Goffman Traits Essay

His books have shown that in spite of total institution, people tend to break through their own personalities and redefine their established roles in regulated societies (Handler, 2012, p. 179). Total institution can be dived into five different categories. The first type of institutions are for harmless and helpless people who are incapable of taking care of themselves, such as aged, poor or blind. The second category of institution is mental hospitals that take in people who are helpless and could be harmful to the society; people who seek for treatment. The third category is for people who pose Page | 3 danger and threat to the welfare of the communities and are put into institutions such as prisons and concentration camps. The forth type of institutions are established to create a working environment among the societies, such as military camps, boarding schools and work camps. The final type of institutions is for people who want to be isolated from the rest of the world, such as church and convents (Davies, 1989, p. 77- 82). 2. 2. Four common traits of total institution In 1961, Goffman (as cited in Schaefer, 2004, p. 82) has pointed out four common factors that a total institution posses. Firstly he believes, â€Å"all aspect of life are conducted in the same place and are under the control of a single authority†. This trait illustrates the common ground used and a certain dominance enforced on the participants. Secondly, â€Å"any activities within the institution are conducted in the company of others in the same circumstances†. Thirdly, â€Å"The authorities devise rules and schedule activities without consulting the participants†. Here we understand that the members are forced to conform to certain practices. Lastly, â€Å"all aspects of life within a total institution are designed to fulfil the purpose of the organization†. This explains how the members in the group ‘working’ towards one goal (Schaefer, 2004, p. 82). 2. 3. Degradation ceremony Degradation ceremony is considered to be under the scope of the sociology of moral resentment. A degradation ceremony is a rite of passage sometimes used to initiate people into total institutions such as mental hospitals, prisons, and military units as discussed earlier (Garfinkel, 2011b). Degradation ceremony often aims to transform an individual’s identity and dignity to a lower form therefore allowing them to be more acceptant to the external control such as authorities. During this process one loss his ascribed or achieved social status that he or she possess. Garfinkel (2011a, p. 420). Garfinkel (2011a, p. 420) mentions in his studies, an observer will be unable to find a degradation ceremony in societies that are demoralized, since only in total anomie are the conditions of degradation ceremonies lacking. Page | 4 2. 4. Resocialization Resocialization is the process when an individual’s former behaviour pattern or social role is altered or replaced. After which retraining the person psychologically to fit the standards and behavior of the common society. Resocialization is often carried through the degradation ceremony when a person is stripped from his status so be able to apprehend the new behaviour patterns and values (Scheff, 2007, p. 85). Most of the time the term ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘resocialization’ are misunderstood for the same significance. However these two are interpreted the same way. Rehabilitation is just a small part or process of resocialization (Weinstein, 1982, p. 269). Goffman’s mental institute hospital study is a good example to illustrate resocialization. The staffs usually try to instil in patients that they had done something wrong in the society. And if they wanted to free themselves from the hospital and get back to the society, they would have to change themselves (Weinstein, 1982, p. 272). . 3. Self- reflection My two-year experience in the Singapore Police Force (National Service) was interesting and far challenging. The first six months of the job was known as the ‘stay-in training’ or otherwise known as total institution from the sociological perspective. Our intake, which had approximately 130 cadets, were required to stay at a camp for 6 months situated at the outskirts where there were no other human dwelling. I remember the very first day when we entered, we were shouted at by the superiors for no reason and were told to strip naked to have our bodies checked for tattoos. The superiors projected their dominance through their tone of voice. The second day all the cadets were issued with uniforms and had to shave our heads bald. We were given a time table on what had to be done everyday from the time we woke up to the amount of water we drunk to the schedule time that we had our Page | 5 meals. We had no say and were just do as we were told. Failing to comply led to punishments. The main purpose of this institution was to instil discipline into each one of us as we were preparing to represent the country’s internal security. Therefore to successfully carry out the resocialization we were put through the degradation ceremony where we had to shave our head bald and given uniforms and forcefully told what to do. Here we are able to associate all four traits that were identified by Erving Goffman. 4. Four major theoretical perspectives The four different perspectives would help us understand total institution from a clearer view. The functionalist perspective has three different categories; manifest function, latent function and dysfunction (Henslin, 2011, p. 16). If we take military camp as an example, the manifest function would be to recruit people to protect the country to maintain peace and order. The latent function is a hidden function such as creating job opportunities and instilling values and discipline into the cadets. The dysfunction would be if the cadets were to use the tactics and teachings learned in the camp for a negative purpose while off their duty. Conflict perspective is a common issue faced when looked at the military. The cadets who flow into the camp on the first day come from a many different backgrounds. Conflicts could arise not only between the views of superior and the cadets but could arise among members itself when work in teams due to the different culture, values and beliefs. Feminist perspective involves the history which back dates to when female where to stay home to look after the family while men went out for war to protect their country mainly due to their physics. However the norm on this perspective is being abolished and we tend to find female soldiers and officers involved in the military. According to my self reflection interaction perspective can be classified has the verbal and non- verbal communication styles used by the superiors, such as the authoritative tone of voice. Page | 6 5. Conclusion We have clearly understood the necessity of the five different types of social institution in a society. The essay had also covered the common traits present in the institutions. Also learnt the importance of degradation ceremony while resocialization and how it’s required to kill the former sense of an individual. However I personally believe three out of five of the total institutions are not preferable places to be at. The fact that many are not offered opportunities to work at their own free will deprives them from others and makes them feel less worthy of themselves. They are taught to obey their superiors, out of fear. In most of the occasions they are treated as numbers than a human being. Therefore allowing an individual to loose his or her sense of identity. Goffman’s discussion encouraged me to look at total institution characteristics, such as resocialization, through a positive and negative lens, depending on the situation and context. Page | 7 6. Reference list Davies, C. (1989). Goffman’s concept of the total institution: Criticism and revisions. Human Studies, 12, 77-95. El-Mafaalani, A. (2009). Do underachievers need sociology. Journal of social science education, 8(4), 35-42. Garfinkel, H. (n. d. ). Conditions of successful degradation ceremonies. (2011). American Journal of Sociology, 6(5), 420-424. GORDON MARSHALL. â€Å"degradation ceremony. † A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia. com. 16 Apr. 2013 . Handler, R. (2012). What’s up,doctor goffman? tell us where the action is!. Journal of the royal Anthropological Institute, 18, 179-190. Henslin, J. (2011). Essentials of sociology a down-to-earth approach. (9TH ed. , pp. 16-18). Boston,America: PEARSON.

