Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Water needs in Urban Countries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Water needs in Urban Countries - Assignment Example eptionally low precipitation rates annually and exceptionally high evapo-transpiration rate combined with overexploitation by the vast and ever increasing populations Johns (2008). Most of its water  resource  is in  underground  sinks and  little  surface water resources. Furthermore, a huge amount of these underground water resources  are contaminated  by minerals and oil fuels which are  plentiful  within the region, thus rendering the water not fit for consumption. This puts water resources as  particularly  crucial resources in the region, and  over time,  various organs and  individuals have been implementing conservation measures. These measures range from sustainable exploitation to the  search  of alternative water sources and waste water management. With the increasing rates of climate change,  population’s growth rates and conflict struggles for other resources the conservation measures have had little  impact  on the water shortages situation. This calls for an in-depth investigative  study  on the various issues surrounding water availability within the region. This includes the conduct of research within the region, capacity building initiatives among the populations, and the  employment  of  proper  results and recommendations implementation strategies. The people within the region must  get  to  understand  the importance of this commodity and the  employment  of various conservation strategies.  The social structure influencing rapid population growth also requires to be moderated such as by the introduction of birth control and the development of international understanding and regulations pertaining to shared water resources within the region.  The various nations within the reg ion and their people need to  agree  on a water management plan and regulations to  attain  sustainable development. Water needs within the region can only be met through a regional integrated water conservation and management  effort. Water shortages are evident in

