4: H0: There is no relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. H1: There is a relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. Hypothesis 5: H0: There is no relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. H1: There is a relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. Hypothesis 6: H0: There is no relationship between religion and purchasing intention. H1: There is a relationship between religion and purchasing intention Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.0 Introduction Under this chapter, teaser advertising will be treated as a style of doing advertising among others and also the concept of teaser advertising with relation customers. Thus teaser advertising will be defined under 3 main heading. Moreover, this chapter covers literatures on the development of this particular type of advertising in Mauritius. This section will try to analyse Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase with reference to different literatures from various authors. Concrete authors examples will be used. 2.1 What is advertising? According to Smith et al. (1998), there exist twelve different communication tools available to a marketer. As per Leiss (1972), advertising has been recognized as a major vehicle of social communication in the field of marketing in modern Western society. Kotler and Armstrong (2007) provide an alternative definition: Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services through mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor. Advertising is the promotion of products and services carried out by companies principally to drive sales of the products and services and equally to establish brand identity and to communicate changes or new products or services to the customers. Marketers have identified several reasons for advertising, among which are as follows: * Increasing the sales of the product/service * Creating and maintaining a brand identity or brand image. * Communicating a change in the existing product line. * Introduction of a new product or service. * Increasing the buzz-value of the brand or the company. Thus, just like, there are several reasons for advertising; similarly there exist various media that effectively can be employed for advertising. Based on these criteria there can be several styles of advertising which will be discussed below. 2.2 Styles of advertising The creative style of execution refers to the manner in which a particular appeal is transformed into a message of publicity which is presented to the consumer. According to the research done by Tony Yeshin (1997), the following are the most common styles of advertising: 2.3 Teaser advertising The Marketing Dictionary and Barrons Educational Series, 2007 defines teaser advertising as: A brief advertisement designed to tease the public by offering only bits of information without revealing either the sponsor of the ad or the product being advertised. 2.3.1 Teaser advertising: As an advertising practice According to this theory by Joannis (1995), the very old principle of Teaser advertising is to arouse the curiosity of the prospect by communicating to it the first part of the completely mysterious message. It is supposed to hold ones attention and brings him/her to seek the second part of the message. Joannis (1995) also points out that this second part would not have been read if the curiosity excites by the first part, is very far away from the subject. Joe ODonnell (2002) puts forward: If theyve got the right target audience and the right media, the audience is going to pay attention to the teaser campaign as it develops. Jean-Marc Lehu (2006) for his part stresses that Teaser advertising is characterised by a two phases advertising campaign. This technique can consist of two or even three teasers. (Lehu,2006) Source: Two Phases Advertising Campaign adapted by Jean-Marc Lehu, 2006 Bruce Miller (2002) classifies the HERE Teaser campaign in Baltimore (the largest city and cultural center of the U.S. state of Maryland) as an effective advertising practice. The revelation part of the Teaser Christopher Jacob (2006) puts forward that the revelation of certain Teaser ads are weak which eventually have a negative impact on consumers purchasing decisions. For example in 2007, in France the Teaser advertising for Transatlantis proved to be very effective, however the revelation which relates to the offer (a journey) was somehow weak which eventually had a negative effect on customers purchasing decisions. 2.3.2 Teaser advertising: As a communication tool According to Hung (2000), teaser ads rely heavily on nonverbal executional cues to communicate. As a copywriting approach to break through confusion, teaser ads provide incomplete information (Kover 1995) and rely on lush visual images, accompanied by music or other sound effects, to create an attractive image for the advertised brand and its users. Aaker et al. (1992) considers: It is through teaser advertising that we can provide creative advertising along with effective communication. This is because; this style of advertising not only attracts the target consumers attention, but also generates interest and educates the consumer about the product benefits and positioning, thus acting as an effective tool of communication. Teaser ad is a powerful tool used to convey message to the target audience but in its own style of creating curiosity on what the ad is about and thus directs the attention of target audience (Journal of Advertising, 2001) Erik Schmuckler (1999) views Lee Jeans Teaser ad as an effective communication tool in terms of delivering the right message to the target audience. The main idea behind this mystery ad was to show that this particular brand is cool to wear. Lee became very cool very fast. According to the agencys (Fallon McElligott, 1999) tracking study, perceptions that the brand was becoming more popular and was cool to wear jumped 10 percentage points from 25 to 35 percent and their sell-in of the Dungarees line was four times higher than anticipated. Most importantly, Lee gained 3 percent in market share in a flat year while Levis dropped just as many percentage points. 2.3.3 Teaser advertising: With relation to customer attitudes Lutz (1985) defines customers attitudes towards Teaser advertising as a learnt tendency to react in a favourable or unfavourable manner to Teaser campaign in general. According to Bauer and Greyser (1968), Teaser ad had important economic and social effects and built up a set of belief items associated with positive and negative outcomes of such ad in these specific areas. The attitudes of customers towards teaser advertising vary from one another. With particular reference to www.agencyfaqs.com, the following are some thoughts on teaser advertising with respect to customers: Ø Teaser campaigns are a bit like lemon. If one squeeze them too much they become bitter. One should quickly take out the juice and make the lemonade (as in the main campaign), rather than squeeze it drop by drop till it becomes too sour for anybodys liking Ø Teaser ads are not cash cows in terms of immediate sale, but if one notices, they are always at the top of the mind Ø Teasers tease the consumers and do stimulate to buy provided it is a launch product or a new sensational stuff. Gums are fun to chew and get better on chewing more but loose the juice on chewing too long. Ø What a waste of advertising money! 