Recumbent Elliptical Exercise Machines - 530 Words

A recumbent elliptical is exercise equipment that enables you to exercise without the awkwardness of sitting in uncomfortable, upright positions. The movements that are made when using a recumbent elliptical are much easier on your joints than other exercise equipment, which means that the risk of injury is lower. Risk of injury is still present however, especially if you are unable to adjust the machine to the proper position to suit your needs. If you are planning on purchasing one of these machines, it is best to familiarise yourself with the different features, materials and designs which will then make your decision much easier. It’s important to try exercise equipment before buying if it is possible. That way you can get a feel of what is comfortable for your body, and it is also advisable to buy equipment of high quality as opposed to cheap, plastic if possible. A stable base is essential also to ensure that it doesn’t rock when you are exercise with is a hazard. Different recumbent elliptical exercise machines come with different features, so you are bound to find one that will suit your needs. The primary movers for require flexion and extension from the knees, as opposed to arms. These types of exercise equipment work out the lower and upper body, and are effective in working out more muscle groups, which results in a more efficient workout. Another feature of recumbent elliptical machines that is useful is adjustable seats. It is important to also find one thatShow MoreRelatedEssay On Best Home Gym Equipment1447 Words   |  6 Pagesyour upper body exercise. You can do 9 awesome and effective exercises with this type of Fitness Chin Up Bar. For pull up exercises and fitness mojo you just need a chin- up bar at home. pull up bar When you got this you have got everything you need to do this exercise. With this exercise you can work every single muscle in your body you just need the bar and body weight. With the chin-up bar, you can work all of the pull muscles: your back and biceps. A wide range of abs exercises is also possibleRead MoreTreadmill Benefits4162 Words   |  17 Pages------------------------------------------------- BENEFITS FROM TREADMILL EXERCISE 0  COMMENTS Jun 10, 2011 | By  Lakshmy Nair Photo Credit inifinity health and condition concept with running woman image by .shock from Fotolia.com The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a weekly minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, for adults. An alternative is 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity such as jogging or running. A treadmill enablesRead MoreA Doctor Of Physical Therapy Essay2004 Words   |  9 PagesSweden founded the royal central institute of gymnastics (RCIG), however later it was referred as â€Å"Medical gymnastics† by 1865. There were some unearthed records discovered. Patients records were tracked, manipulative therapy techniques combined with exercise to help patients with physical problems and injures. Americans later traveled to Sweden to seek out treatment because of the lack of help in the U.S.A. Ironically, Americans live a more easier life then others then the typical American 1800’s. NewRead MoreTypes Of Training, Running, Roads Or Paths Or Mile Makers Essay2347 Words   |  10 Pagesa many pieces of cardio equipmen t including: 25 Precor Elyptical EFX576i Trainers: this features moving handles so arms pump while you work 10 Precor Elyptical EFX546i Trainers: handle bars are stationary 22 Precor Treadmills 6 Startac Recumbent Stationary Bikes 6 Startac Upright Stationary Bikes 4 Stairmaster Freeclimbers 4 Stairmaster Stepmills 1 Sprint Torso Ergonomic 1 Rower All equipment is new and the cardio area features 12 flat screen TVs mounted from the ceilingRead MoreLadies Only Fitness Business Plan5890 Words   |  24 Pagesowner of Ladies Only Fitness, has worked in with numerous women in the past five years She has created Ladies Only Fitness in order to fill a need she has seen in fitness services provided to women over the years. From the selection of workout machines to the organization of the child care center, Ladies Only Fitness will create a supportive experience that will bring in new members by word of mouth. 1.1 Mission The mission of Ladies Only Fitness is the following: †¢ Create a woman-focused workout

Legalization of Marjuana - 637 Words

Marijuana should be legal because it has several medicinal benefits, does not cause as much harm as alcohol or tobacco, and has been used by several dignitaries. The origins of marijuana date clear back to before recorded history, but the earliest written mention of it was in 1500 B.C. in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, titled the Rh-Ya. Emperor Fu also appears to have mentioned it in 2900 B.C., claiming that cannabis was a very popular medicine that possessed both ying and yang. It’s also mentioned several more times throughout history including usage in the Book of Exodus, Bhang (an Indian drink made of cannabis and milk), and possibly even in Bible. It was medically referenced in several places including Ancient Greece, Egypt, and China. Marijuana was made illegal essentially in 1937 by the Marijuana Tax Act. There are a few considerable reasons That it should be re-legalized, however. Marijuana has several medicinal benefits that some have accepted and started the study and use of, although many still dont. These include better treatment for causes of peripheral neuropathy , a relatively safer and better alternative to a great many cancer treatments, and also has fewer and less severe side effects of opioids used in medicine. Tests show that medicinal marijuana is more effective than most commonly prescribed treatments for peripheral neuropathy, which includes diabetes, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries. According to the CMCR(Center for MedicinalShow MoreRelatedliterature review- should marijuana be legalised?1457 Words   |  6 PagesIncluding people between the ages of eighteen and twenty nine most in favour of its legalisation, and people sixty five and older proved to be most opposed to it (daily mail reporter, 2011) A predominant question in the debate relating to the legalization of marijuana is whether consumption would rise and by how much. Many people are concerned that if the drug became legal it would become more accessible, affordable, and acceptable in society, making an increase in consumption a big possibilityRead MoreEssay on Legalization Of Weed2582 Words   |  11 Pagessubstance rots the brain or leads inexorably to harder substances. The issue of cannabis legalization has been debated ever since the substance was made illegal on April 14, 1930. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Reformers still press legislation today to make the psychoactive plant available to medical patients as well as the general adult population. On of the more prominent groups that lobbies for the legalization of marijuana is NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). Most marijuana

