Thursday, October 31, 2019

Current Technologies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Current Technologies - Research Paper Example In fact, in order to learn strategies and development techniques for mobile web development we would not need to learn something new. However, we will need to look at website design in an innovative way, one that is definitely more limiting as compared to the design of normal website browsers. In addition, to deal with this kind of issues that occur in mobile website design, and to get results that are as helpful and user-friendly as our normal website, a number of innovative problem-solving skills are necessary (Chapman, 2010; Cameronmoll, 2008; Smashing Editorial, 2012). Moreover, both the mobile web development and desktop web development appear to be a little bit different areas however the technology, skills and development ideas required for these both areas of development appear to be similar. This report outlines the similarities and differences between these two types of web development. This report will discuss these areas with respect to a number of factors. Type of users A survey on a mobile technology usage showed that the mobile users till 2009 have increased to 3 billion all through the world. Without a doubt, the Internet usage on mobile devices is gradually rising. Additionally, these days we can see a number of types of users who use different kinds of mobile devices. In addition, in the majority of mobile internet users we see people who are interested in social networks, news feeds and entertainment. On the other hand, desktop web users are a little bit higher. Also, these users can be of any age and any gender. In this scenario, they use desktop web systems for carrying out a wide variety of tasks (Chapman, 2010; Cameronmoll, 2008; Smashing Editorial, 2012). User environment The mobile web environment is extremely aligned to content, context, and component specific atmosphere. Alternatively, access to web based data and contents on a mobile device is mostly affected by surrounding circumstances, or simply the informational significance of t he job that we currently have, and the future potential of the systems being utilized. As compared to the desktop web experience, where we have a widescreen space, we also have much higher speed of web access that is much more reliable. The data input into desktop web systems is also very fast due to the usage of mouse and keyboard. On the other hand, the mobile web usage is frequently limited to a small mobile screen, one-handed experience and irregular interaction. In addition, it can be significantly assessed that desktop web systems and mobile web systems are very much different in user environments. Moreover, the mobile web systems are restricted and slow while desktop systems are much wider and reliable systems (Chapman, 2010; Cameronmoll, 2008; Smashing Editorial, 2012). Screen sizes Some of the common resolutions for standard cell phones comprise 101? 80 pixels to 320?480 pixel screen. In other words, this screen size of mobile web development is very limited. Hence, we have to put all information and data in this limited area. On the other hand, the desktop web development provides very much freedom while designing these systems. In addition, mobile web creates need to put a lot of effort to design systems in a way that they can offer a great deal of user support and capability for placement of information in

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Commonwealth of Nations Essay Example for Free

Commonwealth of Nations Essay Inside Jewish Synagogue The Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active[1] synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations,[2] located in Kochi, Kerala, in South India. It was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin. Paradesi is a word used in several Indian languages, and the literal meaning of the term is foreigners, applied to the synagogue because it was historically used by White Jews, a mixture of Jews from Cranganore, the Middle East, and European exiles. It is also referred to as the Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue. The synagogue is located in the quarter of Old Cochin known as Jew Town,[2] and is the only one of the seven synagogues in the area still in use. The complex has fourbuildings. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land gifted to the Malabari Yehuden community by the Raja of Kochi, Rama Varma[disambiguation needed]. The Mattancherry Palace temple and the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall. History The Malabari Jews formed a prosperous trading community of Kerala, and they controlled a major portion of world wide spice trade. In 1568, the Jews of Kerala constructed the Paradesi Synagogue adjacent to Mattancherry Palace, Cochin, now part of the Indian city of Ernakulam, on land given to them by the Raja of Kochi. The original synagogue was built in the 4th  century in Kodungallur (Cranganore) when the Jews had a mercantile role in the South Indian region along the Malabar coast now called Kerala. It was later moved to Kochi from Kodungallur. The first synagogue of the Malabari Jews in Cochin was destroyed in the Portuguese persecution of the Malabari Jews and Nasrani people of Kerala in the 16th century. The second synagogue, built under the protection of the Raja of Cochin along with Dutch patronage, is the present synagogue. It is called Paradesi synagogue because it was built with Dutch patronage at a time when Kochi was under Dutch occupation, thus the name paradesi synagogue or foreign synagogue. In 1968, the synagogue celebrated its 400th anniversary in a ceremony attended by Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister. Social composition and traditions The Paradesi Synagogue had three classes of members. * White Jews were full members. The White Jews, or Paradesi Jews, were the recent descendants of Sephardim from Holland and Spain. * Black Jews were allowed to worship but were not admitted to full membership. These Cochin Jews were the original Jewish settlers of Cochin. * Meshuchrarim, a group of freed slaves who had no communal rights and no synagogue of their own sat on the floor or on the steps outside. However, in the first half of the 20th century,Abraham Barak Salem, a meshuchrar, successfully campaigned against this discrimination. As is normal for Orthodox Jewish synagogues, the Paradesi Synagogue has separate seating sections for men and women. The Paradesi Synagogue is the only functioning synagogue in Kochi today with a minyan (though this minyan must be formed with Jews from outside Kochi, as the number who still reside there is not sufficient). In conformity with the Hindu, Nasrani and Islamic traditions of Kerala, the worshippers are required to enter the Paradesi Synagogue barefoot.