Critical Lens Essay

Trust is a very valuable thing is one’s life. Without trust, it is next to impossible to go through life. Graham Green happens to agree with this as she had once said, â€Å"†¦ it is impossible o go through life without trust†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One can interpret this quote as trust being an essential aspect to life and in order to go through it, there must be someone or something a person can put his or her faith in. Two works of literature that reflect this quote are The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Trust sometimes helps people strengthen themselves to be able to go through tough times in life. John Greene proves so in his book, The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel and Augustus are able to build a strong relationship. The author uses characterization in order to build trust between the two characters. Since Hazel was able to put her faith in Augustus, her character became stronger and started to have more confidence in herself. Augustus, a philosophical teenager, helps Hazel live her life in the limited time that she has although he, himself was dying. Both characters became stronger and were able to live their life as much as they could because of how they made each other feel. Augustus made sure Hazel never looked down on herself. When it was time for Augustus to go, Hazel was strong enough to give him a proper good-bye. In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, trust is used in order strengthen the relationships within the family. When Mama receives the insurance check that the family was waiting for, Mama decides to buy a house with the money. Doing so creates a conflict between Walter Lee. To make things right, Mama entrusts him with the rest of the money. But, Walter Lee breaks the whole family’s trust by investing the money in the liquor store even though he told not to do so. When his friend runs away with the money, Walter Lee realizes his mistake. It was the family’s faith in Walter Lee, which let them forgive him. The family knew that he truly regretted what he had done and that he would do everything in his power to try and gain their trust. Trust is the key to building relationships and maintaining them. In John Greene’s The Fault in Our Stars and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the trust and faith is what keeps the characters headstrong. Hazel and Augustus’s trust helps them stay optimistic through their illness. The Younger family’s trust within themselves helps maintain their relationships with each other and get through tough obstacles in life. Both works of literature prove that trust is essential to life.