Monday, October 28, 2019

Epicurean Ethics Essay Example for Free

Epicurean Ethics Essay Upon understanding the brief and general philosophy of how to live a good life from an Epicurean’s viewpoint, I too thought that his philosophy centered around the self, how to achieve pleasure for the self, how to avoid pain to protect the self, all of which did seem very egoistic. However, throughout reading some of his theories and ideas, analyzing them, as well as reading other philosophers’ interpretations, I was able to see how this can be misunderstood if not given careful thought. This common misconception of his philosophy was widely misunderstood because although his philosophy centered around gaining pleasure for the self and avoiding pain, it also focused on not acting upon greed when on the search of pleasure, and only satisfying needs that are natural and absolutely necessary for the survival of an individual, rather than on the kind of pleasure that is achieved by eating luxurious foods, drinking fancy wines, having a high social status and indulging in materialistic things. Aside from having pleasure as the primary goal in life, Epicurus focused a good deal on how to avoid pain as well. In fact, Epicurus defines and measures pleasure not by how much happiness it may bring to the soul and body, but by the absence of pain which is the only way to achieve pleasure. He categorizes pleasure into three different parts which will be discussed later in this paper, as well as how one can have a peaceful and tranquil mind. To achieve the state of mind that Epicurus believes will bring pleasure to an individual’s life, one must eliminate all fears and anxieties over the unknown such as the power of God and how much of one’s life is dependent on the higher being. To ease these frightening thoughts and anxieties, Epicurus believed it was necessary to explain all of the unknown factors of the supernatural such as the fact that Gods have no interest in human affairs and live in their own society. He also thought that much of the stress and anxiety came from not knowing what happens to the body and the soul after death. Being a naturalist, he thought it was best to explain his theory in scientific terms that are more clear and concise rather than something that was mythical and could have been made up. Although he used the atomist theory to inspire his own, he made significant changes to it explaining exactly what does happen to the soul and the body and how there should be nothing to fear and be anxious over. Epicurus was a naturalist and adapted the concept of the atomist theory to his own beliefs. As briefly stated before, he believed that fear and anxiety comes from not knowing the unknown, such as supernatural occurrences, the concept of God, and life after death. Therefore, by explaining how the divine and all powerful works and advising one not to fear the Gods, as well as using the atomist theory to come up with his own theory so that one knows exactly what will happen to the body and soul after death, he believes that there would be much less anxiety and fear in the mind of an Epicurean. According to the atomist theory, the universe is composed of only two things which are infinite shapes and sizes of atoms, and an infinite void. The atoms of which our universe is composed of are infinite in number, unchangeable, and are unable to be cut or divided. It also states that our senses originate from atoms being cut off by objects Epicurus however, believed that our senses originate from our judgments and perceptions of these atoms rather than atoms being cut off by objects. Although Epicurus adapted this theory, he also made significant changes to it in support of his teachings on living a life of a tranquil mind. He emphasized it’s importance to prove that people shouldn’t have fear of life after death because if death means the loss of all consciousness in the mind and the dissolution of the body into atoms, then we have nothing to fear. Our perceptions, judgments and experiences of the world are no longer in our consciousness, because death is the lack of all these things, therefore once death comes there would be nothing to fear or feel such as pain because our consciousness which gives life to all these things would be completely gone. Epicurus encourages his students to live a life free from the stress and anxiety of the unknown life after death, giving them a tranquil and peaceful state of mind. This in turn contributes to his theory that to live a complete and happy life of pleasures, one must be free of all worries and anxieties, as well as avoiding bodily pain. Epicurus also believed that the source of trouble in our consciousness and what causes stress and anxiety in the mind is the fear of the divine and all powerful God. Although Epicurus is not an Atheist and was like most others during his time a polytheistic believing in many Gods, his views on religion and the all powerful God varied greatly from the rest. Epicurus never denied the existence of Gods but held a belief that Gods and human beings had no relation to one another. He believed that Gods were not concerned with human affairs and rejected the widely held belief that Gods gave us reason to live in peace and harmony so that we can be happy and live a good life. He also rejected the idea that Gods held complete control of the path of our lives and worried over us and our conflicts greatly and instead, believed that Gods had their own separate lives and affairs and were always in the highest state of happiness. According to Panichas’ essay in Epicurus on â€Å"Theology†, it is believed that Epicurus never fully justified why he believes that Gods are always happy but says that his belief in Gods came from the idea that we are all born with an innate knowledge of Gods existence. This means that newborn children don’t need to be given the knowledge of the existence of divine power, but are already born with that idea implanted in them. His supporting argument for the existence of Gods is that since everyone is born with the innate idea of their existence, and everyone already has an established opinion of the Gods, then they must exist. Epicurus’ argument against the popular belief of Gods having extreme concern of human affairs and conflicts was that Gods didn’t care for human affairs because they were extremely happy living their own separate lives. Therefore, if Gods were concerned with human conflicts and troubles then they wouldn’t be happy but rather stressed, worried and anxious, which would then make them unhappy. Epicurus’ goal in presenting his arguments using physics and atomism, against religion and its superstitious beliefs, was a way of assuring his students that they shouldn’t disturb the mind because of worries and anxieties over the belief that happiness, misery, and life after death are completely dependent upon the Gods because this in turn comes in conflict with the primary goal of life on earth which is happiness. Instead, he emphasized the importance of attaining courage through meditation on the purpose of life so that human beings can master the fear of death and the gods. A life of happiness and pleasure in Epicurean terms is defined as having a calm and peaceful mind, free of anxieties and worries, as well as a body free of pain. By teaching his students the idea of atomism which frees people from the stress and anxieties of life after death, and the belief that the Gods are not in complete control of our lives and are merely part of their own separate society, Epicurus is able to liberate their anxious and unhappy minds and allows them to live a conscious free life from disturbances and stresses of the unknown world. Epicurus most likely felt the need to fully explain the aspects of supernatural causes which society at the time thought to be controlled by God, as well as other natural phenomena such as how things came about on earth, so that people had a clear understanding of things they had not known before, and in turn no longer fearing them. Popular belief of mass society during the Hellenistic period was that any supernatural occurrences of the world such as the creation of the universe, the existence of human beings, or the world having just enough resources for human beings to be able to survive were all of Gods creations. However, Lucretius who was an Epicurean student stated that the world could not have been created by the Gods because it is imperfect and such perfect beings could not have created something so imperfect as the universe. He proves this idea in support of his argument, by stating that the world in itself which is full of imperfections, giving an example of the large amount of land that is completely useless to mankind but is inhabited by wild animals, or death that stalks every minute of our lives, could have been the creations of the divine and all powerful because if they were, then that would mean that Gods themselves are the sources of all pain and evil. Lucretius also states that an Epicurean must accept the fact that the natural world is mortal, which means it can that it can be diseased with corruption, war, and greed and follows a cycle of creation and destruction within itself. He elaborates on this statement saying the world must be thought of as a mortal body with a beginning, and an end. As stated before, Epicureanism holds the belief that like everything else, Gods are composed of atoms, but atoms that are different than those of human beings. These atoms in On the Nature of the Universe are described as very flimsy atoms that are ethereal, and can be barely perceived by the mind, therefore they cannot be touched. It also says that they exist somewhere among their own nature, which means that they do not exist anywhere near the society of human beings. In explaining this theory to his followers, he did so to prove that there is no reason to live in fear of Gods because they live in a society that is completely separate and different from ours, and as stated before, they are engaged in their own affairs and have no concern for the welfare of human beings. He stressed the importance of this because Epicurus believed that all fear arises from the unknown. The unknown as being what happens to the soul, body, and life after death, and the fear and anxiety over Gods’ declaration punishments or rewards towards human beings. By explaining all the unanswered questions of life, rejecting the idea of Gods being in complete control in the affair of our lives, in simple and naturalistic terms that can be proven through metaphysics, rather than relying on retold myths that cannot be proven, seen, or sensed, he is able to direct their minds towards a positive light in which they can achieve a state of mind that is at peace, allowing them to live their lives in pleasure and happiness. Epicurus’ view on the soul and what happens to it after death greatly varied from the Platonic and Homeric view of the soul. Unlike Plato who believed that the soul became part of a heavenly pilgrimage, and the Homeric view that the soul descends into the darkness of the kingdom of the dead, Epicurus believed that the Soul merely dissolves upon death, which is without sensation. This means that since something that dissolves upon death is free of sensing and feeling, then there is no pain, and therefore there is nothing to fear. Although Epicurus agreed with both the Platonic and Homeric view that an individual is composed of the body and the soul, and that upon death, the soul leaves the body, he disagreed on their views of what happens to the soul after death. Epicurus believes that the soul is corporeal, which means that what happens to the body and the soul is a physical occurrence, and once the body starts dissolving, the soul along with the body begins undergoing a physical transformation in which it also dissolves, the process therefore being void of the sensation or perception of what is happening. The soul according to Epicurus was mainly made of breath, heat, and air which he considered to be made of a material substance. These three elements were used by Epicureans to explain the differences in characters and moods of feeling in both humans as well as animals. Aetios sums up the functions of these elements saying that the element of breath gives the soul the power to move, the air gives it tranquility and calmness, and the heat produces the perception of warmth from the body. Epicurus also believed that the soul was made of an unknown element as well, that is much more advanced in structure and its function in the soul which allows it to feel in harmony with the rest of the elements as well as the body. Lucretius further elaborated on this hidden fourth element by stating that it is a crucial part of the soul because it provides the soul with sensation. Although the soul is the major cause of sensation, it cannot sense without the body. This then means that the soul cannot sense without the body, and the body cannot sense without the soul. Lucretius states that the soul and the body must be united for a human being to have full access to sensation, therefore one cannot survive without the other . This theory is used in support of their argument of what happens to the soul after it is released from the body, which is that since the soul which brings sensation, reason, and perception of the outside world to the body, is released from the body, the body can no longer feel or come up with reason or judgment of what is occurring. The soul however, has a more significant role in the making of an individual than the body does because if a part of the body is lost, such as a leg or an arm, the soul is able to remain in the body and still give an individual sensation, whereas the part that was lost such as a leg or an arm although still exists, it can no longer have the soul be a part of it or retain any sensation. In general, the body can be viewed as the home and protection of the soul, and if the body is destroyed, then it can no longer protect nor shelter the soul, and as a result, the soul scatters into tiny separate creative energies. All of Epicurus’ teachings and doctrines can be traced back to, and are in relation to attaining pleasure which is the main goal in life. Epicurus defines pleasure as not having certain sensations of happiness, but rather as the absence of bodily pain and mental disturbance. He also believed that pleasure and pain are the main driving forces of a human being, saying that desire is driven by pleasure, and avoidance is driven by pain. Although many view Epicureanism as a form of egoism in which all actions are taken for the benefit of the self, and although this is true, Epicurus’ theory on attaining pleasure and happiness can be seen as something that is able to balance out, and in turn, become a life of virtue. A balanced life of happiness and virtue according to Epicurus can be attained by being prudent and having a sense of discernment when it comes to pleasure. Therefore, someone who is able to do this by acting carefully when it came to the desires and the indulgences in life, and being virtuous to this belief isn’t necessarily set and done on his/her quest for pleasure, but on the right path to attain it. Epicurus believes that without the ability to sense things such as the sight of beauty, the taste of food, the sound of music, or the feel of an object, true pleasures and happiness cannot be achieved. Therefore, the act of sensation is of extreme importance to an Epicurean because without sensation, the good life is unattainable. Epicurus also states that there is nothing more truthful than sensation. This means that the act of sensing doesn’t need to be proven because we sense things exactly for what they are. Sensations are also not voluntary and are received through direct contact with an object or thing through the five sense organs which are sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell. These five senses, in turn are then perceived in the mind and can be enlarged or diminished in the mind. He then considers arguments against his theory that say that just because we sense things and then perceive them in the mind that does not always make them true. A classic example he gives is an octagonal tower seen from a far distance is in actuality cylindrical, or a tall building from a far distance may look small through the sense of sight, but in reality the building only appears to be small because it is seen from a far distance. To support his argument, Epicurus states that it is then up to the individual to use reason, logic, and our past experiences to determine whether this observation is true or not. Sensation therefore, is the basic foundation of knowledge according to Epicurus. Although sensation is of extreme importance in Epicurean philosophy, the concept of sensation still goes back to the main idea of Epicurus’ teachings which is pleasure and happiness. According to Epicurus, pleasure is the goal of all things. However, to argue against those who say his teachings are egoistic, Epicurus emphasized on the right kind of pleasure. For example, in Epicurus’ â€Å"Letter to Menoceus† he explains that indulging in the pleasures and luxuries of life is not what makes a good life, but the choices we make when in search of pleasure and avoidance of physical or mental pain: â€Å"For it is not continuous drinkings and revellings, nor the satisfaction of lusts, nor the enjoyment of fish, and other luxuries of the wealthy table, which produce a pleasant life, but sober reason, searching, out the motives for all choice and avoidance, and banishing mere opinions, to which are due the greatest disturbances of the spirit. This quote explains that Epicurus is not concerned with the quality of material things such as fine foods and other luxuries, but rather whether these things are enough to eliminate pain so that we can have pleasure. Epicurus believes that the more we can limit our pleasures and desires, especially the ones that are most necessary and natural such as food and water to survive and avoid bodi ly pain, the more we are likely to attain a happy and pleasurable life. To further understand the concept of limiting pleasures and desires, Epicurus states that when one removes all physical and mental pain, for example eating to avoid hunger, or overcoming fear and anxiety to be free of mental pain, is when pleasure can be achieved. However, it is up to the individual to not become engaged in fulfilling â€Å"natural but unnecessary† pleasures, such as eating more than needed, or having luxurious food instead of normal food. Epicurus believes that this is where we must use our judgment and good reason to pick and choose what will best fulfill our needs without being overly self-indulgent. He divides pleasures and desires into three separate categories. The first one is natural and necessary which as stated before, are daily survival necessities like food and water. The second form of pleasure is natural but unnecessary which is a pleasure that is natural such as food, but not necessary such as having extravagant food rather than regular food that would eliminate hunger. Lastly, the third type of pleasure is neither natural nor necessary which refers to fame, having a high status among peers in society, or the desire to be accepted by others. The ability of fully understanding these categories and practicing them religiously on a daily basis will direct one to a life that is free of bodily pain and mental disturbance. Epicurus defines the good life not by the presence of pleasure but by the absence of mental and physical pain. Once the main goal of avoiding pain and fear are achieved, the individual won’t be on the search for something that is missing because all pain is gone, thus, the desire to eliminate it is gone as well leaving the mind and body free of pain and anxiety. Epicurus’ definition of the wise man is one who is free from most troubles. Although peace of the mind is of extreme importance in Epicureanism, one cannot achieve it without being self-sufficient. A wise man, in Epicurean standards is one who does not depend on others. Therefore high held positions such as having political power, or even something as common as marrying and having a family creates too much stress because your life becomes strained with anxiety over the actions of others which are completely out of your control. Epicurus believes that the outside world creates too much pressure that can lead to anxiety because most of the things dealing with the outside world are outside of your control. A life of simplicity and freedom from anxiety and pain are a way of life for a wise man. When one gains complete control over these things, as well as overcoming the fears of the outside world, then one can live a happy and pleasurable life because there is no desire for things which one cannot find him/herself. A free life according to Epicurus also means not having too many possessions because owning too many materialistic things results in robberies which only lead to more consequences and trouble all of which can be avoided. However, what a wise man should do when he is in the possession of many things is donating it and distributing them to those that are less fortunate and those in need. Epicurus says that gaining gratitude from your neighbors is more important than indulging in unnecessary things. This thus proves that an Epicurean life isn’t egoistic as most critics seem to think but rather a way of life in which an individual can live freely without worry. Although the main idea of Epicurus’ philosophy is pleasure as the main goal, the word pleasure has a different meaning than the one we are used to. The word â€Å"pleasure† in epicurean terms means the absence of pain which is why a good amount of Epicurean philosophy discusses ways in which one can avoid pain and eliminate worries, anxieties and fears. Pleasure according to Epicurus has nothing to do with being in the possession of luxurious items because that is not what brings pleasure to the individual but rather a peaceful mental state or being: It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and rich table and be full of trouble . † Although Epicurus does not believe in a wise man having a family and advises that one should avoid conforming to society and the pressures of the outside world, he emphasizes the value of a strong friendship and believes it to be the second most important thing in a noble man after wisdom . Even more surprising than this is the fact that Epicurus welcomed women into his school and considered them as potential friends despite the time period and social standards of Ancient Greece at the time. Epicurus welcomed all kinds of people into his school and didn’t look at gender, wealth, age, or social class to determine a person’s worth of attending. Aside from not picking student and friends based on external factors, Epicurus believed that all friendships arise from self-interest: â€Å"Every friendship in itself is to be desired; but the first cause of friendship was a man’s needs . However, friendships can’t always be seen as a relationship between two people that’s driven solely on one’s own self-interests and benefits, they should be much more and beyond that. Throughout time, Epicurus believes that a friendship that once started only as an act of self-satisfaction to benefit the self can become much more intimate and grow beyond the desire to be friends just to gain needs driven by sole self-interest. He also advised that friendships shouldn’t be pushed to their extremes when on the pursuit of benefits and should not be pushed to the extreme if it’s completely void of all benefits because then, the individual would have no desire to keep the friendship alive at all. Once two friends can overcome that stage of self-interest and gain intimacy then all expectations of each other and what is needed for the benefit of the self is gone. The mere fact of just knowing and having a friend and his/her company should bring enough pleasure to the individual to not care about other things that would only benefit the self. Epicurus did not believe that sexual love was of any benefit to an individual and although it can be associated with bringing pleasure, it causes much more disturbances in the mind that far outweigh the pleasures it may bring: â€Å"No pleasure is a bad thing in itself, but the means which produce some pleasures bring with them disturbances many times greater than the pleasures. Epicurus believes that fulfilling sexual desires are unnecessary for the survival of an individual and can be dealt without, considering how much mental disturbance it may bring afterwards. Epicurus categorizes this pleasure as the â€Å"natural and unnecessary† which means that although the desire for attaining sexual pleasure may be completely natural for the individual, it isn’t necessary for survival, therefore it is not an absolute necessity. This thus makes the act of fulfilling sexual pleasure to be vain and selfish, as well as bringing disturbance to the mind. The reason Epicurus advises the wise man not to engage in sexual encounters is because the pleasure that comes from sex can be too intense for the individual to handle. When something so intense yet so pleasurable becomes a much needed desire, it is sure to bring disturbance to the mind. Another way sexual desire can be seen as creating disturbances in the mind is considering how before sexual pleasures can be fulfilled, one must pursue the person of the opposite sex and develop an intimate level of friendship or relationship. With that relationship comes fear and anxiety over losing your partner and concerns of what the future might bring. After a relationship has been developed, child bearing is the next step which creates even more disturbances to the mind, because with children come more external and outside powers that are out of your control which result in fears, frustrations, hopes anxieties and pain all of which can be avoided if one does not become involved in an intimate sexual relationship. How does one avoid mental disturbances to achieve peace in the mind? Epicurus believes that pleasure can still be attained without fulfilling sexual desires by simply forming strong friendships and developing a level of intimacy that would allow the friendship to survive solely on that level of intimacy and not self-interested benefits and needs. Once a deep enough level of intimacy has been developed, things such as trust, loyalty, and pleasure will surely ensue afterwards. Whereas a relationship driven by sexual pleasures will result in jealousy, hate, possessiveness, anger, and bittersweet memories that could last a lifetime. Therefore, to avoid having to go through these struggles in life and living a life of simplicity and freedom, Epicurus advises one to seek friendships that doesn’t require too much of one’s time, energy, and physical or mental strength. Living the life of an Epicurean means living a life of simplicity, avoiding anything that is too dangerous for one’s well being even if it is the norm in society such as getting married, and being on a life long pursuit for pleasure. As stated before, from a quick glance at Epicurus’ philosophy, one can conclude that his teachings were all self centered, however, upon further reading into his doctrines, as well as how other philosophers were able to interpret and justify some of his teachings, his true meaning of a virtuous and good life can be more clearly understood. His philosophies on how to be a wise man and achieve the good life prove how non egoistic Epicureanism is. Although it does always focus on gaining pleasure for the self, it does so only to a certain extent in which one attains enough pleasure to eliminate the pain. Once that has been achieved, going on a pursuit for more pleasure is considered vain, and as I have discussed before, Epicurus categorizes this pleasure as the â€Å"natural and unnecessary† or â€Å"unnatural and unnecessary. † Therefore he advises one not to seek these kinds of pleasures because that can create more disturbances in the mind. His thorough explanation and solution on how to achieve a tranquil mind by giving insight on the Gods and what happens to the soul and body after death are also a huge part of his philosophy. Overall, Epicureanism was a very modern school of philosophy compared to the time period, and the location of where it had been originated. Epicurus’ way of not discriminating against minorities such as women or the lower class, and not religiously worshiping supernatural beings even though that had been the norm in society, is very much like the life he preaches one should live in which one doesn’t conform to the standards of the masses but pursues a path of his own, where a peaceful mind and a body free of pain can be found.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