2.4 Development of teaser advertising According to Dan S. Kennedy (2006), the main problem with carrying out big ad in the newspaper, in a trade journal, or in a national magazine is the number of people one pay for simply do not see it. This means that on any one day, ones best prospects may be out of town, sick in bed, or too busy to read newspaper. As a solution to this problem, one strategy to focus attention on ones big ad is to precede it with a series of tiny, low-cost teaser ads. For example, a new computer store eager of making the business community aware of its existence for two months, in the weekly city business journal, ran small display ads. (Dan S. Kennedy, 2006) 2.5 Teaser advertising in Mauritius Past research done by LExpress (2005) proves that many people are still unaware of this great phenomenon in advertising in Mauritius. This is because many people have difficulty in associating the Teaser with advertising, or for the new generation this concept is still new, except those having knowledge in the marketing field. But if one asks someone about the Zoon teaser advertising campaign, they will definitely recall it. In fact, Zoon was launched in October 2005 to assess the effectiveness of billboards. But primarily the billboard was featuring a dog (who was lost and his master apparently launch this ad campaign for it and even propose a big sum of money as reward), but this was all a teaser. This was done just to make zoon becoming the talk of the town as per Mr. Vincent Montocchio; Creative Director of Circus (Lexpress October 2005). However, this particular teaser advertising is not the first one to appear in Mauritius. In fact, by the end of the eighties, one among the first teaser advertising which was famous to the public, is the one developed for the national airline company; Air Mauritius by the Immedia advertising agency. They placed a koala in 3D in front of Queen Victoria in front of the government house, without any indication what it is. This created curiosity among the general public and became the talk of not just the town but of the whole country, and it was even on the first page of the newspaper. A few days later, the teaser was revealed; it in fact introduces Air Mauritius first flight to Australia. Subsequently, this teaser advertising campaign has brought the emergence of other teaser ads and fifteen years after, this style of advertising is still present. (Poonoosamy, 2006) 2.6 The When of teaser advertising in Mauritius This is commonly used by new products and new businesses to create an element of intrigue and curiosity and build excitement and anticipation. A good example is the launch campaign for the Nissan Micra (Baker, 1994) and the initial campaign for Cable and Wireless. (Tony Yeshin, 1997) Generally, not all advertising agencies in Mauritius get involved in Teaser advertising, because it depends highly on the clients product positioning, budget of the client and most importantly, what does the client want; what dose the brand wants to say during the advertising campaign. But then when does one engage in teaser advertising? Figure 2. 3: When to do teaser in Mauritius New Product Launching According to Belch and Belch (2003), the teaser advertising has for key objective to reveal the brand after hiding it for some time and after keeping this moment of pure intrigue. Therefore it will be wise to say that teaser advertising will best be adapted when the company is launching a new product or brand. For example, in France, the merger Neuf Telecom and Cegetel used online teaser ads to introduce its new subsidiary Neuf Cegetel that was meant to specialize in mobile communications (www.journaldunet.com). A local example is the national lottery LOTO where a Teaser campaign was used to advertise this product since it was new in the Mauritian market. New Business According to blimpcam.com, it is very important for a new business to generate customer interest before a business opens its doors. To achieve this, some businesses do teaser advertising. For example a teaser ad may be, the countdown has begun; there are only 60 days until a certain company opens. However in Mauritius, this particular style of advertising does not only used for new business but also for existing one. A recent example of Teaser ad in Mauritius for an existing business is Orange. 2.7 Evaluation of teaser advertising All advertising efforts-regardless of its styles, are directed mainly towards the attainment of various objectives (in terms of business, marketing and advertising) i.e., to increase the sales turnover and thus to market the maximum profit. The advertiser spends millions of rupees in this activity. In the background of all these hard work, is an effort to attract the customer towards the product through advertising. Pollay and Mittal (1993) put forward that Teaser advertising influences consumers on three levels namely: Ø economic level Ø personal level Ø social level However, in reality, does advertising especially Teaser ad really motivates ones to carry out the purchase activity? Hristo Ivanov Katranjiev (2000) points out that in most cases, the ultimate response is purchase. Normally, consumers pass through six stages (see figure 2.4) in their way to making a purchase. Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstrong (2001) suggest that prior to the first stage, consumers may be completely unaware of the product, know only its name or know a bit about it. So, there is a need to build awareness first and then knowledge. When Nissan introduced its Infinity automobile line, it started with with an extensive teaser advertising campaign to build name familiarity. Original ads for the Infiniti created curiosity and awareness by showing the cars name only and not the car. Later ads created knowledge by informing potential buyers of the cars high quality and many innovative features and continued like this till the last stage. In common cases, Teaser ads act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase activity. 