Cognitive Learning Theory Lecture Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Learning Theory Lecture Essay Cognitive Learning developed by theorist Edward C. Tolman, explains the way our brain processes and interprets information that we learn. The biological basis of cognitive learning style is grounded in brain theory. .(Different Cognitive Learning Styles, 2003-2013) It’s the relationship that occurs between two stimuli, but even though the stimulus is the same our brains react in different ways. However, each person process information at different rates. This type of learning style is basically defined as a personality aspect which affects attitudes, beliefs, and social communication. An example of Cognitive learning style can be how a person develops skills and familiarity, and how they establish and recall information. Some people need to picture the task before starting; others organize learning and teaching successively or casually and some work rapidly or purposefully. Cognitive Learning: Latent Learning Cognitive learning is internal and is broken down into thought processes. One important cognitive process is called latent learning. Latent literally means ‘hidden†, and occurs without any reinforcement, but is only demonstrated when some type of incentive is given for doing it. Basically, you learn thru shear repetitiveness. Unknowingly, our brain absorbs the information which is stored deep in our subconscious, and is only brought out when faced with a situation when the information is necessary. For example, say you car pool with someone to work every day, but she/he drives. Although you’re not driving you may still learn the route to your job, but have no reason to demonstrate your knowledge of this. However, if the person you car pool with gets ill you may need to drive yourself. By doing so, subconsciously you realize you’ve learned the same route that the usual driver would take, this is considered latent learning. Cognitive Learning: Observational Learning According to Albert Bandura and his colleagues, observational learning is also a major part of the learning process. Observational learning is just that, learning by observing what they see and then demonstrating it themselves. Basically, observational learning happens in a way that someone must notice something someone else is doing. Then record it in their mind, and finally imitate the actions. These actions may or may not happen again, and the choice to continue emulating these actions depends on the outcome. The intelligence level does determine whether someone is limited to or has the ability to mimic the person. Examples of this process would be someone observing someone tying their shoes and imitating it themselves with the reward of not tripping when they walk. Or perhaps, watching someone commit a crime and then getting punished for it shows the observer that imitating is not always ideal. Because each person acquires diverse cognitive learning styles, it is not only challenging but perhaps impossible to reach every person in a particular way. Numerous researchers have made an effort to deliver ways in which the learning process can take effect. Individuals are affected by components in their surroundings like sound, light, and feelings as well as incentive, diligence, obligation and the need for organization. There are some sociological needs that can be challenging and also affect you like peers, certain groups and adults as well as physical desires, like perceptual fortes, aperture, time and freedom of movement. References Different Cognitive Learning Styles. (2003-2013). Retrieved from http://www.learningrx.com/different-cognitive-learning-styles-faq.htm Feldman, R. S. (Ed.). (2011). Cognitive Approach to learning. Essentials of Understanding Psychology (9th ed., pp. 188-194). Retrieved from

Analysis of impulse buying

Analysis of impulse buying Impulse buying is defined as a buying action undertaken without the problem having been previously recognized or a buying intention formed prior to entering the store. Operational Definition Shoppers are asked upon exiting the store what items they purchased. For each item, they are then asked some variant of the question when they decided to buy; before or after entering the store. The items purchased whose decisions were made after entering the store are impulse purchases. Problems identified with impulse buying studies: There are three main problems with the earlier research on impulse buying Prior studies conducted were based on a taxonomical research approach which classified products into impulse and non-impulse categories. This tends to ignore that fact that almost anything can be bought on an impulse. This approach is ineffective because it divert attention from the internally triggered motivations and their expression which is crucial to understand impulse purchase. At the end of the day, it is people, not products that show impulse consumption behaviour. Not all impulse buying can be categorized as unplanned purchase and vice versa. A lot of purchase which are not planned can be a result of stimulation in the minds of the consumer inside the store which leads to recall of the purchase which they planned long before but had been delayed or postponed. It is incorrect to classify such behaviour under impulse. Impulse buying drops down to a much narrow and specific range of phenomenon than may come under unplanned purchase. To clarify it can be said that impulse buying occurs when a consumer experiences a sudden, often powerful and persistent urge to buy something immediately (Hoch Loewenstein,1991) There hardly exist any theoretical models or framework on impulse buying behaviour. Previous work has not offered any behavioural model to explain impulse buying in totality. Especially if we look at the functional or implementation level for the marketers, there hardly exist any organized reference models to use impulse purchase as a tool to improve sales. Many models link arousal and purchase indirectly linked by some external variable. But they have no mention of phenomena where arousal leads directly to purchase. Five factors that affect impulse purchase: 1. Navigating through categories lead to impulse buying: I found this paper on e-Commerce that had a very interesting study on impulse buying and what causes it. The paper studied habits of consumers shopping online, and found that people browsing through products by clicking categories were more likely to buy something on impulse than people searching for stuff online. The rationale is that people navigating through categories get exposed to a much greater breadth of products than people looking for products through search. 