Softdrinks: Bad Influence for Our Bones, Teeth, and Body Weight

Coca-Cola’s advertisements typically radiate happiness and refreshment. In one of its latest ads, it shows its product as a factory of happiness. Soda advertisements can be very effective in psychologically conditioning people to think that softdrinks are equal to a happy and beautiful life. It sends a message that when people drink soda, they are drinking their way to a happier life. In reality, softdrinks wreak havoc to people’s health and lives. Sodas, as several scientific studies prove, are not good for us at all.Softdrinks may seem like a refreshing way to ease a hot day, but their short-term benefits cannot outweigh their long-term destructive effects. People should not drink softdrinks anymore, because of its bad influence on our bones, teeth, and body weight. Softdrinks drill cavities into our teeth. Poonam Jain, director of community dentistry at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine says: â€Å"Soda eats up and dissolves the tooth enamelâ₠¬  (Kanigel). Jain examined several sodas by measuring their pH level, which is an indication of acidity. Water has pH of 7; sugar-sweetened sodas range at 2.5; while diet sodas tally at 3. 2 (Kanigel). Jain stresses that soda’s acidity is even worse for our teeth than solid sugar in candy, because soda corrodes our teeth enamel, which hastens the tooth decay process by making it easier for bacteria to penetrate our teeth (Kanigel). A number of studies, including a University of Michigan investigation of dental checkup data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, back up that adults who imbibe â€Å"three or more sodas a day have up to 62% more decayed, missing, and filled teeth than those who drink less† (Kanigel).Softdrinks are good for sipping, and at times, it seems better to let the taste simmer in our mouth. People do not know that sipping soda actually makes it harder for their saliva to go back to neutral levels (Kanigel). Jain emphasi zes that â€Å"This is particularly an issue for people who drink several sodas a day, because they never give their saliva a chance to neutralize† (Kanigel). Clearly, sodas destroy our chances for that beaming close-up smile. Softdrinks eat away our bones too. Several studies showed that softdrinks have been correlated to lower bone density.In the 1950s, children downed 3 cups of milk for every 1 cup of sugary drinks; now, it has been reversed, because children drink 3 cups of sweetened drinks for every cup of milk (Kanigel). A number of experts connect softdrinks with osteoporosis, because people drink milk less, when they drink more softdrinks (Kanigel). The study by Jean Mayer of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, on the other hand, does not find a connection between drinking softdrinks and drinking milk, although their study also shows that cola consumption decreases bone density for older women (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 1).Girls are also being n egatively affected by sodas. In a study of 460 adolescent students in 2000, the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that â€Å"girls who drank carbonated soft drinks were three times as likely to break their arms and legs as those who consumed other drinks† (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 1). The study underscores that dark drinks seem to be more health-aversive than fruit-flavored drinks, because the study show that girls who imbibed colas were five times more prone to breaking their arms and legs in their adolescent years than girls who stopped drinking soda(Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 1).Grace Wyshak, PhD, a biostatistician and the study's primary researcher, suggests that something in colas hold back the body's capability to use calcium (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 1). She is alarmed that this will make girls more susceptible to fractures and bone problems in later life (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 1). Indeed , sipping soda can be similar to chipping our bones away. Drinking sodas add up to our waistline. Olsen and Heitmann and Vartanian et al. review literature on the relationship between obesity and softdrinks. Majority of the studies prove that drinking sodas can be linked to obesity.Pereira also examines the evidence that links obesity and softdrinks. She concludes that several studies illustrate that there is a relationship between drinking sweet drinks like soda and higher body mass index. Marr also mentions studies that blame softdrinks for many children being obese or overweight. David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD, director of the obesity program at Children's Hospital Boston agrees with Marr and states: â€Å"In my estimation, sugary beverages are one of the two leading environmental causes of obesity, perhaps second only to TV viewing in the magnitude of its effect† (Kanigel).In 2001, he and his peers at the Harvard School of Public Health provided strong evidence that linked obes ity and softdrinks (Kanigel). They followed 548 teens for 19 months and discovered that teenagers who drank more sodas were more overweight than those who did not (Kanigel). Another study suggests that fructose in softdrinks can stimulate appetite, which makes it easier for people to get fatter (Kanigel). Softdrinks are fatteners. On the other hand, people who say that softdrinks is a cheap and easy way to feel refreshed want to defend their sodas.The reaction to this is that people can also drink cold water and feel refreshed. They can even drink lemon juice and dash it with honey, and they get less calories and fructose. Soda producers also assert that soda provides funding for many education programs. Yes, soda does that, but how about the bad influence of softdrinks? Childhood obesity cannot ethically fund education. Softdrinks are bad influence in many ways; they are bad for our bones, teeth, and weight. They increase risks for a number of health problems. They are not what the y want to be- to bring happiness to people.How can people be in high spirits, when they have bone problems, tooth decay, diabetes, or they are overweight? The ads got it all wrong. Sodas can make people unhappy. Works cited Kanigel, Rachele. â€Å"It Raises Diabetes Risk And Robs Bone. It's Wrecking Our Teeth. And It's Making Us Fat. The Culprit? Soda. † Prevention 58. 10 (2006): 160-207. Marr, Liz. â€Å"Soft Drinks, Childhood Overweight, and the Role of Nutrition Educators: Let's Base Our Solutions on Reality and Sound Science. † Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior 36. 5 (2004): 258-265. Olsen, N. J. and B. L. Heitmann. â€Å"Intake of Calorically Sweetened Beverages and Obesity.† Obesity Reviews 10. 1 (2009): 68-75. Pereira, M. A. â€Å"The Possible Role of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Obesity Etiology: A Review of the Evidence. † International Journal of Obesity 30 (2006): S28-S36. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. â€Å"Cola May Up O steoporosis Risk for Older Women. † Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 24. 11 (2007): 1-2. Vartanian, Lenny R. , Schwartz, Marlene B. , and Kelly D. Brownell. â€Å"Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. † American Journal of Public Health 97. 4 (2007): 667-675.

Starbucks Assessment

Company name and brief background Starbucks is an American global coffee company which it is the largest coffeehouse company in the world. I think anybody know Starbucks that provide to enjoy the best coffee in the world. Starbuck brief background; the opening of the first Starbucks in 1970s which was small restaurant order to enjoy coffee and it was in the city of Seattle. At the same time many people liked to drink over milk coffee and chocolate coffee, so that was more and more popular.Nowadays, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17000 stores in 60 countries including Canada, Japan, UK, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand so on. The Starbucks promotion its product or services The beginning Starbucks only sold coffee and espresso drink as well as coffee bean. Nowadays, it sells hot and cold drink, coffee bean, hot and cold sandwiches, sweets, salads, snakes and items such as mugs, glass and tumblers. Also, its products are seasonal. Howev er, it provides various services such as entertainment (music, newspaper, magazine, free internet), and offers good or quick services.How the promotion techniques used help the Starbucks to attempt to increase its sale. Well know, Starbuck is the world brand that itself have a certain visibility, so that it rarely uses advertising on television and magazine because it don’t spend a lot of money on advertising, but it used some advertisements on billboard. We find some billboard at the highway, building or station. In addition, it used short video upload on YouTube, Blog, social network ( e. g Facebook, Twitter),website. Also it is actually in the position of strength region which is the premium brand because it chooses the position in more streams of people.However, it grow into one of the world know brand. How Starbucks maintain customer loyalty Starbucks loves hearing from customer all question, comment that is always welcome while provides the experience of quality coffee and warm service. Also, it uses a various promotion different countries such as in Taiwan uses half price discount for the period. It offers fast-forward services and high quality coffee. In addition, the customer buy a Starbucks tumbler get one free drink. In Hong Kong Starbucks promotion is free internet. For example, f you buy Starbucks drinks that you use internet its shop also it offers free newspaper, magazine and comfortable environment area for the customer. It believes that many people love drinking Starbucks coffee because it twenty types of coffee so that customer can choose different taste coffee. However, more and more people like drinking Starbucks coffee. How the Trade Descriptions Act affects the way that Starbucks promotion its products and services Starbuck need to be aware of laws in every country, so that it has law for employment, health and safety regulation and product restriction.Beside Starbucks takes action to reduce waste for its operation and recycle, als o it considers preserve the earth’s natural resource and enhance the quality of live around the global. In addition to, Starbucks actively seeks opportunities to minimize environment impact and help create a healthy planet, so that it takes steps to be environmental mission statement. Most importantly, it improves coffee quality in order to have commitment to origin TM that helps to improve the lives of coffee farmers and protect the environment where they grow their beans and can keep its highest-quality coffee standard.It is imperative that Starbucks understand commodity–grade coffee to be trade on a highly competitive market. Obviously, for the last several years, a global oversupply of coffee has been getting high price. So that it keeps steady price standard. Specifically, it provides in the fair trade certification system for importer, roaster, and retailers purchases coffee at favorable guaranteed price from farmers who registered with Fairtrade Labelling Organi zation International.Overall, I think it is a role promotion in the business which is important. Many people want to have a success on their own business, but they don't have achievement of promotion, so that they will lose their business. On the other hand, Starbucks has a success promotion of business in the world. It is not only promotion activities, also it has supervise responsibilities, the promotes employee becomes responsible for administrative assistants and other staff.

