Jacques-Louis David’s “Death of Marat” (1793) Essay

Jacques-Louis David studied painting in Rome where he was able to absorb the classical sprit of Ancient Rome (Fleming, 1995, p. 496). He was influenced by Enlightenment philosophers such as Diderot, and from them, he developed the idea that paintings should have a message that points to political and/or social action (Fleming, 1995, p. 496). A member of the bourgeoisie, David was personally involved in many Revolutionary events: he organized a festival of the people (July 14, 1790), designed propaganda materials for the Jacobins, voted in support of Louis XVI’s execution, and signed execution orders for over 300 people (Boston College, 2006). David, then, was uniquely positioned to combine ancient values, Enlightenment thought, and revolutionary principles in his paintings. The interest in classical values in the late 18th century arose from two sources: the discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii and the rise in popularity of revolutionary ideals. In particular, the Roman Republic was seen to embody a spirit of courage, freedom, and opposition to autocracy that resonated with 18th century revolutionaries in France and the United States (Anonymous, n. d. ) For artists, these neo-classical ideas came in the guise of searching for new subject-matter. Previously, most artists painted religious, mythological, or allegorical scenes (Anonymous, n. d. ). In terms of subject matter, David’s â€Å"The Death of Marat† is neo-classical in the sense that scene is neither religious, nor mythological, nor allegorical in nature. In fact, the subject is a contemporaneous figure – Jean-Paul Marat. The choice of Marat confirms to the revolutionary ideals associated with neo-classicism in that Marat was a prominent leader of the French Revolution who was killed by Charlotte Corday, a member of the opposition (Anonymous, n. d. ). David’s sympathies clearly lie with the Revolution, as he portrayed Marat as a martyr (Anonymous, n. d. ). Marat’s position in the bath tub, surrounded by materials needed for work (paper, quill, ink) requires some explanation. As he suffered from a skin disease, Marat spent many hours working in his bath (Boston College, 2006). David painted the painting shortly after Marat’s murder on July 13, 1793. Originally asked by the Convention to paint Marat’s portrait at the time of his death, David chose to present an idealized portrait of the man, rather than an authentic depiction of the rapidly decomposing body (Boston College, 2006). David was overcome with emotion upon this request from the Convention, as Marat had been his close friend and ally (Annenberg, n. d. ). This painting functions almost like a detective novel: all of the clues needed to solve the case are present in the picture. Marat’s wounds figure prominently, there is a bloody knife on the floor, and the paper in Marat’s left hand is a letter his murderer gave to him just before she stabbed him (Annenberg, n. d. ). Though I did not know the background behind the portrait, I was immediately drawn to this painting because of the serene, yet pained, look on the subject’s face. I was intrigued by the fact that the subject appears at first glance to be taking a rest from his work. It is only when I noticed the red color that I realized that the subject was bleeding. The red blotches on the paper in the subject’s left hand seem to indicate that he placed this hand over his wounds before retaking his paper. This color sharply contrasts with the white bath cloths. The knife seems to be an afterthought, tossed aside by the murderer. Without knowing the particulars behind the painting, the viewer is left with many unanswered questions. Who is this Marat that is mentioned on the table by the bath and whose name appears on the sheet of paper in the subject’s left hand? In short, this painting sparked my curiosity to learn more about the incredible story behind the painting. Image: ? References Annenberg Media (n. d. ). Art of the Western World: An Age of Reason, An Age of Passion. Retrieved on May 11, 2010 from http://www. learner. org/vod/vod_window. html? pid=233. Anonymous (n. d. ). Lecture: Enlightenment and the Romantic Era. Retrieved on May 11, 2010 from http://www. stockton. edu/~fergusoc/romantic/romantic. htm Boston College (2006). Jacques-Louis David: The Death of Marat. Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www. bc. edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/neocl_dav_marat. html Fleming, W. (1995). Arts & Ideas. Ninth edition. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

C. Palmer and His Art for Culturally Responsive Instruction Essay

This short essay gives background information on the artist Charly Palmer and his development of narrative art. It also explores, how to use srt as a means to engage students in Culturally Responsive Teaching. About the Artist Born in Fayette, Alabama, Charly â€Å"Carlos† Palmer (1960-) has lived life as both a commercial artist and a fine artist. Palmer was raised primarily in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Whereupon after graduating from high school in 1978 he moved to Chicago, Illinois to pursue a degree at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Palmer attended school there for a year and a half before transferring to the Art institute of Chicago. In 1982 he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and minor in Art History. Right after graduation Palmer began working professionally as an artist and more specifically as a graphic artist for agencies in Milwaukee, Chicago and Atlanta, Georgia. In partnership with his then wife, Charly Palmer opened a graphics design business, TP Design, in 1991. The business took off quickly and successfully. â€Å"We were recognized within the first 2 years as one of the top design agencies nationally and as one of the few all black agencies around in graphic designs in the country† states Palmer (personal communication, December 7, 2011). I asked Palmer, â€Å"What inspired you to switch your focus from being a professional designer to a full time painter?† Despite the success of the business Palmer explains, â€Å"I never had a desire to do commercial work.† His first passion, painting, is something that has never left him and he decided to solely focus on this aspect of his career within the last 10 years. About the Artwork Much of Charly Palmer’s work is a reflection of his experiences and perspective as a Black man in America. Consistently, the themes that are addressed in his paintings are economic, social, political, gender and racial issues within the context of the United States. In his most recent exhibition â€Å"What is Your Tar Baby? † these themes are represented through the depiction of historic and contemporary icons. Entertainers and politicians such as Dave Chappelle, Josephine Baker, Marilyn Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, and President Barrack Obama are brought to the forefront for examination. The composition of these paintings consists of vivid colors and portraitures surrounded by subtle and bold sketches of the African folktale characters Brer Rabbit (Brother Rabbit) and Brer Fox (Brother Fox). In some of the paintings, the words â€Å"TAR BABY† takes up half of the canvas and it is sometimes positioned underneath or above the central figure in the painting. There are other times that â€Å"TAR BABY† is positioned down the left side frame of the canvas. Other times these words and excerpts from the published Tar Baby narrative are softly sketched around the iconic figure in the piece. In each painting the intertextuality of images, words and mixed media are present to create a new narrative or rather conversation that Palmer wants to have with the public. Palmer is a visual storyteller who elicits reflection and dialogue through his work. By painting a story, he is striving to have conversations about who Americans are and in what ways we can celebrate ourselves. As it relates to art and reflection, Diana Mack (1999) contends that â€Å"good art must communicate something comprehensibly worthwhile, something worthy of contemplation†¦More and more so- called artists today call attention to themselves by shocking and agitating rather than by promoting reflection (Silverman & Rader, 2009, p. 215). Reflection is a significant concept in Palmer’s art and in â€Å"What is Your Tar Baby?† reflection is inextricably intertwined with narratives. The Tar Baby Narrative The 2011-2012 exhibition â€Å"What is Your Tar Baby?† is a series of paintings that connects the story of Brer Rabbit (a cunning charlatan who masterfully dupes others using his wit and charm) and his interaction with a tar baby along with images of entertainers, politicians and athletes. Despite their talents and diverse backgrounds these public figures have all commonly struggled. Palmer parallels their struggles to the entrapment Brer Rabbit has with the tar baby. In order to truly see the intertextuality of Palmer’s art one must familiarize their self with this narrative. Originally the story of Brer Rabbit originates from parts of West Africa and was passed down orally from generations of enslaved Africans in the Americas and Caribbean. It soon made its way to publication because Robert Roosevelt, uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt, wrote down the story as enslaved Blacks dictated it. The story only met popularity when Joel Chandler Harris (1881), a White Southern journalist, adapted and compiled the African folktales for publication. Chandler developed the fictional character Uncle Remus, an old slave (who speaks in Gullah dialect) as the storyteller. In the role of a griot, Uncle Remus transmits certain knowledge and values by passing the story on to children gathered around him. Accordingly, the original Tar Baby story is the only story where his rival Brer Fox outfoxes Brer Rabbit. In an effort to catch the trickster, Brer Fox shapes a lump of tar into the shape of a baby, put clothes on it and sets it strategically in a pathway that Brer Rabbit is known to travel. When Brer Rabbit comes into contact with the tar baby he tries to have a conversation but gets no response. His frustration causes him to punch the tar baby and he becomes stuck. The more Brer Rabbit tries to rid himself from the tar baby the more he is affixed to the tar. Palmer asserts that, â€Å"over the years the tar has come to represent the trap, often times one that is more politically aligned, but most times the word is used in a way that is meant to degrade† ( C. Palmer, Artist’s Statement, 2011). Palmer brings to light that the original tar baby story has no racial connotation but rather it is a story about â€Å"a problem that gets worse the more one struggles against it.† (â€Å"Tar Baby†, n.d.) Presently, tar baby is a term used by blacks and whites alike â€Å"to express their anger towards their losses or failures, and their feelings about complexion and race. (C. Palmer, Artist’s statement, 2011). Historically, there was a prevalence of this word around derogatory images of African Americans. Despite its negative racial implication the metaphor of tar, â€Å"a problem† along with Palmer’s exhibition can be used to discuss social justice and diversity issues and as a means to transform art educators into culturally responsive teachers. Addressing the needs of diverse and multilingual learners through culturally responsive teaching According to a report provided by the Congressional Research Service, â€Å"The U.S. population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse† (Shrestha & Heisler, 2011, p. 18). Furthermore, it is predicted that by the year 2050, 56% of the U.S. population will be non-White. Already the majority minority, representing 15% of America’s demographic of race are those who identify as Hispanic or Latino. By 2050 members of this community will have a population increase of 30.2% and this also implies an increasing population of multilingual people (Shrestha & Heisler, 2011, p. 18 ). This increasing change in America’s race and ethnic composition is reflected in every aspect of our lives and this includes the classroom. Now more than ever it is necessary for art educators to address the needs of the steadily increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. One way to do this is to cultivate in all students what proponents of multicultural education call, â€Å"a transformative perspective.† I contend that art educators can successfully engage diverse learners through the praxis of culturally responsive teaching and by introducing the works of artist like Charly Palmer.

