Going global, Acting local

Introduction According to Swart and Kinnie (2003), globalization is closely related to international marketing. Nonetheless, some of the accelerating factors that have led to globalization include increased foreign direct investment and exports. Nonetheless, globalization is widely considered to be an integration of financial markets (Richard Geoffrey, 2004). In respect to this, globalization in international business is believed to have various facets (Pech Slade, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Going global, Acting local specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With respect to this, Mintzberg and Lampell (2000) believed that globalization is the merging of separate and distinct national markets to a single enormous global market. On the other hand, it is believed by Mangena and Brent (2006) that product globalization entail sourcing of services and goods from various locations around the world in order to tak e advantage of differences in terms of their quality and cost factors of production. On the other hand, localization relates to differentiation where by differences of tastes and preferences of customers are put into consideration in business operations (Krozer, 2008). Nonetheless, glocalization is taken to be the integration of both globalization and localization where by a business entity positions itself both globally and locally. In respect to this, the paper explores different definitions of globalization, localization and glocalization and thereafter analyzes product as a marketing mix of Disneyland, IKEA and MacDonald in their globalization, localization and glocalization strategies (Brecher Tim, 2004). A discussion and debate on global, local and glocal strategies based on Disneyland, IKEA and MacDonald brands Globalization According to Yucel (2009), globalization is the relentless integration of markets, nations and technologies in enabling people, organizations and nations to reach the world farther, deeper, faster and cheaper than ever before. This helps in spreading free capitalization of the market to all countries of the world. From this definition, Barnet (2009) believed that globalization is a process that helps in promoting integration of ideas, culture, goods and services. Yet still, according to Hanna (2010), globalization is a process that is driven by two main macro factors which include reduction of barriers to flow of services and goods and rapid technological change. This was believed by Gerardo and Wong (2008) to be the major inhibiting factors to global integration of business before the Second World War. However, with the end of the war, global institutions such as United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund among others were formed to help reduce these barriers hence paving way for globalization to take effect (Gerardo Wong, 2008). By doing so, globalization was boosted.Advertising Looking for report on business e conomics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, it was postulated by Fredrickson (2010) that technological development that have been experienced in the recent years in the field of information processing, communication and transportation technologies have been paramount in advancing globalization. This position was also advanced by Eckerson (2006) who believed that modern technologies have enabled products and services to be developed with global standardized features. As a result, consumer preferences and tastes have become global hence contributing to globalization. Example of globalization IKEA globalization strategy used technology in designing unassembled furniture that could be easily shipped to any part of the world. This strategy by IKEA was taken so that its products could be easily spread to all corners of the globe as clients were given the option of assembling their own products. However, globalization str ategy applied by Disneyland failed to appeal to other markets in its initial stages as it was designed specifically for the US market. Later, the firm was able to diversify its entertainment products to fit various regional markets hence attaining a global status. On the other hand, Macdonald’s was successfully in going global as it took advantage of advanced technology which it used in streamlining services and improving its efficiency in its products provision. Localization The word localization is given different definitions by different authorities (Ehnert, 2009). According to Drummond and Ruth (2008), localization is defined as a process of adapting a product or a service to a locality. Moreover, it is defined by Burn and Barnett (2008) as an adaptation of a product or a service to an environment that is not native. Furthermore, location according to Bruijn and Veld (2010) is defined as the business operation in various states while adjusting these products and services to suite their respective states. For that case, Botha and Brink (2007) postulated that localization focuses on reducing differences in provision of products and services in order to suite these local needs in the operating environment. In addition, localization is defined to be a process that is based on various theoretical foundations (Wariavwalla, 2008). According to Sklair (2010), one of the foundations is the consumer homogeneity. Since business processes is localized, the environment is to a large extent homorganic in nature. As a result, extend of adaptation is limited as compared to globalization (Rostow, 2002).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Going global, Acting local specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides, localization is defined to be the process of reversing globalization trends in favor of the local community (Robertson, 2002). In this respect, the local community can be a state or a number of s tates in a regional grouping. All the same, localization according to Polanyi (2004) is defined as the process of taking products and services and making them culturally and linguistically appropriate to the targeted locale which may be a region or a country. On the other hand, it is believed by Moody (2007) that localization is the customization of product components for a specific target market. This helps in building a strong connection with clients in that particular area. Example of localization A good example of localization is the strategy used by Disneyland in entering the Chinese market. It achieved this by making translation of all foreign