History Of Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism Marketing Essay

History Of Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism Marketing Essay For marketers it is essential to understand the importance of attitudes, motives, beliefs and attitude change in the study of Marketing and Consumer Behavior. Therefore, Consumer Behavior is about the perceptive of the consumers needs and what affect their purchase intention. Consumer behavior can be distinct as the study of individuals, groups or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use and dispose of products, services, experiences or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society (Hawkins, 2001). It covers the field from psychology, sociology and economics. With the open-door-policy in 1979, China has improved its trade relations with the rest of the world. China benefited from foreign direct investments and its export expansion. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world. The rapid growth in China led to an increase in consumption. Chinese consumers nowadays have comprehensive choices in buying different kind of products. Due to the open-door-policy, many overseas companies have entered China and benefited from the increased consumer spending. Chinese consumers can choose from foreign goods that are imported from overseas or manufactured by foreign companies in China, or domestic goods. Due to the increased foreign investments, domestic companies face fierce competition in several markets. Markets are globalizing in China but Chinese consumers still keep buying local products. The globalization affects consumer behavior but China has a strong traditional culture which remains noticed in the countrys choice of product purch ase. According to Mooij (2011), globalization can also cause a strengthening of local identities. Studies have identified that consumers in developing countries have a different perception than consumers in developed countries towards local made products. The consumers in developing countries believe that foreign sourced goods are better than local made products. Belk (1996) identified that globalization can lead to motives to resist the globalization policies, such as localism, ethnogenesis and the neo-nationalism. Further research about this paradox can be an effective way for investors, entrepreneurs, companies and producers to develop and enhance their marketing strategy in China. There have been several studies about consumer ethnocentrism and its effect on consumer behavior and purchase intention. Most of the studies have their focus on the Western consumers. There has been little emphasis on the research of Chinese consumer purchasing behavior and evaluation towards consumer ethnocentrism, which leads to a scarce knowledge of the Chinese consumers. This study focuses at explaining the degree of consumer ethnocentrism and its assumptions on evaluation of several products. This research will focus on food products by Chinese consumers. To explain the relationship there has to be a literature review to issue the concepts in the research and analyzing existing studies on consumer ethnocentrism to understand the theoretical background. Secondly, a research question and the hypotheses will be described and after the methodology will be explained. To test the hypotheses, data will be collected. At last, after evaluation of the hypotheses, a conclusion can be drawn from the present study. 1.1 Problem statement Chinese consumers are shifting towards other consuming patterns as the economy grows faster than any other country in the World. The behavior of Chinese consumers has shown significant changes in the couple of years. In the 12th five-year plan, the Chinese government wants to boost its domestic consumption. The changes have led to a declining demand for foreign goods. An explanation can be that Chinese consumers are becoming more ethnocentric because of the favoring for domestic products. The central question in this research is therefore: Does Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) apply for the Chinese consumer towards food products? Which moderators are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes of CE for Chinese consumers towards food products? 1.2 Research method A literature review is needed in order to answer the central question. A literature review is needed to gain insight about a suitable method to measure Consumer Ethnocentrism. It is important to set a theoretical background to gain insight about the factors that are influencing CE, the effects of CE and the moderators that are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes of CE. A conceptual framework can be developed after a literature review. In this framework, the factors that can be found that are influencing CE and also the outcomes and moderators that are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes, will be presented. The final conceptual model will be empirical tested. This research will be a quantitative research. A questionnaire will be developed and a convenience sample will be used to collect data. A total of 210 questionnaires will be delivered randomly to adult participants. 1.3 Thesis structure In Chapter 2, there will be an explanation how Consumer Ethnocentrism can be measured and if this is applicable in this research. In Chapter 3 there will be a brief description of the Chinese consumer market. In Chapter 4, the conceptual framework of Consumers Ethnocentrism will be developed and thereby its hypotheses. This framework will be the basis for the empirical research that will be described in Chapter 5. At last, the conclusions, limitations and recommendations will be discussed in Chapter 6. 2. Theoretical background 2.1 Ethnocentrism The concept ethnocentrism was first introduced by Sumner (1906). According to the author, ethnocentrism is the tendency to perceive that a particular ethnic or cultural group is being more significant than other groups. Individuals who tend to be more ethnocentric find their group better than others, who are seen as inferior. Ethnocentric individuals have developed an own perspective of how they see people or groups and they dont accept individuals who are different from them (Netemeyer et al., 1991; Shimp and Sharma, 1987). In the field of sociology Lewis (1976) argued that individuals tend to give their group members a privileged treatment than non-group members. Thus, ethnocentrism established the development of in-groups, which is the group of the individual as pride and on the other side a disfavor for out-groups (Levin Campbell, 1972). According to Lynn (1976) ethnocentrism is part of the human nature. Thus, the phenomenon can be used for large diversity of societal groups including the local community, regions and nations. In the study of Chryssochoidis et al (2007, p. 1518) he issued: ethnocentrism is based on the formation of we-group feelings, whereby the in-group is the focal point and all out-groups are judged in relation to it. Levinson (1950) also related ethnocentrism to cultural narrowness which explains behavioral tendencies of favoring the individuals with the same culture and excluding other cultures, who are not the same. 2.2 Consumer ethnocentrism Consumer ethnocentrism is derived from the psychological concept of ethnocentrism and particularly points out to ethnocentric perceptions held by consumers in one country, the so called in-group, towards products from a different country, the out-group (Shimp and Sharma, 1987; Shankarmahesh, 2004). Ethnocentrism is adapted in order to suit Consumer behavior, which is suitable for marketers. Ethnocentrism has already been discussed to the study of consumer behavior in the 1970s (Markin, 1974; Berkman et al, 1978). Shimp and Sharma (1987) defined the concept in order to suit the field of marketing. Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) argue that the ethnocentric tendencies of consumers are influenced by social-psychological and demographic factors. The basic conceptual model of Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) shows that Consumer Ethnocentric is the focal concept that is related to demographic variables (age, gender, education) and social physiological variables (openness to foreign cultures, patriotism, collectivism/individualism and conservatism). The result of Consumer ethnocentrism is overestimating the domestic products and underestimating the import products. Thus, Consumer Ethnocentrism is a significant factor towards import product attitude. In their model, there is also a moderating factor. The model issues that when products are perceived as not necessary, consumers will have stronger ethnocentric tendencies towards the attitude of import products. Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) have tested this conceptual model in Korea. Results have shown that there is a negative correlation between openness to foreign cultures and Consumer ethnocentrism. This shows that people who are open to foreign cultures, are less ethnocentric. There is a positive correlation between patriotism and Consumer ethnocentrism. The demographic variable gender is also significant related to CE: women show more ethnocentric tendencies than men. The study also identified that higher education leads to less ethnocentric tendencies. The research did not find a negative correlation between age and CE. Consumer Ethnocentrism tendencies Antecedents Openness to foreign cultures Patriotism Conservatism Collectivism/individualism Attitude towards imports Moderators Perceived necessity Economic threat Demographics Age Gender Education Figure : Basic model Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) Consumer ethnocentrism is about the perceived appropriateness and morality when buying foreign products and preferring domestic goods over foreign goods which can be seen as consumer loyalty (Shimp and Sharma, 1987). According to Shrimp and Sharma (1987) highly ethnocentric consumers tend to believe that purchasing foreign-produced goods will affect the countrys economy negatively and will cause unemployment. Conversely, non-ethnocentric consumers, who do not consider ethnocentric beliefs, have no bias where a product is produced. These consumers will consider their purchase based on evaluation of the merits of the products. Shimp and Sharma (1987) state: The family unit would be expected to be the primary socialization agent, but adult opinion leaders, peers and mass media would also influence a childs ethnocentric orientation during the prime period of early childhood socialization. This statement explains that an adults perception is created by what he or she has learned and exper ienced as a child. According to Lingquist (2001) the degree of ethnocentrism is influenced by the developed levels of different regions. In some studies there has been concluded that consumers in developing countries tend to perceive foreign sourced products as prestigious and of high quality while on the other side, developed countries tend to perceive domestic products as prestigious and of higher quality (Agbonifoh and Elimimian, 1999; Bow and Ford, 1993; Sklair, 1994; Wang et al., 2000). Sharma et al. (1995) assume that the less significant product categories lead to greater ethnocentric tendencies and behavior by consumers. Orth Firbasova (2003) and Dosen Krupka (2007) have researched the food industry, where it has been identified that ethnocentric consumers have more willingness to purchase domestic food products instead of foreign food products. To measure consumer ethnocentrism, Shimp and Sharma (1987) developed The Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE). The CETSCALE is a 17-item predictor of consumer ethnocentrism (Lindquist et al. 2001). This measurement distinguishes consumers whether they are highly ethnocentric or not, thus consumers scoring high on this scale will tend to prefer domestic products over foreign ones. There are several researchers that use the CETSCALE with their own modification for aiming on employment impact, patriotism and economic impact in studies (Lindquist et al., 2001; Cleveland et al., 2009). The scale has been applied widely in different countries, such as Turkey, France and the Czech Republic (Klein et al., 2006). Herche (1992) identified that the CETSCALE is able to forecast consumers choices to buy domestic or foreign products. He argues that this measurement is even better than demographic and marketing mix variables. According to Balabanis (2001), the Customer ethnocentric mea sure of buying intentions differs from countries. Good and Huddleston (1995) agreed on this. They identified that Polish consumers find it significant to purchase foreign goods, contrary to Russian consumers. In a research study of Wei (2008) he issues that the Consumer ethnocentrism will decrease when brand sensitivity and product cues are taken in account. These factors will influence the purchase intention of the consumer. The CETSCALE will be further explained in paragraph 2.3. 2.3 CETSCALE The central question in this research is: Does Consumer Ethnocentrism apply for the Chinese consumer towards food products? This question can only be explored if there is a method to measure CE. There are different kinds of methods and tools to measure CE, but the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale is the most common used. Shimp and Sharma (1987) have developed this scale to measure CE (see 3.1). Previous studies have tested this scale on its reliability and validity (see 3.2 and 3.3). At last there will be a conclusion if this CETSCALE is valid for measuring CE in this research. 2.3.1 Measuring Consumer-ethnocentrism The first study to measure CE was done by Shimp (1984). He came to a conclusion that measuring CE was being hindered by a suitable tool. Before Shimp developed the CETSCALE, there were other tools, such as the famous F- and E-scales of Adorno et al. (1950). These scales were able to measure ethnocentric tendencies but were useless because of the commonality and dated nature of the scales. Shimp (1984) used an open question to test CE empirically. He used the following sentence: Please describe your views of whether it is right and appropriate for American consumers to purchase products that are manufactured in foreign countries. The question is aimed on the perception of the respondent, questioning if buying foreign products is ethical. Shimp (1984) indicated that the choice for an open question is legitimate, given that the concept of CE is very complex and the relevant dimensions were not known at that moment. Shimp Sharma (1987) developed and validated a multi-item scale to measure the CE of individual consumers: the CETSCALE, which stands for Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale. The CETSCALE consist 17 items, with a 7-point Likert-scale ranged from Totally disagree (1) to Totally agree (7). The 17-item CETSCALE is validated and tested on its reliability in three studies, which are the four area study, Carolinas study and crafted-with-pride study. Shimp Sharma (1987) also developed a shortened version of the CETSCALE for the national consumer good study. This scale consists 10 items of the original 17-item scale. This is because the 17-item scale is often being used for commercial market research. For this subset scale Shimp Sharma (1987) use a five-point Likert-scale. In table 1, the 17-item and the subset 10-item scale is shown. 