Popularity of Fast Food Production Essay

Introduction The popularity of fast food production today is a direct result of busy families. In today’s society both husband and wife usually obtain full-time careers. These careers take up much of the family’s time and energy. Children of these families are usually very active in many extracurricular activities such as, Boy Scouts, football, baseball, and basketball. With all of the practice, games, and outings, these activities consume a great amount of the family’s time. In this fast paced life people find it more and more convenient to grab some food on the way home than to prepare a full meal for their family. Families find it more convenient to have someone else do the cooking and cleaning than to take more time away from each other and do it themselves. Single people find it easier to pick-up some fast food than cook a big meal for one person. It is also a result of the most obvious, people these days are just lazier than people in our past were. A person who forgot their lunch at home is more likely to choose fast food over a restaurant because of the cost difference. They could go to a fast foodrestaurant for fewer tk. than they could go to a restaurant where they would spend for one meal. Actually, it is the result of time and convenience and sometimes it is a result of the low cost. Popularity of Fast Food The growing popularity of fast food has brought about ruthless competition in the fast food industry. Fast food chains are constantly trying to please growing consumer demand by selling more food at lower prices. In order to do so, these fast food giants continuously incorporate new â€Å"efficient† business practices which provide better services to customers resulting in bigger sales and larger profit margins. In most cases, these practices are obvious. For instance, precooked hamburger patties, computer systems, and drive-throughs were each introduced to minimize production time in turn allowing for increased sales. Nevertheless, less obvious business practices have also been implemented which most consumers fail to recognize. All together, increased fast food popularity has led to the adoption ofbusiness practices involving the careless treatment of modern day farm animals. * First of all, fast food is prepared from unhealthy meat. Most animals raised as food for fast foodrestaurants come from â€Å"factory farms. † At each of these factory farms millions of animals live torturous lives. Fast food companies choose to purchase from these farms because they minimize all production costs and provide cheaply. * Fast Food Growth- Comparison * History Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating,[1] or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations. he concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In Ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread, sausages and wine. Pre-modern Europe. In the cities of Roman antiquity, much of the urban population living in insulae, multi-storey apartment blocks, depended on food vendors for much of their meals. In the mornings, bread soaked in wine was eaten as a quick snack and cooked vegetables and stews later in the day at a popina, a simple type of eating establishment. In the Middle Ages, large towns and major urban areas such as London and Paris supported numerous vendors that sold dishes such as pies, pasties, flans, waffles, wafers, pancakes and cooked meats. As in Roman cities during antiquity, many of these establishments catered to those who did not have means to cook their own food, particularly single households. Unlike richer town dwellers, many often could not afford housing with kitchen facilities and thus relied on fast food. Travellers, as well, such as pilgrims en route to a holy site, were among the customers. United Kingdom In areas which had access to coastal or tidal waters, ‘fast food’ would frequently include local shellfish or seafood, such as oysters or, as in London, eels. Often this seafood would be cooked directly on the quay or close by. The development of trawler fishing in the mid nineteenth century would lead to the development of a British favourite fish and chips, and the first shop in 1860. A blue plaque at Oldham’s Tommyfield Market marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain. After World War II, turkey has been used more frequently in fast food. As well as its native cuisine, the UK has adopted fast food from other cultures, such as pizza, Chinese noodles, kebab, and curry. More recently healthier alternatives to conventional fast food have also emerged. United States. As automobiles became popular and more affordable following the First World War, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents each. Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant. Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. Franchising was introduced in 1921 by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson’s first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH Fast food culture was started in the early nineties. In Bangladesh it has mainly geared towards the younger end of the market and the employees of the corporate sector. The fast food culture in Bangladesh has taken the country by storm. The first fast food shop started its business in the Bailey road of Dhaka. After that, a number of fast food shops started to grow exponentially in different places of the Dhaka city. Local entrepreneurs are leaders in pioneering the fast food industry of Bangladesh. New brands i. e. Swiss, Helvetia etc. are to name of some Bangladeshi fast food shops formed in franchising system. In early 2000, Bangladesh experienced the entry of the first international brand of fast food franchise in the country. Pizza Hut and KFC entered into Bangladeshi market having franchise with Transom Foods Limited (TFL). Both Pizza Hut and KFC are subsidiaries of the world’s largest restaurant company Yum! Restaurants International. TFL has opened three Pizza Huts and three KFC outlets in Bangladesh in a span of five years. Pizza Hut opened its flagship restaurant in 2003 at Dhaka. Following its grand success in Dhaka, the Chittagong outlet was opened in 2005. The third Pizza Hut restaurant was launched in Dhaka in 2008. Meanwhile, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) perceived as high-quality fast food in a popular array of complete meals to enrich the consumer’s everyday life. TFL successfully launched the flagship KFC in 2006 and gained attention of the people with its taste, high standard of hygiene, cleanliness, interior attractiveness, affordable pricing etc. Following its enormous success in Dhaka, the second and third outlets were opened in 2008. ————————————————- Globalization In 2006, the global fast food market grew by 4. 8% and reached a value of 102. 4 billion and a volume of 80. 3 billion transactions. In India alone the fast food industry is growing by 41% a year. McDonald’s is located in 126 countries and on 6 continents and operates over 31,000 restaurants worldwide. [20] On January 31, 1990 McDonald’s opened a restaurant in Moscow, and broke opening day records for customers served. The Moscow restaurant is the busiest in the world. The largest McDonald’s in the world is located in Orlando, Florida,USA[21] There are numerous other fast food restaurants located all over the world. Burger King has more than 11,100 restaurants in more than 65 countries. [22] KFC is located in 25 countries. [23] Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 39,129 restaurants in 90 countries as of May 2009,[24] the first non-US location opening in December 1984 in Bahrain. [25] Pizza Hut is located in 97 countries, with 100 locations in China. [26] Taco Bell has 278 restaurants located in 14 countries besides the United States. [27] Current Market Size Economists at the National Restaurant Association estimated total foodservice sales for 2011 at ? 313 billion, representing a 5 percent increase over 2010. That means consumers spent an average of ? 855 million per day on food away from home. According to the National Restaurant Association’s Foodservice Industry Forecast, fast food comprised the largest segment of this market, capturing 47. 8 percent of the Takas spent. The report attributes this success to â€Å"fast food’s ability to meet consumers’ desire for value and convenience. † It was further estimated that at least 64 percent of all fast food purchases were consumed off-premises. According to Technomic, Inc. , a food industry consulting firm, almost half of consumer food Takas are spent on meals prepared away from home. In addition, food expenditures rise significantly as income increases according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey Data. Industry Trends This significant trend of consumers purchasing prepared meals is so pervasive that the foodservice industry has coined a new term to describe it: â€Å"home-meal replacement. † Many businesses are shifting their focus to meet the growing demands of consumers: * Most supermarkets now include a deli, bakery, and a prepared-foods section. Also, many offer fast-food service. * Boston Market has continued to expand its product lines and market share. * Famous chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck, are offering high-end prepared meals in upscale supermarkets. * Fast-food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have formed alliances to offer multiple product lines under one roof. There are also several economic and cultural trends that have contributed to this growing demand: * Increasing number of women in the workforce * Increasing number of woman-owned businesses * Growing number of higher-income households * Americans working longer hours * Decreasing amount of leisure time * Premium placed on convenience * Trend toward purchasing personal services (i.e. , personal-trainers, house-cleaning services, home shopping services). According to Foodservice Solutions, a hospitality consulting firm: â€Å"Home-meal replacement is not a luxury today – it’s a necessity. People don’t want to take the time to cook; they have too many other things to do. People want high-quality prepackaged foods†¦ to make life easier. â€Å"| Entrepreneur Magazine selected â€Å"Personal Chef Services† as one of the top service businesses to start today: â€Å"Convenience-craving consumers are always looking for a way to do things better, faster and cheaper. Often, that means turning to a specialty-services entrepreneur who knows how to get the job done right. Those with culinary competence can likely find a hungry clientele among the ranks of America’s busy working families. â€Å"| Growth Potential of the Market Based on the National Restaurant Association’s Foodservice Industry Forecast, the percentage of food Takas spent away from home has grown from 25 percent in 1955 to 50 percent today. More importantly, the proportion of the food budget spent on meals away from home increases significantly as income increases. Households with incomes of ? 70,000 spent 81 percent more per capita (? 1,278 per person) on food away from home than the average income-reporting household (? 705 per person) according to the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also contributing to the potential growth in the market is the rise in affluent households documented by the Current Population Survey from the Bureau of the Census. From 1990 to 1994 the number of households earning ? 50,000 to ? 74,999 increased by 16. 4 percent; households earning ? 75,000 to ? 99,999 increased 36. 1 percent; and households earning ? 100,000 or more increased by 61. 1 percent in the same period. Affluent Households Gaining Ground Change in Number of Households| | Household Income| Increase (Decrease) in Number of Households| Percent Change| Less than ? 35,000| (1,638,000)| -3. 0%| ?35,000 to ? 49,999| (331,000)| -2. 0%| ?50,000 to ? 74,999| 2,310,000| +16. 4%| ?75,000 to ? 99,000| 1,841,000| +36. 1%| ?100,000 or more| 2,496,000| +61. 1%| Total| 4,479,000| +5. 0%| Source: Bureau of the Census A personal chef service is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the increasing demand for fast food, growing health concerns, and the rise in high-income households. Affluent working couples want â€Å"fast food,† but they want it upscale, healthy, and convenient. The founders of Truly Unique Personal Chef Service report that their business has grown 10 to 15 percent every year since opening in 1992. Many of their clients said they were getting bored with going out to restaurants and wanted something different. Customer Profile Creative Cuisine’s’ target customer will be families with two working, professional parents who are too busy to cook every night but are fed up with takeout and restaurant food. Their specific demographics are as follows: Household Income: Over ? 100,000 Age: 35 to 55 Education: College degree and/or advanced degree Marital Status: Married couples or high income single Job: Professional status (one or both partners) Children: Preferably ages 7 to 18 Homeowners: Preferably Location: Live in neighborhoods with high concentration of affluent families Customer Benefits Here are just a few of the benefits to customers if they hire Creative Cuisine: * 6 hours per week more free time (1 hour per day cooking/acquiring meal plus 1 hour per week grocery shopping) * Very convenient. * Meals customized to personal tastes * More variety * Health and nutrition benefits * Less stress * Client feels pampered * It makes life easier * Don’t have to cook * Less grocery shopping * Minimal kitchen clean-up * Peace of mind The Competition There are a handful of other personal chef services in the metropolitan area; however, since this is still a new business concept, there remains a large untapped market. Most competition for home-meal replacement exists from neighborhood restaurants, upscale fast-food outlets and supermarket prepared meals. Following is a competitive analysis of the various meal replacement alternatives: Fast Food Industry in 2012 at a Glance It is no secret: Americans love fast food. And its not just us! The Golden Arches have spread across the globe, and emerging markets are one of the fastest growing areas in the industry. But the fast food industry is not without its challenges, especially in the United States. From rising food costs, economic recession and changing perceptions about health, many fast food franchises have been feeling some heat. But rather than flee from this challenge, the fast food industry has been adopting new practices and offering new products. Modern society is on the go, and there is plenty of demand for a quick bite at all times of the day. Fast food franchising opportunities exist in the â€Å"traditional† spaces like burgers and pizza, but are also sprouting up in healthy and unique ways as well. The Industry The fast food industry, also known as Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), has been serving up tasty morsels for as long as people have lived in cities. The modern system of fast food franchising is believed to have started in the mid 1930’s when Howard Johnson franchised his second location to a friend as a means to expand operations during the Great Depression. And oh how it has grown! As cars became commonplace, the drive-thru concept brought explosive growth to the idea of food-on-the go. â€Å"Fast Food† was added to the Merrion-Webster dictionary in 1951 and U. S. fast food companies are now franchised in over 100 countries. In the U. S. alone there are over 200,000 restaurant locations! Revenue has grown from $6 billion in 1970 to $160 billion last year, an 8. 