Eating Style Essay Example for Free

Eating Style Essay Since the time people lived on earth, most of them had the wildest dream of having a good life in a wonderful world close to utopia. What is utopia? Why do people like it? Utopia, which means a perfect world, community or society, is a book which describes a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is said to be without war, law, poverty, and misery, and the people of the island have equality among themselves, pacifism, and happiness. In The Ohlone Way, a book written by Malcolm Margolin in 1978, he described the appearance of San Francisco Bay Area about 6000 years ago. Ohlone, who is the first human who migrated from Asia many centuries ago, settled and inhabited the richest natural wildlife refuge in North America. There were only over 10, 000 people who were said to be muscular and vigorous; they divided themselves into 40 different tribelets. Each tribelet has its own chief, language and rules. These 10,000 people were called Indians, whose lives were peaceful and happy, like those people who lived in Utopia. During the Stone Age, peoples eating style was very simple. Their source of food all came from the natural world such as acorns, insects, beers, rabbit, fish, and most animals. In comparison with the modern societys eating style, their eating style was better for the ecosystem in many ways. Ohlone described that during the Stone Age, wildlife and forests were extremely rich and consisted of countless natural resources that provided ample and regular food for the Indians. Beside the other food sources, acorns were the most important and basic meal for the Indians the whole year round. â€Å"Boy climbed the trees to shake the branches, men knocked the acorns down with long sticks, and everywhere there were people stooping and picking over the acorns on the ground† (Margolin, 1978, p. 42). An incalculable amount of oak trees stood and spread around the hills and valleys. In the bay area, trees such as black oaks and tanbark oaks grew. Trees grew many sweet and big acorns because of the rich soil and great weather. When all the acorns mellowed from the trees, the Indians would get together to pick up the acorns as much as they could. When picking the acorns, an Indian family would gather 1000 to 2000 pounds of acorns to produce sufficient supply of food for the whole year. They used acorns to make many kinds of food such as a soup, porridge, bread that were delicious and healthy. The acorn harvest, which was the biggest event of the year, was highly anticipated of by Indians. They did not adopt agriculture as their food source because of the richness of other resources. Moreover, under their ancient eating culture, the Indians accepted most animals as their food except those animals related to their religion. â€Å"They ate insects, lizards, snakes, moles, mice, gophers, ground squirrels, wood rats, quail, doves. Song birds, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, deer, elk, antelopes-indeed, the wildest conceivable variety of both small and large game† (Margolin, 1978, p. 24). Their ingestion of insects was surprising since it is a digusting thing among modern people. However, Indians enjoyed eating insects which consisted of the richest proteins. Insects such as grasshoppers were described as their common food and the yellow jacket grub was their favorite food. They were not fussy eaters for they eat whatever they catch. Their eating habit did not harm the ecosystem and it preserved the natural world. In addition, during the Stone Age, animals were easy to see and hunt because a lot of different animals lived in the Bay Area. They did not hide in hiding places. â€Å"It is impossible to estimate how many thousands of bears might have lived in the Bay Area at the time of the Ohlones† (Margolin, 1978, p. 7). Besides the bears, there were many other animals, both large and small, who lived in the Bay Area. In hunting different kinds of large animals, Indians used a variety of hunting skills bears, deers, elks, or antelopes. Indian hunters were very proud of themselves whenever they succeeded in hunting a large animal, which they brought back to their tribelet to be shared within their group. The animals skin was given to the hunters wife for her to make a beautiful cloth. When everybody got their share of meat, some of the meat left were hung to dry for later use. Then, bones were used as tools such as awls, wedges, or tule saws. No part of the animal was wasted. Furthermore, rabbits were also countless in the Bay Area, so they were commonly hunted by Indians. â€Å"Rabbits (jackrabbits, cottontails, and brush rabbits) were an Ohlone mainstay, and were caught in great numbers† (Margolin, 1978, p. 25). In hunting rabbits, Indians used their sticks, snares, slings, and bows and arrows . They greatly enjoyed the tastiness of rabbit meat. Rabbits spread around and were not scared of humans, so at times, Indians caught rabbits using their bare hands. After catching rabbits, they used the rabbits skin to make blankets or clothes and they used rabbits meat for food. The sea was also an important source of food for the Indians. In the Bay Area, water was abundant and contained a variety of seafoods. â€Å"From so much water the Ohlones gathered an immense harvest of fish and