J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace: Post-Apartheid South Africa Essay -- South Afr

Through the perspective of an unconventional college professor, J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace addresses the transition into post-apartheid South Africa, societal acceptance and rape through David Lurie and Lucy Lurie’s complex father-daughter relationship. While living in his daughter’s countryside home, David Lurie’s experiences reveal that despite the powerful political reform, crime continues to dominate the African people. Aspects of South African history are used to emphasize racial tension and the shift from a white to a black dominated South Africa. Coetzee also suggests the instability of the African society through constantly depicting his characters as emotionally unable to adapt to adverse situations. Although David and Lucy were initially introduced as polar opposites, their value of privacy and refusal to endure public humiliation and shame draw a parallel between the predator and prey of the novel. David Lurie ultimately evolves from his sexual en counters with Soraya, Melanie and Bev Shaw by realizing the traumatizing implications of his actions after the Lucy’s rape. J.M. Coetzee, a white South African writer, was strongly influenced by his personal experiences while he witnessed the social barriers during the apartheid. As the novel begins, Coetzee describes the sexual relationship between the protagonist David Lurie and Soraya, a prostitute that David routinely indulged in every Thursday. â€Å"For a man of his age, fifty- two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well† (Coetzee 1). In his mind, however, he did not put into perspective the thoughts of Soraya. He satisfied his desires at the expense of another’s emotional wellbeing. Despite Soraya’s acceptance of prostitution, her reaction towar... ...Originally, David uses his status as a white male in South Africa as his leverage and source of power, however, this tactic quickly fails and causes him to seek a new lifestyle. Lucy’s farm life introduces David not only to natural beauties but the strength people have to provide the services that they do such as managing a last resort animal aid center. By the end of his experiences, he learns that he does not belong in the environment that he used to surround himself with in the city, but that he enjoys himself when he has the company of animals and his daughter. His shift in standards of living and customs demonstrates the racial impacts of the apartheid. The connection between Lucy’s disgrace as the victim and David’s shame as the rapist demonstrates hardships both flaws. Each aspect of these flaws represents the difficulties of the apartheid in South Africa.

Fahrenheit 451 and Salamander Reading Comprehension

Fahrenheit 451 The Hearth and the Salamander Reading Comprehension Questions 1) The country is not at peace. The country defends itself no matter what. Jets fly across the sky, meaning there is a war. 2) Captain Beatty seems to be directing Montag’s remarks at the fire station. Montag’s comments make the other firemen suspicious because he talks about how all firemen resembles a mirror image of him, and asks why don’t they prevent fires instead of burning the books. 3) The alarm at the old woman’s house is so â€Å"inconvenient† because usually before the firemen arrived at the house and the occupants had already been arrested and taken away.However, in this call, she was still at home. 4) Beatty says that none of the books agree with each other, many are lies about people who never actually lived, and it’s against the law for people to have books. 5) Montag is sick to his stomach because Mildred tells him that Clarrise’s family had mo ved away and she had got it by a car. Mildred had forgotten to tell Montag four days ago, but she couldn’t tell him if she was sure or not. 6) The ever-increasing speed of society affected books according to Beatty by people watching things on the television, short version of books, and the advancement of technology. ) The advancement in technology over books was the most important thing in society. Such as classics cut to fifteen or twenty minute shows, politics being two sentence headliner, and books being cut right to the information. 8) The objections of minority groups affected books by minority groups being offensive by certain types of literature, leading to censorship. 9) Comics, confessions, and trade journals are left for people to read. 10) Beatty made a unspoken â€Å"deal† that if Montag had handed over the books, the whole incident would be looked over.