2.7.1 Teaser advertising as a source of motivation for customers to purchase According to David A.Aaker (1989), usually advertising in general is not well suited to directly precipitate action. Rather it is better at conducting some communication, association or persuasion task that will hopefully result in the desired action being precipitated. A communication results in the audience members learning something new or gaining an improved understanding or memory of some fact. However, according to David A.Aaker (1989), Teaser advertising is one of the many forces that motivate customers to purchase. That is this style of advertising is well suited to directly precipitate action of purchase (see figure 2.5). According to Henri Joannis (1995), Teaser ad is actually an altered version of a very old model of advertising, the AIDA model, which points out that an announce must draw attention, arise interest, inculcate the desire and provoke action. Joannis (1995) also stresses on the fact that Teaser ad is altered in the way that the factor attention is separated from the factor interest and desire by the use of suspense element that creates curiosity. In advertising settings, consumers are assumed to go through a process to compare Teaser ad contents with self-concept when they are exposed to the advertising messages. According to Markus et al. (1985), self-concept does not just have the meaning of mere knowledge of facts, but rather, it is a cognitive structure which is related with strong feelings and motivations. While research pertaining to the effect of self-concept on purchase intention is rare, Landon (1974) and Belch (1978) found that both actual and ideal self-concept influence purchase intention (though their degree of relative impact is different). That is, the more closely the teaser ad matches the buyers self-concept, the higher the purchase intention for that product. However, previous research done by Hristo Ivanov Katrandjiev (2000) proves that Teaser advertising is cheaper than sales promotion and more expensive than public relations, but often evokes negative feelings (such as annoyance, anger, distrust, etc.). Paul Hague (2001) states that the AIDA hierarchical model follows the decision making process from lighting the lamp for people through to the sale itself. At each level in the process the number of people drastically diminishes so that those who take action are a small fraction of those who are aware of or interested in the product (see figure 2.6). Kim Shyan Fam et al. (2004) point out that religious beliefs play a major role in shaping human behaviour towards a particular ad no matter of its styles. According to Deng et al. (1994), religion also controls gender roles in a particular culture. As per Philippe Tesseron (2006), the very effective style of advertising-Teaser ad was used in France for a hypermarket. The first billboard was introduced anonymously, without brand but with a promising revelation. Comparatively, that everybody, especially the religious ones, seems to remember the great advertising campaign which became a real scoop in 1981. There was a young woman in bikini which promises to take out her top then the bottom as they change posters, then to discover the reveal-a naked woman from the back with the slogan-Avenir Advertising-They hold their promises. Philippe Tesseron (2006) points out that this teaser ad on the hypermarket in France did not really act as a source of motivation for customers to do the act of purchase, but rather this ad arise questions: Is the body merchandise that we use to satisfy the desires of some advertisers? What is the relationship between the opening of a hypermarket and the back of a woman or man in underwear on posters and billboards? So the Myriam advertising campaign realized in France 1981 on the hypermarket has created lots of controversies. Philippe Tesseron (2006) also points out that these controversies were not only due to religious beliefs but on ethical ground which eventually lead to the idea that religion alone does not influence purchasing decisions. 2.8 Summary Teaser advertising has for objective to create attention around a subject and to trigger curiosity its prospect. This technique of advertising is done in two phases. Despite the Zoon Teaser in Mauritius was a real success as it has been playing a lot on emotions, there exist lots of controversies of this style of advertising because of ethical aspects of some of the visuals displayed. Finally it is mentioned that Teaser ad acts as a source of motivation but does it really influence consumers in their purchasing decisions and force them to do the purchase activity. For this, various literatures from different authors have been used so as to obtain a deep understanding of the subject. Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.0 Introduction According to Zikmund, research is the systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analyzing of data for aid in making decisions (Zikmund, 2000). Advertising related research provides information in several areas, for example the uses of research pertaining specifically to the creative execution (Michelet, 2006). While carrying out research, it is important for us to look at the steps in the research process that will be handled further in this chapter. 3.1 Step 1: Formulation of the research problem The marketing environment is constantly changing and therefore marketers or managers have to address new issues which may create opportunities or problems for their organizations (Wilson, 2003). As far as Teaser advertising is concerned, some ad agencies and advertisers have forgotten what this style of advertising should do and how they should do it. As a consequence, some of the advertising produced in Mauritius has substantial flaws that limit its value as a communication tool. Therefore, the present study investigates the perception of the Mauritian consumers on Teaser advertising. Basically, consumers inference to the nature and purpose of mystery advertising has been decided. The following questions also have been addressed: how far does Teaser ad influence consumers in their purchase decisions, where there are similar types of advertising as well as lots of ad messages in todays clutter. The result is ineffective advertising that gives nothing to potential consumer and the advertiser. With lots of repeated ads, can advertising in terms of teaser advertising deliver information people need and want to make them make intelligent purchase decision and motivate them to buy? Thus, a survey has been carried out and it has the following objectives: Ø Understand the concept of Teaser advertising o Teaser Ad as an advertising practice o Teaser Ad as a communication tool o Teaser Ad in relation with customer attitudes Ø Evaluate the effectiveness of Teaser advertising in the Mauritian context Ø Analyse Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase. 3.2 Step 2: Determine Research Design Research Design is simply the framework or plan for a study used as a guide in collecting and analyzing data. There are some important research design frameworks that are classified as: Ø Exploratory Ø Conclusive (a) Descriptive (b) Causal Research This study is an attribute of both exploratory and descriptive research. It is to be noted that due to time and other constraints, a true exploratory design involving techniques like focus groups were not adopted for the study. 