17-item CETSCALE 10-item CETSCALE 1 American people should always buy American-made products instead of imports. 2 Only those products that are unavailable in the U.S. should be imported. 1 Only those products that are unavailable in the U.S. should be imported. 3 Buy American-made products. Keep America working. 4 American products, first, last, and foremost 2 American products, first, last, and foremost 5 Purchasing foreign-made products is un-American 3 Purchasing foreign-made products is un-American 6 It is not right to purchase foreign products, because it puts Americans out of jobs. 4 It is not right to purchase foreign products, because it puts Americans out of jobs. 7 A real American should always buy American-made products. 5 A real American should always buy American-made products. 8 We should purchase products manufactured in America instead of letting other countries get rich off us. 6 We should purchase products manufactured in America instead of letting other countries get rich off us. 9 It is always best to purchase American products. 10 There should be very little trading or purchasing of goods from other countries unless out of necessity. 11 Americans should not buy foreign products, because this hurts American business and causes unemployment. 7 Americans should not buy foreign products, because this hurts American business and causes unemployment. 12 Curbs should be put on all imports. 13 It may cost me in the long-run but I prefer to support American products. 8 It may cost me in the long-run but I prefer to support American products 14 Foreigners should not be allowed to put their products on our markets. 15 Foreign products should be taxed heavily to reduce their entry into the U.S. 16 We should buy from foreign countries only those products that we cannot obtain within our own country. 9 We should buy from foreign countries only those products that we cannot obtain within our own country. 17 American consumers who purchase products made in other countries are responsible for putting their fellow Americans out of work. 10 American consumers who purchase products made in other countries are responsible for putting their fellow Americans out of work. Table 1: The CETSCALE of Shimp Sharma (1987) 2.3.2 International reliability The basic requirements of a scale, that can be used in several countries, is the reliability of a scale (Craig Douglas 2000). In case a scale is being used in a different country than where the scale is developed, there can be a measurement invariance. This refers to observing the construct in different conditions and studying constructs where the measurement does not always measure the same attribute. Linguistically or conceptual inequality of measuring instruments can cause variations in the reliability. This is a threat to the validity of conclusions. The focus on the study of the reliability is to obtain the same results when using the existing measuring instrument in a different context, different way or different point of time. These tools do not have to be reliable in every context, despite the attempt to develop tools that can be used in every culture (Craig Douglas 2000). Therefore, the CETSCALE does not have to be reliable everywhere. If the scale in the United states giv es a good reflection of the items that are measuring the CE in the United States, however this does not mean that these are the right items for a different country (Douglas Craig 2000, p.277). It is important to determine if the CETSCALE is international reliable and therefore suitable in other countries. The reliability of a scale can be identified in multiple ways. There are two parts of reliability of the CETSCALE that come up for discussion: The internal consistency and the dimensionality of the CETSCALE and the stability of the CETSCALE over time. The internal consistency is being measured with the Cronbachs Alpha. The Cronbachs alpha measures if the items of the CETSCALE truly measure one concept: Consumer Ethnocentrism. The internal consistency has to be large enough (alpha higher than 0.60) to measure CE with the CETSCALE. When this is the case, the items can be considered as reliable indicators of CE (Hair et al. 1998). When a low alpha occurs, the respondents do not have consistent image of the concept and in that case the measurement is not reliable. A requirement by measuring the internal consistency of a set of items, is that the items are one-dimensional (Hair et al. 1998). This means that the items have to be interdependent and combined they have to measure one concept (Hair et al. 1998). Factor analyses are important to measure the dimensionality of a set of items by determine several factors (Hair et al. 1988). For one-dimensionality all items of the CETSCALE have to load high on one single factor (Hair et al. 1998). The stability of the CETSCALE over time is being measured by a test/retest method. The consistency of the answers of a respondent is being measured at different moments. The objective of this method is to be sure that the answers do not vary over time, in order for the CETSCALE to be considered reliable at every moment (Hair et al. 1998). According to Hair et al. (1998) Cronbachs alpha is being defined as: Cronbachs Alpha is most widely used objective measure of reliability. It is used to measure the internal consistency of a test or scale. The measurement is expressed as number of 0 and 1, whereby the nearer Cronbachs Alpha coefficient is to 1, the better the internal consistency of the set of variables. Internal consistency and dimensionality of the CETSCALE Shimp Sharma (1987) were the first researchers that executed four distinctive studies to determine the reliability of the 17-item CETSCALE. These studies have shown that the internal consistency of the CETSCALE is very high; the Cronbachs alpha of the four studies varies from 0.94 to 0.96. The internal consistency and the dimensionality of the CETSCALE is identified in several studies and countries (Appendix 1). The alpha coefficients in the appendix show a consistency. That implies that the alpha in every study lies about 0.90 (with exception of the alpha for Hungary in the study of Lindquist et al. (2000)). In any other cases the internal consistency meets the minimum of 0.60.Orth Fibrasova (2003) have studied the role of CE towards the evaluation of food. They have found a high Cronbachs Alpha value for the CETSCALE and imply that the CETSCALE is internal consistent. There are different opinions about the amount of items of the scale that must be used. Shimp Sharma (1987) have used 10 items in the national