[3] Other facets which are unique to the Cochin Jewish community, and which are results of Hindu influence, include special colors of clothing for each festival, circumcision ceremonies at public worship, and distribution of grapes soaked myrtle leaves on certain festivals. In addition, the Cochin Jews currently have no rabbis, as the community is led by elders. The synagogue is also open to visitors; the ticket-seller, Yaheh Hallegua, is the last female Paradesi Jew of child-bearing age. Objects of antiquity The Paradesi Synagogue has the Scrolls of the Law, several gold crowns received as gifts, many Belgian glass chandeliers, and a brass-railed pulpit. It houses the copper plates of privileges given to Joseph Rabban, the earliest known Cochin Jew, dating from the 10th century, written in Tamil on the two plates, by the ruler of the Malabar Coast. The floor of the synagogue is composed of hundreds of Chinese, 18th century, hand-painted porcelain tiles, all of which are unique. There is also an oriental rug, a gift from Haile Selassie, the last Ethiopian Emperor.[5] The most visible part of the synagogue is the 18th century clock tower, which, along with other parts of the complex,which underwent repair work under the direction of World Monuments Fund, between 1998 and 1999.[6] Hebrew inscription at the Mattancherry synagogue A tablet from the earlier synagogue in Kochangadi in Kochi (built in 1344) is placed on the outer wall of the Paradesi synagogue. The inscription states that the structure was built in 5105 (in the Hebrew Calendar) as an abode for the spirit of God Description The temple was built in first millennium during the time of Kamarupa. Allahabad rock inscriptions of Samudragupta mentioned about it. Temple was destroyed during the middle of second millennium and revised temple structure was constructed in 1565 by Chilarai of the Koch dynastyin the style of medieval temples.[2] The current structure has a beehive-like shikhara with delightful sculptured panels and images of Ganeshaand other Hindu gods and goddesses on the outside .[3] The temple consists of three major chambers. The western chamber is large and  rectangular and is not used by the general pilgrims for worship. The middle chamber is a square, with a small idol of the Goddess, a later addition. The walls of this chamber contain sculpted images of Naranarayana, related inscriptions and other gods.[4] The middle chamber leads to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in the form of a cave, which consists of no image but a natural underground spring that flows through a yoni-shaped cleft in the bedrock. During the Ambuvaci festival each summer,the menstruation of the Goddess Kamakhya is celebrated. During this time, the water in the main shrine runs red with iron oxide resembling menstrual fluid. It is likely that this is an ancient Khasi sacrificial site, and worshiping here still includes sacrifices. Devotees come every morning with goats to offer to Shakti.[5] The Kalika Purana, an ancient work in Sanskrit describes Kamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride of Shiva, and the giver of salvation.Shakti is known as Kamakhya. Kamakhya Temple in Himachal Pradesh. The Kamakhya temple in the forest region of Polian Purohitan in Una District of Himachal State is situated at about 600 mt above sea level. The Pindi,was brought over by the Rajpurohits of Brahaminical Aryan descent of the sage Vatsayan some 800 years ago after the invasion of the Shans in 1200C, with the destruction of the first tantric ritual site. The worshippers escaped in mass migration from the Garo-Khasi hillregion of Assam, via the Tibet Himalaya silk route to Kashmir .While some left for the north west frontiers, a few families of the Brahamin Vatsayan Rajpurohits sanctified the tantric Kamakhyakuldevi in the wilderness of an isolated forest hill in Polian Purohitan. Sculptures carved on the temple The first tantric Kamakhya Temple was destroyed during the Mongol invasion in the Nilachal hills in the 12 BC, so was the fate of the second tantric temple destroyed in the Muslim attacks, probably by the Hindu convert Muslim  warrior Kala Pahad. The Brahaminical legend of the Shakti in the later period led to the worship of the tantric goddess as Hindu Shakti goddess. The worship of all female deity in Assam symbolizes the fusion of faiths and practices of Aryan and non-Aryan elements in Assam.[6] The different names associated with the goddess are names of local Aryan and non-Aryan goddesses.[7] The Yogini Tantra mentions that the religion of the Yogini Pitha is ofKirata origin.[8] According to Banikanta Kakati, there existed a tradition among the priests established by Naranarayana that the Garos, a matrilineal people, offered worship at the earlier Kamakhya site by sacrificing pigs.[9] The goddess is worshiped according to both the Vamachara (Left-Hand Path) as well as theDakshinachara (Right-Hand Path) modes of worship.[10] Offerings to the goddess are usually flowers, but might include animal sacrifices. In general female animals are exempt from sacrifice, a rule that is relaxed during mass sacrifices.[11] Legends A complete view of the temple Vatsayana,a Vedic Sage in Varanasi during the later first Century was approached by the King in the Himalayan region (now Nepal) to find a solution to convert the tribals and their rituals of human sacrifice to a more socially accepted worship. The Sage suggested the worship of a tantric goddess Tara that spread towards the eastern Himalayan belt till the Garo Hills where the tribals worshipped a fertility yoni goddess Kameke. It was much later in the later Brahaminical period Kalika Purana that most tantric goddess were related to the legend of Shakti and began to be erroneously worshipped as a devi by the Hindus. According to the Kalika Purana, Kamakhya Temple denotes the spot where Sati used to retire in secret to satisfy her amour with Shiva, and it was also the place where her yoni fell after Shiva danced with the corpse of Sati.[12] This is not corroborated in the Devi Bhagavata, which lists 108 places associated with Satis body, though Kamakhya finds a mention in a supplementary list.