2. Power Distance Belief (PDB): I found this research paper that discusses the concept of Power Distance Belief (PDB) and its impact on impulse buying. I am not sure if I fully agree with it, or even understand it, but its a really interesting and novel take on the subject. Power -distance belief is the degree of power disparity that the people of a culture expect and accept. Higher the PDB, the more a person expects and accepts disparity in power. Eastern cultures like China and India have a high PDB and western cultures like America have a low PDB. A low PDB results in greater impulse buying, and a high PDB results in lower impulse buying. The reason for that people is eastern cultures who expect more power disparity, are also brought up to practice self restraint much more than people in western cultures who dont expect so much power disparity. 3. Prosperity: I really dont need research to tell me that prosperity leads to impulse buying. During the peak of the recession impulse buying was not even something I thought about, let alone engage in. Now, that the situation has markedly improved, a lot of people are engaging in it, including myself. 4. Shiny stuff causes impulse buys: According to this piece, things that are sparkly, noisy, jiggly, furry, fuzzy, or have any other feature that makes them draw attention will sell well on impulse. This makes sense too, because the more attention something draws, the more likely it is that you will think about it and end up buying it. 5. Price: This factor is the most talked about when it comes to impulse buying. A lot of people say that they indulged in impulse buying just because something was on a discount. I am sure deals and discounts contribute to impulse buying, and when we see something priced much lower than what we are used, that triggers a desire to get that thing and save money. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3374/is_n13_v12/ai_9204083/?tag=content;col1 Visual aid to trigger impulse purchase: Emotions are at heart of impulse buying decisions Todays retail stores are almost universal in their reliance on self-service merchandising and a high rate of impulse buying. Self-service merchandising is facilitated by store design and careful attention to traffic flow, while impulse buying is enhanced by the use of special displays. Estimates shows that at least 5 percent of total sales are the result of special displays. Impulse sales are created not by persuasive reasoning, but by striking an emotion that the customer can act upon quickly. There appear to be three mechanisms by which the impulse buying response can be triggered. First, the special display cues the customer to respond to an external advertising campaign. The display creates impulse sales by reminding customers about the extensive advertising to which they have (hopefully) been exposed. Second, the display can serve to break the consumers conditioned reflex to buy a particular product. If the consumer buys Brand A because it has become a habit, then it will be necessary for them to have a reason to break this conditioned purchase behavior. Special displays provide a way to accomplish this because the consumer is responding emotionally, not through a reasoned process. Finally, special displays create impulse sales for new or novel products by instigating the desire to try something new! The salient feature to remember about impulse sales is that they are a response to an emotional appeal. A successful appeal may take many forms, but those most universal and easiest to communicate are identified by simple phrases such as: low price, new, free, extra, etc. A special display is used to get the customers attention for each of these messages. To be successful in creating sales, each of the special displays must meet two objectives. The first and most basic is to get noticed. This is accomplished by positioning the display, where it is easily seen (either on an end cap, or sticking out from a shelf). However, given the competition for customer attention, this often is not enough. Methods of increasing visibility include bright colors, maximizing separation from the shelf or general merchandise, and massive size. Using special displays to increase impulse sales. To be successful in creating sales, each of the special displays must meet two objectives. The first and most basic is to get noticed. This is accomplished by positioning the display, where it is easily seen (either on an end cap, or sticking out from a shelf). However, given the competition for customer attention, this often is not enough. Methods of increasing visibility include bright colors, maximizing separation from the shelf or general merchandise, and massive size. The space and situation will dictate which method is appropriate. If, for example, the objective is to increase soft drink sales, this most likely is best accomplished by creating a large display with prominent signing. You also would want to increase impulse sales by creating a display of related merchandise such as snack foods and barbecue supplies. However, if less space is available, then the traditional `shelf-talkers and checkout counter displays are more useful approaches. Another excellent method for attracting attention is the use of special lighting. Lighting not only attracts attention to products, but also communicates a message. Incandescent light creates a softer, warmer image associated with quality. Coloured lighting can be used to achieve other effects. The second objective of a special display is to create an impulse to buy. The message must be clear, immediate, and the action required, unambiguous. Of course, the trick is knowing how to communicate an emotional appeal that translates into the `buy me now message. For chain drug stores, the messages that are most likely to be consistent with the merchandising mix and business policy are price and convenience (Ted Gladson Emotions are at heart of impulse buying decisions.) Model to explain purchase behaviour: Any visual contact with the product or product related communication produces a stimulus or need to look at the product and try it. This leads to development of an attitude towards the product stimulus and leads to three situations: Affect This leads to Behaviour Cognition Reliance martC:UsersnimishDesktopRelianceMart at Ahmedabad.JPG Spread across 165,000 square feet of shopping area, RelainceMart will provide the shoppers a never before experience shopping delight. The hypermarket will carry a range of over 95,000 products catering to the entire family. Shoppers will have the option to choose from a wide array of products in every category ranging from Fresh Produce, Food Grocery, Home Care Products, Apparel