A World Leader Born in a Third World Country free essay sample

I was born in a paradise surrounded by poverty. Born and raised in Ecuador, It’s located in South America despite what people think, not Africa. It is an industrialized country. It is the country where Charles Darwin tested his theory of evolution in the enchanted Islas Galapagos; it is the country where the greatest active volcano is located. These might be details that have nothing to with my college admission, however it shows that although this is a small country it is hometown of greatness. Growing up I was always indecisive of what will be my chosen career. Time rushed and I was facing the future, a reality that trembled in to my head. Surprisingly I chose Politics, which in my country is a threatening path to follow for plenty historic events. I have always looked up for my family’s advices and experiences. When I was a child I was a spectator of all kinds of myths, stories, and anecdotes that are not focused on reality rather in enjoyment. We will write a custom essay sample on A World Leader Born in a Third World Country or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When my family talked about Politics everything changed in their expressions, their tone and even the language, they tried to avoid colloquialism in all aspects. Astonishing as it might sound I found this fascinating. My interest in Politics came naturally, suddenly I found myself in a position were I could actually deliberate and express my points of view. I was a junior in High School and had Political Science as a yearlong subject. I remember that my fist essay was about freedom of speech in Ecuador. Because, I had a particular interest among rules and regulations government implements on people, my friends made fun of me since this was not a subject commonly discussed among young adults. However I was a never afraid of being an outcast. Junior year went by and my classmates realized that I was really into Politics and suddenly they looked at me as a leader on discussions, debates or even conversations among us. Junior year ended but the dream to represent my country as a delegate or as a politician had just started. Senior year came by and MUN became my connection to Politics. I turned up to be a great delegate that is able to defend any country’s position in the United Nations. The fist MUN conference took place in another school and with no experience at all I defended a resolution submitted by another delegation defending the use of drones. During thirty-five minutes I was other delegates defended their position against my represented country with points of information going against this subject, surprisingly I answered with no fear all the points asked. I was awarded best delegate of the whole conference. This re affirmed something I had thought for a year: some people are obligated to follow a path although they do not have a talent but others are lucky and follow a path were they were born talented which is my path. A great leader is not someone who can say something and get people to do it or simply create controversy among those who follow him. A great leader is someone who seeks for a change that actually pursues for a better future collectively. A great leader does not consider himself to be superior to those that follow him but the leader is the one who takes the responsibility of a group to guide them towards a better cause. A great leader can come from any place of the world. A great leader is not easy to find. I consider myself that leader, I am a person who knows what a challenge is and knows what it feels to be born in a poor paradise and still deal with challenges. I am also someone who wants to change that statement of a poor paradise. Politics in my country have been unstable and a dark tunnel that seemed to have to no light. Rafael Correa our current president is trying to change reality but his biggest flaw is social resentment. This is why people can’t trust him completel y. Most kid’s dream in first world countries is to become president in contrast most kid’s nightmare in third world countries is to become president. I want to change this ideology in my country. My goal no matter where this future takes me is to create some scene of nationality among future generations. I might not have the possibility to change a generation but I know that people will little by little realize that times have changed for a better future. I do not attempt to cure world’s hunger because that is impossible. My intentions are to raise the flag of my country and make people feel proud of it. I know this is dreaming big but it is the only way to achieve greatness. As Nelson Mandela said â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world (Mandela 1993).† References Mandela, N. (1993). Nelson Mandelas Quote. Goodreads. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/16243-education-is-the-most-powerful-weapon-which-you-can-use

Measure Distances on a Map (How to Steps)

Measure Distances on a Map (How to Steps) Maps are useful for more than just directions. They can also help you determine the distance between two (or more) places. The scales on a map can be different types, from words and ratios to pictorial. Decoding the scale is the key to determining your distance. Heres a quick guide on how to measure distances on a map. All youll need is a ruler, some scratch paper, and a pencil.   Heres How Use a ruler to measure the distance between the two places. If the line is quite curved, use a string to determine the distance, and then measure the string.Find the scale for the map youre going to use. It might be a ruler bar scale or a written scale, in words or numbers.If the scale is a word statement (i.e. 1 centimeter equals 1 kilometer) then determine the distance by simply measuring with a ruler.  For example, if the scale says 1 inch 1 mile, then for every inch between the two points, the real distance is that number in miles. If your measurement is 3 5/8 inches, that would be 3.63 miles.If the scale is a representative fraction (and looks like 1/100,000), multiply the distance of the ruler by the denominator, which denotes distance in the ruler units. The units will be listed on the map, such as 1 inch or 1 centimeter. For example, if the map fraction is 1/100,000, the scale says centimeters, and your points are 6 centimeters apart, in real life theyll be 600,000 centime ters apart or 6 kilometers.   If the scale is a ratio (and looks like this 1:100,000), youll multiply the map units by the number following the colon. For example, if you see 1:63,360, that is 1 inch 1 mile on the ground.For a graphic scale, youll need to measure the graphic, for example, white and black bars, to determine how much ruler distance equates to distance in reality. You can either take your ruler measurement of the distance between your two points and place that on the scale to determine real distance, or you can use scratch paper and go from the scale to the map.To use paper, youll place the edge of the sheet next to the scale and make marks where it shows distances, thus transferring the scale to the paper. Then label the marks as to what they mean, in real distance. Finally, youll lay the paper on the map between your two points to determine the real-life distance between them.After youve found out your measurement and compared with the scale, youll convert your units of measurement into the most convenient units for you (i.e., convert 63,360 inches to 1 mile or 600,000 cm to  6 km, as above). Look Out Watch out for maps that have been reproduced and have had their scale changed. A graphic scale will change with the reduction or enlargement, but other scales become wrong. For example, if a map was shrunk down to 75 percent on a copier to make a handout and the scale says that 1 inch on the map is 1 mile, its no longer true; only the original map printed at 100 percent is accurate for that scale.