Organisational Change Management and Leadership †Free Samples

Question : What is the Organisational Change Management and Leadership ? Answer : Introduction Rapid changes in the business environment in terms of technology and socio-cultural factors forces companies to implement desired changes in the current processes and systems. It is an structured approach that brings transitions in a team, individual and organization to a desired state from the current state. It is an important aspect of the business as it facilitates in reducing the resistance to change among the employees. People tend to resist change in the organization due to which leaders influence their behavior towards change by adopting and implement desired change in the organization (Anderson and Anderson, 2010). Besides this, implementation of the change in the organization help employees to take full participation in the decision making process in the form of their opinions, thoughts and knowledge. This results in increasing the level of commitment among the employees which in turn results in improving their performance. Introduction and execution of the change in the org anization in a successful manner helps in enhancing the productivity of the organization and reducing the overall cost of the company (Graetz, et al., 2012). In addition to this, it also helps in bringing innovation in the organization so as to meet the changes occurred in the business environment. Effective implementation of the changes occurred in the organization helps in gaining competitive advantage over the rivals present in the market. This is because introduction of the change in the organization help employees to deal with the customer objections in an effective way which facilitates in increasing the customer base and profits of the business. In addition to this, there is also an improvement in the quality and production capacity of the organization due to implementation of the changes made in manufacturing processes and technology (Hussey, 2000). This report mainly emphasizes on the changes occurred in the hospitality and tourism industry in Thailand which are aligned to leadership style followed by it. The hotel in a Thailand is located near prime dive sites due to which people can reach there in 30 minutes through a boat ride. The prime sites is located 40 points far away from the hotel. The hotel only captures 12% of divers due to the fact that it caters services to big groups like families and group travelers. There is a need to bring changes in different processes and procedures of the hotel due to the reason to overcome the threat from new entrants in the region. 3 new hotels are entering the market with more than 900 beds and located within a kilometer from the hotel (Dawson, 2003). Marketing The hotel has to bring changes in different business operations for the purpose to keep a pace with a business environment. It is requisite for the organization to bring changes as three new hotels are established near the hotel which creates competition in terms of price for the hotel. The hotels in Thahiti provide accommodation at low cost. Besides this, hotels in Maldives are offering underwater view to the customers which is a unique feature of the hotels. This attracts potential customers and tourists in the hotel. This has become a big competition for the hotel. The hotel needs to provide training to its employees to deal with the customers in an effective manner which in turn helps in increasing the level of satisfaction of the customers. Besides this, it is also necessary for the hotel to provide high quality products to its customers which is manufactured with hygiene (Cameron and Green, 2015). The provision of tasty food and good ambience of the hotel helps in attracting large number of customers. Besides this, provision of tasty and fresh food items at reasonable price helps in reducing the price competition in the market. Nowadays, hotels provide a facility to its customers to make their order by the use of internet (Anderson and Anderson, 2010). Hotel provides a free home delivery facility to its customers so that they receive the products at their door steps by making an order through the use of online mode or through telephone. In addition to this, the three hotels which has become the prime competitors of the hotel has a large customer base in comparison to the hotel. In order to increase the customer base of the hotel, there might be a possibility to implement different promotional techniques such as advertisement on banners near airport, provision of accommodation on reasonable rates and provision of discounts if customers make advance booking by an online mode (Zu mitzavan and Michie, 2015). Along with this, the hotel also needs to provide pick and drop facility to its customers At reasonable price from and to the airport. This also helps in attracting new and potential customers. Besides this, the other changes that needs to be made include provision of different reasonable tour packages to tourists also helps in increasing the overall productivity and profitability of the organization. Besides this, in order to implement the aforementioned changes, it is required for the hotel to adopt transformational leadership style in the organization. Transformational leadership style facilitates in providing opportunity to employees to take part in the decision making process (Kotter, 2013). It can help in bringing changes as it helps in gaining knowledge regarding the customer buying behavior by tracking changes in the tastes and preferences of the customers. Transformational leadership style facilitates leaders to bring the needed change in the organization by working together with their subordinates. In context to the hotel, the manager needs to gain the information regarding the change to be implemented in the organization by receiving feedbacks from the customers online regarding the services and products offered by the hotel. Besides this, waiters and other staff of the organization also provides information related to the changes occurred in the preferences of the customer which help leaders of the organization to take effective decisions related to the strategies to be implemented in the organization (Bertocci, 2009). Vision and tangible outcomes of the change management in hotel The implementation of the potential changes in the organization facilitates in increasing the engagement of the employees in the business operations. This results in increasing their productivity and performance in the organization. The vision of the change management is to increase the customer base of the organization. There is a positive impact of the change management on the productivity and performance of the whole organization. The hotel has added new features in its website which has helped in attracting more number of customers. Customers can provide feedback and attain information regarding different tourist destinations or places that are considered to be visited in Thailand along with their distances from the hotel. In addition to this, it also provides a facility to its customers to take a taxi on rent from the hotel to visit the tourist places in the country (Baker, 2007). Adoption and implementation of Change by implementation of a Transformational Leadership Adoption of transformational leadership by the managers of the hotel has helped in creating a cohesive environment in the organization which in turn facilitates in increasing the productivity and performance of the employees of the organization. Besides this, execution of the transformational leadership has also facilitated in the provision of the pick and drop facility from the airport in a reasonable prices for which customers are ready to pay premium prices. This is because, it results in save of time of the tourists. Besides this, the company has also established an electronic communication network that helps employees and customers to interact with each other in order to make effective decisions. Access to an important information through the use of internet and telephone within the organization help employees to discuss their problems so as to take decisions in an effective manner to handle customer objections and achieve high level of customer satisfaction (Lippke, 2013). It leads to increase in the number of customer base as customers are persuaded to get services provided by the hotel by viewing the reviews of the existing customers on the internet regarding their experiences with the hotel. Transformational leadership as the name suggests refers to the leadership style which is concerned with the bringing transformation in the processes and procedures of the organization to meet the changes occurred in the business environment. This helps the hotel to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. The company has also provided a facility to its customers of planning a tour for tourists so that they can easily visit different tourists places in a cost effective manner. Besides this, organization also provides training to its employees in order to upgrade their skills and abilities for the purpose increasing their performance and productivity (Aitken and Higgs, 2010). Before the implementation of the change in the hotel through autocratic leadership Before change is implemented in the organization, hotel provides accommodation facilities to its customers at reasonable prices. It has 1117 keys and provide dive sight scene view from the rooms of the hotel which is the good sign of attracting customers. But it does not have large volume of customers. Besides this, there is a presence of autocratic leadership style followed by the people at managerial level in the organization. Autocratic leadership style has a characteristic that it involve central decision making system in which the decisions have been made by the leader by not involving employees and other stakeholders in the decision making. This might results in the inadequate implementation of the changes brought by the leader as people has the tendency to resist change. Therefore, in order to implement change in an effective manner, transformational leadership style is adopted by the management of the hotel as it helps in bringing change in the organization in an intended man ner (Mattiske, 2012). Implementation of a change through the adoption of transformational leadership in hotel Leaders involve workers and employees of the organization in the decision making process which facilitates in convincing the employees that their productivity and performance is improved which results in increasing the sales and profits of the business. Transformational leadership helps in increasing the capture rate from 12% (Beer and Nohria, 2000). This is because, employees have gained a sense of belongingness with the organization and highly motivated to increase their performance by providing superior quality of products and services to its customers at low price and maximum utilization of the available resources. Implementation of the digital communication network helps in providing access of the relevant information to employees so that they can make effective decisions in less time for the purpose of achieving high level of customer satisfaction (By and Burnes, 2012). Current changes made in the hotel and its impact In addition to this, through a communication network, customers can also include their queries online from their convenient place to which solutions are provided by the employees. In addition to this, customer feedback and their queries helps in bringing adequate changes in their policies and procedures for the purpose of remain competitive in the market. Besides this, provision of transportation from and to the airport is also done by slow and fast boats which help customers to reach at the hotel location in less time (Smillie and Hailey, 2001). A GPS system is fitted in the boats that are used to pick and drop from and to the airport. This enables in capturing the information related to the current location of the boat and can easily be communicated with the driver. This also reduces the cost of transportation incurred by the hotel as if there is more number of customers to pick and drop from the airport the driver can collect them and drop them at the hotel (Boonstra, 2012). In or der to implement the change in the information and communication technology, the system developers asks the users of the system regarding different features needed and their needs for the purpose of effective implementation of the system to gain enhanced productivity and performance. This also results in the elimination of the human errors due to the use of automated system in place of manual systems (Bendell, 2016). By the use of automated systems, records can easily be stored and access at any point of time for the purpose of taking decisions in a quick manner. This also results in organizational learning as it results in the development of new skills and upgrading the existing skills for the purpose of carrying out different business operations in an effective manner. If there is an existence of the gap between the expected outcome of the change and actual outcome from the change brought in the organization then corrective actions will be taken by the management in order to improve