3.2.1 Exploratory Research An exploratory research principally for this study has been conducted in order to find out the point of view of Mauritian consumers on Teaser advertising and also to identify the factors that influence their perception of Teaser advertising. This will help in the assessment of Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase. Thus, the following hypotheses (with reference to various authors) were developed: 1. There is no relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase. Paul Hague (2001) states that at each level in the process (AIDA model) the number of people drastically diminishes so that those who take action are a small fraction 2. There is a relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. As per Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstrong (2001), Teaser ads act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase activity. 3. There is a relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. Christopher Jacob (2006) puts forward that weak revelation of Teaser ads have a negative impact on consumers purchasing decisions. 4. There is a relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. Landon (1974) and Belch (1978) found that the more closely the teaser ad matches the buyers self-concept, the higher the purchase intention for that product. 5. There is a relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. Erik Schmuckler (1999) found that Teaser ad as an effective communication tool positively influences purchasing decision. 6. There is no relationship between religion and purchasing intention. As per, Philippe Tesseron (2006) religion alone does not influence purchasing decisions. 3.2.2 Descriptive research Since the objectives of the study require information to be generated about Teaser advertising as a source of motivation for customers to purchase, this study is descriptive in nature as well. 3.3 Step 3: Determining Data Collection Methods 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary data is information that has been previously gathered for some purpose other than the current research. As such secondary data which includes newspapers such as LExpress, the Internet and journal articles was collected externally. 3.3.2 Primary Data It is collected by a program of observation, qualitative or quantitative research either separately or in combination. For this study, both quantitative and qualitative researches were chosen. Quantitative Research: This approach was used so as to identify the influence of Teaser ad on purchasing decisions. Hence, a survey was conducted where questionnaires were designed and administered to the target population so as to get the required information. Qualitative Research: This research was as important in this study so as to gain a deeper understanding of Teaser ad as a source of motivation to make purchase

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Ghost Story of Haunted Roads :: Ghost Stories Urban Legends

The Ghost Story of Haunted Roads The story of a haunted road in comes from a resident of the city. He is an Asian, male University sophomore. He told me the story in March at a very late hour. Among friends discussing plans to one day explore some supposedly haunted areas of the state, the storyteller spoke of a â€Å"rumor† he had heard from one of his college friends. The â€Å"late hour† previously mentioned is noteworthy since it affected the way the urban legend was told. There were four of us in a diner, eating at a time when most restaurants had been closed for hours already. Thus, we were all a bit tired, including the storyteller, who blamed the combination of hunger and the time of day for his lack of presentation skills. For example, he would eat and talk and restate certain parts. He started by describing that the haunted road was â€Å"somewhere in the city, I think it was Marriott Road. Like the hotel, ya know?† He claimed that the road was close by because his friend said so. Later, we looked online and found a nearby street named Marriottsville Road. The storyteller continued by saying that the road is haunted because when you drive there at night, when the sun has completely set, the area seems to be pitch black. Even with headlights, it is supposedly unsafe due to the darkness that shrouds the pavement. He said that the trees there are so tall and the vegetation so thick that they â€Å"practically cover the road and form a tunnel around it† to block any light from entering. Not only is the road a dark one, but there are two more supernatural elements to it. The first is a barn off the side of the road. The storyteller said that noises have been heard from the barn. When people go to investigate the noise, they eventually get close enough to hear whimpering animals. The sounds get louder until, as the storyteller claimed, â€Å"They sound more like screaming than whimpering.† At this point, any would-be investigators run away from the site of the barn. Furthermore, there is an even more terrifying aspect of the road. As already described, it is hard to drive there. The darkness is just part of the difficulty. The road also has many turns and curves along with steep hills. At this point of the story, the teller used lots of hand gestures to help us visualize the severity of the road’s twists.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Phillips

Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Why Hazaras flee: An historical perspective of their persecution1 Submission for the Government’s Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Denise Phillips BA (Hons), PhD Candidate, University of New England, 19 July 2012 Quetta are also discussed. The past ethnic and religious animosity against minority Shiite Hazaras continues to drive the bloodshed today. When we shift our esponsibilities offshore, vilify refugees and pursue a punitive style of deterrence as a solution, we ignore these past and present atrocities. Executive summary This paper provides historical information about the source country, Afghanistan. As minority Shiites, Hazaras’ current persecution is borne out of an unresolved, century-old religious and ethnic hatred of them. This has resulted in massacres, dispossession of their lands and decades of institutionalised discrimination. Their persecution was fiercely reignited during the civil war and by the Taliban in the 1990s.Understanding that history is critical to policy-making. Not only are Hazaras dying on boats, but also in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Australia must respond to this over-all crisis with humanity rather than punitive measures. I support the recommendations made in the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s submission and the Open Letter. As Afghanistan moves towards a possible Taliban alliance or faces growing