6% annualized rate. Fast food franchises focus on high volume, low cost and high speed product. Frequently food is preheated or precooked and served to-go, though many locations also offer seating for on-site consumption. For stands, kiosks or sit-down locations, food is standardized and shipped from central locations. Consumers enjoy being able to get a familiar meal in each location, and menus and marketing are the same in every location. What’s Been Going Wrong? There have been challenges for the fast food industry in recent years that have been pressuring profit margins. The industry as a whole has proven robust enough to withstand these challenges, though some players have done better than others. Over the last decade there has been increased focus on the quality of food served in fast food restaurants. Typically highly processed and industrial in preparation, much of the food is high in fat and has been shown to increase body mass index (BMI) and cause weight gain. Popular books such as Fast Food Nation and documentaries like Super Size Me have increased public awareness of the negative health consequences of fast food. Fast food companies have responded by adopting healthier choices and have had some measure of success, but the shadow of bad press still hangs over the industry. Rising commodity prices have also significantly crunched many fast food franchises. With food and beverage inputs making up approximately 33% of costs, higher prices for livestock, corn, wheat and more have seriously shrunk margins over the past decade. In such a fiercely competitive space it is impossible to force a price increase on customers, so profit margins are often south of 10%. The recent economic recession did lower commodity prices, but the recession brought on its own complications, and now prices for commodity inputs are on the rise again. Fast food had been thought to be largely recession proof, and indeed the industry did not suffer nearly as much as other discretionary spending sectors. In fact, there was some increase in consumer visits as people choose cheaper fast food options over fast casual or traditional restaurant choices. But overall, the recession hurt spending, and consumers overall purchased less with each trip. Fast food franchises fared reasonably well but still felt some pain. Market saturation is also a relevant issue in the fast food industry today, at least in the U. S. There is a McDonald franchise is in almost every town, and it usually sits in a row with several competitors. With so many competitors which offer similar products there are fewer customers per location. Increasingly fast food restaurants are also losing market share to fast casual, a relative newcomer in the restaurant space. Where do we Go from Here? Busy citizens still need quick meal options, and fast food restaurants are fighting these challenges with gusto. Now offering healthy choices to battle the stigma of unhealthy food, some quick service restaurants now focus on fresh or organic products. From franchises focused solely on salads or healthy wraps to the lower calorie options offered at traditional burger franchises such as Wendy’s or McDonald’s, consumers are able to make better choices†¦if they want! Fast food franchises are also focusing on expanding into new product lines, such as the coffee initiative in the McCafe. Intended to offer competition to Startbucks, McDonalds is luring customers back into their stores, hoping they will purchase food as well. Many franchises have been exploring other meal times such as breakfast and the mid-afternoon snack for growth opportunities and to increase real estate utilization. The industry is most effectively battling saturation within the United States by creating a much more diverse range of offerings. Sure, there is a McDonalds in every town, but there are very few crepe franchises†¦yet! From new cultural cuisines to fresh takes on a traditional story, there are many moretypes of quick service restaurants than ever before. The fast food industry is still a large and diverse industry with plenty of opportunity. As one would hope, challenge is being answered with innovation, and fast food franchises are responding with new offerings, pricing and strategies to lure consumers back in. Non-traditional fast food franchises are springing up and gaining traction, and more creativity will always be welcome! Consumers are now on the look-out for new ways to eat fast and healthy. And as the industry continues to evolve and the economy strengthens, fast food franchise profitability will continue to grow. Porter’s five forces industry analysis for Krispy Kreme Saturday, January 29th, 2011 at 9:00 am. What is Porter’s Five Forces? Well I doubt there is any need to explain one of the most famous strategic tools around but just in case, it is a tool to analyse the external industry to find the root causes of profitability. Again seeing an example is useful and below is a five forces analysis of Krispy Kreme. Rivalry among existing competitors (High +++) * High concentration of rivals e. g. Starbucks and local chains * Static market growth * High fixed costs * Perishable products (food and drink) A large number of competitors in the industry are all competing for the same customers. Coffee chains (e. g. Costa, Starbucks) are all competing to be number one in the market and have similar corporate goals. While product differentiation is limited, there is fierce differentiation by product range, brand and store ambience (e. g. seating). There are zero switching costs for customers, which promotes price wars. Market growth is static, which promotes fierce fighting for market share, and there is saturation of competition due to the limited number of prime locations available for outlets. Smaller chains have to pay a premium for prime sites or settle for less desirable locations. Threat of new entrants (Medium +) * Large capital requirements required to build chain of stores * Favourable locations are already occupied * Economies of scale in distribution and raw ingredients (lower per unit costs due to the experience curve) * Product and brand differentiation Capital requirements for individual stores are low, however new entrants wishing to compete on a like basis with national store networks, distribution channels, brand equity development and advertising, face large capital requirements to gain market share. This is reflected in the large number of individual outlets compared with the small number of large, proven top specialty eateries. The UK commercial property market is landlord-driven and controlled; premium locations in the UK are scarce and command high prices with most of the favourable locations within town centres, airports and train stations already being occupied by existing competitors. Threat of substitutes (Medium +) * Large choice of alternatives with similar products e. g. energy drinks, cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, chocolate * No switching costs. Although a consumer can choose from multiple substitutes (e. g. desserts, pastries or drinks), speciality eateries compete based on convenience and opportunity. Most people buy from speciality eateries when travelling, shopping or meeting people. This is evidenced by the location of the eateries, which is concentrated around high footfall locations such as train stations, business districts and shopping centres. For a consumer this becomes a competitive choice rather than a substitute choice (e. g. do I buy a coffee from Starbucks or Costa). Other substitutes come from full menu eateries such as restaurants and fast-food outlets with a smaller threat from supermarkets. Bargaining power of suppliers (Low) * Vertically integrated businesses with only commoditised raw ingredients * Large number of suppliers to choose from and low switching costs Bargaining power of buyers (Low) * Buyers are fragmented and numerous * Although there are no switching costs for the buyer the food and drink market is part of the fabric of society Conclusions and Recommendations. Fast food consumers of Bangladesh, especially the university students, considered brand reputation as the most important factor when choosing fast foods followed by nearness and accessibility, similarity in taste, cost and quality relationship, discount and taste, clean and hygiene, salesmanship and decoration, fat and cholesterol, and self-service. The recent upset in the fast food industry of Bangladesh was created by the discovery of unethical practices conducted by several fast food businesses resulted in consumers putting their trusts on renowned fast food brands only. Thereby it is seen that the fast food houses with reputed brand name and recognition i. e. KFC, BFC, Pizza Hut, Coopers etc. are carrying out their businesses in a usual manner even in the toughest time of the industry. The majority of the fast food brands that passed with flying colors during the mobile courts inspection for quality maintenance were able to either establish or revitalize their brand reputation. Eventually as suggested by the research findings, the university students will select such fast food brands that have brand reputation. Besides the brand reputation, the other important factors were nearness and accessibility, similar taste of fast food, cost and quality relationship, discount and taste. In case of nearness or proximity and accessibility factor, consumers prefer to go to the fast food outlets that are close from their own home or study institutions. It is seen that the fast food shops in Bangladesh has already considering the factors by establishing their outlets near big corporate houses and private universities. Especially, in Dhaka city this practice is seen in Bailey road where majority of fast food shops are located. Near Bailey road, there are 3 girls’ school and collages, and 3 boys’ school and 2 collages in walking distance. Almost similar situation prevails in Gulshan, Banani area of the city where KFC and Pizza Hut outlets are situated near 3 private universities. It is understandable from the situation that the students studying at these institutions consider these nearby fast food outlets whenever they decide to consume fast foods. There is an opportunity here however, for new fast food shops to compete with the existing fast food outlets. Since establishing a new outlet in an already competitive business space is expensive and difficult, the new fast food businesses can introduce mobile fast food outlets. Through mobile fast food outlets, new fast food businesses can deliver their fast foods that are already cooked fresh in their shops, but kept hot and delivered to the students instantly with their own choice of accompanying taste enhancers i. e. tomato sauce, cheese etc. These mobile fast food outlets could be on top of a mini-truck, van etc. The similar taste of the fast food factor refers to the fact that no matter which fast food outlet a particular fast food item is bought from, the taste should be similar. For example, if a chicken burger is bought from an outlet of KFC, the taste would be similar to any other chicken burger bought from any other KFC outlet. The taste could differ from other fast food shops as the different business use taste as differentiating factor in case of food items. But the businesses have to keep in mind that too much difference in taste of similar fast food items makes the consumers confused. The cost and quality relationship is also an important factor considered by the consumers of fast food. If the cost of a fast food item is high, it is usually considered to be carrying high quality and vice versa. So, the businesses of fast food products have to be careful in setting the prices of the fast food items. The pricing should be such as it offers the right amount to value to the consumers in a competitive price that at the same time ensures adequate profit margins for the fast food businesses. Finally in terms of discount and taste factor, the consumers consider the availability of discounts in fast food outlets. Usually these discounts are offered as group discounts i. e. arranging a party or social gathering at a reduced price package etc. Consumers consider this option when choosing fast food products. They might not immediately use this factor but it puts the fast food shop in their consideration set for later use. This study recommends that the fast food producers or distributors at Dhaka city should focus more on the brand reputation, nearness or proximity and accessibility, cost, quality, discount, and similarity in taste factors. If they are able to fulfill these needs, university students of Bangladesh will be induced to buy and consume fast food whenever they are out of their houses. However, there is an ample scope to conduct further study on the preference factors used by the office-goers, housewives, and visitors in buying fast food to determine if there are any more common or unique factors prevailing among these different groups that might be important in making decisions regarding the choice of fast food items in Bangladesh. Abstract. Fast food industry is a high growing sector of Bangladesh. It is concerned with the tastes and habits of the people. The food-taking habit especially in fast food segment has been changing very fast over last decade among the people of Dhaka – the capital city of Bangladesh. The reasons could be attributed by the increase of awareness, growth of education, development of information technology, and expansion of television channels and print media in Bangladesh. Hence, this paper aims at identifying the preference factors of fast food consumers living in Dhaka city. This study was conducted among the university students who usually eat fast food at their leisure time. To conduct the study, a total of 250 respondents were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. Multivariate analysis technique like factor analysis was performed to identify the preference factors of the fast food student-consumers of Bangladesh. Multiple regressions were run to identify the relationship between the factors identified and the overall preference of the consumers. Results show that the consumers give most importance on brand reputation of the food item followed by nearness to receive and accessibility, similarity of taste with previous experience, cost and quality of the food, discount and taste, cleanliness and hygiene, salesmanship and decoration, fat and cholesterol level, and self-service factors. This study suggests that the brand reputation, nearness and accessibility, similarity in taste, and cost and quality relationship should be emphasized to improve the attraction of the university students towards the fast food items in Bangladesh.