James :: essays research papers

A captivating tale of relationship of two troubling brothers in Harlem, "Sonny's Blues" is told from a perspective of Sonny's brother, whose name is never mentioned. Baldwin's choice of Sonny's brother as a narrator is what makes "Sonny's Blues" significant in terms of illustrating the relationship and emotional complications of Sonny and his brother. The significance of "Sonny's Blues" lies in the way Sonny's brother describes the relationship based on what he observes, hears, and feels, and how he struggles trying to understand Sonny through the course of the story. As Sonny's brother, he gets to be physically and mentally as close to Sonny as anyone else can. Readers get to know that Sonny's brother is a fairly reliable narrator from the fact that he is an algebra teacher and far less abused by "horse" or "the low ceiling of their actual possibilities" than the kids around the neighborhood, including Sonny. Sonny's brother is aware of what is going on between Sonny and him and accurately describes the relationship, "The seven years' difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm: I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge." (44) The "chasm" is where the story begins, and revolves around the entire story. Sonny's brother is aware of the "chasm," yet what Sonny is thinking remains mysterious since the narrator himself does not know. His narration allows readers to keep wondering and exploring flaky and "dreamlike" mind of Sonny. Sonny's brother stands as a major character and also as a first person narrator, meaning that he is a participant in the action. Baldwin achieves the sense of vividness by placing the narrator right in the middle of the action. "I started down the steps, whistling to keep from crying, I kept whistling to myself, You going to need me, baby, one of these cold, rainy days." (54) After an awful fight, Sonny's brother is disappointed at Sonny and himself. His whistling vividly conveys his struggle, despair and also love for his brother, allowing readers to get into his feeling. Dialogue is effectively used from Sonny's brother's point of view to convey how misunderstanding of two brothers gets built up. In the middle of a long conversation, Sonny's brother notes, "I simply couldn't see why on earth he'd want to spend his time hanging around nightclubs, clowning around on bandstands, while people pushed each other around a dance floor.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Free Essays - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a renowned novel by Mark Twain, is the story of a young boy, who, in a desperate attempt to escape his abusive and poverty stricken home, escapes and seeks help with the Mississippi River, where he experiences many different trials. The novel was finally published in 1885, being written on spurts of inspiration interrupted by long periods during which it sat on the author’s desk. Now it is published in at least twenty-seven languages. Samuel Clemens, the name that lies under the pen name of Mark Twain, was born in Missouri in 1835. The town where he lived, Hannibal, Missouri, became the model for St. Petersburg, the fictional town of Huckleberry Finn. Missouri was a slave state during this period, and his family owned a few slaves, who worked as domestic servants rather than working on the large agricultural plantations as most slaves in the deep South did. The institution of slavery is prominent in the development of the themes and characters of the novel. Twain received a brief formal education before going to work as an apprentice in a print shop. He later found work on a steamboat in the Mississippi River where he took his pseudonym, â€Å"Mark Twain,† from the call a steamboat worker would make when the ship reached two fathoms. He eventually went to work as a journalist and then as a humorist. Twain is also known to have written The Gilded Age (1873), The Prince and the Pauper (1882), Life on the Miss issippi (1883), and Tom Sawyer (1876). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn outlines the different experiences and developing friendship of the novel’s two main characters, Huck and Jim. Huck, a young boy trying to escape from his life, and Jim, a black slave, wanting to escape from being sold to a farmer in the deep South, join together to sail on the Mississippi River to the Ohio River, which would lead to their freedom, but they miss it in the dark. Huck faces a moral dilemma in helping a slave, but never finds a good enough reason to turn him in, and as a result, the two develop a special bond. Written with much dialogue from the southern dialect, the story depicts a southern society from the mid-1800’s, which is very gullible, and easily manipulated. The tale is full of humor in its accounts of the pair of escapees, but it is full of underlying meaning. Free Essays - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a renowned novel by Mark Twain, is the story of a young boy, who, in a desperate attempt to escape his abusive and poverty stricken home, escapes and seeks help with the Mississippi River, where he experiences many different trials. The novel was finally published in 1885, being written on spurts of inspiration interrupted by long periods during which it sat on the author’s desk. Now it is published in at least twenty-seven languages. Samuel Clemens, the name that lies under the pen name of Mark Twain, was born in Missouri in 1835. The town where he lived, Hannibal, Missouri, became the model for St. Petersburg, the fictional town of Huckleberry Finn. Missouri was a slave state during this period, and his family owned a few slaves, who worked as domestic servants rather than working on the large agricultural plantations as most slaves in the deep South did. The institution of slavery is prominent in the development of the themes and characters of the novel. Twain received a brief formal education before going to work as an apprentice in a print shop. He later found work on a steamboat in the Mississippi River where he took his pseudonym, â€Å"Mark Twain,† from the call a steamboat worker would make when the ship reached two fathoms. He eventually went to work as a journalist and then as a humorist. Twain is also known to have written The Gilded Age (1873), The Prince and the Pauper (1882), Life on the Miss issippi (1883), and Tom Sawyer (1876). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn outlines the different experiences and developing friendship of the novel’s two main characters, Huck and Jim. Huck, a young boy trying to escape from his life, and Jim, a black slave, wanting to escape from being sold to a farmer in the deep South, join together to sail on the Mississippi River to the Ohio River, which would lead to their freedom, but they miss it in the dark. Huck faces a moral dilemma in helping a slave, but never finds a good enough reason to turn him in, and as a result, the two develop a special bond. Written with much dialogue from the southern dialect, the story depicts a southern society from the mid-1800’s, which is very gullible, and easily manipulated. The tale is full of humor in its accounts of the pair of escapees, but it is full of underlying meaning.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Cub Foods Essay