Be Your Own Ideal Reader

Be Your Own Ideal Reader Be Your Own Ideal Reader Be Your Own Ideal Reader By Michael Our article Your Ideal Reader prompted a response from veteran writer Kilburn Hall, who wrote: There is no â€Å"ideal† reader and if you start trying to write for one specific audience, you’re going to tune out others that might actually be interested in reading your book. How can Mr. Hall can say that? Because, like most successful writers, he is his own ideal reader! Instead of trying to please an imaginary member of a writers market (middle-class men aged 35-65), he is trying to please himself. And like every successful writer, he is single-minded about catering to this ideal reader, which happens to be himself. So his manuscripts satisfy editors, and his books satisfy readers. When you look at it that way, though, its not true that writing for one specific audience will tune out others. If you dont decide who youre writing for, even if its yourself, your writing becomes vague, even useless. A finance article for corporate accountants probably wont help college students cut their expenses. I would say this principle applies to novels as well. If you write an adventure novel because you really like adventure novels, the lovers of adventure novels will perk up, and other readers can at least tell theyre reading the real thing. Writing for specific readers, or a specific purpose, doesnt keep other people from reading your piece, just because you werent thinking about them when you wrote it. Yes, youll tune out some readers if your publisher prints on the cover, To Be Read By Middle Class Women Only, which is why your publisher doesnt do that. But your publisher is very interested in making sure middle class women know when a book is targeted for them. The pastels and flowers on the cover might tune out some middle class men. But if you dont know what youre writing about, youll tune everybody out. One group that Mr. Halls message is especially relevant for, however: aspiring writers who are willing to compromise their vision to make a sale. You have to write the book thats in you, not the book that youd like to think was in you. If you pretend to be writing for particular ideal readers just because they buy a lot of books, but your heart isnt in it, the quality of your writing will suffer, and you wont fool your readers either. But if you say, as Herman Melville did, I want to write a novel about a white whale, and I dont care if anybody else reads it, youll do all right. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Use a Dash for Number RangesStarting a Business Letter with Dear Mr.

Compare and contrast the total populations and total GDPs as well as Essay

Compare and contrast the total populations and total GDPs as well as the GDPs per capita - Essay Example Arabia has a total GDP of just $718.50bn (the highest in the OPEC Middle East Bloc), with GDP per capita of just $26.27, as compared to the highest GDP per capita of $100.51 in the Middle East Bloc (The World Fact Book, 2015). Interestingly, a good measure of wealth of a country is the GDP per capita, and that places Saudi Arabia at the third last slot in the list of OPEC Middle East Bloc, while a comparison with the GDP per capita of G7 nations leaves Saudi way below the country with the least GDP per capita in the G7 (Italy with a GDP per capita of $33.52). The G7 bloc has an average GDP per capita of $45.16 compared to a figure of just $14.11 portrayed by the OPEC Middle East Bloc. To much surprise, while the highest GDP amongst the two lots is that of the United States, Canada and US share a GDP per capita figure thanks to Canada’s low population as compared to its overall GDP. The highest population in the OPEC Middle East Bloc is found in Iran, at 80.84bn people, while the lowest is found if Qatar, at 2.12bn. Similarly, the highest population in the G7 as well as the OPEC Middle East Bloc is made up by USA (318.89bn), whereas the country with the lowest population in the G7 Bloc is Canada at 34.83bn people (The World Fact Book,

Are E-cigarettes Healthier Than Normal Cigarettes Research Paper

Are E-cigarettes Healthier Than Normal Cigarettes - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that there are several positive aspects of using E-cigarette. One of the positive aspects of E-cigarette is that it delivers lower level of toxins that that of conventional cigarette. Toxins may be lower but it still contains some which provide the taste of using normal cigarette. The smoking of normal tobacco contains huge number of chemicals. Some of the chemicals are still unknown. But still all of the contained chemicals are harmful and dangerous. E-cigarette contains less harmful chemicals such as vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine and other flavored chemicals. The ratio of chemicals provided in E-cigarette is much less than that of chemicals in normal cigarette. This paper makes a conclusion that E-cigarette is much healthier than that of normal cigarettes. Regardless of being healthier device, it also has some shortcomings which can cause severe harm to human beings. E-cigarette has lower quantity of toxins than that of conventional cigarettes. Normal cigarettes pollute the environment with harmful chemicals. But the use of E-cigarette reduces the amount of harmful chemical emission. This is due to the fact that it releases water vapor which contains fewer amounts of injurious chemicals. It is cheaper option and provides same experience as that of normal cigarettes. The usage of E-cigarette delivers huge threat to the children. It can be easily accessible with the help of internet and mall kiosks E-cigarette is as dangerous like normal cigarettes.