Costs associated with ground work, brick purchasing and roofing and Essay

Costs associated with ground work, brick purchasing and roofing and cladding of the walls - Essay Example Assuming that workers are expected to work for eight hours a day, construction work is done six days in a week; the exaction work is expected to take a total of 96 hours since the contractor’s program allows maximum of two weeks of excavation. Assuming also that, on the first day of the first week, it is only the excavator and the driver were present on the site since there would have been no material for the loader and the lorry to work on the first day. That means as the excavator and general operations covered 12 days; the lorry and the loader were present in the site for 11 days in the two excavation weeks time. Assuming also, that two Lorries were used to ferry the waste material to the tipping site and as the first lorry got loaded, it was taking the same time to and fro the site and the tipping site as loading the next lorry. Since the distance from the excavation site to the tipping site is 5miles, by converting it to kilometers , its’ equal to 8 kilometers as 1 mile is equivalent to 1.6 km. Assuming the time to load the waste to be 30 minutes (0.5 hours) . Hence the lorry will travel at a speed of 32 kilometers per hour. That means in a day the Lorries will cover 16 trips, subtracting the 1 trip lost at the start of every day while loading the first lorry. The total cost to be incurred can be established as below; General operation costs (12*8*12) =1152 Euros. Lorry and Driver (11*8*38) =3344 Euros. Wheel excavator and driver (12*8*35) =3072 Euros. Loader backhoe (11*8*32) =2816 Euros. Tipping fees (15*20*11) =3300 Euros. Therefore, the total excavation cost for the two weeks will be; (1152 Euros + 3344 Euros + 3072 Euros +2816 Euros + 3300 Euros= 13684 Euros).... This research will begin with the statement that the ground work of a construction includes the laying down of a building’s foundation. The foundation is that part of walls, piers and a column which is in direct contact with, and transmits loads to the ground. The most basic and fundamental requirement of a foundation is strength and stability; therefore the foundation should be deep enough in order to foster stability of the building. The excavated soil should be transported to another site away from the construction site in order to create space. Brick work involves making of the bricks at Edenhall facing bricks and from Strawbone facing bricks. The perimeter, height and partition of the six unit workshop will determine the number of bricks to be used. The overall cost of the exercise will include the cost of material, 8% on overhead cost and profit. The perimeter of the wall is (85364* 2 +25464 *2) =221656mm. The lump sum price amounts to 121000 pounds while scaffolding cos ts 10,000. So the net amount for the rest part of work is (121000-10000) = 111000 pounds. This is the amount that will be spent on buying the materials and the cost of labor. Cost of materials delivered to the site in roofing and wall cladding phase can be found by working on this equation; (number of sheets*price per sheet) + (number of Plastic headed stainless steel screws* price per unit) i.e. (n.s*p.s) + (n.ps*p.u) Cost of labor will be equated as following; (labour cost of cladding the wall +labour cost of roofing, i.e. ( c.cw+c.r).

Environmental economy case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental economy - Case Study Example However, as the modernization has changed the industries, the number of industries has increased to a greater extent. This graph shows the level of water pollution in Asian countries in the year of 2014. Due to the increase in the number of industries, the quantity of waste material has also increased. However, some of the famous multinational companies properly dispose off their waste material or they may recycle it to avoid any resource wastage. However, a large number of companies do not care about the disposal of this waste material and thus put their share in the pollution creation of the environment. The list of affected people by this water pollution is alarming at this point of time. People who are using this pollutant water are suffering from many of the skin and internal diseases. In addition to that, this polluted water is destroying the natural habitat of many of the species living near the marshy places. The living organisms in the water and marine habitat are also suffering at a greater extent. Some of the rare species are near to extinction just because of these pollution materials. There are heavy toxic materials in the waste of industries, which contaminate and disturb the real composition of usable water and thus the living organisms have to suffer the contamination. In this way, there are many adverse effects of this polluted and contaminated water. In many of the countries, Government and the State authorities have taken serious actions to eradicate this issue of wastage of heavy industries and thus restricting the industry owner to properly dispose of the waste material. The companies can use this waste material even further to make many other things, which will be useful. In some cases, waste material can also act as a fertilizer for the crops and different plants. Though the companies have to put a budget on the waste management but at

Organizational Commitment to Diversity in Non Profit Organizations Research Paper

Organizational Commitment to Diversity in Non Profit Organizations - Research Paper Example Since cancer doesn’t allow any kind of discrimination and has no boundaries, it is important for organization to ensure that it has appropriate mix of employees belonging to various ethnic groups and races so that they can serve every patient well. Every year, more than 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer and they belong to various culture, ethnic groups, and race and have even conceivable background of cancer. The basic belief of ACS is to promote diversity and inclusion as part of their mission to eradicate the cancer issue as a foremost health problem. ACS Mission Statement â€Å"The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.† (ACS, 2012) International Mission Statement â€Å"The American Cancer Society's international mission concentrates on capacity building in developing cancer societies and on collaboration with other cancer-related organizations throughout the world in carrying out shared strategic directions.† (ACS, 2012) ACS Commitment to Diversity At ACS, the management team strongly emphasizes the importance of diversity in the workforce as they have patients belonging to various backgrounds. According to Otike, Messah and Mwalekwa (2011).

Assignment #2 - Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

#2 - Case Study - Assignment Example army to caused skin burns and still births. Yes that is right; it was Dow that was actually responsible for â€Å"the Silent Spring†. Further, the company also owns the manufacturing unit that resulted in greatest industrial failure in the history, which lead to the death toll of over three thousand Indians in Bhopal; and it also left several unwanted problems for the next generations. One of the recent events that involved Dow Chemicals was discharge of industrial effluents into the air and water supplies in the vicinity of the company’s Midland complex in Michigan. Dow was held liable for violating Clean Air Act rules, and for disobeying the Clean Water Act. Further, the government also held the company for releasing harmful chemicals into the environment without a permit. The issue was brought to the considerations during 2006-07; however, after several delays and trials, the company agreed to pay $ 2.5 million in 2011, for the sake of compensation. In 2010 the annua l release of toxic compounds by Dow’s Midland facility was 275,912 pounds. According to an environmentalist based at the Michigan State University, the company earned a profit of $ 6.2 billion during the time while the production facility was discharging contaminants without permission (Weiss, 2008). The stakeholders include the people living in the vicinity of the production houses, the state that has allowed the company to operate, general public, media, the employees at Dow, and the Dow Chemical Company. People living close to these production houses are directly exposed to the harmful chemicals that released by these industrial units into the environment. These contaminants can have lethal effects on the population residing in the suburbs. In case of the recent activities, the major subjects under the exposure of contaminants were the residents of Midland, Michigan (Weiss, 2008). The side effects of these contaminants can be direct or indirect. The second stakeholder in

Managing health and safety at work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing health and safety at work - Essay Example The second piece of legislation ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999’ whose main requirement is that employers ought to carry out risk assessments to eliminate or reduce risks. Those who employ five or more people should record the significant findings of a risk assessment. It is however not a requirement that insignificant risks should be recorded. Section 2 of The Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 places a duty on employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees. This should be done as far as is reasonably practicable. Employers are also required to consult with safety representatives from trade unions on matters to do with health and safety in the place of work. Employers who have more than five employees are required to have a written health and safety policy which should be brought to that attention of the employees. This section places a burden upon the manager not only to prepare a health and safety policy but it is clear that it is to be brought to the attention of the employees and it is trite that employees should know its contents. Consultations with trade union representatives are also mandatory. Section 4 places a duty on any person who is responsible for the place of work to make sure that the work premises, plant and machinery do not pose any danger the people who use the same. As a manager, one is required to ensure that the plant and machinery are properly maintained and thus when they are put to use, whoever is using them cannot be exposed to any harm while performing his or her responsibilities. The section could also require that the manager ensure that the employees are properly dressed and observe the laid down safety regulations at the work place (Stuhlmacher & Douglas, 2001). A competent person in the context of health and safety is one who has gone through some formal training and in addition has experience working with other people in a health and safety position. Such a person has a good grasp of safety systems of work and is able to carry out safety audits. A competent person will be able to recognize and control hazards, write risk assessments and maintain records. A competent person will be able to deal in an effective manner with the management as well as other members of staff in matters to do with safety in and out of the place of work. Such a person should be acquainted with information about the latest legislation which pertains to health and safety. A competent person would also be the one who passes such information to his employer and also to his fellow employees without any undue delays and does it in a good manner. Maintain a good knowledge of the latest legislation covering health and safety and pass that on to employees and their employer. A competent person should also have record over a period of time of successfully carrying out their Health and Safety responsibilities. This encompasses their actions in response to such situations and also expectation and discernment of potential threats and taking quick measure steps to forestall the occurrence any problem. For one to be competent they should also know what their limitations are and thus deal with those situations they can handle otherwise they should alert more competent authorities. One of the ways

The art of the body adornment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The art of the body adornment - Essay Example It ias also found in areas such as Egypt, Uganda and other Middle Eastern and African countries. The plant is used for body art because it contains a property called tannins which allows the plant to exhibit color when ground up finely and mixed with hot water. One of the practical uses of henna is as a cooling agent. One can rub the mix on hands or feet in order to cool down in hot, Middle Eastern and African countries with extremely hot, dry climates. Henna is also commonly used as a form of hair dye. When it is used however for the purposes of body art, it is mixed with oils and sugars. Henna can be known as some of the following names, â€Å"henne, Al-Khanna, Jamaica Mignonette, Egyptian Privet and Smooth Lawsonia, the art of its application is referred to as henna (Arabic) or mehndi (Indian)† (Islamic World.net, 2006). Historically speaking, henna has been used for as much as 5,000 years for both its healing properties and for cosmetic purposes. Today henna is used in place of tattoos from time to time as it is not permanent. Henna designs can last on the skin for several weeks as opposed to the permanence of getting a tattoo. Culturally however, Hanna has significance in the Muslim religion as well as other religions. Many historians believe that henna originated in India with the Hindu culture but other historians have reason to believe that it originated in Egypt around the twelfth century. It is also possible that henna was used even earlier by certain African countries as well as countries in the Middle Eat. Many archeologists have found henna markings on the fingers and toes of mummified pharos. Hindu body decoration has been used within the Islamic faith but also within Jewish, Hindu, Christian and even pagan religions. Although henna has been used for religious purposes in many cases, it is known to have been used by working

The myth of original of Islam and how the I slam presented and use Research Paper