Marketing Plan for Lords Ice Cream Parlour

TABLE OF CONTENTS *1. 0 EXECUTIVE* SUMMARY ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’, one of the prime ice cream products situated in St. Johns Wood with a good market share is one of the best in that area providing ice cream with fresh taste and modern packaging. It was established in 1998, ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’, at present uses straight-line technology for manufacturing more than twenty three types of premium ice cream in its factory in Swiss Cottage, producing nearly 530 liters of ice cream each day . Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ has a two year marketing plan for current customers as well as its new consumers to attract and satisfy those target groups of consumer. The company wants to increase its market share by 7% and compete with the current and new entrants. For the next two years the company wants to increase its promotional activity. The management has a plan to utilise its one- fourth of its profit for promotional activity. The manag er is also planning to increase its branches in two to three different locations. *3. *0* COMPANY* PROFILE 4. 1 MISSION Mission is the organisation’s reason for existence. The mission describes the organisation’s shared values, beliefs and reason for being. ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ without playing an exception, being committed to achieving the highest quality products and positioning itself as a good brand by gaining the consumer’s trust aligns effectively to its guided mission that echoes-â€Å"The world of great taste†. This includes a dedication to review the existing operations, the evaluations and the creation of the new products by not only manufacturing the highest quality products but also delivering the product by maintaining this high quality. To satisfy the ever-changing needs of the customers, ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ is launching regularly new ice creams and introducing new flavours. Thus in a few words it can be said –‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ is based the relationship with customer. 4. 2 VISION The message from the managing director of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ propagates as: â€Å"I dreamt of a business venture that would have distinct appeal to society for its unique qualities and eventually will become a role model for other business enterprises. This simple but extraordinary quality is â€Å"Be True to The Society. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ as being a very prospective SBU’s which is guided by this similar vision. As a result this key philosophy has earmarked ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ as the most trusted and one of the better companies in the country. † 9. OBJECTIVES Corporate Objectives: To give an insight to the ice cr eam industry, the company and the product line. To make an assessment of the interaction between ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ and its immediate environment and analyse the impact of various trends upon its survival and long-term success. To conduct an investigation of the wide range of strategies pursued by ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ with a view to achieving its objectives. Marketing Objectives: To analyse the marketing strategies for ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ and assess its target consumers and competitors. To regain the 15% of the inactive member by December 2010. To provide an introduction of the strategic aspects of marketing with particular reference to the analysis of marketing mix. To increase the revenue by 12% by December 2010. To increase the market share by 7% by December 2010. To analyse the techniques of segmentation, targeting and positioning of products. To analyse the distribution channels and the role of intermediaries in the distribution network. To develop an appreciation of the need to evolve a promotional mix appropriate to the product. To explain and analyse the role of Marketing Research. To have a clear analysis of the various growth strategies for the market opportunity identification. Research was undertaken by gathering descriptive information from the managers, customers and employees in the form of personal interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis has been emphasised. Both primary and secondary data were obtained through informal interviews with the company and questionnaires to customers. Moreover in cases where managers and customers were unwilling or unable to provide information, observational research played a vital role. It must be added that the report though, tried to give an overall view of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’, it focused on London City as their area of study. Primarydata was first collected by taking in depth interviews of the Marketing Executive and Sales person to have a better insight to the marketing aspects of ice cream. Mostly personal interviews were undertaken since flexibility, quality of data that can be collected, speed of data collection and response rate is extremely high and information seems to be more reliable and effective. Only unbiased, relevant and valuable data of related issues were recorded to ensure a critical evaluation of the marketing techniques and strategies used by ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’. Problems were faced during the interview, as the managers were reluctant to disclose some of the confidential aspects of the organisation. All the data obtained were not always reliable and hence subject to error. Due to the time constraints I could not complete a comprehensive investigation and there were some areas that were left unexplored. In many occasions managers were hesitant to cooperate in providing honest answers. 8. 1 The Marketing Environment No business is large or powerful enough to create major change in the external environment. These factors are generally uncontrollable, thus market managers are basically adapters rather than agents of change. So it is vital for ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ to take these factors into consideration in every step of their decision -making process and day-to-day activities. THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENt {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} The Task Environment ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’s task environment consists of those micro groups in the environment such as suppliers, distributors, customers and competitors. These are interrelated groups that influence managers on a daily basis. SUPPLIERS: From 2010 January the management decided to open two new branches. And two other retail stores are interested to take the product from ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’. The main function of the distribution unit of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ is to create a sequence of effective network so that an important strategic edge over competing channels are created and ensure a continuous flow of its products to the ultimate consumers – target market. The activation of the distribution channels proceeds from their factory and ends at the retail outlets of refrigerated vans. CUSTOMERS: Being the major source of survival and profit, customers form the most important component for an organisation like ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ considers customers as being their life-blood of survival and is taking the maximum innovative efforts that can be utilized for utmost customers’ satisfaction. Customers here can be segmented to family, kids, teenagers of high end, mid end and low end of the market. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ operating in such ever-changing world of tastes and preference pays heed to customers’ choices and their attitudes. They, very keenly take on customers’ advice, try and amend as well as add new dimension to their business in order to ensure survival in this highly competitive industry. COMPETITORS: One of the most important forces that always keep an organisation on guard is its competitors. Competitors are organisations that produce similar goods. In the context of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’, Movenpick, Baskin Robbins, Thorntons and Marine Ices are their competitors. But surprisingly, the marketing management of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ views these local brands as mere participants in the same industry rather than as competitors. The General Environment Economic, technological, socio-cultural, demographic, political and legal, and global forces form the macroeconomic environment that ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ operates in are as follows: ECONOMIC: Economic forces are of concern to businesses involves producing goods and services that people want and pay for, as because the economy is an indicator of the general health and well being of a nation. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ takes into account various economic factors, preferably the rates of inflation, the exchange rate and level of income. The prime reason for such is to have a control over its allocated budget for domestic and imported raw materials. But most importantly alertness of economic variables is necessary to determine ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’s pricing strategy so that all segments of the population can afford to buy their products. One of the most pervasive factors in the environment, the impact of technology is seen as the combination of skills and equipment’s that marketers use in their day-to-day operations. In ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’, use of technology can be seen in terms of the automated cone baking machines, chocolate making machines, injected deep freezers, milk processing machines and others. These innovate machines are able to produce ice creams at a faster rate while not undergoing any sacrifice in the level of quality, and thus their warehouse has capacities in five hundred liters. The socio-cultural environment is made of institutions and other forces that affect social values, perceptions, preferences and behaviour. In the context of a diverse people, ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ has customized its services according to the country's culture. While the producing ice cream, ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ puts strong emphasis in it. DEMOGRAPHIC: The demographic forces are of interest to marketing managers because it involves people and people make up the markets. Demography shows the populations inclinations towards certain social structure and the increase or decrease in certain age groups . For ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ demographic factors are of advantage if it shows an increase in the number children and teenage population (the most lucrative segment for the ice cream industry). POLITICAL AND LEGAL: The formation, maintenance and survival of any organization are dependent on the stability of a country’s political and legal system. A comprehensive analysis of the political and legal factors by ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ helps in ensuring stability in terms of its operations. The legal consideration lies in the awareness of various laws regarding import of raw materials and the like. 8. 2. * Current* Situation Analysis Core Competencies: Among its normal premium and novelty cup, stick and family pack items, chocobar is the most popular among consumers contributing 29% to the total sales, while vanilla, mega, cornelli and macho, each with sales of about 5%, and have also made their distinct places in the minds of the consumers. The company is giving its effort and concentration for some new and modified flavour of ice-cream. The company wants to increase its market share by 7% for which it is introducing some new marketing strategy and it will be implemented from the next year. Market information: ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ is in their 10th year of business. Being an ice-cream parlour in the St. Johns Wood High Street area, its main activity is to attract customer by its variety of ice-cream flavour. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ possesses good information about the market and having a good idea about the consumer trends and the likeability of the consumers. And this information helps them to understand how well they can communicate with their consumers and how better they can be served. Geographic The geographic target for the ice-cream parlour is St. Johns Wood area. Five square kilometre people are targeted. Total targeted population is approximately 13,500 64. 9% are economically active and 35. 1% are economically inactive. A fulltime employee’s individual average income is ? 29,305. 48. 8% are educated and 52. 2% has got no qualification. Behaviour factors Recognize the need to have a good dessert like ice-cream. People likes ice-cream more than any other dessert. Ice cream is the symbol of lifestyle. Market needs: ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ is providing their customers delicious ice-cream and a place for enjoyment. It seeks to offer the following benefits that are important for their customers: Customer’s preference is to get healthy ingredients in their specific flavour. Customers also prefer a better service and attention from the staff. Market Trends: ?Last two years’ consumers has less money in their pocket, so that they are spending less money on dessert and ice-cream. Fitness is very important for the people, that is why people are avoiding ice-cream A big percentage of people are going to pubs and bars rather than coming to the ice-cream parlour. *09. * BCG MATRIX Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is a framework for highlighting and analyzing product development policy and associated cash flows implications in a firm. The BCG approach is based on the philosophy that a product’s market growth rate and its relative market share are important considerations in determining its marketing strategies. The marketing strategies of ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ is based on the BCG matrix which includes an integration of the firms products into a single overall matrix and an evaluation to determine appropriate strategies for all the different strategic business units (SBUs) of the company itself and the overall portfolio strategies. ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ identifies the BCG matrix as a powerful tool To analyze the current situation of the company which is based on the present and projected market growth rate and proposed market share growth. To determine and classify each product expected future cash contributions and future cash requirements. To examine the competitive position of a product or a product line and the opportunities for improving products contribution to profitability In figure below, which is based on work by the Boston Consulting Group, consist of four quadrants in the grid, which represents distinct categories of SBUs or major products of ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’. The categories differ with respect not only to market growth share and industry growth rate but also on cash generation and needs for appropriate strategies. draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:frame} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Cash Cow: Cash cow has high market share but low growth rate. Since its inception as a business in 1998, the Construction Company has had a remarkable track record and has grown to be a better co nstruction houses in the country. Long run survival through effective strategies of defending its market share by reinforcing customer loyalty has insured the generation of more cash than can be reinvested profitably in its own operations. As a result cash from the construction company flows out to support other SBUs that needs more resources. Star: Star has high market growth rate and high market share. The Marketing Manager of ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ identified Construction and Ice-cream as their star businesses. A number of prospective factors can be reckoned to as being responsible for both SBUs performance. Both Construction business and Ice-cream occupy a dominant position in the market. Star businesses usually grow very fast and have high prospects for growth. For example, Ice-cream grew by 3. 1% in the last year (2008), compared to their 5%in (2007). Question Mark: Question Mark has high growth rate, low market share. The identification of the marketing division of ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’ as its problem child, has characterized this business to have high prospects for growth but which has not yet achieved strong foothold in an expanding but highly competitive market. This inability to generate cash has resulted in poor profit margins and hence its need to be augmented by heavy investment from outside sources. Dog: According to ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’, no SBU (currently operating) falls under the grid of low market share and low growth rate, that is, the dog. On a concluding note, the long run health of any company depends on having some products that generates cash (and provide acceptable reported profits) and others that use cash to support growth, with no exception to ‘Lord’s Ice-cream Parlour’. Among the indicators of the overall health are the size and vulnerability of the cash cows, the prospects for the stars, the number of problem child, and dogs if many. 10. SWOT Analysis SWOT is the planning exercise used by ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’, which provides a framework for identifying internal strengths and weakness and the external opportunities and threats it faces. WEAKNESS: The major weaknesses of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ comprises of: Incurrence of high-level expenses in the Research and Development (R) sector. High operating and maintenance expenses resulting from the large size of the business. Excessive reliance on foreign suppliers. Entering new related businesses – This is also visible through its new items as Ammo milkshake. Widening the product range. Seeking faster market growth. Exploiting new market segments. Changes in demographic factors. Change in consumer taste: This might result if there is an increased awareness among the health conscious people, which may cause a decline in the purchase of ice cream. Increase in foreign competition. Rise in new or substitute products. Changes in Political factors. 10. THE *Target *AUDIENCE (*Marketing*) The kind of market ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ operates in is characterized by the volatility of its general environment, the dynamism of its competitors and most of all the varying and the inconsistency of needs and buying preferences of the consumers market, which are important consideration guiding their day to day operations. Keeping this in mind, ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ has developed sound marketing programs, which starts with identifying the differences that exists within a market, deciding which segments will be selected and developing specific marketing mixes so as to influence intended customers, and overall perception of the brand, ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ . Market Segmentation ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ has designed various marketing mixes according to the different products needs and preferences with regard to the consumer market and has clustered people with similar needs into selected segments. Domestic Market Segmentation For a consumer-oriented company like ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’, whose main operations rallies around the domestic market, a lion’s share of its resources is devoted towards serving the domestic consumer segments. After thorough analysis, behaviour and demographic segments have been identified as their prime areas of focus. Demographic Segmentation From the viewpoint of an ice cream manufacturing company, demographic segmentation holds importance in terms of its close relation to customer product needs and purchasing behaviour and the ready measurability of variables such as consumers’ age and life cycle and their income. Age: This is the most important component of demographic segmentation. Over the years, ice creams were considered to as being more of a recreational product, but standing on this new century, the effect of globalization has placed ice cream as more of a regularity in our lives. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ has divided its markets in segments according to different age groups such as kids, teenagers, and the family range. Different ages of people are influenced by different flavours of ice cream, different presentations of packaging and different product attributes. Kids incline more towards ice creams, which contains animated and colourful packaging, taste of sweet strawberry, fresh mango, pure vanilla, ripples, hazzle nut coating and crispy flakes. Teenagers prefer low calorie ice cream, more daring and wider range of tastes. Families are influenced more by ice creams that fulfil the general appeal and taste of all the members of the family. Income: Income is the key determinant of consumers buying behaviour. It is the most popular demographic variable for market segmentation. For a larger part of the population to buy the product, it is very important to segment the market in different income groups. This is given utmost importance in London where there is wide variation in the average levels of income. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ has divided the market into three income groups – low-income group, mid-income group and high-income groups. Market Targeting After market segmentation, ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ goes for designing, implementing and maintaining marketing mixes intended to meet the needs of the target groups, resulting in mutually satisfying exchanges. Domestic Market Targeting The two general strategies ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ uses for selecting target markets are differentiated and undifferentiated marketing. DIFFERENTIATED: UNDIFFERENTIATED: Undifferentiated target strategies approach the segment as one big market with no individual segments and thus require a single marketing mix. Chocobar and the newly introduced Kulfi are the prime examples related to successful targeting of the mass market. Chocobar priced at ? 3. 4/-, mini chocobar priced at ? 2. and Kulfi priced at ? 1. 6 with sober colour packages enables ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ to go for mass marketing. Market Positioning Positioning refers to developing a specific marketing mix to influence potential customers overall perception of a brand, product line or organization. The marketing manager of ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ assumes a realistic view of how customers think about their offerings in the market. At the same time, the ma nger also knows how he wants target customers to think about its marketing mix. According to him positioning issues are especially important when a competitor in a market appearsto be very similar, with the ice cream industry being a prime example. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ follows several positioning strategies. Products Attributes Macho – Exquisite Chocobar – Energetic Shell & Core – Metange Lolly – Eager Clown – Animating Mega – Energetic Coffee – Refreshing Ripple – Praiseworthy Pralin – Puissance Cornelli – Dual Usage Occasion: Usually consumers perceive ice cream as an integral part of summer. Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ aims at positioning ice creams to as being a winter item along with its regular summer item image. ‘Lords Ice-cream Parlour’ is trying to position its ice cream as a item for all seasons in other parts of the country like that is perceived in London, through different promotional activities. *11. THE* Marketing Mix There are many possible wa ys to satisfy the needs of target customers. A product can have many different features and quality levels. Service levels can be adjusted. The package can be of various sizes, colors or materials. The brand name and warranty can be changed. Various advertising media – television, newspapers, magazines, radio, and billboard can be used to attract the potential customers. A company’s own sales force or other sales specialist can be used. Different prices can be charged. Price discounts may be given and so on. With so many possible variables, is there any way to help organize all these decisions and simplify the selection marketing mix? The answer is – The customer is surrounded by the four P’s. There are additional three P’s newly invented by the marketer. An important point to note is the customer should be the target of all marketing efforts but it is not the part of the marketing mix. Hence, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ follows this concept and places its customers in the centre. Product: for ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ the Product decisions revolve around developing the right product for the target market and this includes not only the physical unit but also features, brand name, company image, value and many other factors. Apart from maintaining a superior quality through its imported ingredients and bringing regular production consultants from Belgium, Denmark and Holland, the units’ separate R department regularly can analyzes new products through its market research to answer questions as: At what price consumers would like to buy the product. Flavours and essence to be used. Consumers’ feedback. Analyze other markets. ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’s Product line includes distinctive ingredients, as some are vanilla flavour with chocolate hazelnut or milk coating, some may have crispy flakes, others include cashew nut. On the other hand, to provide a taste of refreshment there are flavours including coffee, strawberry, mango, with almonds and ripples. Each of these delicacies has positioned itself as a unique brand in consumer’s mind. These eclectic tastes have been able to exceed consumer’s expectations resulting to delightful consumers and thus to the creation of a powerful company image. Apart from that ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ also can operates through some trolleys for extending its reach to various consumers at different locations as schools, alleys, streets, parks e. . c. Consumers – Availability of scratch cards through purchase of certain flavoured ice creams enables consumers to obtain different types of gifts such as iPod, mp3 player can be achieved by them. Also last year (2008) every purchase of Macho had a Kit Kat free. *PEOPLE*: The management of the ice-cream parlour is very particular about the selection of the people. They are hiring only the mot ivated, energetic and passionate people. The parlour has on job training and skill development continuous activity by which employee can be skilled. But from next year every after three months they are going to arrange a training and motivation program for the improvement of their business. *12. MARKETING* Growth Strategies ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’, like any other company, in order to maintain a stable growth rate, focuses on reviewing the existing operations, the evaluations and the creation of the new products by not only manufacturing the highest quality products but also delivering the product by maintaining this high quality. In seeking growth, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ considers both its market and its products. It then decides whether to continue what it is doing – only do it better – or establish new venture. The product/market growth matrix depicts this option for ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’. The matrix is divided into four possible combinations of old and new products with old and new markets. {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:frame} MARKET PENENTRATION: Here, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ tries to sell more of its present products to its present markets by the help of supporting tactics, which might include spending on price, promotion and packaging. For example, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ regularly alters its ice cream packaging, and provides occasion oriented price cut. MARKET DEVELOPMENT: ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’s market development strategy is evident by its entry to an entirely new area – Marble Arch. In future, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ plans to expand in other parts of London and are undergoing business consultancy of possible expansions in Netherlands. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Nothing is more important to a company’s long-term survival and growth then the successful introduction of new products. By flipping through ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’sbook of achievements, it is evident that one of prime reasons for success has been due to constant introduction of new products. The exquisite Macho, energetic Mega, which hit the markets around two years back, were and are a real feast for ice cream lovers. The very recently introduced Kulfi has once again placed ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ to as being a people’s brand providing a world of great taste, and which deciphers ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’s drive to maintain satisfaction of all segments of the market. Lords ice-cream parlour’ has, for the time being confined itself only to the ice cream business. Any diversification related businesses would be future-wise. The Marketing Budget {draw:frame} Recommendations In spite of ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’s remarkable success certain loopholes in the marketing aspects has been detected. After my research I came up with some possib le steps and solutions that we would like to state below. Competitors are an important component of the task environment. ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ should pay heed to its potential competitors rather than treating them as mere counterparts. Lords ice-cream parlour’ should involve in backward vertical integration to lower the costs of value creation and lessen its reliance on foreign suppliers. For instance, incidence such as credit crunch may hinder the flow of supplies in the production process when there is excessive dependence on foreign inputs. To enhance the maturity level, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ should undertake the task of sponsoring more social events such as concerts, cricket, football and other such tournaments to retain its popularity in the younger market segments. Emphasize should be given on TV commercials, to capture a greater share of the market. A proper customer help line should be developed to mitigate the further needs of the customer. Conclusion From an extensive marketing analysis of the ideas and marketing concepts at work in the operation of ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’, it is possible to obtain an insight to the essential marketing practices adopted by the company. Adherence to proper marketing strategies in terms of company objectives, paying heed to target consumers and potential and existing competitors, close relationship and liaison with distributors and suppliers ensure substantial market capitalization as indicated by ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’s market share of 63% in the ice cream industry. Evidently by virtue of its unique product attributes, high quality, exquisite and mouth- watering varieties of ice creams, attractive and distinct packaging, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ has been able to ensure marketing excellence and enhance its competitiveness. Today’s fiercely competitive environment compels ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ to pursue the right set of pricing strategies, policies for effective segmentation and targeting, market oriented structures of distribution and retailing, which lies at the heart of the company’s success. Its new sales and distribution flow enables the company to achieve its desired goals. In its quest to create satisfying customer relationship and optimizing the performance of the entire system, ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’ has resorted to a system of timely distribution. With the combination of effective promotional campaign and advertisement in various media, it is able to retain valuable customers and inform them about multiple brands they are offering at present. Appendix This questionnaire is conducted only for educational purposes (For Customers Only) Name: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Profession†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. What is your age group? How long you are coming to this ice-cream parlous? Why have you chosen this place? Do you think ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’done a better job for their customers? What do you think about the product image of ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’? If you are satisfied then which factor- Do you think that ‘Lords ice-cream parlour’is one of the top ice-cream parlous? Manufacturing and Warehousing Capacity: Manufacturing Capacity: 530 liters per day. Warehousing Capacity: Warehouse No: 3 Nos Warehouse: Store Capacity Factory: 1,000 liters Technology and its usage of modern equipment: Machine Supplier: Mark – Italy Tetra pack (Hoyal), Denmark Sabore, Denmark Hass, Austria Machine Model: Free mark 1100, Italy FM 3000, FM 6000, Italy SL 600, Denmark Cone Baking: Hass, Austria Chocolate Making: Macentyre, UK.

