My inspiration in professional path of modern art Essay

My inspiration in professional path of modern art - Essay Example Losing the competition one time to a colleague who managed to come up with an exquisite work despite my father’s huge investment on his must have caused him a great deal of disillusionment toward his potentials. So whenever I would stop to wonder how my father was able to get it over with, I am all the more encouraged to appreciate the idea that imperfections in creativity are a means to muster the strength for accepting weak attributes and being flexible to entertain new alternatives. It is not merely his love and fondness for craftsmanship that creates the significant impact, judging from the measure of refinement in his work. I could sense so much freedom and humility in the manner he moves his strokes as if every fine detail of construction speaks of a lyrical struggle with hardship involving tons and tons of Masonic patience. In addition to his technical and mathematical aptitude, I suppose that the way by which my father exhibits his structural endeavor depicts his humbl e acknowledgment of the truth with respect to the interest of time and critical reality. Being motivated by my father has taught me to challenge my approach to forms and styles as I gradually learn the essence of crossing borders to strategize outside of the typical. With dad’s guidance and further training in the academe, I look forward to establishing my identity with art as well as mastery of learning tools which I know are essential for the heart of artistry aimed at constructing marvelous pieces.

The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby represents the American Dream of the 1920’s comprised of social values, wealth and excess in hope to make his own dream a reality. Social Values: 1. â€Å"I hope shell be a fool—thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool† (17) Explanation: The social environment in existence within the novel does not value the intelligence of women. By wishing her daughter to be unintelligent Daisy is asserting that the social constructs in evidence at the time entail that her daughter would be happier if she was simple; she will not be bored and frustrated in her existence in the same way Daisy herself is. 2. â€Å"in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged† (18) Explanation: Although Tom and Daisy are considered wealthy members of the aristocracy their actions reveal an underlying egotism that reveals the shallow nature of society. Tom and daisy have a disregard for people who are from a lower class and they believe that money makes them superior. 3. â€Å"Mrs. Wilson changed her costume sometime before and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream colored chiffon which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room† (35) Explanation: By referring to Myrtle as Mrs Wilson, Fitzgerald is emphasizing the fact that she is married and is therefore acting in a manner that is inappropriate. The fact that her dress is cream further reinforces her lack of purity. Her willingness to engage in an affair that is morally wrong is representative of the values of the society of the twenties. 4. â€Å"Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the Cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known (64) Explanation: Here Nick is revealing a great deal about the society of the twenties. During this period a great deal of money was being circulated and, alongside it, dishonesty and corruption. His comment reveals the degree of dishonesty in evidence within society at this time. Wealth: 1. â€Å"a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud. (23) Explanation: This quote describes the life of people who have failed to acquire wealth. Their existence and surroundings are represented by the color grey. They live in poverty and serve as an image of failure. 2. â€Å"A pair of stage ‘twins’- who turned out to be the girls in yellow- did a baby act in costume and champagne was served in bigger than finger bowls† (36) Explanation: The color yellow is of significance here and is a color that is used to emphasize the moral corruption the twins represent. The use of costume within the act is illustrative of the facade people use. As with the costume, the material items they possess entail that the characters in the novel are false and define themselves by material wealth as opposed to being true to their characters. 3. â€Å"They were careless people, tom and daisy they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made† (170) Explanation: This quote portrays the impact that wealth has had on Daisy and Tom. They have no regard for anything or anyone else. When they encounter problems they simply throw money at them, they believe that their material possessions make them immune to difficulties, which are something that people who are not as significant as them can deal with. They are consumed by their superficial possessions. 4. It was a photo of the house, cracked in the corners and dirty with many hands He had shown it so often that I think it was more real to him now than the house itself (180). Explanation: This quote represents the relationship Gatsby has with his father. Even his own family value him for his wealth and not for who he truly is. His father takes a picture of a house to the grave with him. This shows what he values; material possessions. Excess: 1. â€Å"the one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard—it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. it was Gatsbys mansion (9) Explanation: This description of Gatsby’s mansion reveals further conspicuous consumption. He has spent copious amounts of money on acquiring a status symbol that he hopes can attract the attention of Daisy. Whilst he has enough money to be able to spend excessively he do so in a futile manner; such material things can never make him truly happy. This can be perceived to be a criticism of the falseness of the American Dream. 2. â€Å"His family were enormously wealthy – even in college his freedom with money was a matter of reproach – but now he’d left Chicago and come east in a fashion that rather took your breath away: for instance he’d brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest. It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that. † (10) Explanation: Nick was explaining the wealth of Tom Buchanan’s family stemming back from his college days. At that young age he had the unusual luxury of money and then showcased his wealth by bringing a fleet of polo ponies along with him when he relocated. The quote shows how people would spend all their money just for amusement, because they could not because they needed anything. 3. â€Å"The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it, so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the garden of Versailles. † (35) Explanation: Mrytle is obsessed with projecting an image of that of a wealthy individual. Her apartment shows that whilst she has money and possessions, she is lacking in class and is unable to grasp what is appropriate for her apartment. 4. â€Å"composed of oddly familiar pieces of ivory. Finest specimens of human molars, he informed me (77) Explanation: Here Wolfsheim is describing his cufflinks. This again shows how someone has made a purchase simply to make a point. In this case his elaborate cufflinks represent the combination of gentry with barbarinism. His conspicuous consumption is aimed at proving his status to those around him.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay -- Pregnancy Health Essays

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Many studies have established that a developing organism is susceptible to exogenous and endogenous factors during certain stage of the organism’s development. The effects of ethyl alcohol or ethanol on the developing fetus, which manifest a variety of characteristic abnormalities, are collectively called Fetal alcohol Syndrome. Ethanol exposure to the fetus causes various malformation ranging from the cellular to the organismic levels with the eventual results frequently being different levels of mental retardation (3). Chick embryo studies provide a relatively good model for defining the effects of ethanol at many organizational levels of neurogenesis, cell death, neuronal migration and differentiation, cell to cell connectivity, and synaptic function When ethanol is administered to embryos on days one to three of development, the cholinergic neuronal phenotypes were markedly decreased possibly in the sparing of catecholaminergic phenotypes which were increased. This differential sensitivity of these two early neuroblast populations to ethanol may also reflect the difference in their ontogenesis: cholinergic elements are reported to be expressed as early as the primitive streak, whereas catecholaminergic elements appear later (3). Embryos on embryonic day one are most susceptible to the effects of ethanol. Embryonic day one in the chick is marked by an active process of neurogenesis and neuro-organization. The neural tube elements are made during this early embryonic period. Brodie and Vernadakis inspected the effect of ethanol on cholinergic spinal cord neurons during this embryonic period. The neuroblast during this period shows plasticity with respect to neurotransmitter phenotypes, when ex... ...s in these target organs at critical developmental periods would result in defects of these organs (5). BIBLIOGRAPHY: Abel, E. and Sokol, R. A Revised Conservative Estimate of the Incidence of FAS and Its Economic Impact. Alcoholism, 0145-6008:514-524 (1991). Bonthius, D. and West, J. Permanent Neuronal Deficits in Rats Exposed to Alcohol During the Brain Growth Spurt. Teratology, 44:147-163 (1991). Brodie, C. and Vernadakis, R. Critical Periods to Ethanol Exposure During Early Neuroembryogenesis in the Chick Embryo: Cholinergic Neurons. Developmental Brain Research, 56:223-228 (1990). Burd, L. and Martsolf, J. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis and Syndromal Variability. Physiology and Behavior, 46:39-43 (1989). Keir, W. Inhibition of Retinoic Acid Synthesis and its Implications in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcoholism. 15/3:560-564 (1991).

Which Factors Make Advertising Effective?