The myth of original of Islam and how the I slam presented and use example from Holy Quran and comparing it with the first story of creation in Genesis in the Bible - Research Paper Example reement in claiming that Adam was originally formed from the mud, that transforming a bunch of mud into an alive being is performed by God, that the formation of Adam took place before the formation of his companion Eva and that she was formed from the ribs of Adams (Von Rad 1973). But the Quran recounted that Eva was formed from the body of Adam only not identifying if it was from his ribs. It was recounted in the Bible that God gave Adam the ‘breath of life’, whereas in the Quran it is narrated that God gave Adam a ‘heavenly spiritual breath’ (Barto 2009, 88). This essay thus compares the Biblical and Qur’anic account of the Creation and the Fall of Man. The Bible begins with the beginning of time, the Creation. It is a complicated narrative that dominates the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, fittingly referred to as Genesis, and expands into the later chapter, where the story progresses and trails the story of our first parents, Adam and Eve. According to Katheer and Kamal-ad-Din (2001), obviously, the Christians read a similar Bible even if they referred to it as the Old Testament, and they usually understand it in a different way from its Jewish authors. However, the Muslims—the third group of Monotheists—have their own distinct rendition of such prehistoric episodes in a matching Scripture, the Quran, which they similarly worship as the Word of God. The description of the Quran of the absolute beginning of time, even though the same with that of the Bible in several points and meaning, both stipulate a supreme creation from naught, for instance, and on the Grand Designer’s crafting of humankind, is not specified in the continuous storyline of Genesis. The Quran is an anthology of God’s revelations to Muhammad over the final two decades of his existence (Sawma 2006). They are partitioned into 114 Surahs, but several of these Suras in all likelihood enclose multiple revelations. The Quran, therefore, is a compilation of

Retail Project on Pizza Hut Essay Example for Free

Retail Project on Pizza Hut Essay Pizza Hut is one of the flagship brands of Yum! Restaurant Int. which also has KFC, Taco Bell, AW and Long John Silver’s under its umbrella. It is the world’s largest pizza chain with over 12,500 restaurants across 91 countries. Pizza Hut was started in 1958, by two brothers Frank and Dan Carney in Wichita, Kansas. They had the idea to open a pizza parlor. They borrowed $600 from their mother, and opened the very first Pizza Hut. In 1959, the first franchise unit opened in Topeka, Kansas. Almost ten years later, Pizza Hut was serving one million customers a week in their 310 locations. In 1970, Pizza Hut was put on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PIZ. In 1986, Pizza Hut introduced delivery service, something no other restaurant was doing. By the 1990s Pizza Hut sales had reached $4 billion worldwide. In 1998, Pizza Hut celebrated their 40th anniversary, and launched their famous campaign The Best Pizzas Under One Roof. In 1996, Pizza Hut sales in the United States were over $5 million. The first Indian outlet was opened in June 1996 in Bangalore. In India, Pizza Hut has 139 restaurants across 36 cities. Pizza Hut has been voted the â€Å"best family restaurant† for the second year running at the 2007 Tommy’s Parent Friendly Awards. Pizza Hut is known for quality, innovation and category leadership. 2 RETAIL ENVIRONMENT Out of all the existing pizza chains such as Dominos, Smokin Joe’s, Papa John’s, Pizza Corner, U. S Pizza, Pizza Hut has a dominating market share of 48% of the total market share. However, this forced competitors to look for new methods of increasing their customer bases. They all try to come up with some newer, bigger, better pizza for a low price. But Pizza Hut has always had the first mover advantage. Their marketing strategy in the past has always been to be the first. One of their main strategies, that they still follow today is the diversification of the products they offer. The market has become greatly competitive and the customer has become more discerning and adventurous. This however has not affected Pizza Huts comfortable reign over the Indian pizza industry and the ever increasing number of loyal customers who have made it possible for Pizza Hut to aggressively extend its presence. Pizza Hut is always adding something new to their menu, trying to reach new markets. For example, in 1992 the famous buffet was launched in Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. They were trying to offer many different food items for customers who didnt necessarily want pizza. Another strategy they used in the past and are still using is the diversification of their pizzas. Pizza Hut is always trying to make a pizza into something slightly different so that customers will think it’s a whole new product. E. g., in 1983, Pizza Hut introduced Pan Pizza, which had a guarantee of being ready to eat in 5 minutes when dining at Pizza Hut restaurants. In 1993, they introduced the BigFoot, which was two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices. In 1995, they introduced Stuffed Crust Pizza, where the crust would be filled with cheese. Currently, they are marketing The Big New Yorker, trying to bring the famous New York style pizza to the whole country. 3 POSITIONING Pizza Hut was among the first multinational brands to enter the food retail sector in India. When the first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Bangalore the quick service industry was at a nascent stage and the pizza category was dominated by a sole regional player who had a marginal presence. Pizza Hut went on to play a significant role in pioneering and developing this category in India. Worldwide and in India, Pizza Hut has come to become synonymous with the best pizzas under one roof. This is because at Pizza Hut the belief is that every pizza has its own magic, thus making it a destination product – which everyone seeks. It is this belief that has ignited the passion to create, innovate and serve the finest product the industry has to offer, while setting standards for others to strive to replicate. Pizza Hut is committed to providing uncompromising product quality, offering customers the highest value for money and giving service that is warm, friendly and personal. A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been its unique dining experience. Crewmembers at Pizza Hut strive each day to provide customer mania the kind of service that ensures that every visit of the customer is a memorable one. Pizza Huts constant endeavor to provide extra value – whether it is pizzas which are available to suit every price range, new promotions or the introduction of innovative product ranges that puts a Yum on every customers face has allowed it to increase its presence in India to the current 139 restaurants across 36 cities. 4 MARKETING STRATEGY Pizza Hut’s marketing strategy is very simple: â€Å"we want to satisfy our customer by offering them the best. † Pizza Hut has always valued customer service and satisfaction. In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a 1-800 number customer hotline, and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. Another big strength and even a competitive advantage is the fact that they have a full service restaurant as well as delivery services. Most of Pizza Huts competitors do not have restaurants. Because of the restaurant, Pizza Hut can market to different segments that other pizza chains cannot. For example, Pizza Hut can market to families much easier than Dominos or Little Caesars. Pizza Hut offers a sit-down, conversational type restaurant where families can take their children for birthday parties for example. Pizza Huts broad selection of products also makes it easier for them to market to different market segments. The other two strategies followed by Pizza Hut is C. H. A. M. P. S (Cleanliness, Hospitality, Accuracy, Maintenance, Product quality and Speed) and 3F’s (Fun, Friendly and Familiar). These two strategies have really helped Pizza hut to evolve out as a market leader with a competitive advantage. 5 PRODUCT ASSORTMENT Pizza Hut will offer a new product called The Extreme pizza. The Extreme is a twenty-inch pizza with twice as much cheese and toppings as Pizza Huts other pizzas. This new pizza will have many different competitive advantages. The first competitive advantage of The Extreme is that it is the largest pizza on the market. No other pizza restaurant offers a twenty-inch pizza. The second competitive advantage is that it has more cheese and toppings than any other pizza on the market. Another competitive advantage is the Pizza Hut brand name. Pizza Hut has built a brand name that means quality products and services. Since Pizza Hut will be introducing The Extreme, customers will automatically think this is a high quality product. The final competitive advantage is that this product will be the first pizza to target Americas youth. The Extreme pizza will target Generation X and Generation Y or people between the ages of 12 and 30. This market purchases a lot of pizza each year, but very few pizza restaurants actually target them. The Extreme will be introduced on Super Bowl Sunday, 2001. During the introduction stage of the product life cycle, Pizza Hut will try to establish a market for the product and persuade early adopters to buy. During the growth stage, Pizza Hut will try to build sales and develop a preference for the product. Pizza Hut will try to seek differentiation during the maturity stage. The Extreme is expected to begin to decline after one year on the market. 6 PRICE POSITIONING In the past, Pizza Hut has successfully used the high/low pricing strategy when setting the retail price of its products. The high/low retail pricing strategy allows Pizza Hut to charge a price that is above the competition, but also promote frequent sales to lower the price below them. The retail price of The Extreme pizza should be set at $9. 99, which is higher than Pizza Huts competitors. Several sales promotions and coupons will be used to lower the price below those competitors. Since both Pizza Hut and the beverage Mountain Dew are Pepsi subsidiaries, bundle pricing will be used. Customers can purchase The Extreme for $9. 99 and receive a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew for free. Pizza Hut will be able to sell two products together at a single price to suggest a good value. The high/low pricing strategy has several advantages. First, this pricing strategy will help segment the market. Different groups of customers are willing to pay different prices for the same product. Pizza Hut can sell The Extreme to the customers who will pay the higher price to be the first to buy and also to the bargain hunters. The high/low pricing strategy will also create excitement. Customers will be able to try something new when they purchase The Extreme and this exciting experience may bring those customers back to purchase other products. Finally, this strategy will emphasize product and service quality. Pizza Hut sets a high initial price for its products to send a signal to customers that its products are quality and the service is excellent. 7 CUSTOMER PROFILE This target profile provides a comparison of Pizza Hut’s customers compared to: a) Total Population 14+ b) Total Purchased from Fast Food Places/Restaurants in the Last 4 Weeks. This target profile provides you with instant access to some of the worlds most insightful, robust consumer research, with unmatched accuracy, integrity and sheer power. Armed with a complete picture of your customers or your competitor’s customers, you are in the best position to fine tune you product strategy, focus your communication, and thereby optimize your marketing budget. Don’t rely on unconfirmed reports; buy this target profile to get all that data, over 400 variables, everything from attitudes and activities to media consumption. 8 CONSUMER PULL FACTORS †¢A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been a menu that has constantly evolved and expanded to cater to the changing needs and specific preferences of customers in different parts of the world. In having understood the pulse of the customers in India, Pizza Hut has clearly established itself as a brand with an Indian heart. †¢Besides offering an extensive range of vegetarian pizzas, it was the first pizza chain to open a 100% vegetarian restaurant in India in Surat and later in Ahmedabad and Chowpatty, where it offers a Jain menu sans all root-based ingredients. †¢Over the years Pizza Hut has also developed and successfully introduced a range of products especially suited to the Indian palate. These products like Chicken Tikka, Spicy Korma, Spicy Paneer and the Masala and Tandoori pizzas have been a tremendous success. What has also given Pizza Hut a competitive edge is that in addition to an extensive range of internationally renowned pizzas like The Italian, the proprietary Pan Pizza and Stuffed Crust, in India the menu offers the option of a complete meal. It includes appetizers, a Salad Bar where the customers can make their own fresh salads, a range of soups, pastas and desserts. †¢Pizza Hut has a unique tradition. A bell hangs at each Pizza Hut restaurant, which is rung by customers who as they leave wish to thank the servers for yet another memorable visit. 9 COMPARISION 10 LONG TERM PROGNOSIS. With competition being so strong in this industry the threat of imitation products will surely be a problem to be dealt with. Pizza Hut will however have the first mover advantage with this product. With the entry of imitation products into the market, Pizza Hut will have to adjust its mixes to accommodate change. The promotions may have to be bigger and better than the competition, or the product may need to be altered to give it that little bit of an edge over the competition. For example stuffing the crust with cheese or giving a free topping with the purchase would help give Pizza Hut an edge over the competition. Pizza Hut is moving beyond big cities. While consolidating its presence in the metropolitans, this aggressive expansion will involve Pizza Hut entering smaller cities like Cochi, Nasik, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow and Madurai . It is strengthening its roots in the Indian market by tying up with local and popular brands such as Reliance Communication. Apart from this it is also developing local supply chain. Basically, Pizza Hut will need to remain flexible in the maturity stages of the product life cycle in an attempt to continue to be the market leader. Overall, this is a product that is not much unlike any of the other new pizzas that Pizza Hut has introduced. What makes this new product so exciting is the marketing plan that is directing the product at a new segment. We are taking a large pizza with a lot of toppings and marketing it as an Extreme Pizza to a generation of younger adults that are consumed by this marketing tool. This is what will make this a success. The mix of promotion and advertising we will be using will target a very profitable.