the performance and productivity of the whole organization (Cummings and Worley, 2014). After the implementation of the new technology in the form of a communication platform in the organization employees can easily share their views, opinions and thoughts with other employees in order to take effective decisions which in turn helps in the increase in the productivity and performance of employees. This also helps in overcoming the competition from the new players in the market (Paton and McCalman, 2008). Provision of the transportation to clients from and to the airport facilitates in spreading awareness regarding the hotel among potential customers which results in an increase in the volume of the customers of the organization. Transformational leaders act as the change agents that provide appropriate information related to the changes that has to be introduced in the organization before bringing change in the organization. People tend to resist change as they are not familiar with the outcomes and the way in which the activities have to be performed by the use of the new technology to be introduced in the organization (Suchy, 2004). Benefit from the adoption of transformational leadership to make changes in the hotel Transformational leadership style is developed in the organization by restructuring the organization. It is requisite to recruit new employees in the organization with the required new skill set. This helps in enhancing the skills of the existing employees by the way of establishment of the common communication platform which enables organizational learning. Autocratic leadership style results in delay of the tasks to be performed by the employees due to non- presence of the proper communication network in the organization. This type of leadership style involves centralized decision making (Hayes, 2014). Besides this, in this type of leadership, employees do not have a direct interaction with the highest level of organization i.e. board of directors. This is the reason, that change in the leadership style is brought in the organization so that the changes in the processes and procedures have been brought by the leaders in order to cope up with the changes occurred in the business env ironment. Besides this, the company also plans to target customers other than the professional divers (Alkhafaji, 2001). The hotel focuses on the customers who are keen to do diving. This is the feature of the hotel that differentiates it from other hotels in the nearby locations. The hotel might adopt differentiation strategy for the purpose of achieving competitive advantage over other players in the market. The hotel is situated near beach due to which customers will be ready to pay premium prices for different activities and facilities especially for diving (Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi, 2008). This is because Thailand is famous for different water sport due to which providing facilities to international tourists to enjoy different water sports will aid in increasing its revenue. This results in increasing the goodwill of the hotel in the market. Along with this, the hotel also has to adopt cost leadership strategy for the purpose of gaining competitive advantage over the three hotels that are situated within a kilometer from the hotel. The hotel can provide services to its customers at low cost by repl acing manual working to automated systems (Sims, 2006). The hotel has introduced and established intranet through which the information related to customers can be stored in a computer which takes less time in comparison to keeping records of the personal information manually. This has also helped in eliminating the cost incurred in the stationary products such as paper and files. This has also helped in save of time and cost. In addition to this, it also results in increasing the speed of people to make an entry in computer regarding the information related to customers. Use of automated systems has also results in the reducing the number of employees needed to perform the tasks (Ovadje, 2014). It results in reducing the labor cost. In addition to this, installation of the telephones in each room also helps customers to make their order at the reception, so that the people at the desk can make a record in their system which is communicated in the kitchen in an electronic form. This reduces the processing time and waiting time of customers. This also helps in reducing the cost of processing. This also helps in improving the quality of services to be delivered to the customer. Autocratic leadership style does not provide adequate information related to the policies and procedures to be followed in the organization. This has a negative impact on the performance of the employees (Hiatt and Creasey, 2003). Besides this, this also put hurdles in providing information to solve the problems faced by employees. In addition to this, transformational leadership provide opportunity to employees to interact with top level management to solve their problems in an effective manner. This has also helped in increasing their level of commitment of employees in the organization. Employees feel a sense of belongingness with the organization. In addition to this, establishment of a new system that hewlps in providing instant information to employees at different levels helps them to make a decision related to the standard of the quality maintained in the services provided to customers. This help employees to maintain the quality of the services rendered as per the set standard. This has also helped in increasing good experiences of the customers through the services provided to them (Hughes and Wearing, 2016). Key stakeholders of the change initiatives and strategies used to build commitment and engagement Stakeholders are the entities which have some interest in the business operations of the organization. The key stakeholders of the organization include employees, managers, financial institutions and customers. There is a significant impact of the change initiatives and strategies on the stakeholders of the organization. In the beginning people tend to resist change to be brought in the organization. This is because, they are familiar with the tasks to be carried out in a routine manner, although, training has been provided to the existing staff regarding the skills that are required to perform the task by the use of new technology or system to be incorporated in the business (Babaita, Sipos, Ispas and Nagy, n.d). The adoption of the transformational leadership in place of autocratic leadership helps in providing information related to different business operations which helps in bringing transparency in the information provided to the stakeholders. Transparency in the business operations helps in attracting investors to make investment in the business for the purpose of its expansion. This in turn also helps in widening of the target market for the hotel. The hotel not only provides accommodation and transportation facilities but also provide fresh and high quality of food to its customers. Customers are given the priority by the business as it has a direct impact on the sales and profits of the business. Besides this, transformational leadership helps in increasing the engagement and level of commitment of the employees in the organization as itr results in the delegation of authority and responsibility at lower levels in the organization which helps in provision of high quality of services to customers. This is because, the decisions can be taken in prompt manner by the employees (Ogbonna and Harris, 2000). Conclusion It can be concluded that nowadays, it is essential for the business to make changes in the processes and procedures as per the changes taking place in the business environment in order to sustain in the market. Entry of new firms in the hotel industry results in increasing the completion in the industry for existing hotels. A small hotel in Thailand has bought changes in their processes and procedures along with the leadership style which helps it to attain an advantage over its competitors. It can also be concluded the hotel has adopted transformational leadership style as it facilitates in delegation of the authority and responsibility at lower levels in the organization. Along with this, transformational leadership also helps in providing a sense of belongingness among the employees as it provide opportunity to employees to take part in the decision making process. This leads to an increase in the engagement and level of commitment of the employees towards the organization. This r esults in the attainment of the common goals and objectives of the hotel. This helps employees to take quick decisions to provide high quality services and products to its customers. This has resulted in an increase in the customer satisfaction. In addition to this, there is also a change taken place in the communication platform in the form of intranet which help employees to discuss their problems and issues with other employees in a quick manner which aids in enhancing the skills of the employees. Besides this, it also leads to organizational learning in the organization. Besides this, other change have been brought is the installation of the telephone in the rooms so that customers can make order at the reception which transfers information in the kitchen which results in quick delivery of the service to a specified room. It can also be summarized that it results in reducing the labor cost as installation of the automated system has reduced the requirement of the manpower in the organization. Along with this, it also provides opportunity to customers other than the customers living in the hotel to make online booking and make order of the food products online so that the products have been delivered at the doorsteps of t he customers without charging money for the delivery. References Ahmad, S.F., Gilkar, N.A. and Darzi, J.A. 2008. Organisational Behaviour. Atlantic Publishers Dist. Aitken, P. and Higgs, M. 2010. Developing Change Leaders: The Principles and Practices of Change Leadership Development. Routledge. Alkhafaji, A.F. 2001. Corporate Transformation and Restructuring: A Strategic Approach. Greenwood Publishing Group. Anderson, D. and Anderson, L.A. 2010. Beyond Change Management: How to Achieve Breakthrough Results Through Conscious Change Leadership. John Wiley Sons. Anderson, L.A. and Anderson, D. 2010. The Change Leader's Roadmap: How to Navigate Your Organization's Transformation. John Wiley Sons. Babaita, C., Sipos, G., Ispas, A. and Nagy, A. n.d. Leadership style and culture for innovation in hotel industry. Proceedings of the 5th WSEAS International Conference on Economy and Management Transformation 2, pp. 526-531. Baker, D. 2007. Strategic Change Management in Public Sector Organisations. Elsevier. Beer, M. and Nohria, N. 2000. Breaking the Code of Change. Harvard Business Press. Bendell, T. 2016. Building Anti-Fragile Organisations: Risk, Opportunity and Governance in a Turbulent World. Routledge. Bertocci, D.I. 2009. Leadership in Organizations: There is a Difference Between Leaders and Managers. University Press of America. Boonstra, J.J. 2012. Cultural Change and Leadership in Organizations: A Practical Guide to Successful Organizational Change. John Wiley Sons. By, R.T. and Burnes, B. 2012. Organizational Change, Leadership and Ethics: Leading Organizations Toward Sustainability. Routledge. Cameron, E. and Green, M. 2015. Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. Kogan Page Publishers. Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G. 2014. Organization Development and Change. Cengage Learning. Dawson, P. 2003. Understanding Organizational Change: The Contemporary Experience of People at Work. SAGE. Graetz, F., et al. 2012. Managing Organisational Change, Google eBook. John Wiley Sons. Hayes, J. 2014. The Theory and Practice of Change Management. Palgrave Macmillan. Hiatt, J. and Creasey, T.J. 2003. Change Management: The People Side of Change. Prosci. Hughes, M. and Wearing, M. 2016. Organisations and Management in Social Work: Everyday Action for Change. Sage. Hussey, D.E. 2000. How to Manage Organisational Change. Kogan Page Publishers. Kotter, J.P. 2013. Leading Change, With a New Preface by the Author. Harvard Business Press. Lippke, T. 2013. Organisational Change and Change Management. GRIN Verlag. Mattiske, C. 2012. Managing Organizational Change. AudioInk. Ogbonna, E. and Harris, L.C. 2000. Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: Empirical evidence from UK companies. International Journal of Human Resource Management 11(4), pp. 766-788. Ovadje, F. 2014. Change Leadership in Developing Countries. Routledge. Paton, P.R.A. and McCalman, J. 2008. Change Management: A Guide to Effective Implementation. SAGE. Sims, R.R. 2006. Human Resource Development: Today and Tomorrow. IAP Smillie, I. and Hailey, J.M. 2001. Managing for Change: Leadership, Strategy, and Management in Asian NGOs. Earthscan. Suchy, S. 2004. Leading with Passion: Change Management in the 21st-Century Museum. Rowman Altamira. Zumitzavan, V. and Michie, J. 2015. Personal Knowledge Management, Leadership Styles, and Organisational Performance: A Case Study of the Healthcare Industry in Thailand. Springer.