Analysis of Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth Essay

Look again at the Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth that is made in this novel. Choose at least two and, write responses to the following questions: * under what circumstances does Darcy propose * how does Elizabeth respond and why * how does Austen present the proposal to the reader That evening, just before Mr. Darcy comes to meet Elizabeth , she rereads Jane’s letters and finds out Mr. Darcy’s ‘shameful boast’ of misery that inflicted Jane’s happiness and it gives her a ‘keener sense of her sister’s sufferings’. To Elizabeth’s ‘utter amazement’, Darcy enters the room approaching her ‘in a hurried manner’ enquiring after her health. He ‘sat for a few moments’, got up, and ‘walked about the room’. Mr. Darcy’s body language shows that he is nervous and agitated. Then he took several minutes to say his true love for her that how ‘ardently’ he ‘admires’ and ‘loves’ her. However, the reader later realises that his nervousness is not due to his love for Elizabeth is so great but due to the hesitation, whether it is a good idea to propose considering the inferiority of her family and social background. Mr. Darcy explains to Elizabeth that ‘in vain’ he has ‘struggled’ to ‘repress’ his feelings towards not to love her’ he expresses his love for her unromantically and was less ‘eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride’. He talks about ‘his sense of her inferiority’ and the ‘family obstacles which judgment had always opposed inclination’. He means that although he had loved her for a long time he knows that her family is beneath him. Mr. Darcy considered his wealth and status as ‘sufficient encouragement’ for Elizabeth to accept his hand of marriage. Elizabeth ‘could see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer ‘as he ‘spoke with apprehension and anxiety’ although his ‘countenance expressed real security’. When Mr. Darcy first enters Elizabeth’s room, her ‘astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted and was silent’. Then Darcy tells Elizabeth how much he loves her in spite of her ‘inferiority’ and her family’s degradation’. Despite of her ‘deeply-rooted dislike’ for Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth ‘could not be sensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection’. She is flattered when she realises how much he loves her and ‘she is sorry for the pain he was to receive, but she ‘lost all compassion in anger’ with his subsequent criticism of her ‘family’s inferiority’ while asking her to marry him. As Mr. Darcy ‘spoke with apprehension and anxiety, Elizabeth’s ‘colour rose to her cheeks’, she refuses Mr. Darcy and says that she could not ‘feel any gratitude’ towards his proposal and she has ‘never desired’ his good opinion. Mr. Darcy is furious and looks at her ‘with no less resentment than surprise. ‘His complexion became pale with anger, and he was struggling for the appearance of composure’. He enquires ‘in a voice of forced calmness why she refused him ‘with so little endeavor at civility’ Elizabeth replies in a confrontational manner asking why he has spoken with ‘so evident a design of offending and insulting’ her by telling how much he loves her against his ‘will’, ‘reason’ and his ‘character’. She uses this opportunity to express how her feelings have been hurt by his insulting comment. Furthermore, she goes on to explain that even if his feelings had been ‘favourable’ she would never marry a person who has ‘ruined the happiness of a most beloved sister’. Although Darcy changed colour at this moment, he showed no feelings of remorse and listens ‘with a simile of affected incredulity’ as Elizabeth explains how he destroyed Jane’s happiness by splitting up Jane and Bingley. Mr. Darcy admits that he did ‘everything in his power to separate his friend from Elizabeth’s sister and he adds ‘to him (Mr. Bingley) I have been kinder than to myself’. This ‘civil reflection’ of Mr. Darcy, which she disdained, was unlikely to ‘conciliate her’. Elizabeth replies that Mr. Darcy’s interference in Jane and Bingley’s relationship was not the only reason for her bad opinion against him. She mentions what she had heard from Mr.Wickham. He responds to this ‘in a less tranquil tone and with heightened colour’. He answers that she taken ‘an eager interest’ in his concerns and Elizabeth accuses him of depriving Mr.Wickham, ‘the independence which was no less his due than his desert’. She is shocked by seeing Mr. Darcy speaking of him ‘with contempt and ridicule’. Mr. Darcy’s says that ‘perhaps these offences might have been overlooked, had not your (Elizabeth) pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that have long prevented my forming of any serious design’. This explains that he believes his honesty has made her reject him and asks her ‘Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferior of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of my relations, whose conditions in life is so decidedly beneath my own?’ Jane Austen comments to the reader that Elizabeth ‘felt herself growing angrier every moment’. However, ‘she tried to the utmost to speak with composure’. When she says to Mr. Darcy ‘you could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it’, Mr. Darcy astonished by this remark and looks at her ‘with an expression of mingled incredulity and mortification’. She further comments that she disliked him from the very first time they met because of his ‘arrogance†¦.conceit†¦ self disdain of the feelings of others’. Her ‘immovable dislike’ has made her feel that he was ‘the last man in the world’ that she ‘could be prevailed to marry’. After Mr. Darcy left, Jane Austen writes that Elizabeth cried for half an hour. It seems she felt it was ‘almost incredible’ that Mr. Darcy is so much in love as to wish to marry her in spite of all the objections which had prevented his friend (Mr. Bingley) marrying her sister. She feels it was ‘gratifying to have inspired unconsciously so strong an affection’ but Elizabeth condemns Mr. Darcy’s ‘abominable pride’ and ‘his shameless avowal of what he had done with respect to Jane’ and Mr. Darcy’s ‘unfeeling manner’ when he spoke of Wickham. Jane Austen portrays how men and women in her times considered marriage through different characters in the novel. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s family especially shows that middle class women could not work; it would be seen as improper. Mrs. Bennet is desperate to get her daughters married to wealthy young men. This shows that parents were very much involved when it came to their daughter’s marriage and would play a large role in finding a husband. Jane Austen views love as the foundation for a happy marriage. This view is mainly portrayed through Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage and this is thought be the best marriage in the novel along with Jane and Bingley’s marriage because they are well suited and they are financially secure. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Lydia and Wickham and Charlotte and Mr. Collin’s marriages are viewed as bad marriages as their marriages lack the element of love that the other two good marriages have a plenty. Jane Austen portrays that these marriages are bad due to lack of intelligence and wit that neither person has, the lack understanding and communication between each other in their married life. Lydia running away with Mr. Wickham without getting married was a big scandal in the novel. She was excluded from the society as she went against its traditional values of the society in those times. However, getting married reduced the shame slightly that was passed on to the family. Jane Austen shows the consequences that will occur to women who live together with a man without getting married. Charlotte married Mr. Collin because she felt she was already a burden for her family and this would be a social embarrassment. Mr. Collins is Mr. Bennet’s closest male who will inherit his estate, which meant that he had definite financial security. This marriage shows that there was a lot of pressure on women like Charlotte from society. She is influenced to marry a man for financial security, protection and a house of her own.