[13] The Yogini Tantra, a latter work, ignores the origin of Kamakhya given inKalika Purana and associates Kamakhya with the goddess Kali and  emphasizes the creative symbolism of the yoni. Kamakhya during Ahom era According to a legend the Koch Bihar royal family was banned by Devi herself from offering puja at the temple. In fear of this curse, to this day no descendants of that family dares to even look upward towards the Kamakhya hill while passing by. Without the support of the Koch royal family the temple faced lot of hardship. By the end of 1658, the Ahoms under king Jayadhvaj Singha had conquered the Lower Assam and their interests in the temple grew. In the decades that followed the Ahom kings, all who were either devout Shaivite or Shaktacontinued to support the temple by rebuilding and renovating it. Rudra Singha (reign 1696 to 1714) was a devout Hindu and as he grew older he decided to formally embrace the religion and become an orthodox Hindu by being initiated or taking sharan of a Guru, who would teach him the mantras and become his spiritual guide. But, he could not bear the thought of humbling himself in front a Brahmin who is his subject. He therefore sent envoys to Bengal and summoned Krishnaram Bhattacharyya, a famous mahant of Shaktasect who lived in Malipota, near Santipur in Nadia district. The mahant was unwilling to come, but consented on being promised to be given the care of the Kamakhya temple to him. Though the king did not take sharan, he satisfied the mahant by ordering his sons and the Brahmins in his entourage to accept him as their spiritual guru. When Rudra Singha died, his eldest son Siba Singha (reign 1714 to 1744), who became the king, gave the management of the Kamakhya temple and along with it large areas of land (Debottar land) to Mahant Krishnaram Bhattacharyya. The Mahant and his successors came to be known as Parbatiya Gosains, as they resided on top of the Nilachal hill. Many Kamakhya priests and modern Saktas of Assam are either disciples or descendants of the Parbatiya Gosains, or of the Nati and Na Gosains.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Consumer Behaviour Towards Milk Products

Consumer Behaviour Towards Milk Products Consumer behavior is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy products. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand peoples wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Consumer behavior is influenced by: demographics, psychographics (lifestyle), personality, perceptions, motivation, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings. Consumer behavior concern with consumer need consumer actions in the direction of satisfying needs leads to his behavior of every individual depend on thinking process. Consumers with similar incomes and socio-demographic characteristic, facing similar relative prices, and equipped with similar information, tend to choose similar baskets of goods ( Connor, 1991). There is much research on dairy products that show that socio-economic factors and consumers demographic factors have a major impact on their consumption of dairy products (e.g. Bogue and Ritson, 2006; Armstrong et al., 2005; Valli and Traill, 2005; Tendero and Bernabeu, 2005; Vermeir and Verbeke, 2006; Viaene and Gellynck, 1997; Kotler, 1997). In addition, cultural diversity may have an important influence on consumption (Valli and Traill, 2005). There are large differences in the quality of life indicators between urban and rural areas (Sengul and Sengul, 2006). Also there are differences among the urban and rural populations in terms of their socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Customer behavior study is based on consumer buying behavior, with the customer playing the three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. Relationship marketing is an influential asset for customer behavior analysis as it has a keen interest in the re-discovery of the true meaning of marketing through the re-affirmation of the importance of the customer or buyer. A greater importance is also placed on consumer retention, customer relationship management, personalization, customization and one-to-one marketing. Social functions can be categorized into social choice and welfare functions. The idea that customers prefer one product or one service over another is not new. The ability to identify and measure the elements of such preference decisions with any accuracy and reliability has only recently become available. Research into this area of consumer behavior has brought understanding to some of the major issues with standard customer satisfaction research. Most importantly, we have come to realize that high customer satisfaction does not assure continued customer preference. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR CULTURAL FACTORS: Culture Sub-Culture Social Class SOCIAL FACTORS: Reference Group Family Role and Status PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS: Motivation Perception Learning Attitudes Beliefs PERSONAL FACTORS: Age and Life-Cycle Occupation Economic Situation Lifestyle Personality Figure 1.2 Factors affecting Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior is defined ad the mental and emotional process along with the physical activities of the people who purchase/consume goods and services to satisfy their particular needs and wants. Consumer is the most important person to the marketer because the marketer takes in to consideration on the liking and disliking of the consumer and he produces the goods and services accordingly. Consumer behavior is important for the three persons. For consumer: As a consumer most of the time will spend time in the market and a lot on decision making that what to buy and how to buy and meeting and conferencing with different types of peoples and friends with different types of good and services. For producer: Consumer behavior is also important for producer because producer design and manufacture different types of product and services keeping in view the wants and needs of consumer. For scientist: The knowledge of consumer behavior is also important for scientists, whether the scientist is working for profitable organization or non profitable organization. One of the advantages of consumer behavior can be seen when looking at advertisers and how they advertise by keeping the consumers in mind. Advertisers spend a lot of money to keep individuals and groups of individuals (markets) interested in their products. To succeed, they need to understand what makes potential customers behave the way they do. The advertisers goal is to get enough relevant market data to develop accurate profiles of buyers that is basically to find the common ground and symbols for communication. This involves the study of consumer behavior, the mental and emotional process and the physical activities of the people who purchase and use goods and services to satisfy particular needs and wants. Along side the behavior of organizational buyers (the people who purchase the products and services for use in business and government). The primary mission of advertising is to reach prospective customers and influence their awareness, attitudes and buying behavior. This can be done successfully only through knowing the consumer preferences, behavior towards various stimuli i.e. consumer behavior. 