lawlessness, and as Hazaras continue to be slain or attacked in Hazara-populated regions and in neighbouring Quetta, Hazaras are likely to continue to flee and have grounds under the 1951 Refugee Convention to fear persecution.Introduction In addressing the problem of asylum seekers risking their lives on boat journeys to Australia, the reasons for their flight should remain at the forefront of policy-making and political debate. I o ffer an historical overview of a key source country, Afghanistan, and of the origins of Hazaras’ persecution. Current crises in both Afghanistan and Abdur Rahman’s subjugation of Hazaras in the nineteenth century After the traditionally dominant Pashtuns and the Tajiks, Hazaras are the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, although a minority. The Hazaras traditionally live in theHazarajat, a loosely defined region within the central highlands. While about 85 percent of Afghanistan’s population follow Sunni Islam, most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, causing them to be condemned as ‘infidels’ at different points throughout history. 2 Their suffering began in earnest in the late 1800s. The Hazaras were a semi- autonomous society living in Afghanistan’s central highlands, the Hazarajat. The entire Hazara population possibly numbered over half a million, with about 340,000 families in the Hazarajat. Although not a cohesive group, most were Shii tes and spoke theHazaragi language, a derivative of Dari. In contrast, their surrounding ethnic groups were mostly Sunni Muslims and spoke Pashto or Dari. 3 Against a backdrop of imperial tensions between Britain and Czarist Russia, Britain helped install an anti-Russian Pashtun, Amir Abdur Rahman (1880-1901), on the throne in Kabul in 1880. In between British India and Russia. 4 exchange for a British annual subsidy, Afghanistan was to provide a buffer zone In the previous century, the Pashtun tribal ruler, Ahmad Shah Durrani (1747-1773), had already established a pattern of subjugating sub-groups and other ethnic groups within he region. To bring Afghanistan’s many different tribes under a centralised authority, Abdur Rahman proclaimed the Durrani Pashtuns as supreme and mobilised Sunni Islam with a patriotic xenophobia. Condemning Shiite Hazaras as ‘infidels’, Rahid Rahman 1 Over-all notes drawn from Denise Phillips, From Afghanistan to Australia: An oral hist ory of loss and hope among Hazara refugees, PhD thesis, University of New England, Armidale (forthcoming); Denise Phillips, ‘Wounded memory of Hazara refugees from Afghanistan: Remembering and forgetting persecution’, History Australia, vol. , no. 2, August 2011, pp. 177-198; and Denise Phillips, ‘Hazaras’ persecution worsens: Will the new government show leadership by lifting the suspension on Afghani asylum claims? ’, Australian Policy and History, August 2010, http://www. aph. org. au/files/articles/hazarasPersecution. htm. 2 William Maley, Security, People Smuggling and Australia's New Afghan Refugees, Working Paper no. 63, p. 8; M. Hassan Kakar, ‘The pacification of the Hazaras’, in M. Hassan Kakar, A Political and Diplomatic History of Afghanistan, 1863-1901, Leiden, 2006, p. 26. 3 Sayed Askar Mousavi, The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study, Richmond, 1998, p. 114; Kakar, ‘The pacifi cation of the Hazaras’, pp. 120-122, 126. Amin Saikal, with assistance from Ravan Farhadi & Kirill Nourzhanov, Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival, London, 2004, pp. 6, 7, 12. 4 1 2 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 rallied soldiers and tribal levies to quash Hazara rebellions in the Afghan-Hazara wars of 1891-1893.Hazaras were slain, raped and sold into slavery. Soldiers piled Hazaras’ heads into towers to warn others against dissent, and some were skinned to death or had their tongues cut out. Although slavery was banned in 1895, many remained enslaved until King Amanullah’s emancipation laws were passed in the 1920s. Much of the Hazarajat was decimated, and their agricultural economy destroyed. Starving, some ate grass and sold their children for wheat to survive. The Hazaras were fined for rebelling and taxed indiscriminately. All facets of Afghani government, society and law conspired against Haza ras, seeking to destroy their property, tribal systems, religion and culture. Rahid Rahman attempted to impose Sunni Islam and demanded that qazis (judges) and muftis (Islamic leaders) in various districts use only Hanafi, a Sunni Islamic legal system, for dealing with Hazaras. To depopulate the Hazarajat, the government issued ‘firmans’, royal decrees, authorising Pashtun nomads, Kuchis, to access Hazaras’ lands for grazing their livestock. Possibly several tens of thousands fled to Central Asia, and Balochistan in what is now Pakistan. Victorious, Rahid Rahman demeaned the Hazaras and claimed that Afghanis saw them as ‘enemies of their country and religion’,7 laying the foundation for a century of persecution to the present. Marginalisation in the twentieth century Successive governments have since marginalised Hazaras. Under the banner of nationalism in the early 1900s, ruling Pashtuns tried to assert their identity, culture and history over all o ther ethnic groups. The Hazarajat was removed from official maps and lands were divided into five provinces to weaken the Hazaras’ political authority.King Nadir Shah (1929-1933) outlawed the promotion of Hazara history and culture, 5 Peter Marsden, Afghanistan: Minorities, Conflict and the Search for Peace, London, 2001, p. 6; Saikal, Modern Afghanistan, pp. 5, 12, 17, 35-39; Kakar, ‘The pacification of the Hazaras’, pp. 120122, 132-137; Burchard Brentjes & Helga Brentjes, Taliban: A Shadow over Afghanistan, Varanasi, 2000, p. 75; Mousavi, The Hazaras of Afghanistan, pp. 101, 120-129, 131-136. 6 Kakar, ‘The pacification of the Hazaras’, pp. 137, 138; Lenard Milich, ‘The Behsud conflicts in Afghanistan: A blueprint to avoid further clashes in 2009 and beyond’, Eurasia Critic, June 2009, pp. , 3, http://www. eurasiacritic. com/articles, accessed 10 June 2010; Alessandro Monsutti, trans. Patrick Camiller, War and Migration: Social Networks and Economic Strategies of the Hazaras of Afghanistan, New York, 2005, p. 105. 7 Mir Munshi Sultan Mahomed Khan (ed. ), The Life of Abdur Rahman, Amir of Afghanistan, with a new introduction by M. E. Yapp, vol. 1, Karachi, 1980 (1900), pp. 276-279, 282-284. imprisoning or executing intellectuals who wrote on the subject. Official policies tried to strip names associated with the Hazaras from historical archives. Between the 1930s nd 1970s, the Anjom-e Tarikh (Historical Society), aided by the Pashto Tolana (Pashto Academy), rewrote much of Afghanistan's official histories. Significant texts were also reportedly burnt. Until 1978, the Hazaras were marginalised, taxed indiscriminately, and denied equal rights and vital infrastructure in their villages. 