Social Responsibility, Consumerism, and the Marketing Concept Essay Example

Social Responsibility, Consumerism, and the Marketing Concept Essay SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, CONSUMERISM, AND THE MARKETING CONCEPT Robert D. Winsor, Loyola Marymount University ABSTRACT This paper compares the often-criticized selling orientation or selling concept with the commonly-praised societal marketing concept from the perspectives of consumer rationality and persuasibility. It is suggested that both orientations view consumers as relatively irrational and as easily prone to manipulation by marketers. The implications of this similarity are explored from the perspectives of consumerism and social responsibility. INTRODUCTION Critics of marketing have consistently attacked the discipline for discounting consumers intelligence and capacity for rational choice and for deliberately confounding consumers in their efforts to make rational, informed, unbiased, and free economic choices. At the same time, societal trends have pushed U. S. businesses in the direction of increasing concern for social issues and attention to long-run consumer welfare. The aforementioned criticisms and pressures for increasing social responsibility are largely driven by the same social paradigms and constituents. Yet, it is noteworthy that the ultimate result of an expanded social responsibility of business is the concomitant diminishment of free consumer choice. Moreover, this obstruction of consumer discretion is the inevitable consequence of presumptions of consumer irrationality. Thus, while groups such as consumerists have often criticized marketers explicitly for rejecting notions of consumer rationality, these same groups and sentiments have forcefully promoted the social responsibility of business and the societal marketing concept as advancements in business thought and practice. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Responsibility, Consumerism, and the Marketing Concept specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social Responsibility, Consumerism, and the Marketing Concept specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social Responsibility, Consumerism, and the Marketing Concept specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As a result, contradictions can be seen to exist within the consumerist agenda, and are apparent (but unacknowledged) in the societal marketing concept and calls for increasing the responsibility of business toward social issues and concerns. The goal of this paper is to expose these contradictions and to elaborate upon their implications for business and society in general. THE EVOLUTION OF THE MARKETING CONCEPT In January of 1960, the marketing discipline entered a new age. In this year, we were presented with no ground-breaking theory, no pioneering methodology, no brilliant adaptation of another disciplines construct, and no monumental grant. We were, however, given something we would come to treasure much more highly than any of these. We were provided a raison detre and a philosophical foundation. It was on this date that the Journal of Marketing published an article by Robert Keith (1960) entitled The Marketing Revolution. And, since its publication, marketers have been able to feel justified in believing that their efforts were not only indispensable, but that they have been instrumental in bringing about sweeping improvements in the evolution of business practice. Although the revolution described by Keith has been tamed to become the evolution of the marketing concept, and the generalizablity of the evolution it described has been questioned by some (e. g. Fullerton, 1988), the transformation in American business described by Keiths model has no netheless served as a source of explanation and justification for marketing academicians. The post-evolution marketers have been lent a degree of dignity and a sense of purpose which was conspicuously lacking before. Prior to this date, marketers were perceived to be at best superfluous, and at worst dishonest or unscrupulous. Not that the average citizen considers marketing in any different light today, but the belief in an evolution of the marketing concept has allowed the academic marketing community a certain degree of self-respect. In his article, Keith described four eras or periods of thought and practice through which his organization, The Pillsbury Company, progressed. Keith believed that these eras were characteristic of most businesses which were contemporaries of Pillsbury, and thus speculated that an overall movement was in evidence. Since the publication of Keiths article, other writers have modified, refined, and extended the basic thesis advancing this evolutionary process: The most noteworthy and well-known of these descriptions is that of Philip Kotler. Kotler describes five alternative concepts or philosophies through which most businesses have evolved. Although any given business can operate under any of the philosophies, the underlying precept of the evolution thesis is that these philosophies form a hierarchy, with later philosophies being superior to those of earlier eras (Keith, 1960; Kotler, 1994). The implication is that to move from a lower level (earlier) philosophy to that on a higher level (later) is not only insightful, but also good business. The first eras or business philosophies are termed the product and the production concepts. The product concept emphasizes product quality and/or performance, and assumes that at least some consumers are knowledgeable enough to recognize and respect superior attributes in these areas. The production concept focuses upon systems for producing large volumes of products in an effort to drive down costs by exploiting economies of scale. This philosophy is based upon the assumption that most consumers not only recognize, but prefer high value (benefits price) offerings and are knowledgeable and rational in selecting among alternative products. A later era is known as the selling concept, and is based upon the premise that consumers are relatively uninformed regarding product attributes, or base their selection upon fashion or other non-rational criteria. Moreover, this orientation assumes that consumers are easily influenced. As a result, organizations employing the selling concept typically resort to aggressive selling and promotional efforts, with the goal of seducing or coercing customers into purchasing the product. A considerably higher plane of enlightenment is represented by the marketing concept era. The marketing concept is considered to be a quantum leap up the evolutionary hierarchy, and continues to be embraced by a great number of marketing scholars and businesses. The marketing concept holds that the key to achieving organizational goals consists in determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors (Kotler, 1994, p. 18; 1977a). The motto of the marketing concept is find a need and fill it, and its credo is The Customer is King. Like the product and production concepts, but unlike the selling concept, the marketing concept is founded upon the assumption that consumers are knowledgeable, intelligent, and rational, and base their product purchases upon a careful consideration of the relationship between their own needs and product attributes. As a result, the fundamental premise of the marketing concept becomes a focus on the consumer as the pivotal point for all business activity (Barks dale and Darden, 1971). The thinking underlying the marketing concept was espoused as early as the 1940s and 1950s (Samli, Palda, and Barker, 1987; Bell and Emory, 1971). In 1958 the term marketing concept was coined to describe the philosophy behind this approach (see McKitterick, 1958), and by 1965 practically all introductory marketing texts included some discussion of the new marketing concept (Bell Emory, 197 1). The reason that the marketing concept was considered a major breakthrough in business philosophy is that it represented the antithesis of the product, production, and selling concepts. Rather than taking an existing product and endeavoring to modify demand for it by adding features, reducing price, or varying promotional technique, the marketing concept holds that businesses should first determine the existing needs in the marketplace and then design and produce a product to satisfy this need. In this sense the marketing concept is driven by the needs of the marketplace, rather than the existing abilities of the firm. The fifth, and supposedly highest stage of evolution in marketing philosophies is what Kotler terms the societal marketing concept. In each of his writings referencing the marketing concept, Kotler (1972, 1977b, 1994) clearly states his belief that the societal marketing concept embodies a higher and more enlightened plane of marketing thought and practice, and suggests that this new concept represents an attempt to harmonize the goals of business to the occasionally conflicting goals of society. As such, it postulates that the the organizations task is to determine the needs, wants, and interests of target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumers and societys well-being (Kotler, 1994, p. 29). It should be noted that the societal marketing concept is founded upon one dominant and critical proposition. This is the assumption that consumers wants do not always coincide with their long-run interests or societys long-run interests, and that, given this, marketers should place the emphasis on long-run consumer and societal well being (Kotler, 1977b). As a result, the societal marketing concept represents an endorsement and justification for the social responsibility of business in contemporary society, and a refutation of Milton Friedmans infamous assertion that the social responsibility of business is to make a profit (Friedman, 1962). THE CONSUMERISM MOVEMENT AS THE CATALYST FOR THE SOCIETAL MARKETING CONCEPT The latest consumerism movement is a cause that has been accumulating momentum for over 30 years in the U. S. , and its disciples assert that all consumers have an inherent right to products which are: safe in use (and even misuse), effective for the use designed, economical, reliable, honestly labeled and advertised, and benign in their impacts upon the environment. Moreover, consumerists have been very proactive in seeing that these rights are guaranteed to individual consumers, either by the firms selling the products, or by the government of this country. Adherents of consumerism tend to believe that businesses are so overwhelmingly motivated by the desire to make a profit that they commonly compromise the quality of the product offerings, thereby jeopardizing the safety of consumers. Consumerists cite examples of this greed, such as the Beech-Nut case involving the sale over 10 years of millions of cases of apple juice which was in reality only sweetened, flavored water (Business Week, 1988). The fact that such a large number and variety of these cases exist and continue to be exposed on a regular basis lends a great deal of credibility to the consumerism movement and its underlying assumptions. In explaining the rise of consumerism, Peter Drucker blamed the marketers for failing their consumers and publics in using the marketing concept: We have asked ourselves where in the marketing concept consumerism fits or belongs. I have come to the conclusion that, so far, the only way one can really define it within the total marketing concept is as the shame of the total marketing concept. It is essentially a mark of failure of the concept (Drucker, 1969) This quote is now famous to marketing practitioners, scholars, and critics alike, and the legitimacy of Druckers view is generally conceded. In the same year that Drucker made this accusation, Business Week (1969) also asserted that In the very broadest sense, consumerism can be defined as the bankruptcy of what the business schools have been calling the marketing concept. These condemnations of the marketing concept reflected a general assumption within both the business and academic spheres regarding the implications of consumerisms growing popularity. A substantial portion of scholars and managers surveyed in 1971, for example, believed that the rise in consumerism was a direct reflection of the inadequacy of the marketing concept (Barksdale and Darden, 1971). As the presumed response to the failure of the marketing concept, then, the consumerist movement became the foundation for a revised marketing concept which Kotler (1972) proposed as the successor to the failed marketing concept. As in earlier stages of the marketing philosophy evolution, the societal marketing concept was ostensibly constructed upon the ruins of its immediate predecessor. Since the most recent consumerist movement in the U. S. served as the catalyst for todays conceptualization and implementation of the societal marketing concept, it would seem important to understand the modern origins of this movement. ORIGINS OF THE MODERN CONSUMERISM MOVEMENT Writing in 1987, the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide described one car as perhaps the most sophisticated (certainly one of the most ambitious) cars ever to come from Detroit (Langworth and Robson, 1987, p. 51). These authors went on to proclaim that these were the kind of cars we should have had in the 1970s, and didnt. The car was the Chevrolet Corvair of the 1960s, and its conspicuous absence in the 1970s was the direct result of what many consider to be both consumerisms explosive postwar debut and also its finest hour. Indeed, the tomb of the Corvair became the foundation of consumerism as we know it today. While business historians (e. g. , Halberstam, 1986) are eager to criticize Detroits apparent indiff erence and ineptitude regarding the 1970s invasion of small, economical automobiles from foreign countries and the oil crisis which precipitated this invasion, this blame has been clearly misplaced and undeserved. In 1959, General Motors, acknowledging an existing need in the marketplace for a small, inexpensive, sporty, and fuel-efficient automobile, designed and marketed a vehicle to fill this need. This automobile, the Corvair, was indeed revolutionary in many respects, having four-wheel independent suspension, a rear-mounted air-cooled six-cylinder engine, the option of turbo-charging (a first), and an exhaust system design which would be used on a majority of automobiles for years to come. Both the Corvair and its functional, but considerably more primitive predecessor, the Volkswagen Beetle, were designed, built, and marketed with the highest regard for the marketing conceptoffering lower-income consumers the opportunity to own an economical, reliable, and fun-todrive automobile. Both cars were strong sellers, and appeared to satisfy a number of preexisting needs in the marketplace. In 1960, Consumer Reports praised the Volkswagen for its good workmanship, and handling and roadability which were well ahead of the U. S. average. Additionally, about the worst thing that Consumer Reports could find to say about the Corvair was a remark about its unimpressive trim quality (cf. Abernathy, Clark, and Kantrow, 1983). Unfortunately for many consumers, Ralph Nader would use these cars as a catapult for his career, and in so doing, would become synonymous with the consumerism movement. In 1965 he wrote a book entitled Unsafe at Any Speed, in which he criticized General Motors as being irresponsible, greedy, and unconcerned for the publics safety. Nader used the Corvair as the books primary example, developing an elaborate, scathing, but also relatively misplaced criticism of the Corvair. Due to the negative publicity which the book generated, the book dealt a death blow to the Corvair, which immediately began a downward sales spiral toward its eventual