Vicarious Leisure Class Essay Example

Vicarious Leisure Class Essay Living the Lifestyle of a Celebrity: Conspicuous Consumption within the Leisure Class In Thorstein Veblen’s, The Theory of the Leisure Class which was first published in 1899, Veblen identifies a problem in our society for which many did not see. Veblen described society as a division of classes, one of these classes as he described as the â€Å"leisure class† or what we know today as the wealthier, upper class. In this book, Veblen describes society, and the economy, through the leisure class and analyzes their lifestyle through his time. The leisure class is a predatory culture and harmful to society, he explains, a leisure class has emerged from a â€Å"peaceable to a consistently warlike habit of life† (Veblen 7). Through this predatory class, Veblen describes various terms associated with the lifestyle of the leisure class, conspicuous consumption, vicarious leisure, and conspicuous leisure are only few terms he uses. These terms and the study of different lifestyles in different stages of development are described throughout this book, to explain the competitiveness and harm for which the upper class has brought to our society. In this paper, I will describe and discuss Veblen’s terms and lifestyles of the leisure class, how it relates to Karl Marx and his theories in society, and also similarities in which Veblen’s description of the leisure class is seen today. According to Veblen, the leisure class developed during the barbarian era, more specifically during the transition from savagery to barbarism, which also brought a more warlike community. Veblen argued that these warlike characteristics emerged through the leisure class; the members of this class were mostly men. We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During this time, hunting and gathering was the primary labor work, which was mostly employed by men of the leisure class. Veblen explains that even though this type of work provided food, farming and other work was more productive than hunting and gathering. The leisure class took over these warfare positions and prevented individuals of the lower class from learning to fight or owning weapons, this is when the leisure class started to gain their power and other classes started to rely and depend on the leisure class. In the predatory culture, this time of employment becomes only a form welcome to the upper class, this is what Veblen describes as conspicuous leisure, these individuals are wealthy enough to avoid work and engage in a type of lifestyle for which no other class can live. Individuals of conspicuous leisure don’t necessarily have to work because they already have the money. Veblen explains the individual’s time is â€Å"consumed non-productively (1) from a sense of the unworthiness of productive work, and (2) as an evidence of pecuniary ability to afford a life of idleness† (Veblen 23). During this time the leisure class started to emerge and the divisions of class’s were becoming more known to society. Similar to Veblen, Karl Marx also believed society was made up of class divisions. He explained his theory of class division through â€Å"proletariats† (have nots) and â€Å"bourgeoisie† (haves). The proletariats were those of the poorer class, which had nothing and the bourgeoisie were the wealthier class that had everything; these individuals would be considered the leisure class. Like the bourgeoisie, Veblen explained that individuals of the leisure class were expected to have almost everything, from servants to luxuries goods, this type of conspicuous consumption defined their status within the leisure class. These individuals of the leisure class can afford servants however the â€Å"real† leisure class, or the individuals at the top of the leisure class, can afford servants and also servants who do nothing. Marx believed that â€Å"class exploitation takes place when the labor power of one man is the property of another (Romero et al. . Marx theory is shown through servants of the leisure class. â€Å"Class Exploitation† is seen in the leisure class when the labor of servants is the property of those of the leisure class, â€Å"there supervenes a division of labour among the servants or dependents whose life is spent in maintaining the honour of the gentleman of leisure† (Veblen 63). Servants are only one factor that shows the wealth of the leisure class. According to Veblen, a member of the leisure class is known to show off his/her earnings. This type of behavior goes all the way back to the barbarian era when men showed off trophies, weapons, and other ideal possessions, â€Å"the last evidence of productive labour is its material product- commonly some article of consumption† (Veblen 44). The leisure class must have certain goods or items to gain fulfillment. This is similar to Karl Marx’s â€Å"false consciousness† which is described as a â€Å"sense of common identification with members of the same class† (Romero et al. ). False consciousness† is seen in the leisure class, regarding Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, the leisure class must consume certain items to be â€Å"happy† this is not necessarily known and explained however within every member of the leisure class they must have certain things to live happily in the upper class. Veblen defined this behavior within the leisure class in Chapter 6, â€Å"Pecuniary Canons of Taste†, â€Å"as it is a desire to live up to the conventional standard of decency in the amount and grade of goods consumed† (Veblen 102). He explains that the standard of living is keeping up with the others of one’s personal class. For example, if a neighbor buys a new car, you may go buy a new car just to keep up. â€Å"Each class envies and emulates the class next above it in the social scale, while it rarely compares itself with those below or with those who are considerably in advanced† (Veblen 104). Veblen defines the divisions of labor and that one whom competes with a higher class, through material may not be able to afford some materials of the higher class, and competing with a lower class is not striving for increasing achievement, so individuals stay within their class and compete with those whom are a little bit higher than them in the social structure. Marx defines this theory of â€Å"false consciousness† as something for which the individual does not necessarily notice, however it occurs. Like Marx, Veblen describes this standard of living as a habit, it’s something an individual is immune to and becomes a lifestyle, to which the individual does not realize they are constantly competing to keep up with the same lifestyles as others. â€Å"A standard of living is of the nature of habit. It is a habitual scale and method of responding to given stimuli† (Veblen 106). The longer the habit, the harder it is to let go, so one is constantly trying to keep up with class, society, and the standard of living. To keep up with the standard of living, individuals, mostly of the leisure class, will constantly continue to consume luxuries items and even though they are constantly consuming new items, the individual never seeks satisfaction; this refers to what Veblen describes as â€Å"chronic dissatisfaction†. This term is defined as always wanting more, one is never satisfied with what they have so they are constantly needing more (Veblen 31). Chronic dissatisfaction is a continuous cycle once one earns or receives something they just strive for the next thing. Chad Ochocinco is a NFL football player, who is constantly striving for more. He pursued modeling, then acting, and now has his second television series, and a video game. Ochocinco is an example of chronic dissatisfaction, although he has money and a career he wants more, after receiving a television series, he continued to strive for another one and added on a video game (â€Å"Wiki:Ochocinco†). Like Ochocinco, many individuals of the leisure class, continue to need more, this includes luxuries and other items. This type of consumption leads to another one of Veblen’s arguments of conspicuous consumption, which is when one consumes various goods, the best of food, and luxuries to show off one’s earnings. Conspicuous consumption is seen in our society today, this type of behavior does not just exist within the leisure class, however throughout every class and individual in our society. The want to consume is nothing new, we work and live to consume, we are what we consume. As seen with celebrities today, they consume the best cars, the best clothes, the biggest houses. Veblen explains a man of wealth â€Å"consumes freely and of the best, in food, drink, narcotics, shelter, services, ornaments, apparel, weapons, and accoutrements, amusements, amulets, and idols or divinities (Veblen 73). This type of consumption is what Veblen describes as â€Å"conspicuous waste†, the manner in which people dress is always seen and noticed, especially when celebrities are displaying them. With conspicuous consumption, the consumption and wealth must be displayed and noticed. As seen on the television show â€Å" Mtv Cribs† many celebrities, who are members of the leisure class, show off their homes, cars, clothes, and other items. Veblen argues this is harmful to our society, these luxuries and types of consumption are only for the leisure class, and one is expected to live this certain lifestyle in order to keep their standing in the leisure class. A man of the leisure class must consume certain goods and give away certain types of rewards or gifts to with hold his position within the leisure class. One example of conspicuous consumption he gives, which is seen today, is the consumption of â€Å"intoxicating beverages or narcotics†, which members of the leisure class are known to consume (Veblen 70). Like Grey Goose and Jose Cuervo, many celebrities only drink the top self alcohol. Also, many celebrities are getting involved in alcohol or drug related crimes, however we still honor them. For example, Lil Wayne, Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton are only a few celebrities who were convicted of criminal charges, yet are still in the lime light today. Paris Hilton was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in 2006, and charge in 2007. In 2007, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation, â€Å"according