Analysis Of The Characteristics Of Online Fashion Shoppers Marketing Essay

Analysis Of The Characteristics Of Online Fashion Shoppers Marketing Essay Online fashion shopping is a segment of e-commerce that has both a large consumer marketbase and an ever-progressing curve of technology information development. The elements that go into market research for shopping online involve two main aspects: the consumer and technology, as discrete yet related elements. There has been much research conducted which explores both facets, and research which has attempted to view the impact of one area on the other. Consumer behavior in the online marketplace has typically been reported as influenced mainly by the factor of convenience. If it is convenient, then the consumer will favor online shopping. Technology has been most often cited to influence consumer shopping behavior if it is easy to use. Both the consumer and the technology element have undergone an evolution that is not yet finished in terms of defining market elements. As technology develops, so too that influence consumer behavior, which in turn influences technology, and so on. Va rious consumer models have evolved to explain online shopping behavior, and for the purposes of the following research thesis, both the utilitarian and hedonistic motivation models are referenced and applied. Additionally, various technology acceptance models have been posited as antecedents in defining consumer behavior for online shopping. A description of some commonly utilized models is provided in this thesis, though no one model is utilized here. However, elements of the technology acceptance models that are fairly ubiquitous across the models are utilized, those chiefly being the perceived ease of use (of technology) and the perceived benefit to the consumer of utilizing the technology (here, online fashion shopping). This research thesis looks at personal characteristics as they influence various behaviours and attitudes toward online fashion shopping. A survey questionnaire is used as the data gathering instrument. Responses are reported as frequencies and cross-tabulations . A discussion on the findings is offered in both the section on the analysis and in the conclusion of this thesis. CHAPTER 1: Introduction: Concepts, Issues, and Definitions Statement of Purpose The purpose of this research paper is to examine the attitudes and characteristics of people who use the internet to engage in online-shopping to determine if there are personal or demographic factors that influence online fashion shopping. Various technology acceptance models are examined and utilized to elucidate those factors of the consumer that drive their online fashion shopping behavior (Zhou, Dai, Zhang, 2007). The importance of this issue has its foundations in the growing prevalence in web-based consumerism. Research into online consumer shopping behavior tends to focus on either the technology aspect or the consumer aspect. These two approaches are but mirrors of each other, with data from each aspect used to tweak marketing and technology elements. While a great deal of online shopping research concerns the web interface and how it is perceived by users and how that influence their buying behavior, there is also a great deal of research on consumer behavior, including demographics. The relevance of this particular research project approaches the topic from the consumer end, through examining their actual personal attributes and characteristics, with influencing factors as found in the technology aspect. Consumers, in this case online fashion shoppers, have choices in their shopping preferences, which is of primary interest to retailers and marketers. The factors which influence their buying decisions from front-end identification of a need or desire to back-end fulfillment through market selection and procurement can be elucidated through examining the attributes and characteristics of these consumers (Cho Fiorito, 2008). This data may inform not only the identification of trends in consumerism, but also practical applications for web-based marketing applications. The first decade of the 21st century shows a domination of internet activity in many aspects of modernized cultures, where business to consumer marketing has proliferated (Dennis, Harris, Sandju, 2002). As knowledge increases regarding the factors that influence online fashion consumers, business can incorporate both the consumer characteristics and the technology aspects required to meet those consumer characteristic-driven choices (Kim Forsythe, Factors Affecting Adoption of Product Virtualization Technology for Online Consumer Electronics Shopping, 2009). The outcome is an optimal online fashion shopping environment that recognizes and adjusts to the influencing elements of its customer base. This research paper will explore those characteristics of the online fashion shopper, in order to better inform both business and technology requirements in this market segment. A comprehensive literature review on the topic is offered to illuminate the topic. A research strategy for examining the topic is given, with relevant design elements in the data-gathering instrument chosen for data acquisition. A conclusion is provided to highlight the main points of this research paper and to synthesize the topics. Research Question The research question for this thesis project is posed thusly: What are the attributes and characteristics of online fashion shoppers that influence their utilization of online shopping sites? 1.3 Objectives of Research The objectives of the research focus on the following areas: To examine the characteristic of online clothing customer. To explore the attitude of people toward online clothing purchasing.   To identify the factors for the use of online fashion shopping of computer-skilled people. To suggest areas of future research for online shopping that are informed by factors of technology acceptance models. The first two objectives of this research focus on consumer attributes. The third objective will be elucidated through exploring technology acceptance models. The final objective synthesizes the information gained from this research project. 