waterfowl† (Margolin, 1978, p. 36). During the summer, they would use nets, harpoons, weirs and so on to fish salmon, sturgeon, and mussels. During the fall and spring, they would use nets or decoys to collect ducks and geese. And during the winter, they would go to beaches to collect shellfish, clams, oysters, abalones. The shellfish was available the whole year. Living in the Bay Area, Ohlone had rich natural resources, which were good enough for their life. They did not need to grow plants or domestic animals for use in their family. What they only needed was to collect food from nature. On the other hand, one should look upon the modern society. Due to the expanding production of industrial agriculture today, people eat a lot of toxic foods containing chemical substances from pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. Subsequently, the nutrients needed by plants were absorbed by wild grass. Farmers growing various kinds of plants use methods to shorten the growth period of vegetables and crops. This process reduces the food prices but it harms the body and environment. Also, during crop plantation, farmers clear the land through burning. A large amount of carbon dioxide goes into the air, causing pollution. This process contributes to global warming that can drastically change the worlds climate. The environment is being damaged more and more as time passes by. Another matter to consider is the farm industry. People who are involved in this industry keep animals such as pigs, cows and chickens confined. There is not enough space for animals to move. Animals live, eat, defecate and sleep in that tiny space for life. At times, these animal were not taken care of properly. There are some instances when these animals bring diseases to humans due to their waste products being drained in bodies of water and their breeding places which are not properly cleaned. Though animal foods were developed to make them more healthy, its sole purpose is for food processing. When comparison is made between the two mentioned period of society, it can be said that people from the Stone Age illustrate a more environment-friendly way of living and eating, while modern people should be more concern in the environment and their eating styles. People have to utilize natural resources more such as solar power, wind power, biomass energy, and geothermal energy. If this is not done, many lives might be destroyed when nature strikes back, for example, many cities nearby oceans would be flooded because of the melting of the poles. The next generations would suffer the consequences of the modern worlds actions and they would have less space to use. References Margolin,M. (1978) The Ohlone Way: Indian Life in the San Francisco-Monterey Bay Area. Berkeley, Ca: Heyday Books.

Why Teachers Should Understand ADHD Essay -- Education ADD ADHD Essays

Why Teachers Should Understand Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder What is Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADD/ADHD]? Some feel it is a neurobiological disorder while others say it is a learning disorder. Ever since 1980 when the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders officially recognized ADD/ADHD as a behavior disorder, the definition has kept evolving and changing. But ADD/ADHD has been around a lot longer than twenty-three years. Some in the medical professions believe â€Å"ADHD is a common mental disorder and has been recognized in one form or another for over a century† (Conners and Jett, 1999, p. 3). Teacher oriented literature leans toward classifying ADD/ADHD as a learning disorder of the ‘other health impaired’ type. It was not until the year 2000 that ADD/ADHD could even qualify as an impairment in the eyes of educational law (United States Department of Education, 2000). At present, there is no cut and dry definition of ADD/ADHD. There is also â€Å"no valid neurological or physiological test that can be used to diagnose ADHD† (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 1999). What we do have is a list of common symptoms of the disorder. According to Phelan, (1996) there are eight major characteristics that one can look for in a child: 1. Inattention/Distractibility 2. Impulsivity 3. Difficulty delaying gratification/Impatience 4. Hyperactivity 5. Emotional over arousal 6. Non – compliance 7. Social problems 8. Disorganization Inattention/Distractibility is the most important ... ...ns for students with ADD. Intervention in School & Clinic, 38 (5), 280 – 289. Snider, V. E., Busch, T. & Arrowood, L. (2003). Teacher knowledge of stimulant medication and ADHD. Remedial & Special Education, 24 (1), 46 – 57. Stevens, S. (1996). The LD Child and the ADHD Child: Ways Parents and Professionals Can Help. Winston – Salem, NC: John F. Blair, Publisher. Sturomski, N. (1997) Teaching students with learning disabilities to use learning strategies. NICHCY News Digest, 25, 2 – 12. U.S. Department of Education. (2000). The 22nd annual report to congress on the implementation of the individuals with disabilities education act. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Office of Special Education. Zentall, S. S., Moon, S. M., & Grskovic, J. A. (2001). Learning and motivational characteristics of boys with AD/HD and/or giftedness. Exceptional Children, 67, 499 – 519.

