Dante’s Inferno Essay

Dante’s Inferno is the most well-known and influential work of the thirteenth century. Dante’s Inferno is not a simple story of his journey through Hell. He depicts Hell with a very vivid picture and description. Dante’s Inferno is one part of the Divine Comedy. The Divine Comedy contains very realistic and frank concepts of the politics, religion and culture of Italy in the late thirteenth and early the fourteenth centuries. This paper develops the most salient political, cultural, and theological elements of Dante’s Inferno, what he wants to tell about his values through his book, and how the book represents western European Mediterranean culture around 1300. In this time period, Italy was in political chaos. It lacked a stable and secure government. Furthermore, there were competing political factions and turmoil. In these troubled circumstances, Dante’s represents the political thought of the European nations in his book Inferno. The most salient political element of Inferno is the competing political factions in Italy. During his journey in the book Inferno, he criticizes the political factions in Italy many times. As he says, â€Å"From there downward he is all of chosen iron, save that his right foot is of baked clay, and he stands erect on that more than on the other.†(Canto XIV) The right foot of baked clay represents the corruption of the church by political factions. Moreover, Dante also thinks that the cause of rebellion was political factions, too. According to the book, he states, â€Å"But that ungrateful populace malign which descended from Fiesole of old, and smacks yet of the mountain and the rock, will hate thee because of thy good deeds; and this is right, for among the bitter sorb trees it is not fitting the sweet fig should bear fruit.† (Canto XV) This phrase, â€Å"Ungrateful populace malign which descended from Fiesole of old†, represents the Fiesole people who settled down in Florence (Firenze). Dante thought that the Fiesole was the cause of political factions in Firenze. In addition, â€Å"the bitter sorb trees† means the political faction in Firenze and ‘the sweet fig’ represents Dante himself. Dante thinks all of the political corruption came from the political factions. According to his thought, political factions are regarded as a sin in Hell. For example, Dante’s political enemy placed in the fifth level, the wrathful level. He is very  excited to see his political enemy being punished and moreover Dante wants him to be punished more harshly. As he says, â€Å"Master, it certainly would make me happy to see him dunked deep in the slop just once before we leave the lake – it truly would†(Dante 140, Canto VIII). He was a member of the political faction opposite Dante, the Black Guelphs. As you see, Dante hates political factions in Florence. He frankly criticizes political factions in his book. The most salient cultural elements in Dante’s Inferno are Roman-Greco traditions, beliefs, and culture. Roman-Greco culture is the key element in Dante’s Inferno. He borrows many stories from Roman-Greco mythology. In Inferno, Roman-Greco traditions and beliefs are very significant for leading the story. For example, the idea of evil and the order of sinners are all from Roman-Greco culture. Furthermore, Zeus’s mythology is in Inferno, too. The most major theological element in Dante’s Inferno is the concept of the belief in the Holy Trinity. Firstly, the existence of Hell is an element of th e Christian tradition. The belief in the Holy Trinity concept informs the structure of Hell. There are nine circles in Inferno. ‘9’ is the Holy number in Christianity. In the Inferno, 9 Concentric Circles are the fundamental structure of Hell. Dante uses numbers 1,3,9(3), 10,(31), 100(10). There are three animals, 100 Canti Jesus. Among the numbers ‘10’ is the perfect number in Christianity. Dante may want to express the heaven after the nine circles, thus heaven will be the tenth circle. In addition, there are many references to the Bible and Christian theology. For example, in the First Circle of Hell, there are spirits of those who lived virtuously but without Christianity. Dante thinks that the lack of Christianity is also a sin. â€Å"The good Master to me, â€Å"Thou dost not ask what spirits are these that thou seest. Now I would have thee know, before thou goest farther, that they sinned out; and if they have merits it sufficeth not, because they had not baptism, which i s part of the faith that thou believest; and if they were before Christianity, they did not duly worship God: and of such as these am I myself.† (Canto IV). Through Dante’s Inferno, there are Nine Circles in Hell. According to the Nine Circles in Hell, we can study the culture and society aspects in the thirteenth century through the gravity of the offence. The Nine Circles are divided by the gravity of the offence. The First Circle is for people who placed in Limbo such as virtuous pagans, the Second Circle to the Fifth  Circle: Lust, gluttony, greed, and anger. The Sixth Circle is for heretics, the seventh represents violence, the eighth circle exists for people who commit sin of fraud and the Last Ninth Circle is for people who commit malice or treachery. According to the each circle of sins in Hell, we assume that heretics, violence and fraud treated heavily in the thirteenth century. Not only the gravity of the offence in the thirteenth century, but also we can see the society aspects from Dante’s Inferno. Through the book, we can guess that the simony prevailed in the thirteenth century. For instance, there were spirits in Hell who perpetrate simony. Furthermore, the pope’s status raised and it became very powerful in Europe compare to before the thirteenth century. As he says, â€Å"†¦but already the time is longer that I have cooked my feet, and that I have been thu s upside down, than he will stay planted with red feet; for after him will come, of uglier deed, from westward, a shepherd without law†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Canto XVIII) This phrases represent of the Clement V who will come from Avignon. Avignonese Captivity is an incident that Clement V moved the Vatican to the Southern part of France. This incident signifies that the pope’s status raised and it was really powerful as much as he could move the Vatican. Lastly, the most important thing to Dante through the book is an act of treachery. Through Dante’s Inferno, he made the last circle of Hell for people who commit treachery. It is because he was afraid of the temptation of treachery. He dearly wanted to go back to his town at that time. However, if he goes back to his town, he had to take a opposite political party who exiled Dante from his hometown. It means that he commits treachery to people who followed him. He would not want to commit treachery to people who supported him. Thus, through the book, he articulates his value that he would not commit treachery to people who followed him. Not only the determination of the act of treachery to Dante, but also he completes the definition of the God in Hell an d understands about the structure of Hell through the book, Inferno. In conclusion, the most salient political element of Dante’s Inferno is competing political factions. Because of troubled circumstances in Italy in the thirteenth century, Dante hates about the competing political factions and he thinks that all causes of political chaos in Italy is competing political factions. The cultural element in Inferno is Roman-Greco tradition, beliefs culture. Through the book, Dante borrowed many stories  from Roman-Greco tradition culture. For example, the order of sinner and the concept of evil were borrowed from Roman-Greco tradition culture. Furthermore, a mythology about the Zeus is one of the examples of Roman-Greco beliefs. Theological element of Dante’s Inferno is the belief of the Holy Trinity by using numbers such as 1,3,9,10,100. Also, he borrowed and used references to the Bible and Christian theology. We also can guess the culture and social aspect in 1300. At that time period, simony prevailed all over Europe and the popeâ€⠄¢s status was very powerful. Through the book, Inferno, Dante wants to articulate his thought of treachery. He determines that he would not commit treachery because of temptation by his own desire. Dante’s Inferno was the most experimental work in the thirteenth century. His book implies political, religious and cultural elements in the thirteenth century.