1.2 CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS, ATTITUDES AND MOTIVES TOWARDS MILK PRODUCT 1.2.1 Consumer Perceptions As a consumer, decision making is a very important factor as good decision making will see the Prosper but poor decision making could cost it a lot. In the fact, consumer perceptions influence all the decision of consumer. Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. The perception is important in the study of consumer behavior because people or consumer behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself. A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception. These factors can reside in the perceiver, in the object or target being perceived, or in the context of the situation in which the perception is made. Factor in the perceiver: Attitudes Motives Interests Experience Expectations Factor in the situation: Time Work setting Social setting Factors in the target: Novelty Motion Sounds Size Background Proximity Similarity PERCEPTIONS Figure 1.3 Factors that influence perceptions. Perceptions and Individual Decision Making, Organization Behavior (Fifth Edition) When an individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she sees, that interpretation is heavily influenced by the personal characteristic of the individual perceiver. Personal characteristic that affect perception include a persons attitudes, personality, motives, interests past experiences and expectations. Characteristic of the target being observed can affect what is perceived. Loud people are more likely to be noticed in a group than the quiet ones. For example of the milk product is the milk product with more benefit and promotion are more likely to be noticed in consumer mind than the low promotions. So, too, are extremely attractive or unattractive individuals. Because targets are not looked at in isolation, the relationship of a target to its background also influences perceptions. Based on study by Grunert et al. (2000) mentioned that consumer perception of dairy product quality was characterized by four major dimensions, hedonic, health-related, convenience related and process related. The information of the product itself rather than the physiological properties of the product influenced consumer acceptance of dairy product. Watanabe et al. (1997) classified consumer characteristics of milk consumption and indicated that men, middle-aged people, and people with no calcium concerns preferred soda and alcoholic beverages. People with relatively stronger health concerns consumed more milk products. Hsu and Kao (2001) evaluated product attributes and demographic factors that influenced purchases of fluid milk products in Taiwan using consumer survey data. Their result revealed that larger households purchases more fluid milk products. Households with higher income and household shoppers with higher educational levels tended to reduce purchases of flavoured milk products. 1.2.2 Consumer Attitudes As a consumer, each of us has a vast number of attitudes towards products, services, advertisements, direct mail, the internet, and retail stores. Within the context of consumer behavior, an appreciation of prevailing attitudes has considerable strategic merit. To get at the heart of what is driving consumers behavior; attitude research has been used to study a wide range of strategic marketing questions. For example, attitude research is frequently undertaken to determine whether consumers will accept a proposed new-product idea, to gauge why a firms target audience has not reacted more favorably to its new promotional theme, or to learn how target customers are likely to react to a proposed change in the firms packaging design. 1.2.1.1 The Attitude-Toward-Object Model The attitude towards object model is especially suitable for measuring attitudes towards a product or service category or specific brands. According to this model, the consumers attitude toward a product or specific brands of a product is a function of the presence and evaluation of certain product-specific beliefs and attributes. In other words, consumers generally have favorable attitudes towards those brands that they believe have an adequate level of attributes that they evaluate as positive, and they have unfavorable attitudes towards those brands they feel do not have an adequate level of desired attributes or have too many negative or undesired attributes. Conducting consumer attitude research with children, especially gauging their attitudes towards products and brands is an ongoing challenge. What are needed are new and effective measurement approaches that allow children to express their attitudes toward brands. 1.2.1.2 The Attitudes-Toward-Behavior Model The attitude toward behavior model is the individuals attitude toward behaving or acting with respect to an object rather than the attitude toward the object itself. The appeal of the attitude toward behavior model is that it seems to correspond somewhat more closely to actual behavior than does the attitude toward object model. 1.2.1.3 Theory of Reasoned Action Model The theory of reasoned action represents a comprehensive integration of the attitude components which is the consumer in this case, that ultimately are the building blocks of preference on multinational milk brand. The model is designed to provide a better understanding of how consumer preference is formed and, correspondingly, to provide the means to accurately predict consumer preference behavior. Figure 1.3 provides an overview of customer preference formation from the theory of reasoned action point of view. In order to understand preference it is need to determine the functional or performance demands involved in the purchase, the desired emotive outcomes, and the subjective norms consumers use to determine their desire for one milk product or brand over another. The primary assumption of the model is that individuals make considered purchases. In some cases the consideration may be minimal and the purchase behavior almost habitual. In another the period of consideration (incubation) may be extensive and each element of the consideration process carefully examined. Belief that the behavior leads to certain outcomes Attitude toward The behavior Evaluation of the Outcomes Preference Behavior Intention to buy milk Beliefs that specific referents think I should or should not perform the behavior Subjective comparison norm Motivation to comply with the specific referents Figure 1.3 Basic Structural Model of Customer Preference Formation Source: Adapted from Icek Ajzen and Martin