Marketing Research on Selected Two Major Competing Brands Essay

Marketing Research on Selected Two Major Competing Brands - Essay Example As the paper stresses the marketing case study analysis of the Google Inc presented by Abt had demonstrated the marketing programs of Google precisely. Taking insights from his work, the most important facet of Google’s marketing program is that it aims to make its applications and products accepted by all the market segments. Another important aspect of Google is that it allows both private and non-profit organization to use this search engine at absolutely free of cost. It is of no surprise to mention that Google works on the marketing motto that information gathering is a phenomenon of individuals, non-profit organizations and small and large businesses. This discussion declares that the external environment of Google is dynamic in nature and thus also provides opportunities and threats to the search engine. Google is on high demand and to remain competitive in this dynamic environment, it needs to predict the changes and accordingly adapt systems, cultures, strategies and also the process of alignment with the changes. In this respect, Google until now has undertaken several changes like that of the decision taken by Larry Page to step down from the role of Vice President and make Eric Schmidt the front man for Google (CEO). This indicates that Google follows dynamic strategies within its internal environment to cope up with the ever changing external environment. Google holds the top most position in the web and this position allows it to control any of the growth areas. Google has been so far applying marketing penetration strategies in the web industry for remaining on top. Free exposure and free benchmarking are some of the stra tegies that have been helping Google over the years. They always keep themselves aware of the competitive positioning and this trait of the company helps in achieving the competitive advantage over other competitors. The strongest element of Google’s marketing mix is their ‘universal search product’. This element always allows Google to either vote for or against any form of information and it is believed that this product type of Google is the ultimate generator of its