Mankind is Causing Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mankind is Causing Global Warming - Essay Example . In fact, 25% to 30% of the greenhouse gas that is released into the atmosphere every year is 1.6 billion tonnes which is due to deforestation. According to Daniel Howden, (2007) "In the next 24 hours, deforestation will release as much CO2 into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York. Stopping the loggers is the fastest and cheapest solution to climate change. So why are global leaders turning a blind eye to this crisis" The rapid destruction of the rainforests which forms a valuable cooling band in the region of the Earth's equator is one of the main causes of climate change. Carbon expelling due to deforestation far surpass damage induced by planes and automobiles and factories. Water vapour is the most widespread and most potent greenhouse gas on the planet. It increases as a result of warming induced by carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. "Because the air is warmer, the relative humidity can be higher (in essence, the air is able to 'hold' more water when its warmer), leading to more water vapor in the atmosphere" (http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/gases.html, accessed on 29th April, 2009). Water vapour holds on around 2/3rd of the heat pinned by all the greenhouse gases (L.R.Kump, 2002) due to which global climate change has occurred. Meth Methane, a natural gas is the 2nd most vital of the greenhouse gases ensuing from human actions. It is formed by rice cultivation, cattle and sheep farming, and by decomposing material in lowlands. Methane is also let out during coal removal and oil drilling, and by permeable gas pipelines. Human actions have enhanced the density of methane in the atmosphere to around 145% above to the quantity that is present naturally. (http://www.gcrio.org/ipcc/qa/04.html,1997, retrieved on 29th April 2009) Carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles is also a reason for global warming. According to the US Emissions Inventory 2006 page 8 vehicles which have poor gas mileage add the most to global warming. For instance, according to the E.P.A's 2000 Fuel Economy Guide, a new Dodge Durango sports utility vehicle which gives 12 miles per gallon in the city will emit an approximate 800 pounds of carbon dioxide above a distance of 500 city miles. But if a large vehicle is used like the SUV's then due to their narrow wheel base they are 4 times as liable as cars to overturn in an accident (Keith Bradsher, Article appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle, December 12, 1997 originating in the New York Times). Another principal man-made ground of Global Warming is population. More people lead to more food, and more modes of transportation. This only means more 3 Methane as there will be increased amount of burning of fossil fuels, and more agriculture. The main source of methane is manure. Because more food is demanded more food has to be raised. Animals like cows are a resource of food which leads to increase in manure and methane. Yet another issue with increasing population is transportation. Increased number of people means more cars, and more cars means more pollution. (http://library. thinkquest.org/J003411/causes.htm, retrieved on 29th April 2009). The permafrost sheet has begun to melt due to human activities. Alaskan permafrost has apparently warmed up by a mean of 1.5C over the past 15 years. (Osterkamp, 2000,

Course Project - Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course Project - Report - Assignment Example energy needs. 4) To give a personal opinion regarding the hydraulic fracturing process and the laws that should be instituted. INTRODUCTION Hydraulic fracturing refers to a process used to extract gas or oil from beneath the earth’s surface by pumping liquid at high pressure to the subsurface rocks. The pressure in this liquid is enough to fracture the rocks thus establishing interconnected networks of fractures that are then used as pores for the oil and gas to move to the bored well. It is from this well that the final extraction is done. The process has been so far effective and efficient in so far as extraction of oil and natural gas is concerned (Wilber, 2012). Nonetheless, various legal and environmental issues have been raised regarding the process. Its impacts on the environment have not augured well with a majority of the environmentalists. Similarly, various legal concerns have been raised and they vary from one state to the next. In this paper, I seek to present a r eport on the hydraulic fracturing process, the legal and environmental issues, as well as offer some of recommendations regarding the process. DISCUSSION Hydraulic fracturing process raises various issues both legally and environmentally. The water contamination by the chemicals used during the fracking process has brought out legal issues of strict liability where individuals have asserted harm from such contaminated water. In a Pennsylvanian case of Fiorentino v. Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., No. 09-cv-2284 (M.D. Pa. November 15, 2010), the plaintiff seeks action to be taken against the oil and gas company. This follows the alleged contamination of the plaintiff’s water by methane and other toxins. The court refused to dismiss this case and hence opened a look into allowing plaintiff come up with a claim of strict liability against the hydraulic fracturing companies (U.S. ENVTL. PROT. AGENCY, 2009). The other legal issue presented by the hydraulic fracturing is who is to be held r esponsible in cases of harm occasioned by the process. From the Fiorentino v. Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.case, it appears that it becomes an issue to the courts to determine the liability of the fracturing company and hence seeks to follow up and develop a rule suitable for this situation. Strict liability seems to have been inapplicable in such issues from the way the defendant presents his case in these proceedings. While various states are embracing this process in gas and oil extraction, other states have banned it and hence are an illegal process. However, some states have left the discretion to the local leaders to decide whether the process should be permitted or not. Permitting such a process is done after various considerations depending on the local leaders take on the public health and safety in case of a flag to engage in the extraction process. The environmental concerns so raised by the hydraulic process are vast and alarming. First, there is a threat of contamination of the underground water brought about by the spillage of the gases and oil extracted. Most of this underground water is a source of drinking water to many, both human and the animals. In an event of contamination of the drinking water then the vast population is affected. Secondly the use of a lot of water from the ground water and the surface water during drilling and the hydraulic fracturing brings a lot of stress to these water suppliers. The drilling and fracturing

Analyzing Cross-sectional Data and Correlation and Regression Essay

Analyzing Cross-sectional Data and Correlation and Regression - Essay Example All this ratings indicated the level of customer satisfaction regarding our services. The rating according to our instructors indicated that out of 100 hundred participants 12 rated the services as bad, 35 of them rated the services as neither bad or good, 39 rated the services as good and only 14 of them rated our services as very good, the majority therefore rated our services good. This can be graphically represented as follows As graphically shown the mode is good, the graph is negatively skewed or skewed to the left meaning that the majority of the outcomes or observations are on the left of the graph, another notable observation is that none of the participants rated our instructors as very bad. Our services were also rated through the quality of equipments used, out of 100 participants 6 of them rated the quality of equipments as very bad, 25 of them rated the equipments as bad, 33 of them rated the equipments as neither bad nor good, 27 of them rated the equipments as good and only 9 rated the equipments as very good. Therefore the mode or the majority of the participants did not rate our services as bad or good regarding the quality of equipments, the mean of this observation was 3.08 and the standard error was 0.106059, the median and the mode were both 3, the results can be graphically represented as follows: According to the participants our services were also rated according to the range of facilities av... Therefore the mode or the majority of the participants did not rate our services as bad or good regarding the quality of equipments, the mean of this observation was 3.08 and the standard error was 0.106059, the median and the mode were both 3, the results can be graphically represented as follows: quality of any equipment used Frequency Very bad 6 Bad 25 Neither bad nor good 33 Good 27 Very Good 9 0 We can construct a 95% confidence interval as follows P(X - T Sx X + T Sx) = 95% P ((3.08 - 0.172572 (0.106059)) (3.08 + 0.172572(0.106059)) = 95% P ((3.0617) (3.183)) = 95% According to the participants our services were also rated according to the range of facilities available, out of 100 participants only one rated the range of facilities available as very bad, 6 rated the facilities as bad, 20 as neither good or bad and 38 rated the facilities as good, the rest rated them as very good. Therefore according to the rating of the range of facilities we offer, 73 participants rated them as good or very good. This is graphically shown below: The range of facilities available Frequency Very bad 1 Bad 6 Neither bad nor good 20 Good 38 Very Good 35 The mean was 4 and this shows that the average rated the range of equipments available as good; the mode was 4 which indicate that the majority of the participants rated the equipments as good. In the case where the mode, the median and mean are equal, the distribution assumes an asymmetric or bell shape where both deviations from the mean are identical, the negative value of skew ness indicates that the distribution is skewed to the left, the standard error of this observation was 0.094281 and

Pervasive Computing in Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pervasive Computing in Security - Essay Example Authentication is the process of proving that you are who you say you are and establishing proof of identity. Authentication can be achieved through the use of passwords, smart cards, biometrics, or a combination thereof. People are the next most important security component. Often, people are the weakest link in any security infrastructure. Most corporate security relies on the password a user chooses. If the user chooses his or her first name as the password, the time, energy, and money spent evaluating, purchasing, and implementing security solutions go out the window. Numerous methods exist to gain access to a system. Social engineering preying on the weakest factor in any security infrastructure, the human-is one of the most successful methods. From pretending to be a helpdesk worker and asking users to change their passwords, to dressing up as the copy machine repair technician to gain physical access to a building, social engineering is effective in gaining access to an organization's systems. (Andress, 2003) Other methods include trying to guess username and password combinations and using exploits in operating systems and applications to gain access to systems. Some common exploits include buffer overflows, Windows exploits, and Web server application exploits. The most popular tool for information theft attacks is the network sniffer. With a sniffer, an attacker monitors traffic on a network, usually looking for username-password combinations. (Andres, 2003) The use of sniffers is known as a passive attack because the sniffer's snooping does not require any action on the part of the attacker. Active attacks, on the other hand, do require action. Examples of active attacks are "dumpster diving" or calling up an individual at a target company and asking for information. Security Awareness Security awareness can be provided at the utmost by conducting seminars and awareness campaigns. Such campaigns work well in explaining topics like password selection, screen locking, document labeling, and physical (door) security. Posters, e-mails, screensavers, and mouse pads printed with security tips and expectations help provide day-to-day reminders. Some companies even establish security incentive programs for their employees. Multifactor Authentication The three major types of authentication which are commonly used now a days are: Something you know-personal identification number (PIN), password. Something you have-SecurID, smart card, iButton. Something you are-that is, some measurable physical characteristic of you, such as fingerprints