to prosecutors, she fail to enroll in an alcohol education course by mid-April 2007, and was stopped for two more traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license† (â€Å"Wiki:Paris Hilton†). After these incidents took place, Paris Hilton continued to live vicariously through the leisure class, from initially earning her fortune from her great-grandfather’s wealth, (Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels) she continues to be a social icon, with her own hit television show, â€Å"Paris’s BFF†, as well as, her role as an actor in several movies, singer, model, and author (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Like Paris Hilton, many members of the leisure class are still honored and have status after criminal offenses, or drug/alcohol related mistakes. These celebrities are idols and influence our society, this is another reason Veblen argues the leisure class can be harmful to our society, â€Å"drunkness and the other pathological consequences of the free use of stimulants therefore tend in their turn to become honorific† (Veblen 70). The â€Å"emergence of the leisure class coincides with the beginning of ownership† (Veblen 22). During the barbarian stages, women became a form of ownership. Women were seen as a status symbol, a trophy wife, for which men of the leisure class could own and show off. When we own people, we own material or production, so by owning something one can exploit his earnings. Like ownership, most women of the leisure class are considered â€Å"vicarious leisure†. Veblen’s â€Å"vicarious leisure† is defined as people who live the life as though they are a member of the leisure class however don’t get all the material that comes with it because they are living through the wealthy. Throughout the barbarian stages, men were considered the breadwinner and worked while the women stayed at home while women were considered to live through their spouses. The women of the household were not suppose to work and were expected to be more â€Å"showy† about their leisure than men, they were expected to be beautiful and represent the household’s wealth. Like women, Veblen claims many individuals of the leisure class receive their wealth from their ancestors and get wealth without even working for it, â€Å"wealth acquired passively by transmission from ancestors or other antecedents presently becomes even more honorific than wealth acquired by the possessor’s own effort† (Veblen 29). Like mentioned earlier, celebrity Paris Hilton received her wealth through her great grandfather, Conrad Hilton whom was the founder of Hilton hotels. Through his wealth, Paris Hilton had a very wealthy childhood. She was born in New York, and moved to several different homes, including the homes in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons, which are all very upper class locations (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton had all the references to succeed and was not obligated to work. Like Hilton, Veblen describes these types of individuals within the leisure class, he refers to the leisure class as â€Å"waste†, meaning the leisure class does not contribute to society or the world as a whole, â€Å"does not serve human life or human well-being on the whole† (Veblen 97). Hilton pursued her career in modeling, eventually getting signed with Donald Trump’s model agency and appearing in various magazines (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton’s career as a model, is an example of Veblen’s view on waste in the leisure class, pictures of Hilton in various magazines has no specific benefit to our society however only benefits her and her status, and wealth within the leisure class. According to Wikipedia, in September 2009, Hilton’s quote in one of her books, â€Å"Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in† was added to The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Similar to Hilton, many celebrities and women care a lot about what they wear and how they dress. In Veblen’s chapter, â€Å"Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture† he describes how dress is an example of conspicuous waste, and how most women express their leisure through clothing. Like many celebrities and individuals of the leisure class the point of having nice clothes is to show them off, â€Å"our dress, therefore, in order to serve its purpose effectually, should not only be expensive, but it should also make plain to all observers that the wearer is not engaged in any kind of productive labour† (Veblen 170). This type of clothing is not used for protection or comfort yet its primary purpose is for show. Many women of the leisure class wear heels to work, especially women who are considered celebrities are constantly wearing heels wherever they go. Veblen explains that for a women to wear heels to work is unnecessary and â€Å"even the simplest and most necessary work extremely difficult† (Veblen 171). Today, dressing and fashion of the leisure class is very evident and is expected, however this is nothing new, this expensive and uncomfortable clothing for women goes very far back. The corset is, in economic theory, substantially a mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work† (Veblen 172). The corset is only one example that Veblen gives, however this piece of clothing is the most constricting, and is only worn for show, ignoring the discomfort of the clothing. Veblen also continues to argue that the fashion and clothing styles change with the seasons and also are different in various areas. It’s amazing for one to see that this was the case during Veblen’s time because this is very true today. With winter, comes scarf’s, boots, and sweaters while summer women tend to wear shorts, cut off shirts, ect. Veblen also explains that the urban areas are more involved in fashion changes than the rural areas, meaning the wealthier communities have greater amounts of conspicuous waste in their clothing. New York City is one example of Veblen’s argument, this city is known for fashion and most women in New York City are examples of dress as a conspicuous waste. Sex in the City† was a huge television series and movie, about four women who lived in New York City and engaged in the fashion world. Through these four women, one can see the effects of an urban area on the style of dress needed to fit into the city. In the first â€Å"Sex and the City† movie, Carrie after a breaking it off with her boyfriend and buying very expensive shoes she expl ains, â€Å"It’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes—that’s why you sometimes need really special shoes†. As in Veblen’s time, society is still using dress as a conspicuous consumption, which is more evident in women than men. If an individual is wearing cheap clothing, this can be considered unworthy by some, and those who wear expensive clothing are seen to be of the wealthier class. Dress as a conspicuous waste is seen as a spiritual need. For example church, when a family is getting dressed for church they tend to dress up in formal clothing. Veblen describes the need for this type of dress for spiritual reasoning is â€Å"not wholly, nor even chiefly, a naive propensity for display of expenditure† (Veblen 168). Veblen’s theory of leisure class is still in existence today and has a huge influence on our society as a whole. Today, the leisure class is taking over the media and is the idols and the people for which society looks up to, they are considered the successful individuals of society, the wealthy. Before reading Veblen’s book, I never thought the upper class, or now as I call it the leisure class, as harmful to society, however now it seems as though this standard of living and conspicuous leisure and consumption is harming our communities and the way individuals of our society live their lives. Conspicuous consumption is seen in every division of class, not just the leisure class. Each class is striving among themselves to be better than the other. One example Veblen uses in the book, is the use of silver spoons, explaining that many individuals of the leisure class use articles of gold, even though there are spoons for which are made from machines which are cheaper, and in most cases are more useful and better. However, the beauty and price of these expensive items are the reasoning behind this conspicuous consumption. Like Veblen’s example, this is seen in our society today, from decorations in a person’s home, to their cars, to their style of clothing, ect. Our society has grown to constantly be involved in conspicuous consumption and compete with others of the same class. Veblen was definitely correct with his ‘Theory of the Leisure Class’ and his theory is still very present today. I was surprised to see how present the leisure class was in pre-historic times and how similar the behavior of the leisure class is to the leisure class today. However, without the leisure class, and competitive society, I’m not sure if our society would be as successful as it is today. Many individuals strive for success because of the competitive drive and competition within our society. So maybe the leisure class and the competitive factors within the division of classes is good for the society, or maybe Veblen’s theory is right and the leisure class is actually harmful to our society and world as a whole. Works Cited Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. NewYork: Peguin, 1899. Print David Ashley, David Michael Orenstein. Sociology Theory: Classical Theory. Boston: Pearson, 2005. Print Romero, Rachel. Sociology 230: Classical Theory. Texas Aamp;M University. College Station, TX: August-November, 2010. Lecture Wikipedia: Paris Hiltion. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 21 November 2010. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Paris_Hilton. E2. 80. 9306:_As_an_author Wikipedia: Chad Ochocinco. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 20 November 2010 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chad_Ochocinco Paris Hilton’s DUI Charges. Find Law. Web. 2010 http://news. findlaw. com/cnn/docs/ent/cahilton92606cmp. html Bushnell, Candace. Sex and the City. Part One. New York, 2008. Movie Thorstein Veblen. Academic Search Complete (ESBCO). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. July 1, 2010. Print. Vicarious Leisure Class Essay Example Vicarious Leisure Class Paper Living the Lifestyle of a Celebrity: Conspicuous Consumption within the Leisure Class In Thorstein Veblen’s, The Theory of the Leisure Class which was first published in 1899, Veblen identifies a problem in our society for which many did not see. Veblen described society as a division of classes, one of these classes as he described as the â€Å"leisure class† or what we know today as the wealthier, upper class. In this book, Veblen describes society, and the economy, through the leisure class and analyzes their lifestyle through his time. The leisure class is a predatory culture and harmful to society, he explains, a leisure class has emerged from a â€Å"peaceable to a consistently warlike habit of life† (Veblen 7). Through this predatory class, Veblen describes various terms associated with the lifestyle of the leisure class, conspicuous consumption, vicarious leisure, and conspicuous leisure are only few terms he uses. These terms and the study of different lifestyles in different stages of development are described throughout this book, to explain the competitiveness and harm for which the upper class has brought to our society. In this paper, I will describe and discuss Veblen’s terms and lifestyles of the leisure class, how it relates to Karl Marx and his theories in society, and also similarities in which Veblen’s description of the leisure class is seen today. According to Veblen, the leisure class developed during the barbarian era, more specifically during the transition from savagery to barbarism, which also brought a more warlike community. Veblen argued that these warlike characteristics emerged through the leisure class; the members of this class were mostly men. We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During this time, hunting and gathering was the primary labor work, which was mostly employed by men of the leisure class. Veblen explains that even though this type of work provided food, farming and other work was more productive than hunting and gathering. The leisure class took over these warfare positions and prevented individuals of the lower class from learning to fight or owning weapons, this is when the leisure class started to gain their power and other classes started to rely and depend on the leisure class. In the predatory culture, this time of employment becomes only a form welcome to the upper class, this is what Veblen describes as conspicuous leisure, these individuals are wealthy enough to avoid work and engage in a type of lifestyle for which no other class can live. Individuals of conspicuous leisure don’t necessarily have to work because they already have the money. Veblen explains the individual’s time is â€Å"consumed non-productively (1) from a sense of the unworthiness of productive work, and (2) as an evidence of pecuniary ability to afford a life of idleness† (Veblen 23). During this time the leisure class started to emerge and the divisions of class’s were becoming more known to society. Similar to Veblen, Karl Marx also believed society was made up of class divisions. He explained his theory of class division through â€Å"proletariats† (have nots) and â€Å"bourgeoisie† (haves). The proletariats were those of the poorer class, which had nothing and the bourgeoisie were the wealthier class that had everything; these individuals would be considered the leisure class. Like the bourgeoisie, Veblen explained that individuals of the leisure class were expected to have almost everything, from servants to luxuries goods, this type of conspicuous consumption defined their status within the leisure class. These individuals of the leisure class can afford servants however the â€Å"real† leisure class, or the individuals at the top of the leisure class, can afford servants and also servants who do nothing. Marx believed that â€Å"class exploitation takes place when the labor power of one man is the property of another (Romero et al. . Marx theory is shown through servants of the leisure class. â€Å"Class Exploitation† is seen in the leisure class when the labor of servants is the property of those of the leisure class, â€Å"there supervenes a division of labour among the servants or dependents whose life is spent in maintaining the honour of the gentleman of leisure† (Veblen 63). Servants are only one factor that shows the wealth of the leisure class. According to Veblen, a member of the leisure class is known to show off his/her earnings. This type of behavior goes all the way back to the barbarian era when men showed off trophies, weapons, and other ideal possessions, â€Å"the last evidence of productive labour is its material product- commonly some article of consumption† (Veblen 44). The leisure class must have certain goods or items to gain fulfillment. This is similar to Karl Marx’s â€Å"false consciousness† which is described as a â€Å"sense of common identification with members of the same class† (Romero et al. ). False consciousness† is seen in the leisure class, regarding Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, the leisure class must consume certain items to be â€Å"happy† this is not necessarily known and explained however within every member of the leisure class they must have certain things to live happily in the upper class. Veblen defined this behavior within the leisure class in Chapter 6, â€Å"Pecuniary Canons of Taste†, â€Å"as it is a desire to live up to the conventional standard of decency in the amount and grade of goods consumed† (Veblen 102). He explains that the standard of living is keeping up with the others of one’s personal class. For example, if a neighbor buys a new car, you may go buy a new car just to keep up. â€Å"Each class envies and emulates the class next above it in the social scale, while it rarely compares itself with those below or with those who are considerably in advanced† (Veblen 104). Veblen defines the divisions of labor and that one whom competes with a higher class, through material may not be able to afford some materials of the higher class, and competing with a lower class is not striving for increasing achievement, so individuals stay within their class and compete with those whom are a little bit higher than them in the social structure. Marx defines this theory of â€Å"false consciousness† as something for which the individual does not necessarily notice, however it occurs. Like Marx, Veblen describes this standard of living as a habit, it’s something an individual is immune to and becomes a lifestyle, to which the individual does not realize they are constantly competing to keep up with the same lifestyles as others. â€Å"A standard of living is of the nature of habit. It is a habitual scale and method of responding to given stimuli† (Veblen 106). The longer the habit, the harder it is to let go, so one is constantly trying to keep up with class, society, and the standard of living. To keep up with the standard of living, individuals, mostly of the leisure class, will constantly continue to consume luxuries items and even though they are constantly consuming new items, the individual never seeks satisfaction; this refers to what Veblen describes as â€Å"chronic dissatisfaction†. This term is defined as always wanting more, one is never satisfied with what they have so they are constantly needing more (Veblen 31). Chronic dissatisfaction is a continuous cycle once one earns or receives something they just strive for the next thing. Chad Ochocinco is a NFL football player, who is constantly striving for more. He pursued modeling, then acting, and now has his second television series, and a video game. Ochocinco is an example of chronic dissatisfaction, although he has money and a career he wants more, after receiving a television series, he continued to strive for another one and added on a video game (â€Å"Wiki:Ochocinco†). Like Ochocinco, many individuals of the leisure class, continue to need more, this includes luxuries and other items. This type of consumption leads to another one of Veblen’s arguments of conspicuous consumption, which is when one consumes various goods, the best of food, and luxuries to show off one’s earnings. Conspicuous consumption is seen in our society today, this type of behavior does not just exist within the leisure class, however throughout every class and individual in our society. The want to consume is nothing new, we work and live to consume, we are what we consume. As seen with celebrities today, they consume the best cars, the best clothes, the biggest houses. Veblen explains a man of wealth â€Å"consumes freely and of the best, in food, drink, narcotics, shelter, services, ornaments, apparel, weapons, and accoutrements, amusements, amulets, and idols or divinities (Veblen 73). This type of consumption is what Veblen describes as â€Å"conspicuous waste†, the manner in which people dress is always seen and noticed, especially when celebrities are displaying them. With conspicuous consumption, the consumption and wealth must be displayed and noticed. As seen on the television show â€Å" Mtv Cribs† many celebrities, who are members of the leisure class, show off their homes, cars, clothes, and other items. Veblen argues this is harmful to our society, these luxuries and types of consumption are only for the leisure class, and one is expected to live this certain lifestyle in order to keep their standing in the leisure class. A man of the leisure class must consume certain goods and give away certain types of rewards or gifts to with hold his position within the leisure class. One example of conspicuous consumption he gives, which is seen today, is the consumption of â€Å"intoxicating beverages or narcotics†, which members of the leisure class are known to consume (Veblen 70). Like Grey Goose and Jose Cuervo, many celebrities only drink the top self alcohol. Also, many celebrities are getting involved in alcohol or drug related crimes, however we still honor them. For example, Lil Wayne, Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton are only a few celebrities who were convicted of criminal charges, yet are still in the lime light today. Paris Hilton was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in 2006, and charge in 2007. In 2007, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation, â€Å"according