consumer good study, because of the limited possibilities in the questionnaire. Lindquist et al. (2001) have studied the dimensionality of the shortened 10-item CETSCALE in Hungary, Czech and Poland. According to this research, the CETSCALE does not have a universal good fit in the central- and east-European countries. They assume that a scale that can be used in every country does not exist. Therefore, they suggest to use a part of the CETSCALE items and add some land specific or population specific items to effectively measure the CE. Another problem the authors have identified is the translation of the CETSCALE. The authors imply that the scale functions better in English then translated to their native languages in their research. The authors emphasize that the back-translation technique must be used to set up an accurate translation of the scale. Stability of the CETSCALE over time Shimp Sharma (1987) have used the test-/retest method by doing the research twice with a interim period of five weeks. These studies have found comparable alpha values. Shimp Sharma (1987) conclude that the CETSCALE is stable over time. Nielsen Spence (2001) have also researched the stability of the CETSCALE over time. They studied the stability in the United States over an eight week period during the summer of 1992. In this period they have found that the CETSCALE-scores are stable over time but by investigating different groups, the scores can vary over time. They conclude that a longer period of data collection, scores can vary more. 2.3.3 International validity The validity of a scale refers whether a scale or set of measurements measures the focal concept accurate (Hair et al. 1998). The three most accepted types of validity are convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Convergent validity examines the degree to which the operationalization converges with other known measuring instruments of the concept. Discriminant validity assures that the scale differs enough of other similar concepts and nomological validity measures if the scale shows the relationship based on previous studies or theories. These types of validity are empirical tested by defining the correlation between theoretical defined sets of variables (Hair et al. 1998). Convergent validity This type of validity examines the correlation between two measurements that measure the same concept (Hair et al. 1998, p. 118). A researcher can look for this and find an alternative tool to measure CE and correlate this method with the CETSCALE. If the correlations are high, then the CETSCALE truly measures CE. Shimp Sharma (1987) have found a convergent validity in their study. The 17-item CETSCALE correlates with the open question of Shimp (1984). This correlation (r (=correlation coefficient) =0.54, n=388, p Discriminant validity Discriminant validity is the degree where two concepts are different. This type of validity examines the correlation between measurements. In this case, the CETSCALE is being correlated with a different conceptual measurement. The correlation has to be low, as it shows that the CETSCALE differs enough comparing to another measurement (Hair et al. 1998, p. 118). Shimp Sharma (1987) have found evidence for discriminant validity. Three constructs are being used in the studies (patriotism, politics, economic conservatism and dogmatism) that are related to Consumer Ethnocentrism. The researchers have used a test of Fornelll Larcker (1981). They assume that the average variance of the separated constructs is larger than the variance where the constructs are being combined. They have found that this is the case for the CETSCALE and the politic-economic conservatism-scale. The variance distinctive is 71% for the CETSCALE and 61% for the conservatism-scale, as the combined variance of the two constructs is 34%. Thus, Shimp and Sharma (1986) indicate that there is a discriminant validity. The study of Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) also proves that there is a discriminant validity between CE and the product attitude towards foreign goods. They have found this through a factor analyses on the 17-item CETSCALE and the 10 attitude items. Findings have shown that the CETSCALE items and the attitude-items load on two different factors. A factor analyses have shown that the correlation between the two constructs (r = 0.568) differs significantly . Thus, these two constructs are not similar. Nomological validity Nomological validity examines how far the CETSCALE can give an accurate prediction for other concepts in a model that is based on theories. In this case, a research must identify theoretical supporting relationships from earlier studies, then he has to determine if the scale has comparable correlations (Hair et al. 1998, p.118). For the 17-item scale Shimp and Sharma (1987) have used the CETSCALES-scores of the respondents to determine the nomological validity. Shimp and Sharma (1987) applied different measuring instruments of Warshaw (1980), Fishbein Ajzen (1975) and Ajzen Fishbein (1980). These tools have been used two years before the development of the CETSCALE to investigate the purchase of a domestic or foreign car. The purchase of a foreign car is negative correlated with the CETSCALE score of the ethnocentric respondents of Shimp and Sharma (1987). Furthermore, the ethnocentric consumers have less favorable cognitive structures and attitudes regarding foreign cars than non-ethnocentric consumers. These results imply the nomological validity of the Consumer Ethnocentrism concept and measuring this concept with the CETSCALE. The 10-item scale is also tested on its nomological validity by Shimp and Sharma (1987). They have tested this by looking to the country origin of the manufactures. According to this study, the country of origin of the manufacturer is an important purchase consideration when the scores on the CETSCALE increase. Consumers with a higher score on the CETSCALE are likely to choose for American manufactures and have less preference for European and Asian manufactures. Predictive validity Herche (1992) has some remarkable notes about the predictive validity of the CETSCALE. He assumes that the predictive validity of the CETSCALE is product specific (the predictive validity for cars is higher than computers). Herche (1992) gives several explanations for this phenomena. First, when buying a more expensive product, people tend to have more ethnocentric tendencies because these transactions have a bigger economic impact. Another possibility is that if there are no acceptable domestic goods available, even ethnocentric consumers are being forced to purchase foreign goods. Also, the degree of involvement can be responsible for the difference between product categories. Purchases with a higher involvement can evoke emotional reactions about the country origin. However, this does not have to be true because the involvement of a purchase of a car does not has to be bigger than the purchase of a computer. Witkowski (1998) assumes that the predictive validity of the CETSCALE does not has to be product specific but also country specific. He has found this assumption in his study in Mexico and Hungary. Respondents in this study are asked to give nine durable products in the past three years. There was a significant negative relationship between the CETSCALE-scores and the purchase of a foreign car, television, video recorder and washer in Hungary. No significant relationship was found between CE and the purchases in Mexico. 