Mass Media Sociology

The mass media has become a big part of our society and its counterparts. In a time span of 50 years this medium has influenced society to an extent where it has created wonders. This immaculate tool can control almost every action we perform, from speaking to the actions that every human being performs in society. The mass media has brought upon a new era of idea's and changes in the world we live in. As we analysis media in depth we will find many aspects of media which overlap and some of the smallest factors and aspects of media, which create the biggest impact on society.Our main objective is to explore the mass media's effects on society and see how the media has affected out way of life. Not to mention, compare the life styles of the previous and current generation. These are aims all sociologists focus on. The mass media is seen as a medium of communication, as well as a way of delivering messages and valuable data to the masses within a matter of seconds. As we move into a m ore technological era we see vast differences in culture, values and the basic change in the way of life.The traditional way of life is dying; in-depth valuable heritage is no longer being followed. Many state that the media has blemished society which has created disparity within our traditional way of life. We are human beings with the power to take in unlimited amounts of information. The human brain contains functions that may never even be discovered by scientist due to its complexity. However, today the media has created a massacre of learning abilities and incoherent the emotional intelligence of human beings.As individuals say that the mass media is a valuable tool to society and can create great changes, it is seen to debauch within society and the minds of the new generation. Over all we see that the media has a colossal negative impact in comparison to a positive affect on society. Socialization and society is one of the main aspects in co-relation to the mass media. As s een in the recent generation, norms, values and way of life has changed to a great extent in comparison to the past generations. Media has distinctly created its mark in the socialization process.The mass media has social, developmental and various other forms of mental effects on children. A very important aspect of media society has embraced is the fact that it brings upon great awareness and understanding of the world around us. The media has exposed individuals of all ages to different aspects of the world that the previous generation was not aware of. This vast revelation has educated the youth thus making them more aware and ingenious about the world they live. Media has delivered messages to the world in a matter of seconds, providing us with intelligence about recent events around the world.Although media may provide society with many advantages, the negative impact can have immaculate affects on society. Promoting bad habits such as smoking is a conspicuous negative impact on society. Adolescents' smoking has become a big issue in today's time. † Almost 20 per cent of Canadian teens (aged 12-19) currently smoke (daily or occasionally†. Statistics state that the numbers of smokers have been increasing since 1990. The media has portrayed cigarettes to be a social and â€Å"cool† factor in society. Many youth state that they have smoked under peer pressure.Adolescents try to fit in by smoking so that they are not out casted. As social creatures it is our instinct to be apart of society and belong to a â€Å"social group†. Another growing concern amongst the current generation is the amount of television watched and how it is affecting developmental and psychological thinking. Television has become a big part of society. As many parents work it is found that children, who are home alone when their parents are at work, watch TV as soon as they come home from school. This influences their thinking more then the outside world does.N ot to mention that violence can be encouraged in the media. It is crucial to understand that when children are at that peek in their life, they tend to imitate what they see. A ponderous medium of media is video games in co-relation to violence. Video games encourage violent behavior in children as they are at a crucial stage of adaptation. Society as a whole has been immensely effected by the social realm. In the fashion world, it is media that creates the trends and genres of different types of clothes. This is seen as an identity. The fashion world markets their clothes to society thru the media.Using various sources such as, television, internet, newspaper and magazines. However there is a dark side to this industry. Today's society faces controversy about women's body figured. Size zero has become a behemoth  fad in the modeling world. The size zero topic has caused a revolution, women around the world trying to enter the modeling industry are now harming their bodies in coun tless ways in order to achieve the â€Å"ideal† body. Women today face a lot of criticism about their appearances due to the superficial ideology created by the media. This has rought a lot of criticism from feminist around the world who state that women have died from starvation only to model. Today's world has stereotypes formed from various forms of media. Stereotypes have been created ethnicities and cultures. As growing individuals we see distinct relations between the two. When we see a certain ethnicity portrayed in a particular way we judgments tend to be formed enforce them on that particular ethnicity. Eventually many individuals tend to conform to those stereotypes, thus them following the self fulfilling prophecy.This can be dangerous as people's self esteems may be affected, not to mention this activity can be harmful to society. For example, many African American people are portrayed as criminals and therefore displayed as â€Å"harmful† people in the med ia and its various forms; many fear them as they are known for causing harm and disruption. As this stereotype changes perspective of this particular ethnicity they tend to act the way they are seen in the media as society already believes that they are that certain stereotype. Since the 20th century we have seen a sudden rise empowerment in women, especially in North America.Women all over the nation fought for their freedom of right and are till this day at war for equality. Feminist state that we are currently living in a patriarchal society, where men predominantly control society and its activities. Further more feminist quote â€Å"all knowledge learned by society is created by men, thus creating biases in favor of men and predominantly male oriented situations. The media enforces this knowledge, for one gender roles are enforced through the media to children and adolescents. Although these are promoted to adults to, there is no personality harm to adults.For example, little girls and boys are shown playing sports and with toys that are meant for them, thus enforcing a stereotype and certain gender role of the behavior that is expected from these children. Disney as we know it promotes these gender roles to a great extends, with classical story lines. This shows young children how women are powerless and the male figure rescues her. This perception is seen distinctly in different forms as the child grows up. During the Second World War women refused to go back to their original jobs after then men returned from the war.As an extreme of re-socializing women, the government sent out propaganda about how women we're suppose to work in the homes and men to work in the factories. This is an extreme case of the media being used to change the perception of society. Feminist argue that media corrupted the minds of young women. Before the revolution women we're allowed a double standard of being sex objects however suppressed in society and seen as the â€Å"se cond† sex. Women nowadays are objectified by society and seen as sexual objects in the eyes of men Culture and the commercial world play a significant role in the media world.Culture is denoted as a way of life for society. It consists of beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a social group. A valuable aspect of culture is communication as it is its central activity. Without communication there would be no society or groups as such. Communication is the core of every society and culture in the world. It can take on many forms from verbal to sign language to symbols. All these arranged in a proper manner deliver a message and contain meaning. This approach is often described as a structuralism approach, where the focus is on the analysis of the production of meaning.The term structuralism is a used to emphasize influence of society as a whole. As stated above culture and communication go hand in hand. When we compare the language used i n the 19th and 20th century we see vast difference in the language and dialect. According to researchers the internet has changed our dialect, not to mention our way of typing. The internet has introduced short forms for various words and symbols to represent certain characteristics, as time passes by these characteristics are known to change the way we think. This type of change has affected our cognition.Literature has been restricted and we are made to expresses our selves in a matter of words, twitter for example restricts the amount of words being used to expresses one's emotions and feelings. This type of change has taught society how to expresses them selves in a matter of a few powerful words. Another aspect of language is how the media has allowed people to express them selves and grow as individuals. However there is a big drawback to this, as society has started to connect to the world over the World Wide Web, there tends to be less face-to-face communication.Individuals connect over the internet thus, disrupting the socialization process. People tend to become more anti-social and keep to them selves. Youth cultures and sub-cultures are a reflection of the media; today we see many youth cultures forming sub cultures within them selves. Many of them differ in various aspects; these subcultures are formed in order to rebel against the adult culture and their way of life. When adolescents form these sub cultures they find comfort and a sense of belonging. As the media is the predominate cause of youth sub-cultures, they portray what they want to see in the current generation.The hypodermic syringe theory states that the media feeds society what they want and society accepts it without any questioning, it is a medium of message which can causes changes within a time span of a few minutes. The results can be drastic and cause massive changes in society. Not to mention, as adolescents may apply these norms and values in their adult lives. Mass media is f ast growing field, the commercial world has experiences massive amounts of development in this sector due to the rapid increasing demand. As we can see, there are many highly regarded media jobs in the commercial world today.These jobs are important to the media sector as the skills and requirements are very different in comparison to traditional jobs. Many of the core media jobs are personal relations, journalism, publishing, broadcasting, film and many more. When we look at these topics we see a significant co-relation. As the World Wide Web has rapidly increased in the recent years and has gained significance, many individuals have taken up jobs which require constant internet co-relation. Blogging is an example of an internet related job. It requires regular entries of comments, descriptions of events, or interactive media such as images or video.Blogging has brought much recognition as written experiences and articles are posted in order to guide and share information with the world around us. As we move into the commercial world there is a strong relationship between the government and mass media. Their main aim is to educate society and make sure that information about the world's events reaches the masses. We see very little government contribution in regard to the media, as it is a privately owned source. For example when we look at the American media and how it is controlled by the government, there is very little interaction between the government and the media associates.Due to the fact that the media is controlled by a predominate part of the private industry. This means that the government cannot put their views across to manipulate society in anyway to their advantage. The media is also known to create illusions/perceptions about particular situations or events. However when an individual experiences it for them selves they will see how different it is compared to how the media portrays it. For example, when someone see's how television broadcas ting takes place in reality, they realize that the media may exaggerate the event, in order to create emphasis on the situation.This is only one example of the many events or situations that are exaggerated. Furthermore the media dispelling the illusions may be one of the most important responsibilities of modern education. As media may not portray the data in the way it was, disparities about validity are created. When we look at democratic situations in society, we see a vast gap in the voting percentage and the actual population. Political campaigns spend large amounts of money on promoting their campaigns for a very small population of voters.This creates big advantages to the political campaigns, as they spent large amounts of money on promoting them selves in the media, they will eventually receive a majority of the votes. This shows us that political success increasingly depend on fundraising, usually from well-financed special interest groups, to pay for media advertising. I n the age of mass media, Americans have been made to think that democracy means having lots of consumers choices in the marketplace of products, rather than alternative choices in ideology, issues or political leadership in the marketplace of ideas.The pattern of ownership has changed in the media, thus affecting the amount of information portrayed on the television. We see that today generally businesses are no longer family businesses. However nowadays they would acquire special people to handle such delicate affairs. Not to mention specialized magazines and book publishing operations have been launched across the country and these usually have been feasible economic ventures due to the fact that they do not require huge investments in equipment required to produce a daily newspaper. When talking about the media and the commercial world there are various different aspects to it.As the media has suddenly become big in the past few decades we can say that the media and its dynamics have drastically changed. This is due to the sudden enhancement in technology; this has helped us advance out world. For example, the film industry has advanced to an immaculate level, where production has changed along with the mode of production. The theorist has various views on the mass media and their effects on society. Each sociological theorist has a view which they embrace. Functionalist believes that each part of society has a certain function they are to perform in rder for society to function to its fullest potential. They believe that there are particular functions society has to their maximum capacity. Functionalists believe that the mass media helps co-ordinate and correlate between various parts of society by gathering and dismissing valuable information. Our society conforms to a lot that they see in the media. This means that they enforce laws and regulations which keep order and control in society. We believe that there is a certain extent of social control which is enforced. When talking about the mass media, functionalist strongly enforce social control over society.Conformity is reinforces the norms and values of society. This taught the new generation how to fit into a society. The media enforced and teaches society the rules and regulations, not to mention they provide social situations of individuals disobeying the laws and regulations. This acts as a reinforcement to conform to society's rules. For example, cop shows provide an example of social situations where individuals of our society act out and the punishments they receive. This enforces rules and conformity in society. Another aspect is how they are an agent of socialization.As mentioned before children of todays are exposed to vast amounts of the mass media at very young ages, they learn their norms and values form theses sources thus acting as sources of socialization. The media plays a big role in cognitive child development and re-socialization as they provide individuals w ith the knowledge that they learn and use in the future to come. Finally the last and most predominate role the media provides according to functionalist is entertainment. Besides all the social control and socialization factors, in the end the media is our predominate form of entertainment.This is a source of relaxation and a momentary escape from the hectic world that we live in. Conflict theorist was founded by Karl Marx. He believes that there are two dominate classes in society. One being the Bourgeoisie, they we're the ruling class that controlled all the assets and controlled the modes of production, they owned most of the properly and land. The second class was The Proletariats, they we're considered the lower working class. This class had no power at all and worked hard labor jobs which consisted of a lot of manual labor.Conflict theorist states that functionalist have not paid attention to the social inequality that the mass media portrays, that the mass media benefits som e more then others. According to conflict theorists the mass media is controlled by only a number of highly influential people. This leads to a very important factor which is media bias. Media bias can incur to massive levels, which can affect society. As the media is controlled by very few highly qualified people, they can deliver their views to the media and create false assumptions about particular opinions.Ownership of the media is in the hands of very few, creating profitability to them as producers and various different industries are interested in putting across messages to the world approach these particular media industry individuals. As seen in Canada the recent trends of the media are starting to change. Fewer people are starting to control larger amounts of the media and what is broadcasted. This is a big disadvantage to society as only their views will be focused on creating large amounts of bias media. When the media is controlled by a small population controlled by fe w there tends to be less diversity.Deprivation of independent sources of information with non-biased opinions stated. Society is forced to accept what is provided to them. Propaganda will flood the media due to smaller amounts of individuals controlling it For example in Canada, Rogers Communication Inc owns the Toronto Blue Jays, creates sports and entertainment, broadcasts on television, carries the signal to viewers homes via cable stations and finally they sell at Rogers Video stores. The government controls what is presented in the media to a great extent.There are various cases where the government has punished certain journalist for publishing articles criticizing the government and their policies. What happened to freedom of speech is a question many are asking in today's modern world. The main biased mechanisms are flak, advertising and sourcing. Flak occurs when big corporations frequently attack journalist who write and state controversial articles in the media. This is d ue to government control and how they do not want negative views about them being distributed in the public. The other biased mechanism is advertising.Most of the revenue earned by the mass media is thru advertising over the internet, television, magazines, newspapers, radio and various other different predominant forms of media. Large corporations pay great sum's of money to advertise their messages over popular modes of media. This brings in a large sum of the media's income. Last but not least is sourcing. This method of gathering news is heavily used by news agencies for press releases, news conferences, and interviews organized by large corporations or the government. These sources usually have traces of preferences towards certain policies and regulations.Unofficial statistics are usually not are preferred as official documents due to the fact that they only provide reactions and minority viewpoints that are secondary to that official story. As seen in the data provided about the biased media and how influential it can be, we see that the conflict theorist in summary believe that economic inequality is reinforced due. Further to that, the core value of society is stratified as the media is controlled by a small amount of people creating diversity and portraying socially acceptable and government approved opinions.Interpretive approaches are micro sociology that believes the socialization of individuals' shapes how society will form and function. According to them each individual's personality carries an imprint to his unique experience along with the socially transmitted world view. These types of sociologist look into each individual and the reason for each individual's results along with the factors affecting them. Society is not judged as a whole. They believe that the mass media influences a passive public in common.Symbolic functionalist state that although conflict theorist and functionalist reinforce the fact that the mass media is mainly benefici al to the rich and powerful, not to mention that the mass media is a great reinforcement of core values follow by society. They do not enforce much on the extent to which audience members interpret media's messages in different ways. Interactionalist state that, the entailments of mass media does not simply change individuals behavior, there are various steps that are used to change societies mind.Consider this question: How much influence does the mass media actually exert over audiences? Great controversy surrounds this question The subject of what influences the mass media involves the link between persuasive media messages and indirect actual behavior. The process of ‘ two-step flow of communication' must take place. This process involves the communication between the mass media and the audience members. The first process involves respected individuals of society to evaluate media messages. These individuals tend to be highly educated or politically powerful in that commun ity.As their status contains power and authority they usually conduct independent judgment. The second step involves the leaders influence on attitudes and behavior of others around them. This way media's opinions are filtered by the leaders. This two step process limits the amount of influence on society. If individuals in a society are influenced to perform a certain action is it less predominant within their minds as it has been influenced by the leader. The media influences society to perform a certain action; however the leaders influence will determine whether society will perform that action or not.Symbolic interactionalist represents media through cultural studies. In-depth interviewing and participant observation is used to study how people in a society truly interpret media messages. Cultural studies does not only concentrate on the cultural meaning producers try to transmit, but on the way audiences filter and interpret mass media messages in the context of their own inte rest, experiences, and values. Sociologist, Stuart Halls states that, audience members take an active part in consuming the products of the mass media.However they filter and interpret the messages in the context of their own interest. In conclusion, the audience will only take in and interpret what they want to. Every individual has a different way of thinking. This implicates that the media does not fully influence individuals. Hall asserts, society takes in the mass media's information in the context of their own experiences, interests and values. Thus, any in-depth analysis of the mass media must take into the production and consumption of the data. In the initial stages the meaning intended by producers must be studied.Further to that, we also need to study how the audience consumes or evaluates media products. Audience members may interpret media messages in ways other than those intended by the producer. The critical attitude of the individuals exposed to the media reduces th e ability to identify strongly with many characters, personalities, and storylines. Age also affects how we relate to the television or various different forms of media. For instance, the senior viewers tend to be selective and focused on their television viewing. In comparison to individuals who grew up with TV cable and a remote control.Individuals in that vein often sift through channels, engage in conversation and do a multitude of things that detract attention to the supposed object of focus. The media does not impact these modes of viewing. This is an example of the media's effect on society and the extent to which it affects certain individuals. Conflict theorists' and functionalists' exaggerate the extent to which the media affects the society. All in all, internationalist filters, interpret, resist and sometimes reject messages that are often presented by the mass media.Feminists are another group of sociologists who believe that women are treated unfairly in society and ar e discriminated against in various types of male dominated theories. In co-relation to the media, feminists have strong views about how they created gender roles and stereotypes. Women are mostly seen as sexual objects and prizes rather then humans. In addition, women in the media are said to create a stereotype which is affective to many of the adolescents as they create artificial looks and body structures. The media's power as a predominant socializing agent adversely influences women into these modes of thinking.The media creates stereotypes which portray women as, â€Å"dumb and silly†. This pushes women down the stratification scale in the world as a whole; this is one of the reasons why the glass ceiling was created. The glass ceiling is an expression which states that women can see the top position; however due to gender discrimination, they cannot reach it. It is worth noting that, the media also creates a gender role for women from a very young age. For example, gir ls are shown on television shows playing with kitchen sets and boys are shown playing football.This demonstrates to children that they have certain roles to play and with this, these roles are embraced at a young age. Not only is there gender discrimination, many women experience racial gender discrimination. This occurs when women in the ethnic minorities are discriminated against due to their gender and ethnic background. Although there have been countless efforts to combat this type of discrimination, women in today's society are facing large amounts of discrimination, not to mention are being denied the top positions and discriminated in terms of wages.As we have analyzed the various aspects from society to the commercial world, we can say that media has created a distinct change in society. We can conclude by saying that, the mass media is a tool which can cause great change and impact on society largely. When the mass media is related to society as a whole, the media has affec ted adolescents and children more then any other group. We see that society's children and adolescents have changed their ways of life in an immaculate level. Researchers say that there has never been such a large amount of change in such a short span of time.Media is to blame for such a large change in society. Although the mass media has afforded society negative instances, there are various high points we can take away from the mere existence of the media. If it weren’t for the media society wouldn't bee informed about world events and the situations taking place in it. Many individuals criticize the media for it's over exaggeration and creation of false delusions. However, many forget to give the media credit for the intense and immediate broadcasting around the world.On a whole the media has created many advantages for society and has created a whole new generation and way of life, however on the other hand the media has corrupted the minds of children and adolescents. N ot to mention its role in the massive loss of culture and tradition that dates back thousands of years ago. In the end has the media benefited society or corrupted it?