Samsung Electronics Essay Example for Free

Samsung Electronics Essay Samsung Electronics, one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers. It is also South Korea’s top electronic company. It makes many kinds of consumer devices, including DVD players, digital TVs, and digital still cameras; computers, color monitors, LCD panels, and printers; semiconductors such as DRAMs, static RAMs, flash memory, and display drivers; and communications devices ranging from wireless handsets and smartphones to networking gear. The company, which is the flagship member of Samsung Group, also makes microwave ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines. Nearly half of sales come from the Asia/Pacific region. II. Situational Analysis (TOWS) Threats 1) Relentless deflation 2) Rivals can buy similar technologies from other vendors without tying up capital or making long term commitments. 3) Chinese companies keep driving prices ever lower, leveraging super cheap wages and engineering talent. 4) Direct and strong Competitors (Apple Computer Inc., Motorola Inc., Sony Corp., Nokia, etc.) in a tough environment 5) Korea’s slumping economy─ and in China and other Asian countries struck by SARS epidemic.| Opportunities 1) Venture into new markets 2) Proliferate production outputs 3) Increase capitalization| Weaknesses 1) Too many diversified products 2) Inevitability to decrease price 3) Life cycle of hardware goods is brutally short and subject to relentless commoditization.| Strengths 1) Using the latest and high-end technologies in manufacturing and creating new products (CDMA, DRAM, DLP and NAND) 2) Excellent RD capabilities 3) Fewer layer of bureaucracy 4) Vertically Integrated 5) Diversified product lines 6) Competent employees| III. Hierarchy of Objectives IV. Hierarchy of Problems V. Analytical Tool: TOWS Matrix Internal External| Strengths 1) Using the latest and high-end technologies in manufacturing and creating new products (CDMA, DRAM, DLP and NAND) 2) Excellent RD capabilities 3) Fewer layer of bureaucracy 4) Vertically integrated 5) Diversified product lines 6) Competent employees| Weaknesses 1) Too many diversified products 2) Inevitability to decrease price 3) Life cycle of hardware goods is brutally short and subject to relentless commoditization.| Opportunities 1) Venture into new markets 2) Proliferate production outputs 3) Increase capitalization| S-O * Entering into the software business (S1, S2, S5, O1) * Outsource manufacturing (O2) * Attract more investors (S1, S2, S3, O3) * Exploratory technology development strategy, specifically with respect to the engineering design and prototyping effort (S1, S2, S5, S6, O1 ) * improve the control of cost, quality and delivery times of inputs in order to master vertical integration (S3, S4, O2)| W-O * Continuously tap into and augment e xisting technologies and quick application as soon as new concepts are realized (W1, W3, O1, O3) * To keep sales growing by adding new features, targeting additional segments and adjusting prices (W1, W2, W3, O1, O3)| Threats 1) Relentless deflation 2) Rivals can buy similar technologies from other vendors without tying up capital or making long term commitments. 3) Chinese companies keep driving prices ever lower, leveraging super cheap wages and engineering talent. 4) Direct and strong Competitors (Apple Computer Inc., Motorola Inc., Sony Corp., Nokia, etc.) in a tough environment 5) Korea’s slumping economy─ and in China and other Asian countries struck by SARS epidemic.| S-T * Motivate employees through incentives and by offering better compensation packages. (S5, T4) * Leveraging core competencies (S1, S2, S4, T2, T4) * Initiate CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs. (S5, T5) * Focus on Vertical Integration and hardware (S1, S4, S5, T2, T3, T4)| W-T * Aggressive marketing efforts (Advertisements) to create custom er awareness (W1, W2, W3, T2, T3, T4, T5 ) * Clear differentiation and value added pricing (W1, W2, W3, T4) * Realistic profit-based pricing (W2, T3, T4)| VI. Alternative Courses of Action Alternative Coursesof Actions| Description| Pros| Cons| 1. Improve profits to keep up with sales| * adding new features, targeting additional segments and adjusting prices * to intensify marketing efforts| * greater market share * increase in profit * improve brand awareness * threatens competitors| * Increase marketing expenses * Opportunity costs financially in the other functional areas.| 2. Venturing into the software business| * aside selling hardware, Samsung could also develop proprietary software (applications, games and other multimedia)| * Higher margins * Long lead time over rivals * Thriving into a new market segment| * Copyright infringement that can stain Samsung’s brand * Additional capital outlay * High barrier to entry| 3.Aggressive marketing efforts (Advertisements) to create customer awareness| * Aggressive marketing is the back bone of any company to grow. As a matter of fact what determines performance of any company, organization is their MARKETING method .| * Increase consumer awareness globally * Increase in sales * Larger market share * Attracts/Rise in profits * Improve long-term profits * Could gain competitive advantage over competitors * helps in improvement of the quality of the goods * information of products are readily available| * Increasing advertising increases the costs of doing business and cuts into your bottom line. * might jeopardize short-term revenues| VII. Chosen Alternatives * Aggressive marketing efforts (Advertisements) to create customer awareness VIII. Implementation/Action Plan Activities| OVI| Means of Verification| Person- in-Charge(Division, Department, Agency)| Resource Requirement| 1. Meeting with top-level managers on coming up with an excellent marketing proposal| * Approved new marketing proposals| * Minutes of the meeting| * Yun, CEO; BOD’s and executive officers| * HR * Time| 2. Department heads will meet and inform their subordinates (especially the RD and Marketing Dept.) on the changes| * Acceptance and participation of Department heads and subordinates| * Memorandum, a written document signed by the top-level committees| * Department heads and their respective subordinates| * HR * Time| 3. Marketing department will implement the new and approved proposal| * Increased product exposure | * Marketing paraphernalia (Printed ads. And materials)| * Marketing Department| * Financial * Marketing materials| 4. Monitor and evaluate results through sales and profits| * Financial Analysis| * Financial statements, account records| * Both Marketing a nd Finance department| * Book of Accounts * Time * HR * Information System|