lyrics to local contents that were well received by its new markets. Moreover, it was well exemplified by IKEA as it continued to use strategies of differentiation which helped it to spread its products globally but with local tastes. Furthermore, the strategy was applied by Macdonald’s as it provided localized products for specif ic regions it was expanding to. For instance, meat and pork products were never provided in the Indian market and instead vegetable products were given as per the preferences of this market. Glocalization According to McMichael (2006), glocalization is a term that has been developed recently as a result of the difficulties experienced from globalization process. Therefore, it is postulated to mean processes that seek uniformity of tactical strategies that are localized. This was concurred with Kasarda and Edward (2001) when they postulated that glocalization is the act of thinking globally while acting locally. This was furthered by Kanter (2005) when he believed that although consumers in most cases have similar lifestyles, their traditional values and cultures do not disappear. As a result, marketing approaches need to put these differences into consideration when coming up with products for consumers (Clegg Hardy, 2009). This kind of process is believed to be glocalization (Lync h, 2006). On the other hand, it was believed by Kanter (2005) that glocalization in business environment means micro marketing where by marketing of goods and services are tailored on a global basis to increase differentiated local and specific markets. This position was affirmed by Knights and Roberts (2002) when they defined glocalization as the construction of increasing differentiated clients based on their traditions. Nonetheless, Watson (2006) defined glocalization as a combination of two concepts; globalization and localization.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, it is taken to be the process that advances in marketing a service or a product that is distributed on a global platform but makes them to fit various local market clienteles (Healey, 2007). For instance, if the firm is selling its services on the web, it can specifically advertise these services to a specific target group of customers. Additionally, Roberts (2004) defined glocalization as developing a product or a service and distributing it globally but it must be fashioned in a manner that accommodates consumers in the local market. This view concurred with that of Foglio and Stanevicius (2007) who defined glocalization as the process of developing a product domestically and redesigning it later to meet local requirements, tastes and preferences and even abiding by the local laws. Example of glocalization This approach was used by Macdonald’s in its expansion process in India as it specifically offered vegetarian menu to suit tastes and preferences of the Indian market while maintaining its global standards. Moreover, Macdonald’s was able to maintain local face in all regions of its operation while upholding its standards. The approach of localization was used by Disneyland in its expansion process in France as it turned shows and settings to reflect the French style so as to suite local environment while retaining its global standards. On the other hand, IKEA was forced to provide a wide variety of products in furniture products with different tastes in respective regions of operation. This ensured their internationalization process as different user needs were met while upholding high standards. PESTEL Issue – Technological issue affecting Macdonald’s PESTEL is the analysis of an external macro environmental factors in which a business entity is operating in (Hauchler, 2004). As given by Kotler (2009), it stands for political, economic, social, technological and environmental factors. According to Robert (2008), all these factors affect business processes of a company and it might have no powers to control them but to adapt to them. For that matter, it is important that organizations continuously analyze their eternal environment in order to understand these macro environmental factors so as to take appropriate measures to adapt to them. For that matter, one of the macro factors that are affecting Macdonald’s is the technological issue as discussed by the paper. Current technological trends affecting Macdonald’s Technology is one of the micro environmental factors that are affecting Macdonald’s in its business operations. It works as a benchmark for company’s success. Therefore, it is important to be a head in technology in order to cope with competition with other players in the same industry (Inkeles, 2003). With respect to that, Macdonald’s has tried to apply various technologies that are available in their operating environment. For instance, in terms of m arketing its products, the firm widely applies technological tools such as web 2.0 technologies like facebook, twitter and other social sites in promoting its products (Macdonald, 2012). Moreover, Google advertisements and collaboration with other websites have largely been used to promote sales in specific regions of their operations. Nonetheless, technologies such as television, hoardings have equally been applied in promoting its products. Furthermore, inventory system in its business operations has been widely used in its business processes. This has been of great importance to its business since it has helped to prevent payment of hidden costs, helped in preventing spoiling of products hence in return, assuring effectiveness and efficiency (Macdonald, 2012). This has been made possible as some of the operations have been infused with these technologies (Greider, 2007). For instance, the inventory system and value chain management have been integrated and they help easier paymen t to stakeholders such as vendors and suppliers. This has helped the firm as it has added value to its products. Moreover, there have been some improvements in the inventory system together with its value chain has helped the company to be able to operate on a global platform. Future trends and forecasts According to Amsden (2009), technology is vital factors in attaining efficiency and effectiveness in business process. Therefore, since the company has already integrated technology in its business activities, it is expected that it will continue to move and change with these technology as it unfolds. For instance, the company will be forced to acquire wireless internet technologies that is