Fishbein, Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1980), 84. The important contribution of the reasoned action model is the realization that consumers utilize the model in all purchase experiences of milk to a lesser or greater extent. Of equal importance is the realization that the components used to make a preference decision are also the ones employed by a consumer to evaluate the performance success of the milk product or service purchased and the company responsible for them. Therefore, as the components of preference on milk brand change, the elements influencing satisfaction change accordingly. The relationship is dynamic and fluid therefore static or predetermined satisfaction analytic packages often miss the most important elements of preference and can create a false sense of security on the part of companies who think that since their customer satisfaction scores are high they must in turn have relatively loyal customers. The theory of reasoned action assumes a consequence for the action taken. People prefer some product, someone, or some service because they determined the object was best aligned with companys performance and emotive requirements as judged through our comparative norms. People evaluate the performance in light of how well the product, person or service meets their preference expectations. (www.icrsurvey.com//Customer%20Preference%20Formation_1205.doc) 1.2.3 Consumer Motivation Motivation is one of the important factors that can influence the consumer behavior. Motivation is the processes that account for an individuals intensity, direction and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal. The famous theory in the development of motivation concepts is the Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs. HIRARCHY OF NEEDS THEORY It is probably safe to say that the most well-known theory of motivation is Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs. The hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy of five needs. These needs are: Physiological: includes hunger, thirst, shelter, sex and other bodily needs. Safety: includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm. Social: includes affection, belongingness, acceptance and friendship. Esteem: includes internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy and achievement and external esteem factors such as status, recognition and attention. Self- actualization: the drive to become what one is capable of becoming: includes growth, achieving ones potential and self-fulfillment. Need 3: Social Need Need 1: Physiological Need Need 2: Safety Need Need 4: Esteem Need Need 5: Self Actualization Figure 1.2.3 Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Model As each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next need becomes dominant. In terms of the figure 1.2.3, the individual moves up the steps of the hierarchy. From the standpoint of motivation, the theory would say that although no need is ever fully gratified, a substantially satisfied need no longer motivates. So, if the consumer wants to motivate someone, according to Maslow, the consumer need to understand what level of the hierarchy that consumer is currently on and focus on satisfying the needs at or above that level. While customers have different motivations for consuming the things they do, all consumers have motivations that guide them to want, and purchase certain goods or services. Some motivations for consumption could include the need for status, social acceptance, security or individuality while other motivations are unconscious and can be utilized by marketers to hook consumers into buying a product they never knew they always wanted. Beyond more emotional appeals there is the very real and tangible model of needs proposed by Abraham Maslow in his Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. Maslows theory indicates that most consumer motivations can be attributed to where they fall on the pyramid of needs he developed. The lower level on Maslows pyramid begins with basic physiological needs (dinking fluids, eating, sleeping, etc.), and climbs all the way to the highest level on the pyramid to the need for beauty (as cited in Lindquist Sirgy, 2003, p. 250-251). Maslow believed that a person moved through each level of need sequentially. In other words, once the needs in one category were met completely, a person would move up to the next most immediate category, and his or her purchasing motivations would change as a result of the new category to which he or she would become a part of (as cited in Lindquist Sirgy, 2003, p. 250-251). Maslow separated the five needs into higher and lower orders. Physiological and safety needs were described as lower order needs and social, esteem and self-actualization as higher-order needs. The differentiation between the two orders was made on the premise that higher-order needs are satisfied internally (within the person), whereas lower-order needs are predominantly satisfied externally (by things such as pay, union contracts and tenure). Unfulfilled Needs, Wants, and Desires Tension Learning Drive Behavior Goal or Need Fulfillment Cognitive Processes Tension Reduction Figure 1.4 Model of Motivation Process Source: From Jeffrey F. Dugree et al. Observations: Translating Values into Product Wants, Journal of Advertising Research, 36, 6, (November 1996) The figure above is presents a model of the motivational process. It portrays motivation as a state of need-induced tension that drives the individual to engage in behavior that he or she believes will satisfy the need and thus reduce the tension. Whether gratification is actually achieved depends on the course of action pursued. The specific goals that consumers wish to achieve and the source of action they take to attain these goals are selected on the basis of their thinking processes (cognition) and previous learning. Therefore, marketers must view motivation as the force that induces consumption and through consumption experiences, the process of consumer learning. 1.3 RESEARCH PROPOSAL 1.3.1 The Factors Affecting Consumer Behavior towards Milk Product Consumer purchases are strongly influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. It is difficult for marketers to control such as factors but they should take these into account because it does provide marketers with a guideline. 