EUROPEAN BUSINESS SCHOOL LONDON REGENT’S COLLEGE FALL TERM 2012 Which factors make advertising effective? A marketing literary review based on the Hierarchy of Effects, with a focus on the role of Music in Advertising Report by Onofri S. S00603638 Word Count: 2364 Supervisor Prof. Gordon Bowen Advertising and Media in the Marketing Environment (MKT5A5) 1 Summary Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 2 A Basic Condition †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 The HoE model: t hree responses to be aroused †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ) Cognitive Response †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2) Affective Response †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3) Conative Response †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The role of Music in Advertising 1) Cognitive Purpose 2) Affective Purpose 3) Conative Purpose RECOMMENDATIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 5 6 7 9 9 9 9 10 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. CONCLUSIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Appendices †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 List of References 2 ABSTRACT â€Å"What makes advertising effective? : this Report aims to answer this essential issue beca use it is the key for achieving –or not- the goals pursued by every company that invests in advertising. The general question has been divided in three areas, depending on the type of consumer’s response that advertising aims to arouse: cognitive, affective or conative, according to the famous Hierarchy of Effects model proposed by Lavidge and Steiner in 1961. In addition, the report focuses on the role of Music in advertising, with the purpose to highlight how its use can help to achieve efficacy in advertising.Five recommendations are identified through the report. Advertisers should first choose the media mix able to reach as many consumers as possible from the target audience (Ogilvy, 1985). Using appealing creativity (Dahlen et Al, 2010) and increasing the frequency of the message (Pickton and Broderick, 2005) is required to pass successfully through all the selective phases of consumers’ influence process, in order to make them memorize the contents of adv ertising. Music can be very helpful both for gaining consumers’ attention and giving a mnemonic quality to the message (Sutherland, 2008).An effective way to build an emotional link with consumers is referring to common culture (Godin, 1999). Jingles are able to involve consumers, at the point that they can become part of consumers’ cultural background of people (Sutherland, 2008). It is necessary to understand how the purchasing decision is taken by consumers in order to affect their behaviour; the FCB matrix by Vaughn (1986) identifies four types of purchasing process and suggests the quantity and quality of information to provide for each of them in order to have an impact on the decision making process.Since music sets up an entertaining mood, its use appears to be appropriate for the feel products and not for the think products (Arens et Al, 2011). As most of these factors refers to the ability of understanding consumers’ minds, the report has confirmed tha t psychology represents a basic support for marketing functions as the making of effective advertising (Foxall et Al, 1998). 3 INTRODUCTION This paper aims to identify the factors which make advertising effective.The research starts stating a basic condition then, since â€Å"efficacy is the ability to bring about the intended result† (Oxford dictionary, 2007), the report analyses which are the marketing objectives pursued by advertising. The Hierarchy of Effects Model proposed by Lavidge and Steiner (1961) is considered pivotal in the communication process. Accordingly, the report uses a tripartite approach in order to better isolate and identify the factors that make advertising successful whether the response sought from consumers is cognitive, affective or conative.The report then operates a specific analysis on the role of Music in advertising, showing how music can be a very useful tool to reach efficacy (Sutherland, 2008) for all the three pursued responses shown previ ously. Recommendations and Conclusions about the topic complete the analysis. Practical examples chosen among the most famous companies provide evidence to the theoretical analysis; further examples can be found in the appendices. This research has been performed through the method of the literary review: books, papers and articles of famous Marketers and Psychologists are used as sources.A Basic Condition Advertising is undoubtedly a central part of promotion, but compared to the 4 Ps of marketing mix theorized by McCartney (1960), it represents only an aspect of the marketing effort made by the company (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). To reach and maximize the efficacy of advertising, firms should develop a deep know-how of their market, becoming what Llambin (2008) calls market-driven companies. This is achievable only by large investments in market research, in order to know as much as possible about consumers and competitors.As Cowles and Kiecker stated (1998), â€Å"market rese arch is important not only to identify the most profitable target segments, but also to develop a message content that is appealing to them, and to identify the most effective and efficient marketing communications mix elements and media†. Companies have to focus all their functions to the market: only Market-driven companies will be really able to set the most effective advertising (Llambin, 2008). The HoE model: three responses to be aroused As advertising is a non-personal form of communication (Fill,2009), marketing can be supported by the studies on the communication process.Among them, the hierarchy of effects model proposed by Lavidge and Steiner (1961) states sthat when the ad message reaches the consumer, following the steps of the SMRC communication model (Berlo, 1960), the receiver responds by progressively undertaking three phases: the cognitive phase as first, then the affective and finally the conative. 4 Specifically, consumers will pass through these sequential stages: Awareness, Knowledge, Liking, Preference, Conviction, Purchase. [Figure A] Figure A : Sequential stages of Lavidge and Steiner model (1961) Source: http://www. earnmarketing. net/Hierarchy%20Of%20Effects. jpg Using this tripartite approach, the marketing objectives become more definite and therefore it is possible to identify more precisely the key factors for achieving efficacy. Firms should then set up a specific advertising campaign targeted for each of the three macro-responses they want to arouse in the audience (Lavidge and Steiner, 1961). As a confirmation, even the DAGMAR model (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results) proposed by R. H.Colley in 1961 suggests that any stage should provide the objective for Marketing Communication independent of the rest (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). The following three Mc Donald’s adverts clearly show this differentiated approach. In the first one [Figure B], nothing but the apposition of the two logos (t he wi-fi one made by chips) is used: since this ad wants to make the audience learn the service provided, it refers to the cognitive phase. ) Figure B. Source: http://4. bp. blogspot. com/_I9lJuLPsXSs/S0phHAFT6fI/AAAAAAAAJ9s/TR7j4eEnYWQ/s400/Cool+and+ Beautiful+McDonald%E2%80%99s+Advertising+10. jpg 5In the second one [Figure C], the baby approaching the hamburger evokes feelings of affection for the food offered by the company; an home atmosphere is aroused. Emotional persuasion is the first aim for the affective phase. Figure C. Source: http://www. breastfeedingsymbol. org/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2007/08/mcdonalds. jpg In the third one [Figure D], the invitation to take an action is extremely clear: consumers should have breakfast at Mc Donald’s on Mondays, convinced by the free coffee. This ad aims to induce a change in the consumers’ behaviour: it refers to the conative phase. Figure D. Source: http://www. cdonaldsstl. com/images/FreeCoffeeMondays-graphic. jpg The main limit of HoE is its rigidity: consumers do not always undertake these steps sequentially, because of their irrationality; however, the existence of these three kinds of responses is widely accepted also among the critics (Barry and Howard, 1990). Accordingly, it is possible to reformulate the central question in a more detailed way: which elements are necessary in advertising, in order to improve the company’s performance in brand awareness (1), in the affective relationship with the consumers (2), and in the sales (3)? 6 1 – Cognitive responseThe goal of these campaigns is to ensure that customers are properly aware of the brand; making clear the brand positioning is the main aim (Egan, 2007). Reach is the first key factor. Pelsmacker (2007) defines it as â€Å"the number or percentage of people who are expected to be exposed to the advertiser’s message during a specified period† . Reach plays the either/or role in the SMRC process: if the compa ny does not reach the consumers, no response can be aroused. Therefore, the choice of the most appropriate media mix to reach the target segments becomes crucial for the success of the advertising campaign (Ogilvy, 1985).According to the selective influence process theories, people play a very active role as receivers in the communication process (Karlz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). There are unconscious and social intervening variables which affect the final internalization of the message. Since only the memorized information is able to affect the consumers’ behaviours the ability to pass through the selective phases of the consumer influence process is the second key factor (Karlz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). To win the receiver’s attention, it is required to overtake what Wundt (1896) alls the absolute threshold, that is the minimum psychic intensity an individual needs for reacting to a stimulus. For this reason, the effort to provide appealing creativity to the advert gains gr eat importance (Dahlen et Al, 2010); moreover, since the traditional media are today overcrowded (Levinson, 2007), creativity can make adverts emerge to the consumers’ eyes. A clear example can be represented by the winner of the â€Å"Best Use of Blu Tac in a Shop Window Postcard Space† category in the Chip Shop Awards 2012. Clearasil posted a completely and intensely white postcard: impossible not to see.Figure E. Source: http://www. chipshopawards. com/ Clearasil is a brand of beauty products against skin imperfections (www. clearasil. co. uk) Use of creativity can also have negative impacts: it is difficult to define the line between great effect and great scandal (Godin, 1999). [see Appendix I] 7 In choosing how often to transmit the advertising message, psychology supports marketing once again (Foxall et Al, 1998). I. V. Pavlov developed the notion of â€Å"conditioned reflex† (1927): opposed to the innate reflex it is a learned reaction to a positive or n egative stimulus.In marketing, this means that the repetition of a message will increase its understanding; that’s why frequency plays a key role. Frequency â€Å"measures the number of times, on average, that a member of the target audience is exposed to a message or, more accurately, to the media† (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). Increasing the frequency helps making the advertise effective but, according to the Curve of Wundt (1896), if the intensity of the stimulus exceeds a certain limit it is even possible to arouse anxiety, nervousness and irritation in the receivers. – Affective response Here, the main goal is to create an affective link with consumers, in order to persuade them appreciating the brand and making a preference for it (Fill, 2009). The more the content of a message is associated to paradigmatic knowledge, the more immediate and simple is its decoding by the receiver (Grandori, 1999): that’s why advertising should carry associations rec alling to the common culture to be effective in building an emotional link with the audience (Godin, 1999).Among all the cultural aspects, political studies have shown that the more compelling ones are common roots ; common habits ; famous figures (Gabrielsen, 2010). The use of cultural associations can be clearly found in Chrysler’s spot for the launch of the new 200 model, shown during the 2011 edition of Super Bowl. The core of the message highlights the origin of the machine, manufactured in Detroit: â€Å" That’s who we are. That’s our story. (†¦) Because when it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from, as who it’s for. Now we’re from America, but this isn’t New York City, or the Windy city. †¦) This is the Motor city. And this is what we do. The new Chrysler 200 has arrived. Imported from Detroit. † [see Appendix II] Casting famous figures (VIP) as testimonial and being present at the big even ts widely enjoyed and cherished by people (as the recent Olympics in London 2012) are other effective ways to involve the audience (Arens et Al, 2011) [see Appendix III and IV] Thanks to these associations, every time that consumers get in touch with the reminded cultural aspect, they will also remember the linked brand (Godin, 1999). see Appendix V] This cultural approach shows some limits. Since culture is a sphere of meanings related to the past, the new products which aim to highlight innovation as their core quality can’t take the best benefits from cultural associations (Ogilvy, 1985). Moreover, relying on VIP means accepting the risk of linking to them the name of the brand also when something negative is referred to them (Arens et Al, 2011). [see Appendix VI] 8 3 – Conative response In order to affect consumers’ behaviours with advertising, it is necessary to understand how their decision making process works.The model developed by Vaughn for Foote Cone and Belding in 1980, known as the FCB matrix, considers it as driven by two variables: the level of involvement (high-low) and the type of approach to the purchase (rational-emotional). (McWilliam, 1997; Vaughn, 1980 and 1986). The result is the identification of 4 macro-type of purchasing process, each one requiring different kinds of information to be affected: differences are both in quantity – high and detailed or low and summarized– and quality –emotional or rational – of information. Vaughn, 1986). In Figure F, some exemplar products are placed in the 4 quadrants of the FCB matrix. Figure F. Source: Vaugh, 1980 Therefore, advertising can be effective only if it provides the consumers with the kind of information they look for in their decision making process, this one being identified by the quadrant the product is placed in. (Vaughn, 1986). The analysis of 4 different decision making processes is now addressed, referring to the model of Vaughn (198 6): 1. High involvement / rational.People look for the real facts, they need to gain the confidence they are doing the right choice (e. g. Mortgage). The way to be effective is to highlight all the product competitive benefits as well as the company know-how, and to provide the consumers with positive feedbacks . [Figure G] Figure G. Source: http://www. okeefeestateagents. com/_microsites/paul_okeefe/ docs/images/homepage/rightColAdvert/need-a-mortgage. jpg 9 2. High involvement / emotional. Consumers want to learn about and feel the experience (e. g. Holidays).Companies should provide content rich media with compelling personal feedbacks, music and everything else able to make the consumers taste the experience. [Figure H] Figure H. Source: www. adcracker. com 3. Low involvement / rational. People usually buy by habit (e. g. toothpaste). Underlining the incentives to change habits as sale coupons can be effective. [Figure I] Figure I. www. cuckooforcoupondeals. com Source: 4. Low i nvolvement / emotional. People often looks for sensory or psychological gratification (e. g. Movies).Showing sensory rich imagery can be successful. [Figure J] Figure J. Source: http://www. filmjabber. com/movie-blog/wpcontent/uploads/2007/11/the-eye-poster. jpg The limit of the FCB matrix is the difficulty to plot the product in the right quadrant, because of the inconsistencies between consumers’ and companies’ perceptions of it (Dahlen et Al, 2010). Moreover, as marketing environment is rapidly changing, products and services can fast move from one coordinate to another in the brand image of consumers (Fill, 2009). 