fast growing hence replacing the traditional wired technology. Moreover, the adoption of wireless internet technology will be able to increase its business processes. In return, efficiency and effectiveness in business processes will be enhanced (Khondker, 2004). Furthermore, the company will be in a position to save its operating costs due to amalgamation of various processes that will help in cutting costs. Furthermore, it is expected in future that Macdonald will be able to integrate technology in its food production processes. Just like some of the soft drink companies are using expert systems in producing their products, it is also expected that Macdonald will be able to apply the same in its diverse products preparations. According to Albrow (2002), this will help the company by cutting to a large extent its production and operating costs as manual processes will be automated hence cutting extensively on human labor costs. Moreover, this is likely to guarantee effectiveness and efficiency in its business processes (Evans, 2006). Conclusion Globalization forms a very significant aspect in the expansion of business operation in the global market (Hilb, 2008). However, for this process to be successful in the current times, it is relatively important that an organization must consider applying both globalization and localization which converge to achieve glocalization (Hill Jones, 2009). By doing so, the business is able to ‘think globally and while acting locally’ hence satisfying needs of all customers in the global market. This is so since products can be tailored in order to maintain the local culture, tastes and preferences which help the firm to maintain its market share both on locally and internationally (Ansoff, 2000). Nonetheless, it is important to note that customers in the market require both local and global brands since they make them feel part of the wider international community while maintaining their local identity (Berman Evans, 2006). Therefore, a glocalization strategy is critical since it helps to integrate localization and globalization (Mintzberg Quinn, 2003). In relation to this, MacDonald has been very specific as it applies glocalization strategy. This has helped it to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in its business operations as it has excelled in all of its regions of operation. References Albrow, M 2002, The Global Age: State and Society Beyond Modernity, Stanford University Press, Stanford. Amsden, A 2009, Asia’s Next Giant: South Korea’s Late Industrialization, Oxford, New York. Ansoff, H 2000, Implementing Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, London. Barnet, R 2009, Global Dreams, Simon and Schuster, New York. Berman, B Evans, J 2006, Retail Management, A Strategic Approach, Prentice Hall, London. Botha, J Brink, A 2007, Introduction to Marketing, Juta and Co Ltd, Cape Town. Brecher, J Tim, C 2004, Global Village or Global Pillage? Economic Reconstruction from the Bottom Up, South End Press, Boston. Bruijn, H Veld, R 2010, Process Management, Springer, Netherlands. Burn, J Barnett, M 2008, E-Business for Virtual Organizations, Butterworth-Heinemann, Jordan. Clegg, R Hardy, C 2009, Studying Organization: Theory and Method, Sage, London. Drummond, G Rut h, A 2008, Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control, Elsevier Ltd, Burlington. Eckerson, W 2006, Performance Dashboards: Measuring, Monitoring, and Managing Your Business, John Wiley Sons, Inc, Canada. Ehnert, I 2009, Sustainable Human Resource Management, Springer, London. Evans, P 2006, Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation, Princeton University Press, Princeton. Foglio, A Stanevicius, V 2007, Scenario of glocal marketing as an answer to the market lobalization and localization, International research journal of finance and economics, vol. 15 no. 16, pp. 13-54. Fredrickson, M 2010, Perspectives on Strategic Management, Harper Row Publishers, New York. Gerardo, R Wong, Y 2008, Global Strategic Management, ME Sharpe, New York. Greider, W 2007, One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism, Simon and Schuster, New York. Hanna, K 2010, Enabling Enterprise Transformation: Business and Grassroots Innovation for the Knowledge Economy, Springer Scien ce, New York. Hauchler, I 2004, Global Trends: The World Almanac of Development and Peace, Continuum, New York. Healey, P 2007, Making Strategic Spatial Plans: Innovation in Europe, Routledge, London. Hilb, M 2008, New corporate governance: successful board management tools, Springer, Germany. Hill, C Jones, G 2009, Strategic management theory: An integrated approach, Cengage Learning, USA. Inkeles, A 2003, Exploring Individual Modernity, Columbia University Press, New York. Kanter, M 2005, World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy, Touchstone, New York. Kasarda, D Edward, C 2001, Third world urbanization: Dimensions, theories and determinants, Annual Review of Sociology, vol.17 no. 8, pp.467-501. Khondker,H 2004, Glocalization as Globalization: Evolution of a Sociological Concept, Journal of Sociology, vol.1 no.23, pp.45-78. Knights, D Roberts, J 2002, The power of organization or the organization of power?. Organization Studies, vol.3 no.1, pp. 47-63. Kotler, P 2009, Marketing Management Harlow, Pearson Prentice Hall Publishing Press, England. Krozer, Y 2008, Life cycle costings for innovations in product chains, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol.5 no.16, pp. 310-321. Lynch, R 2006, Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall, London. Macdonald 2012, Our History, https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/our-history.html Mangena, J Brent, C 2006, Application of a Life Cycle Impact Assessment framework to evaluate and compare environmental performances with economic values of supplied coal products, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol.5 no.14, pp 1071-1084. McMichael, P 2006, Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective, Pine Forge Press, London. Mintzberg, H Lampell, J 2000, Reflecting on the Strategy Process, Sloan Management Review, vol.40 no.3, p.21. Mintzberg, H Quinn, J 2003, Strategy Process and Cases, Prentice Hall, London. Moody, K 2007, Towards an International Social-Movement Unionism, New Left Review vol. 72 no.25, pp.52-72. Pech, J Slade, W 2003, Asymmetric Competition: Decision Processes Shaping the Future, Management Decision, Vol.41 no.1 pp. 883-892. Polanyi, K 2004, The Great Transformation, Beacon