McDonalds Marketing Plan Essay

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY McDonald’s Philippines is a subsidiary of the Filipino-owned Golden Arches Development Corporation. The first Filipino McDonald’s to open for business was in the Morayta university districts in Manila during 1981. These days McDonald’s is operating over 150 restaurants throughout the islands of the Philippines. Being a 100% Filipino-owned franchise allows McDonald’s Philippines to be more agile and take quicker actions, making them an even more competitive force in the Filipino fast-food market. It is one of the leading fast-food chains internationally as well as in the Philippines, with a rapidly developing consumer brand and growing customer base. . It is a place for family togetherness organized around a common love of the traditional food. Its operating system is characterized by focusing on uniformity for consistent quality, the formation of partner relationship with its franchises and supplier to improve operating system innovatively and last but not least the introduction of new products. With its steady drive for improvement and consistently high quality, McDonald’s revolutionized the entire supply chain. Instead of regimenting its supplier and franchisees, McDonald’s expected commitment from them in terms of adherence and experimentation. The implemented, smooth operating chain of suppliers, McDonald’s corporate management and franchisees balances each other, creates an entrepreneurial spirit that added value, innovation, economics of scale, the bargaining power for advertising and purchasing, as well as new product and process ideas to the company. Additionally, all involved parties maintained a collective emphasis on disciplined quality standards. As years passed by, McDonald’s needed to adapt to industry changes by accomplishing some process design innovations in fruitful collaboration with its suppliers and franchisees. In this context, McDonald’s improved the chain’s chicken and fries’ quality and consistency by switching from raw to frozen delivered fries as well as the productivity of employee. Another major process enhancement was the introduction of the breakfast at McDonald’s. In this way, the corporation expanded its operating hours since it had to pay for rent, utilities and insurance 24 hours a day, anyways. The generation of a totally new business came along with the nice side effect that it again distinguishes itself from its competitors. This marketing plan is used in outlining the product, pricing, and distribution and promotion strategies to be implemented and executed during this time. It proposes a revitalization of the McDonald’s philosophy so as to focus on the quality of products and services for customer’s value and a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating habits, smart choices and education. The plan also outlines the structural issues that may arise during its implementation and execution, tactical initiatives to turn strategy into action. II. CHALLENGE Problem: Before, the company use grilled direct system. Which becomes the problem of the company because the customer always complaining about the quality of the product like chicken mcdo, when it is served to the customers it is not crispy because it stays longer in the warming bin, and also the patty of the burger, it is not juicy because it is not hot. The access of McDelivery to the call center is another problem of McDonalds because some times the information about on the location of the customer is wrong. Solution: Now a day the McDonald’s uses the Made for You (MFY) system. †¢ Food is made or prepared to actual customer demand, providing each and every burger only when it is needed just in time (JIT). †¢ It standardizes assembly of all sandwiches to one or two at a time. †¢ Requires minimal Human Decisions Making. †¢ It requires Behavioral change ⠝â€" Quality ⠝â€" Complete waste ⠝â€" Equipment ⠝â€" Standard procedure III. SITUATION ANALYSIS Company Analysis †¢ Goals – Develop a solution to improve kitchen layouts, people positioning and operational procedures for a better guest experience. In simple terms: our goal is to have a happy and satisfied customer. †¢ Focus – the company should focus on products and services. McDonald’s is a customer-oriented company that strives to offer Filipinos a combination of great tasting, quality food productions at value prices with excellent service. †¢ Values – Customer – driven, Malasakit, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellent. †¢ Strengths ⠝â€" Quality of the product, services and cleanliness of the store. ⠝â€" The service of the company is fast and accurate, and we believe that taking good care of our customers is the first vital step toward effective sales building. ⠝â€" Patents and Trademark ⠝â€" Branding such as through the use of logos, colours, slogan and other images. A key part of the McDonald’s brand is its ‘M’ logo otherwise known as ‘The Golden Arches’. †¢ Weaknesses ⠝â€" The competitors like Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Burger King etc. ⠝â€" Lack of cooperation between the management and in the crews. †¢ Market Shares – McDonald’s has captured more than 40% share of the hamburger market in the Philippines. Customer Analysis †¢ Number – 30% is ages 60 and above, 20% is ages 1-15, 50% is ages 16 and above. This is the percentage of customer who are eating at the McDonald’s everyday especially during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. †¢ Type – Class B & C †¢ Value Drivers – a part from our product and services. McDonald’s gives back to the community through the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). RMHC supports children’s development and well being through Bahay Bulilit and Bright Minds Read (BMR). Every happy meal purchase gives 50 centavos to RMHC. †¢ Decision process – The customer have a lot of decision making it is base of what they needs and wants, also the customer decide to buy a discounted product like in coupon and the mcsaver meals. Competitor Analysis †¢ Market Position No. 1 (Jollibee) No. 2 (McDonald’s) †¢ Strengths Lasang Pinoy Raw materials are environment friendly †¢ Weaknesses Jollibee has a poor service †¢ Market shares – Jollibee has captured more than 52% share of the hamburger market in the Philippines. SWOT ANALYSIS Strength †¢ Risk diversity †¢ Large market share †¢ Strong supply chain †¢ Promoting ethical conduct †¢ Competitive fast-food chain †¢ Attentive and friendly staff/crew’s †¢ Rigorous food safety standards †¢ Good reputation among customer †¢ Decentralized yet connected system †¢ Strong brand name, image and reputation †¢ Strong financial and performance and position †¢ Affordable prices and high quality products †¢ Nutritional information available on packaging †¢ Strong global presence and performance in the global marketplace †¢ Specialized training for managers known as the Hamburger University †¢ McDonalds Plan to Win focuses on people, product, place, price and promotion Weaknesses †¢ Unhealthy food image †¢ High staff turnover including top management †¢ Customer losses due to fierce competition †¢ Lack of access to the best natural resources †¢ Lack of access to key distribution channel Opportunities †¢ Growing health trends among consumers †¢ Joint ventures with retailers †¢ Consolidation of retailers likely, so better locations for franchisees †¢ Respond to social changes by innovation with in healthier lifestyle foods †¢ Strengthen its value proposition and offering, to encourage customers who visit coffee shops into McDonalds †¢ The new â€Å"formats†, Mccafe, having wi-fi internet links should help in attracting segments. Also installing children’s play-parks and its focus on educating consumers about health, fitness. †¢ International expansion into emerging market’s of other country †¢ Growth of the fast-food industry †¢ Low cost menu that will attract the customers †¢ Providing many promotional activities Threats †¢ Health professionals and consumer activists accuse McDonald’s of contributing to the country health issue of high cholesterol, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity †¢ McDonalds competitors threatened market share of the company both internationally and domestically †¢ Global recession and fluctuating foreign currencies †¢ Affordability of the competitors products †¢ Similar flavors and products of the competitors †¢ Competitors endorsers are much popular when it compares to McDonalds IV.Market Segmentation Market Segmentation is the process of splitting customer in to different groups, or segment within the customers with similar characteristics have similar needs. Geographical Segmentation Mcdonalds offered their services based on certain country basic food. Like Philippines McDonalds realized that Filipino basic food is rice which with fried chicken as its local basic food. Demographic/Psychographic Segmentation Demographic segmentation divided the market into groups based on variables like gender, age, nationality, religion; family life cycle and family size McDonald offered their services by segmented their customer base on age, religion and family life cycle. To offer the best service McDonalds still concern about variations due to differing tastes and cultural issues for their customer over the world. Behavioral Segmentation Behavioral segmentation focuses on dividing consumer based on their knowledge, attitudes, uses, benefit sought, or responses to company’s product. One of the best forms of segmentation is to divide buyers according to the different benefits that they want to get by purchasing the product. Usually people who look for in their product class or look for each benefit. For example, McDonald provide McDelivery for 24 hours, this is the only one delivery service that not stop even once in a while a day by just call it and order, after that within a minute it comes to your place with the food that still hot and fresh. V. Alternative Marketing Strategies McDonalds has seen recent success through a careful implementation of its â€Å"Plan to Win† strategy, which focuses on several key aspects of the business, namely increasing traffic to restaurants, providing everyday value to customers, innovating the company through the creation of new menu items, re-imaging the company’s look, as well as its marketing campaigns. McDonald’s Plan to Win is based on a core set of four main goals: †¢ Acquire more customers †¢ Get these customers to eat at McDonalds more often †¢ Develop more brand loyalty for the McDonalds brand †¢ Ultimately become more profitable Increasing restaurant visits Current market condition help the appearance of McDonalds as a low cost alternative to eating at more expensive restaurants in the minds of customers, which has consequently led to an increase in foot traffic at McDonalds franchises. McDonalds has addressed these conditions through an increase in advertising, specially displaying the company’s attention toward a diversified menu of low cost items. Such advertising serves to satisfy all four of goals of Plan to win program, drawing customer interest through a short display of the plethora of new menu options recently added, while also helping to change the look and feel of McDonalds in the minds of customers. Providing everyday value In order to create an overall feeling of value for customers to experience, McDonalds has released a modular value meal, where customers have the benefit of both low prices coupled with increased freedom when deciding on a meal. While traditional menu options emphasize a trade-off between ordering freedom and price, the McDonalds value menu provides customers with both all at once, helping customers associate the brand with good value. Innovating new menu items At the same time as their menu choices have become modular and less expensive, McDonalds is also creating value for customers by providing a diverse menu with many more ordering options. Customers can now expect an increase in health-conscious options by adding some vegetables in the burger and also they provide some dessert like apple pie or pineapple pie. McDonalds also provide a mccafe like ice mocha, ice latte, and cappuccino, Americano to provide some different variety of coffee to satisfy the customer. Marketing campaigns As well as considering the important of keeping customers informed of the continuing changes to the company through advertising media and social media dialogues, McDonalds also recognizes the value of maintaining an ongoing support system and training structure for each of its franchise operators. As mentioned above, McDonalds uses well defined, and measurable milestones to help their constituents meet company goals with as few inconsistencies as possible. McDonalds’ training programs have been continuously recognized for their excellence, and with the continuing changes being carried out throughout the company, this attention to the value of training is a terrific asset to the company. Re-imaging the restaurant Directly benefiting the company’s goals of brand development for the company, McDonalds is reenergizing their brand through an understanding of â€Å"brand power†, which is built on the cultivation of four key areas of the brand, brand identity, familiarity, specialness, and authority. Brand identity is defined as the set of characteristics that customers recognize your brand by; in McDonalds’ case these are speed, consistency, value, and variety. Brand identity works with brand familiarity, helping to expand the message that symbols of the company, or even the overall impact of advertisements themselves in reinforcing the identity of the brand in the minds of customers. If carefully managed, McDonalds can use their brand identity to make their investments in advertising go much further. Beyond this, brand specialness and authority continue the process, representing the perceptions of McDonalds as the company appears to customers. Ideally, McDonalds should leverage brand specialness and authority to clearly stand out as a distinct and trustworthy source of value, allowing customers to increase the value of the McDonalds brand through their positive interactions with the company. McDonald’s adopts different strategies to attract customers of different age groups, but still the main target remains to be children. So in order to attract them, McDonald’s use a key tool: the Happy Meals, which seem to fascinate children due to the toys included in the menu. In addition to this, they have a tie up with The Walt Disney Company for the Disney characters included in the menu, in order to make sure that they offer the kids a wide range of toy options. Moreover, McDonald’s provides the children with a special facility, unique for food venues and fast-food restaurants: a playground. This strategy is aimed at making McDonald’s a pleasant and fun environment for both kids and parents. Even the exterior of every restaurant is also strategically designed using bright colors to invite in the customer, especially kids who can easily be influenced by these aspects. So not only that the children like it, it is a chance for the parents to spend some â€Å"quality time† with their kids. Another aspect of their marketing strategy is the fact that every McDonald’s restaurant provides Wi–Fi facilities, a detail that adds to the attractive qualities and is aimed at teenage customers. In addition to this, what is representative for this chain is their clown mascot, Ronald McDonald, who is essential for creating the bond with children and entertaining them. They can even have private birthday parties in the facilities, again part of McDonald’s aim to induce happy memories in children’s minds, and to make them associate the McDonald’s brand and logo with happy moments. VI. Selected Marketing Strategy Product Suppliers are dedicated to providing McDonald’s with top quality material that is continually monitored for freshness and safety. McDonald’s uses regional suppliers to ensure that the freshness is delivered to customers in every product they buy. Food quality is keys at McDonald’s. They seek out fresh lettuce and tomatoes, onions and pickles, quality buns and potatoes, pure ground beef, select poultry and fish and wholesome dairy products. All of the beef, chicken and pork that are used are purchased from federally inspected facilities to ensure freshness, wholesomeness and peak quality when served to customers. Non-Vegetarian Ingredients Chicken The chicken products are made from high quality boned rib and leg meat and are covered in a specially seasoned, lightly battered coating. They are shaped in uniform sizes to ensure consistency in weight and value. Fish The fish products in McDonald’s Filet –O- Fish are 100% pure whole white fillets that are lightly breaded. Their exacting quality standards for fish surpass federal requirements. The ocean-fresh quality of Filet-O-Fish is a result of the process and ability to freeze the fish at sea to maintain freshness. Vegetarian Ingredients Vegetables McDonald’s use freshly shredded lettuce, onions, pickles and tomatoes in their restaurants. All their vegetable products are processed from high quality graded vegetables in a 100% dedicated vegetarian plant. Potatoes McDonald’s French fries are famous around the world. To make French fries, McDonald’s uses only the best potatoes available from their own potato farms. Their potato suppliers make many of the same nationally recognized brands of potato products to make customers feel that they are with their family at home. These potatoes are cut, blanched and processed on state-of-the-art processing lines to ensure maximum retention of nutrients. Their French fries and Potato Wedges are cooked at the plant in 100% vegetables cooking oil. Other Ingredients Cheese and other Dairy Products All dairy products like cheese, McShakes and Soft Serves are made from fresh dairy milk. All dairy products including cheese have a role to play in balanced diet because they contain a wide variety of essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, fat solubles, phosphorus, etc. McDonald’s uses a special blend of pasteurized American cheese to complement the flavor of their sandwiches. Buns McDonald’s uses buns made from locally grown wheat flour. They are baked locally and delivered fresh, several times each week to McDonald’s restaurants. Cooking Oil Food preparations are done in 100% refined vegetable oils at the restaurants plants. They use liquid oil and not hydrogenated oil. This means there are no TFAs or Trans Fatty Acids in the French Fries or any other products. Additionally, these vegetable oils contain some essential fatty acids necessary for growth. Quality Food quality is the crucial element at McDonald’s. Despite extensive and meticulous quality test at the suppliers end, all products are once again carefully scrutinized at the restaurant. Immaculate of quality allow for nothing but the best to reach customer’s tray. Their products are sourced from the highest quality ingredients, prepared hygienically and treated to regular quality checks such as the McDonald’s Inspection Program (QIP). Scope of Product Line Distribution (Place) Place, as an element of the marketing mix, is not just about the physical location or distribution points for products. It encompasses the management of a range of processes involved in bringing products to the end consumer. McDonald’s outlets are very evenly spread throughout the cities making them very accessible. Drive in and drive through options make McDonald’s products further convenient to the consumers. Intensive Distribution Distribution arrangements tend to be long term in nature. Because of this time horizon, channel decisions are usually classed as strategic, rather than tactical or operational ones. Many of McDonalds restaurants are open 24 hours per day which satisfies the customers needs and wants, especially for exists their hunger. This kind of distribution strategy is called â€Å"intensive distribution†, means marking the product available for sale through all possible channels of distribution. â€Å"Intensive distribution is stocking the product in as many outlets as possible.† Promotion The promotions aspect of the marketing mix covers all types of marketing communications One of the methods employed is advertising, Advertising is conducted on TV, radio, in cinema, online, using poster sites and in the press for example in newspapers and magazines. Other promotional methods include sales promotions, point of sale display, merchandising, direct mail, loyalty schemes, door drops, etc. The skill in marketing communications is to develop a campaign which uses several of these methods in a way that provides the most effective results. For example, TV advertising makes people aware of a food item and press advertising provides more detail. This may be supported by in-store promotions to get people to try the product and a collectable promotional device to encourage them to keep on buying the item. At McDonalds the prime focus is on targeting children. In happy meals too which are targeted at children small toys are given along with the meal. Apart from this, various schemes for winning prices by way of lucky draws and also scratch cards are given when an order is placed on the various mean combos. VII. Conclusion Since the problem of McDonalds is about the customer that keeps on complaining for the quality and freshness of the products that is being served. Therefore I conclude that the company should use the MFY (Made for You) system, so that the food is made or prepared for the customer just in time with a good quality for a reasonable cost. The company should also provide a large number of riders to avoid late delivery.