to prosecutors, she fail to enroll in an alcohol education course by mid-April 2007, and was stopped for two more traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license† (â€Å"Wiki:Paris Hilton†). After these incidents took place, Paris Hilton continued to live vicariously through the leisure class, from initially earning her fortune from her great-grandfather’s wealth, (Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels) she continues to be a social icon, with her own hit television show, â€Å"Paris’s BFF†, as well as, her role as an actor in several movies, singer, model, and author (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Like Paris Hilton, many members of the leisure class are still honored and have status after criminal offenses, or drug/alcohol related mistakes. These celebrities are idols and influence our society, this is another reason Veblen argues the leisure class can be harmful to our society, â€Å"drunkness and the other pathological consequences of the free use of stimulants therefore tend in their turn to become honorific† (Veblen 70). The â€Å"emergence of the leisure class coincides with the beginning of ownership† (Veblen 22). During the barbarian stages, women became a form of ownership. Women were seen as a status symbol, a trophy wife, for which men of the leisure class could own and show off. When we own people, we own material or production, so by owning something one can exploit his earnings. Like ownership, most women of the leisure class are considered â€Å"vicarious leisure†. Veblen’s â€Å"vicarious leisure† is defined as people who live the life as though they are a member of the leisure class however don’t get all the material that comes with it because they are living through the wealthy. Throughout the barbarian stages, men were considered the breadwinner and worked while the women stayed at home while women were considered to live through their spouses. The women of the household were not suppose to work and were expected to be more â€Å"showy† about their leisure than men, they were expected to be beautiful and represent the household’s wealth. Like women, Veblen claims many individuals of the leisure class receive their wealth from their ancestors and get wealth without even working for it, â€Å"wealth acquired passively by transmission from ancestors or other antecedents presently becomes even more honorific than wealth acquired by the possessor’s own effort† (Veblen 29). Like mentioned earlier, celebrity Paris Hilton received her wealth through her great grandfather, Conrad Hilton whom was the founder of Hilton hotels. Through his wealth, Paris Hilton had a very wealthy childhood. She was born in New York, and moved to several different homes, including the homes in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons, which are all very upper class locations (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton had all the references to succeed and was not obligated to work. Like Hilton, Veblen describes these types of individuals within the leisure class, he refers to the leisure class as â€Å"waste†, meaning the leisure class does not contribute to society or the world as a whole, â€Å"does not serve human life or human well-being on the whole† (Veblen 97). Hilton pursued her career in modeling, eventually getting signed with Donald Trump’s model agency and appearing in various magazines (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton’s career as a model, is an example of Veblen’s view on waste in the leisure class, pictures of Hilton in various magazines has no specific benefit to our society however only benefits her and her status, and wealth within the leisure class. According to Wikipedia, in September 2009, Hilton’s quote in one of her books, â€Å"Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in† was added to The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Similar to Hilton, many celebrities and women care a lot about what they wear and how they dress. In Veblen’s chapter, â€Å"Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture† he describes how dress is an example of conspicuous waste, and how most women express their leisure through clothing. Like many celebrities and individuals of the leisure class the point of having nice clothes is to show them off, â€Å"our dress, therefore, in order to serve its purpose effectually, should not only be expensive, but it should also make plain to all observers that the wearer is not engaged in any kind of productive labour† (Veblen 170). This type of clothing is not used for protection or comfort yet its primary purpose is for show. Many women of the leisure class wear heels to work, especially women who are considered celebrities are constantly wearing heels wherever they go. Veblen explains that for a women to wear heels to work is unnecessary and â€Å"even the simplest and most necessary work extremely difficult† (Veblen 171). Today, dressing and fashion of the leisure class is very evident and is expected, however this is nothing new, this expensive and uncomfortable clothing for women goes very far back. The corset is, in economic theory, substantially a mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work† (Veblen 172). The corset is only one example that Veblen gives, however this piece of clothing is the most constricting, and is only worn for show, ignoring the discomfort of the clothing. Veblen also continues to argue that the fashion and clothing styles change with the seasons and also are different in various areas. It’s amazing for one to see that this was the case during Veblen’s time because this is very true today. With winter, comes scarf’s, boots, and sweaters while summer women tend to wear shorts, cut off shirts, ect. Veblen also explains that the urban areas are more involved in fashion changes than the rural areas, meaning the wealthier communities have greater amounts of conspicuous waste in their clothing. New York City is one example of Veblen’s argument, this city is known for fashion and most women in New York City are examples of dress as a conspicuous waste. Sex in the City† was a huge television series and movie, about four women who lived in New York City and engaged in the fashion world. Through these four women, one can see the effects of an urban area on the style of dress needed to fit into the city. In the first â€Å"Sex and the City† movie, Carrie after a breaking it off with her boyfriend and buying very expensive shoes she expl ains, â€Å"It’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes—that’s why you sometimes need really special shoes†. As in Veblen’s time, society is still using dress as a conspicuous consumption, which is more evident in women than men. If an individual is wearing cheap clothing, this can be considered unworthy by some, and those who wear expensive clothing are seen to be of the wealthier class. Dress as a conspicuous waste is seen as a spiritual need. For example church, when a family is getting dressed for church they tend to dress up in formal clothing. Veblen describes the need for this type of dress for spiritual reasoning is â€Å"not wholly, nor even chiefly, a naive propensity for display of expenditure† (Veblen 168). Veblen’s theory of leisure class is still in existence today and has a huge influence on our society as a whole. Today, the leisure class is taking over the media and is the idols and the people for which society looks up to, they are considered the successful individuals of society, the wealthy. Before reading Veblen’s book, I never thought the upper class, or now as I call it the leisure class, as harmful to society, however now it seems as though this standard of living and conspicuous leisure and consumption is harming our communities and the way individuals of our society live their lives. Conspicuous consumption is seen in every division of class, not just the leisure class. Each class is striving among themselves to be better than the other. One example Veblen uses in the book, is the use of silver spoons, explaining that many individuals of the leisure class use articles of gold, even though there are spoons for which are made from machines which are cheaper, and in most cases are more useful and better. However, the beauty and price of these expensive items are the reasoning behind this conspicuous consumption. Like Veblen’s example, this is seen in our society today, from decorations in a person’s home, to their cars, to their style of clothing, ect. Our society has grown to constantly be involved in conspicuous consumption and compete with others of the same class. Veblen was definitely correct with his ‘Theory of the Leisure Class’ and his theory is still very present today. I was surprised to see how present the leisure class was in pre-historic times and how similar the behavior of the leisure class is to the leisure class today. However, without the leisure class, and competitive society, I’m not sure if our society would be as successful as it is today. Many individuals strive for success because of the competitive drive and competition within our society. So maybe the leisure class and the competitive factors within the division of classes is good for the society, or maybe Veblen’s theory is right and the leisure class is actually harmful to our society and world as a whole. Works Cited Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. NewYork: Peguin, 1899. Print David Ashley, David Michael Orenstein. Sociology Theory: Classical Theory. Boston: Pearson, 2005. Print Romero, Rachel. Sociology 230: Classical Theory. Texas Aamp;M University. College Station, TX: August-November, 2010. Lecture Wikipedia: Paris Hiltion. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 21 November 2010. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Paris_Hilton. E2. 80. 9306:_As_an_author Wikipedia: Chad Ochocinco. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 20 November 2010 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chad_Ochocinco Paris Hilton’s DUI Charges. Find Law. Web. 2010 http://news. findlaw. com/cnn/docs/ent/cahilton92606cmp. html Bushnell, Candace. Sex and the City. Part One. New York, 2008. Movie Thorstein Veblen. Academic Search Complete (ESBCO). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. July 1, 2010. Print.