Press, Boston. Richard, P Geoffrey, D 2004, Where the decision makers went wrong: from capitalism to cannibalism, Corporate Governance, vol. 4 no. 1, pp. 65-75. Robert, M 2008, Strategy Pure Simple 2: How Winning Companies Dominate their Competitors, McGraw-Hill, New York. Roberts, J 2004, The moral character of management practice, Journal of Management Studies, vol.21 no.3, pp.287-302. Robertson, R 2002, Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture, Sage, Newbury Park. Rostow, W 2002, The Process of Economic Growth, Norton, New York. Sklair, L 2010, Sociology of the global system, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Swart, S Kinnie, N 2003, Sharing Knowledge in Knowledge-Intensive Firms, Human Reource Management Journal, vol.13 no.2, pp.60-75. Wariavwalla, B 2008, Interdependence and domestic po litical regimes: The case of newly industrializing countries, Alternatives, vol.13 no.12, pp.253-270. Waters, M 2005, Globalization, Routledge, London. Watson, T 2006, How do managers think?. Management Learning, vol. 27no.3, pp. 323-341. Yucel, R 2009, Globalization and international market ethics problems, International research journal of finance and economics, vol. 12 no. 26, pp. 93-104. This report on Going global, Acting local was written and submitted by user Abril Ramos to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

On Killing by Dave Grossman

On Killing by Dave Grossman Introduction On Killing is well-crafted work by Dave Grossman expounding on humanity versus training on killing. Grossman gives insight to the psychological cost that soldiers have to pay after being trained to kill in boot camps. The deep-set fight that any soldier undergoes in war is to fight his or her human nature that compels him or her not to kill the enemy. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on On Killing by Dave Grossman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On Killing tackles the military travails to kill this resistance, making soldiers natural killers who will not have a second thought when faced by the enemy. Unfortunately, this attempt to eliminate the urge not to kill is spreading fast in societies by use video games that desensitizes teenagers making killing something natural. Grossman theme is to insist that humans are not natural killers for they have a natural urge not to kill fellow humans; however, this ur ge may fade away through desensitization similar to that happens in boot camps. Ironically, soldiers are trained to kill; that is, silencing the voice against killing in then, yet are expected to resurrect this feeling to live peacefully in society. Men are not Natural Killers Grossman argues that the urge against killing a fellow human being becomes pronounced in close combats and many soldiers will not kill naturally. According to Grossman, killing is very personal and its will have long-lasting effects on the perpetrator. He opens up the book by comparing killing to having sex. In a way, the study of killing in combat is very much like the study of sex. Killing is a private, intimate occurrence of tremendous intensity, in which the destructive act becomes psychologically very much like the procreative act† (Grossman 16). The problem is that the media tries to paint killing as something normal and the fact is; killing does not come easily. To support the fact that men are n ot natural killers, Grossman observes that during the Civil War, coached soldiers only pretended to shoot while in reality they were not. If they ever pulled the trigger, then they aimed over the heads of the approaching opposite army. What explains the fact that out of 27,000 muzzle-loaders that were found at Gettysburg, only 10% were used? This is because human beings do not like killing even if their lives are in danger. In World War II, â€Å"†¦the soldiers found themselves to be conscientious objectors who were unable to kill their fellow man (Grossman 25). Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To avoid confrontations between soldiers and the commanders, Grossman points out that, â€Å"these secrets were kept in a tangled web of individual and cultural forgetfulness, deception and lies tightly woven over thousands of years.the male ego has always justifie d selective memory, self-deception, and lying [about] two institutions, sex and combat (Grossman 31). Then the psychological cost and reality of training people to kill sets in. Grossman states that, many U.S soldiers, close to one million, underwent through mental collapse in World War II. Only two percent of all soldiers involved never recorded psychiatric problem; these fall under, â€Å"aggressive psychopaths† (Grossman 50). There is evidence that killing will cause greater chances of mental breakdown than the fear of death itself. This is evident because after a series of bombings in German and England, those who survived did not become intimidated; on contrary, they hardened and resolved to carry on with the fight. This underlines the aforementioned observation that death does not cause greater psychiatric problems like killing. Grossman goes on to note that, killing someone from behind is easier that killing from in front. In the chapters dealing with atrocities, he a ddresses the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Soldiers will submit to higher authorities, which demand them to kill and this in most cases leads to PSTD. PSTD; results from, â€Å"failure to accept and rationalize acts of killing† (Grossman 60). What effect does training have on killing? Before the Vietnam War, soldiers underwent what Grossman calls â€Å"desensitization and operant conditioning† training whereby, human silhouettes were used in shooting exercises. This conditioned the mind to imagine that the silhouette was a real person and with repetitions, soldiers became acclimatized to shooting the enemy directly. This led to increased number of shootings in Vietnam. Grossman concludes that people have killing inhibition but this can be overcome through desensitization. Unfortunately, while desensitization occurs in boots camps and soldiers will only shoot in wars, this same desensitization is finding its way to teenagers through violent TV. Evalu ation Grossman’s work is true to the point for he supports his case. It is interesting to note that, soldiers operate from directives and they have no freedom to choose their leaders. Their single role is to take and execute orders. Given the fact that many people come to service whilst young in their teenage, their minds are trained to kill easily. However, the bottom line is, people have inhibitory force against killing, and training soldiers entails removing this inhibition. From the examples that Grossman has given, it is clear that there is truth to his claims.