0 The Role of Music in Advertising Music can be a very useful tool to reach efficacy in advertising, whether the aim is to arouse a cognitive, affective or conative response in the consumers (Sutherland, 2008). The analysis aims to show how the use of music can aid or hinder the effective factors identified in the general part. 1. COGNITIVE PURPOSE Music can help to win consumers’ attention: reproducing a song well-known among the target audience or a catchy rhythm greatly helps to get its attentions (Sutherland, 2008).The use of creativity in music can be found in the production of jingles, where companies set their own words to Music. â€Å"Jingles are among the best –and worst– ad messages produced. Done well, they can bring enormous success, well beyond the non-musical commercial. Done poorly, they can waste the advertising budget and annoy audiences beyond belief† (Arens et Al, 2011). [see Appendix VII] Moreover, what Sutherland (2008) calls the three Rs – rhyme, rhythm and repetition – give words a mnemonic quality, making the message more catchy and enduring in memory. 2. AFFECTIVE PURPOSEResearch has shown that the positive mood created by music makes consumers more receptive to an ad message (Belch and Belch, 2009). When words are set to the music, a desire for repetition can be cre ated: that’s why jingles are able to involve consumers, at the point that they can become themselves part of the cultural background of people (Sutherland, 2008). A chart of the â€Å"top 10 jingles of the century† has been made, according to people’s preferences: a prove of the attachment consumers have towards them (Belch and Belch, 2009). Figure K. Source: Belch and Belch, 2009The case of Oscar Mayer’s spots clearly shows the emotional power of jingles in advertising. [see Appendix VIII] Jingles are used less frequently today, replaced by an increasing use of current or classic pop songs: in the age of the technologic way to live music companies must be careful not to appear oldfashionable while using jingles (Belch and Belch, 2009). 3. CONATIVE PURPOSE Music can also affect the way people behave, but since it better vehicles an emotional message, it seems to be effective especially -if not only- with the â€Å"feel products† (Sutherland, 2008). A great example of how music can be focused on action is the jingle created by the pizza chain â€Å"Pizza, Pizza† in Toronto: the company put its phone number in the lyrics, so that Toronto residents could memorize it easily. [see Appendix IX] On the other hand, music causes what Sutherland (2008) calls the â€Å"wash-over effect†: when we listen to lyrics, we process the message as an experience that we can enjoy or not rather than 11 judging the reliability of its meaning. The entertaining mood set up by music is inappropriate when consumers want to focus on the rational information, as for â€Å"think products† (Arens et Al, 2011).As the analysis of consumers’ responses to music in advertising carried by Oakes (2007) shows, reaching a congruity between music and advertising in mood, genre, image and tempo contributes to the efficacy of an advertisement by enhancing recall, brand attitude, affective response and purchase intention. Since the negotiatio n of the license rights often needs large sums, marketers should carefully decide if and in which way music can be coherent with the marketing campaign, in order to avoid an expensive disorientation of consumers(Belch and Belch, 2009).RECOMMENDATIONS As shown through the report, advertisers should first ascertain to find the media mix that will maximize the reach of the audience (Ogilvy, 1985). Passing successfully through all the selective phases of consumers’ influence process is necessary to make them memorize a message (Karlz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). Concretely, this can be achieved by using appealing creativity (Dahlen et Al, 2010) and by increasing the frequency of the message (Pickton and Broderick, 2005).The use of Music can be very effective both for winning consumers’ attention and adding a mnemonic quality to the message (Sutherland, 2008). When aiming to build an emotional link with consumers, a successful choice is including associations recalling to common culture in the message sent to consumers (Gabrielsen, 2010). Jingles can be such able to involve consumers, that they can become themselves part of the cultural background of people (Sutherland, 2008).To effectively affect consumers’ behaviours, advertisers must understand how the purchasing decision for their products is taken by consumers; the FCB matrix by Vaughn (1986) suggest the quantity and quality of information to provide for each of the 4 types of purchasing process identified by crossing the level of involvement (high or low) and the kind of approach (emotional or rational). Music can be effective for feel products, but not for think products, since it sets up an entertaining mood inappropriate for rational decisions (Arens et Al, 2011).The overall recommendation for companies is to consider advertising as a process that involves the entire business as connected with it by a close cause-effect relationship: when an advert is not effective, it can be the symptom tha t there’s something wrong in the marketing decision making process, or it can be the cause leading to future problems in the relationship with the market (Llambin, 2008). CONCLUSIONS It has been shown that a tripartite approach to the central question â€Å"which factors can make advertising effective? is able to deeply analyse the issue and to define an accurate answer. Since all the factors except the maximisation of Reach refer to the ability of reading consumers’ minds, the report has confirmed how psychology can greatly support marketing functions and, specifically, making advertising effective (Foxall et Al, 1998). That’s why Market-driven companies, which have developed a deep knowledge of their consumers as a result of large investments in market research, have the concrete possibility to apply these factors in the most effective way possible (Llambin, 2008). 2 APPENDICES I. As an example, the historical testimonial used by Danish Frisbee Sports Union f or the 2012 campaign will be definitely able to catch consumers’ attention, but it can reasonably arouse perplexity and disgust in a high number of people. Source: http://www. chipshopawards. com/ II. Full text of the spot: Narrator : I got a question for you. What does this city know about luxury, hm? What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about the finer things in life? Well I’ll tell you. More than most.You see, it’s the hottest fires that make the hardest steel. Add hard work and conviction. And a know how that runs generations deep in every last one of us. That’s who we are. That’s our story. Now it’s probably not the one you’ve been reading in the papers. The one being written by folks who have never even been here. Don’t know what we’re capable of. Because when it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for. Now we’re from America – but this isn’t New York City, or the Windy City, or Sin City, and we’re certainly no one’s Emerald City.Eminem: This is the motor city – and this is what we do. Written text: The new Chrysler 300 has arrived. Imported from Detroit Source: http://www. youtube. com/watch? feature=player_embedded&v=V0HLIvtJRAI III. VIP testimonials can provide good advantages: a VIP well known among the target audience can better win consumers’ attention; it allows to make the advertising message more personal, exploiting the VIP’s familiarity with the consumers ; people will associate the appreciated qualities of the VIP to the product (Arens et Al, 2011). 13Nestle chose to set a totally VIP-focused campaign to promote Nespresso brand: George Clooney has being appeared in every adverts of the famous espresso machine, with the aim to take advantages from his style and world-wide popularity. Source of Image: http://www. generation-flux. com/images/Nespresso-site. jp g IV. A great example of how an emotional link can be built by focusing advertising on current events widely enjoyed and cherished by people is represented by the marketing campaigns of P&G, created to promote their laundry products Ariel in UK and Tide in USA during the Olympics of London 2012.The compelling references on the athletic competition were present in both the spots: â€Å" Before the Gold, Silver, and Bronze, it's the red, white and blue. At the Olympic Games, it's not the color you go home with that matters, it's the colors you came in. When colors mean this much, trust them to Ariel (UK)/ Tide (USA). † The meaning of the final sentence â€Å"Proud keeper of Our Country's Colours† was certainly influenced by the images of the athletes shown in the video: for Ariel, a high number of British participants ; for Tide, almost only American players.Sources: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=DoF9DROHYnU Tide for USA; http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Jipn-MGg0DA Ariel for UK. V. A great example of the power of cultural associations can be found in politics. The ex-Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, considered the biggest innovator in the Italian political marketing – in a negative or positive way depending on the political conviction – (Palmieri, 2012), named his first party â€Å"Forza Italia† (1994), that is the same slogan used by Italian people as an incitement for the national football team.The result was a â€Å"widespread embarrassment† (ibidem) when people not voting for Berlusconi wanted to support the football team, but they had to shout the name of his party: they could not manage not to think about this political association. VI. Cirio is an Italian company founded in 1856 specialized in canned food, especially in tomato paste. (www. cirio. co. uk) Cirio managers weren’t happy to learn that their testimonial Gerard Depardieu was founded drunk and misbehaving on a plane just two weeks la ter the advertising campaign was launched.The spot is accessible here: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=ReGPNs-HfH0 The episode reported: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/celebritynews/8706992/GerardDepardieu-accused-of-urinating-on-floor-of-plane. html VII. As an example, in the 1970s Coca-Cola was so successful with its jingle â€Å"I’d like to buy the world a Coke† that it was then extended and released to become an international chart hit called â€Å"I’d like to Teach the World to Sing† (Sutherland, 2008). VIII. Oscar Mayer is a brand owned by Kraft Foods.At the end of last century the company held local auditions in search of American children to continue the 30-year tradition of singing the catchy â€Å"bologna† and â€Å"wiener† jingles: they were such known that Oscar Mayer decided to be selfreferential in order to best cultivate the relationship with the consumers. Thompson, S. 1997. â€Å"Promotions: Nostalgia Bolognese† , Brandweek, April 14, 1997 Original videos are available here: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=rmPRHJd3uHI (Bologna); http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=aNddW2xmZp8&feature=related (Wieners) IX.The example and the text of the jingle are reported in Sutherland (2008, p 122): â€Å"nine-sixseven, eleven eleven / phone Pizza Pizza, hey hey hey! † 14 List of References BOOKS Llambin, J. J. , 2008. Market-driven management, Marketing strategico e operativo 5th ed. Milano: Mc Graw Hill. Oxford, 2007. Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on historical principles. Oxford: Oxford University Press Berlo, D. K. , 1960. The process of communication : an introduction to theory and practice. New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Egan, J. , 2007. Marketing Communications. South Western Cengage Learning.De Pelsmacker, P. , Geuens, M. and Van den Bergh, J. , 2007. Marketing Communications: a European Perspective, 3rd edition. Harlow: Financial Time Prentice Hall. Wundt, W. , 1896. Compendium of Psychology. Consulted in the 3rd Italian translation by Agliardi L. , 2004. Compendio di psicologia. E-book accessible at: http://www. liberliber. it/mediateca/libri/w/wundt/compendio_di_psicologia/pdf/compendi_p. pdf Katz, E. and Lazarsfeld, P. F, 1955. Personal influence : the part played by people in the flow of mass communications. London : Transaction (ed. 2006). Levinson, Jay Conrad; Levinson, Jeannie; Levinson,