Evolution Of Outdoor Advertising In Nigeria

Advertising or advertising is a form of communication for marketing and used to encourage, persuade, or manipulate an audience (viewers, readers or listeners; sometimes a specific group) to continue or take some new action. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. This type of work belongs to a category called affective labor (Wayne et al. , 2008). Long before America was colonized, commerce flourished in the Old World where various methods were used to promote trade.Notice boards placed outside houses indicated what could be had within. Wine cellars gave free samples in the streets. And actors paraded in the streets attempting to entice onlookers into theatres. The idea of commerce is very old indeed, and the means of inducing others into exchange relationships was not far behind in its development. (Advertising and Society Review) As we have seen, an advertis ement can be very simple, and simple advertising, eg for events, has been around for as long as people have been trying to make money out of attracting a wider public.Posters announcing an event were probably the first form of advertising, and these date back to gladiatorial contests in Ancient Rome. The first advertisements, however, which fit our full definition of advertising (ie paid for, occupying space in a media form) appear in newspapers in the seventeenth century. These tended to be straightforward statements of fact, without any fancy typesetting or illustrations, and were often indistinguishable from the news stories around them.As the eighteenth century wore on, the Industrial Revolution gathered pace, and consumer goods became more sophisticated, manufacturers began to recognize that they needed to create a need for their products. Many items were new to consumers, or were new variations. Josiah Wedgewood, who manufactured pottery in England in the second half of the se venteenth century, was particularly good at creating new markets for his wares through advertising.He brought cups and plates into the budget and households of middle class families – a much larger market than the wealthy aristocratic households who had previously been the only purchasers of dinner sets. The nineteenth century saw the skills of the advertiser come to the forefront, as ads began to mix images and words, and adopt the techniques of language and layout that we are familiar with today. With the proliferation of goods and services in this century, it became recognised that advertising was an important part of business, and should be dealt with by experts in the field.Most of the advertising agencies that dominate the global markets today were founded in the latter part of the nineteenth century. During the early part of the twentieth century, governments began to recognise the power of advertising to get their message across to their ‘consumers' (ie their ci tizens). This was particularly apparent during the First World War, when advertising was used to enlist soldiers and enforce government policies. (http://www. mediaknowall. com/gcse/advertising/advertising.Advertising in Nigeria Advertising in Nigeria could be said to have started officially with Rev. Henry Townsend's Newspaper called Iwe Iroyin in 1859. This particular newspaper carried advertisements on births and other social events. However, professional advertising is often said to have started in 1928 with the birth of West African Publicity Limited. Derived from UAC, it was established to cater for the needs of the colonial masters in Nigeria and West Africa.This company later became an advertising agency in 1929 named Lintas with two other subsidiaries namely Afromedia, the outdoor medium and Pearl/Dean, the cinema arm. In the 1950's new advertising agencies emerged. The medium of advertising was in its infancy in those days Federal Government owned National Broadcasting Cor poration (NBC) where he only television stations that operated in the four regions of East, West, North and later Midwest. With the increase in practitioners, an agency regulatory body had to be formed to standardize their practices.A meeting of the agencies held at Ebute Metta, Lagos in 1971 was to metamorphose into Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) with the objective of protecting practitioners against unfavorable business. The association was later renamed Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) . The need to establish an institution Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) by Decree 55 of 1988, later renamed Act 55 of 1988 by the civilian administration on November 1989, the first meeting of the association held somewhere in Ebute-meta, Lagos finally culminated to the birth of APCON.In the 1990's the sector came alive, it began to expand beyond advertising as full services public relation firms such as the Quadrant JSP and Quest were established. Also the era witnessed the mad rush of foreign affiliations. While some agencies sought this affiliation to help boost their human capital, others just joined the bandwagon just to feel among. Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) later emerged in 1928.Today, Nigerian advertising industry, is making efforts to ensure that they measured up to global industry practice. Affiliations also avails them of technical knowhow in the areas of creativity and training. The industry has grown to shooting their adverts locally and injecting a lot of local content in their campaigns the regulatory body of advertising, APCON, is living up to expectations by the measures put in place to sanitize the industry. Of note is professionalizing the practice to ensure that quacks are reduced if not flushed out completely.Again measures are adopted to ensure practitioners operate within set advertising standards. S ectional associations include Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Newspapers proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN).OUTDOOR ADVERTISING IN NIGERIAOutdoor advertising in Nigeria has its humble beginning rooted in colonial history. Advertising development in Nigeria could be traced to about 1928 with the birth of West African Publicity Limited; a subsidiary of the United African Company (UAC). The company was set up to cater for the marketing activities of UAC in both Nigeria and other West African countries as at that time. The company was later to transform to a full-fledged advertising firm in 1929 and was named Lintas with two other subsidiaries, Afromedia, the outdoor medium and Pearl/Dean, the cinema arm.Then headed by expatriates, the companies were to enjoy a monopoly for a long time. It was not until 1950s when other advertising agencies started to emerge on the scene. Ogilvy, Benson and Martha (OBM) and Grant were later to join the fray to form the big three in the industry (Saleem et al. , 2010). In the 50s, other sizes of structures like 8 sheets, 1b sheet and few bulletin boards at Iddo were erected for such clients as Nigeria Tobacco company, Nigeria breweries and Langucy stores. The history of outdoor is the history of advertising in Nigeria.What has evolved into advertising practice today started formerly around 1928 with the establishment of a UAC subsidiary known as the West African Publicity, whose major activity was producing outdoor advertising for UK companies based in Nigeria. The business has since grown over the years to become a multibillion naira outfit (Tirmizi et al. , 2009). In 1957 all billboards on railway property was landed to MRS Freemont. Railways having set up an outdoor advertising department in 1956. In July 1958, Messrs J. W Mills, Chairman and Managing Director of Mills and Rockleys, a U. K based outdoor advertising company and Mr. G.C Campbell of Franco Signs Limited visited Ibadan, Kaduna and Enugu with the writer for on-the-spot assessment of the of the country’s potentials. A year later Afromedia Nigeria limited was registered precisely on the 28th October, 1959. West Africa publicity which was the first outdoor changed its name to Lintas Nigeria limited with the new management staff in Afromedia limited Mr. D. M. Casey. Outdoor started in earnest and then the first 40 sheet was erected at the junction of Apapa road and denfor street with number LA 1 and a 16 sheet board was erected on the wall of 4 custom sheet corner of phoenix lane numbered LA2.The Manager called M. D. Redman brought in Afromedia in about 1961. Proper documentation of all billboards giving such details as date of erection, landlord’s name, address of billboards, annual payable to landlord or local government council and campaign in 1963. Mr. Kelly of Afromedia commission media research, which result gave credence to the posters medium in Nigeria in terms of coverage during the same period.Mr.  Kelly spear-headed the development of outdoor industry by bringing clients that patronized outdoor intensively together to form an associate with the outdoors companies Afromedia and Railways with name as Outdoors Advertising Contractors of Nigeria (OACAN). However, during this period, there were other outdoors companies, like Railway Advertisement Service, Nigeria Advertising Service (NAS), Wilmer Publicity Gilbertson Advertising Limited, Nigeria Commercial and Industries Enterprise Publicity Associates of Nigeria limited. The first posters printing in Nigeria was done in 1962, by Afromedia.The company was late sold to the Nigeria Management Staff in March, 1974 (BECAME INDIGENISED). During the period, new outdoors advertisement structures were introduced. Sheet unit in 1979, Jewel machine 1989, Timed in 1990, Rooftop in 1990, Directional Street Signs in 1990. UAC West Africa publicity limited set up in 1928, around 1959 it was splinted into two – Afromedia and Lintas. Outdoor Advertisement Contractor of Nigeria came into being in 1954 and the name was changed to Outdoor Adversting Association of Nigeria (OAAN) in 1986 to reflect both in outlook and practice.Outdoors is the oldest advertising medium in Nigeria, though the print media was few years ahead of outdoors. Outdoor advertising however has witnessed its challenges over the years and in what looked like the major steps to address the problem facing the outdoor sub-sector of the advertising industry, stakeholders in the industry, including government, practitioners and advertisers have identify areas of conflict between practitioners and regulatory agencies.Among other things, there is a reviewed that outdoor advertising practice and regulatory environment in the country and charted the way forward for a thriving and mutually rewarding outdoo r advertising industry. Despite the challenges faced by the sector, there are over 165 outdoor firms still existing in the market, managing over 21,000 boards, pan-Nigeria (Latif and Abideen, 2011). The first act of billboard demolition took place during the Raji Rasaki military regime. This action marked the beginning of billboard extermination in the country. In 2006, there was massive demolition of billboards in Abuja.The exercise was aimed at sanitising the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but the resultant effect was the agony it caused some outdoor agencies, some even filed for bankruptcy. In 2007, Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) went on a crusade against billboards in the state (Saleem et al. , 2010). Today, out of home (outdoor) advertising has gone beyond rusty poles signage in Nigeria. The major turnaround featured segmented scrolling billboards, unipoles, ultra waves, crossway billboards (gantries) backlit, Hexa signs and the latest of them is the light emitting diodes LED screen billboards.These evolutionary billboards designs are meant to make the outdoor advertising functions more effective, less stressful yet delivering value for money (Latif and Abideen, 2011). These latest electronically controlled billboards could be managed from the agencies office without any stress. Another advantage and a delight to clients is that it could also be monitored by the clients from their offices removing the hassle of going to spy on a billboards post for monitoring. Just like other digital innovations, this one also comes with accuracy, ease, speed and trend.This new technology provides aerial beautification (Saleem et al. , 2010). Outdoor advertising has its challenges. Among these challenges are conflicting regulations and multiple taxation, huge debts and demolition of their billboards. In the face of all these, the practitioners are undaunted because outdoor advertising business is still booming in Nigeria. Issues in Outdoor Advertisin g in Nigeria Clients Indebtedness Regulatory Issues Technological Issue Clients Indebtedness.Clients’ indebtedness remains one of the issues that has plagued the outdoor advertising industry in Nigeria, according to a report by Bernard Okhakume in the business column of the Nations newspaper on the 10th of February, 2013, â€Å"Consequent upon their (Outdoor Advertising Agents) debt burden, some of these service providers have closed shop. Over 70% of them today are so heavily indebted they cannot run their offices. At the close of business year 2012, some of them simply disengaged their staff and opted for one-man show pending when situation improves.The situation tends to be as a result of the fact that clients can simply take their wares to other practitioners after being indebted to one agency. However a strong association between practitioners can help to reduce this, In India, the Indian Outdoor Advertising Association is so strong; it clearly states its membership is well over 78% of outdoor corporate service providers in the country. For a country almost the size of a continent, such achievement is highly commendable. Its size enables the association so much power to establish and enforce practice rules, code and ethics.The members are sure to be protected against system abuse. It is not unlikely that clients do owe outdoor agencies in India, but for a scenario such as prevalent in our local market to play out there, is certainly not permissible (http://thenationonlineng. net/new/againoutdoor-advertising-clients-indebtedness/). Regulatory Issues Outdoor advertising regulation has a long-standing tradition of controversy (Charles R. Taylor and John c. Taylor, Journal of public policy& marketing (http://www. jstor. org/stable/30000175). The need to curb haphazard and chaotic outdoors practice in the country led to the emergence of Regulatory bodies.However Practitioners have continued to complain over this â€Å"Strangulation† as some refe rred to it. APCON chairman, Mr. Lolu Akinwumi, at the 2012 edition of the annual advertising forum organised by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) under the theme, ‘Outdoor Advertising Regulation and Control in Nigeria’. said the out-of-home is a major component of advertising practice, which in recent years had suffered some decline, especially as a result of different regulatory regimes, resulting in high costs of operations for practitioners.However, observers have noted that the regulation of outdoor agencies by the government is not a one sided coin, â€Å"The effort to check the indiscriminate deployment of outdoor posters, banners, signs and billboards across the state is finally paying off, for example a drive through Lagos state will see an array of safely and beautifully positioned Boards, it’s almost as if you are in a Western Country†, said Omoba Segun Adewale of Proview Advertising agency.In Nigeria, following the establi shment of The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency as established by the Lagos State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law, 2006 and the Amendment thereto a body that is responsible for regulating and controlling outdoor advertising and signage displays in Lagos State (http://www. lasaa. com/who-we-are/#sthash. bTsdXaKf. dpuf). Several states are beginning to establish state regulatory agencies to help manage an industry that either to as been a â€Å"free for all affair†.Technological Issue Practitioners in developed economies such as South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America (to mention a few), the challenging issues are not indebtedness and member business shut down due to clients’ indebtedness. Practitioners in those economies are now focused on innovative creativity. They are rather challenged by issues such as technological advancement in outdoor advertising practice, research and strategic planning and global innovativen ess (not begging to be paid for job done three years back).In Nigeria, aside from Lagos state that is always on its toes to keep up with modern technology in the field of outdoor advertising, practitioners are still battling with technology in Nigeria, some have attributed this to the cost of having technology especially when clients are not willing to pay the appropriate fee. Despite all the issues raised however, it is interesting to note that over 165 outdoor firms still existed in the market, managing over 21,000 boards, pan-Nigeria ( http://www. thisdaylive. com/articles/charting-the-future-of-outdoor-advertising/120264/).HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISINGHumans have been creating wall art since the time we lived in caves. What the wall art was used for, and at what point it crossed from artistic display to marketing for a business is an interesting question. During the time of the ancient Egyptians the government was using images carved into stones to post the laws and regulations of the land. This carving into stones may, in a way, have been the oldest form of outdoor advertising (Mick, 1986). The modern-day billboard advertising approach can trace its roots to lithography, which was an invention of the late 1790s.The genius of this invention is that it made it possible to mass produce as many posters and announcements as a business needed. There was one major limitation to the outdoor billboards being produced at the time, and that was the quality of the posters; they did not stand up when exposed to the elements for prolonged periods of time. The circuses were one of the first businesses to profit from this new form of mass marketing, and so outdoor advertising underwent a major innovation which brought us the modern billboard advertising that we know today.The earliest use of the billboard by the circuses dates back to 1835. Prior to the invention of lithography, billboard copy could only be produced on a very small scale which made it sig nificantly less effective as a marketing tool than it is today (Koc, 2002). The true test of a new product is how well it holds up after being introduced to the market for the first time. Several prominent forms of advertising have come into the advertising world and created whole new marketplaces without rendering the traditional outdoor billboard obsolete.It’s a true sign that traditional outdoor billboards are here to stay. Despite the rise of radio, television and internet advertising, the outdoor advertising industry remains stronger than ever. The modern-day billboard, like the outdoor advertising industry as a whole, are a testament to how simple, sturdy, and flexible marketing solutions can endure despite rapid innovation in marketing campaign strategies and emerging technologies (Bittlingmayer, 2008).REGULATION OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING IN NIGERIAAdvertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), established by Act No. 93 of 1992 is the regulatory body of all adverti sing practitioners. However, Outdoor Advertising Agency Association of Nigeria (OAAN) was the regulatory body responsible for regulating outdoor advertising in Nigeria before the various State government took over with Lagos state pioneering this move with the establishment of LASAA. The pre-LASAA era saw Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria, OAAN, performing the dual roles of a regulator and a trade association.The OAAN era attracted more criticisms than accolades because of the unstructured environment and the manner in which operators went about business. It was an era when every tom, dick and harry could set up an outdoor advertising agency without due registration and process. In 2006 Lagos state set the pace with LASAA and other States followed in this line of action and introduced their state agencies to regulate and control the business.The states include Kano State, the state recruited the services of Chris Park Marketing Services (CPMS), Oyo State has the Oyo State S ignage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA), in Ogun State, the Ogun State Signage and Advertising Agency (OGSAA) is doing the job while in Ekiti State, the Ekiti State Signage and Advertisement Agency (EKSAA) is responsible for the job in Rivers State its Rivers State Signage Agency while The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, gave the responsibility to Afromedia, others are Cross river state sign board and signage agency (CRISSA), Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA), Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA), Bauchi State Signage and Advertisement Management Agency (BASSAMA), Kano State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KASAA), Ondo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OSSAA) and Rivers State Signage Agency amongst others. While States like Anambra and Akwa Ibom states are on the verge of setting up and/or leasing the business to consultants.Ogun State attempted to adopt LASAA’s style but could not due to political reasons. Ekiti State, the EKSA A never found its footing due to lack of political will.The state government’s collaborative effort with LASAA collapsed because some stakeholders in Ekiti felt it was an imported idea. Oyo State is currently enjoying smooth services as OYSAA sanitisation exercise got little or no resistance. However, the Director General of OYSAA, Yinka Adepoju, has lamented operators and brand owners cooperation on the area of levy and dues remittance, which, he claimed, is not encouraging. Kano State took an extreme measure in its effort to enforce the new rules when CPMS in conjunction with the state’s Urban Planning & Development Authority pulled down over N300 million worth of billboards and hoardings. The regulation and control activities in the state became the most draconian.The pricing of billboards in the state by CPMS is said to be outrageous despite the fact that Kano is not a commercially viable city for advertisers compared to the situation in Lagos State. While stakehol ders have applaud the state government’s initiative to beautify and modernize the city, they have also decried the excessive rate and undue grandstanding of the concessionaire. Investigations showed that members of Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) are groaning over their inability to pay the new rate while advertisers are reluctant to accommodate new prices as budgets had already been planned before the new price regime in the state.The FCT, Abuja, is the new entrant into the outdoor advertising business and the intent of the FCT Administration is clear. For it, it is all about revenue and it has concluded plans to raise the sum of N3 billion from outdoor advertisements annually to augment its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed, made this disclosure in Abuja during an interactive session with outdoor advertisement stakeholders, where it announced Afromedia as the concessionaire to the project. The Minister r estated that the FCT Administration is working towards avoiding visual assault and pollution caused by random advertisements and signages on the streets and neighbourhood of the 8000 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory.The state regulatory agencies often been referred as interventionist-agencies have the statutory obligations of regulating the practice of outdoor advertising in the country and are expected to enhance the beauty of the environment, which will serve as a big plus to aesthetics. The agencies have ensured that the stakes are higher now, promoting healthy competition and has tremendously repositioned the outdoor advertising industry. The stakes are higher now, unlike in the past, what we have now as billboards can compete favorably with others anywhere in the world. Besides, the environment is saner and cleaner, which serves as a major attraction to investors.As good as it all seems to have been since 2006 for the state government regulators some new chall enge continue to emerge and pose itself as a problem, it’s the issue of the Police, Military and other FG establishments in the state practicing outdoor by default by putting up illegal outdoor signage’s. The question out there is are there unwritten laws that permits these set of institutions to regulate and control the signage industry or is there a bill underway that will enable them to FASCINATING FACTS FROM THE EVOLUTION OF ADVERTISING INFORMATION ABOUT BILLBOARDS IN NIGERIA:Outdoor advertising is the oldest and most basic type of advertising.More people can view one particular billboard than AIT Television Station. The fact remains that the billboard must be located in a high traffic area.Billboards are viewed nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by billions of different people.OAAA did a study in 1999 that says people glance at 70% of the billboards they pass. Of these billboards, 63% are actually read. Most other types of media cannot compare to this and that i s the fact. Reach Billboards in Lagos reaches 80% of all Lagos population.Television commercials (which ranks #1) reaches 85% of all Lagos population. Other type of Media.The average person must see a television commercial at least seven times before they actually remember viewing the commercial.Outdoor Advertising costs 80% less than television advertising, 60% less than newspaper ads, and 50% less than radio advertisements.Repetition is extremely helpful when you are trying to increase your product awareness, or when you simply want to get your message across to millions of people. This task can easily be accomplished with billboard campaigns.Outdoor advertising makes it extremely easy to target, or not to target, a specific market.Billboards are usually the final message we see right before we purchase an item. So why not direct everyone to your product? Driving Trends.People are spending more time in their vehicle than they do to read the paper and watch the news! For example, t he traffic in Lagos, Nigeria makes it possible for you to spend about six (6) hours on the road to work and back.OAAA did a study in 1999 that says people glance at 70% of the billboards they pass. Of these billboards, 63% are actually read.  · How do billboard rates compare to other types of advertising?Outdoor advertising has a lower cost per thousand (CPM) than any other type of advertising. Outdoor ads cost 80% less than television commercials, 60% less than newspaper ads, and 50% less than radio ads.Billboards have been rated higher than any other type of advertising for their ability to communicate ideas at the lowest possible prices.Outdoor advertising has a larger audience than any other type of advertising. Outdoor advertising is the only type of media that has constant exposure.No other type of advertising allows your message to be displayed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Ads on billboards are free to consumers; you do not have to buy a magazine, cable television, or a newspaper to see your advertisement (http://victorariyibi. blogspot. com/2007_08_01_archive. html).Other facts about advertising:Advertising has existed as far back as 3000 BC!63% of consumers need to hear company claims 3-5 times before they actually believe it.You’re more likely to survive a plane crash than click a banner ad.The first newspaper ad was in 1650 to offer a reward for 12 stolen horses.The first professional advertising agency was launched in 1841 in Philly.Advertising first became an academic discipline in 1900 at Northwestern.Unilever & JWT first partnered in 1902, creating the longest relationship in advertising history.A baby formula brand was the first to sponsor a blimp (in 1902).The first ad agency to launch a product was JWT on behalf of P&G in 1911, for their product Crisco.  The first radio ad spot was offered in 1922: $100 for ten minutes  In 1929, Lucky Strike spent $12.3M on ads, the most in history to that point to promote just one product.à ‚  The first TV ad was for Bulova Clocks & reached 4000 TVs (http://blog. hubspot. com/the-history-of-advertising-war-for-consumer-attention-slideshare ).