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on On Killing by Dave Grossman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The upsurge in the number of shootings in Vietnam War as compared to that of World War II can only be attributed to training to kill. However, Grossman points out that this training comes with its effects. The long-term effect is that people will have nigh tmares and psychic damages. Many soldiers came back from Vietnam with psychic problems and they still struggle with it even today. Finally, Grossman points out that violent TV is causing desensitization in minds of young people and this is responsible for the increased violence in civil society. Even though this book has some weaknesses like failure to consider other factors that may have caused mental breakdown in soldiers coming back from Vietnam, it has strong points as explained. Conclusion On Killing expounds on the fact that human beings have a natural inhibition to kill fellow human beings. This is true from what Grossman tackles in this text. This inhibition was responsible for the many soldiers who pretended to shoot in the Civil War while in reality they were not shooting. It also accounts for the great number of soldiers who reportedly did not kill a single person in the World War II. However, training through desensitization whereby human silhouettes are used boot camp s helps to overcome this inhibition to kill. This is supported by the fact that there was an upsurge in shootings during the Vietnam War compared to World War II. This does not mean that people have changed; no, training has changed them. Nevertheless, Grossman points out that, this training comes with its psychological costs for even to date the people who came back home fro Vietnam are haunted by what happened through what he calls, PSTD. On the other side, video games, Hollywood and violent TV are sowing seeds of killing instincts in society. Many teenagers are undergoing desensitization slowly by slowly creating violent society. The authorities and society will have to pay this price by training people to kill, either in boot camps or in TVs and Hollywood. Grossman, Dave. â€Å"On Killing the Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill In War and Society.† New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Management 2 (protective security) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management 2 (protective security) - Essay Example Efficiency has been defined as measure of productivity or operational excellence concerned with operational margins improvement and cost minimization. Effectiveness on the other hand is associated with the business’s ability to identify and embrace opportunities of business via exchange relationships. As a result effectiveness is concerned with a company’s plan to develop a growth that is sustainable within its market (Stefanos, 2007). My organization has invested heavily and made tremendous efforts in balancing these two critical aspects of operations management all in an effort to increase the market share and maintain competitive advantage. The objectives of my organization are essentially to increase the market share and decrease the overall costs of running the organization. The target is to increase our market share from the current 15% to 20% within a period of two years. Another target is to introduce certain changes within the organization such that the overall costs would reduce by 5% within a period of one year. These changes include reducing field managers by 50% and employ more Close protection officers with advanced qualification. The organization had an objective of increasing its market share. The company embarked on a market wide research effort to identify client needs that were not being met. The organization realized that many business entities with huge capital bases required specialized protection service from the protective security firms. This service required CPO’s with a special kind of skill set which many security companies lacked. This created a need for the company to hire more CPO’s with the necessary skill set resulting in increased operational cost. After a thorough cost and benefits analysis, the company decided it would be more profitable to hire five specialized CPO’s to meet this need while at

Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour from the Indian Firms Essay

Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour from the Indian Firms Perspective - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that consumer behavior processes start  in the mind of the consumer when he/she tries to look for alternatives that suit  his/her needs, in addition to, to the consideration of other relative advantages of a product or service such as cost savings and superior quality. The process goes to the next stage that involves internal and external research concerning a product or service to be purchased. That notwithstanding, there is the post-purchase stage, which is critical since it is the one that determines whether or not the consumers were satisfied, and thus, largely influences their future behavior to consume or not to consume a product or service. Businesses tend to focus more on the post-purchase stage as it determines whether their products have been successful or not. Essentially, it is at this phase that the performance of a good or service is ascertained. In some instances, the people who make purchases are not the actual consumers o f the products; thus, advertisers need to understand the roles of users in order to efficiently place their advertisements in a formidable manner to attract consumers. India is a demographically vast country with a rich cultural diversity. The Hindu culture is, however, segmented based on the geographical dispersion of the nation. For instance, the cultural practices in Northern India are not similar to those in Southern or Western India. Culture is a complex term, which encompasses tradition, cultural beliefs, morals, as well as general knowledge of a particular society. It is the culture that identifies or distinguishes people from different backgrounds since they will have various thoughts and beliefs concerning contemporary issues.