Rene Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rene Descartes - Essay Example "I think, hence I am, [this is] so certain and of such evidence that no ground of doubt, however extravagant, could be alleged by the skeptics capable of shaking it, [therefore] I concluded that I might, without scruple, accept it as the first principle of the philosophy of which I was in search." (Descartes, 1989, p30) This is fair enough from a depth psychological perspective. Although psychic energy (particularly archetypal energy) is more usually regarded as Jungian Depth Psychology's starting point due to psychic energy being primordial and universal. It is the view of Jungians that it took millenia's of human psychological evolution to produce humans like Descartes who are capable of such great attentitive, focused, reflective thought. Nevertheless, for Descartes, he was primarily focused on this own individual self, and for that reason his starting point is accepted here. "Thus what I thought I had seen with my eyes, I actually grasped solely with the faculty of judgment, which is in my mind." (Descartes) We can be certain of psychic reality. We can be largely certain of much physical reality but what Descartes is saying here, is that outer objects may not be seen as they really are. We have no way of knowing. We cannot get beyond human limitations. Where Jungian Depth Psychology parts from Descartes is in limiting his thinking to one type directed consciousness thinking. But before coming to that we can briefly state what is positive in this Cartesian method. It has already been noted that it took millenia's of evolution to reach the stage where one could reflect, think, be attentive and focused in the way that Descartes was. Because for Descartes, the true way of living was to 'think'. A thinking thing must think in order to be healthy. For... Rene Descartes was a major philosopher of the seventeenth century, belonging to the school of continental rationalism. Descartes sets out in his Discourse on Method to doubt all that could be doubted, albeit not to end up believing in nothing, but rather so that he would believe in only that which really was true. We can be certain of psychic reality. We can be largely certain of much physical reality but what Descartes is saying here, is that outer objects may not be seen as they really are. We have no way of knowing. We cannot get beyond human limitations. Where Jungian Depth Psychology parts from Descartes is in limiting his thinking to one type†¦ directed consciousness thinking. But before coming to that we can briefly state what is positive in this Cartesian method. It has already been noted that it took millennia's of evolution to reach the stage where one could reflect, think, be attentive and focused in the way that Descartes was. Because for Descartes, the true way of l iving was to ‘think’. A thinking thing must think in order to be healthy. For Descartes, this thinking must be free from passion and prejudice if it is to be healthy†¦ and if it is to â€Å"operate with perfect rational clarity and thereby attain certain knowledge†. Descartes (as good as) perfects ‘directed thinking’ appropriate to his ‘pre-Freud’ and ‘pre Jung’ time and place.

Medicine and Healthcare in Brazil or The social and political status Research Paper

Medicine and Healthcare in Brazil or The social and political status of women in Mexico - Research Paper Example The study also suggests the allocation of medical staff and finances on the basis of vulnerability and need in order to implement health care as a basic right in Brazil. Medicine and health care in Brazil This paper studies the medicine and health care system in Brazil. I argue that Brazil has achieved major progress in health care system through continuous reforms. To prove my hypothesis, I will analyze income and class factors that are attributed to the access to health care system in Brazil. I’ll examine whether there is a difference in the chances to access healthcare services after the division of health care system in private and public sector. The paper analyses different studies from 2000-2011 in order to evaluate the existence of social inequality when it comes to accessing the healthcare services in Brazil. Health care system in Brazil initiated in 1923 with the establishment of social security system for urban workers in private sector by Eloi Chaves Law. Universali ty and equality of health services was not acknowledged before 1988, therefore the system was not as just and equal for every citizen (Cordeiro as cited in Elias& Amelia, 2002, p.4). Furthermore, Eliasand Amelia (2002) states that, â€Å"health care access is no longer organized according to a social security model, be it publically or privately based [since] 1988; health has been a right granted to all and an obligation of the state† (p.5). Brazil acquired a universal health care policy in 1988; the system originated a network of public providers in order to deliver complete range of health services from typical diseases to sex change operation, free of charge. Public network evolved into the Family Health Program (Programa Saude da Familia PSF). PSF worked by assigning a team of a doctor, nurse, nurse’s assistant, and other health workers to families in a particular region for providing free health care services(Cataife and Charles,2011,p.2). Health care system is di vided in public and private sectors in Brazil. Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS) is the public system which is created and defined in the Federal Constitution of 1988 in addition to the 1990 Organic Health Law. The system is working on the fundamental principles of universality, decentralization, and integrality. Universality refers to the idea that health care is a universal right and state is responsible for providing free health care facilities to its citizens. Integrality refers to the division of public health assistance into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care. Decentralization further divides the system by entitling municipalities as responsible for management and organization of health services (Cataife and Charles, 2011, p.2).SSAM is being regulated by government in Brazil for ensuring consumer rights and to avoid expensive procedure and health care plans for SUS services. The segmentation gives rise to social inequality that cannot be easily confronted (Elias& Ameli a, 2002.p.5). Under SUS, health care services are universal, comprehensive, and free of charge for every citizen. Private sector availability is guaranteed against out-of-pocket payments or by association with a particular insurance plan (Noronnha & Monica, 2002, p.1). â€Å"The great expansion of the private sector in Brazil occurred between

Control Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control - Coursework Example Open and honest communication will open the door to stronger relationships as they control their employees. In order to nurture staff members to a higher performance level requires a manager to lead and control them to the p[lace of stronger relationships as well as trust. this will create high employee engagement through which they care deeply about their work and feel like part of the team. Employees are brought into the greater vision enabling them to bring their unique strengths to the work. The employees will feel like the company values their work, cares about them, and has their best interest in mind. Open communication is a culture that encourages employees to share their concerns and ideas making the feel valued (Sims, 2006: 282). This will lead to happy employees, and happy employees are often the most productive employees. Secondly, a manager needs to be a good listener so as to find out what their employees are thinking or facing. This will help in establishing and reinforcing a â€Å"we† spirit within the organization (Sims, 2006: 282). This in turn creates an effective and efficient method for collaboration as well as sharing of ideas. This will increase the productivity as very successful organization takes the coordinated efforts of all their employees (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2009: 226). In addition, the employees will maintain the focus on the overall mission of the organization thus improving the overall effectiveness. Thirdly, the manager should provide consistent as well as regular feedback by letting every employee know the outcomes whether bad or good. This will help in establishing trust by being open, honest, and forthright regarding the rewards as well as challenges of the organization. Good communication of consistent and regular feedback is vital in keeping all employees on track (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2009: 226). This will encourage