In general it is characterized with low prices, tables of samples and high discounts. While the following marketing tactics were used by Cub Foods to increase probability of purchases: 1. Promotional – Price Deals: At the entry aisle, called a â€Å"power alley† is lined 2 stories high with specials, such as coffee bean $2 and half priced apple juice. 2. Physical evidence effect on cognitive: Ceiling joists and girders are exposed giving the feeling of spaciousness up there, it suggests there’s massive buying going on, translates in a shoppers mind that there’s tremendous savings going on. 3. Purchase Quantity: The shopping carts are wider than usual to encourage expansive buying, and that fit through the wide aisles to easily reach high profit impulse foods. 4. Purchase Location: Another tactic, that deli comes before fresh meat because Cub wants shopper to do the impulse buying before their budgets are depleted on essentials. 5. Packaged clean grocery was of low prices (by controlling the cost and high volume sales) and exceptionally high quality for products and meats. 6. Maps to guide shoppers, even without maps they would be lead by the arrangement of aisles. What accounts for Cub’s success in generating such large sales per customer and per store? 1. They properly identify their segment of customers and focus on its segment which is a family of 4-5 individuals with adult ages 24 – 40 years. 2. Proper positioning as low cost leadership, vast selection & good quality. The customers can found everything they need under one roof and cheaper than its competitors. 3. Their customers buy in volume and spend 4 times the supermarket average per shopping trip. 4. Relies on the word of mouth cuts on ad budgets by 25% less than other chains. 5. Pricing: 6 points less than most conventional stores. Given Cub’s lower prices, quality merchandise, excellent location and superior assortment, offer reasons why many consumers in its trading areas refuse to shop there. 1. The overwhelming displays could be confusing for some customers. 2. The misconception of low prices reflecting lower quality. 3. Could be of different targeted segment i.e. single that do not need volume purchases

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Will Modern Technology, Such as the Internet Ever Replace Essay Example

Will Modern Technology, Such as the Internet Ever Replace Essay Example Will Modern Technology, Such as the Internet Ever Replace Essay Will Modern Technology, Such as the Internet Ever Replace Essay Nowadays, if you dont want to sit somewhere alone and mumble to yourself, you must have good knowledge to keep conversations going. In order to know more, you have to read and analyse more information. In todays world, there are 2 main sources of information: books and the internet, which is developing at a fast pace. This creates an arguable question: Will the internet become the main source of information and books become extinct in future? For ages, books were adored as huge amount of information. However, they are being replaced by their electronic copies which affect health problems as red-eyes and vision issues. Secondly, according to lectures of Howard Berg, who is the worlds fastest reader, and to Spreeder website, e-books reduce the reading speed of readers to 25%, which makes them to sit in front of the monitor more and cause more health problems.Another good side of the real book is that you do not depend on the battery of electricity. On the other hand, real books are made of woods, which cause reducing of forests in the world and make the ecology worse. Moreover, real books take more place in your bag and, also, its quality goes down because of the usage, but e-books are compact and dont change after several usages. Thirdly, electronic information in the Internet is more and faster approachable than the real sources.For instance, one can google any specific information in seconds, rather than searching books in libraries and then scanning for the required information . Furthermore, more information can be found in the Internet, which would probably never be found as a book, or in a book. To conclude with, I would like to say that (Is it OK to begin conclusion like this? I usually begin so) books are valuable sources of information, but I believe that some day the Internet will absorb all the knowledge in al books and become the crucial source of know-how.

Monday, October 21, 2019

How to Write a College Application Essay - Blog at EssaySupply.com

How to Write a College Application Essay How to Write a College Application Essay College application time can be stressful for both students and their parents. There are so many things to juggle. Students have to study for the SAT, JLPT, or ACT, sometimes both. There are applications to fill out, and scholarships to pursue. Then there are the campus visits, sessions with guidance counselors, and nervous trips to the mailbox in hopes of gaining admission to a great school. For many students, successful completion of the college application process involves writing a killer admissions essay. That’s a challenging task to take on by yourself. However, if you want placement in the best schools, it is also necessary. If you are preparing to apply to schools, we can help you learn how to write a college essay that can help guarantee your acceptance into a great program at an amazing school. The Importance of Good College Entrance Essays Imagine that you are in charge of admissions into an honors program at a very sought after university. There are thousands of students who want to gain entry into your school. You receive many applications from great students.   You narrow those down to the best of the best. Now, how do you compare each app and pick the winning students? If you go by grades and activities, it is still difficult to make a choice. These are all students who make excellent grades, who are active in their schools and have impressive test scores. The application essay is the tiebreaker. It helps schools to identify students who will be a perfect fit. How to Write The Perfect College Essay: Choosing a Great Topic Before we dig any deeper into how to write a college essay for an application, you need to gather a bit of information. Specifically, which type of an essay should you write.   Your first step is to look at your application paperwork. You need to know if the college you are pursuing uses the common application. If it does, you will be writing an application essay based upon one of the common application essay prompts. While you may be frustrated that you don’t get to write on any topic you want, you can still share a lot of your personal story if you are creative. If your school does not use the common application, you can take this as an opportunity to select a topic that allows you to introduce yourself and discuss your values and accomplishments. Just remember that you are not writing an autobiography or memoir. An effective paper will highlight your personality and show that you are a great fit for that school. If you are free to pick your own topic, you have many choices. You could write about a single experience that you feel had a great impact on you. Another option is to detail a few different experiences that are examples of your showing characteristics that you believe are valuable to the school where you are applying. Just remember that your narrative should be sincere. Don’t try to create a persona that does not exist. How to Write a Good College Essay: The Introduction As with any other paper, you need to open with a great hook. You only have a few words to get compelling. The key is having a few traits you want to highlight. For example, perhaps you want to write a persuasive paper showing that you have leadership skills, are passionate about community service, and are capable of handling an academically rigorous level of courses. The rest of your essay will cover why the statements in your introduction are true. How to Write a Good College Essay:   Steps For Writing The Body This is the meat of your essay. It is your chance to make a statement about yourself. Before you start, take some time to learn about your school. Review everything you can find. What are the school’s values? Do they have a mission statement? Who is the average student who gets into the school? What traits do they exemplify? Do a bit of research. You may be able to find examples of essays from other applicants. Ask yourself this question. ‘What can I tell this school about myself that will make me stand out, and prove that I belong here.’ How to Write a College Application Essay: The Conclusion Every word in your conclusion should tie everything together. Your essay is an argumentative one sharing autobiographical information to outline your best characteristics. It should only be a paragraph or so but should tie all of the claims you made in the rest of your paper together. How to Write a College Application Essay: Other Tips This is such a challenging assignment for so many students. Forget about those guides for dummies. Instead, check out these other tips. If you have a friend or family member who has gotten into a great school ask them for a sample essay. Get creative with your topic ideas. For example, is there a book that changed your life? Did you grow up in a household where English was not spoken? Pay attention to spelling and grammar mistakes, but don’t worry too much about format. Unless it is specified, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not your essay needs to use APA or MLA style citations. Just write sincerely and accurately. Get help if you need it. Contact us anytime and place an order. Just say ‘Write my application essay!’ and we will be there for you. We Can Help With All of Your Admissions Needs We do more than college entrance essays. We can also help with scholarship essays and personal statements. Our goal is to help you get into a great school and help you pay for it. We even help graduate students as well as transfer students. While you are considering the application process, take some time to research scholarships that may be available to you. Then, remember that many ask you to write an essay. It’s a lot of work, but winning a couple of scholarships can really open up your options when it comes to choosing schools that you can afford. Conclusion It’s time to prove that you are the ideal student for the school of your dreams. With careful planning and good writing, your application essay can be a true asset to your application pamphlets. Be sincere, show off the traits your school is interested in, and ask for help if you need it. We are here to help at any stage of the college admissions process.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Indians and the Westward movement essays

Indians and the Westward movement essays The white people had now found our Country. The transportation problems facing the nation were as huge as the country itself. Only a few roads for coaches and wagons stretched between the states. Coaches and wagons also moved slowly, very slowly. The 260-mile journey from New York to Boston, for example, took 39 hours by stagecoach. The only other ways to travel or move goods were by small boats, on horseback or on foot. Slow, costly transport was bad for business. It could isolate Americans in one region from those in another. Let us bind the Republic together with a perfect system of roads and canals. Let us conquer space, John Calhoun said. States began to take on the challenge of building roads and canals. This transportation revolution had a huge impact on the everyday life of Americans resulting in conflicts with the Indians. The most successful, and most daring, improvement of this period was the Erie Canal. The success of the Erie Canal opened the upper Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes region to settlement. Thousands of immigrants traveled into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. Farm products from this region flowed eastward and their population grew. Fed by the West, easterners could concentrate on trade and manufacturing. In turn, the westerners bought the manufacturers goods of the East. The success of the Erie Canal encouraged more canal buildig in other parts of the country. It helped Americans push west in search of new lands to farm; American victories during the war of 1812 had also crushed most Indian resistance east of the Mississippi. In addition, there was a spirit of confidence and restlessness in the air. People were on the move just to be on the move. Before this time, the way of life was very different. The policies on transportation came also with policies on economic development. Before these policies individuals produced everything ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Health & Healing in Cross Cultural Perspective Essay