Play (Sophocles Antigone) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Play (Sophocles Antigone) - Essay Example This never comes too well for the elder son a factor that draws them into war. As a result of the war, the two sons die meaning that none wins the battle (Brian 1). Kingship is taken by their uncle who is biased over, the two sons substantiated, by his refusal, to bury the body of one son. This neglect leads to numerous consequences with the death his son, wife and the daughter in law. In my opinion, Creon appears to have been in support of the younger king, Eteocles. This is because he shows no intentions of burying the older son. He seems in support of the younger son being the king even though in the real sense, it is wrong for the young son to obtain kingship in the presence of the elder son. Creon talks about honoring the younger son even though in the real sense, he is the cause of the war between him and his older brother. Providing with such recognition has no basis provided these two sons did something wrong in engaging in the war. Creon has personal reasons for not burying Polyneices, and this is the same reason he prevents Antigone, and Ismene from burying Polyneices. Bearing these personal matters makes Creon show more concern to the Eteocles than to Polyneices. Creon wants to make the populaces believe that the elder son is on the wrong although this is not true in the real sense. Creon feels offended, by Antigone and Ismene offering, to bury their brother contrary to his directions. Creon feels insulted since the two go in front of Thebes, and try to bury their brother even after he has provided a final judgment concerning, the burial of Polyneices. Further to that, Ismene disobeys her and she is a woman a thing that makes Creon so angry that he decides to execute the two. In my view, the younger son would have surrendered kingship to the elder son as traditions assume instead of using force and influence to lead the populace in which one is not chosen by

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Business Law (International) - Coursework Example The United States Supreme court has stated that "The legal right of an individual to decrease the amount of what would otherwise be his taxes or altogether avoid them, by means which the law permits, cannot be doubted." [Wikipedia] Tax can be averted by: To minimize their tax liability within the United States and to try to reduce tax disadvantages, a growing number of American corporations have been moving their headquarters offshore, a procedure known as â€Å"corporate inversion.† A corporation opens a subsidiary in another country’s jurisdiction. That subsidiary then buys up the shares or assets of the parent corporation, becoming the legal â€Å"Mother Company,† with the U.S. facility now transformed into the subsidiary. Virtually nothing else changes as a result of this inversion. Manufacturing, jobs, sales, and marketing remain as they were before. It is basically just a paperwork process to shift the company’s ownership outside the United States to avoid such fiscal disadvantages as double-taxing of earnings. It is not costless. The formal selling of the shares by the stockholders results in a capital gains on which they then have a tax liability to the U.S. government, even though those sold shares are merely transferred into shares of the newly relocated company. Yet a growing number of companies have chosen to make this move with shareholder approval because of the long-run tax savings for the corporation. (Clarkson, 2008) One company, Seasons Steel of Australia, Sydney, made this shift to Bermuda because they estimated that while capital gains taxes owed by shareholders to the U.S. Treasury would be as much as $150 million as a result of the inversion, the company would save as much as $30 million per year in tax liabilities. Assuming a 2.5 percent interest rate, over 10 years this would result in a savings of $263 million in present-value terms. At the same time, the company estimated that the higher profitability of the firm resulting from the

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Federal courts jurisdiction - Essay Example (United States v. Lopez, 1995) This was a landmark case in that it established the supremacy of the Federal Courts over state courts and jurisdiction within individual states. However, the end result of the case was that the charges by the federal government were dismissed and in a statement by Judge Rehnquist the reasoning was that it was time to step in and check the powers of the federal government by defining the powers between the federal government and the individual state. The prosecutions argument rested the use of the Interstate Commerce Act, this act specifically being designed to prevent unfair business practices by shifting regulatory abilities from the state governments to that of the federal government. (Interstate Commerce Act, 1887) The case was upheld by a decision of 5-4 and helped define what was allowed directly by the Interstate Commerce Act. Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist made it clear that this incident was not something that should be allowed under the Commer ce Act however, further stated that this decision was not meant to change prior decisions in regards to the Commerce Act. The decision was meant only to limit the current scope of the Federal Government in regards to incidents occurring within each individual state. The decision clarified the separation of power that exists between the individual states and that of the Federal Government.

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Artical about education - Essay Example The author pinpoints the basis of the Education National Key Result Areas which are abbreviated as NKRAs. The government has decided for its own self four sub-areas which would meet the national educational objectives so that there is a complete guarantee of strong and competitive workforce, which is maintained at all times. The article lists down how the preschoolers’ enrolment has been increased drastically and how government is playing its proactive role at leveling up the Year One children which have slow learning attributes within them in an apparent manner (Kamini, 2011). The national preschool committee is also one of the initiatives that the NKRA has undertook which basically harmonizes the quality that is present between the public and private preschools present within Malaysia. The role of the Malaysian government has been highlighted to a good enough extent and all out possibilities within its folds are talked about at great length. The different training programs h ave also been mentioned and the incentives and subsidies are also noted upon within the realms of the article. Works Cited Kamini, R. S. Going all out for Children.

Postmodern Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Postmodern Culture - Essay Example The recent commercialisation of culture is observed to be aligning the culture with the practical life. The postmodern era is a complex culture that inflicts social change and leads to political transformation. Postmodernism is identified as the mythical heads of the hydra, which has successfully changed the culture of a society (Horn, 2000). With this regard, the essay elaborates on postmodernism and its analysis, detailing the different effects the postmodern culture on the life of the people and society. Postmodern culture can be identified to be conjoint in nature owing to the lack of unity among the postmodern society. With the openness of the postmodern society, there has been a lot of subjectivity that has been inflicted among the people. Furthermore, postmodern society is majorly observed to be controlled by the mass media and powerful institutions. The reality of the world in this postmodern era is highly controlled by the different images and pictures of the mass media. In this respect, commercialisation is observed to be having a huge effect in the virtualisation of a society at large (Strinity, 2004). In the postmodern society, people are often viewed to be having a virtualised belief of the culture. The effect of commercialisation in the modern world positively triggered that people draw the inferences of their real life from the commercialisation and modern life. The postmodern era even evidence the use of comic stories as well as the different virtual imagery, which is r eplacing novels and books. The different novels and epics are being replicated through virtual images that are observed to be providing a virtual lifestyle to the real world. This post-modern era of culture is observed to be developing boundaries between imagery and real life. The postmodern culture has been internationally ambiguous and severely complex for people to understand the actual effect of culture (Grossberg, 2014; Foster,

Industrial Relation in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industrial Relation in Australia - Essay Example To understand the transformation, it is useful to briefly dismiss two common explanations for union decline. The first is that unions declined because workers' became more skeptical about them. In fact, attitudes tend to be a mirror image of union strength. When union membership swelled during the 1970s, Australians became more likely to tell pollsters that they thought unions had "too much power", and less likely to agree that unions had been "a good thing for Australia". Correspondingly, as unions waned during the 1990s, the fraction of people who thought that unions had "too much power" or that "Australian would be better off without unions" steadily decreased. Another argument that is sometimes made is that deunionisation was a result of the decline in real wages that took place under the Accord. Yet as David Peetz points out in his book Unions in a Contrary World, this explanation implies that unionization should have declined more during the 1980s (when real wages fell) than th e 1990s (when real wages rose). In fact, the reverse is true - the biggest fall in unionization occurred during the 1990s. The most significant factor in Australian deunionisation has been changes to the legal regime governing unions. Peetz points out that between 1990 and 1995, conservative governments in five out of six states introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting compulsory unionization (banning "closed shops"), encouraging individual bargaining, and making the transition to non-award coverage easier. In the late-1980s, more than half of all union members were required to be a union member as a condition of their employment. In the 1990s, freed from the requirement to belong, large numbers chose to opt out. Unsurprisingly, the unions hit hardest were the ones that were most reliant on compulsory unionism laws. The new regime was locked in place in 1996, when the newly-elected Howard Government virtually abolished compulsory unionism nationwide, and made it more difficult for unions to recruit and strike. The next most important driver of deunionisation has been raising competition. Spurred by microeconomic reforms, tariff cuts, and a revitalized Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the markets for buying most products and services are now substantially more competitive than they were in the 1970s. When firms enjoy a monopoly or oligopoly position, it is easier for them to pay higher wages to their employees. Prices are higher in non-competitive markets, and in the jargon of economics, this generates "rents". These rents are then shared between employers (who enjoy higher profits than they would in a competitive market) and workers (who earn more than in a competitive market). When monopolies are broken down, and markets become more competitive, management has to start cutting costs. This places pressure on management to adopt stronger anti-union tactics in order to reduce the wage bill. The third explanation for falling union density is the growth in

This is not actually micro or macro the class is called Economics of Essay

This is not actually micro or macro the class is called Economics of developing countries - Essay Example This is because, poor people around the world seldom access financial services through the formal sector, and hence, they are forced to venture into informal financial dealings which are in the form of micro-finance services (Gulli 50). The history of Micro-finance dates back to hundreds of years. Credit corporations and lending unions have been in existence for many centuries. However, the pioneer of modern micro-finance is Dr. Mohammad Yunus, who in the 1970s started experimenting with the idea by using women in rural villages of Bangladesh. Yunus began lending affordable loans to the women, and they would later return at an interest. The women benefited from the loans because they were able to begin community projects that generated income for them. The profits enabled them to pay back the loans. Later in 1983, Yunus founded Grameen Bank, one of the world’s greatest micro-finance banks currently. Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 due to his efforts of improving the lives of poor women in Bangladesh. Innovation in micro-finance has continued over the years, and currently, it has been established that micro-finance solves economic problems of people in developing countries. Current estimates by the Wo rld Bank reveal that approximately 160 million people that live in developing countries benefit from micro-finance (Armendariz 67). Comprehensive studies have demonstrated that micro-finance indeed works. Research has shown that micro-finance continues to assist poor individuals in developing countries to meet basic requirements, and protects them from any potential risks. These financial services have enabled low income earners to improve their quality of life and enhance their enterprise stability. Most Micro-finance Institutions (MFIs) target women, for example, Grameen Bank targets Bangladeshi poor women. This is of benefit as it contributes to women empowerment, and ensures that

Discuss what you believe to be the purpose(s) of education today Essay - 1

Discuss what you believe to be the purpose(s) of education today - Essay Example â€Å"From various parts† is depicted by the fact that there are students and professors for each and every department of knowledge. In its rudimental and simple form, it’s a school of knowledge of each kind, consisting of learners and teachers from every quarter. A university in its sense seems to be a place for the circulation and communication of thoughts, through means of personal intercourse, over a wide range of country. A university contemplates our nature’s necessity and is one specimen within a particular medium, from many which could have been adduced in others, with a provision for that necessity. In a broad sense of word, mutual education, is among the incessant and great occupations of human society, that is carried on partially with set purpose and partially not. One generation forms the other; the existing generation is acts and reacts upon itself within the people of the individual members. Books, in this process, are one special instrument. It’s emphatically so and true in this age. Putting into consideration the prodigious press powers, and the way they are developed during this time in the never intermitting issue of tracts, tracts, periodicals, works in series, light literature and pamphlets; we have to allow that there was never a time that fairer dispensing every means of instruction and information. Spayde Jon (2000), views street education and college education as the different aspects of education. The question however is that among the two educational aspects, which one is more necessary and relevant for survival in the world today. Maybe education cannot provide the necessary tools for survival in the real world. As much as we aren’t wasting time in institutions; the real world usually is a bigger school as compared to the other schools that we attend. The definition of school in the 21st century, unfortunately, is technology for instance. Spayde Jon (2000) argues that for our

Peer Review of Strategic and Implementation Plans Essay Example for Free

Peer Review of Strategic and Implementation Plans Essay Team members provided feedback on the individual draft papers posted. The assignment was to provide a strategic plan for our chosen organization. The plan needed to include implementation for objectives, functional tactics, action items, milestones and deadlines, tasks and task ownership, and resource allocations. Organizational and management changes, financial forecasts, and risks with contingency plans also needed to be addressed. One of the draft papers contained excellent breakdowns on the financials for a startup company along with specifics on which participating individuals would be responsible for key action items. The budget and sales forecast were realistic for what would be expected with a new business. The identified risk of low participation volume from clients was identified, but there was no contingency plan for this in terms of additional marketing. Another team member’s paper was clear in how customer needs could impact the success of the strategic plan. Internal and external factors addressed employee relations and shareholder expectations. The approach the company needs to take with delivering service to customers is identified as factor that needs to change as the plan is implemented. A SWOT analysis would be conducted and contingency plans made on an as-needed basis. The company may want to develop several contingency plans for common issues within its industry to be prepared for these scenarios. The third draft reviewed focused on short and long-term objectives and the use of a balanced scorecard approach to evaluating and monitoring the plan’s implementation. The critical components for objectives, functional tactics,  action items, and resource allocation were identified. Major changes to the organizational structure and management positions were key factors to the company’s plan. Conclusion Although all team members did not post drafts or offer feedback those that did provided details pertinent to the assignment. Team members identified the items outlined in the assignment and appear to have strong knowledge of what a strategic plan needs to address to be successful in meeting goals.