Best Practice Approach in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Best Practice Approach in Marketing - Essay Example Marketing is the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. Marketing is a process in which an organization identifies the need of a customer and brings to the market a product which satisfied that need, the customer buys the product for satisfaction of the need which results in profit for the organization. It is mutually beneficial process. Marketing is very dynamic function and its definition has been evolving through time. In 1985, The American Marketing Association defined marketing as â€Å"Marketing is the process of planning and executing conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of goods, ideas and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals.† In 2004 the definition was changed to â€Å"Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing custo mer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.† And again as marketing grew into a broader term in 2007 the AMA defined marketing as â€Å"Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.† This definition defines marketing as a process that creates something of value for anybody who has a need of that value. Target market is a very key marketing element. An organizational cannot produce enough to satisfy all the needs of all the people. It has to target the customers whom it feels it can satisfy through its organizational processes in a mutually beneficial way.... ting is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large." This definition defines marketing as a process that creates something of value for anybody who has a need of that value. Elements of the Marketing Concept (200) Target market is a very key marketing element. An organizational cannot produce enough to satisfy all the needs of all the people. It has to target the customers whom it feels it can satisfy through its organizational processes in a mutually beneficial way. It has to evaluate itself and the market to find who it can cater too The second key element of the marketing concept is trying to satisfy the needs and wants of the customers of the selected target market. For this purpose 4 elements are identified and called the marketing mix. (Frederick Crane, 2003) These are controllable variables which are used to increase the level of satisfaction for the customer. These elements are: 1- Product- It is what the organization wants to sell to the customer considering the value and benefits it will produce for the customer. 2- Price- It is the price that the customer will have to pay to attain the product to satisfy his needs. 3- Place- It is where the product is going to be sold, in retail stores, in exclusive stores, what distribution channel will be used to make the product accessible. Place should always be selected as per the convenience of the customer. 4- Promotion- It is the type of promotional tools used to promote the product, like advertising, package design, sales techniques and personal relations tactics. Promotion should be able to communicate things that needed to be told to the customer, very well. Coordinated

Analysis of the Benchmark for External Auditors Assignment

Analysis of the Benchmark for External Auditors - Assignment Example Without exception, all external auditors should not allow their independence to be affected by his or her own interests. For, Auditing Standards mandate that external auditors must accept an audit engagement if they feel that their self-interests affect their independence. Independence means not only independence in fact but also go hand in hand with independence through appearance. The Auditing Standards on independence rule states that the auditor must not have any material self-interest in the clients. An auditor has self-interest if the auditor, the auditor's spouse, and children own a share of stock or two in the audit client. The Companies Act of 1948 is the legal framework for external auditors to follow in terms of independence (Power 1997, 17). Clearly, many auditors will not allow their independence to be affected by self -interests. Likewise, it is mandatory that all external auditors will not allow their independence to be affected by self - review. The auditor is required under all audit situations to consider if self -review will affect his independence. The auditor must not continue with the auditor sign as an external auditor if he or she believes that self-review will infringe on the auditor's independence. Clearly, it is mandatory that all external auditors will not allow their independence to be affected by self - review. Further, all external auditors should not allow their independence to be affected by advocacy. The auditor's membership in a group will have a strong impression that the auditor is not being independent in terms of auditing a client. The Code of Ethics for external auditors commands that the external auditor must not have his membership in an organization affect the independence of the auditors. The auditors must be independent in fact and in appearance. For any sign that tinges on decreasing the independence of the external auditor would signal that the external auditor should immediately withdraw from the engagement. Definitely, all external auditors should not allow their independence to be affected by advocacy. Furthermore, all external auditors must not permit their independence to be affected by familiarity. It is a fact that many external auditors can easily finish their audit assignments for many of their former audit clients. The auditors will just focus on accounts that seem doubtful or where the internal control is weak because they had already issued an unqualified opinion on the prior financial statement.  Ã‚  

Contingency leadership theories and contemporary leadership Essay

Contingency leadership theories and contemporary leadership - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the general definition of contingency theories is that it is a class of behavioral theory. More so, contingency theory is a process of trying to identify and measure the conditions under which things or circumstances are likely to occur. These behavioral theories claim that there is no perfect way of organizing a corporation and the organizational structure of the company. An organizational or leadership style that is effective in some situations may differ from other organizations. This is so because organizations are different in structure and size. Therefore, the best way of having an organized organization is contingently depending on the external and internal situation of the company. This is the case because; external environments have numerous impacts on an organization in numerous ways. Critical external factors include the size of the organization, availability, labor markets, cost of capital, competitors, strategies, governme ntal laws and policies, managerial assumptions about employees, technologies used, and other diverse situations. Traditional leadership theories elaborated on leadership as nature borne of individual and established on the impossibility to create such attributes on a grown individual as illuminated by the great man theory, whilst a contrasting theory of the behavioral implicates on the possibility of an individual to be a leader as shown through traits.... Commonly, the contingency, transformational, and transactional approaches derive the best results whenever forecasting on the capabilities of an individual (CDR Associates, 2007:7). However, changes in leadership are continuously emerging because of the dynamics in the environment and acquisition of skill. Authenticity, building of trust and relationships are the modern approaches to effective organizational leadership. The cognitive perspective approach assigns that follower’s posses shared beliefs about a leader’s behaviors and beliefs about their leaders’ behaviors and traits (Gilbert, 2003:443). This influences how the followers encode information about their leaders by targeting the quality of ideas, quantity of speech and leaders ability to open up for friendliness. This means that the leader’s behavior influences his follower’s behaviors who perceive the reflection that leadership offers. Therefore, a leader should have the capability of buil ding up healthy and ethical relationships that would interconnect the personnel to a single group targeting to deliver performances to enhance organizational performances (Gill, 2010:50). The leader should remain emphatic to employees and avoid biases that would divide the employees. In order to ensure that the company performs obligations to the fullest, the leader should bear motivational characteristics and avoid any act that would seem to induce pressure on the personnel (Collins & O'Rourke, 2009:16). Though scholars had their own perspective of leadership, the bottom line of each of them was that every organization despite the size should have an efficient and outstanding leader. This is the case because efficient managerial leadership influences

Effective Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Learning - Essay Example Students’ frustrations can be attributed to their lack of knowledge regarding the scope, limitations, and challenges of online learning along with the drawbacks of the learning program and curriculum.   Frustrations and Needs of Online Learners The number of online learning programs has dramatically increased over the last two decades. Subsequently, the cases of students’ frustrations also have increased to a great extent in a way that hinders their educational opportunities. As Hara and Kling (1999) point out, the paucity of prompt feedback is one of the potential causes of student frustration in web-based learning. Learners’ autonomy in this regard often turns to be an impediment to their own active interaction with the tutor when there is no specific login time for learning activities. Frustration is the outcome when there are no clearly stated instructions and guidelines. In that context, a fresh student, normally who is not a computer savvy gets disappoint ed of the unfamiliar learning system. Lack of technical expertise along with the complexity of the learning interface can intensify the frustration and stress. Strategies for Effective Online Learning First of all, as a learner you must understand that online classes, no matter whether synchronous or asynchronous, differ a lot from traditional classrooms and learning methods. Online learning normally is not bound to stipulations, and hence this in turn increases learners’ responsibility in meeting their own needs. As noted in the Illinois Online Network database (2010), the major problems with online learning usually fall into several categories including but not limited to technology, the facilitator, the online environment, the students, the administration and faculty, the curriculum etc. In order to get rid of the current stress, you must identify in which of the above areas your learning problem persists. If you find that lack of technical skill has limited your learning potential, it is advisable to get assistance from a third party. This can be a friend or a relative who would teach you the essential things in no time. As Brosche (2010, p. 70) reminds, if you find that the instructions are ambiguous, do not hesitate to request clarifications from the facilitators before you start doing things, because â€Å"well begun is half done†. Another thing you ought to do is to identify what type of a learner you are. People, based on their learning habits can be categorized into ‘dependent learners, independent learners, competitive learners, collaborative learners, participative learners, avoidant learners’ etc (Stavredes, 2011, p. 18). For instance, as Stavredes (2011) points out, if you are a competitive learner, you will be interested in attending tests and getting grades. In contrast, if you are a collaborative learner, you will like group works, interactions, and discussions. Participative learners are usually interested in class discussions and hence concerned about learning environment whereas avoidant learners are normally driven by strict deadlines and punishments for not meeting them (pp. 18-19). Obviously, you belong to one of these groups, and identifying your position would help you overcome the current frustration. To illustrate, if you believe that you are a competitive learner having great zeal in tests and results, other activities like collaborative programs may annoy you, for the outcome of your effort would be a bit disappointing one. However,

Housing Crisis in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Housing Crisis in the USA - Essay Example Alan Greenspan, as the leader of the Federal Bank definitely had a stake in this and in fact, he and his team seemed to have too much faith in the theory of an efficient market that is able to regulate itself (Shiller 89). Yet, these ideas of a perfect market where competition in the context of demand and supply is supposed to create market equilibrium are fundamentally flawed. In such cases where deregulation occurs, it is always likely that there will be a time when the market will collapse under its own pressure. The increasing income inequality is a major factor that led to the housing crisis. Increasing poverty in America meant that many households are not able to have the proper income to own a house and this led to the creation of a huge market niche that the banks could not ignore. These people who make the greater majority of the pupation in the United States had to achieve the American dream of owning a house, yet they did not have the means because they could not access the normal mortgages. When banks, through the freedom afforded them by deregulation, discovered this niche, they started giving subprime mortgages. The subprime mortgages were a high-risk venture and as would be expected, they ended up having a negative impact on the economy because many of these subprime customers ended up defaulting on their mortgage repayments. In this case of the housing crisis and the adverse situations that followed, everyone is to blame in a different kind of way. The banks were to blame for being careless and also for misleading people to believe that these products (subprime mortgages) were good for them. People seem to trust banks very much and always believe that anything these banks offer is without any hidden agenda. When banks offered the subprime mortgages, it was easy for these people to believe that it was safe to engage in the investments. The individuals are also to blame because their greed overshadowed their rationality.  