Causes of Obesity Essay Example for Free

Causes of Obesity Essay In fact, obesity is usually caused by unhealthy eating combined with sustained lack of activity. When the amount of calories intake is larger than the amount you need for your daily activities, it will be stored as fat in your body. And the problem of obesity will gradually develop. You may wonder what the main reason of obesity is. As a matter of fact, disorder in eating habits is the main cause of the problem. If you do not try to control the amount and kind of food you eat, you may develop obesity easily. To this end you may know that your lifestyle will certainly have effect on your body weight. Your genetic makeup may also play an important role. The probability for you to develop obesity will certainly be higher if your family members have the history of obesity. As a result, you should be very careful if you family has such history. It is very common for us to eat junk food these days. We are so busy that we tend to have all our meals in our local fast food shops. As a matter of fact, a lot of people love eating burgers. However, they are usually of too much fact and it will not be good to your health if you eat burgers too much. The main problem of eating burgers is that you will not feel full with one burger. Yet a burger can already be enough for your meal. This is really a mismatch and there will certainly be a problem if you eat two burgers in one meal. There are a lot of ways to combat the problem of obesity. Of course you will need to change your lifestyle if you have the problem of obesity. You will need to start eat healthy. You should eat less junk food. Of course at the same time you should not skip any meal. It is also important for you to do more exercises. This will help you to burn more calories so that they will not be stored as fat in your body. If the problem is very serious, you may even need to take a weight loss surgery. However, you should take the option of surgery the last resort.

The Social And Cultural Messages In Apocalypto Film Studies Essay

The Social And Cultural Messages In Apocalypto Film Studies Essay When one decides to put history on film, one must be prepared for substantial tradeoffs (Rosenstone 16). Films cannot convey historical events with pinpoint accuracy or with exact detail because films like this do not sell or are not financially practical. As a result, historical films are usually laden with historical inaccuracies that are on one hand emotionally and visually compelling and on the other hand, a distortion of a sense of history for many others. As historical films surrender accuracy for dramatic effect and brevity, historical truths become laced with political or cultural messages advertently or inadvertently placed by the producers of the movie (Christen and Haas viii). So what we have are exciting films backdropped against a real past but projecting a largely imagined one on the screen. Films such as Mel Gibsons Apocalyto have captured significant attention for being both a cultural success and failure at the same time (Grandia). A modern depiction of the great Mayan civilization, Gibson assimilated cinematographic elements to create a chase film that is not a historical document as he said, but a social critique of government tyranny and abuse. The cultural preoccupations reflected in the film was heightened with the Iraq War, which divided American public opinion into camps which supported the war in the name of civilizing Iraqis through the restoration of democracy and those that fought the war because it was an illegitimate war waged against a sovereign people. On a personal level, Gibson was conscious in the film being a critique of the Bush administrations megalomaniac tendencies. However, all throughout the film, Gibsons personal religious convictions and political persuasions were perhaps inadvertently reinforced, causing critics to accuse him of racism and bigotry (Grandia). For all its historical inaccuracies (which Gibson admitted), the film projects American social and cultural realities as it struggles internally to deal with migration, terrorism, and the economic crisis factors that threaten its status in the global hierarchy. Upon a closer look at the film, it is hypothesized that the film reflects Americas struggle with its own national identity in relation to its history of imperialism and militarist culture, race and multiculturalism, and conservative theological roots. This paper addresses how these social and cultural preoccupations are portrayed in the film. Synopsis The story is set at the peak of the Mayan civilization when the nation, suffering from drought and disease, pillaged the surrounding tribes in search of slaves and human sacrifices to the gods. The central character, Jaguar Paw, is a hunter and family man, who along with many others of his tribe were taken captive. He protects his family by hiding them deep in a secluded hole and is subsequently saved from having his heart removed by the coming of a solar eclipse. What further ensues is a dramatic chase for survival as Jaguar Paw and his fellow tribe members were hunted down. He succeeds in killing off his enemies and returns to save his wife and child. However, his survival comes at a time when his tribe is decimated and his life changed forever. Social and Cultural Messages in the Film As earlier hypothesized, while Gibson may not have intentionally done so, several social and cultural messages were reflected in his film. Justifying Colonialism Cultural sensitivity is not a strong feature in Apocalypto. As critics have noted, Apocalyptos inaccurate portrayal of ancient Mayan civilization justifies colonialism on two grounds 1) in order to subdue an extremely barbaric and inhumane culture that sacrifices its population en masse and 2) that the inherent barbarity of Mayan culture itself was enough to see to its destruction, making colonialism a benign historical contribution. Americas preoccupation with empire and national prestige is reflected in this film in strong and subtle terms. The strong reference toward imperialism is illustrated by the brutal subjugation of a peaceful tribe by the strong armed force of the Mayan political center. Jaguar Paws tribe, harmonious and self-sufficient, found its very survival threatened because of the imperialistic ambitions of a more powerful tribe. However, we see that this once-glorious civilization was eventually destroyed. Given Gibsons public declaration of opposition to the Iraq War and how he detested it, his own view may be that the film should embody how perilous the imperialistic ambitions of the U.S. are (Grandia). The eventual annihilation of the Mayan Civilization then was used as a testament and a reminder to Bush and to all of the dangers of bloodthirsty power. Colonialism in this movie was underscored with the arrival of Spanish missionaries off the coast toward the end of the film. The cultural messa ge that could be inferred from this scene is that it was Christianity that actually saved and civilized the bloodthirsty Mayan civilization. This is analogous with Americas own brutal history of subjugating the Native American Indian tribes who were the original settlers of the American continent. Other cultural and political analogies could also be inferred. For instance, Americas preoccupation with policing the whole world and teaching democracy to so-called rogue states to the extent of military occupation is one. Another is Americas preoccupation with exporting the free market ideology to the entire world as the only viable economic system at the expense of developing nations unable to compete with industrialized nations in the world market. The most recent analogy would be the Iraq War, a war not sanctioned by the United Nations but crucial in advancing Americas petroleum interests in the Middle East. Race and Multiculturalism Gibson originally hoped to address Americas insatiable hunger for power by using the downfall of the Mayan civilization as analogy. The problem with this decision is that it reinforced racist epithets and cultural insensitivity. Advocates of multiculturalism strongly disagreed with how racist the film was (Schmidt). When you view the film, with its compelling imagery and graphic detail, one may be bound to conclude that the ancient Mayans were an inherently savage population. Gibsons use of the Yucatec Maya language in telling his version of the demise of the Mayan civilization was effective in giving historical authenticity to the film. Gibsons version of ritual sacrifice in the Maya has been lambasted by more than one historian. The Mayan civilization did not practice mass human sacrifices and when they do practice single human sacrifice, it was not random killing as suggested by the film (Grandia). Hence, the theme that came out of the film was not the critique of empire as Gibson had envisioned, but the emphasis on the barbarity of others, and the need to homogenize culture to conform to a Eurocentric standard (emphasized in the film with the coming of European missionaries). Multiculturalism has taken a hit in the heart of America with the immigration debate. In a bid for greater profits, corporatist interests have banked on tapping cheap immigrant labor, to the discontent of many Americans. A growing number of Americans have protested against the rising tide of immigrants in the country who are out to take their jobs, depress their wages, and contribute to uncontrollable population growth. Greater border security and more stringent immigration regulations have been hotly debated (Honey and Bass 14). Gibsons purported anti-Semitism has made racism an immediate accusation in Apocalypto. He created uproar among the Jewish community in his critically-acclaimed film Passion of the Christ which portrayed graphically how the Jews were the persecutors of Jesus Christ. Having a father who denies the existence of the Holocaust did not help to ease racist accusations in Apocalyto as well. Unfortunately, racism is not only Gibsons cultural preoccupation, but Americas. Despite the triumphs gained by Americas civil rights movement, racism is still very existent today. The global war on terror has heightened racial tensions and fueled Islamophobia and intolerance for other cultures. The most notable public example is fundamentalist pastor Terry Jones who threatened to burn the Koran and proclaimed Islam and the devils religion, despite pressure from top officials and pleas from the White House (Stacy). Moreover, despite having elected the very first Black president in Barack Obama, racism is a ghost that America still confronts. There still remain a substantial number of racially-motivated white groups in America who opposed Obamas election because he is black and who protest against his policies not for their lack of soundness but because is black. Racist Americans are very active in lobbying against legislation promoting racial equality and are unforgiving in their position. Media is populated by right-wing advocates against multiculturalism who are against affirmative action and other civil rights laws (Wallis). Christian conservatism Prominent in the film is the glorification of Christianity at the end of the film. After the viewer undergoes almost two hours of violence and gore nonstop, Spanish missionaries miraculously appear during the last minutes as if to rescue Jaguar Paw and his unfortunate tribe. Although subtle and short in appearance, the message of these scenes is powerful and undeniable. After all, why waste a few minutes of a film on a visually unappealing scene if it does not strike a core message to viewers? The final scene depicts Spaniards aboard the galleons crossing the waters off the coast, bearing crosses. After being convinced of the savagery and barbarity of the Mayans and relishing on how Jaguar Paw saved his wife and child, the sight of Spanish Christian missionaries allow the audience to be relieved. The message is: At last, help has come. God-fearing Christians have come to us. Out of the chaos and destruction of the Mayan civilization, the European missionaries have somehow arrived to make things right and restore peace. That the film ends there does not account for the equally brutal nature of subjugation the Natives endured under colonial rule. Colonialism by the Europeans was portrayed as benign while the internal colonization within the Mayan colonization was tantamount to genocide. The fact that the Spanish decimated almost 95% of the Mayans during their rule was left out (Grandia). The Christian conservatism Gibson injected in the film embodies his own religious convictions. Being a professed devout Catholic, Gibsons view was that the Mayan civilization was annihilated because of their bloodthirstiness and ungodliness. Religion, particularly Christianity, serves as a check against the excesses of power and departure from is perilous. Essentially, Gibson tows the line of religious fundamentalists that all social ills of America today are because it has forgotten its core spirituality. Morality has faded and replacing it has been decadence and wickedness. The film aims to remind America that the social problems it faces now is intertwined with its spiritual and moral struggle. Conclusion Apocalypto aimed to remind that a civilization unable to preserve its long-held traditions, beliefs, and spirituality will face destruction. Gibson inadvertently or advertently drew in Americas issues related to national identity imperialism, race, and Christian morality to serve this purpose. As a historical document, Apocalypto does not meet the accepted standards of accuracy and verifiability (Rosenstone 7). However, it depicts social and cultural preoccupations that America is currently faced with and as a result, triumphs in being a film that inspires and cultivates debate and discussion.