2.3.4 CETSCALE in this research The internal consistency of the scale is high in most of the studies and meets the minimum requirements of the Cronbachs alpha value of 0.60. Orth Fibrasova (2003) have done studies of the role of CE regarding food products. To measure CE, they make use of the CETSCALE. In this research the shortened 10-item scale of Shimp Sharma (1987) will be used. The main reason the use the 10-item scale is because the length of the questionnaire has to be limited. In paragraph 3.3, sufficient evidence has found for the international validity of the CETSCALE. Thus, the CETSCALE is an useful scale to measure CE in China. 3. Chinas consumer market Due to the globalization of markets, there is an abundance of foreign goods in China. Domestic companies had to face strong competition of foreign companies during the last ten years. According to Cui (1999), the Chinese consumer market has the largest growth opportunity in the world. The market of 1.3 billion people, with an emerging spending power of the middle income class, is an enormous opportunity for producers of consumer goods. Each year 10 million new Chinese consumers enter the market. In 2010, Chinas consumer market was approximately worth $1.7 trillion. According to Forbes (2011) the domestic consumer market in China could grow to about $15 trillion within ten years. A.T. Kearney (2007) assumes that the middle class will increase its consumptions especially on food, the branded food product market supposed to increase from $150 billion to $650 billion by 2017. The statistics show that the mediocre

Classics - Tragedy :: English Literature

Classics - Tragedy It seems that the nearly all critics of Medea are unanimous in one prominent feature of the play alone, and that is in their immense abhorrence for Jason. Kitto says 'In him (Jason) it is impossible to find anything that is not mean ´, while Lucas says 'Jason is utterly selfish, and utterly unconscious of his selfishness'. It is hard to find anything kind about Jason as on face value he is such an obvious villain. But all these comments on the Medea centre round a study of Medea herself, while making passing comments on Jason, as and when they see fit, yet they all see Jason as the other main character in the play. When one devotes the largest proportion of study on Jason, rather than Medea, a picture of kinder, caring Jason is created. Thus I believe that a case can be made for Jason - he is no paragon of kindness or any good quality, but he does not quite deserve such comments as 'The unrelieved baseness of Jason is revolting'. Vellacott says in his introduction to the play that 'to appreciate the balance of this play we must take care not to pre-judge Jason'. This is an essential point to make, as Jason has all the elements of a typical villain - he has a wife who devoted his life to him, yet he now deserts her for his own sexual satisfaction. Yet as Jason says himself, on numerous occasions, he is not getting married for solely for his own merit, but for those of Medea and his children as well: 'It's not for the sake of any woman that I have made this royal marriage, but, as I've already said, to ensure your future... and build security for us all' (P.35) Such speeches and comments cannot just be ignored - he says this as these are his genuine motivations, the reasons why he has gone about his actions. The nurse, a character who in the early stages is heavily biased against Jason, even says 'Jason is a prisoner in a princess' bed' (P.4) Whether Euripides meant this to mean that he was literally a prisoner, or just captive to her good looks we cannot be sure, but either way she is showing that Jason cannot be completely at fault. Jason is acting just like most men in his position would - Medea is an exile, so Jason is not bound to her in marriage in the true spirit, and as we have seen, she is being betrayed for her own benefit[page]. Medea says herself that it is acceptable for a men to divorce: Classics - Tragedy :: English Literature Classics - Tragedy It seems that the nearly all critics of Medea are unanimous in one prominent feature of the play alone, and that is in their immense abhorrence for Jason. Kitto says 'In him (Jason) it is impossible to find anything that is not mean ´, while Lucas says 'Jason is utterly selfish, and utterly unconscious of his selfishness'. It is hard to find anything kind about Jason as on face value he is such an obvious villain. But all these comments on the Medea centre round a study of Medea herself, while making passing comments on Jason, as and when they see fit, yet they all see Jason as the other main character in the play. When one devotes the largest proportion of study on Jason, rather than Medea, a picture of kinder, caring Jason is created. Thus I believe that a case can be made for Jason - he is no paragon of kindness or any good quality, but he does not quite deserve such comments as 'The unrelieved baseness of Jason is revolting'. Vellacott says in his introduction to the play that 'to appreciate the balance of this play we must take care not to pre-judge Jason'. This is an essential point to make, as Jason has all the elements of a typical villain - he has a wife who devoted his life to him, yet he now deserts her for his own sexual satisfaction. Yet as Jason says himself, on numerous occasions, he is not getting married for solely for his own merit, but for those of Medea and his children as well: 'It's not for the sake of any woman that I have made this royal marriage, but, as I've already said, to ensure your future... and build security for us all' (P.35) Such speeches and comments cannot just be ignored - he says this as these are his genuine motivations, the reasons why he has gone about his actions. The nurse, a character who in the early stages is heavily biased against Jason, even says 'Jason is a prisoner in a princess' bed' (P.4) Whether Euripides meant this to mean that he was literally a prisoner, or just captive to her good looks we cannot be sure, but either way she is showing that Jason cannot be completely at fault. Jason is acting just like most men in his position would - Medea is an exile, so Jason is not bound to her in marriage in the true spirit, and as we have seen, she is being betrayed for her own benefit[page]. Medea says herself that it is acceptable for a men to divorce:

Role of Nature in the Poetry of Keats and Wordsworth Essay -- Poetry An