Supply and Demand Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supply and Demand Theory - Essay Example Following an objective presentation of the Marshellian demand curve and consumer surplus, as presented in Marshall's Principles of Economics, this essay will present the critical analytical opinions which the aforementioned has generated. Integral to the comprehension and evaluation of the Marshellian demand curve and consumer surplus theory is Marshall's understanding of the implications of value and his classification of markets. Accordingly, this section will commence with Marshall's understanding of both of the stated, if only because they directly inform his supply and demand theory. Marshall claims that the notion of value is intimately connected with that of wealth. After noting, however, that for Smith the term value has two uses (as use and exchange value), he, without apparent justification, contends that it is inaccurate to use the term "value" to express the utility of an object. Accordingly, he uses the term value to connote the exchange value of one thing in terms of another at any time and place, contending that it "is the amount of the second thing which can be got here and then in exchange for the first." Hence, insofar as Marshall is concerned, the term value "is relative and expresses the relation between two things at a particular place and time" (Marshall, p. 51). In explaining exchange... Hence, the "ultimate regulator of all demand" is the consumers' demand" (p. 75). To explain demand, Marshall turns to utility. For him, utility is taken as a 'correlative" to desire or want. Desire, however, cannot be measured directly, only indirectly "by the outward phenomena to which they give rise" and, "in those cases, with which economics is chiefly concerned," the measure is "found in the price which a person is willing to pay for the fulfillment or satisfaction of his desire" (p. 79). In this respect, Marshall is evidently opting for a behavioralist conception of utility. Marshall proceeds to claim that there is a limit to each separate want, expressed as the "law of satiable wants or of diminishing utility:" The total utility of a thing to anyone (i.e., the total pleasure or other benefits it yields him) increases with every increase in his stock of it, but not as fast as his stock increases" (pp. 78-79). If the utility of his marginal purchase is the marginal utility, then the law just stated is, thus: "The marginal utility of a thing to anyone diminishes with every increase in the amount of it he already has" (p. 79). Marshall "translates" this "law of diminishing utility," following a behavioralist interpretation, in terms of price. If the price that a consumer is willing to pay for a good is called his demand price, then the law may be reworded as follows: The larger the amount of a thing that a person has the less, other things being equal (i.e., the purchasing power of money, and the amount of money at his command being equal), will be the price he will pay for a little more of it. In other words, his marginal demand price for it diminishes (p. 80) For Marshall, an

Purposes of police patrol Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Purposes of police patrol - Research Paper Example Purposes of police patrol Knowledge about the neighbourhood is the essence of every police patrolling function. â€Å" Knowledge about the physical structure of the neighbourhood, Boundaries and adjoining areas, Alleys, Businesses, Layout of streets, dead end streets, geographical directions† etc would enhance the patrolling functions very much. â€Å"Foot Patrol, Motorcycle Patrol, Motorized Patrol, Bike Patrol, Horse Patrol, Aircraft Patrol, Watercraft Patrol, Routine Patrol, Directed Patrol, D-Runs, Saturation Patrol, Split Force, Suspect-Oriented Patrol† etc are some of the most common patrolling programs undertaken by police force. Increased probability of accidents is the major issue in high speed pursuits. â€Å"Research from the 1980s indicates that nationwide property damage occurs in about one of every five pursuits, personal injury in one out of seven, and death in approximately one out of every thirty-five pursuits†. Moreover increased rate of law suits against the patrolling officers is another issue associated with high speed pursuits. It should be noted that in high speed pursuits, the possibility of causing damages to the innocent people is more. Casualties in the form of death and injury can occur to the innocent people while the police officers chase criminals at a high speed using different types of vehicles. â€Å"California police chased more than 7,000 drivers in 2003. The chases resulted in 58 deaths, including 18 innocent individuals who werent involved in the pursuit".

Jewish History Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jewish History Response Paper - Essay Example This article effectively and efficiently handles these issues into various distinctive perspectives that are analytical and constructive in order to come up with a theoretical framework that can adequately assist in the fieldwork operations. The concept of analytic perspective adequately explores the ideal of understanding the challenges of the Jews in the United States in the last century. Through this exploration, there is an analysis of a post-ethical perspective that greatly favors voluntary over the involuntary associations. This will therefore balance an appreciation for various communities that are approved with a determination to create room for new communities plus promoting scholarly issues that incorporate solidarity through a wide scope of people with different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The post ethnic perspective will always hinder the basement of moral values and knowledge within individuals and the history of events though the operations within the past generation will detect that most of the ideas and values were at one point considered to be international and more precise on particular cultures. In the communities where ethnicity used to act as the core factor of identity, there is a crucial claim that the diversion in post ethnicity in the United States has made the American society to present distinctive challenges. Surprisingly, it is impossible to exactly trace and identify the actual period that the post ethical shift or rather conversion took place because there has always been an argument that these issues has been growing for approximately the past two decades. This article further argues that at the time an ethnic connection or rather bond is broken into a multi racial or multi ethnic integration then the historic or olden strategies that the Jewish facilitated to meet the requisites for survival of both the Judaism and

Antigone by Sophocles and Ancient Greek Civilization Essay

Antigone by Sophocles and Ancient Greek Civilization - Essay Example Creon fails to acknowledge her plea and is condemned to death. Creon had presented the rule that the person who would bury Polyneices would be subjected to death. This is because he had termed him as an intruder and a murderer to his predecessor Eteocles in the battle for the throne (Sophocles 2) Creon had made the ruling that the body would be left to rot instead of a proper burial, a ruling that Antigone defied. Unlike his brother, Eteocles had been given a proper burial, and the angry Antigone sought to place her brother’s body to rest in peace. The actions of the woman to disobey his ruling angered the king and sentenced both Antigone and her sister Ismene to death (Sophocles 1). Consequently, Creon’s son Haemon pleaded with his father to overturn his ruling because he had been engaged to Antigone, and had not wished to lose his fiance. Creon failed to adhere to his so wishes, but releases Ismene banishing her from the land. Furthermore, the prophet Teiresias warned the king against defying the gods wishes to bury Polyneices and warning him of a tragedy. The events witnessed Theban citizens recite a chorus that reminded the king that the prophet had never been wrong and that, his ruling that he would lose his son would happen. He hurriedly changes his mind for fear of the misfortune and performs a proper burial ceremony to bury Polyneices body (Sophocles 9). On the attempt to free the imprisoned Antigone, he is too late to avoid tragedy and finds a dead prisoner bringing more sorrow in the death of his son who chose to stab himself. The heartbroken Creon returns to his palace to meet an added misfortune in the death of his queen Eurydice who, chose to kill herself on the news of her son’s death. The story teaches on poor leadership skills and the consequences of defying the wishes of the gods. Democracy in Athens The reek had been a barbaric tribe that had migrated from the European nation to Aegean in the quest for a new land. The inte raction led to the integration of their traditions and those of the natives that they had encountered in the region. After settlement within the region, the individuals became influenced by Crete establishing an organized civilization by 1600B.C. known as Mycenaean civilization (Lewis 46). The Greeks adopted the trend from the Babylonians and Hittites to incorporate found civilization and practices to their own creating a different civilization form. Greek civilization had been created to present an organized system that had not failed to achieve organization. The states had been minute consisting of contained towns built at the center of a higher ground with temples created to present a civilization that defined the state. The Greek created fortress and temples that presented significant importance to the Greeks and a center of unity. The example was presented in Athens that had been termed the city of Athena the goddess who had been charged with the town and offered protection to the members. Democracy stretched in Greek to accord participation of all the members developing a term, polites in their language to define the citizens. The Greeks had been organized in city-states lacking a universal empire and protected through an extended land and sea. With the lack of an organized government, the states did not possess the value to employ professional forces that would offer the needed protection. Brave men who had chosen

Relationship Between the Brand Equity and the Sales of Bottled Water Industry Essay Example for Free