Sequential Analysis of Airline Industry in Nigeria

Many wonder about the influence of product /service contents or features on business function. Why do people prefer certain airlines and not others? Some insist on KLM, while others prefer emirates  . Some choose virgin atlantic airways, while some others go for british airways. Yet many people contend that there are no significant differences among well – known airlines. The passengers’ choice may be influenced by the quality of services offered or the attractive price package, or value for money programme. Frequency, the ticket price, in-flight services, punctuality, time schedule, seat comfort and other characteristics combine to project an image to the prospective passenger. Consequently, these features are input element in a marketing programme. The aim of this study is to investigate the factors influencing choice and the extent to which customers are likely to exhibit loyalty in the face of severe price competition. This study explores the change in airline passengers’ preferences in situations where service quality improves. This study is informed by the influx of foreign airlines into Nigeria and the attendant issue of how a prospective buyer takes a decision on which airline to fly. This investigation is conceived with the objective of measuring the effect on airlines the decision variable per passenger’s preferences. The aim is to ascertain how the effect of factors influencing the choice of airline significantly improves the marketing strategies employed by these airlines. This research problem is undertaken by utilizing an approach which involves a literature review to identify key construct and a survey. The information gathered are then used in the development of a questionnaire. The key issues influencing the choice of airline are identified. In other to test the hypothesis, that ‘value for money’ acts a s key decision variable, a survey of customers is conducted using a convenient sample of respondents who have been responsible for purchasing airline tickets for themselves to undertake international travel in the prior twelve months. Respondents rate the importance of a variety of issues relating to airlines choice. A factor analysis of these items is then carried out using a varimax rotation. Under the advance exploratory analysis, a multivariate analysis of variance is therefore undertaken to analyze the impact of some of these determining factors on likelihood to fly on an airline. The analysis shows that the two top factors affecting passengers’ choice of airline are â€Å"schedule of the time† and â€Å"safety†. The actor of seat comfort is ranked fourth by the total number of passengers. The analysis of pasenger’s satisfaction tells us the quality of airline services that passengers actually received. The result shows that â€Å"seat comfort† is ranked far behind the other eight factors, indicating that the service quality that passengers received is below average. Under the choice model, the sign of price is negative implying that the passengers prefer the airline with lower ticket to that with the higher ticket fare which is identical with normal expectation. The sign of seat type is positive which indicate passengers’ actually view seat comfort as an important factor in their choice decision. The above findings show that this market segment currently lacks loyalty and is driven solely by price related features. It may therefore be necessary for airlines to undertake further investigation that allows them to develop strategies and packages that particularly target the need of this group.

People who make decisions based on emotion and justify those decisions with logic afterwards are poor decision makers Essay

The debate of whether to follow emotions or logic is a complex one. As the given statement seems too strong in suggesting that all those who make decisions based on emotion are poor decision-makers, it may be warranted to discuss both the positive and negative role emotions and logic play in our decision making process. In certain cases, decisions based on emotion can result in undesirable consequences. There exist several examples of impulsive shoppers who get consumed by the emotion to acquire and buy something, and consequently, end up with a purchase they later realize wasn’t required at all. Advertisers and sales personnel, aware of this tendency, often play with this emotion to their advantage. A more severe example could be of substance abusers and addicts, who, in a moment of high emotion and drama, triggered by an adrenaline rush, make decisions they might need to regret later. Gamblers, guided (or, misguided, rather) by the emotion of avarice and the â€Å"high† of winning could end up impoverishing themselves and their dependents. One also comes across people who make the wrong dietary choices, to satiate their taste buds, thereby posing a danger to long-term health. The examples discussed above present the seamier side of decisions based on emotion; however, it should be recognized that certain situations require that decisions be guided not by logic, but by impulse. The adage â€Å"sieze the day† suggests that one should let the heart rule over the head, and grab an opportunity with both hands. In other words, instinct and intuition can aid in better decision-making sometimes, rather than mere dependence on logic. There are several examples of business honchos who claim to have taken risks, guided by their hearts, and reaped benefits of such decisions. In contrast, there are others who lament the loss of opportunity because they â€Å"thought too much† and were hesitant to follow their heart. In short, decisions based on emotion may not always lead to wrong choices. Just as the brain and the heart work in tandem to keep the body functioning smoothly, one may assert that both emotion and logic are complements to each other, and facilitate the decision making process. Decisions made on the basis of logic alone may not work out always, while choices guided by emotion and instinct could very often work wonders, and hence shouldnt be disregarded all the time.