China Essay

There were multiple changes and similarities from the time of the Warring States period to the time of the Mongols and the Yuang Dynasty. There were changes between politics and government, but also some similarities that helped China grow while also not maintaining the same structures that were successful, but did not prevail forever, because change was needed. From the Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuang dynasties, many differences occurred in government and education structures while also maintaining things like Confucianism.Many people were frustrated with the differences some dynasties brought which fueled the revolts against the dynasties, and the rise and fall throughout time. The similarities are not too common between the multitude of dynasties. The Han improved their own dynasty from Qin’s Legalist principles, while making their own revisions to improve China. The Han dynasty also continued the Qin’s start of building roads and canals for trade. Lastly, the H an dynasty followed in the Qin’s footsteps by sending officers to implement policies and maintain order in administrative provinces and districts.The Sui had connections to the Qin too, imposing tight political discipline and having a very centralized government like the Qin. The Tang did not have many connections to the roots of Qin, Han, or Sui. Tang Taizong wanted to create his own separate, unique dynasty, except that they continued the successful Han educational system, Confucianism. There are multiple differences between the dynasties. The Qin got China out of the Warring States Period with Legalism, but after not too long, people started revolting against Qin due to the extremely centralized government and tightly structured rules.Liu Bang and the Han dynasty came after the Qin. Liu Bang wanted a â€Å"middle government† that was not too much like Legalism, but not too unorganized, since that would bring China back to the Warring States Period. The Han was a ver y influential dynasty that lasted for a very long time, excepting a short period of time when the government was usurped by Wang Mang. After Liu Bang came a very good leader, Han Wudi. Wudi changed the Han dynasty to a dynasty that believes in success in Confucianism. Liu Bang was never a very big supporter of Confucianism.Wudi put Confucianism in place due to the lack of education in China. While Liu Bang was in power, there were about 3,000 students. By the time Wudi was gone, there were 30,000 students. The Han improved on Qin principles because Confucianism balanced out the Han unlike the Qin, since the Qin dynasty did not believe in Confucianism. Wudi built a bureaucracy out of China, which relied on Legalist principles. The Sui dynasty was a lot like the Qin, imposing tight political discipline, which is Legalism.Yang Jian was to be in charge of Sui dynasty, and was appointed by a Turkish ruler. Emperors of the Sui dynasty placed a heavy burden on China, making it a very centr alized government. While in office, Jian constructed the Grand Canal, which served as a trading route and a communication route between many lands. The Grand Canal made China very rich, due to all the imports and exports coming in and out from trade. Still, The Grand Canal cost a lot of taxes, and forced a lot of labor on the people. Due to that, the Sui got revolted against and did not last as long as other dynasties.Sui also based their education off of the Confucianism system, which worked relentlessly for them, making the people smarter, and a more educated China. The Tang dynasty survived very long, around 300 years. The Tang was very different than all the other dynasties, and only kept the Confucian based-elections in place from the roots of other dynasties. The Tang dynasty had three main focuses, that kept them effective, powerful, and productive. Those three main focuses were maintaining a well-articulated transportations network, distributing land based on the equal-field system, and relying on bureaucracy.The Tang had fast communications and good trade, due to the high focus on the routes and communication network. Though they thought it would work, the equal-field system did end up hurting the Tang dynasty. The equal-field system stated that everyone would have equal amounts of land, based on their needs. The equal-field system did do a good job of avoiding fighting over land, which was its main focus. The third main focus was bureaucracy, which was to make sure Confucianism stayed around so that the officials elected would be intellectually smart and make the right decisions for China.Tang dynasty also had a very powerful army, taking over lands from nearly every direction. Due to the mass of land size and military successes, the Tang is one of the largest dynasties in history. Han dynasty related to the Tang dynasty because the Tang knew they had to keep strong relationships with neighboring countries, and treat each other nicely. The Song was l ike a swing in the direct opposite way. After the fall of the Tang dynasty, Song Taizu came in and made China into a very weak country.Taizu was one of the most powerful landlords which was part of the reason he got elected as emperor. Basing China on civil administration, industry, education, and the arts more than military, the Song dynasty did not have the strongest of armies. The Song did base their bureaucracy off of Confucianism, but took it overboard. Taizu gave the officials very generous pay and benefits, which eventually drained China’s economy since there was a mass incline in officials. Taizu sent many troops out to war, many of which that never came home because of the lack of military experience and knowledge.Song dynasty lost battles to nomadic people at points due to lack of military. In the long future came along the Mongols and the Yuang dynasty. The Mongols did not like the Chinese, and they were not afraid to show it. The Mongols first imposed that a Chine se person and a Mongol cannot get married. After the ban of marriage, the Mongols then imposed that a Chinese individual is not allowed to learn Mongol, as if trying very much to keep the two cultures separated. Then there were rumors that the Mongols only took China for the need of land for their horses.After all the negatives the Mongols brought to China, they put their own officials into Chinese government so they could financially drain China as a last act. China changed drastically between the Warring States Period, when landlords owned China, and there were fights based on who gets what land. From landlords to Legalism, to Confucianism and bureaucracy, there was a wide variety of similarities and differences for China throughout time. Though some dynasties were more successful than others, China made it through and is now among the biggest places in the world.

How to Use a Pell Grant Calculator

How to Use a Pell Grant Calculator SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're trying to plan out your college expenses, the ability to estimate your federal aid eligibility can be a big advantage. There are so many factors to take into account, though - it might be hard to know where to begin. The good news is that calculating your Pell Grant eligibility probably isn't as hard as you think it is. And there's an added bonus: calculating Pell Grant eligibilitywill also generate informationabout other federal aid programs, like Stafford loans and work study. Best of all, it should only take about 10 minutes! Read on to learn about what you need to get started and how to calculate your eligibility. What Information Do You Need Before You Get Started? There are certain pieces of information that you probably don't need to research - like how many siblings you have, or your marital status - thataffect Pell Grant calculations. The calculator will also check for certain federal aid eligibility requirements.If you don't meet all federal requirements, you can't receive the Pell Grant; check out our Pell Grant eligibility guide for more information before you get started. The information you probably will need to research will be on your family's finances. If you don't have the documentation on hand it's fine to give estimates, but your calculations probably won't be as accurate.Here's thedocumentation you should have when you do your calculations: Your parents' most recent tax returns. Specifically, you need their adjusted gross income. The calculator will tell you exactly what line number you can find the adjusted gross income, depending on what form you have available. Your parents' asset net worth.The calculator will estimate an asset net worth based on the adjusted gross income you enter, but you may need to edit this. Asset net worth is defined as what your parents own (money, businesses, investments) minus any debt on those assets. You shouldn't include your parents' home or retirementplans. Your own most recent tax returns and asset net worth.If you don't file taxes or have any assets (like cash savings), you don't have to worry about inputting this information. Once you've gathered all this information, all you need to do is plug it into the federal aid calculator! What was that thing Ben Franklin said about taxes again? How Do I Actually EstimateMy Pell Grant Award? If you have financial information discussed above, this next step should be quick and easy. First, you should know there's no dedicated application for the Pell Grant - instead, all applicants are considered for it when they submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. To calculate your Pell award, we'll be using the FAFSA aidcalculatorcalled ... wait for it ... the FAFSA4caster.The FAFSA4caster isn't the actual application, so using it doesn't mean you've submitted an application for the Pell Grant. Although the calculator is pretty accurate, there's no guarantee that you'll receive the exact amount of aid estimated by the 4caster. To get started, click here and select theFAFSA4casterlink towards the top of the page. From there, follow the prompts on the screen; answer all questions as honestly as possible for an accurate estimate.There's a "helps and hints" section on the right side of the screen that will provide more information about the question prompts. Interpreting Your Calculator Results I completed an example calculation to demonstrate how to interpret your federal aid eligibility results. Keep in mind that my (fake!) results will likely look different from yours. Here's an example of what an aid eligibility calculation looks like before you enter college cost Whenmaking this example, I chose all of the standard options (no special housing circumstances, married/remarried parents, US citizen), didn't enter any personal income, and set my "parents'" income to $50,000. Based on this information, I would be eligible for a $2885 Pell Grant, in addition to $1465 in work-study and $5,500 in Stafford Loans.You can see these results in the image above. You've probably noticed that there are some blank boxes for state grants, college grants, and scholarships. The FAFSA4caster doesn't calculate these for you - it's just for federal aid - but itincludes these boxes in case you have other sources of aid you wanted to take into account. What you can do next, if you'd like, is calculate the difference betweenthe total cost of college and the amount of aid you get. The difference would be the remaining balance, or what you would be responsible for paying. Using the same information as above, I entered a College Cost of $30,000 and pressed "calculate." An example estimate of college cost minus total aid available In this example, my total aid (Pell Grant + work study + Stafford Loan) subtracted from my College Cost ($30,000) leaves me with a difference of $20,210. You'll notice that at the bottom of your calculation page there are spots to input savings and additional loan amounts - these numbers can be helpful to play around with if you're working out how to pay that remaining balance. What if the Aid You're Eligible For Isn't Enough? You've figured out roughly what you'll have to pay for college after accounting for federal aid, but what if that "difference" calculation is more than you expected? The good news is that you have other opportunities for aid. State financial aid also uses information generated by the FAFSA, so make sure to submit your application sooner rather than later. You can also look into private loans, scholarships through your school, or other merit-based scholarships. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