The Problem Of Evil By John Hick | Analaysis

The Problem Of Evil By John Hick | Analaysis In this final paper I review the contemporary issue The Problem of Evil by John Hick on pages 143 to 147 of the Burr Goldfinger text. Hick has four main points in his article. First, that within the Christian doctrine there is no dilemma concern the existence of Evil because Second, the concept of Evil is necessary for the measuring of actions so that Third, human souls can choose to move nearer or farther from God, meaning that Fourth, our existence and world is a type of soul factory measuring and creating souls that are worthy to the presence of God. Some quick internet searches on John Hick reveals that he is a very well respected and prolific writer on the topic of God, Philosophy, Theology, and the relationship of Religion and Science (http://www.johnhick.org.uk/jsite/). Further he has several advanced degrees from some very prestigious universities to include a doctorate of philosophy from Oxford University and a doctorate in literature (or Letters it is not clear) from the University of Edinburgh. Hicks clear writing style and excellent arguments have clearly earned him a place of prominence within high academic circles. This article is in the section concerning God Religion. What is especially interesting, and suggests the overall quality of the thinking, is that Hick is able to turn the tables on an argument that at one time seemed to put a nail in the coffin of theology. Until reading this article, I did struggle with the dilemma of Evil against the existence of God. At first blush and even with some deeper inquiry they do seem to be at odds. These are reasonable questions: If God is all powerful and all good, why does Evil exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? And so on. Through a well thought out argument Hick addresses this, and further suggests, cleverly being able to stay within the theology and thinking of Christian doctrine, that a creator God given the goals and temperament of the Christian God, would see Evil as a necessary requirement for a world designed to create souls worthy of His presence. Summary of Article Hick has written an extensive essay outlining a philosophical argument suggesting that it is not a contradiction to believe in a Christian version of God while still acknowledging the existence of Evil in its many forms. The dilemma he is arguing against is the idea that a perfectly loving creator God would not allow, or would abolish Evil from his created world. Since we can see that Evil clearly exists, it is reasonable to assume that either there is no creator God, God is not Omni-powerful, or God must not be perfectly loving (Goldinger and Burr 143). Hick goes on to summarize Augustine, who defined Evil as a distortion of something valuable; a movement away from God by humans (Goldinger and Burr 144). This is an important distinction because it suggests that Christian doctrine does not dismiss Evil, but identifies it as having meaning and purpose within the realm created by God. It identifies direction of the soul against actions, where good actions move a soul closer to God and evil actions move a soul farther away from God. Further, Hick summarizes the Christian viewpoint of the creation of the earth not of an absolute paradise created by God for his human creations to dwell in, but as a soul factory creating believers and preparing souls to enter the presence of God (Goldinger and Burr 146). To this end, Hick suggests that a perfect world would neither serve as a vehicle to produce souls worthy of Heaven, nor be a consistent and logical place for free-willed humans to dwell. Too much inconsistency would be necessary, for example should someone fall from a height that would break their back, gravity would have to change characteristics such that the fall would not hurt them, less they suffer the pain of the injury, and so on, several of these types of analogys are offered. He further offers that without Evil there would be no measuring stick to understand good and Just actions. To that end Hick summarizes his argument by saying that the existence of Evil fits perfectly into a theological model that accepts both free will, and the ability to measure a persons soul against the actions and choices they make, where worthy souls choose good actions that move them closer to God and unworthy souls choose actions that are Evil and move then away from God. Philosophical Critique As pure philosophy goes this article is actually one of the best explanations I have ever read concerning the problem of evil within a Christian theological framework. Its underlying premise is that our world as created by God is a type of soul factory, and when viewed as such can only make logical sense is real choices can be made by us, many with the consequence of evil and harm to others. Further, within these context natural disasters that bring evil upon people is necessary, for without itself sacrifice, heroism, and true goodwill could not be attempted or offered by people, thus denying any true measurement or preparedness of the human soul to be in the presence of God. Without evil human souls would not be able to learn from their actions, observe the actions of others, and make choices that allow them to either move nearer or farther from God. If the world we created such that any choice we made could never bring evil on another, and never provide a consequence to the choice we make, our souls would never develop beyond that of spoiled children. Touch choices and touch consequences are necessary in a world designed as a proving ground for the soul. Further, without the necessary context of evil we would not be able to contemplate the true divinity of God nor of our own existence. There would be no reason to attempt any endeavor or any type beyond pure self-gratification. Since evil is necessary for the measuring of our actions within the constructs of the world as a soul factory, the reality of Evil is necessary for a creator God looking to produce real creations, and not simple automatons that are capable of evolving into something more. All of this does not justify evil actions, or provide any type of moral platform for anyone to justify an evil action, it simply provides necessary context for us to understand the reasons for our choices and why it is important to make choices that move us closer to God. What is especially interesting about this argument is that it turns the dilemma concern the existence of Evil and the existence of God on its ear, and takes an argument that at one time was believed and held onto by anti-Christians as an absolute proof against the existence of God, and makes it a pretty good argument FOR the existence of God. Not only does it dispel the dilemma, it builds on it in a very interesting way and argues that no real creator God would even consider designing a world without evil, given the other theological elements of Christianity. Conclusion Upon reviewing the arguments presented in The Problem of Evil by John Hick on pages 143 to 147 of the Burr Goldfinger text and Hicks has four main points, you discover a very well thought out and logical philosophical argument that seems to hold in both logical construct and keep its underlying assumption valid within the necessary area of Christian doctrine. The idea that God created the world as a soul factory is supported by the concept of freewill and choice, and the measurement of choice within a reality with real choices and real consequences. Upon close examination this is not a dilemma concerning the existence and nature of God, but a reassurance that Christianity is in fact based upon a rational view of the world and that it can be defended using logic and sound reason. This article interested me very much and I will be going out and purchasing some other books by Hick to see if he is able to put together complete tombs that are as well thought out and as interesting as this article was. Given that he has published over 20 books and given his academic appointments, I suspect I am in for a fun bit of reading.