Relationship Between the Brand Equity and the Sales of Bottled Water Industry Essay This research basically pertains to find out the relationship between the brand equity and the sales of the product. The questionnaire was constructed and the pilot study using 15 respondents from ICBS was carried out to ensure that there were no confusions or ambiguities in the questionnaire. All ambiguities or confusions found were removed before administering the final questionnaire. The questionnaires were divided into two parts. On first of June the questionnaires were administered among half of the sample. The other half of the questionnaires among the remaining samples on 1st July 2007. As our research was basically descriptive in nature, we then quantified the values we were given in the questionnaire results and used them to graph the responses of the elements of the research. The results were then analyzed. Introduction The broad area of the research is related to the currently existing situation in the bottled water industry. As the bottle water industry is flourishing in Pakistan and new competitors are entering the market but still Pure Life has managed to maintain the considerable amount of market share due to its brand equity. The concept of brand is integral to the success of any given product. Brand equity necessarily affects the performance of a product. The concept of brand equity can have a marked effect on the longevity of a products performance. Brand equity is defined as the bundle of intrinsic features/attributes delivered by a branded product or service. It is measured as the price differential someone is willing to pay for a particular branded product or service over an identical product or service that is unbranded. Alternatively, this definition can be re-crafted to state that brand equity is the difference in utility between two products or services that are perceived to deliver an identical set of tangible benefits at the same price. Consumers see a particular brand name as a contract. A brands name may reduce consumers sense of uncertainty, allowing them to purchase, uncertainty reduction, or trust, thus improving their sense of value. Background Nestle have taken a strong interest in Pakistan at a time when the country’s food, drink and retail industries in general are all actually struggling to attract large-scale multinational investments of this nature. Although these companies all have more profitable product categories, which are their primary concerns in more developed markets, in Pakistan a key element of their business strategy at the present time is a strong presence in the increasingly competitive bottled water industry. Should economic growth continue, the introduction of their added-value, more premium products, will simply prove a bonus at a later date? Such investment cannot help but drive bottled water sales in Pakistan, while inflows from multinationals also provide much needed jobs and contribute to essential infrastructural developments in the country. However, there is a huge flipside to these advantages the creation of a population, which can barely afford to spend beyond necessity, reliant on a product that is still considered a luxury item in some of the worlds most developed economies. Pakistan’s response to this dilemma affects not just its population, but its likelihood of establishing itself as a destination for much sought after food, drink and retail industry investment in the future. Literature Review Brand equity is the value built-up in a brand. It is measured based on how much a customer is aware of the brand. The value of a companys brand equity can be calculated by comparing the expected future revenue from the branded product with the expected future revenue from an equivalent non-branded product. This calculation is at best an approximation. This value can comprise both tangible, functional attributes (e. g. TWICE the cleaning power or HALF the fat) and intangible, emotional attributes (e. g. the brand for people with style and good taste). It can be positive or negative. Positive brand equity is created by effective promotion and consistently meeting or exceeding customer thoughts. Negative brand equity is usually the result of bad management. In the early 2000s, the Ford Motor Company made a strategic decision to brand all new or redesigned cars with names starting with F. This aligned with the previous tradition of naming all sport utility vehicles since the Ford Explorer with the letter E. The Toronto Star quoted an analyst who warned that changing the name of the well known Windstar to the Freestar would cause confusion and discard brand equity built up, while a marketing manager believed that a name change would highlight the new redesign. The aging Taurus, which became one of the most significant cars in American auto history, would be abandoned in favor of three entirely new names, all starting with F, the Five Hundred, Freestar and Fusion. By 2007, the Freestar was discontinued without a replacement, and Ford announced record losses. In a surprise announcement, the discarded Taurus nameplate would be re-used on an improved Five Hundred which had disappointing sales and whose nameplate was recognized by less than half of most people, but an overwhelming majority was familiar with the Taurus. Brand Equity and Market Share Very often only the market share of a brand is looked at as a means of determining how successful the brand is. Although market share is of importance in assessing the performance of a brand, its relationship with brand equity is of great significance, as this relationship can be an indication of the potential success of a brand, or alternatively can direct strategy on how to attain such success. The following diagram illustrates the relationship between brand equity and market share: Brand equity and market share are not always proportionate. As can be seen from the diagram, the ideal place for a brand to be situated is in the top-right quadrant. This shows that the brand is successful in that it has a strong brand equity and high market share. However, this may not always be the case. It is possible that a brand may have high brand equity, but may not have an accordingly high market share (top-left quadrant). In order to improve the market share of a brand in cases such as this, regard must then be had to in-store issues such as display, shelf space, distribution etc. Thus, understanding brand equity plays an important role in that it gives an indication of how a brands performance can be improved. Where there is low brand equity and a strong market share (such as the bottom right-hand quadrant), the situation is extremely tenuous. Although the picture may look good owing to the strong market share, the reality is that, with weak brand equity, the product is vulnerable to competitor or other in-market activity. Therefore, measuring only the strong market share does not give the complete picture brand equity must also be considered, and by improving this, the full potential of the brand can be secured. What is Brand Equity? In layman terms brand equity is the value that a consumer attaches to a certain brand. Although brand equity can be measured tangibly by way of certain indicators, a large component of the concept is intangible, i. e. what perceptions and associations people have of a certain brand, and the familiarity of those brands in the mind of the consumer. The diagram below illustrates how brand equity is made up: From the diagram, it is evident that the sources that drive brand equity (brand awareness, consideration and the factors associated with it) will lead to certain outcomes. And the more powerful the sources are, the more significant these outcomes will be. Thus, a strong brand loyalty and ability to command a price premium will lead to resilience against any negative short-term market factors. And this is why brand equity is essential in assessing the performance of a brand: it has the potential to secure the success of the brand against many variable in-market factors. Further, the importance of brand equity is that, by understanding how brand equity drives market share, it is then possible to make use of this knowledge in order to grow the market share of a brand. Understanding the link between brand equity and market share will thus assist marketers in which strategies are required to grow market share. The Benefits of Brand Equity: What are the benefits of strong brand equity? Well, strong brand equity leads to, inter alia, strong market share, customer loyalty, more favorable response to price increases, less vulnerability to competitor activity, brand extension opportunities, and communication messages which reach the consumer. In attaining these benefits, strong brand equity will ensure that a product is of an enduring nature. Ultimately, strong brand equity will improve profitability. To build a winning brand, therefore, is to understand the relationship between brand equity and market share, and to leverage both to their full potential. In so doing, a brand will be successful and sustainable in the long term. It must be kept in mind that increasing market share does not increase brand equity, whereas increasing brand equity invariably leads to increased market share. Another benefit of brand equity is that it’s an asset which can be sold or leased. The importance of brand equity to customer loyalty: Keller (1998) argues that brand equity is unique from customer loyalty, and can be defined as: †¦ the differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand. He argues that a brand possesses positive customer-based brand equity when customers react more favorably to a (brand identified) product and the way that it is marketed as compared to when it is not. Brands can also possess negative customer-based brand equity, expressed when consumers react less favorably to the marketing activities associated with a brand, as compared to an unnamed or fictitious named version of the product. Keller (1998) further states that one of the characteristics of brands possessing strong brand equity is stronger brand loyalty. This position appears consistent wit that of Aaker (1991) who argued that brand loyalty could be considered both a dimension and an outcome of brand equity. Problem Statement The problem statement of the research is to find out that â€Å"Are pure life sales greater than competitors due to brand equity of Nestle? † Nestle pure life was launched in Pakistan in 1998. The brand now holds a solid position as number 1 in Pakistan by having more than 50 per cent of the countrys small bottled-water market of 33 million liters (35 million quarts) a year. Pure Life is everywhere at roadside stalls, gas stations and rest stops. Its hawked at street corners in traffic-clogged Lahore. Middle-class shoppers buy it by the case in supermarkets. On the remote mountain road leading from Islamabad to the hill town of Murree, Pure Life billboards urge drivers to drive only Nestle Pure Life. At small stores along the way, a flurry of banners proclaim: Pure Safety, Pure Trust. The ideal water. From Nestle with love. As the purchase of the bottled water involves low involvement of consumers therefore factors such as price, packaging and taste are not as important as compared to the brand image of the product. Therefore, the research is conducted to find out whether the equity of a brand affects the sales of the product or not Limitations, Delimitations and Assumptions The concept of brand equity is important to every brand therefore it can be applied to every product in the Pakistani market. For the purpose of simplicity, researchers chose water bottled industry of Pakistan. In this industry Nestle Pure Life was chosen due to the fact that as purchase of bottled water involves low involvement of consumer so the only thing that matters for the consumer is the brand name. Furthermore another reason for choosing Nestle Pure life was that the researchers assumed that the sales of Nestle Pure life were greater than competitors due to brand equity of Nestle. There was another limitation that the researchers would only focus on a particular age group of people i. . people between 20-25 yrs of age. Theoretical Framework In the research the independent variable is brand equity, the dependent variable is sales, whereas there are three intervening variables identified which affect the relationship of independent variable and the dependent variable which are, production capacity, distribution and availability. There is a positive relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable because it’s assumed that the brand equity causes an increase in the sales of a product which is Nestle Pure Life. Coke and Pepsi entered the bottled water industry as their production capacity was 18000 crates but after production of sodas their production plant was idle so they decide to jump in the bottled water. industry. They had the advantage that the industry is developing and consumers are becoming conscious of the importance of pure drinkable water. And their setup was already developed. Their distribution is extensive and they can capture all the consumers who buy their sodas. There is a positive relationship between sales and the intervening variables that are production capacity, distribution and availability. Nestle has an advantage over the other bottled water competitors due to the fact that they are the market leaders and their production and distribution is much more then the other competitors and their production plant and capacity is only used for the bottled water only. Their availability is much more extensive because nestle food products are distributed all over the country and hence they utilize their already developed distribution setup. Hypothesis The hypothesis that the researchers intended to test was the following: â€Å"Pure life sales are greater than competitors due to brand equity of Nestle† Nature of study The type of research is basic or pure because the study aimed to find out the affect of brand equity on sales of Nestle Pure Life and literature review was done to find out the relationship between brand equity and sales and primary study was also conducted by distributing questionnaires to MBA students of various universities. The relationship between the brand equity and sales is also generalizable. No matter what the product is there is always the positive relationship between them. Purpose of Study The purpose of the study is descriptive. The study will help in better understanding of the relationship of brand equity of a product and its sales. It will also help the organizations to make decisions related to brand awareness, brand loyalty and brand preference that will affect the brand equity of a product. It will also help other researchers to work on the similar concept. Throughout the study the researcher interference was minimal as there was no control of researcher on the independent variable which was brand equity. The type of investigation was correlation as the study aimed at finding the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable. It was a field study done in non contrived settings. Methodology Data Collection The initial data for research was obtained through secondary sources of information, which included internet articles, journals and books. It would not be enough to substantiate the hypothesis; therefore, the data collection technique of questionnaire survey shall be used. Population Our target population consists of business schools students in the age group of 20-25 years using Nestle Pure Life. Sample â€Å"Proportionate stratified random sampling technique† was used for the sample. UniversitiesNumber of Elements Proportionate sampling NCBA250250 * 32% = 80 LSE350350 * 37% = 130 GCU200200 * 25% = 50 Sample Size Out of the total of 800 students the size of the population, the sample was 80 students of National College of Business Administration, 130 Students of Lahore Scholl of Economics and 50 students of Government College University Lahore. The sample sizes were determined using table given by Uma Sekeran, using 90% confidence interval and standard error of 9. 5. Instruments Questionnaires were used as a tool to gather the primary data for the research. The questionnaire consisted of 7 questions and was administered among NCBA, LSE and GCU students. The questionnaire used in this study was a non-standardized instrument constructed solely for the purpose of this study. Copy of the questionnaire is attached in Appendix I in the report. Scale Dichotomous scale was used for five questions. YesNo Category scale was also used. Multiple items were given to elicit a single response from the respondent. From ranking scale forced choice scale was used which enabled the respondents to rank the brands of water bottles according to their preferences. Pilot Study A pilot study using 15 respondents from ICBS was done to ensure that there were no confusions or ambiguities in the questionnaire. All ambiguities or confusions found were removed before administering the final questionnaire. Reliability The reliability of the instruments was ensured through split- half reliability method. The instrument of the study which was questionnaires was divided into two halves. On first of June the questionnaires were administered among 40 NCBA students, 75 LSE students and 25 GCU students. The other half of the questionnaires among the same number of students on 1st July 2007. The reliability test will reflect the correlation between the two halves of the questionnaires. Validity The validity of our instrument was checked by the content and construct validity test. Results Question 1 Do you buy bottled water? Our population included only those elements who are users or buyers of the bottled water. So as the sample is the replica of the population then it can be said that the sample contained all the users or buyers of the bottled water. Question 2 Rank the following brands of water bottles according to your preference. As this question asked to rank the brands in order of preference it helped us to find out what brand people prefer. The results showed that 45% or 117 consumers prefer Nestle Pure life. Aside from that the other preference were 20% or 52 prefer Aqua Fina , 15% or 39 prefer kinley, 13% or 34 prefer Sufi and the least was aqua safe which is 7% or 18. It showed that the highest demand or preference is of Nestle Pure life. The name Nestle Pure Life was used because it is known as Nestle or Nestle Pure Life among people. Question 3 What are the reasons of your preference? This question asks about why the brand is preferred? And what is the reason for there preference? The results showed that 37% or 96 for international brand, 21% or 55 marked companied credibility, 18% or 47 went for quality seal, 11% or 29 marked packaging, 9% or 23 for price and 4% or 10 for certification. By these results we concluded that most people don’t know about quality seal and certification and some brand don’t have them so it wasn’t marked. One aspect was that those who marked nestle as their preferred brand marked international brand and company’s credibility as their reason for preference. Price and packaging was not such a major factor in their reason for the preference. It was only marked by consumers who use aqua safe and Sufi. Question 4 Do you recall any advertisement of your preferred brand? The results showed that 83% or 216 answered yes and 17% or 44 answered no. It showed that one reason of preference was the advertisement showed. Research shows that it has a major impact on people as it repetitive. It leaves the impression and the companies or brands qualities and messages in peoples mind. They do remember and recall it when buying a product. Question 5 How long have you been using your preferred brand? The results showed that most of the people have been using the brand for more than a year 45% or 117. 37% or 96 were using it for a year, 12% or 31 for 6 months and 6% or 16 for a month. The results also showed that most of the people have been using Nestle and Aqua Fina and Sufi and Aqua safe had a few consumers as they have not been using it for so long. Question 6 In your opinion are you brand loyal to your preferred brand? The results showed that 87% or 226 were brand loyal and 13% or 34 were not. The result showed that students are not brand loyal. But it has been observed that when people ask for drinking water they ask for nestle water. We also observed this at super stores that while passing by the water bottle shelves they pick Nestle. This behavior is same as schools and colleges. Question 7 What if your preferred brand is involved in an unethical business or fraud, will you still buy it? The results for this were that 64% or 166 answered as Yes and 36% or 94 answered as No. It showed that if a companied credibility is in doubt people back of from it. It does show a sense of rightness in people and also that for a brand to be successful it’s important that the company should be credible. As brand equity is the goodwill of the company and it’s important for a company to succeed and be reputable. Is also important because now, with media awareness people are becoming more conscious to these factors, so, the companies have to be conscious of these factors. Question 8 Would you prefer a brand which is popular in your social circle? The results of this question were that 55% or 143 answered as Yes and 45% or 117 answered as No. t helped to show that is the preference dependent on the social behaviors. But the result showed that it has a 10 % difference so it is slightly significance. For some people it who look for acceptance from their circle but it’s not that important as it low involvement purchase and it related to thirst which know no boundaries. But for some its status symbol to use bottled water as some peop le don’t care as long as its water. Discussion If the hypothesis is selected it would mean that the brand equity and brand image is important for the customers. They do take it into consideration while buying as its imprinted in their minds. Advertisement helps the customers to see the attributes of the company and the product . It keeps the brand equity in the minds of the customers. If the hypothesis is not substantiated by the questioner’s results, it would mean that some other factors are involved in the greater sales of the brand besides it brand name and the research would have to be conducted again with a new hypothesis. . Conclusions The conclusion of the study is that the Pure Life sales are greater than competitors due to brand equity of Nestle. The company should concentrate on things like brand preference and brand loyalty. They can do this by a lot of advertising and other promotional campaigns like public relations. Brand preference, brand loyalty and trust leads to establishment of brand equity which can be said as goodwill. Implications Brand equity is the customer’s subjective and intangible assessment of the brand, above and beyond its purely perceived value. In a market where many products are rather similar (i. e. commoditization), the brand can have a large effect on whether customers want to buy the product and what price theyre willing to pay. Brands therefore add more and more value to the basic product or service. Example: although a blind test panel taught researchers that most people prefer Pepsi above Coca-Cola, yet Coca-Cola is much stronger on the market. Our research findings shall help marketers understand the relation between brand equity ad sales. We have used Nestle Pure Life as a model for the study to illuminate the same relationship. As mentioned earlier, if there is a relationship between the variables, the marketers need to take it into account while designing their marketing strategies and policies.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia Similarities and Differences