That Luscious Salagubang Essays

That Luscious Salagubang Essays That Luscious Salagubang Paper That Luscious Salagubang Paper My father is a small time farmer who has a taste for exotic foods. Each month, he has a list of rare recipes. For example, last January, he caught a big monitor lizard which he cooked into an aromatic adobo. I never tried to imagine myself the secrets of his cooking and the condiments that excited our nostrils with that mouth-watering aroma. My tour in the kitchen did not end there. In our typical nipa hut with an adjoining shelter as kitchen, I used to notice a foot-long bamboo receptacle resembling a rain maker hung on the wall, bound with abaca rope long enough to be tied around my waist. I asked mother what was it and she told me it was a salagubang container. It had a matching cover made out of wider-girth bamboo. Ah, that luscious salagubang! I am only able to taste you once a year. The last time was in May. Summer rain came in great volumes. Soon planting corn began and my odyssey to eating salagubang started. Father told me that a good catch usually occur during good weather. One evening, he walked with my two older brothers, Earl, 21 and Joe, 19 towards the usual cornfield where I helped my brothers pick up white grubs during December when plowing the field for second cropping season, to catch some salagubang. They brought with them catching nets attached to wooden handles and patiently swung them to where the insects landed and flocked. Then they grab as many beetles as they can and put them in their container. At home after their hunting, Brother Earl had seventy-five and Brother Joe had fifty while father had one hundred. The next morning, we all gathered in the kitchen table with two long benches on both sides carefully watching four pairs of hands grasping beetles from the salagubang container where the insects were still crawling on top of each other, and then skillfully snapping the wings and the six legs of each insect. The dressed beetles were soon placed in a tin basin. I almost did not close my eyes, did not even manage to wink for a few seconds just to unravel the truth behind the tempting smell as I watched with awe how my father cooked the salagubang. After washing, he boiled the beetles in approximately one-half cup of water and allowed them to dry in the casserole. Sooner he put the frying pan over the stove and put three tablespoons of margarine or butter. The butter allowed melting; he put the minced garlic and onions and waited to become golden brown then sauteed the beetles, adding pinches of salt and black pepper to taste. We had a scrumptious dinner. I ate as many as I can of these delicious beetles. I felt an unusual sensation as I took a bite at its head, which made me crave for another at the abdomen then after, I continued chewing the whole thing in my mouth and swallowed it well with satisfaction. After eating, I could still remember the inviting smell and the buttery, salty taste of this crunchy little creature I just consumed. I still could not move on from its unusual flavor that played inside my mouth which fulfilled the desire of my taste buds. Ah, that luscious salagubang! I hope to taste you once again.

Animal and Insect Blood That Isnt Red

Animal and Insect Blood That Isn't Red One fun Halloween chemistry project is making edible fake blood recipes. One of these recipes can be used to make blood in any color you like. Why colored blood? Blood comes in different colors, depending on species. While humans and many other species have red blood, due to the iron in their hemoglobin, other animals have different colored blood. Spiders (as well as horseshoe crabs and certain other arthropods) have blue blood due to the presence of copper-based hemocyanin in their blood. Some animals, such as the sea cucumbers, even have yellow blood. What could make blood yellow? The yellow coloration is due to a high concentration of the yellow vanadium-based pigment, vanabin. Unlike hemoglobin and hemocyanin, vanabin does not seem to be involved in oxygen transport. In addition to vanabin, sea cucumbers have enough hemocyanin in their blood to sustain their oxygen needs. Actually, the role of vanabin remains a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it is part of a defense mechanism to make the sea cucumbers unappealing or toxic to parasites and predators. However, sea cucumber is used for cooking in many cultures, where it is prized for its slippery texture and possible health benefits. Vanadium is a controversial dietary supplement, potentially affecting insulin sensitivity and athletic performance.

English - reading the novel life before us and questions Essay

English - reading the novel life before us and questions - Essay Example He then questions whether it is French. He further likens time to the desert with its camels that are not in hurry because they carry eternity on their back. In this instance, Momo relates time to how an aging man can change his appearance day by day until he eventually dies. This is why Momo gives his opinion about time and says that time is just a thief, meaning that time takes away people’s lives as they become older and older. Momo was fascinated by the turn of events because he heard several voices at the same time. Someone was crying and asking the other not to kill him. However, the man kept on crying but the bastard wanted to kill him several times. This instance also fascinated Momo since he had never seen someone die more than once. Momo was fascinated with the idea of reversing time because it reminded him of several issues that happened in the past. Reversing time created the impression that everyone must change his/her way of doing things. This is why when Momo rushed in as one man, he finds everyone walking backwards. Madame Rosa believes that Monsieur Kadir Yousef who is allegedly Momo’s dad suffers from a mental problem. In his condition and because he is too emotional and gets annoyed by simple issues, Madame Rosa believes that Momo is not safe in his hands. Madame Rosa also plays a trick because she loves Momo so much that she could stand to see him suffering in hands of Kadir Yousef. Even though Kadir tries to convince Madame Rosa that he does not have violent fits anymore, Madame Rosa feels that he is not completely cured on that side. Kadir’s story about commitment is not convincing since he did not clearly tell Madame Rosa why he could not stand emotion. Also, according to all he says, it is not possible to understand his intention of insisting to see the kid. Momo remained silent because all along he did not know whether his father was dead or alive. In his silence, he

Thank you later Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thank you later - Essay Example It tells us that Miss Moore's lesson has had an impact. This is from 'Everyday Use' by Alice Walker and Dee is speaking to her mama regarding the quilts she wanted to take from Maggie. She viewed them as valuable now, having identified herself with her African American roots. She thought Maggie was not worthy of owning such items, would only use them and destroy them, while she would display them for decoration. The quote showed Dee's attitude to her sister and her own heritage.3. This comes from 'Sonny's Blues' by James Baldwin and is the narrator, Sonny's older brother speaking. He realized the power and wonder Sonny created with his music. It also suggested a deeper understanding of himself, society and his and Sonny's place within it. He valued his brother and his talent at last.5. Mrs. Wright would be meek and obedient, rather scared of the others at first, especially Torvald because he is a man. She might look for instructions from the other women, being afraid to draw attention or to assert her independence. Dee would be annoyed at their situation, tidying herself up, concerned with her appearance and status, and maybe a little impatient with Mrs. Wright.Torvald, as the only man, used to having his own way and women running around after him, might try to organize the women into carrying out tasks such as fetching wood, looking for food, making a shelter. Miss Moore would at first observe all that was happening, then talk to everyone to get their views on how to deal with things. Dee would tell Torvald to stop trying to be master over the women, maybe even argue with him, which would annoy him greatly. Once Mrs. Wright felt she was safe, thanks to Dee's brave attitude and Miss Moore's regard for her input, she would become more assertive. All of them would have to change to more cooperative behaviors and accept that in order to survive, they must see each other's strengths and treat each other as equals. 6. This quote forms the last words in 'The Storm' by Kate Chopin. It has ambiguity, after what Calixta did with Alcee while her husband and son took shelter at the shop. The 'storm' could be interpreted as her passion and the 'happiness' of everyone concerned is ironic. Bobinot was blissfully ignorant, Bibi was safe at home, Alcee's passion had been shared, and his wife Clarisse did not have to sleep with him, which made her happy. It was an ironic closure, suggesting more tempests to come. 7. Aunt Jennifer's Tigers 1. Adrienne Rich is the poet. 2. The speaker is a detached observer, and could be the voice of a young person relating what she saw as the sad life of the older woman, told in an ironic tone. 3. This relates to the tigers Aunt Jennifer was embroidering. 4. Metaphor for tigers 5. The wedding ring's "massive weight" that "sits heavily" symbolized the burden she was under in being married to uncle. 6. She was afraid of him, as the tigers are not afraid of men. The poet talked of "terrified hands" and "ordeals" Aunt had suffered. Name Anderson Scholarship Address Address Date: Write in Dear..MrMrs etc. I am writing to thank you for donating the Anderson