The Comparative Advantage of Sexual Divisions of Labor Essay -- Econom

Historical Perspectives on the Comparative Advantage of Sexual Divisions of Labor In modern microeconomic models of the household, one commonly sees a division of labor between the husband and wife predicated on a comparative advantage in the market or the household respectively. The idea is that women are somehow less fit for work in the marketplace while they are innately superior at the domestic tasks of cooking, cleaning, and childrearing. There are two prevailing perspectives on the mechanics of this comparative advantage. The first argues that women are somehow biologically fitted to domestic tasks. This was true for Adam Smith who saw the social structures of society arising out of a biological necessity. Malthus, on the other hand, saw the same biological necessity as operating in opposition to the social structures that arose to keep the pressures of population in check. The second perspective argues that a comparative advantage is a socially constructed idea and not rooted in the biological history of the race. Martineau in her story â€Å"Cousi n Marshall† delineated the life of what she saw as a virtuous and noble woman. Virginia Woolf, however, decried what she saw as the deplorable poverty of women in A Room of One’s Own. Her solution, however, only served to further separate the spheres of men and women. Finally, Charlotte Perkins Gilman similarly objected to the state of women in Women and Economics and ultimately proposed a society that abolished any division of labor along sexual lines. None of these authors seem to contest the presence of a comparative advantage in the division of labor as their societies stand. However this does not imply that all the authors agreed on the exact features of this... ...here there were no gendered distinctions in defense of women. One could argue that our modern society is a point along the way to attaining Gilman’s utopian solution. More likely, however, we have made little progress and Gilman’s solutions still feel innovative and strange. References Gilman, C (1998). Women and Economics: A Study of the Economic Relation Between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution. Berkeley: University of California Press. Malthus, Thomas R (1798). Essay on the Principle of Population [Electronic Version]. Retrieved September 19, 2003, from http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/ public/MalPopu.html Martineau, H (1832). Illustrations of Political Economy No. VIII. London: Charles Fox. Smith, A (1766). Lectures on Jurisprudence. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Woolf, V (1929). A Room of One’s Own. London: Harcourt.

Comparing coverage in two different Newspapers Essay

The incident covered in the two articles I have studied was a train fire in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun on Saturday 11th November 2000. The first article I looked at was in the tabloid paper the Sunday Express. The second article I looked at was in the broadsheet paper the Observer. The two articles were very similar but had some differences. Both the articles emphasised that British people were among those that had died. The Sunday Express said â€Å"Britons among 170 victims† and The Observer said â€Å"Britons among 170 dead† The Observer also stated that children died â€Å"Children among victims†. Although both articles covered the same subject and seemed to emphasise the greatness of the tragedy, they had different approaches, The Sunday Express’ article was sensationalist and over emotive â€Å"†¦ inferno as it tore through carriages† The Observers article was a calmer and more concise report â€Å"†¦ and, within a few minutes, almost everyone on board was dead. † The articles both contained similar factual information. In the Article in the Sunday Express, facts were intertwined with opinions and emotive language. â€Å"†¦ engulfing tourists in temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Centigrade. † The Observer had some emotive language but seemed to keep the facts separate â€Å"†¦ which reached temperatures of more than 1,000 C† The only discrepancy between the two articles was over the initial cause of the fire. The Sunday Express interviewed a cable car technical expert Klaus Einsenkolb. â€Å"He said†¦ that either a short circuit in the batteries or the possibility that someone had started it with a naked flame was more likely,† This was their only reference to the cause of the fire. The Observer had many different statements about the cause of the fire. â€Å"Yesterday’s fire is believed to have started†¦after one of the cables that pull the train up the mountain snapped, apparently starting the blaze† They also had a statement from the local company Gletscherbahn Kaprun who owned the train. â€Å"†Due to a fire in the tunnel there was a shorting in the electrical circuit, consequently causing the train†¦ to catch fire. â€Å"† They also interviewed Klaus Einsenkolb, but stated nothing about his opinions of what caused the fire as in The Sunday Express. Both articles used similar language, but The Sunday Express used more emotive variations of language to put across the same point. The Sunday Express said â€Å"†¦ the harrowing task today of identifying 170 young skiers burned alive† The Observer stuck to the facts, however, some sensationalist language was used. â€Å"†¦ 170 people were killed yesterday when a fire†¦ engulfed an Austrian funicular train† The Sunday Express sensationalised the incident by using words like â€Å"inferno† and â€Å"disaster† repeatedly throughout their report. This created a mood in the article, expressing how terrible this tragedy was. Despite The Observer being a broadsheet paper, their article also used this type of language, such as â€Å"inferno† and â€Å"tragedy†. I think this also was used to create the mood. The underlying feeling in The Observers report was that this incident could have been prevented or its consequences reduced, had their been adequate safety measures and better maintenance. â€Å"†¦ Manfred Muller, security director for the railway, admitted that there had been no emergency fire