Turkey and Saudi Arabia Similarities and Differences Today we are going to discuss the similarities and differences between two societies, Turkish and Saudi Arabian, from the cultural and moral point of view. Firstly it is important to get familiar with these definitions. Culture is the way of life, shared beliefs, values, customs and behaviours, that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning. Norms specify the type of behaviour that is considered appropriate and normal in a society. For example, norms of dress give guidelines on what to wear. Norms are set of rules that vary from society to society. A change in society leads to new ways of behaving and therefore culture and norms are always changing. Values are general rules and principles that tell us what is good, important and worth striving for in our society. Values lay down general principles and guidelines. Inequality concerns differences in access to scarce resources when one group is better positioned than the other in society. Social inequality involves voting rights, freedom of speech, education and many more. Inequality is present in every society, even if it is said that all members in society are equal. Both countries share similar history, culture and values. Religion in particular plays a big part in peoples lives. The major religion is Islam, the second largest religion in the world. In Saudi Arabia, Islam is the only officially recognized religion and other religions in the country are not tolerated. Turkey is more democratic in this way. While in Turkey state and church are separated, religion in Saudi Arabia influences every aspect of social and political life. Even the legal system is based on sharia (Islamic) law. The forms of punishment in this country are, according to some organizations, against human rights. For example, theft is punishable by amputation of the right hand. Flogging is way of punishment for offenses against religion, drunkenness and gambling. The death penalty is the highest form of punishment in the country and is used for a range of convictions including the distribution of drugs from abroad. The death sentence was also practiced in Turkey, but it has s ince been reduced to thirty years imprisonment. Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in both societies (a view strongly linked to religious beliefs), and is punishable by lashing, prison or death. Inequality, in both societies, is most distinguished between men and women. Saudi women suffer discrimination in a range of areas within their daily lives. For example, women are not allowed to drive cars or ride bicycles on public roads and the driving age of 25 is one of the highest in the world. Saudi Arabia is also one of the four remaining countries that have not granted women the right to vote. Women cannot travel abroad without the permission or presence of a male guardian (mahram), and also have to be accompanied by a close male from the family (father or brothers) when outside of house. As chastity and sexual modesty are very highly valued, women can be arrested for socializing with a man who is not a relative and may be charged with prostitution. In public, dancing, playing music and showing movies is forbidden. Women make up just 5% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia, which is the lowest proportion in the world. A womans status within the family is high, especially in the ro les of mother and sister. However, their rights may continue to be restricted, for example, it is believed that women should stay at home, caring for their husbands and children. Most marriages are arranged and polygamy is permitted up to four wives. Similar attitudes towards women had existed in Turkey, but in 1926 new reforms brought changes to the position of women in society. Polygamy was abolished and it is very rare nowadays. Along with religious marriages and divorce, child custody became the right of both women and men. Education levels of women have increased since the reforms and many Turkish women are able to access education, have jobs and careers. The right to vote was granted in 1930. Although the position of women outside of family has changed significantly, inside it remains more or less the same. Husbands remain at the head of family and woman must have their permission to work or their approval if going out. Both Saudi Arabian and Turkish societies place huge value on the family and take their responsibilities seriously. Families tend to be large and the extended family remains close. Significant inequality also exists between women from different sectors of societies. Women in these two states have different life styles and rights. For example, abortion in Turkey is legal up to ten weeks, while in Saudi Arabia it remains illegal, except in situations where the mothers life may be at risk. The norms for public behaviour in Saudi Arabia are extremely conservative. To ensure that these standards of conduct are observed, the Saudi religious police can arrest foreigners for improper dress and other alleged infractions, such as consumption of alcohol. Turkish women no longer have to wear the veils and long garments, whereas in Saudi Arabia it is still required by the old religious beliefs. While alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia, it is allowed in Turkey. In Turkey, Friday is considered a normal working day, regardless of the fact that to Muslims it is considered a holy day. Saudi Arabians continue to acknowledge this tradition most shops and other public places are closed on Friday and individuals practice their prayers. All Muslims pray five times a day and during the holy month of Ramadan they must fast from dawn to dusk (this includes eating, drinking and smoking). According to Islam, the left hand is considered unclean and reserved for personal hygiene. To conclude, Turkey is now considered a secular state, the first ever Islamic society to be considered as such. In contrast, Saudi Arabias unique culture makes marks it as a distinguished Islamic country. People in these countries are extremely proud of their culture, heritage and nationality. Bibliography M. Haralambos and M. Holborn (2008) Sociology , Themes and Perspectives http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingglossary/g/normsdef.htm http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/courses/122/module1/culture.html http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1012.html http://www.enjoyturkey.com/info/culture.htm http://www.eastwestinquirer.com/Islamic%20Turkey%20Versus%20Islamist%20Saudi%20Arabia.htm

What Is The Gettier Problem?