Francis Parkman :: essays research papers fc

Many people regarded nature and the world with their eyes only. However, some perceived the world through all their senses. They stopped and listened to what appeared before them, and then they experienced their surroundings. One person who looked beyond his first impression was Francis Parkman. Parkman’s love for history and nature drove him to overcome his physical weaknesses. He pursued his passion with the diligence of a soldier and brought a different perspective to nineteenth century history. Francis Parkman traveled across North America and obtained firsthand experiences about nature, hardships, and the unknown. He developed his quest for knowledge as a child on the Hall Farm in Quincy, Massachusetts. Parkman battled the degenerating loss of his health, the loss of only son, and the loss of his wife. He compiled his wisdom in letters, journals, articles, and books; and Parkman left a legacy unmatched by historians of his time. On September 16, 1823, the union of Reverend Francis Parkman and Caroline Hall Parkman produced a son, Francis Parkman, Jr. The Reverend and Mrs. Parkman, his second wife, resided in Somerset Place, Boston, and the family tree consisted of ministers, merchants, philanthropists, and brave Indian fighters. The Parkman family spent winters in Boston and summers at the Hall farm in Quincy, Massachusetts. The farm in Quincy provided Parkman with a vast area of rocks and forestry to explore, since it happened to be located adjacent to the Five Mile Woods, later renamed the Middlesex Fells. He encountered many illnesses in Boston, and his parents decided to leave him in his grandparents’ care on the farm. On the farm he collected rocks, trapped animals, shot arrows at birds, and conducted experiments. He wrote about himself and his experiments in the third person just as his peer, Henry Adams, regularly did. Parkman returned home to his parents at age thirteen to begin private school ing. Parkman attended Gideon Thayer’s famous private school, Chauncey Hall, in order to prepare for college at Harvard. He entered Harvard in August 1940, and he excelled academically, physically, and socially. In addition to his regular studies, Parkman joined several school clubs and helped found another one. In July 19, 1841, during summer break from Harvard, he and Daniel Denison Slade took a trip to explore the White Mountains located in New Hampshire and Maine. Parkman, aware of an avalanche that killed nine in 1826, eagerly climbed the unstable flume close to Notch House.