fighting equipment in the tunnel, or on the train† The journalist’s use of â€Å"admitted† in this sentence supports his views that safety precautions were inadequate. After reading this article the reader was left with the impression it was just a terrible accident. â€Å"Yesterdays disaster was the second tragedy to hit Kitzsteinhorn this year. † â€Å"†¦ announced a criminal investigation into the tragedy. † No blame seemed to be pointed at anyone in this article. The Sunday Express’ article contained many interviews and comments from people involved with the incident. Most of the people interviewed were officials linked with the accident, like Norbert Karlsboeck, the town mayor of Kaprun, and Franz Schausberger the Salzburg governor. â€Å"Mr Karlsboeck said: â€Å"I did not realise the full extent of the catastrophe†Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Salzburg governor Franz Schausberger said: â€Å"I have declared a day of mourning. We can presume that everyone still on board the train is dead. â€Å"† They were commenting on their feelings about the incident. Klaus Eisenkolb, a cable car technician who worked on the planning of the line was also interviewed and spoke of what he thought about the occurrence of this incident and what could have possibly caused it. One witness and one survivor were also quoted. The Observer had fewer people interviewed, but had interviews with relatives and witnesses. They also had a statement from the company who owned the train, Gletscherbahn Kaprun, who commented on their feelings about this incident. â€Å"In a statement, the company said: ‘We and the whole town of Kaprun are in mourning. ‘† An unidentified man whose son had gone skiing that day, and a deacon were also interviewed. This gave the article a more personal feel, as the reader felt that they could relate to the people who’s lives had been affected by this and so understand the tragedy better. The layout of these reports was very different. Article I had a large bold headline on the front cover saying â€Å"INFERNO† in capital letters, to draw people’s attention. There was also a large illustration of one of the survivors with a caption. There was then a double page spread. On the first side of the double spread was a pull quote in large bold letters â€Å"There’s no hope left, the fumes were just terrible† next to another illustration of a survivor with a caption. This would also get peoples attention; the reader may look at the pictures and then want to read on. Under the title was a diagram of the mountainside with text pointing out where the events took place. This was quite easy to understand and gave the basic information. Inside that diagram was another diagram showing where Kaprun was in context to Austria and then to the rest of Europe. The text was in columns around these illustrations. The double page was split into three blocks of text, an individual report started on the second page written by Greg Swift, a continuance of the first article by David Dillon, and then an additional report: â€Å"Rising tide of Alpine tragedies†. The Observer had a medium sized headline â€Å"Inferno in the Alps† in bold letters. Underneath was a large illustration of a survivor (the same as in article 1) with a caption. The article was started with two large bullet points, which would grab the reader’s attention. There was then a tiny diagram of where in Austria the incident took place, and where it was in relation to Europe. The article was again written in columns. It then too went to a double page. The headline on this double page â€Å"A couple of breaths and they were lost† was also a pull quote, keeping the readers attention. There was a block of pictures with quotes in the top centre of the pages showing the rescue team, survivors and their families, and the train. This was really effective. The block of pictures would really attract the reader’s attention, urging them to read the article. There was a large diagram showing a picture of the mountainside and where the tunnel was, and then a diagram of the actual train, showing in steps what happened and when. This diagram was very clear, showing exactly what happened in an easily understandable way. The double page was again split into sections of text. There was the main report by Denis Staunton, and then two smaller reports. One was by Jason Burke telling how former British Olympic skier Martin Bell feared that some of his friends could have been on the train. This linked the incident back to this country and how it affected people here. The other was by Anthony Browne, talking of worries over how many recent tragic accidents have occurred in the Alps. I think that the article that explained what happened and suggested the full horror of this incident more effectively was the article from The Observer. I felt that the way in which it was written managed to create a balance between putting across the facts but still expressing the horror of the tragedy. I think because the facts were not clouded with opinions, they were easier to understand. I thought that the double page spread was particularly effective. The pictures were clearer and attracted the reader’s attention. The diagram on the double page was very clear and easy to understand. It showed exactly what happened in stages, with information about the mountain and the tunnel. I also thought that the headline â€Å"Inferno in the Alps† on the front page was really effective. It gave enough information for you to know what had happened but was short enough for the reader to read at a glance. I felt that The Sunday Express’ article was more difficult to understand as there were fewer facts and the writing was very opinionated. Also because there were fewer interviews with people who were directly affected by the incident, such as survivors, and relatives of victims, it wasn’t as easy to relate to that article. There was less text in general, as much of the space was taken up by large illustrations and headlines. Although the articles seemed to be similar they had differences which although may not be drastically apparent I felt they made a big difference to the effectiveness and success of the articles.

Strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research method. Essays

Strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research method. Essays Strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research method. Essay Strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research method. Essay Soma S? ¤gi Strengths and weaknesses of different research methods This semester my group was tasked with the conduction of a research about how the University of Baths great employability rates affected their University choice. We used qualitative research methods, every member of the group interviewed a first year Social Science student. We then later summarised the data, and looked for common points. All the interviews were semi-constructed, we asked questions which let the interviewee make his/her own points about the subject, thus the answers were not arrowed to the generic ones one could receive when conducting a survey. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for easier summarisation and can be accessed online ( see bibliography ). We found that the interviewees had mainly altruistic motives, they wanted to influence disadvantaged peoples lives, and one interviewee stated that his main motive was to make a world a better place ( see the interview with Adeel ). About the influence of employability rates, the results were mixed, less than half of the participants stated that such rates were a highly influential, for the others the ourse and academical structure was the bigger influence. When the interviewees were asked more specifically about the impact of their course choice on their employability, most stated that the reputation of the Universitys Social Sciences Department will give them an edge on the Job market. The great placement options and excellent quality of teaching will have a positive influence on their employability. It is unsurprising that none of the interviewees mentioned that their University choice would give them any disadvantages. On the topic of employability itself, the subjects agreed on that it is the skills that one acquires that will later being successful on ones field of employment. Extra languages, good communication skills and the ability to function as a member of a team were the most common examples given. I myself found the qualitative method much more enjoyable than the quantitative. Even though both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and both can be used with equal success in most cases, the fact that due to the interviews one an actually meet those who are the subjects of the research. Through survey questionnaire one can not do but narrow down the possible answers. The interview format can lead to much nuanced results, the interviewer can ask specific questions related to the answers, thus can clear up any misunderstandings or can acquire new information which later on can prove to be critical for the research. The personal The problem is common in natural scientific experiments as well, and is called The Observer Effect. Just by being there, one can influence the outcome of the xperiment, this even more true when conducting experiments which rely on human honesty. For my research this did not prove to be a problem but it is easily imaginable that for more personal questions, which can cause shame or other strong emotions in the subject ( for example those which involve traumatic events ) this could cause serious issues and could hinder the research until necessary trust is developed, which may cost substantial time and energy and may even not develop fully. All in all, I am satisfied how I conducted my interview. I do not know the subject ery well, thus I was a bit nervous about the trust issues mentioned above, but it turned out there were not any. I chose an environment where the subject could feel at ease, and tried to make it as unofficial as possible, turning the serious questionnaire to a light chat. I conducted my interview in the University Canteen over a cup of coffee and used Just pen and paper to write down the subjects answers, thus making it possible to maintain contact and not barricading myself behind a computer. I do not feel like I made any mistakes during the interview session, but due o its rather light questions and short duration there were no real mistakes to be made. I would prefer using the qualitative research method in the future when needing to acquire data. The quantitative methods, the survey questionnaire feels like it is narrowing down the possible answers too much and Just by the wording of the question one can influence the subjects answers. There are some ethical issues with the qualitative method that need to be addressed. First of all, one always needs the permission of the subject to use the data acquired through the interviews in ones research. Anonymity is often sought after subjects affected by trauma or when answering other personal questions, including but not limited to those about intimacy, physical and mental health. Qualitative research could require the researcher to participate in the subjects everyday life to a great degree, especially in those cases when the subject of the research is a closed group, for example a tribe, rather than a single person. Researchers need to know their boundaries and when not to push these, because that can lead to the subject group shutting out the researcher and to a loss of trust, hus making the research impossible to conduct. Another issue is the question of interception. Does one try to help a child suffering from domestic violence? Does one get involved in issues out of their authority? By doing so they destroy their own research subject. Is that such a great price for actually making an another human beings life better? What if, due to the research, a hundred lives would become better? Those conducting qualitative research in serious issues face these dilemmas every day. In the end, let me express my feeling about such matters. I believe that the main oal of every social scientist should be to somehow, through their own research, may whole but we can bring small changes, even if it is to slightly alter and improve an academic topic, or even a smaller, yet equally important change: bring happiness. Bibliography: All interviews of Qualitative Group 7: httpwwww. scribd. com/doc/190612665/Qu-Alres-Group-7-Data [10. 12. 2013] orb, A. , Eisenhauer, L. , Wynaden, D. , 2000. Ethics in Qualitative Research. Journal of nursing scholarship, 33(1), pp 93-96. Accessed from: columbia. edu/†mvp19/RMC/ M5/QualEthtcs. pdf [9. 12. 2013]