Economic system Essay Example for Free

Economic system Essay In our present time , there are many speculation spoken by different people, regarding the implementation of the new Curriculum , K to 12. There are many question still hanging on ,Is it the solution to our poverty , underemployment and unemployment.? Does K to 12 curriculum basically enhance our students knowledge? Does this curriculum eliminates at lessen poverty in our country. Our DepEd Secretary, Bro. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, starting whenhe became an Education Secretary, He is trying to change the traditional way of teaching, trying to resolve different problem, control and motivates the teachers, students , parents and government officials to cooperate in order to help our students to be competitive enough. In his Declaration of State of Philippine Education, he emphasize the trend and issues in Education System in: a. Philippine Education is under in Chronic Illness b. Regression in Access c. Bureaucratic Melee d. Appropriations allotted I n Education e. On the need of Reform f. The Join Forces of 3 Agencies in Government. The DOLE, TESDA, and CHED. g. The Idea of EFA 2015 and Millennium Development Goals, 1. The Philippine Education is under in chronic illness He said that our country is under the chronic illness , it is because the system in our country is suffering from different crisis, not only come from economic problem, but most probably in political system. In this country, Our governmentalways change our curriculum from time to time, for them we must faced the reality and we must adapt the changes but the  mere fact is , they don’t even support that particular in terms of facilities, tools, books and other school materials, that’s why our curriculum is only a Trial-Error set up. Inother aspects the reason why we still in the last in terms of Education it is because of corruption and political problems. 2. Regression in Access The main problem in our country is the lengthof Basic Education in Elementary and Secondary, this is only 10 years, unlike to other country which is 12 years. This is the reason why Filipino did not get the appropriate job on other country, 3. Bureaucratic Melee In this case, we can say that the cultural aspects of the society are the big problem. Despite of financial and economic crisis happen in our country, they questioned some people or other non –government organizations if school receive donations, For them it is a form of corruption ,but the reality is some government officials is the one who is the corrupt one. We must face the reality that government funds is not sufficient to support different schools that’s why we need support from other agencies. 4. Appropriations for Education Department of Budget and Management or DBM allocatesfund for a certain school whether it has autonomy or not. These budgets were divided depends on the numbers of enrollees per school. Government also allocates fund for the Teachers tools, equipments, lesson plan, and classrecords , salaries and bonuses and incentives. Education is free, according to the Deped Memorandum. They allocated fundsfor Education but the big problem is, the higher ranking person did not distributed that funds to different divisions, instead of they corrupt that funds. That’s why DepEdis number2 in Corruption 5. On the Need for Reform Our Educationsystem needs a reformation, in order to make our graduates be competitive enough. Reform will start on the top down to the lower ranking position. Reformation willlead us tothe better world, better society and better graduates. Reformation not only in Educational system but also in the society, most especially in our government presently. Reform in policies, avoid corruption, because new ideas, new curriculum, and helpus tobuild mind of a graduates professionally growth.