Health & Healing in Cross Cultural Perspective - Essay Example Hence, interpersonal skills become a necessity and these skills include language competency, conflict resolution plan, and understanding the other culture’s customs and requirements. 2. A clinically applied anthropologist can help a patient receive better health care by addressing the problems arising due to cross-cultural barriers at personal and organizational level. This is important to adapt with the patients of the other culture. An anthropologist must be able to solve intercultural and cross-cultural conflicts by having a deep understanding of culture’s emic perspective which means that he must know what the patients of the same culture think about themselves and what beliefs that have been brought up with. He should understand cultural relativism so that the behavior of patients seem meaningful to him. He should be able to evaluate his own judgments and revise them according to the other culture’s perspective. Along with emic perspective, he must also be a ble to understand the etic perspective of the cultures and must be able to comprehend a disease as a universally acceptable condition. 3.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Bringing Back Traditional Toys in the Technological Age Essay

Bringing Back Traditional Toys in the Technological Age - Essay Example As the study discusses in preschools where learning areas divide the classrooms, children gravitate to those areas where more possibilities in play are foreseen.   Usually, these are in the Make-believe area, filled with housekeeping toys like kitchen furniture, telephones, tea sets, cooking sets, tool sets, doctor kits, and the like which encourages creative imaginings.  From this research it is clear that one of the most popular areas in the classroom frequented by children is the Block Area where children spend time building their own constructions with wooden block pieces of many sizes and shapes.   During block play, children seem to get lost in their own imaginative world as they plan, design and build the structure one block at a time, carefully choosing the right block to stack on a particular place. This paper will thoroughly discuss the value of block play in the early childhood education setting.   Despite the widespread availability of new educational tools and te chnology, the traditional blocks developed nearly a century ago by Caroline Pratt, remain one of the most enduring mediums for early childhood education and even in the primary grades.  Unit blocks are those small hardwood blocks filled with potential for creative play.   These blocks are designed in a 1:2:4 size proportion emphasizing the size relationship among the different blocks.   Aside from rectangular and square-shaped blocks, there are cylinders, archs, half-circles, ramps, and many more shapes in the set.

The Skylark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Skylark - Essay Example This poem is studied and interpreted a number of times for analysis. Although an atheist himself, the Skylark is quite remarkable for its hints of a supreme being, although a bit indirectly only. He was also a fierce idealist who refused to compromise. He led an unconventional bohemian lifestyle representative of most people who are very creative. He traveled a lot and moved his residence several times, depending on his whims. Shelley’s â€Å"To a Skylark† is considered one of the greatest poems during the romantic English period. In this poem, Shelley used the poem to transform a reader’s consciousness by use of metaphor and simile to a great extent. The language used conveys the message which is at once active and urgent as expressed in the bird’s upwards flight (Shelley xlii). In the first few stanzas of the poem, the poet addressed the lark for the extreme noise it is making, efforts to distract potential predators because it nests on the ground and is therefore very vulnerable. Its noise is actually designed to distract predators from its nest and it continues to sing even while it is mostly unseen. Shelley compares it similarly to the human spirit that is unseen too. The purpose of the similes used by Shelley is to enhance the reader’s appreciation of the seemingly simple joys of a skylark. Shelley himself believed that poetry is essentially just a series of metaphors which utilize language’s vitality to demonstrate something abstract into something more concrete (ibid.). â€Å"To a Skylark† actually addresses a number of recurrent but important human themes such as joy, inspiration, idealism and aspirations which are largely intangibles but real nonetheless for all of us. The way to appreciate the poem’s merits is to fully realize that a poem is vitally metaphoric in nature. It is now up to the reader to use his imagination and creative thoughts to capture what the poet is trying to convey. All of these literary

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Autism - Essay Example This paper approves that parents need to know this as they start seeking treatments. They need to be reminded of it as treatment proceeds. Part of any treatment's success is recognizing what the child has accomplished. Parents also need to learn when to give their child's teacher a pat on the back when a job has been done well, even if there is still work to do. Likewise, parents sometimes need a pat on the back from teachers; it is parents who reinforce and round out what is learned in school and treatment. Finally, parents need to pat one another on the back once in a while; autism treatment is a Sisyphean struggle. It can help to remind one another how the cup is half full, not half empty. There will always be things that the child brings to his own treatment: a big part of treatment response is the result of which treatments are given. This paper makes a conclusion that every child is educationally and biologically unique and will need something slightly different. The challenge is to understand the range of differences that make up what are called the autistic spectrum disorders and then to understand the individual differences that can be described in terms of slightly different profiles of strengths and weaknesses. The design of truly individual treatment plans that exploit strengths and compensate for weaknesses begins with a detailed understanding of how learning is different for children with autism than for those without autism and how learning is different among different children with autism.

Essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

2 - Essay Example However, Etzioni claims that these jobs do not provide educational advancement due to their highly structured nature (Etzioni 303). The jobs offer many skills without considering the length of time the employees need to acquire these skills. In addition, there are evidences of many students dropping out of schools to take up the low-skill jobs on full-time basis. Supporters of teen jobs claim that the jobs help poor performing students in academic and those from lower-class families get income and some training. However, Etzioni refutes the claim by arguing that the jobs only perpetuate the students’ unfortunate statuses. Many teens in these part-time jobs also work for too long, approximately 30 hours per week. Hence, they lack enough time to attend to their schoolwork. Others also claim that teen jobs offer an opportunity for teens to learn teamwork and work under supervision. However, they tend to teach the wrong kind of compliance. Furthermore, the control is tight and inappropriate because most places of work try to save on cost by employing teens instead of an adult figure in the supervising position (Etzioni 305). Thus, the teens cannot get a chance of learning from an elderly, more knowledgeable, and stricter supervisor. Consequently, inappropriate teen values dominate in these places, fueling degradation of values among young sters. Additionally, parents cannot precisely evaluate the money that the youths receive. In most cases, the teens channel most of their earnings to purchasing youthful status symbols that cannot contribute to any meaningful developments. Etzioni’s essay clearly reflects some of the experiences I went through in paid teenage jobs. Most teen employments only provide an opportunity for students to escape responsibilities and school to gratify their desire to embrace the American adult consumerism. In one of my junior years in high school, I Essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11 2 - Essay Example On the other hand, Immanuel Kant developed the Kantian ethics which refers to deontological ethical theory that was developed as a result of enlightenment rationalism which looks at the intrinsic value of an act. If the act is intrinsically good, then it can be decided that the act has good will in it and it can be adopted as a good act. Kant developed categorical imperatives which are commands that determine the actions that will be accepted or rejected in a given societal set up. In deciding whether to do an action or not, one must decide whether anyone else will choose your line of thought if faced by a similar dilemma. If the choice would be different then the action should not be done. One should also ensure that the action done is in respect to human beings and not just self-centred. The two theories have a number of things in common. First they uphold doing what is good to humanity. Unitarianism ensures that one evaluates the magnitude of the consequences and whether the positive results will out-weigh the negative ones. Kantian ethics emphasizes on the need to do good to the society and doing the actions that are not self-centred. On the contrary the actions done should always reflect on the betterment of the whole societies’ living. This means that the two theories ensures that the actions that individuals will do in a given situation must be analysed well and if the consequences will be positive to the individual and the society then it should be done. For instance, our leaders are often faced with situations where they have to make decisions that can either be of benefit to themselves or the whole society. Being the lawmakers in parliament, they can use their mandated powers to draft laws that can increase their salaries and benefits at the expense of the tax-payers money. In such a situation the decision to do such an act should be driven by an evaluation of the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Autism - Essay Example This paper approves that parents need to know this as they start seeking treatments. They need to be reminded of it as treatment proceeds. Part of any treatment's success is recognizing what the child has accomplished. Parents also need to learn when to give their child's teacher a pat on the back when a job has been done well, even if there is still work to do. Likewise, parents sometimes need a pat on the back from teachers; it is parents who reinforce and round out what is learned in school and treatment. Finally, parents need to pat one another on the back once in a while; autism treatment is a Sisyphean struggle. It can help to remind one another how the cup is half full, not half empty. There will always be things that the child brings to his own treatment: a big part of treatment response is the result of which treatments are given. This paper makes a conclusion that every child is educationally and biologically unique and will need something slightly different. The challenge is to understand the range of differences that make up what are called the autistic spectrum disorders and then to understand the individual differences that can be described in terms of slightly different profiles of strengths and weaknesses. The design of truly individual treatment plans that exploit strengths and compensate for weaknesses begins with a detailed understanding of how learning is different for children with autism than for those without autism and how learning is different among different children with autism.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Film review 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film review 2 - Essay Example All of the characters have been showed struggling with their difficulties; a reality which can be seen in our daily day-to-day lives. It is evident to see white characters being more privileged and black characters being more suppressed. Jean and Rick Cabot being the privileged white people have appeared as confident, financially sound and powerful people who belonged to elite class of the society. On the other hand, Peter and Anthony appear as the suppressed, filled with hatred and struggling characters who have their hearts filled with hatred infused in them by the treatment they have received from the white people. The sight of Peter and Anthony scares Jean. To overcome her fear, she grabs tightly the arm of her husband that ultimately offends the black young men and as a result, they steal their car. Haggis has well portrayed the sense of insecurity felt by Jean in this scene. He has tried his best to demonstrate the racism and the common thought that how white people perceive bl acks. This scene not only approves the racism but the also the truth that why white people fear the blacks. People in America closely associate violence and cruelty with African-American community which is a true fact. On the other hand, Jean’s behaviour can be associated with prejudice she had for African-Americans and seeing that her car has been taken away on the gun point by the blacks; she confirms that her reaction against those people was right (Ray, 2007). The fight between the privileged characters and oppressed ones are clearly highlighted in the movie. Some characters have been shown struggling to meet their day-to-day necessities while some are shown enjoying the greater benefits; hence, giving rise to social rift and racism in the American society. Waking Up Phase in the End of Movie: Anthony being the victim of racism and discrimination extends his help to the Chinese people who were locked in the van. His action was to free them from the tyranny and suppression he had faced earlier. Anthony was the main character who was waking up to the liberation by extending his help to other people belonging to different race and ethnicity. He has tried to overcome the suppression he had to face in terms of Jean’s behaviour and his reaction he showed to her and her husband. But my helping the locked Chinese people, he has been shown as a person who stands more on his moral ground and confirms himself as a person with an enlightened soul. It can be concluded from the last scene that racism can be alleviated from the society. Anthony was going through the process of defence mechanism especially reaction formation, dissociation and displacement which holds a greater message for the audience and a lesson for the society to address the issue of racism by overcoming their internal grudges and shallows in personality. Analyzing the Movie on Personal Experiences: Crash revolves around the bitter realities of life. It shows how the life is and how we ex perience difference problems in our day to day life. The movie typically revolves around racism and social discrimination against minorities. Crash highlights the bitter truths. From the different scenes of the movie, I observed that none of the white characters of the movie were shown struggling with their finances; they were showed on good positions, enjoying all the benefits without worrying about managing their finances. However, on the other hand, black