and Accessories, Lifestyle Product, Footwear and much more. RelianceMart offers some unique services to the shoppers like tailoring, shoe repair, watch repair, a photo shop, gift services and laundry services all within the store. The store also houses its own fresh bakery serving hot off the oven bread and bread products throughout the day and local savories, an ice-cream train for the kids, a chakki, ready-made batter and loose tea and pickle for the housewives. RelianceMart will also sell fine jewellery and fashion jewellery as a part of its Lifestyle section. RelianceMart will also house a health and wellness store providing pharmaceutical drugs and other wellness products. For the shoppers convenience, the store has a cafeteria providing quality food and beverages for ready consumption, an ATM machine and a consumer service / membership desk to provide the customer a truly international shopping experience. RelianceMart with 61 check-out counters has for the first time in India introduced the Mobile POS system for faster check outs. This is aimed at reducing the customer wait time. The store planning, atmospheries and layout has been designed specifically to provide a complete solution to the customer. RelianceMart will remain open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week. The store has over 400 highly skilled and trained customer sales representatives. STAR BAZAAR The uniqueness of each Star Bazaar store lies in the size and spread of its merchandise range. Shoppers can select from a large range of staples, fresh goods, apparel, luggage, consumer durables, household products and much more and also enjoy the benefit of generous reductions on the market rate.C:UsersnimishDesktopimages.jpg The stores stock goods according to regional customer preferences, as customers in different regions favour different essentials. For instance, in Gujarat, people tend to stock up on their pulses whereas in northern India, basmati rice is a big item. Star Bazaar is aware that people today look at value as a critical component while shopping. And that the first visit may be put down to curiosity, but customers will keep coming back only if they are satisfied with the choices, the quality and the value of the products on sale. So the big focus is on understanding its customers who they are, what they want, what is relevant to them, and how to package it in a manner that makes the store more attractive to them. PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS (All the information used below is taken from the quantitative and qualitative study done for this dissertation) The figure shows the percentage of respondents ever visited one of these stores. 97% of the respondents said that they have visited Big Bazaar at least once, followed by reliance mart, Star Bazaar and Vishal mega mart in the respective order. Factors leading to choice of a hypermarket store Quantitative research shows that the factors affecting the choice of hypermarket store can be broadly classified into three categories: Category Factors Most important Location Variety Discounts Average importance Brand name Quick billing Ease of finding product Quality Experience Least important Size of store Assistance in shopping Shopper Behaviour Trends Pre Planning of purchase From the research it is evident that majority of the shoppers prefer planning their purchase before going to shopping. Research says almost two third (74%) of the respondents pre plan their purchase. This may include everything from the written plan to the mental plan the shopper has. More expenditure than planned Even when a majority plans their purchase, most of the time shoppers end up spending more than planned in a hypermarket. From the above graph it is evident that almost 60% spend more than planned almost every time they go out shopping in a hypermarket. This extra amount can be attributed to the impulse purchase of the shoppers, which means that even when the shopper plans the purchase before entering a hypermarket they still end up purchasing products out of the list. Relationship between preplanning of the purchases and actual impulse behaviour The above figure shows how impulse purchase varies with pre planning of the purchase by the shopper in a hypermarket. It shows some relation between the two: Among the people who end up spending more every time, 61% are the ones who plan their purchase and rest 39% are the ones who dont plan. Among the people who hardly ever spend more than planned, 86% plan their purchase and 14% do not plan. Hence, pre planning of purchase can affect the overall impulse purchase but the impact is very less and consumers planning of purchase dont really influence to their impulse behaviour. It clearly suggests that a good number of purchase decisions are actually taken inside the store. Thus, opens a huge window of opportunity for marketers to influence their behaviour in favour of their product. Mode of payment preferred The number of credit and debit card users in India is climbing fast, and rising affluence is likely to erode Indians lingering reluctance to spend on credit. Indians have traditionally valued thrift and frugality. But the spread of affluence in the wake of rapid economic growth is challenging these values, at least for many middle-class and high-income families. One sign of this is the phenomenal growth in the number of credit and debit cards in India-in the past three years, the number of credit cards has more than doubled and the number of debit cards has almost quadrupled. It has been observed that the mode of payment can influence pain of payment. Since paying by the card will feel less painful than paying in cash, participants will spend more with card. Similar trend is observed in the above pie chart, which says almost 60% of the shoppers today prefer using their credit/debit cards in place of cash. Relationship between mode of payment and impulse purchase From the above figure it is clear that people who end up spending more in form of impulse purchase are the ones who prefer card over cash. On the other hand people using cash hardly ever spend more than planned. Thus, mode of payment can be very significant in influencing the purchase behaviour, especially impulse purchase, since the pain of spending is much less in card payment. Purchase from attractive kiosk The above pie chart shows how product placement and point of purchase communication influence the shopper behaviour. Retail Communication helps the retailers generate sales by using any one or a mix of these outputs and inform, persuade and remind customers about the retailer and its offers. Stores use tools such as visual merchandising, signage and graphics, and