8 Former president of Afghanistan Dr Najibullah (1986-1992) acknowledged their suffering, saying that ‘the most difficult and lowliest paid jobs, poverty, illiteracy, social and nationalist committed, and bloodshed continues to t his day. discrimination were the lot of the Hazara people’. No justice was gained for atrocities Massacres during the civil war and Taliban regime Hazaras became politically mobilised in the 1980s and have since gained greater political representation. However, their persecution was brutally re-ignited during the civil war by rival ethnic groups and by the Taliban. In 1993, soldiers under command of the Rabbani government (1992-1996) targeted the stronghold of the Hazaras’ political party, the Hizb-e Wahdat, in Afshar, a district in West Kabul with a large Hazara population. Soldiers, however, turned against civilians. After a frenzy of looting, rape killed or remain missing. 10 nd summary executions driven by ethnic hatred, approximately 700-750 Hazaras were Persecution intensified under the Taliban regime (1996-2001) as its soldiers advanced into Afghanistan’s north and the Hazarajat. Not only do Hazaras shun the Islamist beliefs of the Taliban, the Taliban ar e recruited mostly from the Pashtun group, the Hazaras’ traditional enemy. (In reverse, being Pashtun does not automatically equal Taliban support and millions of Pashtuns have also suffered within Afghanistan’s 8 Hafizullah Emadi, ‘The Hazaras and their role in the process of political transformation in Afghanistan’, Central Asian Survey, vol. 6, no. 3, 1997, pp. 363-371; Mousavi, The Hazaras of Afghanistan, pp. 5-8, 155-174, 218; Saikal, Modern Afghanistan, pp. 111-113, 283. Hazaras cite Puta Khazana (The Hidden Treasure), published in 1960, as an example of a controversial or fictitious history funded by the government which promoted Pashtun superiority. 9 Quoted in Mousavi, The Hazaras of Afghanistan, p. 162 10 Mousavi, The Hazaras of Afghanistan, pp. 198, 199; Human Rights Watch, Blood-Stained Hands: Past Atrocities in Kabul and Afghanistan’s Legacy of Impunity, New York, 2005, pp. 70-100. Numbers have never been accurately ascertained.One Haza ra website estimates that approximately 1,000 were killed or remain missing. See ‘Afshar and Kateh Sahe massacre’, Hazara. net, 2009 http://www. hazara. net/taliban/genocide/afshar/afshar. html, accessed 19 June 2010. 3 4 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 conflicts. ) In 1998, in retaliation for war crimes committed by the United Front (of which Hazaras were a part) against Taliban soldiers, the Taliban slaughtered approximately 2,000 or more Hazaras in Mazar-e Sharif. Civilians were killed in residential areas and market places, some dying with their throats slit.Highlighting the accompanying religious hatred, Taliban governor Mullah Manon Niazi had publicly incited the attack, preaching that, ‘Hazaras are not Muslim. You can kill them. It is not a sin’. Hazaras were reportedly warned to take lessons from their own history, and to either convert, flee or be killed. Hundreds fled the terror of Mazar-e Sharif. Massac res continued, with Taliban soldiers rounding up civilians in the Yakaolang district in 2001, publicly executing at least 170, many of whom were Hazaras. Near Robatak Pass, the Taliban also executed at least 31 civilians, with 26 confirmed to be Hazaras. 1 A resurgent Taliban After more than a decade, American and NATO forces have failed to bring peace and a withdrawal is imminent. Regrouping since 2001, the Taliban is now made up of an alliance of three Islamist groups; the Quetta Shura Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin, an insurgency described by the US Department of Defence as ‘resilient and evolving’. 12 With safe havens for terrorism in western Pakistan, the insurgency maintains strongholds in southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan, and has been expanding to the west and north. 3 The Taliban’s clear presence in Shinwari district of Parwan province, less than a few hours from Kabul, was demonstrated with news last week of the Tali ban’s execution of a young woman on ‘adultery’ charges. 14 Terror in the Hazarajat Analysts recently deemed Ghazni to be ‘among the most volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan’. 15 In 2006, a former governor was assassinated, and in 2007, the Taliban held 23 South Koreans hostage. Located in Ghazni province is Jaghori, an Hazara- populated district and former home of many Hazara refugees now in Australia. Jaghori nd Hazara-populated Malistan are surrounded by Pashtun areas under Taliban control. In June 2010, the Taliban reportedly distributed ‘nightletters’, a method of intimidation, to districts within Ghazni province, warning that the main road out of Jaghori to Kabul is now closed. Residents need to travel beyond Jaghori for medical, commercial, study and work reasons, but travel is now perilous. Taliban routinely search travellers on the Qarabagh-Jaghori road. Travellers have been tortured, detained and some have gone missing. T heir vehicles have been stolen and the road is periodically closed.Many fear a repeat of the Taliban’s 1997 road blockade of essential supplies. Additionally, Jaghori strongly supports education, with numerous high schools and primary and middle schools. The Taliban, however, have targeted schools. For example, in July 2010, the Taliban attacked and burnt schools in Tamki, Jaghori district, and in Qarabagh district. The Taliban also killed Syed Sekander Muhammadi, the head teacher of a school in Shaki Nuka, in Qarabagh district, as he travelled to Ghazni. 16 In nearby Oruzgan province, the decapitated corpses of 11 Hazara males were iscovered in the Khas Oruzgan district on 25 June 2010. Police official Mohammed Gulab Wardak reported that the Taliban killed them ‘because they were ethnic Hazaras and Shiite Muslims’. 17 This occurred in the very province where Australia’s Defence Personnel have been deployed in a security and reconstruction role, showing th e dire 11 Human Rights Watch, Afghanistan: The Massacre in Mazar-I Sharif, vol, 10, no. 7(C), November 1998, http://www. unhcr. org/refworld/docid/45c9a4b52. html, accessed 18 June 2010; Human Rights Watch, Massacres of Hazaras in Afghanistan, vol. 13, no. (C), February 2001, http://www. hrw. org/legacy/reports/2001/afghanistan/, accessed 18 June 2010; Peter Marsden, Afghanistan: Minorities, Conflict and the Search for Peace, London, 2001, p. 22; Mullah Manon Niazi quoted in ‘On genocide of Hazaras’, Hazara. net, January 2011, http://www. hazara. net/taliban/taliban. html, accessed 18 July 2012. 12 Department of Defense, Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan: Report to Congress in Accordance with 2008 National Defense Authorisation Act (Section 1230, Public Law 110-181), USA, January 2009, p. 7, http://www. efense/gov/pubs/OCTOBER_1230_FINAL_pdf, accessed 12 August 2010. 