1.3.1.1 Cultural Factors Cultural factors have a significant impact on customer behavior: 1. Culture Culture is the most basic cause of a persons wants and behavior. Growing up, children learn basic values, perception and wants from the family and other important groups. Marketing are always trying to spot cultural shifts which might point to new products that might be wanted by customers or to increased demand. For example, among this particular family was believed that fresh milk has the highest nutritious value among all types of milk and fitness has created opportunities (and now industries) servicing customers who wish to buy: Low calorie foods Health club membership Exercise equipment Activity or health-related holiday etc 2. Subculture Each culture contains sub-cultures groups of people with share values. Sub-cultures can include nationalities, religions, racial groups, or groups of people sharing the same geographical location. Sometimes a sub-culture will create a substantial and distinctive market segment of its own. For example, people from one country only accept one flavor of milk, it is plain milk. So the people will only buy plain milk and do not want to choose other milk flavor. 3. Social class These are relatively permanent and ordered divisions in a society whose members share similar values, interests and behaviors. For example, high class people who really very concern about their health especially their body shape will only buy low fat milk instead of other types of milk. Cultural factors exert a broad and deep influence on consumer behavior. The marketer needs to understand the role played by the buyers culture, subculture and social class. http://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/buying_cultural_factors.asp 1.3.1.2 Social Factors A consumers behavior is also influenced by social factors, such as the consumers small groups, family, and social roles and status. Because these social factors can strongly affect consumer responses, companies must take them into account when designing their marketing strategies. 1. Reference Groups Groups are a persons behavior is influenced by many small groups. Groups which have a direct influence and to which a person belongs are called membership groups. References groups are groups that serve as direct or indirect points of comparison or reference in the forming of a persons attitudes or behavior. Marketers try to identify the reference groups of their target markets. The importance of group influence varies across products and brands, but it tends to be strongest for conspicuous purchases. For example, an individual may choose a selected milk brand based on their group reference. References by the group can also known as mouth to mouth advertising. The reference group may validate the experience faced by the customer. 2. Family Family family members can strongly influence buyer behavior. We can distinguish between two families in the buyers life. The buyers parents make up the family of orientation. From parents a person acquires an orientation toward religion, politics, and economics and a sense of personal ambition, self-worth, and love. The family of procreation-the buyers spouse and children-exerts a more direct influence on everyday buying behavior. The family is the most important consumer buying organization in society, and it has been researched extensively. Marketers are interested in the roles and relative influence of the husband, wife, and children on the purchase of a large variety of products and services. Consumers are also affected and influenced by the presence of a family member. For example, the parents normally decide what milk product they want to purchase but the children can decide what the flavor is. 3. Role and status Roles and Status a person belongs to many groups-families, clubs, organizations. The persons position in each group can be defined in terms of both role and status. Role consists of the activities people are expected to perform according to the people around them. Status reflects the general respects given to role by the society. People often choose products that show their status in the society. Apart from that, consumers are also affected by their role they play and the status they hold in the society. For example, a general managers role and status will definitely differ from the role and status of a clerk. Bearing this in mind, the needs of customers also change. 1.3.1.3 Personal Factors A buyers decisions are also influenced by personal characteristics such as the buyers age and life-cycle stage, occupation, economic situation, life style, and personality and self-concept. These factors are divided into: 1. Age and life cycle Age and Life-Cycle State people change the goods and services they buy over their lifetimes. The types of milk people buy change during their lifetimes. As people grow older and mature, their desires change. The make up of family cycle also change their behavior. For example, when one person was a kid, he always drinks chocolate milk. But as he grows older, his preference in chocolate milk change becomes low fat plain milk or yogurt. Marketers often define their target markets in terms of life-cycle stage and develop appropriate products and marketing plans. 2. Occupation Occupation a persons occupation affects the goods and services bought. Marketers try to identify the occupational groups that have an above-average interest in their products and services. A company can even specialize in making products needed by a given occupational group. For instance, blue collar workers would buy cheaper milk brand whereas executives will prefer to buy more expensive brand. 3. Economic Situation Economic Situation a persons economic situation will greatly affect product choice. A person with higher purchasing power will be more willing to spend on famous cheese whereby, someone with middle income will choose local cheese, which offer better values. Marketers of income-sensitive goods closely watch trends in personal income, savings, and interest rates. If economic indicators point to a recession, marketers can take steps to redesign, reposition, and re-price their products. 4. Lifestyle Life Style people coming from the same subculture, social class, and even occupation may have quite different life styles. Life style is a persons pattern of living as expressed in his or her activities, interests, and opinions. Life style captures something more than the persons social class or personality. The life-style concept, when used carefully, can help the marketer gain an understanding of changing consumer values and how they affect buying behavior. People who always consume and wear branded stuff might always want to consume only famous milk brand comparing to people who consume milk despite their famous brand. 5. Personality and self concepts (self-image) Personality and Self-Concept each persons distinct personality will influence his or her buying behavior. Personality refers to the unique psychological characteristics that lead to relatively consistent and lasting responses to ones own environment. Many marketers use a concept related to personality-a persons self-concept. 