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Example for Free

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Tragedy, in multiple views leads to grief, misery and may even cause emotional desensitization. However this solely depends on the cause of such tragedy. A simple tragedy exists as a result of the irony of combining diverse religion and cultures and is especially expressed in the story â€Å"Sandpiper†. Here author Ahdaf Soueif expresses cultural differences through the breaking relationship of a European writer and her Egyptian husband. Acquiescent undermine passivity Being the protagonist, the narrator becomes the view point character in the story and this is where audience criticisms take place. From the beginning she seems to display a sort of weakness and compliance towards events; watching the waves swoop back into the sea; conforming to her lack of work and loss of identity ; â€Å"watching (her husband) vanish†, and watching her daughter â€Å"grow away† from herself. The sand image, as the story opens portrays her compliance-The way she did not wish to obstruct nature`s pattern of â€Å"one grain of sand† because of her movement. Later as Um Sabir (her â€Å"husband`s old nanny†) prevents her from doing any work, her feminine independence also appears to be deplored yet she simply accepts this fact and though seeming solemn, does not take any action. The reader soon becomes critical about such fragility. Notice how the writer mentions -â€Å"watch† her husband vanish. Due to her foreignness, she seemed to slowly fade away from her and her husband`s relationship and displays severe grief. However it appears indeed so absurd for the re ader, because this narrator does not develop any sort of resistance to her dilemma. Furthermore her despondency grows gradually, and it seems that her daughter is being torn away from her the same way as with her husband. She simply pines her heart and the narrator grows a sort of dissent for the protagonist. Sandpiper a coastal bird which cannot fly too high nor too far from the coastal region (due to its habitat and feeding habits) is a perfect name for this story it seems. The way the protagonist’s life appears limited and restricted is definitely the main cause. However the reader may wonder why the narrator does not rebel to this lifestyle. There may be numerous causes. Firstly notice the narrators patience as she sits by the beach observing the water`s â€Å"frilled white edge nibbling at the sand†. As she displays no qualms to her situations (for example being deprived of work as previously mentioned) it seems she still retains hope- of a happy lifestyle. This e xaggerated patience she conforms, may perhaps be one of the reason she does not rebel. Another may be simply her love of and to sustain the happiness of her daughter. These causes all sum to the habitat and ability of a â€Å"Sandpiper†, its only restrictions. Therefore it seems that the protagonist subsists in a self imposed jail, like a sandpiper and indeed does not soar beyond the beach which could momentarily give access to another sort of freedom, mentally, from her own conscience. However if we pay attention to the situation the author rejects such criticisms-instead condemning the readers as absurd. Certainly following different cultures is not the protagonists fault. The consistent confusion and grief of the narrator’s situation is perhaps the cause of her helplessness. This way the author deems the protagonist as universal for humans; which either are NOT exceptions, to displaying similar responses, in such emotionally grim situations and though her image is portrayed as weak it is not held true to how we asses her. In some way the writer creates ambivalent views one portraying the theme of ‘fate’ and the other ‘free will’. A customary feature, to be noticed in this story is the authors unvarying image of the beach. Obviously this picture signifies the present and therefore, perhaps, alludes to the narrators ‘drifting’ thoughts. It also seems, the descriptions of the sand and the sea reflect her emotions. As the story opens, observe the serene albeit somewhat somber, descriptions (of the beach), in the past participle: â€Å"I used to see patterns†¦I did not want †¦. I used to sit†. Definitely the narrator is affectionately looking back at nostalgia, yet with regret. Her emotions drift in melancholy as a compliant stream of conscience guides her and suddenly we imagine a somber weak character, in passivity to not stir a single â€Å"grain of sand† from its ‘natural’ pattern. This is where the readers display an interest to this character`s matters. Slowly her emotions begin to frill as the descriptions become gradually violent –â€Å"the sea unceasingly shifts†¦surges forward with a low growl†¦ like thousand snakes† .By now the reader is absorbed into the persona`s feelings. The usage of the personal pronoun â€Å"I† becomes highly universal to the reader and definitely induces sympathy. Finally, as she â€Å"revert(s) to (the) dry grains that would easily brush away† the emotions are returned to the previous serenity however now there seems to be a hint of pain, a hint of helplessness. This way the writer skillfully attains the reader`s attention to the story, and somewhat forth shadows incidents in the story, pertaining to the emotions. Hereby the atmosphere seems so somber, so calm; slowly the reader