Character Traits of Superheroes

Character Traits of Superheroes I am lying in bed counting sheep when all of a sudden it hits me. I conceive a character like Samson, Hercules, and all the strong men I have ever heard rolled into one. His intense wave of inspiration perhaps a small parallel of the inordinate abilities possessed by the mythical heroes and strongmen he himself had name checked, he proceeds to feverishly wile away the night producing what would become the very first Superman script. By connecting his creation of this contemporary Super being to both the biblical figure of Samson and the Mythological hero of ancient Greece, Hercules, Siegel shows us that his Superman and the legions of costumed adventurers that his presence will inspire the creation of are to be seen and revered as godly totems. In fact Thor, the Norse god of thunder himself would go on to star in his very own serialized adventures with Marvel Comics. When superheroes are the subject of a discussion, an important point to try and ascertain is just what exactly the definition and nature of a hero is. A hero, in its simplest of definitions is a person who conquers his or her own limitations and fears to achieve or perform an act that under normal circumstances would be considered extraordinary. Regarding the harsh reality most of us inhabit, the soldiers and military personnel who lay their lives on the line for a concept that is bigger than them as individuals, the astronauts who risk their lives to further the reach and imagination of our collective species on missions with a high probability of a lethal outcome and the firemen who take their lives in their hands daily by entering burning buildings and combating deadly blazes. These men and women are regularly and with good reason, the yardstick by which heroism is measured. Furthering that idea, perhaps with less lethal professions, is the doctor who will spend his or her long da ys and nights treating the sickly and infirm, or the schoolteacher who sees to it that our children receive decent educations to put to use further on in their lives ahead. Perhaps even, a different but no less impressive display of bravery, in which a sufferer of a particularly debilitating disease, or trauma, will endure painful and physically draining rehabilitation to regain their strength and good health. A hero is supposed to personify the traits within ourselves that we deem to be the best. Be they morally, socially or lawfully. They are standards that warrant our admiration and aspiration. And while this unwritten rule considers the heroes of the reality that surrounds us it still applies to our fictional heroes, of the page, the stage or the screen. Fictional heroes have been an ever-present institution of modern-day societies and past mythologies and cultures throughout history. Michael Corleone from The Godfather films, the gun slinging Dirty Harry or the Man with No Name as both portrayed by Clint Eastwood, Phillip Marlowe, Rambo and Sherlock Holmes, for example are all indeed human in their emotions, their nuances and their foibles in spite of their inherently fictitious nature. But could we seriously consider those characters as heroes? Or are they, for all the adventures they may endure or the nefarious plots they may foil, simply compelling, but ultimately human protagonists that enthusiasts can relate to? We feel that given the right opportunities, we could become them in some capacity. Casting a glance further back in time, there is also an all-too obvious distinction between the more ancient mythological heroes and the costumed supermen and superwomen of today. Hercules, Thor, Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Moses for example, all display the qualities of nobility, courage and the strengths both mental and physical we have come to associate with that of a hero. But somewhere within the cultural evolution of these fictitious heroes, the genome seemed to split off and create a sub category of its own. One that saw the hybridization of the ancient heros super-human strengths and the pop relevance and accessibility of the more contemporary fictional protagonist. This new strain of heroes were defined by a characteristic fearlessness as opposed to the more human ability to adapt to and ultimately overcome fear, with a set of skills honed to a meta-human standard. Even Batman, who, while not possessing the conventional super-strength or x-ray vision proclivities that his inked brothers and sisters may share, belongs amongst them more so than his more human peers. He proves himself by displaying the fearlessness to patrol the rooftops of Gotham city come nightfall, leaping headlong into violent situations and making use of his inordinate intellect and physical training to foil the designs of his villains (even going as far as to recover from a bro ken back in Knightfall: Part One (Moench, Titan Books, 1993) while never compromising his own morality and ultimately keeping his lifelong vow to restore safety and peace, earning the respect and admiration of the community as he does it. This raises an interesting point. While the origins and talents of superheroes are often incredibly varied on an individual to individual basis; the one constant amongst their equally as varied psychological repertoire is adopting and living by a value system and an unflinching, immovable dedication to enforcing said system. Although, ironically, as Daniel Fingeroth notes in his book Superman on the Couch (Continuum, 2006, page 17) These are also, interestingly, the characteristics of a villain. And, as the saying goes, every decent villain thinks of himself as the hero. Hitler had no doubt that he was the good guy. However, as Richard Reynolds is quoted as saying in his book Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology (University Press of Mississippi, 1994) page 74 Superheroes are by and large not upholders of the letter of the law; they are not law enforcement agents employed by the state. The set of values they traditionally defend is summed up by the Superman tag of Truth, Justice and the American Way. Sometimes the last term has been interpreted in a narrowly nationalistic waybut far more oftenhas stood for the ideals enshrined in the US Constitution. Reynolds claims that the superhero is a symbol that inherently represents, and continues to represent, the ever-changing values of whichever society creates him or her. A trait almost wholly unique to the superhero, with such prominent cycles of revision and reinvention rarely being attributed to those fictional heroes of past eras (For instance, you may be hard pressed to find a 60s-era Moses or a 80s-era Lone Ranger). Reynolds theory is, both visually and thematically, very distinguishable when looking through the back catalogues of a number of todays popular heroes. For example, in the 40s, Superman fought the Nazis, in the 50s, communists, in the 60s and 70s he became more involved against governmental issues like widespread corruption. Compare early, campy Batman to the dark, brooding Batman established in the late 80s and early 90s and literally witness a night and day transformation. But, regardless of such evolutions, whatever the time and place, the hero will always know wha t the morally correct course of action is. But what is it exactly that dwells within people and causes them to harbour such intense craving for these hyperbolic tales of greater valour? Why are we not content with the truer and undoubtedly more realistic tales of human heroism? Take for example, a typical everyman character. Would his encounters with extraordinary situations or extraordinary people be a better example of an inspirational role model, and the very idea of a super being leaving us mere mortals feeling wholly inadequate? Perhaps we as people and congenitally social creatures, find hearing about the man of steel from the distant planet of Krypton easier to digest than say a neighbour who outclasses us physically, socially or hierarchically. Therein may lie the key the whole question. Maybe these heroes tap into our group consciousness and shared doubts about us, as individuals, failing to measure up to our potential or the standards others may expect of us. The notion of a character not quite living by the same so cietal doctrines as the rest of us, allows for an amount of comfortable dissmissiveness regarding our own perceived human failings. Lets focus on who many consider to be the alpha-superhero, Superman. Superman (or more accurately, Kal-El, his given Kryptonian name) is from the planet Krypton. It is rather unlikely that any sane human could ever also make that claim. So feeling inadequate after seeing him stop an earthquake or reverse time by flying around the planet backwards is prevented by a buffer zone of suspended disbelief. Batman, on the other hand, was always a perfectly normal little boy (and, obviously, an earthling) who swears an oath to himself to be better, stronger and smarter over the murdered bodies of his parents. Not only does little Bruce Wayne swear to it, he grows up and accomplishes it. That kind of human dedication could potentially rub a person who had, so far, failed to get where they wanted in life, or were prone to procrastination, the wrong way. But while Batman is more of a human hero than say Superman, hes none the less a larger than life character that displays characteristics that a re absent or unrealistic to expect within ordinary people. Even the pop culture characters more rooted in reality seem to operate in places where certain degrees of magic or pseudo science are possible. Rambo or The Punisher couldnt really dodge so many bullets or use their weapons so casually without incurring significant collateral damages, yet these characters are still believed to be normal within their genre. Whereas if you or I, average people, ever found ourselves in a fist fight, were ever struck or struck someone else in the face, it would be an unforgettable event that we would relay to anyone who wished to hear it whether we knew them all that well or not. Wed seek medical or legal advice, press charges to bring the perpetrator to justice. It would become an important footnote in out lifes story. Yet to the more human of serial fictional heroes, physical altercations are an everyday occurrence, a part of the job. With characters that dont have the disadvantage of needing to be portrayed by real life actors, the number of fights they will undertake is a truly staggering number. How many kicks and jabs has Batman landed over his sixty plus years of existence? It would be an almost incalculable number that would put the body counts of most modern flesh and blood action men to shame. So, the fact must be that, even in our real heroes, people feel the compulsive need to imbue them with qualities, powers and abilities that far exceed the rest of our capabilities. More so even than those amongst us in peak shape and of outstanding performance. Looking back at the idea of the regular person dealing with punching, or having been punched by somebody, any event like that, that can elevate itself above those of the everyday; will change a persons constitution in some way. Be it physically, mentally or socially. And change is invariably the one constant, be it large or small, in our lives. But Superman will never retire. Hell change, certainly. You only have to compare his adventures now to those of the 30s and 40s to see it. But he is still, in essence the same Kryptonian that landed on Earth all those years ago. Comic writers allow their creations something known as the illusion of change, which is true of most serialized characters, and, possibly, a part of their appeal. For, we grow older, witness it in our friends and relations and eventually die. But superheroes are always there. They age remarkably slowly, if at all. We learn from our lifes experiences and grow, existentially as people. Fictional creations do not. An inescapable fact of life is that, as we age, we will acquire some level of wisdom from our experiences. We can find witnessing others go through the same situation inspirational and instructive. As we grow, we learn and as we learn, we change. All we can do is hope we are changing for the better. It can be delayed somewhat, but never be truly avoided. But superheroes change incredibly slowly. Slow enough that any change could barely have been said to have occurred at all. After just over half a century, Superman still hides his identity from Lois Lane and continues to battle Lex Luthor, Batman still hides his identity from the people of Gotham city and continues to battle The Joker, and Spiderman still hides his identity from Mary Jane and Aunt May while continuing to battle Doctor Octopus and still remaining the unattached and troubled teen. Of course, this is in spite of occasional deviations from canon in which they may be seen wedding their respective sweethearts or appear to die, before exploiting some catch in which they can be revived, which are designed to indulge fans who may have since aged and moved on to the next phase of their lives and who may wish for a little more psuedorealism or social politics that speaks to their present situations. But no matter which version you may have seen, be they married, single, perpetually teenage or maturing young adult, the illusion of change still applies. But can a character that doesnt really age ever learn from his or her life and experiences? Or change as a direct result of it? In truth, only superficially, as to truly change as a result of an encounter or life experience would involve a sense of closure and the following transition from the characters previous, unenlightened standpoint to a more knowledgeable or enlightened stance. If this rule was in effect, perhaps Batman would eventually get the need for his own brand of vigilante justice out of his system after a couple of years in real life. Maybe in his participation of his particularly elaborate neuroses hed receive an injury that would prevent him from continuing with his crusade, or inadvertently harm an innocent bystander, accidentally kill one of the criminals he was fighting or even be arrested or incarcerated within a mental asylum himself. The finality of consequence is never the character stopping of their own free will because perhaps, it is too difficult, dangerous or the character has an epiphany that affords him the insight to see the ludicrousness of his own self-imposed mission. Too many people are invested in Batman keeping to his convictions, be they fan or businessman. Whenever we turn the final page of a book we were reading or see the end credits roll for a film we were watching, there is always an acute feeling of disappointment as our time in the company of those characters is well and truly over. With serial fiction or television, that feeling can be prolonged almost indefinitely (though usually to the programs detriment) and by extension the connections we attribute to the characters just as much. However in that case, something is always lost in the process. Namely the dramatic highs and lows, as, we know Superman will never truly die. But with that comes a sense of permanence and continuity (and predictability) that means, to people of an uncertain world such as ours, that through the greatest trait of the superheroes, their immortality, that we, throughout our short, fragile and unpredictable lives, can achieve a percentage of immortality too. Without a doubt, the representation of the modern superhero we have come to recognize today has left such indelible marks upon our culture that maybe you yourself have unknowingly made reference to it at some point in your life, whether you are a fan of the genre or not. Perhaps youve been told youre not exactly Superman, whilst trying to achieve something thought of as difficult or outside of your perceived abilities? Youve told somebody not to hulk out if theyre showing signs of a shift in their temperament, or youve been with someone who has told you their spider-sense