Russia & Economy

Since attaining her independence in the early 1990’s Russia can pride herself in emerging as a middle economy which has registered an average annual economic growth rate of 6. 5%. This is largely attributed to her embracing a free market economy to replace the earlier central command approach. The World Bank notes that this economic growth has seen the number of people living in extreme poverty reduced. Trade especially exports of natural resources for instance oil and gas blended with stability in the macroeconomic policies adopted can be blamed economic achievement.However, there are major challenges that threaten this success story. The need for diversification of the economy, adoption of environmental conservative measures like the fight against deforestation has intensified in the increasingly globalized economy. Various non governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as international institutions have played a significant role in ensuring that this goal is attained. In the process, losers as well as winners have emerged. Many NGOs have been at the forefront to chip in their devoted efforts to resolve the deforestation problem in Russia.World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia, an environmental based organization advocates for sustainable forestry in Russia. In the recent times global warming issues have intensified and are a cause of concern due to the effects on climate change. (WWF, 2009). WWF Russia has intensively ensured that this information is disseminated across Russia. It adopts collaborative measures with the owners of the forests as she works to realize this goal. The objective is to ensure that CO2 emissions, a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming are reduced.WWF highlights the effects of deforestation on wildlife as well as on human beings. It advocates for responsible forestry especially in the timber trade. WWF Russia is also committed to ensuring that the Russian artic and the wildlife there are also conserved. The biodiversity of th e Northern Caucasus region must be protected from deforestation, wild fires and poaching if the wildlife contained there is to remain unharmed. In this regard, WWF Russia ensures that companies control their spillage or observe safe or responsible waste management practices.It also encourages responsible fishing. Joint efforts are vital if this goal is to be attained. WWF Russia advocates for ‘the protection of water sheds as well as the limited soil disturbances to ensure positive effects on the timber harvested’. (WWF, 2009). Another important environmental NGO is Green Peace which also advocates for conservation of forests. Green Peace has registered success by reducing the felling of trees especially in the North Western parts as well as the Russian Far East regions. (Greenpeace)In addition to the environmental organizations, there are human rights organizations like Indem foundation which have been committed towards promoting democracy in Russia. This is done throu gh collaborative efforts with the civil societies, public officials as well as government organizations. Major issues addressed by Indem include anti corruption, issues of international cooperation, reforms in the government and the political arena as well as justice assistance. This NGO tries to ensure that people know their rights and follow the right procedures to have them respected. (Indem Foundation, 2005).International institutions like the EU and the World Bank have also played a significant role in influencing Russia. The World Bank highlighted the need to ensure diversification of the economy to allow equitable growth while reducing the poverty levels. In an effort to ensure that Russia moved with the modern times where globalization is enhanced the World Bank created a 3 year strategy. The main objective in the strategy adopted would be to ensure sustained growth, improved management especially in public led institutions, increased social services as well as increased rol e of the nation at a global level.Russia was expected to participate in global activities like assisting the less developed countries. (World Bank, 2009). Among the ways in which Russia can diversify her economy is through the promotion of agriculture. This sector is however faced by many challenges like excess use of chemicals, wrong choice of crops as well as extreme or excess farming. Another important industry is forestry which has also faced a lot of problems in the recent past. Exploitative foreign companies and criminal organizations have negative effects on the forestry industry.Other challenges include wild fires, pests as well as pollution from the industries. (Library of congress, 2006). Russia showed her interests in registering with World Trade Organization in 2005, a move that was expected to place her at a competitive edge in as far as her economic growth and development are concerned. However her failure to adhere to the stipulated rules for instance strict adherence to intellectual property rights sees her blocked from admission by some great economies for instance the US.(Palmer D, 2009). This has seen different bodies in Russia advocating for a change in how people perceive intellectual property rights. The need to view them as an investment has now become vibrant. Russia is a member of the EU, another international organization and she continues to accrue related gains. There are certain rules to be followed by all members of the EU community. Russia collaborates with the EU to modernize the economy, on security matters, international relations as well as on regional cooperation. (EC)In an effort to strike a balance between the economical, environmental as well as social interests the forest owners will be losers. This is attributed to the fact that they will forego their financial gains as they adhere to the harvesting. The society will gain as a whole as the adverse effects of global warming will be reduced in a safer environment. Russia has also gained from the globalization process especially in her trading activities with the larger EU region. The poor and marginalized in Russia who forms approximately 20% of the population have also emerged as winners in the globalization process.(World Bank, 2009). This is attributed to the fact that international organizations like the World Bank have been committed to change their plight. World Bank has been involved in collaborative research activities to find ways of how more jobs can be created. It also assists in health care provision by offering equipment as well as in preventive approaches to curb diseases. World Bank also shows commitment to boost Russia’s education, fight against corruption as well as acquire a safe environment. (World Bank, 2009).There are many governmental as well as non governmental organizations that affect Russia’s performance in the global environment. These organizations may have a direct impact on the Russians for instance those that empower the human capital while others may indirectly affect man for instance those based on natural resources like wildlife and forests. Regardless of the direct or indirect impact these organization lead to the emergence of losers as well as winners in the society. All in all, the benefits of globalization are enormous and ought to be embraced as no country is self sufficient.References: Doug Palmer. 2009. Russia's WTO bid still faces big U. S. obstacles. Reuters. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://www. canada. com/news/world/Russia+still+faces+obstacles/1453371/story. html EC. The European Union and Russia. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://ec. europa. eu/external_relations/library/publications/russia_brochure07_en. pdf Greenpeace. The Russian Forests. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://archive. greenpeace. org/comms/cbio/russia. html. INDEM Foundation. 2005. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://www.indem. ru/en/index. shtml Library of Congress – Fe deral Research Division. 2006. Country Profile: Russia, October 2006. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://lcweb2. loc. gov/frd/cs/profiles/Russia. pdf. WWF 2009. Reducing climate change in Russia through sustainable forestry. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://www. panda. org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/russia/index. cfm? uProjectID=RU0130 Wwf Pskov Model Forest Project. Retrieved on 9th April 2009 from http://www. svo. se/episerver4/dokument/sks/engelska/Swedish_Russian/PMF%20 Brochure_ENG. pdf