Indian Restaurant Case Study Essay

Porter’s five forces model will help us to determine in what ways this new venture will use it when thinking about business strategy and the impact of IT. 1. Buyer power: Buyer power is high when buyers have many choices from whom to buy, and low when there are few. As a provider of the product or services, we should always wishes to reduce buyer power. For this enterprise the buyer power will be low because there is no other Indian restaurant in that area. In addition, the enterprise will keep track of the customers who make their visit often to the restaurant through loyalties programs, number of times credit card being used etc. and it is not feasible without large –scale IT systems. 2. Supplier power: supplier power is high when buyers have few choices from whom to buy. As a customer of other supplier organizations, you want to increase your buyer power. Over here, IT plays a vital role in bringing buyer-supplier together through internet, IT-enable B2B e-marketplaces etc. For this business the supplier power will be low. We can create a competitive advantage by locating alternative supply sources for the organization. 3. Threats of substitute product or services: It is high when there are many alternatives to a product or services, and low when there are few alternatives from which to choose. Ideally, we want it to be in the organization in a market in which there are few substitutes for the products and services. In this venture if we talk about the availability of the Indian food in this area, the threat of substitute is very low. But competition can be given other fast food chains like McDonalds, Wendy’s, domino’s etc. Over here we can take the help of IT by providing fast services to our customers by the help of taking order online, drive through etc. 4. Threat of new entrants: The threat of new entrant is high when it is easy for new competitors to enter a market, and low when the entry is not easy. Over here the threat of new entrant in this particular type of business is low because it required high investment, involvement of risk in front of the other fast food chains etc. 5. Rivalry among existing competitors: It’s high when competition is fierce in the market and low when competition is more complacent. Over here there is no existing competitor as far as the Indian restaurant is concerned. But still we can get competition from other fast food chains who have already established themselves in the market. BUSINESS INTELIGENCE Business intelligence is a knowledge about your customers, competitors, business partners, competitive environment, and your internal operations that gives you the ability to make effective, important, and strategic business decisions. It is an IT applications and tools that support the business intelligence within an organization. The objective of BI is to improve the timeliness and quality of the input for decision making by helping knowledge workers to understand the a) Capabilities available in the firm. b) Trends and future directions in the markets. c) Actions of competitors and implementation of these actions. d) Economic, political, social, and regulatory environments in which the firm competes. Over here BI will help us in getting knowledge about competitors; future prospects of the business and hence will help us in efficiencies and lowering cost in internal operations of the restaurant. Through BI we can find out the business strategies which have to be implied in the future if restaurant faces a competition from other restaurant or fast food chains. It is known that BI systems provide actionable information and knowledge at the right time, in the right location, in the right form. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT A customer relationship management uses information about customers to gain insights into their needs, wants, and behavior in order to serve them better. Customers interact with companies in many ways, and in each interaction should be easy, and error free. It’s uncommon for a customer to change companies after having a bad experience. The goal of CRM is to limit such negative interactions and provide customers with good experiences. Its plays very important role in the industry likes food industry because once customer have a bad experience in it he will never like to come back. So we should take care of the quality of the food and good customer service. Not only this we should also take care of the other facilities which is to be provided to them like availability of the wi-fi within the premises so that they can do there work online, now over here IT plays its role. We can also provide facilities like free home deliveries, taking order online and they can book the table in advance to hold any type of gathering like graduation day, valentine day, birthdays etc. IT will help us to enhance feedback from the customer and thus meet their requirement as far as service is concerned, and they can also give suggestion to improve further. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply chain management will play very important role in this venture. IT will help us in bringing together vast network of suppliers. Over here, in restaurant business we have to take special care about the quality of materials to be used. Supply chain management will help us in tracking arrival the date of the material, expiry date of it, also help in tracking inventory and information about raw materials and their suppliers. Too many materials on hand means that too much money is tied up in inventory and also increases the risk of obsolescence, especially in the case of perishable goods. Too few materials on hand are not good either. So to avoid that situation we can use just in time (JIT) approach. It will help us in reducing holding cost. TO REACH TIPPING POINT To reach tipping point in this venture, the main focus would be on customer satisfaction and the quality of the food because customer wants value out of the money spent and it they get that value it will keep bringing them. It can be done by using differentiation strategy and IT will play major role in this. We have to do planning, implementing and controlling of the operations to satisfy customer requirement as efficiently as possible. We have to take care of the movement and storage of raw materials, in- progress inventory and all this can be done with help of IT. Staff will also play a major role in reaching to the tipping point. We will look for highly skilled and experienced staff for this. Importantly, all this would be offered to the customers at a reasonable price.