extinction in 1969. Inspired by the success of Unsafe at Any Speed, an equivalently brutal and faulty criticism of the Volkswagen Beetle was written in 1971 by a colleague and ally of Nader, and was entitled SmallOn Safety (Dodge, 197 1). Since, by the time of this books publication, millions of Volkswagens were on the road and were well-regarded as providing reliable, economical, and serviceable transportation, the book failed to achieve any credibility, and did little harm to Volkswagens sales. What should have been evident to readers of either book and to consumers in general, but was perhaps not appreciated until much later, was that it was physically impossible to construct a small economy car which was as safe as the leviathan Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Chryslers of the same period. Had a well-designed car such as the Honda Civic (or any other contemporary compact automobile) been introduced into the market in the 1960s, it too would have certainly been labeled as unsafe, and forced off the market. THE SOCIETAL MARKETING CONCEPT AND THEORY X The societal marketing concept is largely congruent with the multiple constituency model of organizations (Kimery and Rinehart, 1998), and general notions of the responsibility or obligation of businesses to social and environmental stakeholders. Contrasted to the marketing concept or orientation, which posits the direct and simple relationship between organizational profitability and responsiveness to customer needs and concerns, the societal marketing concept or multiple constituency model suggests that success is highly dependent upon an organizations attentiveness to all constituencies simultaneously (Kimery and Rinehart, 1998). Yet due to the common opposition between immediate consumer needs and long-term societal and individual needs, the simultaneous satisfaction of all of these demands is frequently difficult if not impossible. Moreover, the focus upon un-stated or long-term customer needs and a concomitant discounting of stated consumer desires have distinct overtones of corporate or governmental paternalism and the assumptions of producer or governmental sovereignty, which this perspective necessarily implies. In short, where the marketing concept is the economic equivalent of the democratic process, the societal marketing concept is antithetical to the tenets of democratic equality and more comparable to economic fascism. In an eloquent paper outlining the conceptual foundations of his societal marketing concept, Kotler adapted Douglas McGregors managerial Theory X / Theory Y to illustrate alternative perspectives of customers (Kotler, 1977b). According to McGregor, Theory X managers view their employees as being lazy, ignorant, gullible, suspicious, and disloyal. In contrast, Theory Y managers view their employees as informed, intelligent, motivated, unique, and rational (McGregor, 1957, 1985). In his adaptation, Kotler makes the assertion that businesses subscribing to the philosophy embodied within the societal marketing concept make assumptions about their customers which are consistent with Theory Y (as opposed to Theory X). In other words, Kotler believes that the societal marketing concept is philosophically consonant with a perspective of the consumer as informed, intelligent, and rational, suggesting the higher plane of enlightenment shared by adopters of this concept and alluding to the concepts supposed capacity for consumer empowerment. Although Kotler makes a valuable contribution in adapting this managerial framework to the marketing discipline, he grossly errs in his interpretation. A far more plausible observation is that the societal marketing concept is solidly built upon Theory X assumptions about consumers on the part of the marketer. According to Kotler (1977b), societal marketers are more attuned to the buyers unexpressed needs than overexpressed wants, and place an emphasis upon long-run consumer and societal well being. Because of this, the societal marketing concept clearly forces or compels marketers to make judgments about what is best for consumers, and what needs are valid (as opposed to those that are spurious or unwholesome). It is in this way that the societal marketing concept becomes the ultimate subscriber and underwriter to the Theory X mentality. The conceptual foundation of the societal marketing concept (as well as of the consumerism movement) rests eavily upon the belief that the individu al consumer is unable to look out for him/herself, is gullible, ignorant, easily misled, does not know what is actually in his/her own best interest, and thus needs to be protected from powerful and unscrupulous marketers. In this way, the belief that the role of the marketer is to interpret what is best for society and individuals necessitates the assumption that individuals do not and cannot know what is best for themselves. Nor is this an overstatement of the societal marketing concepts goals and assumptions. Bell and Emory (1971, p. 40), proponents of this concept, assert that The typical consumer is at such a disadvantage that he cannot assure his own effectiveness. Business has the responsibility to help him, and if business fails then the government or other parties must act on the consumers behalf. In addition, in circumstances where the buyer is unwilling or unable to make rational decisions, Bell and Emory believe that It is the duty of business to promote proper consumption values (Bell Emory, 197 1, p. 40, emphasis added). Yet these are precisely the paternalistic attitudes which characterize the Theory X manager according to McGregor. The fact that some consumers may choose to buy a subcompact automobile because they prefer economy over a certain degree of safety, or that some choose to subsist on McDonalds hamburgers, fries and milkshakes despite their unhealthfullness does not imply that these individuals are stupid, or gullible, or that they need to be enlightened by consumerism or societal marketing techniques, This is in fact the precise point at which the evolution of the marketing concept breaks down. The marketing concept holds that marketers should strive to supply products for every consumer need, provided these needs are not grossly threatening to society, and that any decision the customer makes to serve his own perceived selfinterest is rational (Bauer Greyser, 1967). It is thus impossible to interpret the societal marketing concept as anything but a move backward into the period where the selling concept ruledwhere consumers were ignorant, irrational, and easily anipulated by more insightful marketers. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS While consumerists and other critics of the selling concept regularly and loudly chastise business organizations for employing marketing strategies and campaigns which are ostensibly based upon assumptions of consumer ignorance and irrationality, these same guardians of consumer interest are typically synonymous with those pushing organizations most forcefully into programs of social responsibility and the societal marketing concept. Yet, as noted above, the agenda of social responsibility in business is clearly based upon assumptions of equal (or even greater) degrees of consumer ignorance and irrationality. Disciples of the societal marketing concept appear to be largely oblivious to the relatively absurd levels that businesses have been pushed by forces in concert with their agenda. (Witness the warning on McDonalds coffee cups: Caution: HOT! . . . CAUTION: CONTENTS HOT! Caution: HOT! . . . Caution: HOT! . . . WARNING: HOT! /! .. which are combined with a corollary reduction in the temperature of the liquid itself actions which were necessitated by the infamous multimillion dollar legal claim against the company a lawsuit which was applauded by numerous consumerist groups. ) But, as Levitt noted in 1958, self-conscious dedication to social responsibility may have started as a purely defensive maneuver against strident attacks on big corporations and on the moral efficacy of the profit system. But defense alone no longer explains the motive. The motive for corporate social responsibility and the overwhelming push for social responsibility in the pursuit of sales now arises out of the industrial sectors near-total dependence on social trends and the sentiment of a minority of consumers. Corporations that have been beaten into submission by frivolous lawsuits and that are afraid to arouse consumerist accusations of indifference have been forced to pander to the lowest common denominator of consumer passivity, ignorance, and laziness. As predicted by McGregor, these Theory X attitudes and actions have subsequently bred and reinforced the very passivity, ignorance, and laziness in consumers they were designed to anticipate and amend. Ironically, the similarities between the selling concept and the societal marketing concept regarding their shared assumption of consumer ignorance can be seen as forming the perfect foundation for either societal altruism or, alternatively, opportunistic exploitation. In many cases, these efforts can be difficult to distinguish from one another, and apparent acts of altruism or social responsibility can provide the perfect camouflage for exploitation. Because organizations are rapidly becoming aware of the power of greenconsumers, for example, there is a significant temptation to advance this agenda through the marketing program as a powerful device for cultivating customer loyalty and anesthetizing consumer prudence and vigilance. As Kotler (1994, p. 30) notes, a number of companies have achieved notable sales and profit gains through adopting and practicing the societal marketing concept. One of the two shining examples Kotler cites is The Body Shop, started by Anita Roddick in 1976. This organization has experienced phenomenal sales growth by actively promoting its products as all-natural, environmentally friendly, and non-animal-tested, and its business practices as sociallyconcerned. Moreover, Roddick has frequently and publicly ridiculed other cosmetics companies, noting that they are run by men who create needs that dont exist (Zinn, 1991). Indeed, The Body Shop became in the 1980s the prototype that all earth-friendly businesses would seek to emulate. As the vanguard of social responsibility, The Body Shop and its founder became the beneficiary of huge volumes of positive publicity, international acclaim, and consumer goodwill. Yet recent explorations into The Body Shops products and business practices have found elements which yield a stark contrast to the public images and perceptions noted above. Products of the company have been found to be largely petrochemical-based and of relatively poor-quality, and a large proportion of them have been tested on animals. In addition, the socially-enlightened business practices of this company have been exposed as creative public relations efforts, and the FTC has nvestigated the firm for fraudulent business dealings (Entine, 1993; Buszka, 1997). Clearly, it must inevitably be those organizations which are encouraged to view their consumers as ignorant or irrational that can and will most easily extend that notion to discover opportunities for exploiting that ignorance and irrationality. It is for this reason that those espousing the societal marketing concept and the social responsibility of business can be seen as the greatest danger to consumer sovereignty and con sumer welfare. As Lord Acton observed, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Yet it is a corollary rule that in reducing one individuals power, all others with whom that person deals have their relative power increased. By forcing consumers into the roles of ignorant, helpless, and mindless children in need of protection and corporate welfare, advocates of the societal marketing concept have liberated consumers from both responsibility and power, and have concomitantly made business more powerful. REFERENCES Abernathy, W. Clark, and Kantrow (1983), Industrial Renaissance; Producing a Competitive Future for America, New York: Basic Books. Bauer, R. and S. Greyser (1967), The Dialogue That Never Happens, Harvard Business Review, (November-December), 186-190. Barksdale, Hiram C. and Bill Darden (1971), Marketers Attitudes Toward the Marketing Concept, Journal of Marketing, 35 (October), 28-36. Bell, M. and W. Emory (1971), The Faltering Marketing Concept, Journal of Marketing 35, (Oc tober), (37-42). Business Week (1969), Business Responds to Consumerism, September 6, 95. Business Week (1988), What Led Beech-Nut Down the Road to Disgrace, February 2, 124-127. Buszka, Sharlene (1997), A Case of Greewashing: The Body Shop, in Proceedings of the Association of Management and the International Association of Management l5th Annual International Conference, Organizational Management Division, Volume 15, Number 1, 199-294. Dodge, Lowell (1972), SmallOn Safety: The Designed-In Dangers of the Volkswagen, New York: Grossman. Drucker, P. (1958), Marketing and Economic Development, Journal of Marketing, (January), (252-259). _________(1969), Consumerism: The Opportunity of Marketing, address before the National Association of Manufacturers, New York, April 10, later printed as The Shame of Marketing, Marketing Communications, August, 1969, 60. Entine, Jon (1994), Shattered Image: Is the Body Shop Too Good to Be True? Business Ethics, (September/October). Friedman, Milton (1962), Capitalism and Freedom, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Fullerton, Ronald A. (1988), How Modern is Modern Marketing? Marketings Evolution and the Myth of the Production Era,' Journal of Marketing, 52 (January), 108-125. Halberstam, David (1986), The Reckoning, New York: Avon Books. Keith, R. (1960), The Marketing Revolution, Journal of Marketing, 24(January), 35-3 8. Klein, T. (1979), Contemporary Problems, Marketing Theory, and Futures Research, in Conceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing: AMA Proceedings, 258-263. Kimery, Kathryn M. and Shelley M. Rinehart (1998), Markets and Constituencies: An Alternative View of the Marketing Concept, Journal of Business Research, 43, 117-124. Kotler, P. (1977a), From Sales Obsession to Marketing Effectiveness, Harvard Business Review (November-December), 67-75. _______(1972), What Consumerism Means for Marketers, Harvard Business Review, (May-June), 48-57. ________(1977b), Considerations In a Theory of Humanistic Marketing, Working Paper, Graduate School Of Management, Northwestern University. ________(1994), Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control, eighth edition, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. ________, and S. Levy , (1969), Broadening the Concept of Marketing, Journal of Marketing, (January), 10-15. Langworth, Richard M. nd Graham Robson (1987), The Complete Book of Collectible Cars, 1930-1980, New York: Beekman House. Levitt, T. (1958), The Dangers of Social Responsibility, Harvard Business Review, 36, 5(September-October), 41-50. _______(1960), Marketing Myopia, Harvard Business Review, (July-August). _______(1977), Marketing When Things Change, Journal of Marketing, (NovemberDecember), 107-113. McGregor, D. (1957), The Human Side of Enterprise, Management Review (November), 22-28. McGregor, D. (1985), The Human Side of Enterprise, New York: McGraw-Hill. McKitterick, J. (1958), What is the Marketing Management Concept? in The Frontiers of Marketing Thought and Science, Chicago: American Marketing Association, 71-82. Nader, Ralph (1965), Unsafe At Any Speed: The Designed In Dangers of the American Automobile, New York: Grossman. Samli, A. , K. Palda, and A. Barker (1987), Toward a Mature Marketing Concept, Sloan Management Review (Winter), 45-5 1. Zinn, Laura (1991), Whales, Human Rights, Rain Forests And the Heady Smell of Profits, Business Week, July 15, 114-115.