drifts in with the thoughts of the writer. What the reader may also take notice, with hindsight, is that perhaps Soueif uses this initial beach image as an extended metaphor for the life of the narrator; as in the beginning her life was filled with bliss (in love with her husband), which suddenly changed to desperation and somewhat anger (as he slowly â€Å"slip away† from her) and finally grief (of the freedom she lost). Proactive pragmatic The next imagery of the beach occurs after she mentions the second summer at the â€Å"beach house west of Alexandria†. Here the narrator utilizes the sand and the sea as symbols for her husband and herself, the way these two entities seemed to â€Å"meet and flirt and touch† and establishes the theme of love . However, reading between the lines, perhaps the writer forth shadows a sort of obscurity in the relationship. Notice how the sand and the sea simply â€Å"meet† metaphorically indicating love; although away from this â€Å"edge† such love does not seem to prevail as the sea and the sand form a tight boundary. Also the sea consistently â€Å"drifts† and the sand itself shifts, especially with the pressure of the waves: perhaps the author accentuates fluid emotions which flow and â€Å"shift† with due time and therefore depicts this couple to slowly â€Å"drift† apart from each other. This way another theme, of relativity of time and emotion is established here. The ending of the story also prevails with this beach image. It seems the narrator is back to the present and this picture plays the greatest significance as she sees â€Å"different things from those 6 years ago†. Now she appears calmer yet more melancholic. The reader can effective ly perceive such emotion; especially in the lines â€Å"the last of the foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and â€Å"with each ebb of green water the sand looses part of itself to the sea†. This definitely feels somber; as if love is being persistently broken down by the force of nature. Realistically, it seems such force subsists as cultural pressure. Where the couple belonging to 2 different cultures altogether formed such a relationship, the narrators â€Å"foreignness†¦began to irritate him (her husband)†. Cultural pressure and foreign tensions arise as a conflict due to the ignorance of each other`s culture and perhaps a development in this slowly weakened their relationships. Not only does the husband feel irate yet this deplored the protagonist`s freedom- â€Å"I tried at first at least to help, but she would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ease the duster or the vacuum cleaner from my hand†. Coming back to the coastal descriptions, note how the author mentions â€Å"the†¦foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and how these two bodies meet but never ‘mix’. Probably the author, here portrays the theme of immiscibility. As sea and sand are immiscible it appears the foreignness and its resultant family tensions never intended a strong relationship; the love of both the narrator and her husband was immiscible, which would interact, yet as easily drift away. Perhaps this way the author undermines the system of religion. Indeed such a trivial matter, as exemplified is the commencement of weak relations and eventually such tragedies; for certainly, every being strays ethnocentric and this simple arrogance leads to major conflicts. This is later supported as the narrator finally questions-â€Å"But what do the waves know of the massed, hot, still sands of the desert? And what does the beach know of the depths, the cold currents†¦where the water turns a deeper blue.† .Duplicity is heavily prevalent due to ignorance of other religion, and like the sand and the sea it extends massively. What the writer Ahdaf Soueif is attempting to accentuate is that this concept of worldly cultures actually constructs a sort of mistrust amongst others and its great irony is exhibited in the form of this story Another image which we can relate to this theme is the difficulty, even dislike the wife shows towards adapting to a different culture. During the second summer at the beach house the narrator mentions her nostalgia of her hometown (Europe as Georgian sq uare is mentioned) and â€Å"misses† her time spent there. The moment this is mentioned suspicion rises in the readers mind; of her happiness following the new culture. She does display a sort of irritation as she is not allowed to work at home. Finally (later) she appears to complain- â€Å"my foreignness†¦my inability to remember namestruggles with his (her husband’s) language†, etc. Definitely the author is attempting to depict another cultural pressure here; despite the passage of time, evidently she depicts, that the wife has problems shifting to the new culture. Ironically, though, this foreignness actually appealed her husband yet now repelled him. LorDhRUv

The History of Billiards :: essays research papers