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE - Term Paper Example s within the demand and supply model, the factors operating in isolation or together contribute to the shift in demand curve to the right, resulting in realization of higher price and quantity of medical care over time. In addition, expenditure on medical care, the product of price and quantity has at the same time increased (Santerre and Neun, 2009). On the supply side, when wages outpace productivity, the demand and supply curves shift to the left, and as a result, the price of medical care increase; however, since demand for medical care in most cases appear to be price inelastic, the increase in price leads to increase in healthcare (Santerre and Neun, 2009). Another factor on the supply side seen to contribute to increase in healthcare costs has been identified to be cost-enhancing technologies. Information asymmetry has been associated with imperfect market or malfunctioning of the market, as health care suppliers and consumers remain separated with degree of how they know each other. Theoretical economics and empirical data have postulated that an insurance market can distort and result into disequilibrium due to adverse selection whenever there are several plan options offering different benefits and pricing structures (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). For instance, healthier people usually get inclined towards leaner, expensive plans while sicker people are willing to pay more for richer benefits (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). As a result, richer plans may experience adverse selection and higher health care costs, which force an increase in premiums to cover for the costs. This leads to more undesirable selection and market segmentation (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). In the process, some plans are forced to drop out of the market, leavin g high cost consumers with undesirable benefits options (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). Information asymmetry therefore results into ineffective plan choices, where again,

Custom essay writer Please see assignment criteria to choose one essay

Custom writer Please see assignment criteria to choose one question. thank you - Essay Example cialism around the globe arise from the types of social ownership that they advocate and their degree of relying on issues like planning and markets (Howard, 2000). They may also differ in terms of how various managements are organized within their organizations and their government’s role in the construction of socialism (Kumar, 2009). This paper examines the different types of socialism that exist around the globe and the possibility of there being a future for socialism as a whole in the world. The future for socialism is still bright even after most of the founding socialist systems that were located in the Soviet Union and the states in the Eastern Bloc collapsed. There are still other countries like China and Vietnam that continue with the system and its ideals (Levine, 2003). The socialist ideals have also spread to other parts located around the globe though their influence has been diminishing over time (Howard, 2000). Within a socialist economic system, the production of goods is only carried out for the purpose of satisfying their people’s wants and not for sale in order to attain profits (Yunker, 2004). The accounting systems within these socialist systems base their standards on physical magnitude instead of financial calculations (Kumar, 2009). Socialism is a system that may also involve many political philosophies for it to be implemented successfully (Howard, 2000). Its proponents suggest that the production means within a country should be nationalized and distribution or exchange utilized as the major strategies for implementing the system (Kumar, 2009). There are two types of socialist movements, which are the libertarian and democratic forms of socialism. The libertarian form of socialism advocates for the direct control of workers in their country’s production means as opposed to using state powers for the purpose of achieving such arrangements. This system opposes any form of state or parliamentary controls on various production means

Critical review of Literature Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical review of Literature - Research Paper Example These factors mean that interventions for alcohol dependency in children and young people have to vary slightly from standard interventions. As a public health topic, alcohol dependency in this age group is important as it can help to normalize certain behaviours (Lembke, 2011), which may further the problem. Alcohol itself is one of the biggest burdens on the NHS, as it can lead to problems with the cardiovascular and digestive systems (Lembke, 2011), as well as causing dementia and related psychiatric problems. The purpose of this research is to explore which interventions for alcohol dependency in the 10-17 age bracket are most appropriate, and should inform policy guidelines on the matter. To do this, a critical review of the literature on the topic will be conducted. In this review, primary research on alcohol dependency in young people will be explored to show some of the most important issues that this age group has with alcohol dependency. This will highlight the important areas upon which to focus when considering interventions, and suggest areas that may be missing from current knowledge. Additionally, current policy guidelines in the UK will be analysed to ascertain whether they are appropriate when considered in light of the literature review. Literature published before 2002 was excluded from the literature review as it was deemed to be irrelevant and potentially out of date, particularly the information on guidelines. Literature that was included was judged to be the most relevant amongst the search results at that time when informing the research objectives. Alcohol dependency in children and young people is on the rise in the UK (NICE, 2011), and therefore has the potential to become a serious public health issue. Bonomo et al (2004) researched the relationship between alcohol dependency in those aged 14 to 15 and their

Effect of herbal products on perceptions or memory (Literature review) Research Proposal

Effect of herbal products on perceptions or memory (Literature review) - Research Proposal Example Because of the increase in unchecked quality, standard, and safety of the product for use (Starling 2006, p.6). The escalating use of herbal products on UK markets that is evident through the increased sales. The growing usage of the herbal products makes it a critical concern to ascertain its safety for consumption (Reynor et al. 2011, p.2). The women perceive herbal products to pose adverse consequences on their health. UK government should invest and funds researches meant to explore the effects of the herbal products on its citizens. The study herein evaluates the effects of herbal products and perception. The research encounters several ethical issues that the researcher must address in his or her study. The issue of honesty is very critical when conducting the research. The researcher must exercise honesty in all scientific disseminations he or she conducts. The second issue is maintenance and exercising of high level of integrity in the research. He or she must keep all the promises and agreements and act with sincerity as per the subjects’ anticipation. The researcher must remain respectful towards the subjects. He or she seek for permission from the subjects before conducting the research and ensure no to exceed the limits accorded when researching. The researcher must ensure not to invade the privacy and confidential part of the subjects. Cannabis is one of the controversial herbal products used across the globe both for medicinal and recreational purposes. The herbal product faces a heated debate on whether to legalize the drug for use for medicinal purposes in hospitals. Literature search involved comprehensive evaluation of scholarly online indexing and abstracting databases via Google search engine. On the scholarly database, the literature is available by keying the research topic. The database offers a broad range of peer-reviewed articles. The point of interest in the literature review is to

'How far do you agree that poverty has a direct link to health' Essay

'How far do you agree that poverty has a direct link to health' - Essay Example Karl Marx, a great philosopher, believed that societies progress through a coherence of class struggle between the rich who controls societal systems and underprivileged members of society who act as their subjects. According to Marx, the scenery of societal systems could be improved through the idea of socialism where all members of the society enjoy a fair and equal share. The essay will examine how the societal systems contribute to poverty whose impacts are felt in access to health care. This essay offers valuable and elaborate guidance for health service providers. The assessment of the aspects poverty in relation to access to health care shows a close link both abstractly and operationally. Link between Health and Poverty Access to good health care is dependent on the financial status of an individual. Poor people have limited access to health care facilities as compared to the rich people. It is worth noting that material deficiency and the numerous social disadvantages associ ated with poverty makes it impossible for poor people to access health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). Due to the strong connection between poverty and health, there have been deliberate efforts to reduce poverty as one of the ways to make it possible for all people to access health care. ... These mechanisms can help clarify why the impacts of poverty on health may continue to hit if poverty is considered in relation provisions rather than as an absolute deficiency (Saunders, 1998, p. 13). Assessing the links between poverty and health is significant for policy makers since it draws consideration to the likelihood that poverty can be associated with adverse health outcomes. It also helps in examining the distribution of income and health inequalities. Moreover, social aspects of health and social environment give rise to the values and practices that control health conditions and costs (Saunders, 1998, p. 17). Since the health sector has minimal authority over most powerful influences on health, such as education, food, shelter, environmental risks, and work conditions, it meets the practical difficulties of recognizing how it can successfully work to disrupt the brutal cycle of poverty to access to health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). Marx criticized capitalism s ystem arguing that it resulted in class struggle where some enjoyed prime services at the expense of the underprivileged (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). The basic principle of human rights, which include health, upholds all people equally. The issue of the guidelines to be adopted in human rights has been controversial due to differing policies, culture and beliefs in the society (Young, 1999, p. 269). Marx stipulated that the human dignity should be respected including other necessities of life. He argued that capitalism results in discrimination, which may cause high poverty levels in a country due to poor policies and implementation of the government policies, high incidences of impunity, skewed

Study Profolio, 4 Topics, 2500 words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Study Profolio, 4 Topics, 2500 words - Essay Example Mintzberg’s definition of strategy provides a comprehensive idea of organizational structures that are developed on various business strategies. He also provides a number of examples to verify his position on the inter-relation between these definitions of strategy. The organization is perceived as a collective mind whose behavior is regulated or described by the concept of strategy. Therefore, strategy formation focuses on understanding that collective mind. The issues of strategic management are dealt with more substantial account of first person experience in Rosenbluth. He elaborates management dilemmas with special reference to the hospitality industry, and gives a first hand detail of the management aspects of Rosenbluth Travel. Some of the common factors leading to slow growth of the company are: absence of teamwork, overvalued focus on customer, and so on. Rosenbluth offers a precise solution to undertake the management issues in airlines travel. Rosenbluth advocates the importance of technology in organizations. In the context of corporate travel, he suggests the requirement of computerized reservation system for comfortability and easy operability. Moreover, teamwork building is another important aspect that requires the attention of the management in an organization. Rosenbluth points out three most important components for the growth of an organization. The strategic management of the organization should focus on change, people and technology. In order to gain competitive advantage, the management should take care of the enthusiasm among its employees, the relevance of effective training as well as accessibility to more information. Among these factors, importance of employees should be more focused than that of the customers. Because the enthusiastic support of its staff directs the company to effective use of technology and consequential change(s) in the organization. Use of technology is

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) - Essay Example PVC is highly unstable and therefore it requires stabilization which can be done in several ways. One of the common ways is prevention of dehydrochlorination. This process involves the addition of other compounds like metal oxides in order to stop or slow dehydroclorination. Most of the commercially available PVC is understood to be anamorphous glass like polymer that has crystalline structure. These crystallites are made up of few monomers that are arranged syndiotactically. As such, the appearance appears to be flowing grains that has primary aggregates embedded in them. It is often claimed that there are sub-primary particles embedded in the flowing grains but this has remained controversial. The PVC’s phase structure combines with several compounds such as chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer (EVA) and acrylo-nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR). This phase is predicated upon compatibility as well as process temperature and blending during mechanical blending. An increase of the temperature during mechanical processing of PVC to levels higher than the critical levels recommended for first degree particle fusion leads to shift. The shift leads to an inversion whereby there is a higher rubber content with 30% being non