Ethnographic Reaction Paper

Ethnographic Reaction Paper The Cheyenne people The Cheyenne people refer to the American Indians whose ancestral land lies on the western side of the Mississippi river. Economically they are pastoralists, hunters and gatherers. Socially, they live in villages while the community has clans, which separate the families.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnographic Reaction Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Politically, they have tribal councils, which ensure peace within the community. The next discussion summarizes the social, cultural, economic and political structures of the Cheyenne Indians, expounding on the impact of European exploration on their lifestyle. The Cheyenne Indians migrated to new places depending on their needs. For instance, economic affairs like trade and hunting, invasion of their land by the whites, and their nomadic lifestyle also propelled them to change their homesteads frequently (Hoebel 4). According to the anth ropological data, the Cheyenne Indians had different identification or names, which depended on the people they encountered. Some of the names used to refer to them include, Chaa, Shahiyena and Shahiela amongst others (Hoebel 2). Depending on the area of settlement, all the names had meanings. Initially, they migrated from their ancestral land for trading purposes. La Salle, a French explorer, was one of the men they relied on to initiate trading activities in their community. However, because of lack of tools used in shaving animal fur, they had to seek assistance from the European manufacturers. In addition to depending on the game meat, they also survived on wild rice from the nearby river, as well as fruits from the nearby forests. They constructed their houses using earth and barks of tree. On the other hand, some external forces like war with other communities or tribes like Ojibwa, Ute, Comanche, Kiowa and Chippewa encouraged them to, not only form military groups, but also a cquire horses and guns for defense purposes (Hoebel 8).Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Luckily, when the United States intervened on the territorial issue, it divided the Cheyenne Indians into two groups the Southern and Northern depending on their location. The Cheyenne Indians had so many cultural ceremonies like the renewal of the arrow, which takes four days to complete. The Cheyenne Indians had medicine men and chief priests who presided over most of the community rituals (Hoebel 20). The renewal of the sacred arrow promoted unity among the people, sanctified them and preached to the people to respect the norms of the community for their prosperity. Furthermore, it was to emphasize the unique powers and the superiority of the chief priests and the prophets in the community. Secondly, the sun dance is a symbol of purity or new world. The ritual takes about eight days . Each day has distinct ritual that people should perform. Some of the hallmarks in the ceremony include the multiplier, the erect horns and the sacred mountain. The third ceremony is the animal dance, which ensures the success of the hunting exercise, as well as victory during wars. The ceremony takes about four days. However, unlike the arrow renewal ceremony, women have a role to play during the ritual process. Socially, a family was a prominent structure in the culture. The conduct of girls and women was the centre of the family. Adolescent girls and boys did not associate to ensure purity among girls. Suitors could only approach girls but not seduce them. Therefore, there were strict rules and regulations concerning marriages and dowry was a mandatory practice. There was a division of families depending on their social status. Property ownership, the character of both the female and male people in the family and the ability to raid other communities are some of the features, wh ich categorized a composite family as either rich or poor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnographic Reaction Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There was Kinship in the family and the family traditions and norms, which the family had to abide by strictly. The men were the heads of the families and women had to be submissive. Women who deviated from the normal traditions had to face punishment through whipping or excommunication. There was a division of the families into Kindred, camps or bands depending on the number of people/primary or families present. Each division lays out rules on, which the members have to abide by. The kindred and camps form military personnel whose main role is to protect the community against external invasion. Some of the military structures included Elk, fox, shield and bowstring. The military groups had a different number of warriors with a certain role to play within the societ y. In addition, there was a tribal council, which presided over all the social, economic and political activities of the community. The council of chiefs solved both internal and external conflicts. They also ensured that peace prevailed in the community. The chiefs had certain virtues like generosity, solidarity and wise among others, which qualified them as leaders. Furthermore, the Cheyenne Indians had public laws, which assisted in solving the internal and externals conflicts. The laws ensured there was unity in the community by solving the internal problems. Most of the cases involved murder cases, marital problems, conflicts over property and behavioral. The law and justice structure allowed for reforming of the existing laws, enforcement of the society’s law and the use of military personnel and passing justice. There was a distinction on the roles of women and men and rarely misunderstandings ensued between the parties. Women were subsistence farmers who provided vege tables and other forms of grains while men were hunters and gatherers. The need for hunting ground always raised animosity between Cheyenne Indians and their neighbors. Consequently, the community instilled military tactics and bravery among its men to promote victory.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although they had inferior weapons compared to their enemies, the Cheyenne soldiers always showed bravery because of the reward that lie ahead on any victorious battle out victorious. As earlier mentioned, the Cheyenne Indians had religious and ritual practices. They had religious men like the medicine men who presided over both traditional practices and prayers. All the cultural and religious practices were not only sacred but also practiced in sacred places like on certain mountains. The social and cultural practices spelled out the personality of both men and women. In the mid to late nineteenth century, the Americans explorers, traders and missionary invaded the Cheyenne Indians homestead, which led to changes in their lifestyle (Hoebel 119). The presence of whites and the mining of gold led to the outbreak of diseases like cholera. After the war, the Cheyenne Indians signed a treaty in 1851 with the whites. However, two years later, a war ensued and there was signing of the sec ond treaty in 1861 fort wise treaty (Hardorff 20). The treaties interfered with the social, economic and politics structures of the natives because they had to live under the rule of the Americans. Besides farming and education, they also had to adopt Christianity abandoning their culture. Their dressing styles and languages changed due to the invasion of the Americans. Personally, reading about the Cheyenne Indians has enlightened me on their traditional practices, lifestyle and political structures. Besides being the natives of the Western side of the Mississippi river, they are also among the important people in the American history. First, I have learned about the reasons for their migration from the ancestral lands and they include search for new hunting grounds, adventure and after external invasion from other communities. Economically, they relied on game meat, wild fruits, vegetables and wild rice for food. Second, the family is the most influential social structure among th e Cheyenne Indians and each family member had a unique role to play. Some of the cultural practices were also religious rites. The political structure includes the tribal council, law and justice and the military group. However, the invasion of the whites did not only interfere with their social, economic and political settings but also forced them to acquire new economic practices like blacksmith. Christianity took over their traditional rituals and religion. In the contemporary society, the Cheyenne Indians call themselves the morning star people and economically they have large depots of coal used for generation of electricity. Finally, through archaeology, the history of the Cheyenne Indians is clear to the contemporary world (Haviland et al. 10) as it is the case in the above discussion. Historically, the Cheyenne Indians are among the natives of the United States of America. Besides their nomadic lifestyle, the invasion of the whites into their homeland did not only disrupt th eir cultural heritage but also changed their economic, political and social features. However, in the contemporary society globalization has utterly interfered with their culture. Hardorff, Richard. Cheyenne memories of the Custer fight. Nebraska: University of  Nebraska Press, 1998. Print. Haviland, William, Harald, Prins, and Walrath, Dana. The Essence of Anthropology.  United State: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2009. Print. Hoebel, Adamson. The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains (Case Studies in  Cultural Anthropology. United States: Wadsworth Company, 1978. Print.