Body Atlas Essay Example for Free

Body Atlas Essay Last meeting, we watched a film called body atlas. The film was about human body, bones, heart, blood, skin, reproductive system, and etc. It gives us a basic understanding of the parts and function of different systems in the human body. For example, the heart, it keeps our body alive because it pumps blood all around our body that contains oxygen. Heart has the main role of blood circulation in the body. Another important part of the body is the blood. It carries substances like nutrients such as amino acids and oxygen to the other parts of the body. It also contains white blood cells which are vital for the body’s immune system. From the film, one that strikes me the most was the reproductive system and how babies are made. We’ve all know the basic idea on how to make babies – man meets woman, they both get naked and have sex, and nine months later, a baby pop out. But from the film we’ve watched, it shows the step by step process on how the egg cell and sperm cell meet and how is the baby created inside the body. When a man ejaculates, despite the millions of sperms cell produced and released , only one can fertilized an egg. If an egg cell meets up with a healthy sperm on its way to the uterus, the two can join and begin the process of creating a new life. The first 12 weeks of pregnancy, known as the first trimester, abound with changes and growth in the unborn baby. It takes up to two weeks for the process to be completed for you to become pregnant. In the 3rd week, sperm and egg come together to create a zygote. In the fifth week, though the unborn baby is less than 1/4-inch long, her brain, heart, spinal cord and other vital organs begin to form. The babys circulatory system also begins the first stages of development. Sixth and seventh week, Some of the babys basic facial features are now visible during the sixth and seventh weeks, and his heart begins pumping blood. Eight week, with legs and arms growing longer and fingers beginning to develop, also develops an upper lip and nose, and the nipples and eyes are visible. Ninth and tenth week, Bones begin to form in your babys arms, which now bend at the elbows. The babys toes also start developing, and his eyelids and ears continue to be formed. At the 10th week, your babys  head gets rounder, the neck begins to develop and the eyelids close to guard the eyes. At the 11th week, the baby ends the embryonic period and enters the fetus stage. The fetus begins to develop external genitalia. In the final week of the first trimester, the baby grows fingernails. After that, a new life begins.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Consumer Perceptions of Private Label Brands in China and UK