What Is The Gettier Problem? The Tripartite Theory of Knowledge, a theory which goes back as far as Plato, states that in order for one to possess knowledge, one must have justified true belief. In other words, if you carry a belief, that belief must be true and you must be able to justify it. The Tripartite Theory exists to provide a response to the question of what exactly knowledge is. Whilst the theory might have been widely accepted in the past, it was in 1963 that an epistemological debate on the topic ensued. Edmund Gettiers three-page paper Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? shows two conditions where the criteria for justified true belief appear to be met but mostly due to luck rather than knowledge. Whilst these counter-examples have led to a number of attempted solutions, my opinion is that the Gettier problem cannot be resolved. Alvin Goldman attempted to solve the Gettier problem with a theory of causal connection which states that justified true belief must be achieved through a causal connection to the truth. In this essay, I will highlight the ways in which Goldmans proposed solution falls short and so fails to solve the Gettier problem and thus demonstrate one way in which the Gettier problem cannot be resolved. The Gettier problem fundamentally demonstrates the problem of luck in the Tripartite Theory and thus shows how justified true belief doesnt necessarily mean knowledge. I will present this through the following Gettier-style example: Susie walks past the same clock everyday on her way to class at 2pm. Today, as she walks past, the clock indeed says 2pm and she has no reason to believe otherwise since the clock is well maintained and has always been right in the past. Susie has justified true belief. However, unbeknownst to Susie, the clock stopped 12 hours earlier at 2am. So whilst Susie believes the clock reads 2pm, it actually reads 2am. Thus, the fact that the clock stopped at the time it did is purely down to luck. So Susies belief fails to be knowledge. If knowledge were to be gained via a causal connection, the problem of luck would essentially not exist as the agent would have acquired knowledge through a reliable, cognitive process. The purpose of the causal theory is to reinf orce the Tripartite Theory but with the addition of a clause that states that a causal chain between beliefs and truths is required for knowledge. Goldman argues that perception is one such mechanism that can allow a causal connection and thus justify ones true beliefs. He states in his 1967 paper A Causal Theory of Knowing; Perhaps the simplest case of a causal chain connecting some fact p with someones belief of p is that of perception (Goldman 358). Goldman uses the example of the vase to reinforce his argument about perception which is put forth as follows: S sees a vase but that vase is actually being hidden by a laser photograph of a vase. Because of the photograph, S believes that there is a vase in front of him. Goldman argues that in actual fact, S does not really see the vase because of the lack of causal connection that exists between Ss belief and the real vase. So ultimately, what Goldman is saying is that knowledge acquired by sight requires some sort of causal connect ion for it to truly be knowledge. And so the Gettier problem is essentially resolved, according to Goldman, with the addition of the causal connection clause. Goldman continues his paper by discussing knowledge based on memory. Memory can be considered a causal process because a current belief could be caused and therefore traced back to an earlier cause. Knowing a fact at one time and then knowing it again at another is not necessarily knowledge based on memory as a causal connection would have to be included as an essential component in memory. Like perception, the causal connection of memory is used by Goldman to solve the Gettier problem through the addition of an extra element in the Tripartite Theory. Goldman goes on further to discuss knowledge based on inference through the lava case. S finds lava on the countryside and infers that there was an eruption. But in actual fact, someone has placed lava there in order to make it look like there had been a real eruption, unaware of the actual volcano. Goldman states that S doesnt really know that there was an eruption because it is not causally connected to any beliefs about there being a n eruption. So, inferential knowledge requires a connection through some sort of causal chain or as Goldman puts it: when someone bases his belief of one proposition on his belief of a set of other propositions, then his belief of the latter propositions can be considered a cause of his belief of the former proposition. (Goldman 362). Whilst Goldmans A Causal Theory of Knowing is a stimulating essay on the subject of knowledge, his argument or rather so-called solution to the Gettier problem in my opinion is ultimately flawed. One such criticism lies in the argument that our senses could so easily deceive us and therefore can a causal connection based on perception really be used to prove the acquirement of knowledge? The answer is surely no and this can be seen in the barn faà §ade example, in which an agent drives through a town filled with fake barns. Standing in front of one of these fake barns, the agent can say that he has justified true belief through perception. Even though there is a causal connection in this example, the agent does not really have knowledge. So false conclusions can be drawn from a process which, according to Goldman would ordinarily produce true beliefs highlighting the fact that Goldmans theory is flawed. So this does not provide a solution to the Gettier problem. Another problem with Goldmans theory lies in the fact that not everything in the world can have a causal connection. In particular, knowledge that is a priori such as 2 + 2 = 4 seems to be a fact about numbers but it doesnt have a causal effect. It is a truth that you know based on no causal connection just like many series of numbers are. So it is possible to say that the problem with Goldmans theory here is that it focuses on a posteriori knowledge but seems to ignore a priori knowledge and thus is too restrictive. It can therefore not be a solution to the Gettier problem because it doesnt take all types of knowledge into account, which is vital in epistemology. So again, the Gettier problem remains unresolved. The problem of incorrect reconstruction is one that further weakens Goldmans theory. There are times when one may have a true belief but the causal chain which allowed them to have that knowledge is incorrect. For example, an agent discovers his best friends body and believes that he is dead due to the fact that he is missing body parts. The agent assumes that the friend died by decapitation but actually, he was poisoned and decapitated following his death. This doesnt count as knowledge due to the false nature of the causal chain. Kenneth Collier in his 1973 essay Contra the Causal Theory of Knowing finds a counter-example to Goldmans theory which indicates no causal chain. Collier uses the example of an agent on a hallucinogenic drug which highlights the fact that any beliefs the subject has which turn out to be true, cannot be explained causally due to the hallucinogenic state that they are in. In the paper, Collier has given Smith the hallucinogenic drug and he hallucinates that his wife is having an affair. In actual fact, his wife is having an affair but can this count as knowledge? Surely this is just an example of incorrect reconstruction due to the hallucinations or an example of no causal chain at all. Collier argues that the difficulty here seems to be that it is possible for Smiths belief that p to be caused by the fact that p in ways that are irrelevant to his knowledge. But this means that the causal connection cannot be a sufficient condition for knowledge. (Collier 351) Ultimately, Goldmans causal theory attempts to resolve the Gettier problem by adding an extra clause which states that true belief has to be a result of a causal chain. He uses examples of perception, memory and inference to highlight the ways in which causality can solve the Gettier problem. But his theory is flawed overall due to the unreliability of the senses, a lack of a focus on a priori knowledge and the problem of incorrect reconstruction. I chose to focus on Goldmans theory but it is just one example out of a large number of attempts to resolve the Gettier problem. Other proposed solutions include eliminating conditions such as luck, defeat and false evidence as put forth by philosophers like Unger, Lehrer and Lycan. These proposed solutions, like the causal connection theory are all flawed and thus do not provide an adequate response to the Gettier problem. Therefore, I do not believe that the Gettier problem can be resolved due to my agreement that justified true belief do es not necessarily imply knowledge. The beer industry: Literature and definitions The beer industry: Literature and definitions Background and objective of the topic The beer industry has been around for many centuries and has always impacted national economies. Countries, such as the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), have had a capricious relationship with the beer industry over the last few centuries. Indeed, these countries see the benefit for the economy, from tax revenue increases to job creation, but other regulatory and social costs challenge firms within the industry. Furthermore within each brewery, their marketing, advertising and branding strategies are the leading differences amongst the competitors. In oversaturated, competitive markets of the UK and the US, various breweries are able to maintain profitability even as beer consumption and national incomes are in the decline. Indeed, with social-economic trends stacked against the industry, companies are still profitable, but those profits are fading. Through these declines, firms make radical business choices of mergers or acquisitions in order to dominate the brewery i ndustry. The brewery industry with a $40 ( £24.4) billion market value is an important part of the UK economy, and with a $79 billion market value is an important part of the US economy. In the UK, the brewery industry provides 600,000 direct jobs and 500,000 indirect jobs which generates $45 ( £28) billion in economic activity and $133 ( £81.3) million in tax revenue for 2008. In the US, the industry provides 1.9 million jobs in which $62 billion was generated in wages and benefits and $41 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes for 2008. In the UK, the leading brewery market share is Scottish Newcastle at 27.1%, Molson Brewing Company at 19.7% and Anheuser-Busch InBev at 17.7%. While in the leading brewery market share in the US is Anheuser-Busch InBev at 50.8%, followed by SABMiller at 18.4% and Molson Coors Brewing Company at 10.6%. Marketing, advertisement and branding strategies are key elements within the beer industry. The beer industry includes the brewers and breweries, distributors, and suppliers and retailers. As markets become more crowded, competitive and complex, the value of a clear brand increases. A brand can identify one item or a family of items and is defined as a name, term, design, symbol that identifies one sellers good or services as distinct from other sellers. An advertised brand is a brand that is owned by an organization and is a consumer product. Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers that benefit the organization. Advertising is the placement of messages in time or space in any of the mass media to persuade members of a particular targeted audience. (American Marketing Association, 2009) A powerful brand gives a company a personality of its own which transcends its components. These components can be seen in both the American brewing industry and the British brewing industry. A brand emphasizes emotion and awareness, but it also connects with consumers to create a strong loyalty base. Fads come and go, but name brands last generations. The brewery industry is very complex in both horizontal and vertical business activities. There are emerging literatures that specifically relate to the brewery industry where various theories involve the marketing, price and competition aspect of the industry overall. Marketing beer involves the four Ps which is the product, in this case the brand name. The price, which includes the total cost to manufacture, distribute and advertise the beer. The place is the distribution of the beer from the warehouse to the consumer with varies steps in between. And finally, the promotion of the beer is through various characteristics of a marketing plan where advertising is included. Research Questions The main subject studied in this academic style dissertation is the effects of branding and marketing within the American and British brewery industry as well as the power to achieve profitability. The specific research questions are designed: To understand and compare the brand drivers of the beer industry in the US and the UK To evaluate the distribution channels To better understand the governments role To find out how the leading firms within the UK and US industry are profitable within a competitive market dealing with the current economic downturn Research Question 1: How does the US and UK brewing industry implement their branding identity? Research Question 2: How will social-economic trends affect the profitability of the US and UK brewing industry? These questions will provide an understanding of firm characteristics within the industry and their business practices as well as the relative success of the leading firms. Terms used within the industry are defined as follows from the Dictionary of Beer (2001): Ale: a type of beer fermented with top-fermenting ale yeast Bar: a public room within a pub Barrelage agreement: a common method for a brewery to tie up a ‘free pub in return for a ‘cheap loan Beer: the generic term for a non-distilled alcoholic drink produced by fermentation of a wort derived from mashed malted barley grain Beer orders: UK government regulations concerning licensing laws and consumer choice in pubs Bitter beer: highly hopped ales with an aftertaste associated with hops, malt and yeast Bottom fermentation: fermentation at 10 °C where yeast cells sink to the bottom of the vessel Brew pub: a pub which brews beer on the premises and serves food Brewery: a place where beer or ale is brewed Brew house: the area of a brewery where the beer is mashed and brewed Brewing process: the process of making wort, boiling it with hops and fermenting it into beer Cask: the general name for any of the barrel-shaped containers of various sizes used for traditional draught beer Draught: a general term for any drink that is dispensed from a bulk container into smaller measures for sale Fermentation: biochemical reaction when sugar is converted to ethyl alcohol by yeast and some bacteria Free house: a pub supposedly free of any brewery tie and able to offer a range of beers from different breweries Guest beer: a beer, not regularly sold in a pub, being on offer for a limited period Lager: beer fermented with bottom fermentation yeast where primary fermentation is at a lower temperature than for ale and secondary fermentation happens in closed conditioning tanks around 0 °C. Light beer: any American low-calories beer which does not contain dextrin and alcohol content ranges between 2.8 to 4% Microbrewery: small-scale brewery operation where equipment has been specially developed for brew pubs and small independent breweries and produces a limited amount of beer Macrobrewery: a large brewery produces larger amounts of beer at a cheaper price Off-trade (or off-license): where places like a supermarket or convenience store are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off of the premises On-trade (or on-license): an establishment where alcohol must be consumed at the point of sale such as the pub or bar Premium lager: a lager brewed above 5% alcohol strength Porter: a dark, slightly sweetish but hoppy ale made with roasted barley Pub: a house open to the public at stated times for the purpose of social drinking Standard lager: a lager brewed under 5% alcohol strength Stout: a very dark, heavy, well-hopped bitter ale with a dry palate, thick creamy head, and good grainy taste from a dark roasted barley Three tier distribution (NBWA): the US distribution system for the beer industry where brewers make the beer, wholesalers distribute it to supermarkets and bars, and retailers sell it, but no one within the line is allowed to do one of the other two at the same time Tied house: a pub which is obliged to sell only the products of a particular brewery Top-fermentation: fermentation where the yeast rises to the top of the vessel in a thick foamy head Wort: the sweet liquid, containing all the extracts from the malted grain, which subsequently will be fermented into beer Framework The framework for the dissertation is as follows with this chapter presenting the overview for the present study. In the next chapter the methodology is described in greater detail. In Chapter Three, a review of the literature relating to industry concentration, advertising, competition and demand is presented. Chapter Four will consist of empirical materials of primary and secondary data on the leading macrobreweries within the US and the UK as well as results of semi-structured interviews comprised of people working within the industry. Chapter Five conveys the analysis and findings developed throughout the research. The final chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations for further areas of research.