Human Hair Profiling with FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

Human Hair Profiling with FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics Profiling of Human Hairs using FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics Technique AUFA MADIHAH BT MOHAMAD ANWAR Research Proposal Topic Profiling of Human Hairs using FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics Technique. This research is about classifying human hair (subjects) using FTIR and Chemometrics. The subjects should be Malay, Woman and included in one of the age group required. (20-30, 31-40, 41-50, >60) Introduction Background Study Human hair is ÃŽ ±- keratin proteins and contains DNA which are collected as physical evidence in a crime scene. It can provide important information in assisting an investigation. Usually, the evidence (fiber) is obtained by physical contact between perpetrator with victim or/and perpetrator with surrounding or/and victim with surrounding. This theory is based on ‘Locard’s Principle of Exchange’ which states that â€Å"every contact leaves a trace†. The current forensic procedures use comparisons of hair morphology by microscopic examination and mitochondrial DNA analyses. Microscopic examinations of the morphological characteristics of human hairs indicate the thickness, color, shape, body area (e.g. scalp or pubic, axilla (chest, armpit and limb regions)), race and method of removal whether forcibly removed or naturally fall off. In addition, there is not enough data on human hair. There had been a research in differentiating human hair according to the race. Thus, to create additional data about human hair this research will be conducted on different age group. The subjects for this research should be Malay, woman and is included in one of the age group required (20-30, 31-40, 41-50, >60). 200 subjects will be needed and 50 subjects per age group are required. Hair sample will be taken from these 200 subjects and will be examine using FTIR- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy method. The data obtained will be analyze using Chemometrics. 3.0 Literature Reviews 3.1 Human Hair Hair starts from its root embedded in the follicle, through the dermis, epidermis, stratum corneum, skin, into a shaft and stops at the tip end. Human hair is usually 15-100 µ in diameter. There are three major of regions in human hair that are identifiable using FTIR-ATR (Figure 1). The core or medulla which is 5-10 µ in diameter is being wrapped by cortex which makes up the bulk of the hair. The outermost layer of hair is known as cuticle which it thickness is less than 5 µ. (Feughelman M.et al., 1997) Figure 1: Diagram of human hair cross section using ATR. 3.1.1 Cuticle The external layer of the fiber which consists of flattened overlapping scales is known as cuticle (Figure 2). Cuticle stabilizes the hair. Figure 2: Schematic diagram of illustrating the morphological of a human hair fiber Cuticle cell is separated by the cell membrane matrix (CMM) which is a strong adhesive layer. The CMM is made up of a central, polysaccharide ÃŽ ´-layer in between two ÃŽ ²-layers (lipid rich). Distinct layers, epicuticle, A-layer, exocuticle, and endocuticle can be found in a mature cuticle cell. The distinct layers have different levels of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Epicuticle is approximately 80% protein and 5% lipid and it is chemically resistant. The A-layer resists physical and chemical forces and is cystine rich (30%). An illustration of the cross section of developed cuticle cell is shown in figure 3. (Jolles P. et al., 1997) Figure 3: A schematic diagram of the developed cuticle cross section. 3.1.2 Cortex Cortex is covered and surrounded by cuticle. Cortex is responsible for the mechanical properties of the fiber. It is composed of elongated, spindle-shaped cortical cells packed closely that are parallel oriented to the axis of the fiber. Cortical cells are typically 100 µm in length and 5 µm in width aligned along the axis of the fiber. It is made up by fine micro fibrils that are comprised of ÃŽ ±-helical proteins. Macrofibrils (approximately 100-400nm in diameter) is made up of grouped microfibrils which are 7nm in diameter. 60 % of the cortex (by mass) was made up by macrofibrils which were embedded in an amorphous protein matrix. (Jolles P. et al., 1997) 3.1.3 Medulla Medulla is the inner part of the hair fiber. It is also known as core with a diameter of 5-10  µm. The medulla may be completely absent or a double medulla may be observed. It has high lipid content (citrulline). The structure of medulla has a porous structure formed by sponge-like keratin ad some vacuoles filled with air resulting from the differentiation process. The medulla was separated from cortex by CMM. (Jolles P. et al., 1997) 3.2 Chemical Structure 3.2.1 ÃŽ ±-Keratin Proteins Keratin is a part of fibrous structural proteins and is the important material making up the outer layer of human skin and it is also key structural component of hair and nails. In a single fiber, keratin constitutes about 85% of the mass. Condensation of L-amino acids formed polypeptide chains which were contained in high molecular weight polymer (keratin). Peptide bond (links the amino acid) was formed through the condensation. Multiple condensations will produce polypeptide chain which becomes the backbone of the ÃŽ ±-keratin fiber. The reaction was shown in Figure 4: Figure 4: Condensation reactions of amino acids. The side chains (R1 and R2 group) of the amino acid residues for ÃŽ ±-keratin are corresponded to different age group. (Feughelman M.et al., 1997) 3.3 Forensic – Hair as Physical Evidence 3.3.1 What is Forensic and Trace Evidence? Forensic was derived from Latin word forensic which is â€Å"of or used in courts of law†. It also denotes the application of scientific methods and techniques to the investigation of crime. Forensic involves trace evidence which can also be defined as physical evidence of minute in the form fiber (textile, human or animal), soil, glass, fingerprints and tons other that needed to be analyze under microscopic comparison. The presence and recovery of trace evidence is crucial to help in an investigation. DeForest states that â€Å"trace evidence has an important role to play in both the investigative and adjudicative phases of a case†. ‘Locards Principle of Exchange’ stated that â€Å"every contact leaves a trace† is a fundamental theory on how trace evidence could exist in the crime scene. (Fido M. et al., 2003) 3.3.2 The Importance of Hair (Fiber) as Evidence Hair and fibre is important in providing valuable information in identifying the assailant or attacker. The discovery of hair evidence can help in distinguish race and sex. Even though hair is benign dead matter it still contains DNA to be extrapolated. Human hair is usually found in the crime scene as shown in Table 1. It can be naturally shed (normal hair-growth cycle) or forcibly remove. (Robbins C.R., 1994) Table 1: Histogram of the relationship between the frequencies with different types of trace evidence occurs in criminal cases. (Broad J., 1988) 3.4 Current Forensic Methods in Analyzing Hair Evidence 3.4.1 Macroscopic Analysis The hair evidence will first undergo visual examination followed by macroscopic examination of the hair morphology. The physical appearances (length, shape, root, tip, color, etc.) are observed and measured. (Phillips J.H., 1989) 3.4.2 Microscopy 3.4.2.1 Optical Light Microscopy and Stereomicroscopy Stereomicroscope, compound light/polarizing microscope, transmitted light comparison microscope and the laser confocal microscope are four types of microscopes used to examine the hair fiber (evidence). Through light microscope and stereomicroscope, racial origin, species and the somatic (body location) origin can be determined. The scanning laser confocal microscope is used to analyze the transverse cross-section which is important in determining the somatic origin or ethnicity. Comparison microscope is used for next step by comparing the evidence with known fibers from suspect. Conclusions are drawn from all these observations and analysis. (Ogle Jr. R. R. et al., 1999) 3.4.2.2 Scanning Electron Microscopy Scanning Electron Microscopy can be used to analyze trace physical evidence (fibers, paints, glass and gunshot residues. SEM highlights the surface topography of the external cuticle layer in great detail with greater depth of field than a stereomicroscope. (Taylor et al., 1971) SEM is more preferable than Optical Light Microscopy. SEM can identify the species of the fiber evidence. It can differ human fiber from animals or wools or etc. But, â€Å"SEM is difficult for comparison of human hairs because the variability in the surface topography, distribution and appearance of the scales within one head are great, according to the natural and cosmetic history†. Thus, SEM also lack in aiding the investigation involving human hair as evidence. (Kupferschmid T.D. et al., 1994) 3.4.3 DNA Analysis DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is human genetic code which no one will have the same. DNA is in the cell nucleus and in extra-nuclear organelles of the cell, known as mitochondria. It is responsible in determining our physical characteristics. (Davis C.L., 1998) In hair, there are two sources of DNA traces that can be analyze for forensic purpose which can be found at follicular tissue and the cells on the hair root. The hair that was forcibly removed from head has its root attached. However, most human fiber that found in the crime scene (ca. 90%) is in telogen phase (naturally shed) therefore the hair does not contain a growing root. There are three types of telogen hair: root without any soft tissues remnant root with a small amount of soft tissue attached root with a large amount of soft tissue attached Hair roots that have soft tissues attached contain some cell with nucDNA. A study was conducted to investigate the nucDNA content in anagen versus telogen hair fibers. No nucDNA copies were detected in the shed hairs while the plucked hair contains an average 25,800 nucDNA.(Andreasson et al.,2006) In 2001, a series of single Short Tandem Repeats (STR) typing steps and during consecutive polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA that had been extracted from the hair was fixed onto a membrane. (Hellman A. et al., 2001) In 2010, a proposal of a new screening test to visualize DNA with 4-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) which is a fluorescent molecule that binds on the double-stranded DNA, between A and T base pairs. The visible nuclear DNAs can be count with the use of a fluorescence microscope and it can quickly discard hair that is less suitable for STR-typing. Thus, the attention was given to hair with highest potential for results. (Bourguignon et al., 2010) 3.5 FTIR Spectroscopy Fourier-transform Spectrometer is used in infrared absorption spectroscopy. Fourier-transform is a mathematical process. The term Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy is originated from the fact that a Fourier transform is needed to convert the raw data into the actual spectrum. Dispersive spectrometer which measure intensity over a small range of wavelengths at a time is different with FTIR spectrometer which simultaneously collects spectral data in a large spectral range. Thus, FTIR is more preferable. Figure 5 show a diagram that represents Michelson interferometer. From a broadband source a radiation strikes the beam splitter. Some the light is transmitted to a stationary mirror and some of the light are reflected to a movable mirror and the moving mirror is not in phase. A pattern called an interferogram which contains all the frequencies that make up the IR spectrum was produce by interfering constructively and destructively. The interferogram can be decomposed into its comp onent wavelengths which will resulted in a plot of intensity versus frequency. (Griffiths P.R. et al., 1986) Figure 5: Schematic diagram of the Michelson Interferometer. 3.6 Chemometrics and Forensic Science Chemometrics is the chemical discipline that uses statistical or mathematical methods to chemical data while forensic science is a discipline that formulates conclusions on a purely objective basis. It is compulsory for forensic scientist to follow strict and rigid statistical protocols in reaching a conclusion regarding analytical data. Thus, chemometrics is vital as it is capable in generating multidimensional data. By using chemometrics conclusions of research and analysis data can be obtained. (Bereton R.G., 2003) Chemometrics research can cover various areas of different methods and can be used in chemistry. There are methods for: Collecting data Optimization parameters of the parameter Experiments Design Calibration and signal processing Getting knowledge from the data Statistics Structure-property-relationship estimations Chemometrics helps in building a connection between the techniques and their application in chemistry. (Beebe K.R. et al., 1998) 4.0 Problem Statement These days when a crime occur it is hard to find the perpetrator due to lack of evidence. Although there is evidence but, there is no data that is available to describe the perpetrator. For an example, human fiber or hair can be found in crime scene. However without the data, the hair which is also evidence can’t be identified. Furthermore, there is no research in finding whether there is difference in human hair of different age group. Moreover, can FTIR and chemometrics helps in profiling human hair research. Objectives There are several aims or objectives that this research holds: To further the investigation regarding human scalp hair (fibers) to create new database about human hair in different age group. To determined and classified the differences of human scalp hair according to their respective age group. To analyze the FTIR data using Chemometrics.