13 Maria Golovnina, ‘Factbox: Insurgency in Afghanistan: Who are they? â€℠¢, 25 September 2009, Reuters, http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE58O2F620090925, accessed 12 August 2010. Dylan Welch & Ben Doherty, ‘‘God tells us to finish her’: Taliban remind world they are no spent force’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 2012, p. 1. 14 threat to Hazaras, even alongside a broader military presence. 15 William Maley, ‘On the position of the Hazara minority in Afghanistan’, 28 June 2010, posted on Welcome to Ataullah’s Page, http://ataullahnaseri. ordpress. com/2010/06/28/on-the-position-of-the-hazara-minority, accessed 5 August 2010. 16 Thomas Ruttig, ‘A new, new Taliban front’, Foreign Policy, 21 June 2010, http://afpak. foreignpolicy. com/posts/2010/06/21/a_new_new_taliban_front_0, accessed 5 August 2012; Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, New Haven, 2000, p. 67; Abdul Karim Hekmat, ‘Unsafe haven: Hazaras in Afghanistan and Pakistan’, Spe cial report, University of Technology Sydney, October 2011, pp. 18, 19. 17 Tahereh Ghanaati, ‘The Hazara carnage in Afghanistan’, Press TV, 27 June 2010, http://www. resstv. ir/pop/Print/? id=132225, accessed 28 June 2010; Ismail Sameem & Jonathon Burch, ‘Police find 11 beheaded bodies in Afghan South’, 25 June 2010, Reuters, http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE65O2ML20100625, accessed 28 June 2010. 5 6 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Hazaras. Although the Taliban denied involvement, Afghani analyst Ahmad Shuja fears In Maidan Wardak province, land disputes between Hazaras and Kuchis often erupt each summer but have worsened in recent years.Kuchis have been arriving in the Behsud and Daimirdad districts heavily armed for conflict. Kuchis believe the aforementioned decrees issued under Abdur Rahman entitle them to access, while many Hazaras have never accepted the loss of full rights over their land. Consequent ly, Hazaras have been killed and their homes burnt. In 2008, approximately 60,000 people were displaced, and in May 2010, a report estimated that 1,800 families had been displaced, 68 homes burnt, and 28 schools closed, leaving10,000 students without school facilities.As nomads, the Kuchi are also a minority group, but belong to the traditionally dominant Pashtun group. It is feared that the Taliban may be exploiting the past to incite attacks by their fellow Pashtuns, the Kuchi, against Hazaras. The Karzai government has either largely ignored repeated Hazara pleas for assistance or has been impotent in stopping the violence, sparking worldwide protests by Hazaras. 18 These crises cannot be dismissed as internal land disputes; rather, they stem from the nineteenth century acts of conquest, dispossession and persecution – and another government’s marginalisation of Hazaras.Terror in Kabul Brutal assaults also have occurred recently in Kabul. On 6 December 2011, a suici de bomber killed at least 56 Shiites pilgrims worshipping at the Abdul Fazal Abbas Shrine in the Murad Khani district in Kabul during commemorations for Ashura, the holiest day of Muharram. On the same day, a bomb attached to a bicycle exploded, killing Shiite pilgrims in Mazar-e Sharif and bringing the death toll to 60. A spokesperson for Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility via Radio Free Europe.LeJ, formed in 1996, is a militant Sunni Deobandi Islamist group based in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Among links with numerous terror groups, it has a close relationship with Afghani Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Most killed and injured were 18 Lenard Milich, ‘The Behsud conflicts in Afghanistan: A blueprint to avoid further clashes in 2009 and beyond’, Eurasia Critic, June 2009, pp. 1-3, http://www. eurasiacritic. com/articles, accessed 10 June 2010; Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, ‘AIHRC grave concern about armed onflict be tween Kochies and native inhabitants of Behsood district of Maidan Wardak’, Kabul Press, 22 May 2010, http://kabulpress. org/my/spip. php? article11725, accessed 9 August 2010; ‘UNAMA silent on Kuchi attack in Behsud’, Hazaristan Times, 21 May 2010, http://hazaristantimes. wordpress. com/2010/05/21/unama-silent-on-Kuchi-attack-in-behsud, accessed 6 August 2010. the attacks will inflame religious tensions, echoing a recent past in which the Taliban massacred thousands of Hazaras. 19 Increasing bloodshed in Quetta, PakistanSince the nineteenth century, Hazaras have traditionally fled or migrated to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, in what is now Pakistan. Quetta has long been a ‘second home’ for Hazaras; some live there as permanent Pakistani citizens, others as refugees. Possibly 30,000-50,000 Hazara refugees now live in Pakistan after fleeing the Taliban in 1996. Over the last decade, however, Shiite Hazaras in Balochistan have been dying in an escalating spate of sectarian attacks, often occurring daily. LeJ have distributed leaflets condemning Shiites as ‘infidels’.Proclaiming their right under Islam to kill them, LeJ publicly state that they will continue acting against Shiites. One of its leaders, Milak Ishaque, had 40 murder charges pending against him: after serving 15 years imprisonment he was released on 14 July 2011. Hazaras and the Asian Human Rights Commission report that the Pakistani government, army and law enforcement impunity. 20 authorities are failing to act, openly allowing the banned terror organisation to kill with These are but a few examples in a litany of bloody attacks. Eight Hazaras were slain inPoodgali Chowk in 2001, and 12 Hazara policeman killed in Sariab, in 2003. On 20 September 2011, armed men intercepted a bus in the Ganjidori area of Mastung, southeast of Quetta. It carried 45, mostly Shiite, pilgrims travelling to Taftan, Iran. Ordering them off the bus, gunmen shot t hose identifying themselves as Shiites in the ‘head, chest and abdomen’. Twenty-nine Shiites were killed and five escaped. An hour 19 Ernesto Londono, ‘Dozens dead in rare attack on Shiite mosque in Kabul’, The Washington Post, 6 December 2011, http://www. washingtonpost. om/world/rare-attack-in-kabul-targets-shiitemosque/2011/12/06/gIQAVnEkYO_print, accessed 7 December 2011; ‘Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)’, Australian National Security, Australian Government, updated 15 March 2012, http://www. ema. gov. au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity. nsf/Page/What_Governments_are_doing_Listing _of_Terrorism_Organisations_Lashkar_I_Jhangvi, accessed 18 July 2012. 20 Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)’, Australian National Security; Syed Shoaib Hasan, ‘A year of suffering for Pakistan’s Shias’, BBC News, Balochistan, 6 December 2011, http://www. bbc. co. k/news/worldasia-15928538, accessed 21 January 2012; Hekmat, ‘Unsafe haven’, pp. 20-23; ‘The state of human rights in Pakistan in 2011’, Asian Human Rights Commission, 2011, p. 42, http://www. AHRC-SPR008-2011-HRRptPakistan. pdf, accessed 18 July 2012. 