Indian Constitution

The Constitution of India has some distinct and unique features as compared to other constitutions to the world. As Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee puts it, the framers had tried to accumulate and accommodate the best features of other constitutions, keeping in view the peculiar problems and needs of our country. The following are the salient features of the Constitution of India. 1. Longest written constitution Indian Constitution can be called the largest written constitution in the world because of its contents.In its original form, it consisted of 395 Articles and 8 Schedules to which additions have been made through subsequent amendments. At present it contains 395 Articles and 12 Schedules, and more than 80 amendments. There are various factors responsible for the long size of the constitution. One major factors was that the framers of the constitution borrowed provisions form several sources and several other constitutions of the world. They have fol lowed and reproduced the Government of India Act 1935 in providing matters of administrative detail.Secondly, it was necessary to make provisions for peculiar problems of India like scheduled castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward regions. Thirdly, provisions were made for elaborate centre-state relations in all aspects of their administrative and other activities. Fourthly, the size of the constitution became bulky, as provisions regarding the state administration were also included. Further, a detail list of individual rights, directive principles of state policy and the details of administration procedure were laid down to make the Constitution clear and unambiguous for the ordinary citizen.Thus, the Constitution of India became an exhaustive and lengthy one. (2) Partly Rigid and Partly Flexible The Constitution of India is neither purely rigid nor purely flexible. There is a harmonious blend of rigidity and flexibility. Some parts of the Constitution can be amended by the ordinar y law-making process by Parliament. Certain provisions can be amended, only when a Bill for that purpose is passed in each house of Parliament by a majority of the total membership of that house and. by a majority of not less than two-third of the members of that house present and voting.Then there are certain other provisions which can be amended by the second method described above and are ratified by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the states before being presented to the President for his assent. It must also be noted that the power to initiate bills for amendment lies in Parliament alone, and not in the state legislatures. Pundit Nehru expressed in the Constituent Assembly, â€Å"While we want the Constitution to be as solid and permanent as we can make it, there is no permanence in Constitution. There should be certain flexibility.If you make anything rigid and permanent, you stop the nation’s growth, the growth of a living, vital organic people. † 3) A Democratic Republic India is a democratic republic. It means that sovereignty rests with the people of India. They govern themselves through their representatives elected on the basis of universal adult franchise. The President of India, the highest official of the state is elected for a fixed term. Although, India is a sovereign republic, yet it continues to be a member of the Commonwealth of Nations with the British Monarch as its head.Her membership of the Commonwealth does not compromise her position as a sovereign republic. The commonwealth is an association of free and independent nations. The British Monarch is only a symbolic head of that association. 4) Parliamentary System of Government India has adopted the Parliamentary system as found in Britain. In this system, the executive is responsible to the legislature, and remains in power only as long and it enjoys the confidence of the legislature. The president of India, who remains in office for five years is the nomina l, itular or constitutional head. The Union Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head is drawn from the legislature. It is collectively responsible to the House of People (Lok Sabha), and has to resign as soon as it loses the confidence of that house. The President, the nominal executive shall exercise his powers according to the advice of the Union Council of Ministers, the real executive. In the states also, the government is Parliamentary in nature. 5) A Federation Article 1 of the Constitution of India says: – â€Å"India, that is Bharat shall be a Union of States. Though the word ‘Federation' is not used, the government is federal. A state is federal when (a) there are two sets of governments and there is distribution of powers between the two, (b) there is a written constitution, which is the supreme law of the land and (c) there is an independent judiciary to interpret the constitution and settle disputes between the centre and the states. All the se features are present in India. There are two sets of government, one at the centre, the other at state level and the distribution of powers between them is quite detailed in our Constitution.The Constitution of India is written and the supreme law of the land. At the apex of single integrated judicial system, stands the Supreme Court which is independent from the control of the executive and the legislature. But in spite of all these essential features of a federation, Indian Constitution has an unmistakable unitary tendency. While other federations like U. S. A. provide for dual citizenship, the India Constitution provides for single citizenship. There is also a single integrated judiciary for the whole country.The provision of All India Services, like the Indian Administrative Service, the India Police Service, and Indian Forest Service prove another unitary feature. Members of these services are recruited by the Union Public Service Commission on an All-India basis. Because th ese services are controlled by Union Government, to some extent this constitutes a constraint on the autonomy of states. A significant unitary feature is the Emergency provisions in the Indian constitution. During the time of emergency, the Union Government becomes most powerful and the Union Parliament acquires the power of making laws for the states.The Governor placed as the constitutional head of the state, acts as the agent of the centre and is intended to safeguard the interests of the centre. These provisions reveal the centralising tendency of our federation. Prof: K. C. Wheare has rightly remarked that Indian Constitution provides, â€Å"a system of government which is quasi-federal, a unitary state with the subsidiary unitary features†. The framers of the constitution expressed clearly that there exists the harmony of federalism and the unitarism. Dr.Ambedkar said, â€Å"The political system adopted in the Constitution could be both unitary as well as federal accor ding to the requirement of time and circumstances†. We can say that India has a â€Å"Cooperative federalism† with central guidance and state compliance. 6) Fundamental Rights â€Å"A state is known by the rights it maintains†, remarked Prof. H. J. Laski. The constitution of India affirms the basic principle that every individual is entitled to enjoy certain basic rights and part III of the Constitution deals with those rights which are known as fundamental rights.Originally there were seven categories of rights, but now they are six in number. They are (i) Right to equality, (ii) Right to freedom, (iii) Right against exploitation, (iv) Right to freedom of Religion, v) Cultural and Educational rights and vi) Right to constitutional remedies. Right to property (Article-31) originally a fundamental right has been omitted by the 44th Amendment Act. 1978. It is now a legal right. These fundamental rights are justiciable and the individual can move the higher judiciar y, that is the Supreme Court or the High Courts, if there is an encroachment on any of these rights.The right to move to the Supreme Court straight for the enforcement of fundamental rights has been guaranteed under Article 32 (Right to Constitutional Remedies). However, fundamental rights in India are not absolute. Reasonable restrictions can be imposed keeping in view the security-requirements of the state. 7) Directive Principles of State Policy A novel feature of the Constitution is that it contains a chapter in the Directive Principles of State Policy. These principles are in the nature of directives to the government to implement them for establishing social and economic democracy in the country.It embodies important principles like adequate means to livelihood, equal pay for both men and women, distribution of wealth so as to subserve the common good, free and compulsory primary education, right to work, public assistance in case of old age, unemployment, sickness and disable ment, the organisation of village Panchayats, special care to the economically back ward sections of the people etc. Most of these principles could help in making India welfare state. Though not justiciable. These principles have been stated a; â€Å"fundamental in the governance of the country†. ) Fundamental Duties A new part IV (A) after the Directive Principles of State Policy was incorporated in the constitution by the 42nd Amendment, 1976 for fundaments duties. These duties are: i) To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; ii) To cherish and follow the noble ideals, which inspired our national struggle for freedom; iii) To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; iv) To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do o; v) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic, regional or sectional diversities, to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of woman; vi) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; vii) to protect and improve the natural environments including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life and to have compassion for living creatures; viii) to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform; x) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence; x) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of Endeavour and achievement. The purpose of incorporating these duties in the Constitution is just to remind the people that while enjoying their right as citizens, should also perform their duties for rights and duties are correlative. 9) Secular State A secular state is neither religious nor irreligious, or anti-religious.Rather it is quite neutral in matters of religion. India being a land of many religions, the f ounding fathers of the Constitution thought it proper to make it a secular state. India is a secular state, because it makes no discrimination between individuals on the basis of religion. Neither it encourages nor discourages any religion. On the contrary, right to freedom of religion is ensured in the Constitution and people belonging to any religious group have the right to profess, practice or propagate any religion they like. 0) An Independent Judiciary The judiciary occupies an important place in our Constitution and it is also made independent of the legislature and the executive. The Supreme Court of India stands at the apex of single integrated judicial system. It acts as protector of fundamental rights of Indian citizens and guardian of the Constitution. If any law passed by the legislature or action taken by the executive contravenes the provisions of the Constitution, they can be declared as null and void by the Supreme Court.Thus, it has the power of judicial review. Bu t judicial review in India constitutes a middle path between the American judicial supremacy in one hand and British Parliamentary supremacy in the other. 11) Single Citizenship The Constitution of India recognises only single citizenship. In the United States, there is provision of dual citizenship. In India, we are citizens of India only, not of the respective states to which we belong. This provision would help in promoting unity and integrity of the nation.