Consumer Perceptions of Private Label Brands in China and UK CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF PRIVATE LABEL BRANDS IN CHINA COMPARED WITH THE UK Summary In China there are fewer studies of private label brands (PLBs) that take up less market share than generic brands and national brands. However, there is a successful development of PLBs in the UK. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore the difference of consumer perceptions on PLBs between China and the UK with national brands as a standard. The literature review will review theories like brand equity/image, PLBs and double jeopardy; PLBs development compared with national brands in China and the UK; the influencing factors of consumer purchase behaviour and previous researches of consumers perceptions about PLBs in China and the UK. The main objective of this part is to ascertain the difference of consumers perceptions between PLBs and national brands in the UK. Primary research will take the form of a non probability convenience sampling method to randomly select 200 members of the public from two shopping malls of Xidan and Wangfujing and several large-scale supermarkets in Beijing. Questionnaires will be used for data collection, and data is analysed by Snap statistical programme. The finding shows that there is a significant difference of PLBs perception between China and the UK. Before the evaluation of brand image, the awareness of PLBs in China is understood and just less than half of respondents know the own-label biscuits. With reference to the literature reviewed on consumer perception in the UK, it can get the result that Chinese PLBs are perceived lower than British PLBs on the all attributes except â€Å"cheap† and â€Å"good value†. Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 The topic of research The aim of this thesis is to better investigate how private label brands (PLBs) are perceived by consumers in China, and compare it with the UKs. 1.2 Principle research question To understand how Chinese consumers perceptions of private label brands differ from the UKs. 1.3 Overall research objective The primary purpose for this research is to discover the main difference of consumers assessment of private label brands between China and the UK. This thesis will explore if there are significant differences between Chinese consumers evaluation on PLBs and the UKs, and analyse the relevant factors that cause the distinctness of consumers evaluation roundly on the basis of prior research in this subject scope. 1.4 Individual research objectives In order to achieve the principle objective of this study, it will intend to fulfil the following objectives: To identify the actual development of PLBs in China and the UK To establish the influence factors of consumer purchase behaviour in China and the UK To determine consumers perception of PLBs and national brands in the UK To determine consumers perception of Chinese PLBs and national brands To ascertain the different brand perceptions of PLBs in China and the UK 1.5 Report Structure This thesis contains eight chapters. Chapter2 to 4 are based on a literature review about theories and relevant knowledge of marketing background. Chapter2 outlines the theories about branding, and then chapter3 introduces the private label brands and their development in the UK and China. Chapter4 refers to consumer perception of PLBs review between two countries based on analysing the determining factors of purchase. The research method is explained in chapter5 with some specific designing scheme. The results of surveying Chinese biscuit category is presented, interpreted and analysed in chapter6, and discussed relating with the UKs market of literature review in chapter7 before conclusion and recommendations are given in chapter8. Chapter 2: Branding Chapter 2 introduces the definition of branding with its importance in the retail market, and moves to realize â€Å"brand image† and â€Å"brand equity† as well as the shift between them. In addition, the Double Jeopardy (DJ) Effect is identified finally. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate Chinese consumers perceptions of private label brands (PLBs) in comparison to UKs. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the background knowledge about â€Å"brand† first. 2.1 The conception of branding A brand was defined as â€Å"a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors† (p.404, Kotler, 2000). Aaker (1996) indicated that brand was used for suppliers to reflect the consumers purchase information and make communicate with customers easier, so that it is helpful to build a long-term relationship of belief between buyers and sellers. Wileman and Jary (1997) had realized that retail branding was playing an important role in the modern retail market gradually. Managers and executives also perceived that retail branding could be used to increase benefits as a strong vehicle in the competitive retail industry (Carpenter, et al. 2005). The reason is that the relationship between a product and consumers is personified by the brand name (organizations name) on the product itself, like Microsoft and Nescafe (de Chernatony and McDonald, 2003). The difference between a brand and a commodity is shown below in figure1, which describes the process of decline from brand to commodity. Following the disappearance of brand characteristic, a reduction in the differentiation of price and product/image is demanded to achieve the likeness of product offerings in the particular category. Thus the â€Å"added values† is the main difference between a brand and a commodity. The result proved the strong power of added values in the blind (brand cancelled) and open (brand revealed) test of Coke and Pepsi preference (de Chernatony and McDonald, 2003). 2.2 Brand image Brand image is explained as the integrated effect of brand associations (Biel, 1992). Also, Faircloth et al. (2001) cited Engel et al. (1993) as claiming that brand image refers to consumers perceptions of brand tangible and intangible association. Keller (1993) stated that brand image, a part of brand knowledge, belongs to the perceptions about a brand that is reflected by the brands attribute, benefit, and attitude association in the memory of consumers. Besides, consumers brand image is derived from the accumulative effects of marketing mix actions of companies (Roth, 1994). Wulf el al. (2005) has argued that image is one prerequisite for the presence of brand equity. Brand image in the consumers memory network that is decisive to make decision, provides preferred brand reminding and evaluation (Holden, 1992), and so it can contributes the positive effect on brand equity (Yoo et al. 2000). Furthermore, Winchester and Fletcher (2000) argued that measuring brand image was one of the most important research projects undertaken by a company, because it could help firms to understand their products perceptions in consumers memory. For example, retailers have the cheaper brand image than the manufacturers in most of consumers memory. Also, they suggest that consumers consider retailer brands as â€Å"me too† products compared with manufacture brands (IGD, 2003). Thus it demonstrates that retailers are trying hard to build up a strong image for their own brands to shoppers. The enhancement of brand image will be beneficial to drive the sales, brand equity and increase the gross margin of private label products (Quelch and Harding, 1996). Therefore, brand image is an important determinant of consumers perception about private label brands. 2.3 Brand equity Brand equity, like the concept of brand, has been identified as having multiple meanings. For instances, people have debated the concept of brand equity both in the accounting and marketing literature for several years (Wool, 2000). The original concept of brand equity is the added value that a brand name offers to the fundamental product (Quelch and Harding, 1996; Wulf el al 2005). Wood (2000) also cited Feldwick (1996) as claiming a classification of different meanings of brand equity as: â€Å"- the total value of a brand as a separable asset when it is sold, or included on a balance sheet; a measure of the strength of consumers attachment to a brand; a description of the associations and beliefs the consumer has about the brand.† (p. 662, Wood, 2000) According to the statement of Wood (2000), brand equity rests on financial accounting no longer, but extends to the measure of brand strength (brand loyalty) and the description of brand image. Additionally, Aaker (1996) identified the major asset categories of brand equity to include brand name awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand associations (brand image). It reflected the value supplied by a product or service to a firm and/or customers in the various different ways. If the name and symbol of the brand change, the assets or liabilities will be affected and even lost due to the link between both sides. To brand awareness, the strength of a brands presence is mentioned in the consumers minds, ranging from recognition to recall to â€Å"top of mind† to domination. Recognition is more important than others due to the perception obtained from the past exposure. Also, recall can be a deciding factor of the purchasing of products. Otherwise, Chou (2002) also insisted on two categories of definition of brand equity—the customer-based and financial brand equity. The customer-based one is defined as the different effect of brand knowledge on consumers response to the purchase of brand (Keller, 1993; Lassar, et al. 1995), and the financial one refers to the intangible asset of the value of brand name to the firm (Chou, 2002). Through understanding the multiple concepts of brand equity, it can deduce that brand equity has attracted more attention in the marketing literature over the last decade, because it reflects if a brand would be repurchased by consumers. As Shapiro (1982) has demonstrated, certain brand equity offered genial value even though the appearance of products is uncertain. Nowadays Broniarczyk and Gershoff (2003) still emphasise the importance of brand equity; also, as one of the most valuable assets, it should be maximised to manage brands for the company (Keller and Lehmann, 2003). High brand equity can increase the opportunity on consumer choice of a common sales promotion (Simonson et al., 1994) and reduce the negative debates of consumers for a price increase (Campbell, 1999), because consumers lean to buy the brand more than the real product. Consequently, brand equity is also a factor to evaluate consumers perception of own brands. 2.4 The Double Jeopardy Effect In recent years, more authors (Sharp et al. 2002; Ehrenberg and Goodhardt, 2002) have been interested in understanding, developing and reinforcing the concept of Double Jeopardy (DJ), which represents a natural constraint on customer loyalty, which cannot be increased by marketing inputs much or for long unless a significant benefit increases the brands penetration (Ehrenberg and Goodhardt, 2002). The DJ effect is that â€Å"small share brands have fewer customers, but these customers buy the brand less often than the larger brands get bought by their customers† (p. 17, Sharp et al. 2002). A conceptual model of the DJ effect is showed in the figure2, which illustrates if a small firm would have higher turnover of their customer base if they lost the same number of customers as a large firm. The DJ effect is fit for the discussion of national brands and PLBs. Bigger brand will be known by more customers, and have more opportunities to be purchased and receive more responses than smaller brand. It will be an essential theory to support the last result of investigation about the comparison between own labels and national labels. Chapter 3: Private Label Brands This chapter attempts to understand private-label brands, their development in UK and China and the reason for focusing on them. National brands will be also mentioned as the scale for the validity of comparison between Chinese and UKs own labels. 3.1 The definition of private label brands â€Å"Retailer brands are designed to provide consumers with an alternative to manufacturer brands, to build customer loyalty to a retailer or improve margins.† (p.11, IGD, 2003) They are particular to a definite retailer, and may have a same or different name of the retailer but exclude other retailers name (IGD, 2003). The terms â€Å"own label† and â€Å"own brand† are always used together; also private label, retail brands or distributor brands are in common used (Fernie and Pierrel, 1996). Own brands can help retailers reduce the direct impact of price competition, since retailers carry their own brands instead of national brands that are sold in the most of the stores (Carpenter, et al. 2005). Furthermore, according to IGD (2003) study, doing own brands can provide competitively priced products, increased profitability and loyalty due to the special store, establishes store image, drives innovation and targets specific consumer groups. 3.2 The development of PLBs in UK Based on more previous researches about UKs PLBs, it will specify them as the base to compare with Chinese growing PLBs. 3.2.1 The history of development The generation of own brands in the UK can date back to the end of the nineteenth century (Key Note Market Review, 2001). Until mid-1960s, manufacturers perceived that the development of store brands could be a direct threat for them (Ogbonna and Wilkinson, 1998). After that, own brands rose to penetrate into grocery markets gradually (Fernie and Pierrel, 1996), because supermarket had to implement a new strategy under the tough economic crisis (Ogbonna and Wilkinson, 1998). The growth of own labels in the UK had been rapid during 1980s, and slowing down in the 1990s (Laaksonen, 1994). After 1980, the UKs retailing had a big metamorphosis to change their own-label products from previous low-price/low-quality/poor-packaging to current high quality, competitive price and good packaging (Burt and Davis, 1999; Key Note Market Review, 2001). Especially from 1990, more retailers began to provide own brand lines in stores and penetrated towards the grocery field (Veloutsou et al., 2004), and even innovated in product categories to be consistent with branded-products, such as the expansion from grocery to clothing (Quelch and Harding, 1996). Fernie and Pierrel (1996) illuminated that Marks Spencer, Sainsburys, Tesco and Safeway had developed their own brands, which competed successfully with other brands in the UK. Otherwise, there were more private labels on the shelves of supermarkets than ever before (Quelch and Harding, 1996). The main reasons for growth of own-label products include lower pricing (60%-85% of branded products), improved quality and higher profits for retailers (Ashley, 1998). Through the review of historical evolvement of PLBs, the current bloom of PLBs development in UK that is built on the basis of constant change can be seen. Also, it can be a good explanation for the condition, in which customers choose more own brands of supermarket rather than manufactures brands. 