is tingling to convey their wariness of a particular person or situation? The superhero is so ingrained on our collective consciousness that our metaphors and minds tend to take for granted just how and why exactly they came to be so. Why does our society view the superhero, both consciously and unconsciously, as such an important cultural element? And why must we take the time, and exert the mental energy to create and develop these fictional saviours? What exactly are they saving us from? After all, outside of the pages of their comics, its not like Superman truly crushed the Third Reich, or Spiderman truly makes it safer to walk around your town or city at night. But, perhaps their very existence, even if it is indeed, only within a few pages of pulp entertainment, plants a mental seed in us during our youth, deep, deep down in the subconscious. A seed that, however subtly, reassures us that there are perhaps such beings out there, putting themselves on the line for the sake of truth, justice and the protection of the innocent. That maybe, if we did walk around our cities in the dead of night, wed be alright, because it feels as though were being watched over. Or, perhaps we slightly imbue ourselves with the tr aits we see in these pulpy heroes to help us press on through an unpleasant place or situation. After all, Batman wouldnt be scared to walk through town at two in the morning, or succumb to nerves when thinking about the PowerPoint presentation he has to give at work the next day. Daniel Fingeroth goes on to pose the question of whether or not our attraction and preoccupation with such heroic yet utterly fictional fantasy beings is necessarily an entirely healthy position to have. Neatly summarising it as the following Do superheroes provide us with super-excuses? For If we adore such characters and partially establish elements of their personal ideologies to our own perceptions of right and wrong or law and order, are we effectively living in a dream world whilst, in some ways, shirking our own responsibilities when faced with the handling of our own problems? Are we dependant on their authority? For after all, the inherent trait of the superhero, to possess the superior judgment to arbitrarily discern what is and is not morally wrong, then use their extraordinary abilities to violently enforce that very idea, is rather a fascist notion. Perhaps holding Superman to that level of authoritarian calibre is in truth not that dissimilar from the myths of the Aryan ÃÅ"bermensch (which translates from German as overman or superman), or The X-Men and the distinct metaphor for racial tolerance (between mutant and non-mutants) their stories embody may very well lull people into believing the struggle for racial harmony has gone as far as it really nee ds to. Or perhaps what these stern, unbending paragons of unwavering morality provide is merely a healthy totem for us to project our darker impulses upon. For dont we, as a society, often gain a certain bloody satisfaction from seeing the villains or other such characters of low moral fiber receive a swiftly violent and richly deserved punishment? Through, say, Wolverines violent actions, our own violence is rendered unnecessary. Further still, the perceived perfection of both a physical and ideological nature one may attribute to a superhero, may well provide solace for a reader who may be becoming jaded with their place in a society that, at its core, is morally corrupt and defines its own rules on what is and is not acceptable regarding the physical appearance, while possibly encouraging that same reader to exit this fantasy word he or she was engrossed in, with an adopted desire to go out and perform good deeds of their own. Its unlikely theyll don a cape, mask and tights whilst leapin g from rooftop to rooftop, but the influence of wanting to do good amongst their community is assimilated without the more fascistic and unattractive authoritative aspects that present themselves when analyzing a superheroes modus operandi. A popular symbol of super heroism and the special brand of masked vigilante justice that accompanies it is the concept of the secret identity. But it seems rather counterintuitive. What is it that could cause a person to hide who they are? If anything, people of today tend to seek out credit and adulation wherever they can. They enjoy that feeling of pride. But in real life, there can be equally valid reasons why a person may want to, or need to conceal their identity. The example that may immediately leap to mind would be a criminal wearing a mask whilst committing his crime so as to evade the attention of the law and escape the threat of incarceration. But the identity can also be hidden for more noble reasons. For instance, someone who is courageously rebelling politically or socially in a place where such action would evoke serious, perhaps deadly, repercussions or an informant, masking their voice while providing important, potentially life-saving information to figures of autho rity. Deviating far from the concept of nobility and courage, consider for a moment, a member of a radical hate group such as the KKK. His identity may well be known by close friends or family members, but his hood would prevent recognition from victims or law enforcement. There is also a psychological element of terror that wearing a mask or a hood produces in others. There are also philanthropists who work anonymously out of a sense of modesty and desire to let their generous acts speak for themselves without adding their own personal sense of glory. There are graffiti artists who express the simple fact that they were there through tagging various architecture whilst still maintaining a degree of anonymity. There is also the anonymity that the internet or the telephone provides. The lack of face-to-face interaction can allow people the feeling of liberation to say or do things, socially acceptable or otherwise, without repercussion. But why has the idea of a secret identity become such an intrinsic element of the superhero mythos? Late stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce presented a theory as a part of his act. He believed that the masked man hides himself because he doesnt want to be thanked. If he became too dependent on the praise, how would he feel when he wasnt being thanked? The masked man wants to keep his motives pure, to make sure he does what he does because its the right thing to do, not to be thanked. That may present a piece of the puzzle as to why the idea of a masked hero appeals to us, the every-day people. Because they want their heroic actions to stand by themselves, which is a sympathetic and universal human desire. To which fantasy does the idea of a double identity/life appeal? Perhaps it speaks to those amongst us that believe, deep down within us, we can be so much more than we appear. They covet the notion that if only people knew how truly special I am. For, in a sense, we all possess secret identities, sides of ourselves that we do not reveal to many others. A dual, and secret, identity is a place where fantasy and ambition can take hold and we eagerly await the time when the power within can be unleashed without risk or social reprisal. After all, there is always the risk that, once released, people would not warm to the real you and you are forced to once again repress your true self and re-presenting the false, approved one in hope of fitting in once more. But of course reality is not that clear cut, and there no doubt be events throughout our lives in which the false self and the true self may overlap. One will always bleed through at some point. Having two identities, wearing those m etaphorical masks gives us greater control on how we present ourselves to the world that surrounds us. Masks, be they literal or metaphorical, have been an important cultural factor across both time and civilization. For example, African and South American priests would were ceremonial clothes, often with accompanying mask, to perform their various holy rituals. In those instances, it is unlikely the mask was intended to preserve the identity of the wearer, but endow its wearer with a mixture of both social importance and simultaneous characterlessness. An everyman bestowed with holy connotations. The mask itself is seen as the symbol of power, the man behind it less so, if at all. A mask can be intimidating, so limiting it to association with common contemporary criminals seems like a grotesque waste of resources. Why not rally the intimidation factor against those people who would ultimately behave in ways that negatively affect our society? In the world of heroic fiction it can be used to drastically turn the tables on those individuals. But that also presents another valid reason to keep ones identity a secret. To protect their loved ones. Which, when you really stop to ponder it, could be applied, in theory, real-life scenarios, such as a teacher who may work with delinquent or anti-social children or a policeman who walks a beat in a particularly dangerous area. Though in a more negative spin on that theory, it could allow violent vigilante groups or death squads to emerge. But masked justice is rarely blind justice. It has agendas and rarely exists to just give the police force a little more edge. It is only the Superhero who disguises his or her identit y for truly noble and altruistic reasons whilst still maintaining his or her integrity in the eyes of the public. According to Gary Engle, in his essay What Makes Superman So Darned American?, he theorizes that the concept of a secret identity is deeply rooted in the experience of being an American immigrant, and applies this to whom is arguably considered the alpha hero and greatest example of a direct dual identity, Superman. The myth simply wouldnt work without Clark Kent, mild-mannered newspaper reporterAdopting the white-bread image of a wimp is first and foremost a moral act for the man of steel. He does it to protect his parents from nefarious sorts who might use them to gain an edge over the powerful alien. More-over, Kent adds to Supermans powers the moral guidance of a Smallville upbringing . Clark Kentis the epitome of visible invisibility, someone whose extraordinary ordinariness makes him disappear in a crowd. In a phrase, he is the consummate figure of total cultural assimilation, and significantly, he is not real. Implicit in this is the notion that mainstream cultural norms, however useful, are illusions. According to Engle, the origins of the immigrant are the core of his entire identities; only insert being an extraterrestrial from another planet in place of being from another country. Superman isnt unlike that of a young person from immigrant roots who may well speak his native tongue at home, around his family, but outside that dynamic, adjusts his identity to fit in with his adopted homeland. The immigrant wish to excel whilst staying anonymous. To make his parents feel proud without making them feel ashamed of who they are or where they come from. These feelings of immigrant guilt were also profoundly felt by Superman creators Siegel and Shuster, who the projected their experiences into those of Superman. As Gary Engle continues to note: Immigration, of course, is the overwhelming fact in American history. Except for the Indians, all Americans have an immediate sense of their origins elsewhere. No nation on Earth has so deeply embedded in its social consciousness the imagery of passage from one social identity to another. -80 Further, Supermans powersare the comic book equivalents of ethnic characteristics, and they protect and preserve the vitality of the foster community in which he lives in the same way that immigrant ethnicity has sustained American culture linguistically, artistically, economically, politically and spiritually. The myth of Superman asserts with total confidence and a childlike innocence the value of the immigrant in American culture -81 For many readers of comics, particularly those old enough to have been around and enjoyed them when they were freshly conceived, they themselves may be immigrants or indeed the children or grandchildren of immigrants. Perhaps reading these stories would allow for some manner of vicarious and symbolic re-enactment or unified identification with their roots and the characters they are enjoying reading about. The idea of a secret identity can further allow the readers to become conscious of and experience their own dilemmas. For instance, discovering whether or not they were being the version of themselves that makes cultural compromises and they let the outside world see, or are they being the self that they project in their home lives? Which of those two masks is truly the real them? Which do they prefer being and which do they want to be? In many ways we all at some time or another feel we are strangers in a strange land once we leave the sanctuary of our homes and venture out into s ociety to go to work or school. Home is familiarity, we are comfortable with ourselves and confidently know what it takes for us to survive and thrive there. But who do we become once we venture outside and have a choice in how we present ourselves to the world? Its a basic choice that we are all forced to learn through trial and error from very young ages and the Superheroes are forced to make them too, albeit in much grander and colourful ways. Superman isnt just an immigrant, hes also an orphan. He arrived on our planet as a sole representative of his race, without his parents. He has an idea where he is from, but could barely recite a fact about the place aside from the fact that it is no more. Knowing, instead, a great deal more about where he currently is. The opportunity that he is presented with, however, is that, as an immigrant and an orphan, he is free to construct his entire history from day one. Not that he ever has much choice in the matter, for all that he knows of ou r world at that point is that he is from somewhere else. As pointed out by Gary Engle: Orphans arent merely free to invent themselves, they are obliged to. So perhaps the double identity is more of an integral component in what defines Superman than say x-ray vision or the ability to fly. He can cherry-pick aspects from the best of us as a society and ingest them a part of himself. While he is an alien, he is an alien that resembles a human, and a handsome human at that. He can fit in to a crowd if he wishes and he can distance himself to the fortress of solitude on a whim just as easily. His life as Clark Kent can enrich his life as Superman and vice versa. However, Supermans chosen identity is fraught with a hypocrisy that could be said to highlight an immigrants internal conflicts and insecurities. A simultaneous need to both blend in and stand out from the crowd. Clark Kent is a reporter, a career that requires a degree of courage and bravery, for instance, when attempting to acquire the scoop on a dangerous situation . Yet to his peers, Clark is seen as a cowardly person who is always nowhere to be seen when danger is close, yet, s omehow he still manages to get the scoop which is rather conspicuous for a person trying to remain amongst society inconspicuously. As an interesting side note, as with most other popular superheroes, the civilian identity is often the real identity and the public and more heroic face is the adopted persona. This is not the case with the Man of Steel. It is in fact the complete opposite. Supermans true self is Superman, yet he must adopt a more unremarkable persona in Clark Kent to fit in. One of the fundamental questions with regards to identity is if it is in fact a more courageous act to be who you are or who you pretend you are. The superhero asks this too, only louder. The superheros answers to such existential questions are usually within the realms of I will be who I must in order to fulfil my task of doing good. Whatever serves that purpose is who I will be both in and out of my costume. Whichever other questions these heroes may hav