The Strategic Analysis Of Adolph Coors

The Strategic Analysis Of Adolph Coors Beer is the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world. It has produced in an artisanal setting for thousands of years, dating back to around 3500 BC (History, 2010). As developments in agriculture and technology occurred, beer production shifted to industrial manufacturing. Beer is produced using a process called brewing. The brewing process involves variable amounts of time in which a source of starch, usually hops, is fermented to produce alcohol. The process can produce countless types of beer, with variable concentrations of alcohol, varying flavors, and appearances. These beverages are packaged into either kegs, glass bottles, or aluminum cans. A building or organization dedicated to this process is known as a brewery. The brewing industry today is a global business that is made up of several dominant companies. As of 2010, the key players in the industry are MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser Busch is the largest brewing company in the United States with 32 breweries globally, 12 of which are located in the United States. In late 2007, SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company joined forces in order to better compete with Anheuser-Busch. These major brewing companies make up the largest segment of the brewing industry. There are also thousands of smaller regional breweries often referred to as microbreweries which make up a second segment. Finally, a very small percentage of homebrews and domestic production occur. This analysis will focus almost exclusively on the segment that consists of the multinational conglomerates such as MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. The US beer market produced total revenues of $78.8 billion in 2008. Lager sales account for $28.2 billion of the total (Datamonitor, 2009b). Beer accounts for 52.9% of the alcoholic drink industry in the US, with spirits at 29.4%, and Wine at 17.7% (Datamonitor, 2009a). *A stipulation to this analysis is that it will be based primarily on the Harvard case study Adolph Coors in the Brewing Industry. Outside information will be incorporated where necessary for a complete analysis. *In the absence of specific statistics from past years, current numbers are substituted. *Brevity is highly valued for this analysis, though not at the expense of a thorough analysis. PEST The PEST model is a framework which is used to analyze the macroenvironmental factors that companies within an industry must take into account. This PEST analysis will examine the political, economic, social, and technological factors in relation to the brewing industry. Political and Government regulation There are significant rules governing general alcohol consumption. First, drinking in public places such as streets or parks is prohibited. Second, the minimum age of consumption is 21 years old in the United States. There are also restrictions related to the manufacturing, sale and possession of alcohol. In the United States, the sale of alcoholic beverages is controlled by individual states. Finally, the production of spirits is taxed and requires a permit to operate a plant (TTBGov, 2010). Economic The brewing industry benefits from having commodity-based inputs. There is little variance in the raw materials necessary for the brewing process, as they are mainly agricultural commodities. Price elasticity of demand for beer is low, ensuring steady demand. Social-cultural Consumer preferences are important in the brewing industry. Consumers have varying tastes, and prefer to be able to choose among the varying types of beer. However, alcohol consumption can have adverse affects on human physical health. Beer is high in carbohydrates, and it can be argued that high consumption can cause weight gain, or even liver-disease. There are also benefits of alcohol consumption. The age of the consumer affects the industry. As baby boomers reach the legal drinking age, the number of beer drinkers rose, and also the amount consumed (Ghemawat, 1992). Additionally, more and more Americans drink more beer at home, whereas they had traditionally had it in bars and restaurants (Ghemawat, 1992). Technological Brewing techniques affect the brewing industry heavily. Post WWII developments would allow for less time needed for the aging process. The pasteurization process would allow beer to last up to six months unrefrigerated (Ghemawat, 1992). Capacity and efficiency are highly based on technology of both the brewing, and packaging machinery. Also, the switch from glass bottles to aluminum cans was a large technological development. The technology surrounding television and web marketing have changed, giving firms easier methods for greater exposure, and also shipping and transportation costs fluctuate, affecting value-added (Ghemawat, 1992). III. Porters Five Forces A. Threat of New Entrants (LOW) The following elements will help determine the level of threat from new entrants. 1. Economies of scale Economies of scale are significant for the brewing industry. This represents a high barrier to entry for potential competitors. Large, established firms such as MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch have enormous brewing capacity, and are able to realize economies of scale that come from mass production and larger contracts. As of 1985, doubling the scale of a brewery cut unit costs by 25% (Ghemawat, 1992). During the rising demand that the industry experienced during the 1960s and 1970s, both Anheuser-Busch and Schlitz, major players at the time, added large breweries to help cope with the demand, and to benefit from economies of scale (Ghemawat, 1992). This allows existing firms to decrease their cost per unit produced. Any new entrant would have to invest a large amount of capital in production facilities. This makes the industry unattractive. 2. Working capital requirements The cost of operating a brewery is significant. A significant implication of the brewing process is that it takes time. A major development in the brewing process after WWII allowed brewers to cut the aging time from 30 days to 20 (Ghemawat, 1992). Even with this decrease, it is still costly not only to facilitate the brewing process, but to maintain locations in which the beer can be aged. This serves as a deterrent for small firms who wish to enter. 3. Proprietary product differences Coors, like many most brewers, has a unique taste associated with its beverages. Little information was available as to the nature of the Coors recipe, however, it would not difficult for any knowledgeable entrant to the industry to imitate the taste of the varying Coors lines. Coors does age its product for 70 days, rather than the industry average of 20-30 (Ghemawat, 1992). Imitation of the Coors brewing process would also be easy, and therefore, threat of entrants is increased. 5. Brand identity Brand identity is important in the brewing industry. For Coors, their marketing expenses as a percentage of sales increased from 3.3% in 1973 to 10% in 1985 (Ghemawat, 1992). This decreases the threat of entrants, as it takes significant investment to establish brand recognition. 4. Absolute Cost Advantages As stated above, Coors and its major competitors can take advantage of economies of scale, which gives lower manufacturing costs, and also cheaper access to raw materials. Coors produces its own malt through long-contracts with farmers (Ghemawat, 1992). These connections are likely exclusive to large firms, and decrease the threat of entrants. 6. Access to distribution Coors products reach the market primarily through retailers and wholesalers. As of 1985, Coors distribution network consisted of 569 wholesalers, and 5 additional Coors-owned wholesalers. Coors also has its own trucking subsidiary, which takes on a large amount of its transportation needs. This decreases the threat of entrants (Ghemawat, 1992). The threat of new entrants is low. The capital requirements for starting a brewery, and quickly achieving the necessary economies of scale is a large barrier. Access to distribution networks takes time, and also contracts to obtain necessary shelf-space to sell product. These factors make the industry unattractive for new entrants. B. Suppliers (LOW) 1. Supplier concentration The main suppliers in the brewing industry consist of malted grain and hops for the fermentation process, and bottles or barrels for storage and transportation. Supplier power is weak because of their size, relative to the brewers, and also because farming operations are numerous (Brewing Industry US). 2. Presence of substitute inputs The presence of substitutes in the brewing industry varies. If aluminum cans are considered a substitute for bottles and barrels, then this factor is an issue. Also, lower quality hops might be substituted for higher quality, more expensive, flavorful hops. 3. Differentiation of inputs Since ingredients required for brewing have little qualitative differentiation, supplier power is lowered. 4. Importance of volume to supplier There are few other uses for hops, especially commercially, than brewing beer. The brewing industry purchases a significant percentage of the total hop production, which diminishes supplier power. However, there are alternative uses for barley, which can be integrated in the brewing process, but isnt as common. This slightly boosts overall supplier power (Brewing Industry US). 5. Impact of inputs on our cost or ability to differentiate Agricultural inputs account for 20-25% of total raw materials costs for major brewers. The remainder is allocated for packaging (Ghemawat, 1992). This increases supplier power, as the price of their product affects the final product. 6. Threat of forward or backward integration Since suppliers are small in comparison to breweries, forward integration is uncommon. However, there is evidence of backwards integration by large brewers. For example, Coors acquired a grain-processing plant as well as other operations to protect itself from price fluctuations (Ghemawat, 1992). 7. Access to labor As of 1985, Coors was the only major brewer that was not unionized (Ghemawat, 1992). The implication is that the brewing industry is unionized. During a strike in 1977, a strike caused Coors to have to shift employees within the company. The production levels were quickly returned to normal, indicating that skilled workers are not necessary (Ghemawat, 1992). Labor supplier power is low. Supplier power is low because of unfavorable supplier concentration. Suppliers of the brewing industry need the brewing industry as there are little other uses for their products, and their products are considered commodities. C. Buyers (MODERATE) 1. Buyer concentration Buyers in this market are highly concentrated. In 1985, 4,500 independent wholesalers existed in the United States (Ghemawat, 1992). Larger buyers are able to negotiate contracts effectively (Datamonitor, 2009b). 2. Buyer switching costs Buyers do not have particularly high switching costs. Many buyers are willing to switch brands based on price and differentiation. The lack of buyer switching costs increases buyer power, making the brewing industry more unattractive (Datamonitor, 2009b). 3. Threat of backward integration There is no indication that buyers are backward integrating, and producing their own product to sell, making the industry more attractive. 4. Pull through Pull through exists in the brewing industry because brand identity is important. Advertising expense as a percentage of sales over time for the brewing industry has been trending upward. As of 1973, advertising expenditures were 3.3% of sales. That amount increased to 10% of sales by 1985 (Ghemawat, 1992). Therefore, the brewing industry has power over the buyers, making it more attractive. 5. Price sensitivity The brewing industry is able to pass cost increases on to the buyer as indicted by the existence of multiple beer segments. End consumers are willing to pay more for quality beer. Brewers are not able to pass on shipping costs however, reducing attractiveness (Ghemawat, 1992). Buyer power is moderate. There are more buyers than firms in this industry, and pull-through from brewers creates power. There are shipping costs and other aspects that the breweries cannot pass on to their customers. D. Substitute Products (MODERATE) Substitute products for beer consist of wine, liquor, as well as imported beer. These products constitute a moderate threat. In 2008, Beer had a 52.9% share of the alcoholic drinks market, with spirits at 29.4%, and wine at 17.7% (Datamonitor2009a). 1. Relative price/performance relationship of substitutes The per-unit-volume price is often affected by alcohol content, which is higher in liquor and spirits. Also, shelf space is more expensive for items such as beer, which must be refrigerated (Datamonitor,2009a). The threat of substitute products is increased. 2. Buyer propensity to substitute Projections for the industry indicate that consumers may switch away from beer to other alcoholic beverages as consumers become more confident and begin spending their discretionary income. Consumers who may normally drink higher priced alcoholic drinks tend to switch to lower priced beer during a recession (Ibisworld, 2010). This effects the buyers of the brewing industry as their demand will fluctuate. The threat of substitute product is moderate because of end-user propensity to switch away from beer when possible financially. Other forms of alcoholic drinks are often more potent, making them a better deal for the consumer, depending on their intentions or desires. E. Rivalry (HIGH) 1. Degree of concentration and balance among competitors The brewing industry is highly concentrated, and unbalanced. In 1985, the six major players in the industry controlled 75% of market share. In 2009, this number had changed to the two major players controlling 79.2% of the market share. Anheuser-Busch controls 50.1%, and MillerCoors, the remaining 29.1%. This heavy rivalry makes the industry unattractive (Ibisworld, 2010). 2. Diversity among competitors Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors are following similar strategies. Both companies are focusing on promoting their largest brands, expanding their geographic reach, and increasing efficiency (Ibisworld, 2010). This makes the industry unattractive. 3. Industry growth rate (past and projected) The brewing industry is experiencing maturity, growth rates have been slow, and consolidation frequent. From 2010 to 2015, the industry has experienced a -0.3% growth rate. However, it is projected to grow 1.3% by 2025 (Ibisworld, 2010). The industry is unattractive. 4. Fixed costs to value added Fix costs are high and economies of scale are possible in the industry. Value-added trended upward until its high point in 2003 of $25,924.3 million, but has since fallen to just over $23,038 million. The industry is at maturity and rivalry has increased, making the industry unattractive (Ibisworld, 2010). 5. Intermittent overcapacity As of 1985, the 6 major competitors in the brewing industry were operating at an average of 83% capacity. The brewing industry has been plagued with overcapacity issues in the past (Ghemawat, 1992). Rivalry is increased. 