1.4 Statement of General Topic Area: Online Fashion Shoppers, Defined Online shoppers are those consumers which have the following general characteristics which can inform the conceptualization of the particular consumer: They are computer-saavy (Dennis, Harris, Sandju, 2002). They have access to utilize a spending account that works with internal payment portals, such as a credit card, bank account, or paypal (Goldsmith Goldsmith, 2002). They seek expanded choice (Jayawardhena, Wright, Dennis, 2007). They seek convenience (Dixon Marsden, 2005). Psychologically, they seek immediate gratification (Zhou, Dai, Zhang, 2007). They shop for fashion items on the internet as a major shopping venue (Kim Kim, 2004). These generalities can be informed through further analysis in any one characteristic area. However, for conceptual purposes of this research paper, the online fashion shopper is a consumer of the modern age, encompassing the areas of technology in the internet age (Jayawardhena, Wright, Dennis, 2007). *BLANK PAGE BETWEEN CHAPTERS* CHAPTER 2: Literature Review 2.1 Fashion is a Gendered Practice Psychological antecedents exist in the research literature for online consumer behavior, yet fundamentally there is the issue of how fashion is perceived as a concept and how that conceptualisation affects cultural and societal perceptions. This is important to understand for its influences upon consumer behavior and the identification of consumer attributes. Fashion: An Overview In the modernized world of first world countries, asking the typical person on the street what is meant by fashion may likely get a response that has something to do with the way people dress. Others may see fashion as a trend in an of itself, as things pass in and out fashion. Yet commonly held ideas about fashion do indeed refer to the individual outward trappings that humans utilize to communicate their presence in the social sphere. These may be clothing, accessories like jewelry, or even items like tattoos or other types of body art. In essence, the making of a modern identity for the individual involves blending fashion with current social mores and attitudes (Entwhistle, 2000). Mears (2008) describes the concept of fashion in terms of how society chooses to communicate popular ideas of fashion through the use of fashion models on the catwalk. Here, posits Mears, the fashion model is constructed based on the floating norms of society, which are subject to the instability in gender ideations of society, and the whims of the cultural production markets. The instability between the rigid structures of the marketplace and an impossible idealized femininity are displayed in modern culture through the idea of the fashion model (Mears, 2008). Fashion, then, is not separate from the body. The body (self) and the items that dress the body are one; they are a reflection of the idea of gender in society (which is variable) and the product of cultural variances in the marketplace. Fashion, in essence, is the product of cultural ideas and practices about gender, place, social norms, and institutions. Concept of Gender Gender does not merely refer to the male/female dyad, in which stereotyped ways of acting are considered to be socially acceptable at any given point in social time. It is not only role ideals, though that is part of it the concept. Gender also encompasses issues of race, sexuality, geographic and spatial time and place, and social class as well (Healey, 2006). Gender also refers to sexual orientation, which may differ from ones biological reality. Buss (2010) reports that gender refers to mate selection, encompassing ideas of physical attractiveness, parental investment, reproductive capacity, and asymmetries between the maternal and paternal role. Those characteristics that were valued more by males had to do with reproductive capacity, while those characteristics valued by women dealt with resource acquisition. The cross cultural references can illuminate the ways in which the gender phenomena causes people to behave; the role of fashion, as one aspect of gender relations demonstrates the various cultural ways in which people may behave in order to choose suitable mates (Buss, 2010). Gender, as recognized as encompassing social ideas about male/female relationships and roles, as well as referring to the individual selection of mates based on male/female desirable characteristics, can inform the manner in which fashion, as a modern notion, is influenced by role stereotypes and evolutionary reproductive tendencies. Consider the role of the female model on the catwalk. Based on a construction of floating norms of society and marketplace vagaries, this idea of the female is highly sexualized, appealing to the male value of reproductive capacity in mate selection. The female idealization of the model is a communication not only to men, but also of women, stating that the ideal mate of the woman is one that can provide resources. It, the model of the catwalk fashion model, encompasses the evolutionary, social, and cultural communication desired by males, and recognized as such by females, through the manipulation of the fashion construct as a media tool of communication between the sexes (Entwhistle, 2000). Fashion, therefore, is essentially a gendered practice. Indeed, this is the practice of communication; the communication of ideas, values, desires, social ideas, and cultural norms is offered through the gender-infused evolutionary and anthropological elements of roles, mates, reproduction, and species survival (Buss, 2010). The example of the fashion model is one easy way to see the transfer of gender ideas. Male-valued ideas and female-valued conceptualizations are quickly viewed through sampling the fashion of a culture. Mate selection (sexuality, reproduction) as one aspect of the gender phenomenon, is provided through the media of fashion communication, which differs depending on time, place, and cultural influences. 2.2 Online Consumers Attributes Sorce, Perotti and Widrick (2005) studied age differences in online buying behavior. They studies 300 college students and staff from a United States university and looked for trends in attitudes based on age differences toward online shopping. Their results indicate that older and younger shoppers buy equally, though younger shoppers and especially first time online shoppers tend to be more varied in the products they buy, while older shoppers tend toward specificity in their buying behavior. Additionally, age differences in buying behavior can help retailers predict age-related product purchase variance, with older shoppers tending to purchase family-related items such as toys and sporting goods at a greater rate than younger shoppers, while younger shoppers tended to purchase items like music, technology, and health-related services as a greater rate than older shoppers. This age difference in product segmentation reflects a broader trend in generational internet use. Jones and Fo x (2009) report that the 18-32 year old age group are more tech-savvy digital natives engaging in a wide range of internet activities, while age groups above 32 years tend to use the internet for banking, shopping, and research (Jones Fox, 2009). Gender differences have also been researched as indicators of online shopping preferences (Kim Forsythe, Factors Affecting Adoption of Product Virtualization Technology for Online Consumer Electronics Shopping, 2009). The use of internet related