The role and responsibilities of a subject leader in secondary school Essay

The role and responsibilities of a subject leader in secondary school - Essay Example Subject leaders are responsible for meeting the needs of all pupils in their area of work through planning that emphasises individual needs; through teaching that recognises the importance of clear learning objectives and high expectations for all pupils; through assessment that informs planning and learning; through close collaboration with other staff in devising and implementing individual education plans, and through the deployment of staff and resources as determined by pupils' needs. This places a particular responsibility on subject leaders to develop and agree systems and procedures with other members of the team. (Green, 2004) Effective leaders motivate and support all those efforts that are involved in teaching and learning in their subject or area of work. This includes recognising and acknowledging the contributions of others, building and maintaining a team with clear aims, clear goals direction and targets, and helping others and self to set and meet appropriate professional development targets. Leaders possess the responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning in their subject or area of work, in particular to help set targets for pupil and staff performance, and determine any priorities in relation to the subject or area of work. ... size of the school or college and in many smaller schools the head teacher may retain a major responsibility for monitoring and evaluating both pupil and staff performance. The subject leader still want to use evidence of pupils' achievement and start developing plans to set targets and looks forward for improvement. (Holden et al, 2000) Subject leaders need to be confident about and have expertise in their subject or area of work in terms both of knowledge and understanding and of pedagogy. Subject Leaders Accountability Subject leaders are accountable for performance within their particular subject area. They are accountable to pupils, parents, colleagues and the senior management team of the school in which they work. (Green, 2004) "Accountability" as the term is used today refers to the belief that teachers and schools should answer to the public for the academic achievement of students. Indicators are used to represent what and how much students have learned. Following this line of reasoning, it makes perfect sense to design assessments that can be used to measure student outcomes and to infer teacher and school competence from these reported outcomes. Consequently, accountability becomes operational through the administration of tests that serve as mechanisms to audit the performance of teachers and schools. According to Bernauer, "School leaders must effect certain school-level changes as a precondition for ongoing improvement, particularly in regard to the allocation of time; that is, in order for dialogue to be productive, it must not only be focused but also be a regular component of the school day. Adequate instructional time must also be available if the results of dialogue are to be effectively transformed and delivered in the classroom. While there

Money - is the second most important Essay Example for Free

Money is the second most important Essay Money is the second most important thing in the world, Says Margaret on p. 134. To what extent do you feel your reading of Howards End has confirmed or undermined this view of the world Forster creates in his novel. Forster sets the novel in Edwardian times. This setting is one of great industrial and cultural advances that reflect greatly upon the characters in the novel. During the Edwardian period the first motorcar was developed for public use, there was a great divide between the upper classes and the lower and women did not yet have the right to vote. I will be exploring how money and other privileges affect characters behaviour. As well as describing how Forsters portrayal of these characters driven by money affects the novels story and readers perspective of how ones lifestyle was in Edwardian times. The Shlegels and the Wilcoxs both have very different views on life. Though from similar social status the Shlegels are of German origin and are interested more by culture, whereas the Wilcoxs are deeply involved in the world of business. The Wilcoxs wealth is demonstrated at the start of the novel as Charles drives Mrs Munt from the station to Howards End. It is clear straight away to the reader that the Wilcoxs must be of great wealth as a motorcar was a great privilege in Edwardian times and only the elite would have them. Helen and Pauls affair at the beginning of the novel also allows for the reader to see how much the Wilcoxs care for money as Charles states that Paul hasnt a penny, dooming the relationship barely before they even knew it had begun and finished. Pauls lack of financial substance gives an interesting contrast to a modern audience. As in modern times most couples would not let money divide their love, whereas in Edwardian times it would ruin relationships in an instant. Mrs Munts first reaction to the affair is one of a pessimistic nature; she exclaims, What do you think of the Wilcoxs? Are they are sort? Are they likely people? This shows Mrs Munts interest is more in the Wilcoxs financial and social background. Forster portrays the different interests of the two families in an interesting way, which affirms Margarets view that money is the second most important thing in the world. The Shlegels love for literature and music is demonstrated when the Shlegels go to a lecture on music and meaning. This is where Forster cleverly introduces Margarets interest in Leonard Bast. The Clerk is in the lowest rank of the middle classes but strives to better himself and his social status and cultural bacground. The two meet rather awkwardly as Helen accidentally steals Mr. Basts umbrella. Helen immediately takes an interest in Mr Bast as she realises he is not very well off but she see his desire for the arts. Helen does not seem to understand how strong willed Mr Bast is, as she tries to help his financial situation by giving him money. He is offended by this as he wants to make his way in life, but he wants to do it by himself. This is when Helen learns that money is not as important as happiness. It is clear from the way Helen and Margaret react to Mr Bast that the Shlegels are committed to personal relations. Helens interest in Mr Bast soon turns into something more as she begins to really admire his desire to climb the social ladder. Even when the Shlegels try to help Leonard by giving him money he returns the money out of principle showing that he does not want hand outs. The ironic factor in this section of the novel is that Helen invests the money and subsequently makes a profit. This portrays how for some of the upper classes money is inescapable. F. R. Leavis stated that although the portraits of the Schlegels and Wilcoxes were reasonably accurate, Leonard Bast was an unreal creation, a mere external grasping at something that lies outside the authors firsthand experience, This critique is interesting as it shows Forsters portrayal of Bast as a generalisation of what he assumed of a class he knew little about. Forsters depiction of the two families in the novel helps the reader understand how important happiness and culture is. The Wilcoxs unfortunately seem too involved in money to behave in a more ethical manner. When Ruth Wilcox dies, she leaves Howards End to Margaret Shlegel. Henry Wilcox knows from the beginning that the scrap of paper Mrs Wilcox has written on is no forgery, but Charles and the other Wilcoxs money driven personalities come in to play. Charles says My dear father, consult an expert if you like, but I dont admit that is my mothers writing Why, you just said it was! cried Dolly. Never mind if I did, he blazed out. This confusion represents the Wilcox selfishness and in a way lack of respect for their departed mothers wishes. Although the piece of paper is not legally binding there is certainly a moral issue that would be looked upon far more seriously in modern times than in Edwardian. Again this demonstrates how Forsters depiction of the Wilcoxs is far more based around money and material goods than morals and personal relations. I think that too many readers, one is quite shocked at when Margaret agrees to marry Henry Wilcox after having read about his families deceitful ways Leavis, also cannot believe, in other words, that a sensitive, imaginative, cultivated woman like Margaret Schlegel could ever be attracted to an obtuse, egotistic, unscrupulous, self-deceiving businessman like Henry Wilcox. The material artefacts in Howards End have a great impact on the readers understanding of Edwardian times, as well as what portraying the two families interests. Motorcars represent class divides and the restless, money driven, modern civilization that the Wilcoxs are involved in building. They are cut off from the natural world as they travel at abnormal speeds again giving the impression of the Wilcoxs care for only one thing. They also are brutally unsympathetic when they kill a girls pet cat and made no effort to comfort the child. The Schlegels books and sword portray the powerful, expensive European culture that Leonard Bast aspires to but cannot reach. In the end, the interfering of the Shlegels seems just as responsible for Leonards unhappy fate as the Wilcoxs lack of sympathy for Mr Bast throughout the novel, and the part the books and sword play in his death dramatizes.