1.3.1.4 Psychological Factors A persons buying choices are also influenced by four major psychological factors motivation, perception, learning, and beliefs and attitudes. Motivation Motivation a person has many needs at any given time. A need becomes a motive when it aroused to a sufficient lever of intensity. A motive is a need that is sufficiently pressing to direct the person to seek satisfaction. Motivation is based on Maslows hierarchy of Needs. According to Maslow, a person tries to satisfy the most important need first, which is known as the survival needs or the psychological needs. When the important need is satisfied, it ceases to act as a motivator and the person will subsequently try to satisfy the next important need, known as safety needs. Base on Maslow theory, it is stated that a person should meet their basic and physiological needs like food, shelter, and clothes. It can be applied to milk as well whereby a person with low income will think how to eat food which can fulfill their body need such as rice before they consume milk which is nutritious but can not satisfy their hunger. Perception Perception a motivated person is ready to act. How the person acts is influenced by his or her perception of the situation. Two people with the same motivation and in the same situation may act quite differently because they perceive the situation differently. Perception is the process by which people select, organize, and interpret information to form a meaningful picture of the world. Learning when people act, they learn. Learning Learning is the reinforcement process, which an individual gained through the experiences. The practical significance of learning theory of marketers is that they can build demand for a product by associating it with strong drives, using motivating cues, and to the same drives as competitors and providing similar cues because buyers are more likely to transfer loyalty to similar brands then to dissimilar ones. Or it may design its brand to appeal to a different set of drives and offer strong cue inducements to switch (discrimination). Belief and Attitudes Beliefs and Attitudes through acting and learning, people acquire their beliefs and attitudes. These in turn influence their buying behavior. A belief is a descriptive thought that a person has about something. Marketers are interested in the beliefs that people formulate about specific products and services. If some of the beliefs are wrong and prevent purchase, the marketer will want to launch a campaign to correct them. People have attitudes regarding religion, politics, clothes, music, food, and almost everything else. An attitude describes a persons relatively consistent evaluations, feelings, and tendencies toward an object or idea. Attitudes put people into a frame of mind of liking or disliking things, moving toward or away from them. Based on study (Morrison, 2002) attitude describes a persons relatively consistent evaluations consistent evaluations, feelings and tendencies toward and object or an idea. (Morrison, Alastair M, Ph.D., Hospitality and Travel Marketing, 3rd Edition, Thompson Learning, United States) SUMMARY Markets must be understood before marketing strategies can be developed. The consumer market buys goods and services for personal consumption. Consumers vary tremendously in age, income, education, tastes and other factors. Marketers must understand how consumers transform marketing and other inputs into buying responses. Consumer behavior is influenced by the buyers characteristics and by the buyers decision process. Buyer characteristics include four major factors: cultural, social, personal, and psychological. A persons buying behavior is the result of the complex interplay of all these cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors. Many of these factors cannot be controlled by marketers, but they are useful in identifying and understanding the consumers that marketers are trying to influence.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Toni Morrison Essay example -- Biography Toni Morrison Author Essays

Toni Morrison In the mid twentieth century, the Civil Rights Movement influenced African-American writers to express their opinions. Most African-American writers of the time discussed racism in America and social injustice. Some authors sought to teach how the institution of slavery affected those who lived through it and African-Americans who were living at the time. One of these writers was the Toni Morrison, the novelist, who intended to teach people about all aspects of African-American life present and past. In Beloved like all of her novels, Toni Morrison used vivid language, imagery, and realism to reveal the interior life of slavery and its vestiges which remained in African- American life. Toni Morrison was born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18,1931 in Lorain, Ohio to George and Ramah Willis Wofford. She was the second of four children. Her parents influenced her writing because of their contrasting views. Her father had a very pessimistic view of hope for his people; however, her mother had a more positive belief that a person, with effort, could rise above African-Americans’ current surroundings (Carmean 1-2). Her parents also influenced her because they were â€Å"gifted storytellers who taught their children the value of family history and the vitality of language†(Carmean 2). Toni Morrison graduated with honors from Lorain High School. She went to Howard University where she majored in English Literature. While at Howard, she changed her name from Chloe to Toni. Toni Morrison went to graduate school at Cornell University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Howard and a Master’s degree from Cornell. Toni Morrison met Harold Morrison, her husband, at Howard University where he was an architect student. Toni Morrison and Harold Morrison later divorced. Though they had two sons. Their first son was Harold Ford. Slade Morrison, their second son, helps Toni Morrison in her writing of children’s books. Toni Morrison has held many jobs as a writer, teacher, and an editor. As a teacher, she taught general composition and literature classes at Howard University. Some of her students at Howard were Houston Baker and Claude Brown. At Yale University, Toni Morrison taught creative writing and African-American literature. As an editor, she worked as senior editor at Random House in New York City. She worked her way up to that position from... ...using realism and vivid language. â€Å" Morrison had cast a new perspectives on the nation’s past and even suggests- though makes no promise- that people of strength and courage may be able to achieve a somewhat less destructive future† (Bakerman 173). Works Cited Bakerman, Jane S. â€Å"Toni Morrison.