Teens Essay -- essays research papers fc

In order insure America’s future, a national problem needs to addressed. Is America’s youth being educated in regards to preventing teenage pregnancy? Did you know that approximately every two minutes, a teenage girl in the United States gives birth (Guernsey 6)? While this fact may be sad and startling to most people, it is indeed the truth. Over the past few decades, the problem of teen pregnancy has grown considerably in this country. However, the most extensive dilemma regarding the issue of adolescent pregnancy is the incredibly important question of prevention. Preventing teen pregnancy includes such solutions as the availability of birth control, sexual education among children and adolescents, and a greater sense of support for pregnant teens. However, before society can begin to successfully prevent pregnancies among teenage girls, the underlying causes and facts about the dilemma must first be exposed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eighty-five percent of the teenage girls who become pregnant every year do not plan their pregnancies; an alarming fifteen- percent of these pregnancies is, in fact, intentional (Ayer 107). Some girls are under the false pretenses that having a baby will provide them with a certain amount of love that is currently missing in their lives. Many also believe that with this new life they have helped create will come a renewed sense of hope (107). These incentives reflect emotional problems that will not be solved by becoming pregnant, but will only get worse. In addition, a considerable amount of girls become pregnant as a secret plan to hold on to their boyfriends (Guernsey 37). They assume that by giving birth to their boyfriends’ babies, he will stick around longer and the relationship will improve as a result. However, the reality is that if a relationship is not strong enough to survive on its own, the presence of a baby will simply make it much more diffi cult.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several myths surrounding teen and adolescent pregnancy. Many of these myths are misunderstandings that many teenagers have, regarding sexual activity and pregnancy. A common deception among teens is that it is impossible to impregnate someone, or become pregnant the first time they have sex. Not only is this extremely false, it just so happens that approximately one out of twenty girls becomes pregnant the first time s... ...as moral and emotional dilemmas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By targeting males, many believe that the rate of teen pregnancy will drop considerably. Those involved with the prevention of teenage pregnancy are optimistic that the rate in pregnancy will decrease among teenagers. This is a battle being fought not only by teenage parents, but also by society as a whole. It is important that all children are educated thoroughly about teen pregnancy and then they can therefore make proper decisions regarding this issue. With the growing concern for teenage mothers and their babies, it appears that people have finally begun to take note of the problem and are doing what they can, in their own way, to further prevent pregnancies among teenagers. Reaching to America’s teen in regards to the prevention of pregnancies will is one means of in suring America’s future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Everything You Need To Know about Teen Fatherhood. Ayer, Eleanor H. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1993. Bell, Alison. â€Å"Pregnant on Purpose.† Teen August 1997: 106-108. Guernsey, JoAnn Bren. The Facts about Teen Pregnancy. New York: Crestwood House, 1989. Harris, Yvette R.

educational philosophy Essay examples -- essays research papers

My Philosophy on Classroom Discipline My philosophy regarding the best way to manage a classroom is through a model of ownership and preventative discipline. In order to accomplish this, the teacher needs to set the tone for the class during the first two weeks of school and never veer from it. During this time, the students will be made aware of my classroom rules as well as what I expect out of each of them on a daily basis. This will create an open atmosphere in which all members of the classroom are aware of their rights and responsibilities. When a child is given the responsibility to make his own decisions, he may not be ready to do it in an appropriate manner. A young adult (age 15-18), on the other hand, is much more willing and able to accept responsibility for himself. In other words, a young child generally needs more structure and guidance whereas a young adult yearns for the opportunity to be treated as an adult. It is very important for my classroom to be a place where individuals are comfortable expressing themselves verbally. I will make it clear to my students that the quality of their learning experience rests primarily on their shoulders. They will be responsible for reading the material, studying it, and synthesizing it regularly. My goal is to make my students want to do the work so that they can be involved in class discussions. I have no problem with trying to actively involve a student who is not participating. If he is not prepared, I will not ...

My Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

My Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Throughout my life I have had mentors, mentors that I have looked up to and admired, those mentors have been teachers. As long as I have remembered I have wanted to be a teacher. How could you not want to experience the joy of helping a child grow up in to adults? Being in the education profession will be very trying, but if I can just influence one person it will be worth it all. Influence is a very powerful thing, teachers know how to use influence to their advantage. I am hoping that through observations of classrooms and the education classes here at Concord that I will learn how to be a teacher and not just dream about it. A teacher is a very prestigious career to strive for. You have to be able to deal with every thing all at once and make it work. You can’t worry about what you are dealing with in your own life, when you are at school you are in the kid‘s lives. Kids go through many obstacles; therefore, they need a person who will listen and be there for them. Sometimes a teacher is the only role model that a child has to look up to. I want to be that person. After I graduate from Concord with a bachelors in elementary education, I hope to obtain my masters before I start teaching. When I begin teaching, my goal is to teach Kindergarten at a public school in the area. I believe in the essentialism philosophy to a degree. I think that teachers should instruct the â€Å"essentials† of the academics. I think that teachers should incorporate more traditional thinking in their lessons. I would even like schools to have uniforms for students to wear. I think that uniforms set everyone on the same level to learn, so they are not worried about what everyone is wearing. The essentialism philosophy focuses on academics first and they disagree with