Nature played an important role in all works of the Romantics but I believe it is John Keats and William Wordsworth who understood not nature in themselves but themselves in nature. As Wordsworth once said: "the feeling therein developed gives importance to the action and situation and not the action and situation to the feeling." 1 Both Keats and Wordsworth understood that the most complex feelings and emotions can be described and understood when related with a simple act of nature. With a simple gust of wind we are given a glimpse into an author's soul as it is used to convey thoughts, feelings and moods of an author. In Keats' "The Eve of St. Agnes" the wind is used not only to set the scene of a stormy night but also I think as a way to describe Porphyro's ecstatic heart. "Flutter'd in the besieging wind's uproar; / And the long carpets rose along the gusty floor."2 You can imagine as they are running through the halls and out the door how his heart must be leaping with both joy and fear. As the wind tugs at the tapestries on the walls and lifts the carpet from the floor his heart may feel tugs of guilt for whisking her away and also freedom and joy. In Keats' poem, "To Autumn" the wind is personified with these words, "...as the light wind lives or dies..."3 As the wind picks up and comes to life with motion and character it can also slow and cease as will life. I believe Keats relates his feelings of life and death to the seasons of nature in this poem. To me this poem seems to end abruptly, perhaps because I know the winter season is yet to come but it makes me wonder if perhaps Keats found peace as he was writing and decided to just leave it at that. When reading this poem in particular I feel Keats' inspiration ... ...ps something much more solid underneath. After speaking to the old man, Wordsworth confirms this realization as he says "I could have laughed myself to scorn to find / In that decrepit Man so firm a mind"15 and Wordsworth ends the poem with a sense of comfort on "the lonely moor".16 During their times both men found solace in their writing. And while they wrote they drew inspiration, motivation and an understanding of what was in their hearts by observing what was in their surroundings. Nature played an important role not only in their imagery but also by giving them something to relate and compare their thoughts and feelings to. Not only did they reach an understanding of themselves through nature but we were left with an understanding of them through the simple, timelessness of nature. "To her fair works did Nature link / The human soul that through me ran".17

Henry Lawson Essay Essay

Many of the short stories by Henry Lawson deal with isolation or mateship, however not many of them deal with a combination of the two. The characters in Lawson’s stories have a strong sense of community, but they must still stand alone in order to survive. Some are alone because they must be, some because they want to be, some are a definite part of a group and still remain alone. Some are not as alone as they may think. All these ideas are shown in Lawson’s stories in one form or another, and some are easier to define than others. The type of isolation presented in â€Å"The Drover’s Wife† is one that is easily defined. She is left at home by her husband because â€Å"the drought of 18– ruined him. He had to sacrifice the remnant of his flock and go droving again† earning money for a family he barely sees. This forces his wife to fend for herself, battling both the elements and her loneliness on her own. This isolation is one that she does not welcome, but one that she accepts because she must. She shows a resilience that is admirable and a strong character. Because she must look after her â€Å"four ragged, dried-up-looking children†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she is not lacking of company, but lacking rather in support. She must rely upon her own courage and wits to keep both herself and her children alive. This stops her from being alone in a physical sense but not in an emotional one. She deals with this situation well, and while she does not enjoy her isolation, she manages to retain her sa nity. â€Å"The Bush Undertaker† contrasts this in that there is a definite tone of mental instability. The main character is alone out in the bush when he comes across what seems to be the corpse of an old mate, â€Å"Brummy†. He talks to Brummy even though it is obvious that he knows Brummy is dead. This shows that while the Bush Undertaker is aware of the absurdity of his situation, his isolation has made him more receptive to any form of companionship, even that of a corpse. He has no real goal that is mentioned in the story, so we assume that a lack of any company has unhinged his mind slightly. Even though he is talking to Brummy as if he were alive he still accepts the reality of Brummy’s demise, and buries him. He isn’t doing this out of sheer practicality however for he makes the comment that â€Å"Theer oughter be somethin’ sed†¦ Theer oughter be some sort o’ sarmin.† And then proceeds to  give the uncaring corpse a sermon at his burial. In this way while the bush undertaker is alone, the corpse of Brummy is not, as in death his mate is with him and supports him. While the bush undertaker is alone through necessity there are examples within Lawson’s stories of characters that actually choose to be alone. In â€Å"Water Them Geraniums† Mrs. Spicer is frequently left alone with her children. She has a husband, who is rarely at home, and several children, but is alone in the sense of she has no support. Joe comments that â€Å"I supposed, the reason why she hadn’t gone mad through hardship and loneliness was that she hadn’t either the brains or the memory to go farther than she could see through the trunks of the ‘apple trees’.† This may be far more accurate than he may think. She adamantly refuses the help of the Wilsons and tells her children â€Å"†¦not to say we was hungry if yer asked; but if yer give us anythink to eat, we was to take it an’ say thenk yer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This passage shows even though Mrs. Spicer is alone by ways support, her pride stops her from admitting her neediness, but it is enough to stop her from accepting help which is offered. She says to Mary that she has â€Å"†¦got past carin’ for anythink now. I felt it a little when Tommy went away†¦But I’m over that now.† It’s this assumed pose of strong noble unconcern that makes her able to deal with the hardships, although some would argue as to whether she deals with them well. She forces herself to stand alone in supporting her children, and in time this isolation caused by pride seems to be what kills her, for as Joe Wilson concludes â€Å"It was some time before we could believe that she was dead. But she was ‘past carin† right enough.† Another of Lawson’s stories that deals with isolation is â€Å"Brighten’s sister-in-law† which is also told from the perspective of Joe Wilson. However, at a time when Joe Wilson expects to be on his own, he finds steadfast help and caring support. While he and his son, Jim, are out bush Jim has a seizure. Joe panics, but has enough presence of mind to go looking for help. He finds help in the form of Brighten’s sister-in-law, a woman whose name we never learn. She aids him, treats Jim and eventually manages to get Jim into a stable condition. Throughout the story he hear mention of what seems to be a great emotional turmoil within this good Samaritan, as  she is described as both stoic and as crying while Jim is in the house. Even though it seems to cost her dearly, emotionally, she still treats Jim and this shows how even though some may expect no help, sometimes fate intervenes. The stories of Henry Lawson deal with all these themes of isolation, and the theme that is strongest is that of survival, for even though all his characters seem to be clearly alone or in company, most often they are alone in a sense that is an essential part of the power of his stories. They are alone in that they can rely upon, truly constantly rely upon, only one person.