activities has traditionally been apportioned to a male-dominated sphere (Jayawardhena, Wright, Dennis, 2007). Women perceive a higher level of risk in online shopping than men (Garbarino Strahilevitz, 2004). The trend from a male-dominated, pro-risk approach to internet use is changing, and women are fast closing the perceived gender gap in online utilization (Kim Forsythe, 2009). The male/female difference may be different depending on culture and sexual orientation. Weiser (2000) studied the factors that influence the use of the internet by women. A large survey sample of males and females was used to assess user preferences for internet use. Men preferred to use the internet for education and leisure, while women preferred to use it for communication and assistance with academics (Weiser, 2000). Wolf (2004) suggests that women tend to use emotion in their utilization of the internet, reflecting a stance that gender-based market psychology may inform retailers on how to construct their online portals. Rodgers and Harris (2003) report that three areas affect both men and womens use of e-commerce, those being emotion, trust, and convenience. Men report satisfaction with using the internet in these three area, while women report dissatisfaction in these same areas (Rodgers Harris, 2003). Income level is also positively correlated with online shopping utilization, regardless of gender or age differences (Zhou, Dai, Zhang, 2007). Forsythe and Shi (2003) posit that high internet users tend to have high incomes. They note that perceptions of risk in internet shopping tend to decrease as income level increases. Internet users tend to have more disposable income, which is a reflection on the fact that they use the internet at all. Bucy (2003) reports that internet use is lowest among single mothers, those in lower socioeconomic groups, and older low-income groups. Education has been reported to have an effect on online activity, though these reports have been mixed, ranging from no effect to increased effect of education on online activity (Zhou, Dai, Zhang, 2007). Oftentimes college users simply have greater access to internet resources than other groups, suggesting that simple access as a fundamental resource may impact the utilization of online e-commerce (Seock Norton, 2007). Mahmood, Bagchi, and Ford (2004), however, suggest that education is not an influencing factor in internet use, while the factors of trust and economic conditions are. Convenience is often cited in existing studies as a factor involved in online shopping (Demangeot Broderick, 2007). Park and Kim (2003) discuss the depersonalization of the shopping experience by the utilization of e-commerce. They note that users report a high utility in ease of gathering information and finding good quality through well-designed retail web interfaces, suggesting an overall satisfaction with the e-commerce as found in the factor of convenience. This view is disputed by Jayawardhena, Wright, and Dennis (2007), who find that convenience is not a principally motivating factor for online shopping; indeed, they report that the chief factors that influence online shopping are prior purchase and gender. Trust is another factor involved in online shopping behaviour and speaks to the attributes of the consumer. Women tend to be less trusting of internet shopping than men, and younger people tend to be more trusting of utilizing the internet than older people (Dennis, Harris, Sandju, 2002). Connolly and Bannister (2008) state that the consumers trust in online shopping relates to the perceived integrity of the retailer, and the perceived competence of the retailer. Integrity is based upon a social perception while competence is based upon a technological perception. Internet retailers who seek to engender trust in their customers must incorporate the e-commerce store front with the latest information technology combined with the latest consumer marketing research. How people choose to embrace technology is also an important consideration in internet marketing to online shoppers (Forsythe Shi, 2003). This element can be explained through the examination of various technology acceptance theories. 2.3 Technology Acceptance Theories Technology acceptance theories attempt to explain how and why people come to adopt and use new technology. While there are several models that exist to explain this phenomenon, this paper will report on four theories to place online fashion shoppers attributes within, to help illuminate the factors involved in explaining the utilization of online shopping. The factors of technology that influence online shoppers in how they utilize the internet will be analyzed through the survey instrument of this research project. Online Shopping Acceptance Model Zhou, Dai, and Zhang (2007) constructed an Online Shopping Acceptance Model, illustrating elements of the internet (technology) and attributes of the consumer, to show a flow process model incorporating the elements of motivation, innovation, perception, shopping orientation, normative beliefs, attitude, online experience, shopping intention, and satisfaction, resulting in the event of online shopping. This is an inclusive model, and draws together the salient marketing elements regarding online shopping. In the Zhou et al. (2007) study, the resulting construction of the OSAM offer future researchers a holistic way to approach the area of online shopping. Theory of Reasoned Action The theory of reasoned actions (TRA) was presented by Fishbein and Ajzen in 1980. The origins of the theory stem from the study of social psychology. This field attempts to explain why attitude may affect behavior. TRA seeks to explain and even forecast behaviour based on the beliefs, attitudes and intentions of people. An individuals behavior is a result of these three factors, according to the theory of reasoned actions model. According to Fishbein and Ajzen (1980), behaviour is driven by behavioural intention. A persons intentions stem from the attitude toward the behavior. Moreover, the behavior in addition to the subjective norms, are also affected. During ones lifetime, various beliefs can impact attitudes. Descriptive beliefs can be formed by personal experience, or gained by obtaining outside information. More generally, the more likable an object/concept is, the better the feeling regarding it, and the more unlikeable an object is, the more negative the feeling is regarding it. As a consequence, an individual makes an assessment about the outcomes of various behaviors. Indeed, the person will evaluate the desirability of these outcomes and associate either a positive or negative association with it. The TRA model. This model reports behavior as a consequence of intention to behave, which is prompted by the attitude toward the subjective norm. (adapted from Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). Technology Acceptance Model The theory of reasoned action  was modified  and adapted into a new model, called the technology acceptance model (TAM). Whereas the TRA model uses  behaviour  and subjective norm, the TAM uses measures of technology acceptance. These measures are how people perceive the ease of use of the technology, and how useful they  perceive  it to be. These two acceptance measures are meant to inform on the intention of people to actually use the new technology.   