There are many different theories as to when and how billiards was first developed. A lack of actual physical evidence has left most of these theories as simply speculation. Most people agree, however, that the game gained its roots from lawn games, which were not unlike croquet, played by nobility. Early players were said to include King Louis XI of France (King between 1461 and 1483); Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542-1587); King Louis XIV (1643-1715); Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI. If the game did indeed develop from lawn games, then where did the lawn games come from? Many historians believe that the lawn games date back to ancient Egypt. "Bat and ball" games are said to be what the lawn games evolved from, and images of these games can be found on the outside of tombs from as far back as 3000 years ago. The greatest innovation that has led to modern billiards play would have to be that of the modern time cue or cue stick which dates back to the 1700's. Up until that time only makeshift cues were used and it was the mace that was the most popular. During its reign as leading cue the mace was used to push the ball on the table and the skinny end was used as a handle. Difficulty with shots compressed against the rails would lead to the use of the skinny end to shoot causing the fall of the mace and the arrival of a stick. Along with the emergence of the cue came other great improvements. Leather tips were developed around the eighteen hundreds, and a few years later chalk was developed for the tips. Slate beds, fine cloth, rubber rails and standard sizes for tables soon arrived, and pushed the development of the games popularity. Along with popularity came the need for standardized rules, tables, and equipment. Of course with the gained popularity came the "business" of billiards.

Reaction time Essay

How fast a response can be made once he need has been recognised. By improving my reaction time I will be able to move my racket into the correct position to return my opponents shots much quicker. I would also be able to move my body into the correct position on the correct much quicker which would stop the need for over stretching for the shuttle which sometimes causes me slight injuries. This would make my play much more successful within both doubles and singles. After examining each health and skill related component of fitness and evaluating how well I did in the fitness tests I have decided to center my exercise plan round improving my muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness. I have chosen these because I believe that before I improve any skill related component of fitness I must have solid health related components of fitness. This is because usually health related components are directly linked with how easily a person is able to develop skilled components. For example without good muscular strength a person cannot be powerful. Muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness are the two that need improving foremost as I already quite a good player and therefore come up against many players which are equally matched to myself, therefore the duration of games is usually quite long and endurance is important. Relevant fitness tests to support my aims. Multi stage fitness test = this is a bleep test which participants run between two points which are 20m apart, the bleeps tell the person when to start running and when they should reach the other point. As the levels increase the beeps get closer together. This test will determine how good my muscular endurance is and whether I can run at increasing speeds with increasing tiredness. As one of my main aims is to improve my muscular endurance this test is vital to highlight any improvement made by implementing my personal exercise plan. I could not carry on after level eight; I felt this was quite good but not excellent. I would like to, with the help of my personal exercise plan, be able to achieve level 10. Pull ups = this test just involves how many times I can lift my entire body weight to lift my head above the bar. This is a relevant test as it measures the strength of my arms which is very important in the game of badminton. The strong my arms the more power I can put into my shots and the further and faster the shuttle can travel. I managed just three pull ups. This result is just below average. Improving my muscular strength would be an advantage however this is not one of my main aims of my personal exercise plan. Reaction time = this test involves putting a ruler against a wall and getting another person to hold it. I would then put my strong hand at the 50cm mark. My friend would then drop the ruler and I would have to catch it. The test of my reaction time is how far down the ruler I catch it. In badminton reaction time is also very important as reacting to the shuttles direction quickly is vital. Reaction time is very difficult to improve however nationally I scored excellent so this isn’t a major concern for improvement. Illinois Agility Test = this test is rather complicated but a great test of agility. It involves lying on the floor until the timer starts, once it has started I must stand up and run following the arrows on the diagram, each circle is a cone. This test accesses the ability to change direction at speed and the transference of weight at speed. The game of badminton can be very fast and therefore changing direction at speed can be essential. The test took me 43seconds; this is also just above average. Balance = this test involves a static balance which is timed. This is to see how long I can balance on one leg with my eyes closed. Balance in badminton is important as when stretching to reach the shuttle I need to keep my balance so not to fall. I managed to stay balanced for 20seconds this being nationally very good.