Engineering Management

EEMT 5510 Homework #5 12-24. An improved design of a computerized piece of continuous quality measuring equipment used to control the thickness of rolled sheet products is being developed. It is estimated to sell for $125,000 more than the current design.Based on present test data, however, the typical user has the following probabilities of achieving different performance results and cost savings (relative to the current unit) in the first year of operation (assume these annual cost savings would escalate 5% per year thereafter; a five-year analysis period is used; the MARR=18%, and the net market value after five years is 0): |Performance Results |Probability |Cost Savings in Year One | |Optimistic |0. 0 |$60,000 | |Most likely |0. 55 |40,000 | |Pessimistic |0. 15 |18,000 | Based on the E(PW), is the new design preferable to the current unit? Based on a decision tree analysis, what is the EVPI? What does the EVPI tell you?Without information, the optimal decision is to take the new design, shown by the decision tree below |scenarios |Year 0 cost |Year 1 Saving |Year2 Saving | | |Results (j) |p(j) |Decision |Outcome | | |Optimistic |0. 30 |New |$79,063 | | |Most Likely |0. 55 |New |11,042 | | |Pessimistic |0. 5 |Current | 0 | | | |Expected Value: |$29,792 | EVPI = $29,792 ? $20,225 = $9,567 Note:The EVPI is the maximum amount that ought to be spent to obtain additional information prior to making a decision. Suggested Exercises 1. A bridge is to be constructed now as part of a new road. An analysis has shown that traffic density on the new road will justify a two-lane bridge at the present time.Because of uncertainty regarding future use of the road, the time at which an extra two lanes will be required is currently being studied. The estimated probabilities of having to widen the bridge to four lanes at various times in the future are as follows: |Widen Bridge In |Probability | |3 years |0. 1 | |4 years |0. 2 | |5 years |0. | |6 years |0. 4 | The present esti mated cost of the two-lane bridge is $2,100,000. If constructed now, the four-lane bridge will cost $4,000,000. The future cost of widening a two-lane bridge will be an extra $2,100,000 plus $350,000 for every year that widening is delayed. If money can earn 12% per year, what would you recommend? Option 1: construct 4 lanes now: PW( cost ) = $4,000,000 Option 2: widen to 4 lanes later with 0. 1 probability,PW( cost ) = 2100000 + (2100000+350000*3)(P/F, 12%, 3) = 4,342,108 with 0. 2 probability, PW( cost ) = 2100000 + (2100000+350000*4)(P/F, 12%, 4) = 4324313 with 0. 3 probability, PW( cost ) = 2100000 + (2100000+350000*5)(P/F, 12%, 5) = 4284593 with 0. 4 probability, PW( cost ) = 2100000 + (2100000+350000*6)(P/F, 12%, 6) = 4227851 Hence the expected PW(cost) = 4,275,592 > 4,000,000 So we recommend constructing 4 lanes now. 2. Suppose that a random variable (e. g. , market value for a piece of equipment) is normally distributed, with mean = $180 and variance = 36$2.What is the proba bility that the actual market value is at least $176? Normally distributed random variable: E(X) = $180, V(X) = 36 ($)2 Pr{X ( 176} = ? Z = [pic] = ? 0. 67 Pr{X ( 176} = Pr{Z ( ? 0. 67} = 1 ? Pr{Z ( ? 0. 67} = 1 ? 0. 2514 = 0. 7486 3. A potential project has an initial capital investment of $100,000. Net annual revenues minus expenses are estimated to be $40,000 (A$) in the first year and to increase at the rate of 6. 48% per year. The useful life of the primary equipment, however, is uncertain, as shown in the following table: Useful Life, Years(N) |p(N) | |1 |0. 03 | |2 |0. 10 | |3 |0. 30 | |4 |0. 30 | |5 |0. 17 | |6 |0. 10 |Assume that im = MARR = 15% per year and f = 4% per year. Based on this information, a. What are the E(PW) and SD(PW) for this project? b. What is the Pr{PW>0}? c. What is the E(AW) in R$? a. |Year N |Profit in Year |PW (Profit in |Total PW (Profit |PW (with investment until |Probability | | |N |Year N) |until Year N) |Year N) | | |1 |40000 |$34,782. 61 |$34,7 82. 61 |($65,217. 39) |0. 03 | |2 |42592 |$32,205. 7 |$66,988. 28 |($33,011. 72) |0. 1 | |3 |45351. 96 |$29,819. 65 |$96,807. 93 |($3,192. 07) |0. 3 | |4 |48290. 77 |$27,610. 40 |$124,418. 33 |$24,418. 33 |0. 3 | |5 |51420. 01 |$25,564. 83 |$149,983. 17 |$49,983. 17 |0. 17 | |6 |54752. 03 |$23,670. 81 |$173,653. 98 |$73,653. 98 |0. 1 |E[ PW ] = 16972,Var[PW] = 1097641387 SD[PW] = 33130 (Standard deviation is the square root of Var) b. Prob{ PW>0 } = 0. 3+0. 17+0. 1 = 0. 57 Note: This is a discrete random variable with known distribution. So we do not use the normal distribution table. c. Since f=4%, we have real MARR, ir = (15%-4%)/(1+4%) = 10. 577% use the equation:AWr (until Year N) = PW (until Year N) (A/P, 10. 577%, N) AWr(1) = (72115), AWr(2) = (19168), AWr(3) = (1296), AWr(4) = 7799, AWr (5)=13380, AWr (6) = 17198, so E[AWr] = 1865 The project is questionable though E[PW]>0. The probability of PW

Educational Purpose Essay