Ease of use refers to the amount of  effort  the  person  perceives must be spent in using the technology, and usefulness refers to the perception of the person that the technology will  benefit  them in some way (Vijayasarathy, 2004). The following diagram illustrates the TAM: http://www8.org/w8-papers/1b-multimedia/integrated/im_03.gifSource: Sodergard et al. (1999). Diffusion of Innovations Model Diffusion of Innovations theory is the process by which new ideas and technology spread throughout society. DOI tells us how fast and why new ideas spread in the manner in which they do (Rogers, 1962; 2003, pp. 5-7). The communication process through which a new idea or technology is accepted by consumers is the diffusion rubric.   The rate of diffusion is the speed by which that innovation spreads from one consumer to another.   Consumers, by definition, become so through learning about new products, trying them out, and either accepting them or not.   Previous methods of getting market knowledge to consumers was through utilizing the tools of mass marketing, which is essentially a catch-all process, and is both time-intensive and expensive.   Following mass marketing came the use of market strategies that identified and targeted heavy users of a product (Bass, 2004).   This has since evolved into consumer-specific, early adopter model of consumer behavior marketing. The D iffusion of Innovations theory tells us how this happens (Im, Mason, Houston, 2007, pp. 63-66). The following diagram provides a snapshot of DOI theory: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Diffusionofideas.PNG/330px-Diffusionofideas.PNG As the diagram shows, an innovation has adopter categories. These categories are based upon a consumers innovativeness, or likelihood to use the innovation, which can be plotted on an S-curve (Rogers E. , 1962; 2003). Early adopters have more innovativeness than laggards or late adopters. As more consumers adopt the technology (shown in blue), the market share (shown in yellow) will reach market saturation; diffusion of innovation in consumer behaviors thus tells us that once an innovation spreads to a certain point in the consumer base, the market becomes saturated (Rogers, 1962; 2003) (Wikipedia, 2010). Four Key Elements of Diffusion of Innovations Theory DOI theory harnesses the concepts of innovation, communication, time, and social system (the target arena), to explain how and at what rate new ideas move through society and from person to person (or more appropriately, consumer to consumer) (Rogers, 1962; 2003). One can imagine the spread of information about a new idea; one person learns of it, tells another person, that person tells another person, and so on until the innovation idea is spread throughout society. In marketing, this concept works on consumer behavior at a micro-level; someone tries out a new product, tells another person about it, that person tries it and tells another person about it, and so on. Often we here about these ideas, as found in common phrases such as word of mouth is the best advertising, or put your money where your mouth is, and one good turn deserves another; these types market-related processes where the consumer is the biggest advertiser is one example of product/idea diffusion as found in DOI th eory (Solomon, 2004, p. 174). To reiterate, the key elements of Diffusion of Innovations Theory are: Innovation: the change, the idea, the product that is being launched. Communication: the methods through which the information about the idea are being disseminated. Time: the process by which a person (consumer) makes a decision about the innovation, and the speed by which the innovation is adopted by others. Social System: the cohesive arena of people engaged in seeking a common goal. (Rogers, 1962; 2003, pp. 17-24). Decision Making in Diffusion of Innovation Theory A consumer (this report is focusing on consumer behavior) is exposed to an innovation, whether it be a new product or service, and must make a decision about it; will they use it, like it, reject it? The process of decision making in innovations follows a three step model: Optional Innovation Decision: the decision about the innovation is made by a consumer who is somehow different from other consumers in the same social system. Collective Innovation Decision: the decision about the innovation is made by all the consumers within the particular social system. Authority-Innovation Decision: the decision about the innovation is made by one consumer, a leader, an authority figure or figures who are in a position of power. (Rogers, 1962; 2003, p. 372). Some types of decisions are dependent upon decisions made about other innovations. For example, a housewife will not be able to trial a new cleaning product until her local store makes the decision to stock the product. That is called a contingent decision innovation (Persichitte, Tharpe, Caffarella, 1999). Adoption Process in Innovation Decision Making Within DOI theory, there is a decision making process as generally outlined above, as well as a finer decision making process consisting of five stages, known as the Adoption process. The following model details the Adoption process: http://www.fidis.net/typo3temp/tx_rlmpofficelib_8cb7cf257e.png (Royer, 2010). Knowledge: the consumer does not have enough information to make a decision, and may not yet be inspired to seek the information. Persuasion: the consumer is actively engaged in seeking information about an innovation. Decision: the consumer is weighing the pros and cons of the innovation, and may have trouble making a decision. Implementation: the consumer is trialing the innovation, and determining its usefulness. Confirmation: the consumer is finalizing their decision about the innovation. (Rogers, 1962; 2003, p. 83). This is a highly dynamic process, and while the consumer is moved through the stages, this process may rely as much on psychological inputs and variances as it does on hard empirical facts (Kleijnena, Leeb, Wetzels, 2009). Factors Affecting Adoption of Innovations The speed at which an innovation is accepted/adopted depends upon the category of the adopter. A consumer can be a respected person and thus with a vast social network to draw upon, the adopter(s) can be a group of consumers who will heavily use the innovation, or the adopter can be one of the early variety who is influenced by positive messages about the innovation. Through influencing the adoption process, consumer behavior can be directed toward moving the innovations acceptance toward a place on the DOI curve known as critical mass, where the innovations use and adoption are self-sustaining (Rogers E. , 2004). Innovations have inherent characteristics that act upon a consumers choice of adoption or rejection.   