Marketing strategies of BMW and Mercedes-Benz Essays

Marketing strategies of BMW and Mercedes-Benz Essays Marketing strategies of BMW and Mercedes-Benz Paper Marketing strategies of BMW and Mercedes-Benz Paper These people have high incomes, and have usually completed higher education. The family life cycle that the brands market themselves to differs, depending on the particular model of the car. (See above. ) 3- Psychographic Segmentation: BMW markets itself to the upper middle, as well as both the lower and upper upper class. Mercedes-Benz markets itself mostly to the upper class. 4- Behavioural Segmentation: People usually buy cars on special, as opposed to regular, occasions. The buyers of BMWs and Mercedes expect extremely high quality and service. MARKET POSITIONING. BMW and Mercedes both put much effort into making sure that their respective products leave enthusiastic impressions in the hearts and minds of their customers. They both developed slogans that they hoped would stick in customers minds; Mercedes-Benz is known for its quality engineering, while BMW markets itself as the ultimate driving machine. BMW and Mercedes-Benz also have to differentiate themselves from each other in order to draw customers to their respective brands. One example of how Mercedes tried to do this was when it developed the CLS model. 1This model was positioned against the BMW 645Ci,2 while at the same time being positioned between the E- and S-Class sedans. The CLS was close enough in price to the BMW 645Ci so as to appeal to the same group of consumers, so in this way, Mercedes-Benz was directly challenging one of their major competitors. When tested by drivers, some concluded that the 645Ci was a better drive, but the CLS was more comfortable. From this, it is clear that Mercedes-Benz succeeded in positioning itself in customers minds as separate from BMW. MARKETING MIX Product Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer customers a wide range of products. Mercedes-Benz has twelve separate classes 3 of automobiles just within the passenger car sector. BMW, meanwhile, has nine series. 4 The way in which both brands try to differentiate themselves from each other is evident even in the dissimilar names they have given their line of products. Price Mercedes-Benz does not place much emphasis on keeping prices down. Indeed consumers expect both Mercedes-Benz and BMW, being in the luxury automobile market, to be priced higher than the average car. Therefore, Mercedes has to concentrate more on how its prices compare with its competitors rather than on how high its prices are in absolute terms. BMW, as part of its premium brand strategy, (see Promotion) wants to maximize its revenues per vehicle; they think that their strong brand recognition and the excellent quality of their products will help them achieve this goal. This means that they do not focus their efforts on keeping prices down; instead they want to sell exactly the right number of well-produced cars so as to attain a targeted profit. 5 Both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have relatively low price elasticity. This is because the consumer who can afford to buy the car in the first place will most likely not be deterred from making the purchase simply because the price went up by a few thousand dollars. However, since BMW markets itself to the upper-middle class, which is more price conscious than the upper class that Mercedes-Benz focuses on, it has higher price elasticity. People in the upper-middle class might change their minds about the purchase of a car if the price went up by a few thousand dollars. Promotion BMW promotes itself using a highly selective strategy. It has chosen certain segments in the automobile market, and it does not involve itself in the mass market, otherwise known as the volume segments of the automobile market. BMW calls this selectivity premium brand strategy. This means that BMW does not promote itself to all segments of car buyers; instead, it concentrates on targeting those consumers who it thinks will be interested in automobiles from their specifically chosen markets. Mercedes-Benz promotes itself as the worlds leading luxury brand. Within its target market of upper class middle-aged people, it is not as selective about who exactly to promote itself to as BMW is. It wants to attract and keep as many customers as it can. It promotes itself as innovating products rather than simply designing new versions of the same old product. For example, in promoting the Compact Sports Tourer, Mercedes-Benz said it: is the astounding response to a new zest for life: athletic, distinctive and versatile. For people who wish to live out their individuality. 6 It is promoting itself as a company that makes cars for people who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd; in much the same way, Mercedes- Benz Brand wants to stand out among its competitors. Place Most sales for both BMW and Mercedes-Benz take place at car dealerships. However, oftentimes consumers research the vehicles on the Internet before coming to the dealership, so the companies websites are also an important place where they can connect with consumers. It is therefore in the best interests of both brands to foster a strong presence online. To this end, Mercedes-Benz worked with iProspect, a search engine marketing firm, in order to increase its websites visibility within the major search engines. 