other forms of point-of-purchase communication (PoP) to achieve an effective in-store strategy. The consumer response from the above figure shows that 61% of the total respondents show an intention to purchase from an attractive kiosk for product launch or promotion. The above graph shows the trend of actual purchase from such kiosks. It clearly suggests that shopper may try it at times but it depends on various factors such as (findings from depth interviews): Price When it comes to picking up product on impulse from a promotional kiosk, price matters a lot. People would not want to risk buying an expensive product, which they dont have a prior experience with. At low price the risk associated with the purchase gets reduced a lot and results in high trial rate. Category openness to new product depends a lot on the importance of that product in our daily lives. For example, women are very particular about the cosmetic products that they use and are not open to experiment much on the other hand product category like snacks and chocolates does not pose any such risk. Thus, product category also influence this impulse purchase behaviour. Brand Brand name brings with it trust and reliability, which reduces the risk associated with a product trial and shoppers are more open to buy such products. For example, Apple launches its new products and even before the reviews comes out, brand loyalist buys them, because of the trust Apple has built over the years. Packaging Visual appeal plays a very important role in differentiating the product from hundreds of other products kept in a hypermarket. Packaging cannot just attract the customer but can also lead to final purchase because it is the first POP communication by the product. Brands like Parle Agros Hippo took this insight and launched the product in almost all hypermarkets and have been very successful. Discounts / offers Most of the time trial can be triggered by offering discount or some promotional scheme. In this way marketers can reduce the risk by adding more value to their offering. Also, it catches eye and the psyche of Indian customer is such that it looks for higher value at lower cost. It also creates a sense of urgency because even when customer does not need the product he/she may buy thinking that the discount may or may not be available in future. This result in impulse purchase for the purpose to stock. Purchase near billing area Billing counter is the most strategic location to trigger impulse buying behaviour in the shopper. Few factors that affect are: Time Most of the times in Indian hypermarkets people have to stand in queues before billing, this extra bit of time is when they actually think of other things they wanted to buy but may have forgotten. Presence of products around Area near the billing counter is full of products that are high on impulse purchase. These products are not the low priced and mostly eatables. For example, chocolates, toffees, chewing gums, chips, etc. Presence of such products generally tempts the shopper to pick them. The whole experience of shopping happening all around them leads to such behaviour. Influence of others purchase There is a saying that grass on the other side is always green, which holds true with Indians, while shopping too. Every person carrying a product in its shopping cart is marketing for the product. We also tend to look at other peoples shopping cart when we are waiting in the queue and that is the time when we recall most of the items that we need but forgot to buy. This is a major reason of impulse purchase in a hypermarket as compared to that of traditional retail format. Fear of loss Section wise unplanned visit The movement of the shopper inside a hypermarket is the most important thing to study for a marketer because it is very important for any manufacturer to place the product in such a way that it is visible enough to the shopper so that they can make up their mind and buy it. Impulse purchase is hugely dependent on the way the shopper move inside the store. From the research, the above graph shows what sections of the hypermarket witness highest unplanned visit. Most of the times shopper just walk through the section even when there is no intention of buying any product. Looking broadly at the various sections the hypermarket is divided, I listed down the major ones. From the above figure it is clear that: Highest unplanned visit happens in Snacks section that includes chips, biscuits, wafers, chocolates and other packaged snacks. Research shows 71% of the total respondents visit these sections even when they had no plan of buying anything from these sections initially. This is because of the following reasons: Price: Temptation: After snacks comes apparel and personal care section. Here Category bought on impulse QUALITATIVE findings Factors affecting the purchase behaviour and specifically impulse purchase in a hypermarket: Time Hypermarket is a retail format which offers a wide variety of products and practically all the consumer needs can be met at that very place. In such a situation it becomes important for them to spend time inside and take a look at every section of the hypermarket. During the depth interviews, there has been a significant change in the shopper movement and behaviour when given a situation where they have some extra bit of time to spend in the store. For example, they were given a situation where they came for a movie but got tickets of the show that is 2 hours late. Now, they have these 2 hours and they enter a hypermarket when they had no intention to visit the store initially. The response shows that now there movement would not be driven by the pre planned intention but the choice they unconsciously make. Sections they prefer to visit now are the ones which will witness maximum impulse behaviour. During the interviews it was evident that in such a situation maximum number of shoppers would want to visit the apparel and footwear section. Below table shows how the behaviour vary with different age groups. This is an important indicator for marketers and retailers to generate impulse purchase by placing their products at the entry or exit of these category sections. Disposable money (amount willing to spend on different categories) The amount a shopper carrying is also a very significant factor that influence his/her movement inside the store and hence impulse purchase. During the depth interviews, the respondents were given a situation where they were asked to imagine a situation where they are having some extra money and they wont mind spending it that days shopping. There was again a significant change in the behaviour in this situation as this extra amount psychologically