Coursework on Technology

Coursework on Technology Coursework on Countermeasures to mitigate exploitation of UNIX and Windows servers: Every organization utilizing the internet needs protection of its systems to ensure that the files of the organization are not destroyed by software, designed by hackers. The firm needs to have an elaborate security system to ensure that all its files are viewed by authorized personnel. The files need to be safely protected, and measures to back up the information valuable to the company, should be put in place. Loss of system files may make the system unstable, interfering with the normal working process of the business. A fortune 500 company undertakes many transactions on an annual basis, and deals with a lot of money. The company has many rivals in the market. Therefore, to protect the interests of the business, the company needs to buy a specialized security system to protect its files (Chirillo, 2002). As a security firm employed to handle the countermeasures needed to counter mitigate exploitation of UNIX and Windows servers, one of the counter measures would be application of patches and updates. This changes need to be evaluated and implemented in a timely manner with focus bearing on the effect of implementation against the effects of maintaining the current settings. Application of updates into the system mitigates both types of servers from malware, with the ability to propagate automatically. These security updates need to be applied regularly to protect the company’s information. The change selected by the security officer are tested for practicality, the changes to the servers should have defined effects on the company’s system files and incase of a problem the procedures to deal with it should be known. The update for these servers should be obtained from a secure resource. This ensures that the updates are trusted, and the company can implement the update on the servers, with ease. The source of this update may be the internal update servers that may be monitored to avoid external interference. Using internal servers to create updates for the company’s system ensures that foreign severs have limited access to the company’s files and vital information. Freeware and trials lack adequate security measures to prevent attack from foreign servers. To protect the company’s information, the company should formulate a rule to remove and avoid installation of these programs in computers in the network. This is because they offer avenues that an attacker may use to enter into the system. Depending on the servers used by the company, those programs that are not useful should be removed from the network. The company may opt for use of a strong firewall to reduce the traffic that lacks adequate authorization from reaching the servers. The firewall ensures that only those with the right security clearance have access to the information in the company’s database. Some servers are capable of transferring and storing user files and data, like windows. If the servers are used by the company, it is necessary that the users conduct detection software to detect the malware that may be in the servers. This malware shored be removed from the system to prevent it from corrupting the company’s file. Regular scans should be conducted on the system to ensure that there are no traces of unauthorized changes (Gregory, 2010). The organization should be advised to have a restoration file for all its data. A restoration file contains all the relevant information the administrator would want to restore into the system in the event of a failure that causes the system to fail. The security of the company is vital, and the system files need to be protected from unauthorized users. The secrets of the company may fall into the competitor’s hands, making the organization lose its competitive advantage. The company may also lose money through unauthorized accesses to the company’s resources. The work of the security officer is to ensure that the right measures are taken to ensure that the company’s information is safe from unauthorized users.

Using Microwave Astronomy To Explore the Cosmos

Using Microwave Astronomy To Explore the Cosmos Not many people think about cosmic microwaves as they nuke their food for lunch each day. The same type of radiation a microwave oven uses to zap a burrito helps astronomers explore the universe. Its true: microwave emissions from outer space help give a peek back at the infancy of the cosmos.   Hunting Down Microwave Signals A fascinating set of objects emits microwaves in space. The closest source of nonterrestrial microwaves is our Sun. The specific wavelengths of microwaves that it sends out are absorbed by our atmosphere. Water vapor in our atmosphere can interfere with the detection of microwave radiation from space, absorbing it and preventing it from reaching Earths surface. That taught astronomers who study microwave radiation in the cosmos to put their detectors at high altitudes on Earth, or out in space.   On the other hand, microwave signals that can penetrate clouds and smoke can help researchers study conditions on Earth and enhances satellite communications. It turns out that microwave science is beneficial in many ways.   Microwave signals come in very long wavelengths. Detecting them requires very large telescopes because the size of the detector needs to  be many times greater than the radiation wavelength itself. The best-known microwave astronomy observatories are in space and have revealed details about objects and events all the way out to the beginning of the universe. Cosmic Microwaves Emitters The center of our own Milky Way galaxy is a microwave source, although its not so extensive as in other, more active galaxies. Our black hole (called Sagittarius A*) is a fairly quiet one, as these things go. It doesnt appear to have a massive jet, and only occasionally feeds on stars and other material that pass too close. Pulsars  (rotating neutron stars) are very strong sources of microwave radiation. These powerful, compact objects are second only to black holes in terms of density. Neutron stars have powerful magnetic fields and fast rotation  rates. They produce a broad spectrum of radiation, with the microwave emission being particularly strong. Most pulsars are usually referred to as radio pulsars because of their strong radio emissions, but they can also be microwave-bright. Many fascinating sources of microwaves lie well outside our solar system and galaxy. For example, active galaxies (AGN), powered by supermassive black holes at their cores, emit strong blasts of microwaves. Additionally, these black hole engines can create massive jets of plasma that also glow brightly at microwave wavelengths. Some of these plasma structures can be larger than the entire galaxy that contains the black hole. The Ultimate Cosmic Microwave Story In 1964, Princeton University scientists David Todd Wilkinson, Robert H. Dicke, and Peter Roll decided to build a detector to hunt for cosmic microwaves. They werent the only ones. Two scientists at Bell Labs- Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson- were also building a horn to search for microwaves. Such radiation had been predicted in the early 20th century, but no one had done anything about searching it out. The scientists 1964 measurements showed a dim wash of microwave radiation across the entire sky. It now turns out that the faint microwave glow is a cosmic signal from the early universe. Penzias and Wilson went on to win a Nobel Prize for the measurements and analysis they made that led to the confirmation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Eventually, astronomers got the funds to build space-based microwave detectors, which can deliver better data. For example, the Cosmic Microwave Background Explorer (COBE) satellite  made a detailed study of this CMB beginning in 1989. Since then, other observations made with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) have detected this radiation. The CMB is the afterglow of the big bang, the event that set our universe in motion. It was incredibly hot and energetic. As the newborn cosmos expanded, the density of the heat dropped. Basically, it cooled, and what little heat there was got spread over a larger and larger area. Today, the universe is 93 billion light-years wide, and the CMB represents a temperature of about 2.7 Kelvin. Astronomers consider that diffuse temperature  as microwave radiation and use the minor fluctuations in the temperature of the CMB to learn more about the  origins and evolution of the universe. Tech Talk About Microwaves in the Universe Microwaves emit at frequencies  between 0.3 gigahertz (GHz) and 300 GHz. (One gigahertz is equal to 1 billion Hertz. A Hertz is used to describe how many cycles per second something emits at, with one Hertz being one cycle per second.) This range of frequencies corresponds to wavelengths between a millimeter (one-thousandth of a meter) and a meter. For reference, TV and radio emissions emit in a lower part of the spectrum, between 50 and 1000 Mhz (megahertz).   Microwave radiation is often described as being an independent radiation band but is also considered part of the science of radio astronomy. Astronomers often refer to radiation with wavelengths in the  far-infrared, microwave, and ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio bands as being part of microwave radiation, even though they are technically three separate energy bands.

Effect of Teaching Style on Students Scores Essay

Effect of Teaching Style on Students Scores - Essay Example The results revealed no significant changes between the two groups of students when using the ANOVA but depicted elevated levels in 2009 using the MRT. The PCC test revealed some positive correlation between the sampled assessment test scores. Therefore the study demonstrates that teaching styles are correlated to the final scores among students hence innovative teaching style has a favorable consequence among the learners’. Conventional teaching techniques are increasing being viewed as deficient in terms of upholding extensive scholarship and lasting preservation of essential educational concepts. Additionally, these teaching processes are alleged of encouraging quiescent rather than active interactive scholarship (Meyers & Jones, 1993). The advent of sophisticated ICT learning tools has compelled hitherto conservative educationalists to adopt modern methods of teaching especially in the scientific fields of study of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology educatio n. Considerable research has proven the wisdom of assimilating these innovative techniques, as growth have been demonstrated in the education milieu particularly in adult education (Hein & Irvine, 2004). Kolb (1985) in his pragmatic learning cycle claimed that a learner undergoes various stages of knowledge sequence; whereby there is a certain foremost useful stage that is conducive to instruction and understanding. DePorter (1992) further observed that perceived disparities in a student learning style are often caused by ‘a conflict.