† American Women Writers. Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgrat. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 2000.172-174. Carmean, Karen. Toni Morrison’s World of Fiction. Troy, NY: Whitston Publishing Company, 1993. 81-100. Johnson, Anne Janette. â€Å"Toni Morrison.† Black Contemporary Authors; A Selection from Contemporary Authors. Eds. Linda Metzger, et al. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, Inc., 1989.411-416. Mobley, Marilyn Sanders. â€Å" Toni Morrison.† The Oxford Companion to African American Literature. Eds. William L. Andrews, Frances Smith, and Trudier Harris. New York: Oxford UP, 1997.508-510. â€Å"Toni Morrison.† Literature Resource Center. Feb. 2004. Gale Group. 8 Apr. 2004. http://galenet.galegroup.com Toni Morrison Uncensored. DVD. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2003. â€Å"Works of Toni Morrison.† Big Chalk Library. Jan 1990. Big Chalk. 8 Apr. 2004.http://library.bigchalk.com

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

As You Like It Essay

‘As You Like It’ Essay Belonging is the inclusion of both acceptance and alienation. Belonging is security, connection and camaraderie where as not belonging is estrangement, ostracism and seclusion. To belong to people, communities or places can create positive as well as negative outcomes. People’s perceptions of belonging are constantly changing due to personal, historical, cultural and social contexts. In Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ incorporates both aspects of belonging; acceptance and alienation. Different types are presented throughout the play by showing connections to place, to people and to ideas. Each connection that is presented details the characters emotions, actions and morals and values. Connections to certain places is expressed throughout the play but is not restricted to a single environment. Various characters including Orlando, Rosalind and Duke Senior all achieved a sense of belonging through their banishment/withdrawal from the court environment to the Forest of Arden. The Court, once a place where these characters rightfully belonged and had created affinities with, now had became a hostile and foreign environment forming negative outcomes. Not long after, they created connections to the Forest of Arden by the forest providing them with a place of protection and a place to heal their wounded emotions. The forest and the Court are juxtaposed because both environments are necessary to create balance and unity between the characters so they can live happy and fulfilled lives. Rosalind and Orlando had to be banished from the Court, to then thrive and find themselves in the Forest of Arden enabling them to then return to the Court to live their lives where they rightfully belong displaying the importance of these environments. Connections to people are what forms their morals and values and defines their actions. Celia is a perfect example of a connection to a person. She demonstrated the power of love and one’s connection to a person through her loyalty and devotion to Rosalind by showing that she would abandon everything; the Court life and her father, to follow Rosalind into the forest. She had displayed that there is no home at the court, no sense of belonging, without her Rosalind. This connection that Celia had with Rosalind created positive effects to herself and conveyed how belonging to a person was necessary for a positive outcome. Connections to certain ideas define who people are but they also can be poignant and thought provoking toward the audience. Through the play the quote ‘All the world’s a stage’ pessimistically tells us that we all are one in this life. The play affirms that everyone belongs to the same human race and they all have the same ending. This idea is expressed in the dance at the end. It represents a social ritual where everyone belongs and they celebrate love, marriage and common humanity. Ideas can also shape ones perceptions of the world and how they act toward them. Belonging can not just create positive or negative outcomes but it can either enrich or diminish a person’s life; their actions, decisions, morals and values and emotions. In Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ everyone experiences positive outcomes because it is one of his comedies. Belonging throughout the play established its importance to the characters and also detailed the connections they had with each other, their environment and themselves. It also showed how belonging is continually modifying to one’s circumstances but also by their personal, historical, cultural and social contexts.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Comparison of Two Films essays

Comparison of Two Films essays In that paper, I will try to compare two films which are A Birth of a Nation directed by D.W.Griffith and The Bicycle Thieves directed by De Sica. After giving the story of the films, I will try to explain their technical features and their similarities. A Birth of a Nation by D. W. Griffith Griffith can be seen as the first 'modern' director, his greatest achievements being the historical epics The Birth Of A Nation. When it was released, it was one of the longest films ever made, over three hours in length. The prologue depicts the introduction of slavery to America in the seventeenth century and the beginnings of the abolitionist movement. The major part of the film depicts the events before, during and after the Civil War. It focuses on the exploitation of the newly-freed Negroes and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the south. Griffith shows it as a drama, a romance, and a documentary, with the vivid period reconstruction outweighing the personal stories. The title of the film is an interesting one. It is unknown whether the title refers to the birth of the reunited states, or the birth of the Ku Klux Klan. I tend to think that the film has a double meaning. In showing the Ku Klux Klan as good guys, it is obvious that Griffith was trying to show their birth as a positive event for the United States. Also, he was showing that the U.S. was once again reunited after the war, leading to the strengthening of the nation. It forebodes the future, when the South and the blacks living there are kept in check by the Ku Klux Klan , making the U.S. that much greater. Though it would be better to ignore this notion of the birth of the Ku Klux Klan, it cannot be due to the films content, although the film does show a truly united states. The film is an incredible piece of propaganda for both the Ku Klux Klan and the Jim Crow system. The Jim Crow system was undergirded by the follo...