give them the freedom to wander in sections that earlier they avoided because lack of money not lack of interest or time. This behaviour is again is important for marketers and retailers to generate impulse purchase by placing their products at the entry or exit of these category sections. In this case, there is a higher chance of impulse behaviour due to availability of extra cash and high intention of purchase. Payment mode Mode of payment is also a very important factor which came into light by observing shoppers at the store and depth interviews. To conduct this study I traced shopper movement inside the store and their purchase trends. If was evident that people end up spending more when they dont pay in cash because the pain of payment is very low in card as compared to that of cash. In store design Billing Counter From the above research it is quite evident that products kept near billing counter have a high probability to stimulate impulse buying behaviour. Various factors like time of queue, access to others shopping cart and the mental satisfaction of buying products contributes to this behaviour. It is designed in such a manner that while waiting in the queue you cannot avoid the sight of the products. Most of the times the products found are low priced and discounted like chewing gums, chocolates, chips, soft toys etc. Shelf placement Shopper movement Entrance Exit Shopping frequency and impulse The above graph explains the relation between shopping frequency and impulse purchase behaviour. Generally, people going for shopping everyday do not spend more than planned. It is evident from the higher number of respondents in the last three categories of everyday shoppers. On the other hand people going shopping less often tends to spend more than planned most of the time which is clear from the fact that first three categories are high on once in 3 months purchasers. Recommendations Promoting impulse buying behaviour Businesses who wish to promote their products and focus on impulse buying should create an environment where shoppers can be comforted and relieved of their negative perceptions of impulse. They should focus on the relative reasoning of impulse buying in their marketing efforts. Similarly, they should also focus on the non-economic rewards of impulse buying. Additionally, businesses can make the environment more complex, further straining consumers abilities to process information accurately. Such techniques as stocking more merchandise, creating stimulating atmospherics, and increasing information may be useful to stimulate impulse buying. Businesses have to make impulse purchasing more risk-free, through convenient return policies, or increase enablers such as credit and store hours. Importantly, this model also offers options for consumers to control their buying impulses, if they choose to, or feel better about their impulse buying, by relieving their negative evaluations of impulse. How to promote impulsive buying Emphasise needs versus wants Highlight that it will not impact on their shopping budgets over time Create a store environment which dazzles them and where they lose control Provide flexible payment methods. Some people have less cash in your wallet and sometimes leave credit cards at home Avoid making the customer wait 24 hours before making an unplanned purchase Demonstrate that this deal/offer will not last tomorrow before they realize that such deals occur on a regular basis Stress on the emotional aspect of owning the product. Good amount of effort should be put into messages which should make consumers recognize that buying on impulse is not bad. Once consumers recognize that products are more than commodities and that they are buying to please their desires, they will feel more comfortable with the impulse buying decision. Product trial There is a wide gap between the points where the product visual generates the stimulus to final purchase. To minimize this gap and to convert all stimuli into action product trial can prove very effective. This helps customers check the quality of the product and its utility, such an experience can reinforce the buying impulse and the need to buy starts dominating. Some well known things about impulse buying Traditionally impulse buying is defined as Unplanned buying refers to all purchases made without such advance planning and includes impulse buying, which is distinguished by the relative speed with which buying decisions occur. Impulse buying occurs when a consumer experiences a sudden, often powerful and persistent urge to buy something immediately. The impulse to buy is hedonically complex and may stimulate emotional conflict. Also, impulse buying is prone to occur with diminished regard for its consequences. Why people buy impulsively? Some say that it acts as a stress reliever Perceive it as the best buy of that time People are captivated as an audience Consumers have extra money in their budget These are some of the characteristics of impulsive buying Unplanned, Spontaneous and intense urge to buy the purchaser often ignoring the consequences Without much prior knowledge of the product or intension to buy A kind of emotional and irrational purchase often for reasons like fun, fantasy and social and economic pleasure Consumer often regret their purchase after purchasing Internal factors affecting impulsive buying Depends on the mood of the individual, positive mood triggers impulsive buying Impulsive buying is more a need than a want Potential entertainment and emotional worth of shopping Cognitive/affective External factors affecting impulsive buying Windows display Visual merchandising In-store form display Promotional signage Word of mouth messages E-commerce Impact of impulsive buying on the consumer Disturbs the overall financial budget Often gives product dissatisfaction and less alternatives are considered People who go for impulsive buying often have post purchase regret Irrational decision making being more emotional http://www.focus.com/briefs/marketing/impulse-buying-boosting-your-bottom-line/ Limitations People in the city are not used to research hence they were not very responsive or had less idea on how to answer certain questions. As a student, I had limited amount of resources (money, time, contacts etc) to spend on this research. This research has been conducted in two hypermarkets (Reliance mart and star bazaar), the research findings cannot be extended to all hypermarkets in India. This restricts the scope of applying the findings. There are various psychological factors driving impulse behaviour which cannot be covered in this study due to knowledge limitation. Hence the findings cannot be extended to these areas.