6. Product differentiation Firms differentiate their products in this industry through advertising, segmentation, and packaging. Advertising helps firms reach critical thresholds of exposure, while segmentation increases market share (Ghemawat, 1992). Brewers can differentiate their products by segments, but also can use brand, ingredients, and style. The degree of differentiation makes the attractive (Datamonitor, 2009b). 7. Growth of foreign competition To what extent are foreign firms able to penetrate the US market? If there is a growth in foreign firms penetration, this increases rivalry making the industry unattractive. It also shows that US firms are not being globally competitive. 8. Corporate stakes As of 1985, 84% of Coorss revenues came from its brewing division (Ghemawat, 1992). This increases rivalry, making the industry unattractive. 9. Exit barriers Firms in this industry could exit by converting operations to another product, or as shown by the consolidation of the industry, exit through merger or acquisition. Rivalry in this industry is high. Since the brewing industry is so highly concentrated and unbalanced, the major firms in the industry have very similar strategies and compete for similar niches. This makes the overall industry attractiveness low. IV. Conclusion After analysis of the items above, conclusions can be drawn about the brewing industry. A. Critical Success Factors There are a number of critical success factors for this industry: Economies of scale are a necessity to be profitable in the industry. Firms must have production facilities that are large enough to spread the fix costs of production out of millions of barrels of product. These facilities must also have high capacity to deal with demand fluctuations. Second, firms must have strong, differentiated brands that fit into multiple segments. Finally, a strong distribution network is imperative to obtaining sales levels. B. Prognosis Entering into the brewing industry would be a uncertain venture. There are many barriers to entry for small firms such as microbreweries, such as economies of scale and capacity. The brewing industry is projected to contract, but the major players will continue to jockey for market share (Ibisworld, 2010). Competitive forces have contributed to consolidation in the past and likely will in the future, as smaller firms merge with larger ones, in order to better compete in the industry. Part II: Firm Analysis I. Current Situation A. Brief firm history Adolph Coors brewery was founded in Golden, Colorado in 1873. After surviving the prohibition era of the 1920s, Coors would become very successful. After the repeal of Prohibition, Coors sold 90,000 barrels of beer. It also began expansion with its introduction of wholesalers outside of Colorado, in Arizona, and eventually 9 other states. The size of the company would increase exponentially. By 1960, Coors sales volume reached 1.9 million barrels, 7.3 million by 1970, and finally 12.3 million by 1974. In 1975, the Coors family offered non-voting stock to the public (Ghemawat, 1992). More recently, the Adolph Coors Company became the parent company through a merger with Molson, a Canadian brewing giant. Coors would begin numerous ventures and partnerships, most notably, a joint venture with Miller Brewing to form MillerCoors in June of 2008 (Datamonitor: Coors). Today, the company operates 18 breweries and distribution centers over 30 countries. The US segment operates 8 major breweries with a capacity of 85 million barrels annually. The brands sold in the US are Coors, Coors Light, the Blue Moon line, Killians, Keystone, and Molson among others. Molson operates Coorss Canadian operations with 6 breweries. Coors also sells around 9 million barrels in the UK (Datamonitor, 2009c). MillerCoors currently controls 29.1% of market share, behind industry-leader Anheuser-Busch with 50.1%. Coors broad portfolio of over 40 brands allows it to reach a wide range of market segments (Ibisworld, 2010). B. Strategic Posture The current vision of MolsonCoors is to be a top four global brewer in profitability, fueled by our people who are committed to delivering exceptional results and creating extraordinary brands (Molson, 2010). The mission statement was not stated anywhere. The first portion, to be a top four global brewer in profitability is quantifiable through revenue. The last 2 parts are more difficult to measure, though Coors does have a large portfolio of successful brands. II. External Environment (Opportunities and Threats) The findings of the above industry analysis apply specifically to Coors in the following manner: A. General Environmental Factors The issues that affect Coors more heavily are the issues of product differentiation to meet consumer needs, and also the capacity and efficiency factor. The opportunity to market their products more extensively is important to Coors. B. Task Environment The Rivalry factor is currently affecting the level of competitive intensity within the brewing industry. Coors faces strong rivalry from Anheuser-Busch. They currently pursue very similar strategies, making competition strong. Currently Anheuser-Busch controls over 50% of the market share. As they compete for the same markets niches, it will be important for Coors to maintain competitive levels of advertising. Also, Coors has been efficient in their production capacities in the past, but as demand grows, they may need to make changes to keep up. III. Internal Environment (Strengths and Weaknesses) A. Management The Coors board consists of nine members, four of which are members of the Coors family. As of 1985, the Coors family continued to hold all of the voting stock (Ghemawat, 1992). Peter Coors became president of Coors in 1985. There was some dissent between the younger members of the board, including Peter, suggesting that had a differing vision for the direction of the company. It is implied that he thought it was necessary to add effective marketing skills to the manufacturing skills that the company already had (Ghemawat, 1992). B. Marketing Coors operates in every segment except for the low-price popular segment. In1985, Anheuser-Busch had a particularly strong product mix, much as Coors had, though Anheuser-Buschs market share was much larger. The most notable major competitors products were Anheuser-Buschs Budweiser, with 25.8% of market share, and Millers Lite beer, and High Life which together accounted for 17.5% of market share (Ghemawat, 1992). Coors pricing is appropriate for the market. There are no strong indicators that Coors pricing strategy is not competitive. In 1985, domestic producers supplied barrels at $67 each. Distribution is a major issue for Coors. In 1985, all of the major competitors except Coors functioned in all 50 states, but only had a median shipping distance of 300-400 miles. Coors was shipping their product 1,500 miles. Beyond this, their inefficient trucking system added 10-15% additional cost (Ghemawat, 1992). Finally, Coors launch of new products called for an increase in advertising. Coors silver bullet campaign proved successful, as Coors Light had become the 2nd best-selling light beer (Ghemawat, 1992). Coors spends less than the industry average for its promotional efforts. There is also statistical evidence that 90% of the effect of advertising is lost within one year (Ghemawat, 1992). Coors has not marketed itself as heavily as some of its competitors, which puts it at a disadvantage. It likely has much to do with the smaller size of Coors market share. C. Operations/Production Productivity improvement has been extremely important to Coors in its history. In 1985, Coors capacity utilization was above that of both the top players in the industry at 92%, which is high. The issues Coors is facing pertaining to distribution, and whether or not to open a new brewery would be a result of the firms re-invention. Growth through product development is important to Coors. It has six product lines in varying segments, indicating it is emphasizing product development within the brewing industry. At some points in its history, it was diversified outside of the brewing industry, but decided to focus on core competencies (Ghemawat, 1992). Coors benefits from high historical efficiency in production, and also strong brands that it can use to differentiate itself. D. Human Resource Management Unions have historically had little effect on the operations of Coors in particular, but they are present in almost every other firm in the industry. A strike during 1977, illustrated Coors lack of vulnerability to this threat (Ghemawat, 1992). E. Management Information Systems This section is not applicable. IV. Critical Success Factors This section will briefly outline how Coors is managing the critical success factors in its industry. Economies of scale are a necessity to be profitable in the industry. Coors Golden Colorado brewery is the largest in the industry, capable of producing 25-30 million barrels a year (Ghemawat, 1992). This production facility has allowed them to take advantage of economies of scale and spread the fix costs of production out of millions of barrels of product. Coors brewing facilities have historically had high capacity to deal with demand fluctuations, but future demand may prompt changes. Second, Coors has strong, differentiated brands that fit into multiple segments. Coors broad portfolio of over 40 brands allows it to reach a wide range of market segments (Ibisworld, 2010). Finally, a strong distribution network is imperative to obtaining sales levels. This is the aspect in which Coors is the weakest. Economics would dictate that an in-house operation would increase value-added, but Coors distribution network is not strong enough for them to realize financial benefit. V. Strategic Problem Management has failed to ensure the longà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ term survival of Coors because they have neglected the importance of strong distribution networks, and shipping expenses associated with proximity to markets, and of refrigeration needs. If Coors wants to successfully compete on a national level, like its competitors, it will need to boost the efficiency of its distribution network. VI. Strategic Alternatives Option 1 Construct an additional brewery in the eastern United States such as the location in Virginia. This brewery would serve the eastern United States, and add additional capacity to Coors overall. The pros of this option are as follows: It would reduce costs associated with shipping from the Golden Colorado site. Coors estimates a $2.50 saving per barrel if it would not have to ship its entire product the average 1500 miles. Although the brewing industry is not projected to grow, it would not hurt Coors to have more resources and capabilities, and not have to base their entire operation on the single brewery. The cons of this option are as follows: It would take a large investment to establish a new brewery, and maintain its production. A 5-million barrel brewery would cost $200-$250 million (Ghemawat, 1992). Option 2 A second option would be to begin focusing heavily on marketing. The numbers show that Coors is considerably behind their competitors in advertising spending as a proportion of sales. The company has strong brands that could perform better with additional promotion. The pros of this option are as follows: Increased brand awareness, and information about the varying brands that Coors produces will result in additional sales volume. Targeting advertising about certain product lines to certain target markets could increase penetration into market niches, and result in additional market share. The cons of this option are as follows: The additional costs of a national advertising effort will be high. ROI may be low because of statistical data from studies indicating that advertising in this industry does not create lasting impressions (Ghemawat, 1992). VII. Recommendation After weighing the alternatives and their pros and cons, it would be most beneficial for Coors to select strategic option one, and construct an additional brewing facility. If they were to select strategic option 2, and the effects of their marketing campaign were favorable, they may not be able to keep up with demand which would be disastrous for the company. It may take them too long to make the necessary expansions in time to capture the additional market share. Constructing another brewery would also serve to drastically lower shipping costs. VIII. Implementation There are a number of strategic steps that will need to be implemented. Coors will need to ensure that it has the necessary funds for completion of the project. If they do not have the necessary funds, they will need to be acquired through efficient channels. Second, the site will have to be purchased. Any local environmental or social regulations or preferences will need to be planned for. Construction of the brewery will begin. Finally, the project will need to be completed on time to meet projections of needed capacity from the brewery to satisfy the demand needs of the east coast. Necessary sunk costs will need to be maintained to aid in startup of the facility including provisions for raw materials and machinery, as well as beginning the brewing process. Finally, Coors distribution network will need to smoothly integrate the new site into the existing framework. The brewery will allow for additional production of all of Coors product segments, using the existing brand recognition and perceived quality that Coors brands have. The costs associated with shipping will be reduced drastically. Coors has an opportunity to further expand its capacity. Coors position within the industry is currently strong, but the company will need to take the necessary steps to facilitate growth. Fierce competition from Anheuser-Busch, the industry leader will only get tougher if Coors does not take a proactive rather than reactive stance. If the company follows the strategic recommendation above, it puts them in a good position to market themselves additionally, but only after they have the necessary capabilities. IX. Bibliography Datamonitor, Inc. (2009a). Alcoholic Drinks in the United States: Industry Profile. New York, NY. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from the Datamonitor Company Profiles Authority Database. Datamonitor, Inc. (2009b). Beer in the United States: Industry Profile. New York, NY. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from the Datamonitor Company Profiles Authority Database. Datamonitor, Inc. (2009c). Molson Coors Brewing Company: Company Profile. New York, NY. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from the Datamonitor Company Profiles Authority Database. Ghemawat, P. (1992). Adolph Coors in the Brewing Industry. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. (Original work published 1987) History of Beer Brewing. (2010). Wine Making | Beer Brewing. Retrieved April 21, 2010, from http://www.winemakingbeerbrewing.com/history/history-of-beer-brewing IBISWorld, Inc. (2010). IBISWorld Industry Report 31212: Beer Production in the U.S. Washington, DC: Areeb Pirani. Molson Coors Brewing Company.