Good Citizenship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Good Citizenship - Research Paper Example Organizations such as Nike Inc. continue to demonstrate how corporations are the classics of the good citizenship test in their pursuit of financial gain. Since 1971, the organization has developed from a US-based distributor of footwear to the globe’s most preeminent marketer of athletic apparel, equipment, and footwear. This has come with massive financial gains, for instance, in the 2007 financial year, Nike earned $16.3 billion, which was an increase of $1.3 billion from 2006. Some prominent components instrumental in this growth include the company’s strategy to outsource manufacture to low-cost countries such as China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Nike does not own any factory which produces its items. The second factor of Nike’s success is its extensive public relations strategy, which entails sponsoring renowned athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Michel Jordan. However, Nike has been surrounded by controversy with anti-globalization activists ac cusing it of exploiting sweatshop conditions as well as child labor in factories that manufacture its products in order to enhance its financial gain (Carty, 2002). Sweatshops are essentially workplaces, which violate laws and where workers are subjected to poor working conditions, extreme exploitation, arbitrary discipline, and fear.The issue of sweatshops raises controversies, for instance: Should organizations manufacture its products in sweatshops because of the benefit of lower labor costs, which enhance financial gain?... in the organization to deter the principal-agent problem, also focuses on the effect of corporate governance systems on economic efficiency, laying strong emphasis on the welfare of shareholders (Goodwin, 2000). There has been new interest in the practices of corporate governance by modern corporations since 2001, especially following high-profile collapses of massive US firms such as WorldCom and Enron Corporation. As a consequence, the US federal government established the Sarbanes-Oxley Act aimed at restoring public confidence in the area of corporate governance. Organizations such as Nike Inc. continue to demonstrate how corporations are the classics of the good citizenship test in their pursuit of financial gain. Since 1971, the organization has developed from a US-based distributor of footwear to the globe’s most preeminent marketer of athletic apparel, equipment and footwear (Sytse & Schreuder, 2013). This has come with massive financial gains, for instance, in the 2007 financial year, Nike earned $16.3 billion, which was an increase of $1.3 billion from 2006. Some prominent components instrumental in this growth include the company’s strategy to outsource manufacture to low cost countries such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Nike does not own any factory which produces its items. The second factor of Nike’s success is its extensive public relations strategy, which entails sponsoring renowned athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Michel Jordan. However, Nike has been surrounded by controversy with anti-globalization activists accusing it of exploiting sweatshop conditions as well as child labor in factories that manufacture its products in order to enhance its financial gain (Carty, 2002). Sweatshops are essentially workplaces, which violate

Partnership Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Partnership Accounting - Assignment Example The company was founded in the year 1994. The company has a global presence and caters to almost all the countries of the world. The company has employee strength of 109 thousand employees as in 2013. Since it is an e-retail company there is requirement for technical as well as staff for supply chain. The company has to depend on the competitive intelligence in form of the consumer data so that the company is being able to understand the needs of the consumers through their browsing history and can stock up their inventory levels as and when required. Thus it is important for the company to have a combination of a good retail supply chain workforce and as technical people who would be available with the company to support the technical aspects of the operations. However the turnover for Amazon is very high. Most of the employees do not stay in the organisation for more than one year. This report is an attempt to find out the reasons for such high rate of turnover. The basis for the s tudy is mainly primary as well as secondary research. The section of the literature review explores the studies that have been made by the authors about this issue of turnover in the business environment. Literature Review The topic of employee turnover has been studies and researched by a huge number of scholars over a very long period of time. In the Human resources framework, the rate of turnover of the employees is the rate at which an employer acquires his employees and loses the employees. The high rate of turnover is an indication of the fact that the employees in an organisation would work in the organisation for a shorter span of time. This is generally a rate that is determined after comparing in the other industries playing in the same market. The turnover metric is determined by dividing the total number of parting workers who have left within a year by the number of employees who were engaged in the company for that particular year (Cascio and Boudreau, 2011, p. 80). Th e same metric has been used by Price in his modelling of turnover (Price, 1977, pp. 10-25). For a particular labour market there are about the same number of employees that rotate around in the different markets. Most of the management practitioners have argued that there are several reasons that contribute to the turnover rate of the companies (Kevin, Joan and Adrian, 2004, pp. 161-166). The event of turnover is time consuming and the management of a company cannot officially stop an employee from leaving the organisation. In most cases the employees are lured away by other organisations operating in the same industry by offering a higher salary. However, it has been found out through intensive research that the employees cite this reason only to disguise some other major reason for which they leave the organisation. Review Findings There are several other reasons for which an employee decides to leave an organisation. Job related stress is one of the causes which contribute to the high rate of turnover among the employees. The level of satisfaction in a particular job is also another major reason for the high rate of turnover. Most of the employees remain dissatisfied with the work that they perform and they feel that it does not meet their self actualisation needs fully. Research has also shown that the level of compensation that the employees get from their present employer is not satisfactory or the perquisites are not up to the industry standards. This forces the employees to shift to a new organisation. On the other hand, in case of mostly the manufacturing organisations or the companies that involves jobs

Jaws Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jaws - Case Study Example C. jacchus and C. pygmaea exhibit longer masseter and temporalis muscles. They also have higher fiber to muscle mass ratio. They have a greater excursion potential of distal tendons hence the muscle can stretch further. The more fibres in C. Jacchus and C. Pygmaea lead to wider jaw gapes and hence can offer more power during gouging (Campbell 25). They also have shorter angle of pinnation, larger PCSA as well as a smaller proportion of tendons. S. Oedipus has a greater tendon proportion as compared to common marmoset masseter. Hence, S.oedipus has a lower muscle excursion and a lower contraction velocity leading to shorter stretching and hence smaller gapes. It also has a greater pinnation angle and a smaller PCSA. They, therefore, produce a smaller biting force as compared to C. jacchus and C. pygmaea. (Garber, Estrada, Heymann and Strier 208). Burrows and Nash (10), explains that the lateral pterygoid muscle in C. pygmaea and C. jacchus gives them a wider gape. They also found no difference in the anteroposterior ratios of both species. There is little to suggest that these mammals have undergone a reorganisation of the structures of the soft tissue. Kilgore et al (11) suggest that C. pygmaea, C. jacchus and S. oedipus have evolved significantly to adapt to their mode of feeding. Both the new literature cited and the course work books agree that C. pygmaea and C. jacchus are able to have a wider jaw gapes than S. oedipus. This has influenced their feeding habits as well as their diet. C. pygmaea and C. jacchus have a long mandible that enable it produce a stronger bite as the masseter and temporalis are longer as compared to the latter’s shorter that are short (Lord 56). Future clinical investigations should aim to establish whether muscles have an optimal length that, therefore, produces optimal biting force. Also, investigations should look into the positions of the stretched

Partnership Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Partnership Accounting - Assignment Example The company was founded in the year 1994. The company has a global presence and caters to almost all the countries of the world. The company has employee strength of 109 thousand employees as in 2013. Since it is an e-retail company there is requirement for technical as well as staff for supply chain. The company has to depend on the competitive intelligence in form of the consumer data so that the company is being able to understand the needs of the consumers through their browsing history and can stock up their inventory levels as and when required. Thus it is important for the company to have a combination of a good retail supply chain workforce and as technical people who would be available with the company to support the technical aspects of the operations. However the turnover for Amazon is very high. Most of the employees do not stay in the organisation for more than one year. This report is an attempt to find out the reasons for such high rate of turnover. The basis for the s tudy is mainly primary as well as secondary research. The section of the literature review explores the studies that have been made by the authors about this issue of turnover in the business environment. Literature Review The topic of employee turnover has been studies and researched by a huge number of scholars over a very long period of time. In the Human resources framework, the rate of turnover of the employees is the rate at which an employer acquires his employees and loses the employees. The high rate of turnover is an indication of the fact that the employees in an organisation would work in the organisation for a shorter span of time. This is generally a rate that is determined after comparing in the other industries playing in the same market. The turnover metric is determined by dividing the total number of parting workers who have left within a year by the number of employees who were engaged in the company for that particular year (Cascio and Boudreau, 2011, p. 80). Th e same metric has been used by Price in his modelling of turnover (Price, 1977, pp. 10-25). For a particular labour market there are about the same number of employees that rotate around in the different markets. Most of the management practitioners have argued that there are several reasons that contribute to the turnover rate of the companies (Kevin, Joan and Adrian, 2004, pp. 161-166). The event of turnover is time consuming and the management of a company cannot officially stop an employee from leaving the organisation. In most cases the employees are lured away by other organisations operating in the same industry by offering a higher salary. However, it has been found out through intensive research that the employees cite this reason only to disguise some other major reason for which they leave the organisation. Review Findings There are several other reasons for which an employee decides to leave an organisation. Job related stress is one of the causes which contribute to the high rate of turnover among the employees. The level of satisfaction in a particular job is also another major reason for the high rate of turnover. Most of the employees remain dissatisfied with the work that they perform and they feel that it does not meet their self actualisation needs fully. Research has also shown that the level of compensation that the employees get from their present employer is not satisfactory or the perquisites are not up to the industry standards. This forces the employees to shift to a new organisation. On the other hand, in case of mostly the manufacturing organisations or the companies that involves jobs

Point of view Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Point of view - Essay Example As the stewardess pushed the food cart along the narrow center-aisle, the plane’s rickety engineering made creaking noises and lead one to consider that it would be worth going without food to avoid the challenge that became distributing food among the passengers. When the food reached the passengers it was stale and hardly edible; it tasted like it had been stored for months and only recently brought out. Many passengers became sick and made their way towards the restroom. This created a commotion in the aircraft that left a pervasive feeling of unease and further annoyance among the passengers. A further cramped feeling occurred as the passengers had to push against the other passengers aside to make their way towards the restroom. This terrible plane ride continued before finally landing in the United Kingdom airport. Wonderful Airplane Ride Across the Atlantic Ocean When the passengers took their seats and reached towards the magazines in front of them they settled into wh at would become a wonderful airplane ride across the Atlantic Ocean. While the airplane wasn’t as large as traditional airliners it had a number of charming elements that made it more enjoyable than other flight methods. The plane had an intimate setting so that conversations carried throughout the flight.