3.2.2 Current development At present, private label brands have taken up a significant share of nearly 29% in the UK food market. It is expected to increase further in 2009. Especially since 2008, own label has been gaining popularity following accelerating economic downturn. As consumers have begun to feel the pitch, so they have bought own-label products instead of branded products to save money. Thus the competition between own-labels and brands is reinforced. There is the highest own-label consumption in the FMCG sectors, like milk and frozen vegetables, or some products without emotional appeal. However, manufacturer brands still account for the majority of sales in the most of grocery categories (Mintel, 2009). Table1 shows the share of brands and own-labels in the following different categories. From this table, it can see that own label is the most dominant in the category of ready meals; and it has the least share in the crisp category. Also, more share own labels account for, more increasing opportunities they have. In addition, UKs supermarkets recognise that consumers have a wide range of product needs, so they segment the market by providing the brands that cater for the best, healthy, valuable, kids and organic requirements as table2 shows. 3.2.3 The feature of development The development of PLBs, a competitive strategy adopted by retailers, is necessary for them within the current retail market of high competition in the UK (Carpenter et al. 2005). Own brands are developing fast and winning a better share of the food market with definite advantage in the supermarket product ranges, because retailers can offer their private label products with high-quality and low-price (Wulf et al., 2005). Also, own-brand products exceeding 40% of market share have expanded their presence across markets—from low-priced, value-for-money items to the premium and lifestyle arenas so as to cater for consumers concern about healthy eating (Drewer, P. 2006). Therefore, it can fetch up the limitation of national brands that segment the market less, and target desired consumers more narrowly. For instance, figure3 shows Sainsburys Be Good to Yourself range of lower fat which is one kind of â€Å"healthier† own-label ranges; and Asdas value (Smartprice), healthy (Good for You) and Premium (Extra Special). Furthermore, the feature difference of own brands has been gradually shortened from national brands in terms of aspects such as packaging, size, and label (Choi and Coughlan, 2006). In figure4, Sainsbury instant coffee products are taken as an example of private labels with reduced feature differentiation as national labels inside FMCG sector. Some of the UKs retailers such as Sainsburys and Tesco have set up own brands focusing on quality and taste due to more consumers regards on flavour and aroma. Production methods have become diversified, and manufacturers have been found around the world to get various products with exotic flavours. For instance, the recipes of multiple ready-meal foods are derived from characteristic foods of different countries, like Waitrose chicken chow mein, which is developed from Chinese stir-fried noodles. Thus it is common for retailers to compete by developing premium own brands (Fenn, 2007), yet the majority of retailers changed their attention from premium ranges to the promotion of value ranges in 2008 (Mintel, 2009). 3.2.4 Marketing support The increase of own-label products is supported by the gradually concentrated nature of the retail market. Retailers control own brand marketing, which has obtained higher promotional support than national brands since there are better space and location for private labels on supermarket shelves (Cataluna et al. 2006). Retailers have got bargaining power in the market and more confidence to invest in their own brands, which bring higher profits than generic brands (Fenn, 2007). In addition, own-label food and drink has been supported strongly in the competitive market, although the main retailers began to promote the potential of saving money on PLBs purchase in 2008 and early 2009. For example, own-label brands are promoted principally in the main retailers like Morrisons. Marks Spencer also spent a third of its total budget on MS brands in 2008 (Mintel, 2009). Table3 shows the market support on foods in the form of media advertising expenditure. Generally, an increasing trend is shown for the retailers spending on foods in this table. However, depending on the retailers spending share, it can ascertain that branded manufacturers are still the biggest spenders on advertising for food and drink. They use the â€Å"Reassurance† and â€Å"tradition† as the key themes of promotion to fight against PLBs (Mintel, 2009). 3.2.5 The biscuit category Own-label biscuits take up a fifth of the UK market, where it has remained the share stably over previous 5 years. The biscuits category has increased substantially since 2002, although there is an unhealthy high sugar content in the most biscuits. The benefits can be obtained from defying all advice of nutrition, because consumers regard biscuits as a reward for their efforts on healthy eating most of the time. Moreover, the development of biscuit market is likely to be influenced by three key factors: requirement for healthy foods, indulgent products and convenient products. The indulgent demand can benefits the branded biscuits, as consumers believe premium-branded products more than PLBs (Kidd, ed. 2007). Figure5 shows the UK biscuits market shares in 2007. From this figure, it can see own labels account for more share than any one manufacturer brand, but it is less than the total share of main large manufacturers. In short, UKs PLBs market has been described and compared with manufacturers brands specifically, so that it can be as the firm foundation for the later comparison with Chinese PLBs market. 3.3 The development of PLBs in China Private label in China is still in an emergent stage, where many retailers had increased the place of own label development in 2004, but most do not have their own brands until they have greater scale in the market. According to IGDs estimation, own brand only takes up 2% of sales at Wal-mart and less than 6% at Carrefour, which is the strongest retailer in China. Although the foreign retailers have a long history to sell private label brands, this is a big challenge for them to sell in China, where own brand is a new concept for the Chinese consumers. They just believe the value and quality of local branded products. Thus retailers need to prove their own products are not only cheaper, but also provide better value to consumers (IGD, 2005b). Auchan, Carrefour and Wal-mart will be chosen as the example of private label development, because they have wider range of own label products than others. â€Å"Pouce†, â€Å"Auchan† and â€Å"First Price† ranges were introduced by Auchan in 2003. And they were developed across both food and non-food categories by the end of 2004. In Carrefour, own labels can be found in most categories, especially strong in non-food. Its private label brands include â€Å"Great Value†, â€Å"Equate† and â€Å"Kids Connection†. Wal-mart is developing their own brands including â€Å"Simply Basic†, â€Å"Equate† and â€Å"Great Value† in China, where the quantity is more limited than other developed international markets (IGD, 2005b). But actually, most of supermarkets usually just focus on the value with low price, and use the name of supermarket as their own brands name to attract consumers attention, such as â€Å"Ito-yokado†, â€Å"Dia%† and â€Å"Tesco†. 3.4 Why the focus on PLBs Veloutsou et al (2004) indicated that all grocery retailers have been entangled by private brands in Great Britain in the last decade. Also, the growth of private labels is one of the most obvious successes to the retail stores (Drewer, P. 2006); own brands have been seen as the strategic weapon to provide retailers with more powers and opportunities to distinguish themselves from national brands and build store image (Juhl et al. 2006). Nevertheless, there is a completely different situation in China, where the study of PLBs is less than the UKs and is strongly encouraged (Song, 2007). PLBs is undeveloped with low sales account in China, even if some foreign retailers (e.g. Carrefour, Wal-mart) have launched their own brands (IGD, 2005b). Consequently, there is a need to expose why PLBs have little market in China, and understand the shortage of Chinese PLBs development through comparing consumers different perceptions between China and the UK. Chapter 4: Consumers Perception of PLBs in China and UK This chapter will evaluate private label brands and national brands based on a cognizance of factors determining purchase. A generality of different viewpoints about consumers perceptions on brands will be discussed and some factors influencing the PLBs purchase will be presented. 4.1 Determinant of Purchase behaviour Consumers purchase can be influenced by environment, personal preference and psychological factors. Customers who live in diverse regions have their own experience about private-label products (Veloutsou et al 2004). Individual consumers often choose certain brands that they know to be guaranteed due to their habits, instead of spending more time to re-evaluate the brands with different attributes when purchasing (Ehrenberg, 2004). Furthermore, consumers preferences are different following the change of age (IGD, 2005a). For example, young people high on the new things more than old people. From the psychological aspect, â€Å"the right customer mindset can be crucial to realizing brand equity benefits and value† (p29, Keller and Lehmann, 2003). During the decision making process, purchase can be influenced directly by several factors. Veloutsou et al (2004) cited Omar, Burt and Sparks (1995) as claiming that many consumers always consider their products characteristics, quality and perceived value instead of the prices of products when consumers make purchasing decisions. However, the price cannot be excluded from factors of decisions, because most of consumers go shopping after they have a budget in mind (Hogan, 1996). Additionally, a generalized private-label attitude is discovered to influence purchase behaviour; factors include: â€Å"consumer price consciousness, price-quality perception, deal proneness, shopping attitudes, impulsiveness, brand loyalty, familiarity with store brands, reliance on extrinsic cues, tolerance for ambiguity, perceptions of store brand value, and perceived differences between store brands and national brands† (p347, Collins-Dodd and Lindley, 2003). 4.2 Consumer perception in China Due to the limitation of consumption per capita, the market was driven by price instead of brand loyalty in China (IGD, 2005b). According to China Management Newspaper (2008) reported, it is a fact that consumers who realise the supermarket own labels account for rather low percentage of total population. Moreover, â€Å"low price† and â€Å"high quality† are the main motivations to drive consumers purchase. Thus national brands with better quality can attract more consumers, although they have higher price than own labels. This results from the increase of Chinese consumers purchase power and the improvement of living level in recent years. Moreover, PLBs and national brands were considered as less difference on price (Chen, 2009). Thus it can be deduced that â€Å"low price† strategy of own brands in China would be successful due to less brand loyalty. However, following the improved standard of living, people would increase their demand from low price to high quality, which could be a challenge for the PLBs. 4.3 Consumer perception in UK 4.3.1 Comparison of PLBs with national brands Following the quality improvement of PLBs, Richardson (1997) found that store brands could be compared with national brands from the aspect of quality and consumers preferred to buy store brands where they usually shopped. As Quelch and Harding (1996) discovered that this was similar for consumers to perceive and judge the manufacturer and retailer brands in the orange juice private-label test, because consumers had a low involvement activity on grocery shopping. Nevertheless, â€Å"If all retailers stock manufacturers brands, they can only differentiate on price or sales promotions; with own labels/brands, they can offer further differentiation in the market place.† (p49, Fernie and Pierrel, 1996) They supported that own labels/brands could bring retailers more differentiation in the market place than manufacturers brands that just differed on price or sales promotions from each other. However, there is a different understanding based on consumers mind. Dick et al. (1996) considered that private labels were less famous than national brands, which have a distinct identification with a particular manufacturer. Richardson (1997) also supported the unification of store brands without the speciality of national brands. In the research of Harris (2007), he also demonstrated a significant difference of brand image evaluation for national brands and store brands. He established that PLBs have the advantage of â€Å"cheap† and â€Å"good value† to compare with national brands, while national brands were used more with higher quality/superiority based on attributes than store brands. However, after breaking down PLBs into three relative positions (premium, standard and value), he discovered that premium private labels were overpriced more without better value for money than national labels; customers buy more value private labels than national labels due to their cheapness. This implicates that consumers prefer the high quality of national brands and the good value of value PLBs at the same time. Therefore, he identified the characteristic of â€Å"worth more† regarded by consumers mostly. The brand association strengths are summarized in the following figure7 from his study. Furthermore, his researching results (see Appendix3) will be used as the reference of British consumer perception of PLBs to compare with Chinas later. In addition, according to Mintel research (2009), it has been a long-term trend for more consumers thinking that own labels are better than national brands. 4.3.2 Evaluation of PLBs To the quality/value thinking, other authors have had same ideas. Quelch and Harding (1996) predicted that consumers would choose PLBs readily rather than the higher-priced name brand, if there were more quality PLBs in the market. Richardson (1997) cited Richardson et al. (1994) as claiming that store brand market share could be increased by successfully communicating a quality rather than a low price strategy. Moreover, according to the IGDs research, PLBs have become one of the important factors for shoppers to choose the supermarket they shop in. The satisfaction of quality with lower price has attracted more consumers. The proportion of main reasons is â€Å"45% lower price, 45% better value than branded equivalent, 26% the same as branded, 24% a good reputation for own brand (IGD, 2003). Furthermore, consumers are not confused about the increasing number of own-label brands, but the segmentation is beneficial for them to choose products that are fit for themselves. The clear d ifferentiation among brands is also the key for retailers to success (Mintel, 2006). Chapter 5: Methodology On the basis of the relevant literature review about the market analysis of PLBs and national brands, especially the UK market, this has been analysed for the final discussion to compare with Chinese PLBs. This chapter will look for the most appropriate approach to implement the needed research and achieve the objective of this thesis. 5.1 The objective of this study Perceptual variables related to consumers perception are investigated in this study. It needs to finish the following objectives: The difference of consumer perceptions between PLBs and national brands in the UK (achieved in literature review) The difference of consumer perceptions between PLBs and national brands in China The difference of consumer perceptions of PLBs in China and the UK Based on the understanding of the UKs markets and perceived PLBs compared with national brands by consumers in the literature review, the Chinese situatio