Advisor critique including executive summary Essay

Advisor critique including executive summary - Essay Example The business idea of putting an urban salon in the Park Street is a good idea to complement the other high-end establishments in the district. Also, the surrounding business environment in the Bristol area offers a lot of opportunities to the market. Looking at the market study of The Funk, however, the company proves to lack an in-depth study of the market from which it will determine its sales forecast, and subsequent profitability and sustainability of its business operations. Due to this, the company cannot set a clear objective for the business, then create a viable marketing strategy in order to make the business profitable and sustainable. There are also some items in the profit and loss statement that warrant much scrutiny such as drawings. The purchases may also be overestimated or underestimated because it is based on a forecast that is not backed by data to justify it. Although all in all, the profitability of The Funk cannot be truly assessed due to inadequacy of information, the weaknesses in the companys business model proves to have significant impact on the companys future sustainability of operations. These weaknesses can be relative disadvantages to the company which could undermine its profitability in the future. The personal grooming industry is one of the thriving industries for the current as medias influence in culture, as it puts heavy emphasis on personal appearance. The idea behind The Funk which is a trendy salon situated in the Park Street is a good one, to complement the other high-end establishments in the district. The idea also aims to cater to the younger consumers in the Park Street. The urban theme to reinforce the desired image of the brand, as well as being consistent with the other neighboring establishments is a good business idea. Using the PEST analysis, we try to look at the environment of The Funk as we try to identify the various forces that may directly and indirectly impact it. After we have identified the

Market and Company Analysis of Nestle

Market and Company Analysis of Nestle Nestlà ©, the worlds leading food company, produces nutritious food and is conscious of the importance of informing the consumer about the link between nutrition and health. A healthy diet contributes significantly to the overall quality of a good life. 2.2 Nestle Ghana LTD **Note: Please REPHRASE and COMBINE this section; its taken WORD BY WORD from the available source. Source 1: Marketing Information and Research Task 1and 3.pdf Source 2: Nestle Pure Life Drinkng Water.pdf Nestle Ghana limited is a private company operating in Ghana. Its activities include condensed and evaporated dairy products, beverages, coffee, tea, and chocolate and confectionary. The company employs four hundred and seventy two work forces. Nestle started business in Ghana in 1957 under the trading name of Nestle products Ghana limited with the importation of nestle products such as milk and chocolate. In 1968, it was incorporated as Food Specialties (Ghana) limited to manufacture and market locally well known Nestle brands. The company became nestle Ghana limited in 1987. In 1971 the production of two products, Ideal Milk and milo started at the factory in Tema, the port city. The factory has since been further developed and now also produces carnation milk, Chocomilo, Chocolim, Cerelac, Cerevita and Nescafe 3 in 1. These products are not only produced for Ghana but also exported across West Africa. In 2003, Nestle Ghana limited invested in a new warehouse named the Central Dist ribution Centre, located next to the factory in Tema. The company runs sales offices with warehouse in Kumasi, Takoradi, Koforidua and tamale, all in Ghana. The business activity of Nestle Ghana limited is a direct contribution to the economy of Ghana. For all these and other endeavours, nestle Ghana limited has been recognized by the Government of Ghana and other bodies as a responsible corporate citizen. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Nestlà © Ghana Limited started business in Ghana in 1957, with the importation of Nestlà © products such as milk and chocolates. The company built its factory at Tema in 1971 and started the production of IDEAL Milk and MILO. In 1987 Food Specialties Ghana Limited became Nestlà © Ghana Limited. Since then, the product portfolio has increased with the additional production of CARNATION, CARNATION TEA CREAMER, CHOCOLIM, CHOCOMILO, CERELAC (Maize, Wheat, Wheat Bean, 3 Fruits, Honey, Rice and Banana), NESCAFÄ’ Crem 3 in 1 and NESQUIK, which is produced for import. Other products like NESCAFÄ’ and MAGGI are imported from Cà ´te dIviore. Nestlà © Ghana Limited continues to thrive in business because great importance is placed on value creation for our stakeholders and customers. Ensuring long term profitable growth and sustainability has been achieved by building on the companys strengths and balancing the portfolio on three (3) sound pillars: milk, cocoa beverag e, and culinary. As a member of the Central and West Africa region (CWAR), Nestlà © Ghana aims to be an efficient and competitive inter-company supplier: using and contributing to CWAR synergies by becoming a sound manufacturing base for Ghanaian exports like cocoa beverage; aiming to increase Nestlà © Ghana exports from ten percent (10%) to thirty percent (30%) of annual turnover. To achieve this, Nestlà © Ghana is diligently improving processes through capacity usage and working capital optimization, such as the introduction of environmentally friendly equipment, and upgrading information systems, with the introduction of GLOBE (SAP). The advent of these changes enhances and enforces Nestlà © Ghanas determination develop Nestlà © employees. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= In 2003, Nestlà © Ghana Ltd invested in a new warehouse, the Central Distribution centre, located next to the factory in Tema. The company also runs sales offices with warehouses in Kumasi, Takoradi, Koforidua and Tamale. The business activity of Nestlà © Ghana Ltd is a direct contribution to the Ghanaian economy. For all these and other endeavours, Nestlà © Ghana Ltd has been recognized by Government and other bodies as a responsible citizen. Since its establishment, Nestle Ghana limited has significantly stimulated the Ghanaian economy with a dynamic, well trained dedicated work force, manufacturing and marketing well-known brands such as: Ideal Full Cream Evaporated Milk, Carnation Filled Milk, Carnation Tea Creamer, Milo, Chocolim, Chocomilo Cerevita porridge, Cerelac Maize Milk And Cereal Wheat / Milk. Nestle Ghana also imports and distributes brands such as: NIDO milk powder, lactogen infant formula, NAN infant formula, Nescafe soluble Coffee, and Maggi Bouillons and cold sauces. Nestle Ghana Ltd. is now seeking to capitalize on the goodwill enjoyed by it brand chocolim, by introducing chocoless, a brand extension, aimed at generating growth for the company. ANALYSIS Industry Analysis Industry of Cocoa in Ghana Cocoa beans were first introduced to Ghana in 1878 by Tettah Quarshie. Thereafter, the cultivation of cocoa increased steadily until Ghana became the worlds largest cocoa producer, supplying more than one-third of world production by the mid-1960s. By the early 1980s, production was less than half that of two decades before; market conditions were aggravated by a drop of nearly 75% in world cocoa prices between 1977 and 1982. In 1983/84, cocoa production totaled 158,000 tons, the lowest since independence; by 1999, production had rebounded to about 409,000 tons (second highest after Cà ´te dIvoire). The Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board purchases and (at least in theory) exports the entire cocoa crop, as well as coffee and shea nuts. Cocoa smuggling was made punishable by death in 1982. [http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Ghana-AGRICULTURE.html#ixzz1DlAhbER2] Since the introduction of democracy in Ghana in 1992, the cocoa beverage industry has shown considerable growth. Total number of players is estimated around five. Difficulties in discovering this number arise due to increasing of imported product by unauthorized company. The advent of a democratic government has led to a more business friendly environment and privatization policies have led to an increase in the size of the private sector in the country. Leading Businesses in the Industry Cocoa beverage industry in Ghana is highly fragmented, with the presence of multinationals, domestic and foreign companies. Except in categories where domestic players are protected by legislation, multinationals usually dominate. Notable players include Cadbury (Ghana), Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) and NABB Brothers. It is common for large international companies to form alliances with Ghanaian companies, to repackage and/or market their products in Ghana. This lowers the risk of market entry, as well as enabling the international company to benefit from the existing marketing and distribution capabilities of the Ghanaian company. Factors That Affect Growth Economically, Ghana was in the lower tier of developing countries and classified as a least developed country (LCD) by international development agencies because its per capita annual income was US$400 [textbook]. A positive outlook is forecast for consumer goods in Ghana. One of the main contributory factors will be the countrys political and economic stability. Higher disposable incomes and increasing company advertising are expected to boost value growth. The average Ghanaian will spend more on packaged food, especially on items previously regarded as luxuries. Value growth will also benefit from the increasing