Five Things the Pulps Can Teach Us About Making More Money as a Writer

Five Things the Pulps Can Teach Us About Making More Money as a Writer From the early 1930s to the late 1950s, hundreds of writers churned out thousands of stories in cheap magazines printed on yellow pulp paper for a hungry audience craving action, adventure, mystery, romance and thrills. Writing for often less than a penny a word, these writers produced the equivalent of two or three 40,000 word manuscripts per month! And that work ethic can help todays writers be more productive and profitable. Here are five things these famous (or sometimes infamous) writers from the golden age of the pulps can teach us about making more money as a writer in today’s changing publishing industry. Thing #1. Write faster When guys like Walter Gibson (creator of The Shadow) and Lester Dent (creator of Doc Savage) needed 40,000 words turned in every month, they didn’t mess around. They learned how to write fast, because the faster they could write, the more fiction they could churn out, and the more they could get paid. Traditional publishing, with its long time to market for books, used to punish writers for being fast, but thanks to self-publishing, those attitudes are changing. Your readers are out there starving for what you write. If you make them wait, they’ll just go read somebody else, and they might forget about you. Don’t give them that chance! Thing #2: Write more books I know what you’re thinking. You probably have a day job, a family, and other time commitments, and you’re doing good to finish one book a year. But you don’t have to already be a bestselling author free of the day job before you can churn out more work in a calendar year. I’ve met plenty of writers who were able to put out three books a year, with very demanding full time jobs. You can do it, too. Just try to work up to writing 1,000 words a day, seven days a week, and in a year’s time you’ll have amassed at least three novels’ worth of first drafts! Thing #3: Write shorter books Admittedly, this is a bit harder to get away with than it used to be, depending on the genre you write. To charge the purchase prices big publishers need to turn a profit on each of their titles, they’ve demanded more and more words from their authors over the years. But thanks to self-publishing and ebooks, word count isn’t as important as it once was. Your readers won’t feel short-changed if the story they just read was 50K or 180K words, as long as they enjoyed it. Thing #4: Write different genres Writing the same thing all the time gets old pretty quickly, so branch out. If you’ve been writing period romance for a while, give a mystery a try. Genre hopping will keep you fresh and your work feeling new. Worried about alienating your readers?   Use a penname for the new genre. Thing #5: Write a series Publishing today has only rather recently latched on to the notion that pulp hacks - and pulp readers - have known for more than a century: People love a good series. A stroll down the aisle at your local bookstore reveals dozens of series in every genre, from epic fantasy to paranormal romance to thrillers. Readers just cant get enough of characters like Easy Rawlins, Jack Reacher, or Sandman Slim. Writing a series lets you really get to know the characters, making them easier to write. There you go, a few tricks of the pulp trade that can help you be a writing success today. Now go write!

Harley Davidson marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words - 1

Harley Davidson marketing plan - Essay Example The Harley-Davidson Motor Company was incorporated in 1981, and primarily designs, manufactures, and sells heavyweight (i.e. engine displacement of 651+cc) touring, custom, and performance motorcycles, and a complete range of motorcycle parts, accessories, clothing and collectibles. It is the only major US-based motorcycle manufacturer, and leading marketer of heavyweight motorcycles. It has the largest share of US heavyweight motorcycle market since 1986, in terms of retail sales of new motorcycles. It markets its products and services through a worldwide network of more than 1,300 dealerships. The principal HD dealership for the entire European region has its headquarters at Oxford Business Park in the UK, and it was incorporated in 1989 (Key Note, 2012). The purpose of this study is to arrive at a strategic marketing plan that would enable Harley-Davidson UK to maintain its market competitiveness and possibly advance its position in the motorcycle manufacturing and retail industry . It shall examine the macro-economic environment of the motorcycle industry in UK, provide a micro-economic analysis of the industry in the form of a SWOT analysis, and construct perceptual maps of the company before proceeding to specify a marketing mix by which HD-UK may best address its market. 1. Assumptions This market plan aims to provide a forward-looking study into the prospects of Harley Davidson-UK insofar as it caters to the UK motorcycle market. Inasmuch as the study shall be proposing courses of action which will extend into the future, and therefore be constrained by environmental conditions beyond what can be foreseen at present. Certain assumptions shall therefore be made pursuant to which the following analyses and discussions shall be guided by. Global economy shall continue to gradually recover, but no strong growth is expected; Reduced emissions targets to be imposed, as agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol, for the global markets; The UK economy shall continue to be burdened by large budget and trade deficit. Present trends in tastes and preferences for heavyweight motorcycles remain constant; and It is also important to identify at this point the particular segment of the market which this market analysis shall deal with. Technically, motorcycles are two-wheelers that cover a wide range of specifications, engine designs and capacities. These include low-powered bikes that are more typically referred to as mopeds; also on-road (street legal), racetrack only, and off-road motorcycles (Research and Markets, 2011). For the purpose of this study, the segment of the market for heavyweight touring, custom, and performance motorcycles, referring to models with engine displacement of 651cc and higher, shall be the focus of study since it is to this particular market that HD products cater to. 2. Macro-environmental Analysis (PESTLE) Political – The UK adheres to the Westminster system, a strong democratic, parliamentary system of governance tha t ensures sufficient separation of powers among the executive branch (led by the prime minister), the bicameral legislature, and the judiciary. The structure also ensures that checks and balances apply. The World Bank avers that the UK is one of the most successful countries in so far as the application of the rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, and regulatory quality are concerned. For government

Texas Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Texas Government - Essay Example For instance, the power of the governor, presiding officers and lobbyists is substantially increased because of inadequate duration for detailed scrutiny of bills. Shorter sessions also do not provide with a favorable environment for raising issues and encourage delaying tactics until an adverse situation develops. Despite several changes in particularities of legislative sessions over the years, the proposed amendments providing for annual sessions have been repeatedly rejected by the voters to prevent increased government power and spending estimated at over $40 million. However, a careful consideration of aforementioned prospects and consequences suggests that the sessions should be allowed annually to remove the obstacles to effective governance practices. A deviation from such conservative political culture has its economic costs but would probably improve the ability of state to provide for public services, settling the spending in the longer run (Newell et al., 50, 170). Along with six other states, the salaries of Texas legislators are set through constitutional amendments. However, the $7,200 annual salary for Texas legislators has remained constant since 1975. Texas is the second largest state after California in terms of population, but this figure is 13 times lower as compared to California. It is even lower than half of the federal minimum estimated for a family of four to stay above poverty level. Legislators also receive a per day allowance during the regular or special sessions for covering expenses. They are also entitled to mileage allowance, state apartments and allowance for up-to 12 days per month while serving on state board/council or carrying out legislative work between sessions. The Ethics Commission, under a 1991 state constitution amendment, is empowered to increase daily allowances and constitute a citizen advisory board for proposing changes in legislative salaries to voters.

A Separate Peace By John Knowles Essay Example for Free

A Separate Peace By John Knowles Essay In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, it is evident that Finny and Leper undergo the most traumatic experiences from the Class of 1943. Through these experiences, both characters lose much of their innocence and naivety. Finny, upon learning of the existence of the war and Genes moment of hatred, learns to accept realities and perceive the world as it is, not as the perfect childlike image he wants it to be. However, when Leper enlists in the army, he quickly begins to have hallucinations because the reality is too much for him to handle. Nevertheless, he eventually overcomes his insanity and seems to be fairly mentally stable by the end of the novel. Although Finny and Lepers traumas are the source of a major loss of purity and childhood, they are also the cause of post-tramautic growth and a necessary increase in maturity. Finny goes through several perception-changing events during the course of the novel, but the event that cements his departure from childhood is the acceptance that Gene deliberately shook Finny off the tree. This shock was caused by his own inability to accept the truth in the first place. Despite the ease of denying unwanted information and living in a dream world, it is mentally unhealthy for Finny because of the shock caused upon finally believing the truth. Immediately after Genes confession of jouncing the limb, Gene remarks that Finny looked older than I had ever seen him (62). Finny, however, does not yet comprehend feelings of jealousy and betrayal, as he has hardly had any himself and finds it difficult to think of anothers point of view; the information registers on his face, but before he has time to process it and mature he rejects the idea entirely. Gene states it occurred to me that this could be an even deeper injury than what I had done before (62). The reality of adult themes such as jealousy, betrayal, and hate is what hurts Finny most, not the crippling injury itself. Another reality that takes away from Finnys nescience is the war (when he finally believes in its existence). The most dramatic and stunning war in recent history, World War II had a huge impact on millions of lives worldwide. Yet Phineas refused to believe in the war, and instead created a fantasy in which he was the one of the only people who knew that it was all a hoax. When Gene, in disbelief from Finnys opinion, questions Finny on why he is the only person who is aware of the stuffed shirts' (107) plot to  suppress happiness, Finny emotionally bursts out it is because he has suffered (108). Apparently, Finny has visualized this hoax to shield himself from the disadvantages of his disability, such as enlisting. Nevertheless, Finny quickly accepts the truth of the war after seeing Leper in a mentally disturbed state of mind. The image of what the war did to someone who used to be close to him shook him out of his dream world and spurred his emotional growth. When Finny, at the end of the novel, learned to accept the realities and avoid using denial to cope with shock, he lost the last of his childhood innocence. Leper is easily one of the most naive and innocent characters during the Summer Session. His good-naturedness and passive fascination with nature is such an ideal image of innocence that it seems almost depressing to see him in the traumatized state of mind after enlisting. Even while everyone is volunteering to shovel snow to aid the war effort and discussing their plans for which division to enlist in, Leper is only concerned with the beauty of nature and skis to a beaver dam to watch the beavers develop and build their dam. He is moved to join the army not for vain images of glory and glamor like the other students, but rather for the beauty of skiing down a mountain. Obviously, he soon finds that the army is too much for him, and while absent from the ongoings at Devon he loses every shred of innocence and guilelessness that previously surrounded his character. When Gene meets him, his psyche is obviously changed to such a point that he has hallucinations and other symptoms of sc hizophrenia, caused by his rapid ascension into adult matters. He does not accept reality nearly as well as Finny does because his character was far more innocuous at the start of the novel. So many of his images of the world are shattered that it can be seen that he feels like he has little familiarity to hold onto. He grasps to every gleam of regularity and unchangeable function, which explains his preference for spending time in the dining room of his house simply because he knows that three daily meals will be served there on a consistent basis. However, his time at home seems to have given him time to cope with the images of adulthood. Upon his return to Devon, he seems mentally well and a much more decisive authority than ever before. He accurately and forcefully convicts Gene of jouncing the limb in his new, confident voice (166).  Gene describes Leper during the trial as all energy (165). Evidently, Leper has dealt with the loss of innocence caused by his abrupt initiation into adulthood and has become a more confident, self-assured pe rson in spite of it. Knowles makes it apparent throughout A Separate Peace that while the loss of innocence may often seem to be a sad or tragic event, it is necessary to pave the way for maturation and a transition into adulthood. Had Finny never accepted the truth of the tragedy that occurred to him, he would have never matured beyond his carefree summer days. And had Leper kept living in his own world of vivid imaginations, he would have never developed into the sanguine individual he becomes at the end of the novel. While the loss of innocence is partly a lugubrious experience, John Knowles portrays it as a necessity a part of maturation and growth that leads to adulthood and self-fulfillment.