College Speech Artifact Essay

I. Introduction: A. Quote: â€Å"Take a risk, be a rebel, ignore the conventional wisdom, take a stand and make a change, if something is wrong say it and say it loud, you have no idea what a difference you can make. Today you have earned your degree. Congratulations to class of 2013 † B. These were the bittersweet words I heard as I moved my tassel from the right to left. My name is Taylor Carson and I am a Gaucho! C. Some of you may not know what that means to be a Gaucho and when I am finished I think you will have a better understanding. June 13th 2013 marked a day in my life that I would never forget; it was not just an ending to an amazing chapter, but also just the beginning. II. Body: A. Background information 1. The UCSB/Isla Vista bubble is one of the weirdest places in America and to think I had the privilege of living there for four years. UCSB is its own little paradise and in that paradise I had to figure out how to balance my academic life with my social life. 2. As you can see this graduation cap represents all the hard work that I have done to earn my degree and all the embellishments represent all the fun memories I have had, the exciting people I have met, and the memorable experiences I spent in Santa Barbara. B. In this speech I hope share with you my experiences at UCSB and my transformation I underwent in working towards earning my degree from starting off as the a) Freaked out freshman b) Becoming the scholastic sophomore c) To having the mentality of â€Å"Wow, I go to an awesome school like this, this is a joke† junior d) And finally into a smooth sailing senior ready to embark on a new venture. 1. Looking at my first year in college I was that very confused stereotypical freshman who was walking on the bike paths because I didn’t  realize that pedestrians no longer had the right away in, bicyclists do. Finding it nerve racking when trying to figure out what classes are just right to take, as well as trying to navigate around a campus that may have well been like a foreign country to me. I was always freaking out and felt pressure from everyone around me who seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do while I was still undeclared and had no plan. I defiantly went through many trials and tribulations but my freshman experiences and memories are priceless. 2. During my sophomore year I really over-committed myself†¦ a lot. If any of my professors could hear this, I’m sure that they would agree. I was taking 5 courses each quarter, doing lab research, switching my major multiple times and trying to maintain a job all at the same time. There are a few nights that I can recall where I would sleep in our 24 hour study lab just so I can wake up the next morning to study and avoid all the distractions. Unfortunately, I did not end up with the all A’s in some of the core classes that count now as I apply to grad schools. I personally can recount many nights I contemplated dropping out. Hell, if Jobs, Gates and Zuckerburg did it why couldn’t I? Something about staying in a place that evokes progress and meaning meant that I would have to work hard to earn this privilege of graduation so I spent my that whole summer taking a year of bio along with organic chemistry all so that I could graduate on time. 3. As junior year rolled around I realized I was at half way mark to graduation. All the work I did my sophomore year really paid off. I was more confident then ever. For once I had direction and a declared major that I loved; Biopsychology. I couldn’t believe I went to such an amazing school where it is summer all year long, and my backyard was literality the ocean. I was fortunate to live under one roof with 12 of my best girl friends where beachside activities were an everyday necessity. I enjoyed many late-night Freebirds run, the fun cab rides down town, the embarrassing karaoke performances at OTT and country line dancing at Creekside. I was embracing the everyday t-shirt, shorts and flip-flop kinda weather, the brezzy walks along the beach in between classes, constant learning and as a result newfound wisdom. 4. Finally senior year was here and there is nothing I could ask for in exchange for the things I have both learned and been through here at UCSB. Throughout my four years I found new perspectives, new friends, new ideas and new places to explore. III. Conclusion: A. And there I was on June 13th 2013, graduation day. I did it! I survived four amazing years at UCSB and undoubtedly changed and became better through my collegiate experience. My graduation cap is important to me for it represents my transformation from who I was to who I am today. My mistakes and successes are equally a part of who I have become. I have learned not to settle and do what makes me happy; and that way I will never regret following my dreams. B. So I will say to all of you, as the chancellor said to my graduation class â€Å"treat your life serendipitously. Stop taking the path that you feel has been assigned to you, and create you own journey from here on out.†