sophistication of Ghanaian consumers and improving product quality. Food items that are fast and convenient, such as pasta and noodles, will continue to post dynamic value growth. The sector faces many challenges caused by the environment in Ghana such as poor infrastructure, poor standards of education, and high levels of corruption and a generally low level of disposable income of the population. There is little manufacturing for export, but a significant activity exists in the manufacture of fast moving consumer goods aimed at the domestic market. In recent years, multinational corporations have increased their investment in physical plants, information technology and staff training with a view to improving their operational performance. The consumer goods sector is a major part of the manufacturing sector in Ghana. And like all other manufacturers, the consumer goods industry is characterized by low valued added production. What we see are processors who process imported raw materials into finished products, with very little value added. Multinational companies operating in this industry hardly add value because they import concentrates from their parent companies, which they convert into finished products with minimal value added. The industry is dominated by wholesalers and distributors. In fact, distributors and wholesalers account for over 50% of total sales within the industry. Their dominance is as a result of fragmentation nature at the retail end of the market. The retail end lacked adequate supermarket and glossary stores. They mainly comprise of roadside kiosks, stores, and small sized restaurants, whose sales volumes are generally low. Distribution to the retail market is hampered by huge investments required for delivery trucks general bad road network. Marketing Strategy -What types of marketing strategies are prevalent within the industry? -Determine current operational/management trend within the industry? Neslte Creating Shared Value (Source: Nestlà © Creating SharedValue Report 2009.pdf) care about the people water treatment Water treatment Because good water quality in the areas surrounding our plants has direct benefits for our business, society and the environment all our water is treated in wastewater treatment plants. Our preference is to use municipal wastewater plants to ensure we return only cleaned water back into the environment, but where these are insufficient, we invest in our own on-site facilities (approximately 292 to date, including our latest in Tema, Ghana). We remove 97% of the organic load of the water leaving our factories before it is returned to the environment. In 2009, we discharged 91.34 million m3 of water, a decrease of more than 5% on 2008, with an average level of organic load of 91 mg COD/l (Chemical Oxygen Demand per litre). During 2009, we have reviewed this KPI and have determined that figures for previous years were underreported. Competitor Analysis Nestle Ghana was facing a direct competition and indirect competition. Their direct competitors are Cadburry Schweppes Ghana Ltd, NABB Brothers, Cocoa Processing Company, Allied Cocoa Products Ltd and Kings Cocoa Processing Company Ltd (KCPCL). All those competitors are manufactured and marketed cocoa products. Cadburry and NABB Brothers are multinational companies which have wide experience in international marketing. The rest are local companies which plant cocoa and manufactured cocoa products for Ghanaian. Multinational companies which enter Ghana earlier than Nestle is Cadburry Schweppes Ghana Ltd entered Ghana on 1910 for its own benefit. It was 100% owned by Cadburry Schweppes (UK) with 120 employees. NABB brothers is imported cocoa products to Ghana, there are the leading distributor of supermarket products. The earliest local company which produced cocoas product is Cocoa Processing Company Limited established in 1965 and situated in the picturesque port city of Tema in Ghana. The company comprises three factories (2 Cocoa Factories and a Confectionery Factory). Kings Cocoa Processing Company Limited is a limited liability company incorporated in Ghana on November 30, 1981. The shares of the company are publicly traded on the Ghana Stock Exchange. Allied Cocoa Products Ltd was serving Ghana since 1998. Kings Cocoa Processing Company Limited is a private limited liability company which was incorporated in 2000 to take over the cocoa processing business of the parent company, Luki Investments Limited, which has been trading since 1992. Furthermore, Nestle Ghana was facing indirect competition as well. In Ghana, Milo and Chocolim were marketed for cocoa products by Nestle. They have to compete with other products which are not cocoa products because Ghana also planted tea, coffee and else and can be manufactured into variety products. Cocoa might be chosen by children and teenagers but not elders. Competition by Product Cocoa is the largest cash crops in Ghana since 19th century. However, the earliest local company serving cocoa products for citizen is Cocoa Processing Products in 1965. Cadburry Schweppes entered Ghana on 1910 while Nestle started in Ghana on 1957. This time frame show us that even though Ghana have plant cocoas for a long time but they only manage to produce it on 1965 because they are classified as a least developing country (LDC). Their products are chocolate drink and Golden Tree chocolate bars. The Cocoa beverage market is divided into three categories based on the product: The Premium Segment, Mass Market and Institutional Market. Nestle had a strong market in Premium and Mass Market segment. The Institutional Market is for products that contain basic unsweetened cocoa powder supplied to school, hospitals, the armed forces, and so on. Nestle pulverized cocoa drink consisted of  Milo and Chocolim. The major brand Nestle which manufactured Milo was the leader in the premium category, while state owned Cocoa Processing Company manufactured Golden Tree Vitaco was the strongest in the Institutional Company. As we can se here, all of the companies were marketed cocoas products. Bournvita and Richoco which manufactured by Cadburry Schweppes Ghana Ltd, imported Ovaltine which marketed by NABB Brothers, Golden Tree Vitaco Instant Drinking Chocolate which made by Cocoa Processing Company, Broma which made by Allied Cocoa Products Ltd and Kings Cocoa Processing Company Ltd (KCPCL). All those competitors are manufactured and marketed cocoa products. Competition by Price Ghana has a long history of government-controlled prices for consumer goods and people were quiet sensitive to price changes and were said to have long-term negative perceptions of companies that were perceived to engage in price gouging. These happened because Ghana was in the lower tier of developing countries and classified as a least developed country (LDC) by international development agencies because its per capita annual income was US$400. Nestle (Ghana) needs to develop products that are affordable to the common people because they are dealing with a developing country which has a   low per capita income of US$400. Nestle perceived better quality products were sold at premium of 5% to 10% over competitors. The products were becoming less affordable with waning real incomes. There was also increasing price pressure from imports that were flooding the market as a result of import liberalization. People in developing countries look for affordable products and do not pay attention to the eminence of the products thereby Nestle (Ghana) should not have its products above the average price of  similar products in the market. Thus, Nestle (Ghana) should make its products more affordable to the common people. The disadvantage for Nestle (Ghana) is the external economic environment was increasingly hostile and risky with the rapid increases in inflations; high interest rates and the high level of currency instability were leading them to increase the prices. Competition by Promotion Nestle also operated its own sales outlet and largely distributed through supermarkets and departments. Nestle had 100 regular distributors nationwide and the biggest distributor was Unilever s G.B. Ollivant subsidiary. Nestle used an amalgamation of media advertising and sales promotions targeted at the youth for Milo. The company sponsored highly popular youth soccer leagues, sponsored tennis tournaments and marathon race for all ages. Sales promotion technique of wet sampling (free drinks) was intended at promoting the sales. Media advertising promoted the themes of good health, growing up, and success as closely related and linked to drinking Milo. Nestle s strategy in Ghana was to ensure high awareness of its brands, widespread distribution and quality of its products which helped trounce its competitors in the cocoa beverage market. The statistics shows that only 35.8% of the population of Ghana lives in urban areas, the rest 64.2% of the population lives in rural areas where there are low levels of consumer durable ownership such as telephone, television, house, radio and low circulation of print media. Such setbacks in rural areas mean that mass promotion was viable primarily in the urban areas. The main drawback is that companies have to use large investment in promotion of product into the rural areas to exploit 64.2% of the population. As an alternative of spending 150 million cedis (about US$150,800) on sales promotions in urban areas on non media promotion of 60% and 40% covered media expenditure, Nestle can utilize the investment to aggressively promote the product in rural areas. It will help Nestle (Ghana) to venture into the majority of the population and take control of the market from both sides. Competition by Market share Nestle pulverized cocoa drink consisted of Milo and Chocolim. The two products