First the innovation has some type of relative advantage over its predecessors; second is that the innovation has the quality of compatibility to be utilized in the consumers life; the innovation must be sufficiently complex but not too complex for the consumer to use; the innovation must be able to be trialed with relative ease; and finally the innovation that has high visibility to others is more likely to be adopted by peer consumers (Tornatsky Klein, 1982, pp. 28-30).   Applicable to online fashion shopping, one can meet the conceptual requirements of innovations, in that online shopping is more convenient than visiting brick and mortar stores, online fashion shopping for those that prefer to do their fashion shopping over the internet is highly compatible with the consumers preferences, online shopping for the skilled computer user is very ease to use, and the prevalence a nd spread of e-commerce makes online fashion shopping an attractive venue for the savvy fashion shopping population who use computers. Consequences of Decisions When a consumer makes a decision, there will be some type of consequence or outcome (Burt, 1987). Three categories characterize the nature of these consequences: Desirable vs. Undesirable Direct vs. Indirect Anticipated vs. Unanticipated (Hubner, 1996) (Rogers E. , 1962; 2003). A consumers choice to use one product over another may have undesirable, indirect, and unanticipated consequences, such as the choice to buy fashion apparel online rather than at the locally based brick and mortar store. Where the brick and mortar store supports the local economy in which it exists, providing jobs and taxes, the internet based retailer may be not locally based, thus taking away monies from the local shops that may suffer economically. 2.4 Summary of the Literature The literature thus presented has focused on the concepts of fashion and gender, attributes of online consumers, and technology acceptance models. While e-commerce is a product of the internet age, the field of research regarding online fashion shopping behavior and attributes of online fashion shoppers clearly leaves room for discovery. At best, the antecedents in the research literature offer a way to forward in the research through exploring the new face of consumerism in the age of technology. The idea that is emerging in research into online shopping is that new models are coming to the forefront which offers a holistic picture of the factors that influence the final outcome of product/service purchase. On one hand there is the consumer, and on the other hand there is technology. In between the two facets are many influencing factors, which through the survey questionnaire designed for this research, some of those issues will be examined. CHAPTER 3: Research Strategy Conceptualization of the Issue The purpose of this chapter is to define the methodology used to evaluate issues associated with online fashion shoppers. Given the growing prevalence of e-commerce and the spread of available internet to populations across the world, the nature of the consumer as a field of study is of high relevance. The attributes and characteristics of the consumer may change with time, place, and influencing social climates. While various technology acceptance models exist to explain how people come to adopt/accept the use of technology, the particular factors within th

Black Cat Essay

Symbols abound in works of fiction and are used by authors to convey their message or produce a certain effect on the reader. In the horror genre, master story teller Edgar Allan Poe uses negative as well as ordinary symbols to evoke dread, revulsion, and fear that gradually and inevitably lead to a terrifying climax. Poe manipulates symbols to suit his purpose – to frighten and horrify – and he does it gradually and almost imperceptibly. In his The Black Cat and The Fall of the House of Usher – two classic tales of Gothic horror – Poe uses negative symbols out of the commonplace as a surrealist painter draws seemingly bizarre shapes out of ordinary things to create an eerie, haunting atmosphere which grips the reader inescapably as the story unfolds. Poe creates sharp contrasts doubtless to make the transition from light to sombre to horrible more appalling. He begins The Black Cat by a distraught rambling statement about something that has left him terrified, tortured and destroyed. Thus, the reader immediately is put on guard about something sinister to follow. But in the next paragraphs the pall dissolves for a moment as the narrator recalls the past where he was known for his â€Å"docility and humanity† of disposition. The foreboding air quickly returns as Poe proceeds to transform the cat’s master from a gentle animal-loving person to a homicidal maniac. The cat, although remarkably good-looking is depicted as an ordinary house pet, doted upon by its master. It does not cause any alarm other than the common superstition that black cats bring bad luck, or the ancient notion, voiced out by the wife, that they are actually witches in disguise. An object of pity as its once caring master, now slave to the bottle, stabs its eye, and finally hangs it to death, the cat morphs into a malevolent creature, at least in the imagination of the narrator. The black cat with the splotched breast that takes its place is lovable too at first until its master comes to hate it and wants to kill it too but murders his wife instead. In this tale, Poe uses the negative symbol of the black cat to suggest that indeed something supernatural has occurred. The white splotch on the cat that comes to live with them after the first is killed soon becomes recognizable by the narrator – or perhaps he imagines it – as an image of the gallows, a fate to which he was destined after his crime was discovered, commensurate with his deed of hanging the cat by the limb of a tree. It conditions the mind to accept the idea of an avenging demon. The first negative symbol used in The Fall of the House of Usher is that of the old mansion of the Ushers, which evokes foreboding as it sat in the midst of a dreary landscape. Observes the narrator: â€Å"I looked upon the scene before me – upon the mere vacant eye-like windows – upon a few rank sedges – and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to . . . the hideous dropping off of the veil. † By itself the image of the old mansion disturbs an