absolutism Essay -- essays research papers

Absolutism as Primary Form of Government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolutism became the primary form of government for many Europeans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It appealed to so many for reasons the same as other governments. â€Å"Absolutists contended that social and political harmony would result when subjects obeyed their divinely sanctioned rulers in all aspectsâ€Å" (Text 594). Absolutists rulers felt God gave them their ability to teach the masses the proper ways to live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolutist rulers had several main goals for successive reign over the people. The first being to eliminate or weaken the national representative assemblies. Next rulers looked to gain support from small local and provincial assemblies. The nobility was always dependant on the king, meaning the king chose his nobility freely, without influence from any outside source. Lastly, nobility was in control and responsible for collecting taxes and other benefits for the king. â€Å"Despite it’s pretensions to represent a political theory, absolutism was fundamentally a mechanism designed to assist ambitious monarchs in their determination to increase their own power through conquest and display† (Text 598).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis the fourteenth was considered the quintessential absolutist because he truly assumed and embodied absolute control over France. He had very specific rules for politeness that were strictly applied t...

Internet communications †website analysis Essay

This logo, when clicked on takes the user to the Brunel Website: www. brunel. ac. uk. This logo appears on every page of this website, so that the user can at any stage during their visit to this website go back to the University website. This logo is part of the main template that I created to make this website. I based the colours in the website on the colours used in the logo so that there is a connection to the University website and the Business Management website as well. This is important as this, in real life would be linked to these websites. In this page, the first page the user is confronted with, the title of this web page helps them to distinguish the university. The title of each page is at the top of the page, alongside the university logo, therefore, each page has a different title. However, on each page the title is in the same place so that it is easy for the user to use. These pictures add some colour to the page, and give an overall graphical summary to what the module is all about, the Internet. Here, I also chose pictures, which roughly match the same colours of the Brunel Logo. This page provides information to the user about the course layout itself. The content of this page is useful to a user that wants to know what they will be studying in this module. It shows the aims of the module, how the course will be assessed, the teaching hours, the lecture plan (what each week of lectures will be based on), links to the coursework page, books and references that may be of help to a student studying this module, and contact information of staff that may be able to help students or users who have enquiries about this module.

Significance of Gender in Romeo and Juliet

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and the Capulets have very different relationships with their children. A major reason for this, as well as much of the conflict in the tale, comes from the gender roles that Romeo and Juliet are expected to play into. Adding to that conflict is the fact that both Romeo and Juliet push the boundaries of these roles and struggle to fit into them. Romeo plays the over emotional lover, while Juliet is clever and dominant. Throughout the play we can see that both Romeo and Juliet have to struggle with the people around them because they are not acting within their respective gender roles. One of the first moments in the play where Romeo’s non-normative attitude towards love is addressed directly is when Mercutio, in Act 2 Scene 4, reflects on Romeo and Rosaline. â€Å"Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? / now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo; now art / thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature† (2. 4. 20). Mercutio is excited to have his friend ‘back’. In the the last two lines of this quote, Mercutio implies that not worrying over love is normal. That, in hanging with the boys and not following his wild emotions, Romeo is being what Romeo ought to be,â€Å"art as well as by nature†. The implication here is that the way he was reacting before to Rosaline is not natural. This lovelorn that overpowers all else Romeo feels comes back much harder with Juliet. Mercutio’s comment about Rosaline infers the abnormality of Romeo. This seed that is planted in the mind of the audience can then take root and be even more noticeable without Mercutio commenting on it directly with Juliet. In the first scene of Act 3, Romeo struggles with his masculinity versus his love. When he chooses not to fight Tybalt with Juliet in mind, Romeo open questions his own masculinity. He is after all, a part of this society and surely recognizes, to a certain extent, the unusualness of his feelings. â€Å"†¦O sweet Juliet, / Thy beauty hath made me effeminate / And in my temper soften'd valour's steel! † (3. 1. 7) To Romeo, it is as if Juliet’s beauty has him bewitched. He doesn’t put the blame on himself or even her, but her beauty. He is giving life to it, admitting that it subdues him. By attributing Juliet’s beauty with such a powerful presence, Romeo is only underlining his romantic nature. Several other characters make note of Romeo’s feminine/emotional nature. The Nurse and The Friar are two of the more observant characters in the play. In Act 3, Scene 3, when talking of Romeo, The Nurse says, â€Å"Stand up, stand up; stand, and you be a man: / For Juliet's sake, for her sake, rise and stand† (3. 3. 3). She is saying that Romeo needs to be less emotional, that it is taking away from his manhood. Later on in the same scene, the Friar tells Romeo to stop crying, that it makes him look like a girl. â€Å"Hold thy desperate hand: / Art thou a man? thy form cries out thou art: / Thy tears are womanish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3. 3. 4). Throughout the whole play, Romeo is picked on for his emotional way of life. His unusually demeanor could also be his fatal flaw. Early on in the play, when Romeo and his friends sneak into the Capulet party, Capulet speaks highly of Romeo, and tells Tybalt not to cause trouble. There is a kindness in his tone that cannot help to make one think that perhaps if Romeo approached Capulet and asked to marry Juliet, th at Capulet might have said yes. But he doesn’t do this, and there is no way of really knowing what Capulet would have said. Romeo’s struggle with people not accepting how he doesn’t really fit the mold is not as definitively consequential as Juliet’s. No one is telling Romeo what to do, Lady Montague doesn’t want him to be involved in fighting, but no one is trying to determine the rest of his life for him. Juliet’s struggle isn’t a social conflict. She isn’t being made fun of by her friends, or criticized casually by the people around her. She is being controlled and pushed towards life commitments that she wants no part of. Romeo has a lot at stake, emotionally, but the rest of Juliet’s life is at stake. In one of her first moments with her mother, this conflict is explicitly shown, â€Å"LADY CAPULET: Marry, that ‘marry' is the very theme /I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet, / How stands your disposition to be married? JULIET: It is an honour that I dream not of. † (1. 3. 4) Lady Capulet reflects the societal expectations. And although Juliet’s line has no huge impact on Lady Capulet, it does foreshadow her relationship with the world. And inevitably, one side will have to give in. There is a distinct change we see in how Juliet’s father treats her during the play. In Act 1, Scene 2, when Paris asks for Juliet’s hand in marriage, Capulet says that in the end the decision is hers to make, â€Å"â€Å"But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart, / My will to her consent is but a part; / An she agree, within her scope of choice / Lies my consent and fair according voice. † (1. 2. 2) He is telling Paris that he has his blessing, but he must woo Juliet because her consent is important to him. This gives the impression that Capulet is a kind, non-restrictive, even liberal parent. But later on in the play, when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Capulet really loses his temper at her, â€Å"How now, how now, chop-logic! What is this? / ‘Proud,' and ‘I thank you,' and ‘I thank you not;' / And yet ‘not proud,' mistress minion, you, / Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds, / But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next, / To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church, / Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. / Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage! / You tallow-face! † (3. 5. 3) What happened to his earlier attitude? One could argue that Capulet is, in fact, not a very thoughtful liberal father, but sees himself as one because his daughter, Juliet, is for the most part a good kid. And she has never really disobeyed him before. This sign of independence and disrespect is too much for him and his true controlling nature is revealed. The parts of Juliet’s home life that seem supportive and loving only remain as such while she is doing what others want her to do. As soon as she makes a decision for herself, all of that support is taken away. Capulet commands her to marry Paris or be kicked out of his house. If Juliet was a boy, or if she wasn’t pushed into the role of the girl than these problems would not come up. Romeo and Juliet defy their families. They put aside the quarrel that takes up so much energy and violence. Romeo ignores his friends in chasing after Juliet, and Juliet battles with her parents. Their marriage is a rebellion against both Houses. Both characters do not fit into the gender roles that other characters expect of them. It is this shared defiance that holds them together, but also that ruins them. If neither one had expectations put on them, then Juliet wouldn’t have had to marry Paris. But the shared deviance and secretive nature to their relationship is a large part of what gave them such passion. Shakespeare is examining the roles men and women are asked to play in society, asking us to think about the consequences.