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay Example for Free

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay I an infrequently lost for words. I like to think of myself as quite an eloquent and articulate speaker and writer, but there are times when I feel neither. It is ironic that the very subject of this poem, a lack of words, or rather a lack of inspiration, is exactly what is holding me back from writing the things I would like to write. Although I know how this poem makes me feel and I know the emotions it conveys, I cannot bring myself to write about them or to speak about them, I simply cannot find the words. Each time I read the poem a rush of thoughts dash through my mind, so quickly that I cannot recollect them in time to consider them in the detail they deserve. This poem deserves consideration, thought, analysis, it deserves appreciation and admiration, because it describes exactly how even the most expressive and eloquent writers are sometimes at a loss for words. Although the poem is a metaphor and is about many things that lie deep beneath the surface of the words, it is beautifully written even in the most literal terms. Plath uses adjectives to describe every object, every movement of the poem, ‘stiff twig’, ‘spotted leaves’. She uses many other poetic devices, such as alliteration in the lines ‘rare, random’, ‘walk wary’, ‘so shine as to seize my senses’ and personification in the lines ‘mute sky’ , ‘minor light may still lean incandescent’. The poet also uses short phrases broken by commas to increase the tempo of the poem and to give it a rushed feeling. However, these poetic devices are not simply used to embellish a purely literal piece of writing. They are used to demonstrate the beauty of the mundane, the magnificence of the ordinary. The poet says ‘I do not expect a miracle or an accident’ which suggests that she is content with the mundane and can see it’s splendour. But as the poem progresses we see that she could not survive on the ordinary, but needed to express herself in her poetry and needed inspiration to do so. Though Plath tries to persuade herself she survive on the ordinary and the imple, it is obvious that desire for inspiration, ‘the angel’, are the only things that can make these mundane situations bearable. She contradicts herself when she states that ‘miracles occur. ’ She contradicts her previous idea that there is beauty in the ordinary and instead describes moments without inspiration being similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ . This suggests that during these periods of time she is not living, but barely surviving. Her entire life depends on the moments of inspiration, ‘for that rare, random descent. ’ She is a poet, and her survival depends on her writing. She can only express herself through her writing, and without it, without her inspiration, she feels nothing. This nothingness, this lack of inspiration is to her far worse than the feelings of depression she felt constantly throughout her life. Her ‘fear of total neutrality’ consumes her and scares her. This ‘fear of neutrality’ refers not only to writing, but also to life in general. If one feels nothing, if life is constantly similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ then there is no reason to live in the first place. Life is a constant wait for inspiration, for meaning, for purpose, and often this purpose does not appear. Plath realises, unlike many others, that without purpose, without inspiration, there is no beauty in the mundane. Without ‘that rare, random descent’ of an ‘angel’ there is little reason for life at all.