The Dying Dreams :: essays research papers

Arthur Miller profoundly explores the subject of morality and human values in his two famous plays, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons. Though dealing with a common topic , the works contain major differences that help to make them unique. Death of a Salesman describes the tragedy behind shattered dreams and the effects that they bring on entire families. It focuses greatly on illusions created by individuals and the inability of those individuals to except reality. All My Sons, on the other hand, explores the frightening reality of people's insensitivity and their moral values and the illusions created to cover up the tragic reality. The reality versus illusion theme exhibits the parallelisms and the distinctions between the plays. The subject of human values may be compared through the points of view, the imagery, and the life lessons of the two works. All My Sons denounces immorality more directly then Death of a Salesman. Joe Keller's refusal to stop the shipment of cracked cylinder heads causes the deaths of innocent American soldiers. The grim reality is that he allowed the people who were defending him and fighting next to his sons to die, thus committing the ultimate sin of murder. In All My Sons Joe Keller immensely influences the lives of many outside his family while caring only about his own. By contrast, in Death of a Salesman Willy Lowman commits adultery, a rather minor sin when compared with murder. His influence is limited only to the lives of his wife and sons, while he desires to impact the lives of those outside his family. Arthur Miller emphasizes the destruction of lives more apparently in All My Sons then in Death if a Salesman. However, both plays are linked to events dealing with acquisition of money. The theme of material wealth can often be noticed as the basis for many actions in the two works. Joe Keller commits the terrible act because he fears loosing his business and thus, not being able to provide for his family materially. He willingly chooses money over the lives of the soldiers and over the life of his friend and partner. Similarly, Willy Lowman's every action in life revolves around money and material success. His obsession with acquiring wealth destroys his relationship with Biff and his own sanity and happiness. Willy has an affair only to further himself in his career, only to attract more customers.

technology in education :: essays research papers fc

Technology in Education With technology benefiting various fields, life has suddenly become a joyful journey for everyone. In the simple forms, like electronic stoves, telephones displaying caller’s ID and automobiles the ride of life has become a pleasure. In the same way, the lives of students have also taken a leap towards easiness. When we talk about technology in education the first and foremost advancement is the computer and internet. If a student has the Encyclopedia of Britannica or Microsoft’s Encarta Encyclopedia on his/her computer, he rarely finds himself in a library or even on the internet. But for those who don’t have these encyclopedias have the entire world of internet information at their finger-tips. Internet in its simplest form enables one to access emails; this too is a source of information especially for those who are in contact with their teachers and need constant aid. Those who have joined Distant Learning Education programs need internet and the snail-mail system. If the postage was unreliable or the money transfer system was unpredictable then distant learning programs wouldn’t be so famous and sought-after. A normal school going 8th grader has luxuries enough. Assignments are doable no matter how tough they are. If there is a presentation to go along with, then projectors come very handy. Children also bring along their self made slide shows if the facilities are favorable. The field of education is vast. Be it the education in cosmetics, graphic designing, journalism or multimedia, technology is playing a huge part. Take photography for instance; new models of cameras keep emerging, the film has a variety of types and now with the emergence of digital photography, many people have suddenly realized that they want to make it their profession. For this, institutes are bringing in latest course outlines, equipment for study, instructors are being brought-in and dark rooms are being built. Education was tough without technology. Parents were constantly worrying about their children who were sent abroad to study. Now with technology in picture, long distance calls have become much easier and considerably cheap. Nearly all students in an institute carry cell-phones making the above mentioned problem of worrisome parents seem small. Even though this involvement of mobile phone in the field of education is not that much, yet it’s so useful that just about everyone has this equipment. Taking lectures was tiresome task, but with the introduction gadgets like; PDA, laptop and voice recorders, this dull work is now more enjoyable.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Essay -- essays research papers

1) Summary of Character Traits a) School smart (Maya is smart. When she moves to San Francisco from Stamps, Arkansas, she is skipped a grade.) b) Caring sister (she always talks of her devotion to Baily) c) Determined (she wants to get a job with the streetcar company and she keeps bugging them until they finally give her a job) d) Proud (she lives with the junkyard kids instead of going back to her father’s; she slaps Dolores for calling her mother a whore) 2) Appearance a) African American, tall, skinny, small and squinty eyes, big feet, large gap between her front teeth, black hair 3) What The Character Wants a) Maya wants, ultimately, for her family to be happy. She wants the segregation of blacks to end (she is disgusted when young white girls call her grandmother by her first name). 4) How the Character Changes a) After being raped, Maya stops talking as much b) After spending time living in the junkyard, Maya learns tolerance, which will help her through out her life. She matures from a young girl to a mother, as well. c) Becomes more mature once she gets her job with the street cars 5) Key Statements About the Character a) â€Å"Ritie, don’t worry ‘cause you ain’t pretty. Plenty of pretty women I seen digging ditches or worse. You smart. I swear to God, I rather you have a good mind than a cute behind.† (p.56) b) â€Å"In those moments I decided that although Baily loved me he couldn’t help. †¦ I knew that because I loved him so much I could never hurt him† (p. 73) 6) Key Actions a) Father comes to Stamps and takes them to their mother b) Moves back to Stamps, then to SF c) Drives home from Mexico d) Slaps Dolores e) Stays with the junkyard people f) Gets pregnant 7) What Others Think Of the Character a) When they are younger, Baily really looks out for Maya. As they grow up, and after she spends time with her father, they drift apart. b) Her grandmother loves Maya very much, and knows that she is a very smart girl with a lot of potential. c) Her mother seems to care much more about her than her father did. Thesis Statement: Maya Angelou faces many hardships, yet manages to overcome them all, in her autobiography, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.† Maya Angelo... ...a car accident, and her father is woken up. After the horrendous trip to Mexico, Maya and her father return home to find his girlfriend enraged. In an outburst, the girlfriend calls Maya’s mother a whore. Maya slaps her, which provokes Dolores, the girlfriend, to attack her. After that situation, Maya goes and lives with children in a junkyard. After living in the junkyard, she returns home to her mother. Later on after that, she gets pregnant. Although Maya is younger than he is, Baily admires his sister for her academic abilities, among other things. Maya’s grandmother loves her very much. She instills in her strong beliefs and good morals. She knows Maya is a very smart girl and does the best she can to work Maya to her full potential. Maya’s mother spends more time with her than her father does. Although both parents love her, the love of her mother is more apparent. It is her hope that the segregation will end, and the black people will be equal to the white race. The way in which Angelou portrays her life makes the reader feel pity at times, for the way Maya and her family is treated, rage at other when Maya acts badly, and joy when good things happen for their family.

Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely Essay

In this short story, Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely, Socrates Furtlow, an ex-convict, faces the dilemma of getting a job. Socrates served 27 years in prison after killing two of his friends while drunken. Furtlow was now living life as a bumb who went around selling old bottles and cans to make a living. This story tells his struggle to find honorable work as a black man in society because of his background. He ended up lying on his application because he was afraid of what people might think. Although there was discrimination and disrespect not being completely honest with people may come back to haunt you later. A 58 year-old man who hadn’t worked in 37 years would have a hard time finding a job as it is the fact that Socrates was an African American didn’t make anything easier. Socrates assumed places of business in his home neighborhood, knowing his background, wouldn’t even think of hiring him. So Socrates traveled approximately 14 miles and 3 bus transfers from his apartment in Watts, to a Bounty Supermarket to try and get a job. He had been practicing for a week on how he would ask for his job application. Though he was a murderer and not a thief, as he entered the store, he wondered what the workers would think if they knew of his prison background. The assistant manager, Anton a young white man came up to Socrates and asked if could help him. Socrates felt as though he was being miss treated from the get go. After Socrates asked for â€Å"an application† Anton played dumb acting as though he didn’t understand what kind of application he was asking for. Once Socrates made it clear he was there for a â€Å"job application† Anton had yet another insulting question, â€Å"Uh. How old are you, sir?† (p. 2626) Being a man of imprisonment of twenty-seven years, Socrates knew his rights and knew that it was unlawful to discriminate against someone by their age or race. Anton continued to say that they didn’t have any openings at the time and made it clear that he wasn’t going to get an application. Socrates also made it clear that he wasn’t going to be turned away so easily. â€Å"I know what you said. But first you looked at my chothes and at my bald head. First yo’ eyes said that this is some kinda old hobo and what do he want here when it ain’t bottle redemption time.† (Gates and McKay p. 2626) Everyone should have an equal opportunity in getting a job and at least a fair chance with an application. After Socrates and Anton discussed their  rights and the law the assistant manager went to the main office to fetch and application. The elevated office looked over all the checkout counters and where Socrates stood waiting. Socrates was then center of attention to all the bag boys and checkers as they all knew their boss, Anton was unhappy. Anton and an older white woman exchanged a few words then she handed him the application and he stormed back down to Socrates. Rudely handing him the app Anton was about to go on with his day but Socrates wanted a pencil to fill it out and give it back. He had come a long way to turn in an application not just receive a sheet of paper and wasn’t leaving until he did so. Thirty minutes later Socrates stood at the foot of the stairs leading up to the main office with his almost completed application in hand. Nearly forty minutes passed and he knew they could see him and he could see them but he waited patiently, on the outside, though inside he was thinking of throwing a brick through the window. He had a few questions for the manager, Ms. Halley Grimes, when she finally came down to take the application but she rudely tried to brush my off as though she were too busy. She told him they would give him a call if it went through the main office and came back fine. He then told her he had no phone and it would be better if they wrote to him, but she unwilling to help in any way explained that without a phone she could do no more for him. He begged for her to just send it in anyway and he would find a way to be in touch. So for five consecutive days Socrates took three busses to the Bounty Supermarket to ask if they had heard from the head office. The woman started to worry and told Socrates again that because he hadn’t a phone he couldn’t work there and that he returned she would call the police. On the fifth day he showed up and two gentlemen from headquarters were there to speak with him. Socrates told his story and how he had been mistreated from day one and that he was told he couldn’t work if he didn’t have a phone. Socrates then explained that with no job he couldn’t afford a phone and with no phone he couldn’t get a job. That is probably the most adverse way of showing the meaning of â€Å"equal opportunity†. The two men explained why he would not be able to work at that location because Ms. Grimes was afraid of him, but that they may have a job in Santa Monica. Lying on an application is a crime in itself. Socrates didn’t fill in one question on his application know if they knew what he was he wouldn’t have a chance at a job. The two men noticed the  blank question and confronted Socrates. After all his talk about equal opportunity and the law, he lied and said it was just an honest mistake and that he was clean. So the two men gave him the job in Santa Monica and he would finally have a paycheck coming in, that is until the untold comes back to bite him in the rear. You can be fired just as fast as you were hired, or slow in his case, if you lie on an application. This story begins a series of confrontations (with violence lying just below the surface) that explore both the necessity and the irony of equal opportunity. Works cited Gates, Jr., and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. 2nd. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2004. Print.