otherwise peaceful mind, but Poe heightens the gloom by describing its weird image reflected on the adjoining black tarn as the narrator gazes â€Å"upon the remodelled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows. † Here Poe probably plays on the age-old superstition about mirrors being capable of trapping the human soul, or perhaps the ghastly description is only meant to heighten the aura of gloom pervading the mansion – â€Å"an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn – a pestilent and mystic vapour, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leaden-hued. † Poe gives an indication of impending doom awaiting the structure: â€Å"a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn. † As a breaking mirror is said to bring about bad luck, the reflecting water of the tarn swallowed the mansion in the end. It may be noted that the tarn as a negative symbol also appears in Poe’s Ulalume, where the poet wanders through the â€Å"dank tarn of Auber. † Usher’s dread of his ancient dwelling is depicted in his ballad of The Haunted Palace: a place of beauty and happiness until â€Å"evil things, in robes of sorrow† renders it forever desolate. One senses his awareness of the unseen – or of the forthcoming evil – in his description of the doomed palace, wherein are found Vast forms that move fantastically To a discordant melody; While, like a rapid ghastly river, Through the pale door, A hideous throng rush out forever And laugh- but smile no more. Apart from the mansion, Roderick Usher’s purported illness – â€Å"a morbid acuteness of the senses† – also serves as a negative symbol. If the cat’s master in The Black Cat is an alcoholic, the narrator in The Fall of the House of Usher is a hypochondriac, living in perpetual morbid fear. The former is terrified of the cat owing to the strange markings in its breast, the fear that it might be an incarnation of the animal he killed; the latter is prey to â€Å"an anomalous species of terror. † The former is afraid of retribution for what he had done to the cat; the latter is afraid of struggling with fear itself. I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results. I shudder at the thought of any, even the most trivial, incident, which may operate upon this intolerable agitation of soul. In have, indeed, no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect- in terror. In this unnerved-in this pitiable condition-I feel that the period will sooner or later arrive when I must abandon life and reason together, in some struggle with the grim phantasm, FEAR. If Roderick Usher’s mental illness is cause for depression, that of the Lady Madeleine’s wasting disease induces sorrow and pity for the afflicted woman. Poe makes brother and sister twins, perhaps to suggest according to the common belief that twins are bound to share the same feelings, experience the same pain and suffering. Being a twin and possessing acute senses, Roderick might have known his sister was only comatose when she was laid on the mansion vault – must have sensed her struggling, clawing her way out of her tomb. One feels deep revulsion for Roderick Usher, who, knowing his twin sister had been buried alive just kept it to himself. As in Usher, a cadaver is deposited without the benefit of a public burial in The Black Cat. Whereas a cataleptic is entombed alive in the former, a cadaver with an animal not yet dead is walled up in the cellar in the latter. The Black Cat is somewhat reminiscent of The Tell-Tale Heart where the murderer hides the body if his victim under the wooden planks of his apartment, but is found out by the police as they were about to depart, convinced of his innocence. In that story, acuteness of senses – the ability to hear the hideous beating of the old man’s heart – similar to Roderick Usher’s hearing the struggles of Lady Madeleine in her coffin – gave away the murderer. Having painted a dark scene, Poe proceeds to sustain the sense of impending doom. As readers we know something sinister and evil is about to befall the house but just as we brace ourselves for the onrush of terror, the master of horror places us at ease, enabling us to lower our guards. Thus, we become most vulnerable when the terrible thing is unleashed when we least expect it. The sudden announcement of a terrible thing, like the emergence of a killer from the dark when its victim thought she was safe, has a forceful impact on the reader. Poe’s masterful use of this technique employs the manipulation of symbols, in this case the breaking of the planks of a wooden door, the mortal cry of a beast, and the clanging of a metal shield – all to induce terror. Feeling troubled and unable to sleep during a stormy night, the narrator reads an antique volume to Roderick Usher. It is titled Mad Trist where Sir Ethelred, the hero of the tale, breaks down a hermit’s wooden door, slays a dragon, and causes a brazen shield to fall clanging at his feet. Waylaid and distracted, the reader is frightened by what Roderick Usher reveals: â€Å"Not hear it? –yes, I hear it, and have heard it. Long-long-long-many minutes, many hours, many days have I heard it-yet I dared not-oh, pity me, miserable wretch that I am! – I dared not- I dared not speak! We have put her living in the tomb! It turns out that the breaking of the hermit’s door, the death-cry of the dragon, and the clanging of the brazen shield corresponded to the breaking of her coffin and her struggle to let herself out through the coppered archway of the family vault. Through his acute senses Roderick knows she has managed to come out: â€Å"Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door! † Alcohol in The Black Cat is used to explain the demented state of the narrator’s mind. Did the alcohol unleash the man’s capacity for evil, or is man innately wicked, capable of the vilest deeds, alcohol or no alcohol? Not a moralist, Poe delves into the darkness of the human heart, but does not inquire into such matters. The narrator in The Black Cat may have come upon the theory it was the black cat that brought about his downfall in the same way people justify their most unspeakable crimes by heaping the blame on others, pointing to someone or something else that impelled them to their deed. Poe uses symbols to create a fearful atmosphere, utilizing people’s tendency to attribute occurrences to the supernatural. Faced by the unknown, people are easily conditioned to accept what may be illogical to them in their rational moments. As the narrator in Usher puts it: â€Å"†¦ while beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the power of thus affecting us, still the analysis of this power lies among considerations beyond our depth. † WORKS CITED Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Black Cat†. 31 October 2008. —â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†. 31 October 2008.