france business :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studying and understanding different cultures of the world, is an integral part of successfully communicating internationally. This paper will examine three case studies evaluating communication styles in France. The focus will be on McDonald’s France, Euro Disney, and Accor. These three cases all involve a lack of effective communication and understanding of French Culture. French Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to examine these French communication case studies it is important to understand the French culture. The French are characterized as having a very high level of uncertainty avoidance, but ironically change their minds quite frequently. The French are also very characterized as a very individualistic culture, meaning that everyone is only supposed to take care of themselves and their immediate family. These characteristics will be seen throughout the case studies, especially the uncertainty avoidance factor. McDonald’s France Case:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonalds has opened franchises all over the world, little did they know that breaking into the French market would be such a challenge. McDonalds is a global corporation that is now tailoring its food, and entire dinning experience to fit local cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first, the French were not very receptive of McDonalds invading their country, and were very reluctant to indulge in the high fat, fast food. Culturally it was different from anything they had ever experienced before. Initially French McDonalds were replicates of American McDonalds, serving the same menu with the same structural layout. The French traditionally enjoy lingering over their meals, and creating a dinning experience as opposed quickly consuming a large amount of food. These factors led to a slow start for McDonalds in France.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The French were also very concerned about the high level of fat contained in the traditional McDonalds menu. This became a huge communication problem, especially when protests started picketing several McDonalds in France. McDonalds France Solution:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These problems have been handled by having McDonalds France Public Relations Department giving several press conferences, as well as, distributing several press releases. Since the Problem spans the entire country, high level McDonalds executives are communicating with the public. This communication does not end with high level executives; the message has permeated throughout the entire organization. The managers of individual franchises are very proactive to address and resolve the problems McDonalds has been experiencing. They choose to use the several forms of media that are most likely to actually reach the average McDonalds consumer, news paper press releases, press conferences that could be aired on the local news, and a new advertising campaign.

Presidential Election Speech :: essays papers

Presidential Election Speech Hello my as many of you know my name is John Moriarty. I am running as the Democratic Candidate for President of the United States of America. So that you understand my positions on certain issues I will tell you a little about myself. I was born on August 16, 1948, my father was a former U.S. senator. I grew up in the Bronx, of New York, and I received a degree in Government from Harvard University. After I graduated I volunteered for enlistment in the U.S. Army and I served in Vietnam. When I returned to civilian life I married a woman named Nicole Swift, who is my wife to this day. We then started a family, in 1973 I had my first son named John, and in 1980 I had another son named James. I then studied Law at Vanderbillt Law School. In 1976 I was elected to represent New York in the U.S. House of Representatives, I was also elected to U.S. Senate in 1984 and again in 1990. I will now state my position on 4 separate issues that are current in the United Sates today. The first issue I will talk about is abortion. I am pro-choice, I do feel that women should have the right to choose if they want an abortion or not. Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in the United States today. One out of every three pregnancies never takes place because a woman has an abortion. It is understood that a new individual human begins growing in the mother’s uterus at fertilization. The term abortion refers to any premature expulsion of a human fetus. Approximately 93 percent of all induced abortions are done for elective, non-medical reasons. In 1973, the Supreme Court handed down Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions legalizing abortion in all 50 states during all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason, medical, social, or otherwise. This problem has split America in to two sides; pro - choice and pro - life. In January 22, 1973 U. S Supreme Court declared that a women had the " Fundamental Fight" to have an abortion. I agree with the ruli ng the Supreme Court made I will stand by it. The next issue I am going to elaborate on is gun control. I am very supportive of controlling the amount of guns that are distributed, I feel that there is too many crimes with illegal guns that happen everyday.