Ancient Art: How It Affects Society Today Essay

Ancient art has a timeless value on how it affects society today. In order to interoperate each work of art, an individual must have a full knowledgeable concept of how to define each piece. This essay defines each the Mona Lisa created by Leonardo Da Vinci and the Venus de Milo sculpted by Alexandros of Antioch. It defines the form, subject matter, and content for both pieces. The comparison between both pieces is very much different in concepts, but the meaning of both, hold so much of value is very similar by level of representation. Ancient Art Art within itself defines who we are as individuals through the way we express our; feelings, emotions, expressions, and things we create. Looking at the â€Å"Mona Lisa† created by Leonardo Da Vinci, this was certainly a masterpiece that captured the eyes of many through its meaning and design. In a resemblance to art, the â€Å"Venus de Milo† created by Alexandros of Antioch, was a spectacular sculpture that was dated back to 100BC and speaks too many about its characteristic. There are many different aspects to define each artwork such as; the form, subject matter, and its content. Relating art to its time is a crucial aspect to know and understand what possessed meaning during that time. The form of the work is a very crucial aspect to apply when looking at art work. The Mona Lisa is a two-dimensional oil painting on a panel of wood. The painting technique Leonardo da Vinci used was called sfumato (the Italian word for smoke) which involves using several translucent layers of color to produce depth in the painting. I t is still unknown how Leonardo applied the paint as there is no obvious evidence of brush strokes or use of fingers. As for the Venus de Milo, it was a three-dimensional sculpture created out of Italian marble which is a hard stone that has a fine grain which allows for it to be carved with a high degree of detail. According to Lee (2013), â€Å"The Venus de Milo was carved from at least six to seven blocks of Parian marble: one block for the nude torso, another block for the draped legs, another block apiece for each arm, another small block for the left foot, another block for the inscribed plinth and finally the separately carved herm that stood beside the goddess.† Obviously the two differ in many different perspectives. First, sculpting and painting are two different forms of art but the intensive meaning behind both of them represent how much impact art has on society. The material and techniques varied in many different aspects as well and the color, whereas marble wasn’t available in different color schemes. The subject matter behind each piece was a representational outlook for highly respected and loved individuals. From what an individual can gather immediately looking at the Mona Lisa is that, from the sad expression on her face shows meaning behind her life. As for the Venus de Milo, individuals could gather it was someone of value in that era of time. Each with a powerful meaning behind each, but for those who know very little about art could not literally depict what it was actually representing. The content to these two masterpieces are very significant in meaning. The Mona Lisa Possessed a very interesting meaning behind the painting. The name of which the Mona Lisa was given was from Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a wealthy Florence businessman. In modern Italian, â€Å"mona† means â€Å"my lady† or â€Å"madam,† so the title means â€Å"Madam Lisa†. According to Gwen Bruno (2009), â€Å"the portrait really represents the former Duchess of Milan, Isabella of Aragon and that her sad expression is due to her unhappy marriage.† The sculpture of Venus de Milo is the representation of the Greek goddess of love and beauty, is meant to be the depiction of pure beauty and perfection, (Mike De Rose, 2008). The action and modernized drapery give the Venus great nobility of a goddess. According to Mike De Rose (2008), â€Å"the Venus de Milo represents the girl that this man can never have, and acts as a fantasy for him. When Dario writes â€Å"in the impossible embrace of the Venus de Milo†, he is portraying how it would be impossible to hold or even touch this girl.† The time periods from which these were created were of substantial value to those of its time. The Mona Lisa more accurately fits the description of so by customs and values during that time. The Venus de Milo was more theory opposed to a literal value because she was of creation. Both of the timeless pieces of art will forever hold their value and meaning and will always be cherished. References * Gwen Bruno. (2009). â€Å"What Does the Mona Lisa Represent?† Demand Media Inc. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2013 from; http://www.ehow.com/facts_6175839_mona-lisa-represent_.html * * Lee. (2013). â€Å"What was the Venus De Milo made of?.† Yahoo Inc. Retrieved January 25, 2013from; http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070220141508AA8kRqO * * Mike De Rose. (2008). â€Å"The impossible embrace of the Venus de Milo.† Mercyhurst.edu.Retrieved January 25, 2013 from; * http://plato.mercyhurst.edu/english/breed/www/I%20Seek%20A%20Form/Venus%20de%20Milo.htm *