Harlem Renaissance Art Style and History

Harlem Renaissance Art Style and History The legacy of the Harlem Renaissance is that it redefined how America and the world, viewed the African-American population. The migration of Southern Blacks to the North changed the image of the African-American from rural, undereducated peasants to one of urban, cosmopolitan sophistication. This new identity led to a greater social consciousness; African-Americans became players on the world stage, expanding intellectual and social contacts internationally. Some common themes represented during the Harlem Renaissance were the influence of the experience of slavery and emerging African-American folk traditions on black identity, the effects of institutional racism, the dilemmas inherent in performing and writing for elite white audiences, and the question of how to convey the experience of modern black life in the urban North. Characterizing the Harlem Renaissance was an overt racial pride that came to be represented in the idea of the New Negro, who through intellect and production of literature, art, and music could challenge the pervading racism and stereotypes to promote progressive or socialist politics, and racial and social integration. The creation of art and literature would serve to uplift the race. New Negro is a term popularized during the Harlem Renaissance implying a more outspoken advocacy of dignity and a refusal to submit quietly to the practices and laws of Jim Crow racial segregation. The term New Negro was made popular by Alain LeRoy Locke. It is my intent to show how Carl Van Vechten, James Van Der Zee, and James Latimer Allen interpret and display the New Negro in their work of portraitures. As white families moved from cities to suburbs, the advent of World War I created a shortage of labor in northern cities. African Americans began to migrate north from their southern rural homes. During the 1920s, 1.5 million African Americans migrated north in hope of employment and relief from tthe prejudice that oppressed them so severely in the South. Van Vechtens many portraits of African-American performers, writers, and musicians taken in New York City reflect his interest in African Americans and the arts. They also reflect the growing presence of African Americans in northern cities resulting from the mass migration of the 1920s. More than this, these portraits also document the impact of this migration in popularizing African-American artistic movements such as jazz, the blues, and the Harlem Renaissance. I am certain that my first interest in making [these] photographs was documentary and probably my latest interest in making them is documentary too . . . I wanted to show young people of all races how many distinguished Negroes there were in this world . . . he adds that the process of making photographic portraits is a magical act. Bessie Smiths notorious private life contributed to glamorizing the self-destructive behavior often associated with jazz, blues, and rock performers of the present day. Smiths excessive drinking, violent temper (and physical strength), and predatory sexual life involving both men and women were boundary breaking, even by the standards of free-living musicians of the Roaring Twenties. A number of Smiths recordings in her later career were frankly pornographic, reflected both her loss of stature as an artist and her first-hand experience in reckless and often abusive relationships. All of this is important to keep in mind while analyzing this piece. We see the subject, Smith looking up and back at a bust of an African statue. While she is physically looking in a backward motion it can also be interpreted as a metaphor for l ooking into ones own past and heritage. With Smiths dicey past and morally grey activities Van Vechten portrays her as a beautiful female specimen who is in adoration of her African roots. Van Vechten place Smith below the statue which forces her to look up in its direction which is historically pious in stance. She is in veneration of her ancestors; she has them to thank for her present success as a performer. The portraits taken by James Latimer Allen were of many men and women who created the Harlem Renaissance exhibit with a purposeful uniformity. Men dressed in a dapper manner in suits and ties, women in their Sunday best. Through this formal statement Allen was underscoring the emergence of what a local magazine, The Survey Graphic, in 1925 had called the New Negro. Harlem photographer James Allens portrait of graphic artist James Lesesne Wells shows his subject intensely engaged with a drinking cup from Central Africa. Wells gazes down on the face carved on the vessel as if communing with an ancestor. The entire notion of this photo is very contrived. It is a bit of a strain to believe that Wells has a deep connection much less a full understanding of his ancestral past. The fact is the New Negros was a group that had never known slavery. Therefore they were comfortable with the idea of succeeding in all realms of culture and in any profession. Whether Wells understands or appreciate s the artifact if it is even authentic doesnt matter. What is really important is his presence and brooding manner. He seems to be engulfed within his own thoughts. His meditative state gives the viewer the idea that this Black man is able to think on a high level proving his intelligence and all around competence within society. His is very neatly put together; though no real emphasis is put on his attire we can still tell that he is not poor. Wells is looking down at the cup, a contrast to the image of Smith who is looking upward at her African fetishe. In comparison, these two images are similar in that they both are looking to their past and pieces of African art which serve as an affirmation of their heritage and identity. In contrast, Wells is putting himself above and beyond his ties to slavery; he is asserting himself into the image of the New Negro. Wells may reject the European ideas of primitivism because he himself is an artist who is very influenced by European woodcuts and their makers. Alain Locke happens to be one of his biggest supporters which may also feed into his self assured and confident nature that he is about to portray. Aesthetically the composition is lacking. Our eyes are guided diagonally to the cup so that we too may contemplate and feel the magic that lies within the cup. As contrived as the pictorial space and composition is, it certainly promotes the values of the New Negro. A lot of scholars and critics agree that James Van Der Zee documented the truth and he was very creative and realistic in doing so. They feel he used photography to document Black America by creating a vision of success and naturalness. Through his artwork he wanted to show that life for African Americans in Harlem could be better and will be better. He wanted them to have a better, wealthier image showing that they too can be successful he took pictures of them either looking strong, happy, or dominant. Van Der Zee had the ability to construct his compositions so they were visually interesting and coherent. They have an aesthetic dimension that is independent of whatever they depict. Experts explain that the best photographers do the unexpected; they do not just focus on the fantasized world but the real world also Van Der Zee did both. He provided an image for African Americans showing success and showing what they face in everyday life by creating a natural look so they fit in. Wo rks by Van Der Zee are artistic as well as technically proficient. His work was in high demand, due in part to his experimentation and skill in double exposures and in retouching negatives of children. A theme that reoccurs in his photographs is the emergent black middle class, which he captured using traditional techniques in often idealistic images. Negatives were retouched to show glamour and an aura of perfection. This affected the likeness of the person photographed, but he felt each photo should transcend the subject. His carefully posed family portraits reveal that the family unit was an important aspect of Van Der Zees life. He photographed the people of Harlem for more than six decades, depicting the life of one of the most celebrated black communities in the world. By providing elaborate costumes, props, and backdrops, in combination with creative double exposures, expert retouching, and airbrushing, Van Der Zee became renowned for the quality of his portraits. Van Der Zee actively worked to manipulate an image through careful composition, use of multiple negatives, retouching, dramatic lighting, and skillfully painted backdrops and props. It is tempting to compare his multi-layered images to photomontage created in the 1920s and 1930s. However, Van Der Zee was familiar with neither the avant-garde photographic practices in Europe nor the modernist photography by Alfred Stieglitz. Although he gained fame for his portrayal of African-American celebrities who passed through Harlem, Van Der Zee made his daily living by taking thousands of photographs of Harlems residents, including family groups, weddings, athletic teams, and social clubs. In this portrait, Wedding Day, Harlem, Van Der Zee was creating an unusual but realistic message. The most important concepts of the portrait are the facial expressions on the bride and grooms face. The bride is looking at the camera while the groom is looking at her. Her face has a serious structure, showing that she is dominant, as her body is positioned slanted position but her posture is straight. The groom is admiring her and being a gentleman. The painted backdrop of the fireplace and a superimposed image of a little girl who is playing with a newly available black baby doll all speak of the couples dream of a middle class status. The architecture of the columns and the ornate chair are visual tropes that have been used throughout history in such other wedding portraits such as the Arnolfini portrait. A domestic family life, and black pride are the ideas all fall into line with the New Negro movement these are all concepts that Van Der Zee puts into action in his portraits. These works portray the peoples of African descent in a positive light in normal, human situations. Historically and continually, peoples of African descent are often portrayed negatively in the various media, and many mainstream photographers working in areas such as Harlem, have historically highlighted squalid conditions, social problems, or exoticism. Such Western interest in tribal artifacts grew from the colonization of Africa by Europeans, whose takeover of the continent is documented through a colored map. By 1900, few major artists were untouched by the fascination with African and Oceanic primitive art. Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and others were drawn to the styles and motifs from these non-Western cultures as a way to challenge traditional aesthetic ideas. They saw western styles as stagnant and irrelevant to modern society. Unfortunately, part of the expectation of African-American artists of this time period was to relate to and produce images that correlated with tri bal artifacts. While Europeans understood African objects through the lens of colonialism, Americans viewed them as representing the legacy of slavery and segregation. Racial biases resulted in the negative perception of African art which persists to this day. But since the Harlem Renaissance is remembered as a fleeting golden age; a contemporary viewer cannot help but read evanescence into these portraits. Van Der Zee, Allen, and Van Vechten did their part to promote African-Americans in a light that they deserve even if they may not have monetarily deserved the title. All humans deserve the right to dream and have the same goals despite racial barriers. It is my belief that these artists truly upheld the image of the New Negro while also continually trying to move forward with that idea and their own artwork. Carl Van Vechten, Portrait of Bessie Smith James Van Der Zee, Future Expectations (Wedding Day)1926 James Latimer Allen, Portrait of James Lesesne Wells, c. 1930.