Take a company of your choice... Describe how you would launch a new Essay

Take a company of your choice... Describe how you would launch a new product or service with that company using t - Essay Example ....................................................................... 4.0 The Sainsbury Style Service Model......................................................................... 5.0 Entry Strategy, Targeting Strategies and Critical Dimensions of Marketing Mix. 6.0 Marketing Objectives............................................................................................... 7.0 Conclusion References EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sainsbury, a renowned UK grocery retailer, is currently seeking diversification strategies to sustain its revenue growth in a highly competitive environment where competitive rivalry often dictates business strategy direction. Sainsbury will be expanding into personal grooming services targeted primarily at young male adult consumers between the ages of 18 and 34. This service model will be positioning under premiumisation strategies justified by years of brand loyalty achieved by the business through consistent and socially responsible marketing efforts. To ach ieve objectives of improving revenue by 18 percent, the new service, Sainsbury Style, must align the most critical dimension of business strategy, the promotion function in the marketing mix, with key lifestyle and attitudinal factors for this target segment. Sainsbury Style 1.0 Introduction Sainsbury’s is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United Kingdom, maintaining approximately a 16 percent market share over such competitors as Morrison’s and Tesco. In recent years, in this oligopolistic market structure, major competition to Sainsbury has begun diversification strategies in order to gain a market share and improve its revenue position through new market engagement. An oligopoly is a market environment with very few large competitors and where competitive rivalry is important external threats (Boyes and Melvin, 2005). In order to compete successfully, Sainsbury must begin providing supplementary services unrelated to grocery procurement with a private labe l brand focus. Tesco, its largest competitor, witnessed a 100 percent growth in private label brands from 1982 to 2004 (Coriolis Research, 2004). To effectively diversify, Sainsbury will be launching the Sainsbury Style service, a hair styling, sculpting and consultation service targeted primarily at young male consumers, a private brand benchmarking existing promotional success for private label food promotions. 2.0 Methodology Examination of trade-related publications, corporate annual reports, and research literature on psychographic segmentation and targeting was conducted to gain a richer perspective on the opportunities of diversification for Sainsbury. In order to successfully launch this new service concept at the organisation, trends in consumer purchasing of personal beauty products and services were necessary to predict revenue growth and demand in the desired male target market group. 3.0 Situation and Market Analyses Sainsbury has had difficulty in gaining a market shar e over major competition such as Tesco as it is becoming commonplace for these major grocery competitors to select diversification strategies to maximise revenue growth in a rapidly maturing industry. Sainsbury has managed, through years of effective integrated marketing strategies, to establish a well-recognised and favoured brand in diverse market segments. The business must capitalise on its brand personality to realise an effective launch of Sainsbury Style. 3.1 PEST and SWOT Analyses Research did not uncover any imperative political factors