7 Recommendations for futures strategies Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz want to build up a good relationship with female buyers, car buyers especially, and then the overall objective is to keep these buyers buying their products. Female buyers may feel nervous or even scared when going to look far a new car, especially if they are alone and do not have much knowledge or any confidence in their knowledge about cars, and with this nervousness they probably will be approached by an aggressive salesman, who may feel has got an easy target to sell a car to that they may not necessarily want or need, the salesman would just be trying to get a sale and get their commission. This may mean that many potential female customers to these two companys may feel overwhelmed and put off going to the dealer, which may result in a loss of a customer. Female buyers may feel a lot more comfortable when approached by a female sales representative at the dealership. BMW and Mercedes-Benz may want to look into employing more female sales representatives, especially in areas where they feel or know there are numerous prospective female buyers of their products. After sales customer service is a major area in which a customer will buy or re-buy their products. If for whatever reason, the customer, is not completely satisfied with the service they have received or they feel or have heard by word of mouth that they can get better service from another company, they may buy from that company, even if they feel the car is not as good as one from BMW or Mercedes-Benz. In a survey carried out by the BBC television show Topgear, where the general public with cars no older than three years where asked to write in or vote for how satisfied they where with the after sales service from the dealer and overall reliability of their car. In this vote there were a total of a hundred and forty two different cars included written in about or voted for. From these 142 cars the Mercedes-Benz M-Class was voted one of the most unreliable cars, and was also one of the cars that would be least recommended to someone else, or bought again. Also, from this list of 142 cars there were a total of six Mercedes-Benz models in the bottom third of the list, showing a general dissatisfaction of the service received after the initial sale of the car, and more worryingly for Mercedes-Benz none of their models made the top ten of the list. Even though none of BMWs models made the top ten list for the overall after sales service, BMW did have two cars in the buy again top ten with the BMW Z3 and 5-Series. The rest of BMWs models may not have made any other of the top ten lists; none of their models made the bottom ten lists, therefore according to the survey, the general public prefer the service offered by BMW than Mercedes-Benz. Although both companies may provide a friendly, professional looking service, they may want to look at the structure of their service, as the consumer that have purchased their products clearly are not greatly satisfied with the service they have received, according to the survey carried out by Topgear, shown on the next page. One reason why the Mercedes-Benz range of cars and especially the M-Class may have done so badly in the Topgear survey is because the consumers who purchased these cars are likely to have had experiences with other companies and there dealers and may have thought that Mercedes being classed as a luxury brand expected more than the other brands offer, which may have not been the case and therefore, the customers may feel that even though they spent more money on the car, they did not receive a better service, and may have been disappointed by this. 2004 Top Gear Survey the Last 10 (Ranking: Model Score out of 100) 133: Fiat Stilo 73. 7 134: Renault Megane 73. 6 135: Citroen Xsara 73. 5 136: Peugeot 206 73. 5 137: Citroen Saxo 73. 4 138: Fiat Bravo 70. 7 139: Renault Espace 70. 6 140: Renault Laguna 70. 3 141: Peugeot 307 69. 8 142: Mercedes M-Class 69. 8 The 10 most unreliable cars There were 142 cars listed in the final survey, of which the following 10 were ranked as the most unreliable. Citroen C3 (133rd) VW Polo (New) (134th) Citroen Xsara (135th) Citroen C5 (136th) Fiat Stilo (137th) Renault Megane (New) (138th) Mercedes M-Class (139th) Peugeot 307 (140th) Renault Laguna (141st) Renault Espace (142nd) Would you buy this car again? Top 10 who said Yes, Id buy this car again! Jaguar XJ (100%) Honda S2000 (99%) Subaru Forester (99%) Honda Jazz (98%) Skoda Fabia (98%) Skoda Octavia (97%) Seat Toledo (97%) Honda CR-V (96%) BMW 5-Series (96%) BMW Z3 (96%) Taken from www. bbc. co. uk/topgear website under the car survey link Another area which both companies may want to look is the cost of maintaining their cars. Many customers that can afford to buy a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, be it brand new or second hand, may not necessarily be able to afford to maintain the car. The labour charge that is incurred by both these companies is around the i 90 per hour, which is about three times more than if you were to go to a private mechanic. The labour charge does not include parts which are added on top. Some parts have to be specially ordered from Germany as authorised dealers do not carry all the parts, this means that the customer will have to wait until the part is shipped over to have their vehicle repaired. Therefore both companies may want to look at maybe reducing their labour charges, as this may attract less wealthy customers to the range. In the Topgear survey (shown above), the Mercedes-Benz M-class may have done so poorly in the reliability section because it did not have a proper target audience, it was not targeted at the wealthy customers nor the poorer customers, and therefore the wealthier customer may have expected more from the car than it delivered, and the poorer customers may not have been able to afford to maintain the car as Mercedes-Benz cars ought to be maintained. The two companies should also look into carrying all the parts, even if its one or two of the less popular parts that are required, this would mean that customers would have their vehicles repaired back to them sooner. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1- onemotoring. com 23/11/04 2- autointell. net 22/11/04 3- mbusa. com 19/11/04 4- bmwusa. com 18/11/04 5- irishtrucker. com 23/11/04 6- criticalmass. com 23/11/04 7- bmw. com 18/11/04 8- unb. ca 17/11/04 9- johnkay. com 19/11/04 10- bmw. com 17/11/04 11- iprospect. com 22/11/04 12- mercedes-benz. com 18/11/04 13- mercedes-benz. com 18/11/04 14- bmw. com 22/11/04 15- bbc. co. uk/topgear 22/11/04 16- whatcar. com 22/11/04 1 onemotoring. com 2 bmw. com 3 mercedes-benz. com 4 bmw. com 5 unb. ca 6 mercedes-benz. com 7 iprospect. com.