Since childhood, I have always wanted to be an educator. This is because I have always considered education as an essential need. It is certainly because education makes one civilized. It is also through education that the potential of one person is maximized. Significantly, it is the way by which one gains knowledge which is very useful in everyday life. Education is also the means which will make it possible for individuals to achieve his or her dreams. In addition, education is necessary in order to mould one to discern what is right from wrong. Hence, education is one of the most important factors for people to exist in a peaceful and civilized society. Additionally, as widely recognized, being a teacher is the noblest profession. It is not only because teachers educate but also because they are considered as the second parent of the students. Hence, it is not only the intellectual aspect that teacher develops but also the emotional and psychological aspect of the student. Teachers are necessary in forming better persons in the society. Notably, in all these endeavors, the teacher does not merely exert effort and time but also extends care, concern, and love to his or her students. It is for these zealous purposes that I longed to be an educator. In the educational system today, many problems can be observed. The most common and old probably is diversity or socio-cultural differences. Even in the older times, diversity has always been a barrier for most of students. I had my own share of difficulty when it comes to the issue of socio-cultural differences. I have experienced being avoided in debates whenever I attempted to join. Being a person having a different skin color and language makes it difficult to be accepted by the majority. However, being different among the majority has challenged me to break the barriers that impede me from achieving my goals. I know that there are thousands who had experienced and is experiencing what I have been through. As such, I am inspired to make ways on eliminating diversity that hinders other students from pursuing their dreams. Meanwhile, school is considered as the second home of students. Hence, schools should be made as a place for freedom regardless of race, culture, gender, age, and socio-economic status. Another problem that is plaguing the education system is commercialization. Education has been said to be a right of every individual. However, as educational fees continue to increase, the burden to the poor is becoming heavier because the value is making it difficult for the poor to afford. Hence, education is becoming a privilege for the rich. Furthermore, the continued commercialization of education is affecting the quality of education because of competition among schools. At the same time, commercialization deviate the labor market and creates labor shifting. This happens especially when schools offer short courses when the employment demands for graduate courses. Education, as such, is one of the necessities for us to be able to achieve our dreams. A student goes to school to be educated so that someday he will have the employment he has desired for. However, the real situation would merely disappoint the student. It is of no doubt that the technological innovation has affected the drastic change in labor demand. In addition, the nation is also highly industrialized. Hence, the labor offered are those related to technology and industry. This fact puts the students of social sciences in a disadvantaged position because they have a narrower chance of employment in a highly technical and industrialized society. It has been said that education is the window to a student’s dream. Thus, the curriculum should correspond to the need of the society and at the same time aid in the fulfillment of the student’s dream.

Discussion 1 and 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion 1 and 2 - Coursework Example Libel basically encompasses the negative exposure of ones’ character to the public through the print media or general publishing. In most cases libel may lead to a person being perceived negatively, hated and exposed to shameful facets of daily life. For instance: A libel may include a journalist providing the public with published information that exposes a politician of corruption acts or even murder and drug businesses; this includes published internet sources (eMedia Law Insider n.d.). . In regards to Bob’s case, it is possible for him to demand the exposure of the identity of the person who posted the defamatory statements about him on the internet. There are various stipulations in the law that gives Bob the capacity to demand for such information: To begin with, Bob has the right to demand for such information provided; he gives the court a prima facie that shows that he was actually exposed negatively on the internet. He should also provide evidence on the extent of damage he underwent after the comments in accordance to the law (eMedia Law Insider n.d.) Campus Trash Mouth is a website that allows anonymous writers to post comments; in this perspective, Bob may not win the case against Campus Trash Mouth since his allegations that he was negatively exposed on their website will depend on whether or not the comments were posted by the Campus Trash Mouth website themselves or it was done by an anonymous writer. However, according to the case study, it is evident that the defamatory statements were posted by an anonymous writer which renders them completely unreliable for the allegations. (The comments were posted by an anonymous person hence Campus Trash Mouth may not be held responsible) Additionally, Bob may also lose the case against Campus Trash Mouth on the condition that there are various stipulations in the law that may not necessitate the owners of the website to provide the identity of the anonymous writers.