Music Censorship

Kevin Ung Professor Vazquez English 101 October 9, 2007 Music Censorship I enjoy and love music very much. I feel that music artists should have the right to freely express their work and I feel that I should argue about the censorship attacks on these artists. I’m tired of listening to a good song on the radio with some of the words censored. It ruins the song and I can’t stand it. Some people think that rap is a bad influence and causes the young to behave badly.But I think all this censoring has something to do with racism because it is mostly black people singing the songs. The first website list the good side and bad side of rap censorship. I think half of this site is pretty good to use for my paper. The second website has a lot of information for my readers but the author has no definite side on the issue and can’t be used to persuade my readers. The last two websites are essays about censorship and wouldn’t be good sources of information for my rea ders because some of the sources might not be trustable.We must stop the censoring of art and let the artists freely express their music because everyone deserves to express him or herself the way they want. â€Å"Gangsta Rap, Censorship of: Debatabase – Debate Topics and Debate Motions† http://www. idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=263 This website is sponsored by IDEA (International Debate Education Association). It is an independent membership organization. I think this website is appropriate for college level argument research essay because it provides information on both sides of an issue.This site contains many debates on almost any issue. It lists the pros and cons on how rap music doesn’t actually encourage some listeners to behave in a certain way. Since this website shows both sides of the issue, it can help me or hurt me in convincing my readers. â€Å"Rap, Rock, and Censorship†, http://www. cas. sc. edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zz cens97. htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This page’s sponsor is by a man named Mathieu Deflem. The sponsor is appropriate because he is an associate professor of sociology at University of South Carolina.He has done a lot of research on the issue with many sources and seems reliable. Some of the information on this page is helpful for my readers to understand the issue. He writes about the history and arguments of censorship of popular music. He writes about the legal principles, the law, and mainly the protection of the First Amendment. This site will just be a good information page on understanding the history of the fight on music censorship. Some of the facts are useful for my research but the author doesn’t pick one side of the issue. Censorship of rap music essays†, http://www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/61066. html This website is an essay database that requires you to buy membership to fully view essays that other students turned in. I coul dn’t find any information on sponsors. I don’t think this site is appropriate for college level argument research essay because you can’t trust the information on these essays. This site is mainly for people to buy the essays and then plagiarize the work. Much of the information I can find on this page is an introduction to censorship of rap.It starts off talking about how rap music is made by rap artists that grew up with a tough childhood. They work on music and become successful. They are perfect role models showing everyone that anyone in that kind of situation can be successful. The essay ends there and you have to pay to see the rest. This paper is of no use to my readers and I because I want to use trustable facts from educated people and not just some unknown author. â€Å"Rap and Censorship†, http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/2502. php This website seems to be another essay paper database.I don’t think this site is appropriate for reaso ns mention above. But this site is a little better because I can actually view the whole essay plus the sources the person used. This makes the paper more reliable. This paper mostly shows the beginnings of how rap got started and the troubles of censoring it went through. The writer does seem to be against censorship but this paper is mainly just facts for the reader and not that much persuasive. I would recommend my readers to read this for the freedom issues the write discusses about.ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) would be appropriate for my readers to contact. ACLU is a political organization that is nonprofit and nonpartisan. They have many civil liberties members and supporters. They protect individual rights, your First Amendment rights, your right to equal protection under the law, etc. Censorship goes against your freedom of speech and so they try and protect that from music artists who are having their work censored. The strongest piece of information I have discove red from this aspect of my research came from reading the paper on the second website.I read about how PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) claimed that popular music was responsible for influencing the young like increase of rape, crime, suicide, etc. This organization goes against everything I’m fighting for and is the main problem in this issue. I would absolutely not use any of their information for my argument research paper.Works Cited â€Å"Censorship of Rap Music. † MegaEssays. Mega Essays LLC. 8 Oct. 2007 http://www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/61066. htmlDeflem, Mathieu. Rap, Rock And Censorship: Popular Culture and the Techologies of Justice. † RAP, ROCK AND CENSORSHIP. University of South Carolina 8 Oct. 2007 < http://www. cas. sc. edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97. htm> Kingdingo5500. â€Å"Rap and Censorship. † PlanetPapers. 8 Oct. 2007 < http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/2502. php> Ruane, Christopher. â€Å"Gangsta Rap, Censorsh ip of. † Debatabase. Nov. 30, 1999. International Debate Education Association. 8 Oct. 2007 < http://www. idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=263> Music Censorship Unit 3 Individual Project By Harold Ray Robinson III Cause and Effect Essay: Music Censorship Abstract: This cause and effect essay analyzes the lyrical content of popular music recordings, cited as censored. Out of 60 articles from the music trade magazines, â€Å"Billboard† and â€Å"Rolling Stone,† 77 instances of censorship were recorded and analyzed. The categories for evaluation were the year of citation, music style, and reason for censorship. Nineteen ninety was the year with the highest number of journal articles (21) covering music censorship.Rap (48%) and rock (44. 2%) music accounted for a large portion of the total censored recordings and the majority of recordings were censored because of lyrics seen as explicit, profane, obscene or vulgar. In addition, five rock recordings were censored because of objectionable artwork on or inside the covers. Recordings were also censored because of opposition to a view the artist expressed. Two tables depict the years o f citation and the reasons for censorship, each according to music styles. (Anthony K. S 1995)Music has historically been, and continues to be, censored in an attempt to enforce morality. It’s not a coincidence that music censorship in America began to accelerate during the 1950s, when traditional and conservative values began to unravel. At the time, order, strict obedience to authority, and conservative values were part of the accepted mindset. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) With the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, however, young America began to loosen attitudes on issues relating to morality. Technology also played an important part in shaping the moral power struggle in the 1950s. Lambordi, Victor 1991) For example, the 1920s era saw similar complaints against flappers and jazz musicians; however, radio wasn’t as dominant at that time. In the 1950s, radio provided access to new types of music that challenged traditional morality and created the dynamics for music c ensorship. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) In 1956, Elvis may have been known as â€Å"the king or rock and roll,† but he was very controversial in his performances and mannerisms in the 1950’s. Ray Charles would also have a very controversial history when it comes to releasing music. Being one of the first artists to urn gospel music to R&B made him his music censored and many of the southern states back in December of 1954. A lot of the artists of the 1950s paved the way in the starting of music censorship. Moral authorities aim to determine what behavior is â€Å"acceptable† for individuals and for society. Drugs, violence, and especially sex are topics moral authorities attempt to regulate. The end of the 1950s witnessed many members of society, particularly young adults and teens begin expressing new attitudes about these topics: Sex and drugs were no longer hidden and secretive acts, but something to be exposed and celebrated.This shift in outlook began breaking d own the traditional moral order in many aspects of society especially music. Race may seem a strange factor in music censorship, but it has played a significant role. In particular, the 1950s and early 1960s saw a new genre of music — rhythm and blues — emerge onto the national music landscape. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) R&B music included freely expressed sexual desires, clear drug references, and other features that were not as prevalent in other forms of popular music. R&B was – and still is—dominated by black musicians and traditionally was enjoyed mainly by black audiences. Nuzum, Eric 1989) When its audience expanded to include mainstream white youths and young adults, this was a problem for many older whites who considered R&B music as a threat that corrupted young people and promoted immoral behavior. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) This phenomenon prompted moral authorities to take action. In 1955, for example, Houston’s Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Commissi on banned more than 30 songs – many by black artists. A Chicago radio station promised to censor â€Å"any controversial music, especially R&B,† after receiving letters from angry listeners. Sparrow, Kelly 2009) Racially motivated music censorship is not a practice limited to the past. More recent cases involve MTV refusing to air videos from many black artists in the infancy of the network. In 1983, during a live interview, David Bowie suddenly asked, â€Å"Why are there practically no black artists on the network? † (â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long†2006) Michael Jackson’s â€Å"Billie Jean† from the album Thriller, released in 1983, is credited with being the first black video aired on MTV in heavy rotation. â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long† 2006) The year with the highest number of cited recordings was 1990, and the majority of these recordings were rock music. In the following years, almost all of the censored recordings were rap music . (Anthony K. S. 1995) â€Å"The largest number of recordings, mostly rap music, were censored either because they were labeled â€Å"explicit† or because they were profane, obscene, or vulgar in language. (Anthony K. S. 1995) The argument can be made that racial motivations also played a large role in the FBI’s 1989 letter to the rap group N. W. A. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) The F. B. I. s intent was to notify the rap group that their song â€Å"F*** Tha Police† wasn’t appreciated by the government. N. W. A. supporters argue the group was only expressing the frustrations of inner-city blacks and holding a mirror to their everyday reality. While no legal action took place, the example helps give context to the pressures behind government and music censorship. It is my personal believe that music censorship to some may go against their freedom of speech but to me I believe it is necessary for those individual artist who do feel that they have limits and have to b e politically correct.A lot of kids look up to those rappers and rock stars as role models and music censorship helps the artist become that good role model. In conclusion, I believe music censorship is a very important part in our community and should always remain. Music censorship may stem from race, fear, and morality just to name a few sources of censorship. I believe even though music censorship didn’t always start off by just means in the past doesn’t mean it isn’t just in the present. References: retrieved from AIU virtual library * Anthony, K. S. (1995, July 1).Censorship of Popular Music: An Analysis of Lyrical Content. * Inglis, Ian. (2006). The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties. Vol. 39 Issue 4 * Edward J. Volz, â€Å"You Can't Play That: A Selective Chronology of Banned Music:1850-1991,† School Library Journal 37(July 1990) * Lombardi, Victor. â€Å"Music and Censorship. † Noise Between Stations. 1 Dec. 1991. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. noisebetweenstations. com/personal/essays/music_censorship. html†º. * -Nuzum, Eric. â€Å"A Brief History of Banned Music in the United States by Eric Nuzum. Parental Advisory Music Censorship in America. 22 Sep. 1986 †¹www. ericnuzum. com/banned/†º. * -Sparrow, Kelly. â€Å"Music censorship (part 1) : A brief history. † Examiner: Inside Source For Everything Local. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. examiner. com/x-16046-Lexington-Live-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Music-censorship-part-1–A-brief-history†º. * -â€Å"Why It Took MTV So Long To Play Black Music Videos . † Find Articles at BNET. 9 Oct. 2006. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/†º. Music Censorship Unit 3 Individual Project By Harold Ray Robinson III Cause and Effect Essay: Music Censorship Abstract: This cause and effect essay analyzes the lyrical content of popular music recordings, cited as censored. Out of 60 articles from the music trade magazines, â€Å"Billboard† and â€Å"Rolling Stone,† 77 instances of censorship were recorded and analyzed. The categories for evaluation were the year of citation, music style, and reason for censorship. Nineteen ninety was the year with the highest number of journal articles (21) covering music censorship.Rap (48%) and rock (44. 2%) music accounted for a large portion of the total censored recordings and the majority of recordings were censored because of lyrics seen as explicit, profane, obscene or vulgar. In addition, five rock recordings were censored because of objectionable artwork on or inside the covers. Recordings were also censored because of opposition to a view the artist expressed. Two tables depict the years o f citation and the reasons for censorship, each according to music styles. (Anthony K. S 1995)Music has historically been, and continues to be, censored in an attempt to enforce morality. It’s not a coincidence that music censorship in America began to accelerate during the 1950s, when traditional and conservative values began to unravel. At the time, order, strict obedience to authority, and conservative values were part of the accepted mindset. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) With the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, however, young America began to loosen attitudes on issues relating to morality. Technology also played an important part in shaping the moral power struggle in the 1950s. Lambordi, Victor 1991) For example, the 1920s era saw similar complaints against flappers and jazz musicians; however, radio wasn’t as dominant at that time. In the 1950s, radio provided access to new types of music that challenged traditional morality and created the dynamics for music c ensorship. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) In 1956, Elvis may have been known as â€Å"the king or rock and roll,† but he was very controversial in his performances and mannerisms in the 1950’s. Ray Charles would also have a very controversial history when it comes to releasing music. Being one of the first artists to urn gospel music to R&B made him his music censored and many of the southern states back in December of 1954. A lot of the artists of the 1950s paved the way in the starting of music censorship. Moral authorities aim to determine what behavior is â€Å"acceptable† for individuals and for society. Drugs, violence, and especially sex are topics moral authorities attempt to regulate. The end of the 1950s witnessed many members of society, particularly young adults and teens begin expressing new attitudes about these topics: Sex and drugs were no longer hidden and secretive acts, but something to be exposed and celebrated.This shift in outlook began breaking d own the traditional moral order in many aspects of society especially music. Race may seem a strange factor in music censorship, but it has played a significant role. In particular, the 1950s and early 1960s saw a new genre of music — rhythm and blues — emerge onto the national music landscape. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) R&B music included freely expressed sexual desires, clear drug references, and other features that were not as prevalent in other forms of popular music. R&B was – and still is—dominated by black musicians and traditionally was enjoyed mainly by black audiences. Nuzum, Eric 1989) When its audience expanded to include mainstream white youths and young adults, this was a problem for many older whites who considered R&B music as a threat that corrupted young people and promoted immoral behavior. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) This phenomenon prompted moral authorities to take action. In 1955, for example, Houston’s Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Commissi on banned more than 30 songs – many by black artists. A Chicago radio station promised to censor â€Å"any controversial music, especially R&B,† after receiving letters from angry listeners. Sparrow, Kelly 2009) Racially motivated music censorship is not a practice limited to the past. More recent cases involve MTV refusing to air videos from many black artists in the infancy of the network. In 1983, during a live interview, David Bowie suddenly asked, â€Å"Why are there practically no black artists on the network? † (â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long†2006) Michael Jackson’s â€Å"Billie Jean† from the album Thriller, released in 1983, is credited with being the first black video aired on MTV in heavy rotation. â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long† 2006) The year with the highest number of cited recordings was 1990, and the majority of these recordings were rock music. In the following years, almost all of the censored recordings were rap music . (Anthony K. S. 1995) â€Å"The largest number of recordings, mostly rap music, were censored either because they were labeled â€Å"explicit† or because they were profane, obscene, or vulgar in language. (Anthony K. S. 1995) The argument can be made that racial motivations also played a large role in the FBI’s 1989 letter to the rap group N. W. A. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) The F. B. I. s intent was to notify the rap group that their song â€Å"F*** Tha Police† wasn’t appreciated by the government. N. W. A. supporters argue the group was only expressing the frustrations of inner-city blacks and holding a mirror to their everyday reality. While no legal action took place, the example helps give context to the pressures behind government and music censorship. It is my personal believe that music censorship to some may go against their freedom of speech but to me I believe it is necessary for those individual artist who do feel that they have limits and have to b e politically correct.A lot of kids look up to those rappers and rock stars as role models and music censorship helps the artist become that good role model. In conclusion, I believe music censorship is a very important part in our community and should always remain. Music censorship may stem from race, fear, and morality just to name a few sources of censorship. I believe even though music censorship didn’t always start off by just means in the past doesn’t mean it isn’t just in the present. References: retrieved from AIU virtual library * Anthony, K. S. (1995, July 1).Censorship of Popular Music: An Analysis of Lyrical Content. * Inglis, Ian. (2006). The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties. Vol. 39 Issue 4 * Edward J. Volz, â€Å"You Can't Play That: A Selective Chronology of Banned Music:1850-1991,† School Library Journal 37(July 1990) * Lombardi, Victor. â€Å"Music and Censorship. † Noise Between Stations. 1 Dec. 1991. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. noisebetweenstations. com/personal/essays/music_censorship. html†º. * -Nuzum, Eric. â€Å"A Brief History of Banned Music in the United States by Eric Nuzum. Parental Advisory Music Censorship in America. 22 Sep. 1986 †¹www. ericnuzum. com/banned/†º. * -Sparrow, Kelly. â€Å"Music censorship (part 1) : A brief history. † Examiner: Inside Source For Everything Local. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. examiner. com/x-16046-Lexington-Live-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Music-censorship-part-1–A-brief-history†º. * -â€Å"Why It Took MTV So Long To Play Black Music Videos . † Find Articles at BNET. 9 Oct. 2006. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/†º.