Social Media And New Media In Ghana Media Essay

Social Media And New Media In Ghana Media Essay Social media is a growing phenomenon in our present information age. For many persons, particularly the youth, social media provides the platform to create, disseminate and share information with persons of shared ties. The power and influences of the social media phenomenon in shaping our world today cannot be overlooked. Its impact is witnessed as a coordinating tool for a significant number of the worlds political movements including the political revolutions that took place in the Middle East commonly referred to as the Arab Spring. Again in political campaigning, social media is credited to have contributed significantly to the electoral success of then candidate Barak Obama as his adoption of the technology facilitated his reach and garnered support from many young voters during the 2008 American presidential elections. The social media fad is believed to have enhanced cultural exchanges, created, maintained and deepened social ties in a significant number of social settings. F or quite a number of people, it is almost impossible to exist in our present world and not be affected by the social media phenomenon. It has become part of our new world which is driven extensively by information and communication. The social media application runs on the foot of the internet technology. The internet directs the manner in which communication is carried from place to place, person to person and culture to culture in our world today. It has become as ubiquitous as the human species and almost a measure of human civilisation. Researchers and scholars have divergent opinions of the impacts of the internet and new media technology on our world today. Their opinions are expressed broadly in utopian and dystopian perspectives and cover all aspects of life of which the technology is used. The utopians appreciate the Internet as potentially an enormous tool for good. The positive possibilities from the Internet include supporting the practice of democracy, human interactions, concerted political action, education, etc. On the other hand the dystopians, the cyberpunks and the alarmists, see danger in every digital project even an ultimate loss of our humanity. Understanding the internet and all its associated technology and applications requires an understanding of the dimensions under which the internet can be studied. Bell (2001) explains that there are three ways to understanding the internet or its synonym cyberspace. Bell describes the meaning of the internet or cyberspace under: a) material b) symbolic and c) experiential stories. He cites Stanley Aronowitz (1996) as providing the terms ontology, phenomenology and pragmatics to discuss ways of thinking about the internet technology. Material stories of the internet technology provide a historical understanding of how the technology came to exist and the transformations it has undergone. Whittaker (2004: Pp 13) explains that symbolic stories of the internet or cyberspace give literary and generic accounts most notably in cyberpunk but also in science fiction and other speculative fiction. Bell, citing Jordan (1999), provides an explanation to symbolic stories of cyberspace as the ways in which cyberspace are depicted in films and fiction. Therefore movies such as Robocop which prompted civic discourses over the use of robotics in solving human limitations, and The Matrix provide good examples to understanding symbolic stories of cyberspace. New media and social media New media tools, which are internet based technologies and applications provide platforms for social media tools to be used civic discourses. There is often the tendency to interchange the terms new media and social media. However, it must be noted that new media and social media mean different things though both exist in cyberspace and are associated with the internet technology. According to wiseGEEK new media denotes the various technologies that have emerged rapidly in our present millennium. The major types of new media include social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogs and video sharing sites such as YouTube. One of its most defining characteristics is interactivity. Social media, however, refers to online technologies and practices that are used to share opinions and information, promote discussion and build relationships (Crown 2009; 2). iCrossing (2008) indicates that social media shares the characteristics of Participation, Openness, Conversation, Community, and Connectedness are currently presented in the following basic forms Goode (2009) explains that social media facilitates citizens engagements in new forms of civic participation as they construct, archive, tag and reticulate news stories and political media content. Bakardjieva (2011) describes how blogs, a social media application and bloggers have become visible in the Bulgarian public sphere. In the Bulgarian scenario, the tool was adopted to protest against a decision of the Supreme Administrative Court to strip a territory in the south-east of Bulgaria of its status as a protected natural reserve. The countrys young people and environmentalist groups engaged in civic protests in the streets to challenge the decision as they organized and reported their actions by blogs, websites and text messages. The brief but centrally placed and well-attended civic actions obligated the Bulgarias mass media and parliamentarians to situate the issue on their agenda. http://edc.education.ed.ac.uk/sindhur/files/2010/09/Different-Media-and-modes-of-communication-Every-day-life.jpg  [1]   Figure : DIFFERENT MEDIA AND MODES OF COMMUNICATION-AN EVERYDAY LIFE PICTURE. The British government recognises how digital technology has transformed the way in which people communicate and share information at the local, national and international levels. To ensure that the potential of the transforming power is harnessed well enough to facilitate citizen engagement and proper governance, investments into providing adequate guidelines for civil servants to appreciate these changes so that they can operate effectively in a dynamic media environment. The British Government via new media tools and online access is tailoring its services to its public more conveniently all day and all week. The quote below is taken from the introductory chapter on connecting civil servants through social media in The Guide for Civil Servants (pp 11): Use of social media techniques is not restricted to government interaction with citizens or business. There is already a range of tools dedicated to encouraging discussion and sharing knowledge and best practice among civil servants. Social media and New media in Ghana Ghana has not been isolated from the global social media craze. Universally, Facebook is noted as the most popular social media platform and is most recognized in Ghana as well. Currently, there are about 1,436,560 Facebook users in Ghana, which makes it rank number 73 globally (Socialbaker 2012). The social networking statistics from Socialbaker illustrates that the penetration of Facebook in Ghana  is  5.90%  of the countrys population and  110.76%  in relation to the number of Internet users. The population of Facebookers users grew by more than  231,140  in the last 6 months. About 41% of Ghanas Facebook user population is between 18 and 24 years, an age group that can be found typically beginning university education or exiting into the professional world. Other social media like YouTube, twitter and LinkedIn are also popular among Ghanaians. Though their popularity is high among the youth and IT savvy persons, statistics on these social media applications are rather low or unavailable. No Ghanaian profile or account is listed in the top 200 global accounts. The same applies with YouTube and LinkedIn. Increasingly, the Whats App application and Blackberry messaging (BBM) which are described as social networking applications are also becoming popular platforms among Ghanaians for information dissemination. All the applications, Facebook, YouTube, twitter Whats App and BBM are available on mobile phone devices commonly referred to as smartphones. They are also on other portable new media gadgets such as ipads and tablets. Chart  [2]   Figure : User age distribution on Facebook in Ghana Ghana was one of the first African countries to get connected to the Internet in 1989-1990 however, the extent of use of the new media technology among Ghanaians is limited. This is a result of the underdevelopment of existing telecommunications infrastructure, though in recent times significant investments have been in developing them (Sey 2011). The investments have been supported by a national communications policy which highlights the Government of Ghanas commitment to accelerating the socio-economic development process of the country through ICT (Republic of Ghana, 2003, p. 14; cited in Sey 2011). In the wake of this policy, there has been considerable improvements in internet connectivity which begun in the early 1990s with the slow bandwidth dial up access to the now high speed broadband connectivity. Mobile phone telephony is not only big on the African Continent but equally the predominate mode of telecommunications in Ghana. Again because of the generally poor fixed line infrastructure. Ghanas National Communications Authority is cited to have announced a mobile telephony penetration rate of about 88.6% as at January 2012 with the leading service provider recording over 10 million subscriptions (Modern Ghana, 2012). Mobile phones in Ghana have varied uses aside its basic use for calls. Sey (2011) reports that in 2007 just over one fixed line existed per 100 inhabitants. Uses of new media in Ghana A number of several accounts have been given for the varied uses of the new media technology in Ghana. However, some research account that the application is appropriated to business and community development. Sey (2011) cites (Slater Kwami, 2005) who indicate that a substantial section of users get onto the Internet as an escape mechanism to connect with the Western world as a poverty reduction strategy. They add that the Internet provides some users with the means to reach people in Western countries who are perceived as potential sources of financial means for migration while others who do not anticipate physically leaving the country might content themselves with enjoying Western life vicariously through foreign content online. Sending e-mails, finding and communicating with pen pals, applying to schools abroad, watching movies, listening to music, and playing games are also some other uses that Ghanaians put the new media to use (Alhassan, 2004; Burrell, 2009; Daily Graphic, 20 03; Slater Kwami, 2005. Cited in Sey 2011). Political parties have also embraced the new media technology and are using social media particularly to grasp the attention of young people. A Communication official of the New Patriotic Party says the party adopts a writing style suitable for the social media in its messaging as the technology creates a better communication channel between the party and voters. The National Democratic Congress says the interactive nature of social media facilitates incorporating feedback from voters into the partys decision making processes (Boakyewaa Pokua 2011). Amongst Students of the University of Ghana, the most popular social media tool is Facebook. Its uses are varied from meeting new friends, sharing information on academic work, and updating family and friends with what is happening in ones life (Dentaa 2011). 2. Problem Statement There is recorded data on citizens disconnections from civic life in our present information society. These are noticeable among younger generations in Western democracies. The United States, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have all recorded younger peoples withdrawal in participating in conventional politics and government which constitute civic activities, in alarming numbers. Putnam (2000) argues that, Americans in the last three decades of the 20th century witnessed much less engagements in terms of political participation, charitable contributions, involvement in community organizations, and even participation in social activities with some of these trends obvious among college students. Despite a withdrawal from offline civic life, studies suggest interests in online civic engagements. As a fledgling democratic state, with a history of military dispensations that have stifled civic discourses and civil liberties, Ghana is on the brink of developing its democratic creden tials. The new democratic dispensation gives rise to civic participation in social and political discourses mainly through traditional media. Increasingly, young Ghanaians- a significant number of whom are enrolled in the universities, seek to master the use of the internet and more particularly social media tools to express themselves, explore their identities, and connect with peers. Hence there is opportunity to utilise the characteristics these online tools present to promote civic discourses amongst this group. The study thus seeks to ascertain the use of social media for civic discourses amongst students of the University of Ghana. Questions the study will speak to: Are students of the University of Ghana engaged in civic discourses via social media? What principles of civic discourses are seen in their social media engagements? 3. Background Social transformation is a common phenomenon in our human life and often characterises the conception of civilised society. A transformed society is one which may have at least undergone essential changes in its core institutions, economy, and the relationships between social groups or classes, the creation and distribution of wealth, power and status. Technology has played a key role in the transformation of society. Theorist like Marshal Mcluhan posit in determinist theories that technology changes society and recount human evolution from the Tribal age through Literate, Print and present Electronic age. But besides the influences of technology on social transformation, the contributions of social institutions cannot be overlooked, particularly universities. Universities have contributed significantly to the processes of social change and development. Stories of early civilisations recount the centrality of higher institutions of academic studies in the transformations that took place in those societies. The role of universities has been in generating skilled resources for labour sectors of social life and also in providing scientific investigations and solutions to social phenomenon. As the world rapidly changes and develops or perhaps becomes a lot more civilised, universities can be seen to take on the added role of encouraging and facilitating new cultural values. It is also plausible to see the institution involved in training and socialising members of new social elites. Thus the contributions of universities in fostering heightened awareness of and participation in civic discourses is one worth studying. The practice of citizens contributing in any way possible to how they are governed cannot be overemphasized. However the challenge to this has been in the sustenance of citizens interest in engaging in public activities which support contributions to governance. Evidences of Citizens having less time for public life abound in many countries, despite their resourcefulness in bringing more knowledge and skills to the market place of ideas. Reasons ascribed to citizens having less time for public activities include having less faith that government will be able to deliver on promises, more and more disconnect from community affairs because they seem to find the information, allies, and resources they need to affect an issue or decision they care about outside of the physical public space. A central tenet of Putnams bowling alone thesis holds that much of the decline of civic engagement in America during the last third of the twentieth century is attributable to the replacement of an unusually civic generation by several generations (their children and grandchildren) that are less embedded in community life. (2000, p. 275). He supports this claim with evidence that members of this older generation tend to exhibit consistently high patterns of certain forms of civic activity (membership in civil society groups, voting, and attending city government meetings, for example) throughout their lives. By contrast, younger generations (especially the current youth demographic) have by and large failed to develop comparable civic habits, preferring to spend the majority of their free time on wholly personal pursuits. While some very recent data on one type of civic engagement, voting, contradict this pessimistic assessment (Kirby Marcello, 2006), most of the relevant indicators point toward a greatly diminished Universities have frequently been regarded as key institutions in processes of social change and development. The most explicit role they have been allocated is the production of highly skilled labour and research output to meet perceived economic needs. But to this role may be added, especially during periods of more radical change, roles in the building of new institutions of civil society, in encouraging and facilitating new cultural values, and in training and socialising members of new social elites. 4. Purpose The purpose of the study is to identify civic discourse engagements of students of the University of Ghana via the social media. The study objectives are: to evaluate whether civic discourses take place among students of the university of Ghana. to identify the forms of such civic discourses students of the university of Ghana to ascertain whether such discourses conform to the principles for civic discourses. The study will thus provide data on social media uses for civic discourse interactions and make recommendations on the possibility of nurturing a generation of elites who adopt technology to further discourses that affect how they are governed and their society at large. Findings from the study can help in selecting and developing alternate communication channels for the promotion of civic discourse in Ghana and among an increasing youth population enchanted by the new media and its varied applications. 5. Significance The study is significant as it will support in identifying and exploring how applicable modern technologies can be engaged to facilitate civic discourses which are essential in beefing up processes of good governance and democracy. Traditionally universities have functioned as centres of teaching and research. In their teaching activities, universities provide the professional training for high-level jobs, as well as the education necessary for the development of the personality. Students who graduate from the university ultimately work and live in societies. The university provides a heterogeneous environment which initiates students to diverse people and perspectives. There is a tendency that students may be more motivated and prepared to participate fully in civic life. Students interactions and experiences of diversity whether inside or outside of the classroom, have the possibility to introduce them to new ideas and to challenge their pre-existing views (e.g. Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, Gurin, 2002). As a result, students attitudes toward civic issues may shift in substantial ways, and they may become more involved in community service and political activities. 6. Methodology Various methods are available for conducting studies on Computer Mediated Discourses and civic discourses in mass communication research. The most familiar methods used have been surveys and content analyses. Within the domain of content analysis textual analysis, rhetoric and discourse analyses have been identified as probable methods to studying problems relating to civic discourses specifically or discourses generally. Surveys Survey as a research method denotes gathering information from a sample of individuals. Wimmer and Dominick (2011) explain two types of survey methods that can be used for research processes: Descriptive surveys and analytical surveys. A descriptive survey attempts to explain what exists at the moment. An example for this type of survey is that of broadcast networks frequently conducting surveys of their audiences to identify their programming tastes, evolving values and lifestyle variations that might affect their programming. Descriptive surveys thus examine the as it is situation in the area under study. An analytical survey attempts to describe and explain why situations exist (Wimmer and Dominic 2011). The approach ordinarily examines two or more variables investigating research questions or testing research hypotheses. From the results researchers can examine the interrelationships among the variables and develop explanatory interpretations. For example, television station owners survey the market to determine how lifestyles affect viewing habits or to determine whether viewers lifestyles can be used to predict the success of syndicated programming (Wimmer and Dominic 2011). Adopting a survey approach in conducting studies on social media and civic discourses will facilitate investigations into the problem in a realistic setting. For example newspaper reading, commenting on social happenings on television or radio and participating in political issues of governance, all of which are probable civic activities can be examined in their real environments other than in a laboratory or screening room where artificial conditions are generated if studied as experiments. Secondly, surveys allow researchers to collect data on and examine many variables including demographic variables and use a variety of statistics to analyse the data collected. Thus patterns of relationships of differences or closeness are possible to be deduced to enable positing hypotheses as well as provide explanations to the problem. Considering that a constraint to research is funding and costs associated to carrying out the research, the reasonable cost of surveys in relation to the amount of information gathered (some online surveys are free) makes it a useful and widely used method. Researchers are able to control their research expenses by selecting from mail, telephone, personal interview, group administration, and the Internet modes of surveys. Related to this surveys have no geographic constraints and they can be conducted almost anywhere. Probably a significant benefit for using surveys in research is the availability existing data which makes it possible to carry out a whole study without the use of a questionnaire or contacting a respondent. Data sources such government documents, class or students registration lists may be depended on as primary data sources or as supportive sources of information. However an essential shortcoming in the use of surveys is the inability to draw causal or non-causal relationships between dependent and independent variables. Thus for a study as this it is not possible to draw casual or non-causal relations between social media use and civic discourses. This is because independent variables cannot be manipulated the way they are in laboratory experiments. Without control over independent variables, the researcher cannot be certain whether the relationships between independent variables and dependent variables are causal or non-causal. Results from surveys may easily be considered bias in the event of inappropriate wording or placement of questions within a questionnaire. This thus means careful scrutiny of words chosen to solicit data and organized unambiguously would be required. This can be strenuous and time consuming. An example Where did you hear the news about the presidents death? is mildly biased against newspapers. The word hear suggests that radio, television, or other people is a more appropriate answer (Wimmer and Dominic 2011, pp 190). The possibility of including wrong respondents in survey research is almost not negligible. Respondents may claim to possess a characteristic necessary for the study but may in fact be deficient in that feature. A mail survey or Internet survey may be completed by a teenager when the target respondent is a parent in the household.