Thucydides essays

Thucydides essays Thucydides was one of the greatest Greek historians of the ancient Greeks. He did most of his work around 400 B.C. and he was a citizen of Athens. He was most famous for his History of the Peloponnesian War. He fought in the war and became a general. The war lasted for 27 years, from 431 to 401 B.C. In Thucydides opinion he thought that the Greeks fought the hardest they ever had during the war. The Peloponnese was the southern part of Greece controlled by Sparta. During this war Athens, the biggest and greatest city-state of in ancient Greece, was attack by the Spartans and the Persians. Athens was taxing and taking the money of the other city-states of Greece and many city-states were mad so they asked Sparta to help stop Athens. The Persians had tried and failed twice already trying to destroy Athens. The war lasted for 27 years, 431 B.C. to 404 B.C. This is Thucydides' thought of why the war started. He tried to do his best in finding and recording facts and people from the war. So he visited the battlefields and talked survivors of the war. His main goal was to try not to be biased about what his findings. In 424 B.C. Thucydides was a general and commanded Athenian forces in thrace, where operated mining. He was exiled from the city because he was accused of failing to protect the city of Amphilpolis. Thucydides was banished from Athens. During his exile he worked on his history, and wrote about the Peloponnesian war and had a brilliant account of the war as events unfolded. He returned to Athens in 404 B.C. Most of all of our knowledge of the Peloponnesian war came from the writings of Thucydides. His best-known writing was called the History of the Peloponnesian War, which consists of eight books. In the books he wrote of the first 20 years of the war. He died before he was able to finish writing about the last 7 years of the war. The knowledge about the life of Thucydides is incomplete. Very little about the second hal...