Changes to Irish Historiography and Historical Debate

Changes to Irish Historiography and Historical Debate Discuss the growth of Irish historiography and historical debate since the 1960s with specific reference to at least two of the following areas: women’s history, social history, labour history, economic history, local history, the history of the diaspora. There has been without a doubt a growth in Irish historiography and historical debate since the 1960’s. The following will discuss and examine the reasons for the growth of Irish historiography and historical debate. Irish historiography had tended to focus on the relationship between England (and later Britain) and Ireland with its consequences for both countries’ developments and history. Irish historiography also highlighted key events that proved pivotal in shaping the Irish nation. Such events include the English invasions from the 12th century, the reformation, the plantations of Ulster, the consequences of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. Further defining moments were also the development of Irish Republicanism that was shown by the 1798 rebellion and the emergence of the Fenian Brotherhood during the 19th century. The potato famine of the 1840’s would prove disastrous to the Irish population whilst encouraging immigration to Britain, the United States and Australia. Such immigration will as examined lead to the development of the diaspora. The way in which Ireland was partitioned to account for the two versions of Irish nationalism has become the central theme of historical debate. The Civil Rights Movement within the Roman Catholic community of Northern Ireland which inadvertently led to the troubles will be evaluated as to whether that is the prime motivator of changes in Irish historiography and historical debate. Prior to the English involvement Ireland was an independent if divided country. One historical debate is whether the English were good or bad for Ireland. It had been influenced by mainly Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking settlements.[1] Irish culture was Gaelic and Christian in character. The English that came to Ireland were descendants of the Normans that ruthlessly conquered England a century before. In contrast to William the Conqueror these Anglo-Norman invaders did not intend to stay and were invited to cross the Irish Sea to join in with a conflict between Gaelic chieftains. For the Irish the involvement the Anglo-Norman in their affairs was a monumental change in their destiny. From Henry II English Kings came to regard stability in Ireland as in important part of their security. The accident of geography was to lead to the inter relationship between the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish that has brought both benefits and disasters to all concerned. There are people who believ e that the English or British brought benefits to the Irish will tend to stress the good consequences of their involvement rather than the bad. Those who have an anti-English outlook stress the harmful consequences, [2] Henry II himself was not in a hurry to invade Ireland; his possessions in France and England took priority. However once the English arrived in 1172 they would not be removed by the Irish for centuries, and even then not from the whole of Ireland.[3] English control of Ireland was never complete and centred around Dublin. The amount of control fluctuated depending on the power and interest of the King. Strong Kings such as Edward IV and Henry VII attempted to increase their power in Ireland. It was to be Henry VIII that would alter the shape of Irish history as much as he changed that of England. Henry VIII was a man of great ambition, in 1541 he proclaimed himself King of Ireland, thus showing the intention of gaining greater control of Ireland.[4] The Tudors made their control of Ireland effective if not complete yet at the cost of sowing future conflict over religion, politics and the status of Ireland. Henry VIII had already attempted to gain the loyalty of the Irish nobility and gain control over the Irish church. After the break from Rome, Henry was determined to introduce the Church of England to his Irish subjects as well as his English subjects. The Reformation would further complicate the relationship between the Irish and English. The Reformation was slow to take root in Ireland; the Roman Catholic Church maintained its strength in the majority of the island, especially in rural areas. Whilst the Irish parliament faithfully followed the religious legislation roller coaster ride seen in England the Irish did not follow suit. Ironically it was the Roman Catholic, Mary I that came up with the strategy that would change Irish society and economy as profoundly as it affected its politics and religion, the plantations.[5] The Irish did not accept those changes without resisting. The most serious threat to the Tudor hold on Ireland came with the Earl of Tyrone’s rebellion of the 1590’s that was not finally put down until 1604.[6] Despite that rebellion James VI of Scotland inherited Ireland under the crown’s control when he gained the English throne.[7] James I greatly expanded the plantations in particular to the Irish province of Ulster. The protestant settlers gained land off of the Irish population of Ulster in return for their loyalty to Britain. The settlers would be given social and economic advantages by the government that persisted into the 20th century and was deeply resented by the Roman Catholic communities. That resentment contributed to the rebellion of 1641 that attacked the plantations. Irish nationalists and republicans regard the plantations as a prime example of British imperialism whilst Unionists regard them as the foundation of their communities.[8] The rebel lion in Ireland sparked off the English Civil War, there was in effect Civil Wars in England, Scotland and Ireland that would result in much bloodshed and the removal of Charles I. The situation in Ireland was complicated; there were those that supported the English parliament and those that wished to use the Civil Wars as an opportunity to gain independence. All Irish opposition to the English parliament was ruthlessly suppressed by Oliver Cromwell and resulted in the massacre of Drogheda. Oliver Cromwell remains associated with bloody repression and the use of terror to this day, the paradox of an English republican with Imperial policies.[9] The Irish Catholic community would remain loyal to James II who lost his Irish kingdom after his English and Scottish ones. The victory of William of Orange only reinforced the British bias in favour of the Ulster Protestants. The Protestants liked to show their loyalty to Britain through their Orange orders and apprentice boys’ marche s, a source of sectarian friction for more than three centuries. Whilst the Unionists see these as symbols of their British nationality, the Catholic communities see them as symbols of their continued rule from Britain. [10] The consequences of these events were two rival senses of nationalism developed in Ireland. There were many of the Irish population that remained overwhelmingly poor, rural and Roman Catholic wishing for independence from Britain or at least autonomy. The other form of nationalism was that centred on the Ulster Protestants that saw themselves as British and did not want independence and would only accept more autonomy if their special status were maintained. Some of these Protestants were also poor but regarded themselves as better than their Catholic peers. There was an upsurge in Irish nationalism following in the wake of the American War of Independence and the French Revolution that culminated in the rebellion of 1798. The French had done their best to cause trouble in Ireland yet proved incapable of supporting the rebellion. The failure of that rebellion led to rebels such as Wolfe Tone joining the Diaspora and the union of Ireland with Great Britain. The population of Ireland g rew rapidly especially with the introduction of the potato. The economy started to develop especially in Belfast and other parts of Ulster that produced linen and ships. Dublin and Belfast also grew to rapid urbanisation.[11] Potato blight brought famine to Ireland drastically reduced the population through starvation and immigration whilst showing the British government as inept during the crisis.[12] There have certainly been many debates around the Potato Famine, which centred on those that did not wish to become too involved in describing the consequences and the revisionists that its consequences could not be overemphasised. Perhaps one of the most important revisionist works was Cecil Woodham-Smith’s ‘The Great Hunger’ written in 1962 and tried to examine if the famine could have been averted or at least alleviated. The main debate concerns who was to blame for the famine, the British government on its own or others either singly or in various combinations.[13] The Potato Famine of 1845-47 would lead to demands for Home Rule and Land Reform whilst it also convinced Irish Catholics that the British government did not care about them. There had been earlier famines, for instance th at of 1739-41, yet none became as notorious as the one of 1845-47.[14] On balance most historians now seem to edge their bets when apportioning blame for the famine. However at the time many in Ireland blamed the British government for not acting quickly enough. Perceptions can often be more powerful than fact, the image of British indifference has been far more enduring than the countless number of British individuals that attempted to help the Irish.[15] The emigration from Ireland that followed was remarkable, between the start of the potato famine and partition four million Irish left for the United States, Australia and Britain. The Irish –American communities can assert great political influence in the United States which is why Irish Republicans, Ulster Unionists, Irish and British governments will try to influence American policy towards Ireland.[16] Concession from the British government over Land Reform were gained with relative ease which many poor labourers across the country at limited expense to absentee landlords. It was to be the campaigns for and against Home Rule that caused much controversy then much later amongst historians. Home Rule was campaigned for by Irish MPs spearheaded with great skill by Charles Stewart Parnell The Liberal governments led by Gladstone favoured Home Rule yet were unable to make headway against the Conservatives and Liberal backbenchers opposed to it or the Ulster Protestants. Home Rule caused some of Gladstone’s least successful moments. However it was the Asquith government that actually passed Home Rule legislation in the face of almost insurrectionists Unionist opposition only to have it delayed by the First World War.[17] That war saw the majority of Irish back the British war effort. However, it gave the IRA chance to launch the Easter Rising in 1916. The Easter Rising was put dow n by the British Army but gave the Irish Republican Movement martyrs.[18] The war the IRA waged using the tactics of Michael Collins forced the British government to peace talks and the partition of Ireland. The British called the IRA terrorists whilst the Republicans referred to them as freedom fighters. The IRA did not gain independence for all of Ireland just 26 counties. The Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom whilst Civil War broke out in the Irish Free State leading to the deaths of Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths amongst others. Despite public statements to the contrary even hard-line republicans such as Eamon de Valera accepted the partition.[19] The partition of 1921 showed that neither the British or the Irish Republicans could gain total victory. The Ulster Protestants were content with having Home Rule in Northern Ireland and denying Roman Catholics their civil rights and any real political influence. The Roman Catholic minority in Northern Ireland felt let down by the Republic of Ireland for not fighting for a united Ireland and uninterested in a state they did not want to belong to and did nothing to protect their rights.[20] Despite making a claim to aim towards a united Ireland in its constitution, the Irish Republic left Northern Ireland alone. As for the Republican campaigns of the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s they were ineffective. The harsh economic climate of the depression of the 1930’s did more to set off sectarian violence than radicalism.[21] The 1960’s were to witness a change of attitude amongst the nationalist and republican communities that resulted in the civil rights move ments, a violent backlash from the Unionists. The British Army was brought in to stop sectarian violence yet provided the Provincial IRA with a reason to launch a long running armed struggle. In part the civil rights movement had been encouraged by the attempted political, social and economic reforms of Northern Irish Prime Minister O’Neill, with similar aims of ending discrimination against Catholics. The events of 1969 seemed to catch all sides by surprise.[22] The emergence of the troubles in Northern Ireland did lead to a change in the historiography of Ireland. That occurred either to justify the actions of one faction against the others yet also by others as a means of explaining the conflict. Republicans justified their actions by maintaining that Irish history was dominated by the struggle to be free of British rule. They were merely carrying on the struggle that Wolfe Tone and Michael Collins had given their lives for. More moderate nationalist opinion could point to trying to achieve their objectives through peaceful means, following the sample set by the moderate campaigners for Home Rule of the previous century and the more recent civil rights movement.[23] The Unionists defended the existence of Northern Ireland arguing that it was a just and pragmatic partition of Ireland that maintained their right to remain within the United Kingdom, a right that was theirs as they were formed the majority of the Northern Irish population.[24] Another impact of the Troubles was that it led to a renewed interest in studying the Anglo-Irish War and the subsequent partition of Ireland. Republican opinion had often seen the agreement to the partition as a great betrayal rather than the IRA military leadership getting the best deal it could. However there was the opposing perspective of the British and the Ulster Unionists that partitioning Ireland had been the only viable option as neither the British nor the IRA could decisively defeat the other. Perhaps one important perspective that the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein missed was that circumstances surrounding the Anglo-Irish War were uniquely favourable. The Easter Rising had strengthened the resolve to gain independence whilst the human and financial costs of the First World War meant that the British government did not want a long war in Ireland.[25] Therefore Irish historical debate and historiography has changed as a result of the troubles in Northern Ireland. That was partly due to different sides trying to justify their cause and to historians trying to explain the causes of the troubles and the Irish problem. As explained the roots of the Irish problem can be traced back to the first English invasions of the 12th century. Those who support the Unionist perspective emphasise the positive aspects of British involvement pointing out that Ireland would have been poorer and less civilised without it. Those that examine Irish history from a nationalist or republican perspective tend to blame the British for everything that has gone wrong in Ireland and that there would not have been an Irish problem without British interference. Traditional historical debate usually tried to argue in favour of one perspective rather than another, whilst revisionists have tried to look at all factors involved without apportioning blame or praise to any sole actor in Irish history. Some also tried to look at Irish history from a Marxist perspective. This approach has been most popular with republicans as justification for their struggle against the British. Bibliography Ardagh, J (1994) Ireland and the Irish – Portrait of a Changing Society, Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London Fitzpatrick, D (1998) The Two Irelands 1912-1939, Oxford University Press, Oxford Gardiner J Wenborn N (1995) The History Today Companion to British History, Collins Brown, London Hobsbawm E (1975) the Age of Capital 1848-1875, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London Moody T W Martin F X, (2001) The Course of Irish History, Mercier Press, Cork and Dublin Morgan K O (1989) The Oxford Mini History of Britain Volume II – The Middle Ages, Oxford University Press, Oxford Schama S (2000) A History of Britain 1 – at the edge of the world 3000 BC – 1603, BBC Worldwide, London Schama S (2001) A History of Britain 2 – The British Wars 1603 –1776, BBC Worldwide, London Stewart A T Q (2001) The Shape of Irish History, The Blackstaff Press, Belfast Footnotes [1] Moody Martin, 2001, p.95 [2] Stewart, 2001, p.26 [3] Morgan, 1989, p.24 [4] Moody Martin, 2001, p.139 [5] Gardiner Wenborn, 1995, p.417 [6] Schama, 2000, p.389 [7] Moody Martin, 2001, p.139 [8] Lockyer, 1989, p.302 [9] Schama, 2001, p. 203 [10] Kennedy-Pipe 1998 p.9 [11] Hobsbawm 1975 p. 209 [12] Kinealy 1997 p. 5 [13] Kinealy, 1197, pp.6-7 [14] Stewart, 2001, p.106 [15] Stewart, 2001 p. 153 [16] Ardagh, 1994, p. 305 [17] Kennedy-Pipe, 1998 p. 13 [18] Fitzpatrick,1998 p.59 [19] Fitzpatrick 1998 p. 35 [20] Stewart, 2001 p. 174 [21] Moody Martin 2001 p. 269 [22] Kennedy – Pipe 1998 p. 37 [23] Moody Martin 2001 p. 291 [24] Gardiner Wenborn 1995 p.767 [25] Stewart 2001 p. 171