were quite similar with sixty percent of the company s powdered sales from Milo and forty percent from Chocolim. Chocolim was aimed at rural areas and low-end urban market while Milo was the premier brand and was targeted to the high-end of the market. Nestle brands were sold at premiums of 5% to 10% over competitors because if its perceived better quality in the market. The Cocoa beverage market was divided into three segments: Premium Segment, Mass Market and Institutional Market. Nestle managers estimated their share of 80% in the cocoa beverage market; other observers believed Nestle share was closer to 55%. Major competitors for Nestle were Bournvita and Richoco, manufactured by Cadbury (Ghana) with an estimated 20% to 40% market share. Cadbury (Ghana) was 100% owned by Cadbury Schweppes (U.K) and had 120 employees. Another entrant, though on a much smaller scale, was state-owned Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) which made Golden Tree Vitaco Instant Drinking Chocolate. In the institutional market CPC was the strongest market. An additional category of competition came from imports, the most prominent of which was Ovaltine, marketed by NABB Brothers, a leading distributor of supermarket products. Milo was the leader in the premium category, while Golden Tree was the strongest in the Institutional Market. Richoco was believed to lead Chocolim by about 5% to 10% market share in the mass market. http://www.goldentreeghana.com/thecompany.html http://www.alibaba.com/member/lumor/aboutus.html http://www.scn.org/rdi/kw-coc.htm http://business.everythinghana.com/index.php?option=com_mtreetask=viewlinklink_id=48Itemid=26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bean-to-bar_chocolate_manufacturers http://alliedcocoa.com/index.asp Definition of Population growth rate: The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing, roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring countries. SWOT Analysis Strengths Global food producer, located in over 100 countries. Consistently one of the worlds largest producers of food products, Global sales in 2008 topped $101 billion. Nestlà © provides quality brands and products and line extensions that are well-known, top-selling brands. Successful due in part to their unquestionable ability to keep major brands consistently in the forefront of consumers minds (and in their shopping carts) by renovating existing product lines, keeping major brands from slipping into saturation/decline and having superior access to distribution channels. Weaknesses Growth in their organic food sales division was flat in 2008, even though the industry grew 8.9%. Nestle Ghana lack of rural market promotion Products are not affordable by common people Opportunities In todays health conscious societies, they can introduce more health-based products, and because they are a market leader, they would likely be more successful. Provide allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. They launched a new premium line of higher cocoa content chocolates dubbed Nestlà © Treasures Gold, in order to cash in on the recession economy in which consumers cut back on luxury goods, but regularly indulge in candy and chocolate. Opened Nestlà © Cafà ©s in major cities to feature Nestlà © products. Nestle strategy in Ghana was to ensure high awareness of its brands, widespread distribution and quality of its products which helps trounce its competitors in the cocoa beverage market with its theme of good health, growing up and success as closely related to its products. Expand to Institutional Market Nestle (Ghana) needs to develop products that are affordable to the common people because they are dealing with a developing country which has a low per capita income of US$400. Threats Any contamination of the food supply, especially e-coli. Raw chocolate ingredient prices are soaring; dairy costs alone rose 50% in 2008, this cuts heavily into their profit margins and often gets passed on to consumers, by shrinking the packaging in a way that is almost unnoticeable-therefore the consumer is paying the same prices for less product. They have major competitors, like Cadburry Schweppes Ghana Ltd, NABB Brothers, Cocoa Processing Company, Allied Cocoa Products Ltd and Kings Cocoa Processing Company Ltd (KCPCL) The external economic environment was increasingly hostile and risky with the rapid increases in inflations; high interest rates and the high level of currency instability were leading them to increase the prices. RECOMMENDATIONS We would suggest Nestlà © (Ghana) should make products affordable to the common people. By developing Nestlà © (Ghana) products that are affordable to the common they can reach majority of the population because they are dealing with a developing country which has a low per capita income of US$400. Nestlà ©s perceived better quality products can help it market in rural areas if the product is affordable. It will help Nestlà © (Ghana) also exploit 64.2% of the rural population and take control of market from both the sides. It will also help Nestlà © expand into new market segments like the Institutional Marketing. People in developing countries look for affordable products and dont pay attention to the eminence of the products thereby Nestlà © (Ghana) should not have its products above the average price of similar products in the market. Nestlà © (Ghana) can make maximum profits from a developing country like Ghana and exploit to every side of the population, urban and rural.

Ballot or the Bullet

People would come from all over the country to Harlem, New York in the year 1964 to listen to Malcolm Little, better known as Malcolm X, give his speeches about having more civil rights for the black community. He claimed that they should try to spend money inside of their community to help it prosper and prevent it from becoming a slum or a ghetto. He compared their situation many times to when America was first starting and how they had to fight for their freedom from Britain.Malcolm X talked about Patrick Henry and how he said, â€Å"Give me liberty or give me death† and was saying that they need to stand up for what they want. He said that there can not be a revolution with blood shed but America is in a position right now where they can be involved in a â€Å"Bloodless revolution. † One thing that he repeated throughout his speech was that it would be the â€Å"ballot or the bullet† (Malcolm X). This meant that they would either get what they asked for or th ey would have to fight for it.In Malcolm X’s speech he addressed different rhetorical strategies to convey his message to the people of Harlem. One way the speaker attempted to sway his audience to feel the way that he did was by telling the people that he was educated about how the white people felt when they were suppressed by Britain. The white people of the time were being taxed without representation. He learned who Patrick Henry was and how he would rise up and say â€Å"Liberty or death† which is the equivalent to what Malcolm X’s slogan was, ballot or the bullet.He said that, the statement â€Å"Liberty or death† brought freedom to the white people in this country and that if they could do it, so could he and his supporters. He also talked about how he knew the new generations of black people in this country didn’t care how far the odds were against them; they wanted to fight for their rights to be equals to the white people of America. The y would ignore the odds altogether until they had succeeded in what they have come to do.Later, Malcolm uses emotion to get his message across to his audience when he talks about how America right now could be the only place to have ever had a bloodless revolution by simply succumbing to what the black population wanted and give them their civil rights. He said that usually you aren’t in a position where you love your enemy but here is a time where they love America but just would like to be treated as equals along with the rest of the population.Malcolm also said that Uncle Sam was the one that created this problem in the first place and going to his court expecting him to fix the problem would do absolutely nothing because he is the criminal and he is the one that needs to be fixed. A little bit later he talks about how Afro-American churches are being bombed, little girls getting murdered, and leaders of the black population getting shot in broad daylight. He asks why this isn’t being brought to the UN when these sorts of things that happen in other countries go directly to the UN. Then Malcolm says that it is their turn to take their case to the UN.He says that there he will have the support of all different ethnicities, including the 800 million Chinese people out there. Malcolm also talks about how Uncle Sam is able to stand up and represent himself as the leader of the free world when he is violating the human rights of over 22 million Afro-Americans. Malcolm used different methods to try to get his feelings across to his audience but they all were directed towards the same purpose; to try to get the civil rights of the black population in America at the time. This worked to a degree, it got people all riled up to fight for their civil rights.He first talked about how when America was first starting they didn’t like it when their civil rights were suppressed and that the Afro-Americans feel the same way they want their rights. Then Malcolm talks about how this revolution doesn’t have to include any death as long as America listens to the black communities requests. He purposes that it is time to go to the UN and have them help sort this out with the help of other countries. He sums up his whole speech in four words and those words are â€Å"ballot or the bullet† they will get what they want or they will fight for it.