7 8 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 later, gunmen killed 3 Shiites, believed to be victims’ relatives on their way to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones. LeJ claimed responsibility. 21 On 28 June 2012, a bomb blast killed Shiite pilgrims travelling by bus near a fruit market in the Hazarganji area of Quetta.Thirteen were killed and 30 injured, with most of the victims Hazaras. LeJ again claimed responsibility. Prominent leaders, professionals, intellectuals and policemen have been assassinated, along with a sportsman and artist. For example, Chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party, Hussain Ali Yousofi, was slain on 26 January 2011. The general Hazara population, including women and children, are now also being indiscriminately targeted. Australian Hazar as visiting relatives in Quetta speak of witnessing attacks on Hazara civilians in the streets and of a climate of terror.Abdul Karim Hekmat reports that ‘over 500 Hazaras have been killed and over 1,500 injured as a result of targeted’ attacks in Pakistan since 2003. 22 Other sources cite even higher numbers. Failures of protection and continuing fear Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution includes exemplary protection for human rights and Hazaras have gained prominent government positions. However, with critical failures to implement the rule of law beyond Kabul – or even maintain it in Kabul – reform has not translated to improved safety for Hazaras in remote villages. Insurgents do not recognise government law.Moreover, Afghani culture is bound up with traditions of governing and maintaining security through tribal and religious consensus, gained at district and community levels rather than through a centralised authority. In December 2009, the Karzai government also gazetted a law giving amnesty to all who committed war crimes in the past two decades of conflict, allowing alleged war criminals from various ethnicities to hold parliamentary positions with impunity. Professor William Maley cautions against ‘tokenism’, arguing that the inclusion of Hazaras within overnment has not brought about real changes. 23 History shows that the 1980s’ reforms which delivered greater equity for Hazaras did not stop the bloodshed which followed in the 1990s and beyond. That this is the sixth constitution since 1923 also exemplifies the fragility of Afghani reforms. Safety for minority groups requires broad social changes to address deeply-rooted tribal, religious and ethnic prejudices – this is something that will take years. The possibility of a Taliban alliance with international support, set against the draw-down of troops, causes terror among many Hazaras. 24In summarising why Hazaras risk their lives on boats, an Hazara refugee says: When the government and law enforcement agencies can’t provide protection, when your house [in Quetta or Afghanistan] is on fire, when your home country becomes hell for you, when you can’t go anywhere without the fear of being killed, when your religion and your facial features make you the easy target. When death is hovering over your head every day, then you don’t have options but to flee, seek refuge, knock at other people’s door for help, sit on a leaky boat, choose a dangerous journey that possibly leads to death.Today the Hazara Shias (boat people, the asylum seekers) are in a state of desperation and struggling for their survival as it is a basic human instinct. 25 Recommendations flee. I therefore make the following comments: Based on the continuing and unresolved history of bloodshed, Hazaras will continue to 1) Given the need for negotiation within a democratic process, I have reflected deeply on the current options being debated. However, we cannot participate in the ‘trade’ of 21 Shehzad Baloch, ‘Sectarian atrocity: 29 killed in Mastung, Quetta ambushes’, The Express Tribune, 21 September 2011, http://tribune. om. pk/story/256419/gunmen-attack-bus-in-balochistan-20killed/? print=true, accessed 22 September 2011. 22 ‘Shia pilgrims bus attacked by a rocket near Quetta, 13 martyred over 30 injured’, Jafria News, 29 June 2012, http://jafrianews. com/2012/06/29/shia-pilgrims-bus-attacked-by-a-rocket-near-quetta-13martyred-over-30-injured/, accessed 16 July 2012; ‘Hazara Shia community on strike over Quetta attacks’, BBC News, Asia, 29 June 2012, http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-asia-18640945, accessed 16 July 2012; ‘Blast kills 13, including Shia pilgrims, in Quetta’, Dawn. om, 28 June 2012, http://dawn. com/2012/06/28/eight-including-policeman-killed-in-quetta-blast/, accessed 16 July 2012; Hekmat, ‘Unsafe haven’, p. 22; In formal discussions with Australian Hazaras. 23 William Maley, Radio interview conducted by Geraldine Doogue, ‘Afghan Hazara’, Breakfast, ABC Radio National, 13 April 2010, http://www. abc. net. au/radionational/programs/breakfast/afghanhazara/3039616, accessed 16 June 2010; Una Moore, ‘UN human rights rep in Kabul calls for repeal of war crimes amnesty’, UN Dispatch, 30 March 2010, http://www. undispatch. om/un-human-rightsrep-in-kabul-calls-for-repeal-of-war-crimes-amnesty, accessed 11 June 2010; Department of Defense, Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, p. 11; Shahmahmood Miakhel, ‘Understanding Afghanistan: The importance of tribal culture and structure in security and governance’, US Institute of Peace, November 2009, p. 1. 24 Sonya Hepinstall, ‘Holbrooke: Reformed Taliban in Afghan government not wrong’, Thomson Reuters, 6 June 2010, http://in. reuters. com/article/2010/06/07/idINIndia-49088220100607, access ed 18 June 2010. 25 Anonymous Hazara refugee, 29 June 2012. 9 0 Denise Phillips, revised 25 July 2012 human lives with the Malaysian option. I support the principle suggestions made in the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s submission and the Open Letter, so will not reiterate their points here. 2) Help educate parliamentarians and the public as to why refugees flee their homelands. Exercise clear leadership in depoliticising the debate. 3) Hazaras tell me they want peace and human rights in their homeland – only then will they stop fleeing. Hazaras have witnessed the brutal deaths of their family members, including fathers, mothers, siblings and children.Flight is accompanied by intense grief, trauma and longing. Waiting years for family reunions will drive loved ones to get on boats. Those left behind in Afghanistan not only face destitution, but are also often brutally targeted by warlords who learn that their husband, son or brother has fled to a Western country. In a recent case, the intimidation of a young Hazara refugee’s family members left in Jaghori resulted in an attack on the family home, killing an eight-monthold baby. I have witnessed refugees’ debilitating distress as they wait years