Antigone and A Doll’s House feminine comparison Essay -- Gender Roles,

â€Å"The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, ‘It's a girl.’† (Chisholm). Where do women fit in the social order of society today? Many women today fit in the same role as they would have been expected to long ago. Though generally speaking, women have a lot more options today. The male hierarchy still governs most aspects of society, but with many more limitations because women are discovering that they can stand on their own, and have no need for constant regulating from their male counterparts. Patriarchal influences are the base of society. In Antigone Sophocles tells a tale about Greek values and women’s status. Antigone has just witnessed her two brothers kill each other; one brother died defending Thebes and the other died betraying it. Creon’s law keeps anyone from burying the traitor and Antigone is set on contravening this. Conversely, Ibsen’s playwright, A Doll’s House, i s a story about an intelligent woman, Nora, who is misunderstood by her husband, Torvald. She takes desperate measures to keep her family intact but in the end wines up going out on her own. As the stories progress the both Nora’s and Antigone’s characteristics become very similar in that they are both rebellious, are subservient to male jurisdiction, and are resolute and strong-willed in their decision. Firstly, Antigone and Nora are both mildly chaotic and rebellious. Women, at those times have certain expectations of following patriarchal jurisdiction. When Antigone goes against Creons law she shows her rebellious side. Nora’s seditiousness is demonstrated when Mrs.Linden converses with her and says, â€Å"Why, a wife can’t borrow money without her husband’s consent†(Ibsen 151). During Ibsen’s era many... ...igone is expected to be subservient, but has an urge to defy. Ismene tries to remind her about women’s place in society, but fails in trying to persuade Antigone. Nora all her life has been the little helpless lark that cannot think for herself. Torvald sees her as what a woman was expected to be, and she is powerless. The resoluteness and the strong-will of both Antigone and Nora are vital. Without these qualities they would not of gotten far in their campaigns. Antigone has the constant but shaky decisiveness throughout the story. While, Nora has an unclear decisiveness until the very end when she completely decides to move out and is unwavering to Torvald’s pleas. These characters tell the story of women in the past that have paved the way for women today. Without them who knows how women would have been treated today? Surely, their actions were greatly needed.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Essay -- capital violenc

Gawain and Capital Violence In almost every example of romantic epics, and definitely every story concerning King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the characters carefully adhere to a strict code known as the chivalric code.. The five main tenets of chivalric code or in other words the knightly code are: showing courage and bravery, being honest, having honor and being respected among peers, being kind to others, and being courteous and well-mannered especially toward females. Gawain is the very embodiment of these chivalric values but through his encounter with the Green knight and the lady he fails to uphold the code because of its rigidness and strictness.. Violence is the mechanism that Gawain uses to gain his capital which is honor and the upholding of the chivalric code. Even though violence does lead Gawain to respect and honor in the end of the poem Gawain points out how cowardly it is to follow a code that is so strict, that it allows no room for any human mistakes and that he was justified in trying to save his life over his honor. Sir Gawain fulfills his requirements of the five tenets right from the beginning of the poem, as he shows courage and why he can be seen as the greatest knight in the round table. Sir Gawain asks Arthur to allow him to take the challenge. When the Green Knight first challenges the knights in Arthurs Court, it is King Arthur who takes up the challenge at first. But Gawain is quick to step in take the place of King Arthur as he says â€Å"I am the weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit; loss of my life would be grieved the least† (Gawain 354-355). Gawain does not think highly of himself and feels that the only reason he is a knight of Arthur's court is because he is Arthur's nephew... ...rtesy toward females are all tested in the poem. Sir Gawain who is supposed to embody these principles is tested by the Green knight and the lady and he fails to uphold the chivalric code. The failure leaves Gawain scarred for life but it also reflects a change in attitude towards capital violence and the role that it should play in the knights’ life. Gawain makes clear that there is a limit to how loyal and strict a knight can be when he is following the chivalric code and that the demands of the code are so immense that eventually a knight will fail to uphold the code. But this failure to uphold the code and not adhering to capital violence does not show cowardice and is in reality just human mistakes that are expected and are justified Works Cited Armitage, Simon. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A New Verse Translation. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.

Review of “Peer-E-Kamil” Essay

Pir-e-Kamil (SAW) meaning The Perfect Mentor, is one of the fiction novel written by well known and famous Pakistani writer Umera Ahmed. The book was firstly published in 2005 in Urdu language and later on in 2011 the book was published in English language too. I have decided to write review on this book because I found the book an extraordinary attempt by the writer Umera Ahmed. I have selected this book for review because the facts shown in the book were heart & soul shaking. Many among us don’t think about these facts and coming life but only consider it as to have the luxuries and to relax after working hard for gathering as much luxuries as they can. The only right path starts from ALLAH and ends at his beloved last Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) but unfortunately not as many of us thinks about it. Umera Ahmed was born on December 10, 1976 in Sialkot. Umera Ahmed completed her masters in English literature from Murray College,Sialkot. She began her writing career in 1998 with her initial stories published in monthly Urdu digests. She has written 16 books, ranging from complete novels to compilations of short stories. Her most popular book is the current book of which I am presenting the review Pir-e-Kamil (SAW). This book became identity for Umera Ahmed. Later she became an English language lecturer for the students of O and A levels at Army Public College, Sialkot. However, she left the job a few years back in order to devote her full attention to writing. Her novels and her plays have been adapted for television. Umera Ahmed is one of the most widely-read and popular Urdu fiction novelist and screenplay writer of this era. Her stories revolves around many social, domestic and spiritual issues and consists of colours of true love, friendship, suspense and tragedy. What differe ntiates her from others is her ambition of bringing light on certain controversial issues of modern era. Pir-e-Kamil, is our Prophet (S.A.W) someone the whole Muslim Ummah loves. The story of ‘Pir-e-Kamil’ is about a girl named ‘Imamah’ who went through many changes in her life because of her love for Allah and His Messenger S.A.W. Pir-e-Kamil is a story of Imamah Hashim, who belongs to a family of Qadiyanis. Qadiyanis are a group of people who choose divergence from true Islam by selling their faith and these are considered non-believers by Islamic Law and according to the Law of Pakistan too. Imamah grews up in that family but feels something to be missing in her life. She found what she was looking for in Islam. Her conversion to Islam brought some serious and difficult challenges to her life, and faced rejection and harsh behavior of her family on becoming a Muslim. Her family planned her wedding with her cousin â€Å"Asjad† who was also a Qadiyani. As It isn’t permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim, so she asks for her Muslim neighbors, Salar’s help. Salar was one of those special people who have 150+ IQ level and amazing memory. This book is also about the story of Salar Sikander, a very different and complicated character, who was living a sinful and worse life like the life of anyone in the world but not that of how a good Muslim should live. He had tried to commit suicide a few times just because he wants to feel the pain. After that story the book is about the hardships these characters face in life. The book tells us that Any success in this world and in the next World, is only granted for the love of Holy Prophet (SAW) and beyond that there is nothing that a person requires. Nothing. The writers expressive style does justice to the wonderful plot and by the end of the novel you cant help but at least think over the lessons and morals in the book. The novel’s plot, facts expressed in the novel, the scenes hence, everything was heart touching, heart shaking and perfect. It is not just an ordinary novel, but Pir-e-Kamil will let you examine your own life and see if the lives we are living are in accordance with what Allah (God) wants us to live like in this World. The story of the book is such a great one that no one can sit without admiring it. It shows the people who love Allah and His Messenger (SAW) and how people have changed by the will of Allah through other people. It is spiritual story. I’m sure that there are many people who go through such phases in their lives, infact I think everyone gets a chance at least once in their lives. It also depends on who want that change. Surely, Allah listens and knows what’s in our hearts. One of my favorite parts was when Salar was in a â€Å"fishy† area and hears the name Imamah and the way Umera described his reaction was just superb and fabulous. Great characterization shown by Umera Ahmed in this book. Your heart totally went out for Salar even when you knew he wasn’t a good guy – what a great way to craft a character in the book. It is really a masterpiece of Umera Ahmed and no doubt the book has a magic spell .Although it is totally a fiction novel but after reading this you will just think that may be Salar Sikandar exists or Imamah exists in this World. The concepts , the characters , the dialogues every single thing in book was amazing. Personally the character of Salar Sikandar left me totally mesmerized. I loved the transition of his characters the way he changed is quite interesting. Overall this book is a Masterpiece from the Author. I will surely recommend this book to all people. It is such a type of book which have everything In it and once reading it no once can be restricted from appraising the work of author. A surely recommended book to everyone. I highly recommend this book to everyone because it has got to be one of the most amazing novels ever. It is definitely worth reading. â€Å"â€â€"In life, at sometime or another we come to a point where all relationships cease—where there is only us and Allah. There are no parents, brother or sister, or any friend. Then we realise that there is no earth under us nor is there sky above, but only Allah who is supporting us in this emptiness. Then we realise our worth – it is not more than a grain of sand or the leaf of a plant. Then we realise our existence is only confined to our being. Our demise makes not a whit of difference to the world around us, nor to the scheme of things.† ― Umera Ahmed, Peer-e-Kamil