Communication And Race Essays - Discrimination, Racism, Hatred

Communication And Race Essays - Discrimination, Racism, Hatred Communication And Race The most critical aspects of media performance with regards to race and ethnicity are issues that relate to the quality of its representation of the lives of people of color. Accuracy and diversity are aspects of media performance that will allow for a careful evaluation of how it represents people of color. Evaluating media performance is important because of the utilization and reliance on the mass media for much of society's reflexive monitoring and evaluation of reality. The performance of mass media is important in regards to race and ethnicity because the mass media are the primary source of indirect or mediated experiences that reinforce racial attitudes and beliefs that are integrated into cognitive structures (Gandy, 1998). Thus, mass media can be viewed as places where reality is constructed and racism may be reproduced. Accuracy Accuracy is an important aspect of media performance to consider in assessing the quality of its representation of the lives of people of color because of its assumed consequences of developing self-image and personal identity and its reflection of social reality that informs social policy (Gandy 1998). Shan and Thorton (1994) state that previous research of minority groups has shown that minorities are sometimes depicted as being violent, primitive, and politically unsophisticated. Furthermore, they postulate that certain types of behaviors among minorities may be understood by whites as pathological or deviant because of how the news media represent them. This representation is inaccurate because it ignores historical context and structural explanations for social trends. In addition, Shan and Thorton state that newsmagazines reproduce racism by perpetuating a racial hierarchy carried out by mainly whites and consumed by mainly whites that positioned blacks at the bottom. Entman (1990) found that local news stimulated the production of modern racism. Violent crimes committed by blacks was the largest category of local news. Of the eight times in which blacks were subjects of lead stories, six described violent crimes. In addition, blacks were shown as being more dangerous than whites. Entman states that accused blacks were usually illustrated by glowering mug shots or by footage of them being led around in handcuffs, their arms held by uniformed white policemen. Salwen and Soruco (1997) state that images of Mexicans in the press reflect racial stereotypes. The researchers point out examples in US press where Mexicans were labeled as wetbacks and associated with causing destruction by introducing one of the world's most destructive insect pest. Gandy (1998) states that blacks are often portrayed as violent criminals. If they are portrayed in human-interest stories, these stories rely upon negative stereotypes. Like Entman and Gandy finding that minorities (blacks) experience inaccurate portrayals of being violent, Salwen and Soruco also report that Hispanics were framed in crime stories more frequently. Astroff (1989) conclude that mass media tends to reproduce or participate in the reproduction of inaccurate representations, stereotypes, of Latinos. US Latinos were transformed into Spanish Gold through the redefinition of (not the elimination of) traditional stereotypes. These stereotypes of Latinos were reinterpreted for the use of explanations of consumer behavior yet there was not any significant change, moving to a more accurate depiction, in the representation of Latinos in mainstream media. Diversity The concept of diversity is a multidimensional one. The FCC sought to promote diversity under two headings: one of maximizing consumer choice; the other of serving the public interest by ensuring an appropriate range of service from broadcasting and fairness in giving access and attention to minority groups. Diversity of program content, accessible to all segments of the audience, is necessary to insure quality representation of the lives of people of color. One of the goals of the media should be to represent or reflect the prevailing differences of culture, opinion, and social conditions of the population as a whole. The degree of correspondence between the diversity of the society and the diversity of media content is the key to assessing media performance. Diversity must be at the media content level and at the media system level and must promote racial proportionality and representation. Entman (1990) demonstrated that blacks were misrepresented in local news coverage. So-called bad news was often thought more newsworthy than good news and ethnic minority members were differentially more