French Possessives Adjectives Come in Many, Many Forms

French Possessives Adjectives Come in Many, Many Forms Possessive adjectives are the words used in place of articles to indicate to whom or to what something belongs. French possessive adjectives are used in similar ways to English possessive adjectives, but there are some differences in form. Using French Possessive Adjectives French grammar touts many more possessives than English  because there are different forms not only for the person and number but sometimes also the gender and the first letter of that which is possessed. All of the different forms are summarized in the table below and are explained in detail later in this lesson. 1.  When describing two or more nouns in French, a possessive adjective must be used in front of each one:      son frà ¨re et sa sÅ“ur  Ã‚  Ã‚  his brother and sister   Ã‚  Ã‚  ma tante et mon oncle  Ã‚  Ã‚  my aunt and uncle 2.  The possessive adjective is almost never used with body parts in French. You cant say my hand or my hair. Instead, the French use pronominal verbs to show possession with body parts:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je me suis cassà © la jambe.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I broke my leg (literally, I broke the leg of myself).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Il se lave les cheveux.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hes washing his hair (literally, Hes washing the hair of himself). Singular Plural English Masculine Feminine Before Vowel my mon ma mon mes your (tu form) ton ta ton tes his, her, its son sa son ses our notre notre notre nos your (vous form) votre votre votre vos their leur leur leur leurs Singular Possessive French Adjectives In French grammar, there are three forms of the possessive for each singular person (I, you, he/she/it). The gender, number, and first letter of the noun possessed determine which form to use. MY      mon  (masculine singular)  mon stylo   my pen  Ã‚  Ã‚  ma  (feminine singular)  ma montre  Ã‚  my watch  Ã‚  Ã‚  mes  (plural)  mes  livres   my books When a  feminine noun  begins with a vowel, the masculine possessive adjective is used, to avoid saying  ma  amie,  which would break the  flow of speech. In this case, the possessives final consonant is pronounced (the n in the example below) to achieve fluid pronunciation.      mon  amie  - my (female) friend YOUR (tu  form)   Ã‚  Ã‚  ton  (masculine singular)  Ã‚  ton stylo  Ã‚  your pen  Ã‚  Ã‚  ta  (feminine singular)  Ã‚  ta montre   your watch  Ã‚  Ã‚  tes  (plural)  Ã‚  tes livres   your books When a feminine noun begins with a vowel, the masculine  possessive adjective  is used:      ton  amie  - your (female) friend HIS / HER / ITS   Ã‚  Ã‚  son  (masculine singular)  Ã‚  son stylo  Ã‚  his, her, its pen  Ã‚  Ã‚  sa  (feminine singular)  Ã‚  sa  montre   his, her, its watch  Ã‚  Ã‚  ses  (plural)  Ã‚  ses  livres   his, her, its books When a feminine noun begins with a vowel, the masculine possessive adjective is used:   Ã‚  Ã‚  son  amie  - his, her,  its  (female) friend Note:  An important difference between French and English is that  French utilizes the gender of the noun to determine which form to use, not the gender of the subject. A man would say  mon livre  when talking about a book, and a woman would also say  mon livre.  The book is masculine, and therefore so is the possessive adjective, no matter who the book belongs to. Likewise, both men and women would say  ma  maison, because house is feminine in French. It doesnt matter whether the owner of the house is male or female. This difference between English and French possessive adjectives can be particularly confusing when using him/her/it.  Son,  sa, and  ses  can each mean his, her, or  its  depending on the context. For example,  son lit  can mean his bed, her bed, or its bed (for example, the dogs). If you need to stress the gender of the person the item belongs to, you can use  Ã‚  lui  (belonging to him) or  Ã‚  elle  (belonging to her):   Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest son livre,   elle.  Its her book.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Voici sa monnaie, lui.  Ã‚  Heres his change. Plural Possessive French Adjectives For plural subjects (we, you, and they), French possessive adjectives are far simpler. There are only two forms  for  each grammatical person: singular and plural. OUR   Ã‚  Ã‚  notre  (singular)  Ã‚  notre stylo  Ã‚  our pen  Ã‚  Ã‚  nos  (plural)  Ã‚  nos montres   our watches YOUR (vous  form)   Ã‚  votre  (singular)  Ã‚  votre stylo  Ã‚  your pen  Ã‚  vos  (plural)  Ã‚  vos montres   your watches THEIR   Ã‚  Ã‚  leur  (singular)  Ã‚  leur stylo  Ã‚  their pen  Ã‚  Ã‚  leurs  (plural)  Ã‚  leurs montres   their watches