My Faith Essay -- Christianity Biblical Christian Religion Essays

My Faith During my life, I have had many experiences that have shaped my character. One of these moments happened when I was a junior in high school. This is when I decided to join my high school track team. I had always played many sports such as golf, basketball, wrestling, and football, but I hadn’t been involved in track. So I decided to give it a try. It may seem strange, but that track season, as well as certain circumstances that happened during the season, was very beneficial in learning some simple concepts of my Christian faith. When I first joined the track team, I was very excited. I was looking forward to the upcoming season and my chances to be a star sprinter. The first few weeks of the season were tough, but I was determined to reach my goals as a sprinter. I worked my hardest in all that the coach had us do, but I especially focused on the sprints because the next week was when the coach told us what our races were going to be according to how we did in the practices. I was almost sure of my spot as a sprinter because I was the second fastest kid on the team, but the next week was â€Å"the moment of truth.† Monday had come of the next week, and it was time for practice. I can still remember the anticipation as the coach read off the lists and positions of each person. I was shocked to discover that the coach had placed me in the middle distances rather than the sprints. I was a bit upset upon discovering this. After all, I was the second fastest kid on the team, and I didn’t run my hardest in the longer races on purpose just to ensure that I would get a spot as a sprinter. However, this did not happen. I told my parents about my position that night, and they gave the usual speech that probably many of y... ...ecause I thought I was about to be passed. The roar increased with every stride closer to the finish line. The next thing I remembered was crossing the finish line in first place and turning to glance back down the track. To my surprise, the second placeman was over 50 meters behind me. I had achieved first place, and fell only 1 second short of the 800 record. The rest of the day went the same way. Our four by 400 meter relay team took first place, and we ended up breaking the record in that race. After this I decided to stay in track, and I ended up being the second best in the state. I learned a few lessons from this. The first was that if we persevere and give everything our best, God will bless us. God also taught me a big lesson in humility. I have learned to rely on God and to listen to what my parents say. This was one of my most influential moments.

Media regs

Though freedom of the press is protected and guaranteed by the First Amendment, there have virtually always been laws limiting and defining that freedom.   These restricts stem from English common law regarding libel and defamation and from the attempts of the United States government to keep up with ever changing modern times.The initial restrictions on the freedom of the press were only in regards to libel and defamation. These concepts, dating to before the adoption of the American Constitution, were inherited restriction of the freedom of the press. Ultimately though, in American law at least, they   come down to a singular defense. It’s not libel or defamation if it is true.Libel laws require that the victim be identified, that the thing being written damages them in the eyes of a significant minority and that the accusation not be true. Under American law, truth is the ultimate libel defense. However, the American court system has also long held that the freedom does not extend to the press the right to deliberately and with malice harm a person or group by reporting fiction.   If the issue being reported is true, then there is no libel. This differs from other countries around the world, including Australia, where libel simply involves damaging another person’s reputation and the claim can be made whether or not the facts in evidence support the accusations made.The important distinctions of American libel law in lie in identification and the concept of a significant minority.   In the part, American courts have ruled that identification does not necessarily mean by name. Identification can be implied, so that a significant number of people can figure out who the individual is that is being discussed or it can be as a member of a group. For example, even if Bob Jones is never identified by name as a member of the library board, he is a part of that group.If the press then accuses all library board members of being tax cheats, and Jo nes is not, then he has been libeled as part of an identifiable group. The other interesting caveat of the law and the administration of libel law is that the victim must only prove that their reputation was damaged within a significant minority.   This wording leaves a great deal up to the discretion of the court, both in determining what is a significant minority and when that minority might believe the things that are published about an individual. Ultimately though, all journalism students in the U.S. are taught that truth is the ultimate defense. If the issue being reported is true, there is no libel.Further restricting the freedom of the press is the concept of defamation of character.   This is the statute under which most lawsuits against tabloid magazines were brought before the more modern move to accuse them of invasion of privacy. Libel requires that a person suffer actual damage as a result of the insult to their reputation, i.e. the loss of a job, relationship or s ome tangible asset. Defamation simples requires that a person was injured by the falsehoods spoken or written about them.This was well and good until 1964 when the Supreme Court ruled that public persons, politicians and others who earn their living via being in the limelight, could only sue for defamation when they could prove actual malice. This meant that unless the public figure, say the president, for example, could prove that the news organization concocted false stories knowingly for the sole purpose of harming him, he would have no right to sue. If the story was true, then he definitely had no grounds to stand on.In 1798, the U.S. Congress further restricted the freedom of the press with the Sedition Act of 1798. The sedition act said, among other things, that any â€Å"false, scandalous or malicious writings† that bring damage to the U.S. Congress, the President, or any branch of the government were illegal (Wisconsin Journalism 2005). The laws regarding seditious li bel were used to keep the press from criticizing the government and to restrict the freedom of the press. Furthermore, the government has always seen fit to regulate â€Å"adult content† in print and has in recent years also restricted the types of advertising allowed in some form of media.However, with the advent of and expansion of radio and television, the U.S. government determined it necessary to create an entirely new arm of the government to regulate the media, the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC was begun as a means of controlling the airwaves with a lot of lofty goals in place. Allegedly, there was a concern about air space.The frequency the broadcast media was using had to be apportioned so that radio stations were not stepping on each other’s signals, preventing anyone from receiving clear reception. Furthermore, by regulating the size and power of the broadcast tower, the FCC claimed it was preventing the rcih stations from dominating the airwave s with might instead of talent or desire. The plan then, was to increase competition by making sure than everyone was on a level playing field.As time progressed, the FCC also worried about the influence that the broadcast media held and installed limitations on the number of television stations and radio stations that could be controlled by a single company or person. The idea was to again promote competition and prevent one faction from having superior control over the information accessible to the average citizen.   In further support of this, in 1949, the FCC instituted the Fairness Doctrine, a rule that said if a broadcast media gave a specific amount of time to one side of an issue, it was required to give the same amount of time to the other side.This was done theoretically to promote fair and balanced reporting of issues so that the public could make informed decision regarding political issues, rather than being completely influenced by hearing only one side of an issue. Paid advertising was exempted, except that the media had to charge the same price to whatever person wanted to buy advertising space rather than offering special deals to the side of an issue supported by the editorial staff of the station.The fairness doctrine was later withdrawn as unnecessary, but there have been some efforts recently to bring it back. Largely, these efforts come in the form of diatribes against right-wing talk radio, saying that because the talk show hows do not present fair and balanced reporting of the issues, the stations which air them should be forced to offer a show with a counter point. Opponents of this argue that free market competition has made the right-wing talk shows profitable and that commerce, not politics, has dictated the content of most broadcast stations.Because of the differing availability of broadcast television and radio, the FCC has also felt more comfortable with restricting the types of advertising that these stations may accept and wh en they may air it.   The FCC banned some alcohol commercials and all cigarette advertising from the broadcast media in an attempt to legislate a healthier country. Proponents of the restrictions say that manufacturers were unfairly using the psychological impact of broadcasting to influence people of an inappropriate age range to drink or smoke. Further restrictions have run the gamit from requiring alcohol manufacturers to encourage responsible drinking to forcing tobacco companies to rethink and redesign trademark logos.In short, the FCC has tried to regulate the broadcast media at any turn that it appears the American public is likely to accept. They have been able to do this by differentiating between the press and the mass media when it suits them. And, the FCC has tried to regulate the print media as well, from suing Hustler for its publication of pornography to creating and overseeing joint operating agreements between major metropolitan newspapers, forcing the papers, onc e owned by the same company, to maintain separate editorial boards to preserve the appearance of competition and diversity in news.The FCC has also tried to regulate even more modern media forms with attacks on the internet and attempts to regulate how Americans access the world wide web.   This over regulation has led to a backlash with many people believing that the industry needs to be de-regulated and the FCC in a precarious position. In recent years it has fined broadcast networks for the language and behavior of shock jocks, for â€Å"wardrobe malfunctions† at the Super Bowl, and for language used during prime time television.But an increasingly media savvy nation is demanding that they back off. Yes, some people were offended with the sight of Janet Jackson’s breast in a time when people believed the programming to be â€Å"family-friendly†, but at the same time, people are also calling on the offended to regulate themselves and turn off the programs th ey find offensive. Many people no longer believe in the government’s right or need to protect people. After all, what tech savvy child can’t find his way to much more gratuitous sites on the internet?The relaxing of the regulations on the broadcast media is long overdue.   The broadcast media has been ham strung for years by the overregulation by the FCC. It has suffered through undue restrictions and made to compete with cable television which did not suffer from the same sort of restrictions. They have been subjected to the whims of the FCC and have had restricted advertising revenues due to FCC regulations. The reality is that Americans are tech savvy enough now to restrict themselves. If they want to keep their families from viewing in appropriate materials, they can do so via parental controls or a v-chip.   It should not be the government’s responsibility to legislate morality.Furthermore, the regulations either need to be applied across the board or n ot at all. The FCC has not kept pace with technology in the modern era, and has thus not had Congress give it jurisdiction over newer forms of communication including cable television and satellite radio. As these things become commonplace, by regulating the broadcast media that uses the free airwaves and not the pay-for-use broadcast media,   the FCC places the free media at a distinct disadvantage and should not do so.While some restrictions on the freedom of the press, such as libel and defamation laws are appropriate, laws aimed at â€Å"protecting society† from itself, including advertising and pornography restrictions should be lifted. Once again, the government should trust the free market to decide as it did in the Imus’ case. No FCC interference was needed to get the bigoted talk show host off the air. The fair market did its job, demanding that he be removed or th station face lost revenue. That should be the way the media is regulated.WORKS CONSULTED †Å"America’s Battle over Media Ownership† The Economist, Sep. 11, 2003. , June 29, 2007.Hendrickson, Chris T and Francis Clay McMichael. â€Å"Controlling Contraditctions among Regulations†   The American Economic Review, Vo. 75, No. 4. Sep., 1985, pp. 876-877.â€Å"Media Regulation†, PBS,, June 29, 2007.