Does Media Bias Cause Islam to be Misunderstood Research Paper

Does Media Bias Cause Islam to be Misunderstood - Research Paper Example The research paper "Does Media Bias Cause Islam to be Misunderstood" analyzes if Islam is misunderstood because of the media biases. And Islamophobia, as can be seen in the western media portrayal of Islam and Muslims, can be traced back to the mid-part of the 20th century – sometime in the 60s and 70s. For some reason, this negative portrayal has not changed over the decades. Derogatory terms such as â€Å"camel jockey† obviously show contempt against this group. During the 80s and 90s, world war vision of Huntington and the theory of â€Å"clash of civilization† incited fear among the U.S. population. This was furthered by the 9/11 attacks in 2001. But things did not end there. The media then began, more and more, to put Islam and Muslims in a bad light. Even cartoon shows such as â€Å"The Simpsons† try to mix Islamophobia with humor. This means that even kids are not immune to this cultural reality of stereotyping this group of people as terrorists. Wh en it comes to the news industry, one of the most controversial channels is â€Å"Fox News.† For the past several years, â€Å"Fox News Channel† has been accused of inciting ethnic or religious animosity. With these as just a few examples of media biases and Islamophobia, it is then a wonder how a land of supposed constitutional rights and freedoms ends up forming a new kind of racism just after the institutionalization of the civil rights? While this area may just be a small percentage of the media, it speaks a lot of the challenges that the U.S. society faces to this day.

The Pianist Essay Example for Free

The Pianist Essay The film The Pianist is about a man, Szpilman, living in Poland during the war. It tells his story as one of the themes in the film is clearly the holocaust. The film presents the horrors of the holocaust in the experience of one man, Wladysaw Szpilman as he hides from the Nazis. The film makes an honest approach to the condition of holocaust. It presents the shades of humanity in between the good and the bad. It shows how the war gave people a chance to triumph over the holocaust and their humanity while others to succumb to it and humanity. Circumstances force people to do strange things. The war genre requires a lot of sensitivity to enable the audience to put themselves in the shoes of a character as he interacts with his environment. The point of view is quite important to achieve this. In my analysis I intend to find out if the point of view of Szpilman helps the movie achieve the desired outcome. The film begins with music as Szpilman plays a piano for Polish radio. Even though the scene is interrupted by a bomb, Szpilman remains momentarily caught up in his music. His devotion to music becomes the strength he needs to survive because despite the horrific circumstances, he does not give up playing for the radio again. As he tells the SS officer who helps him, he wants to play for the polish radio. By virtue of his dreams, he believes the war will end even when an SS officer asked him what he wanted to do after the war. Music and all art thus come out in the film as worthy weapons against the struggle. In terms of leading actor the film has Adrien Brody play Szpilman. The actor as the film opens is caught up in fulfilling his dreams of music. He seems a little preoccupied and absorbed. He is a regular guy. The lead actor gives the film its perspective. We see the war through his eyes and his experiences. In the span of the film, contrary to what one would expect from a war film, he remains more alone and does not rise to become an astonishing person who saves the day and lots of human life. Instead his main achievement is that he manages to remain concealed and survives the invasion of the Nazis. The lead actor is not a conventional hero. He is mostly passive trying to understand what is going on in the world around him. As we accompany him in the movie, we get locked up with him in hiding places and watch him ravaged by the war as he loses weight, confused and fall to pieces. Adrien performs his role by being totally immersed in his character. How he moves and talks and acts reveals the transformation he is undergoing including losing weight as his character gets starved and severe malnutrition. He is striking in that he represents the humanity of many and the story of survival is the survival of humanity against ravages of war. The leading actor is not about being a super good character but embodiment of bare human circumstance and the amazing journey of survival during terrible circumstances. The film does not give in to the cultural assumptions that all the Jews were good people and all the Germans bad people. The leading actor as well as other suffering victims are not all of humanity. They too are problematic and are not represented as saints. The suffering they underwent is horrific by virtue of being human despite what kind of people they are. The film represents in addition the reality that some Nazis had humanity too. An SS officer took care of Szpilman for the last stretch of his survival. The mise-en-scene of the film displays great aspects of setting, costumes and make-up and staging. Portions of the film are set and shot in Germany using the old building and barracks that were actually used during the war. Much of the film was filmed in Praga district while some was filmed in Germany’s Babelsberg film studios. Here a recreation of the ghetto was made. The ruins of the ghetto were also filmed inside an army base in the former Soviet. That effectively creates a real feeling to the film. The set creates a backdrop to the life of the prisoners. The costumes clearly identify the time period of changes that were occurring as people lost more and more. In addition the costumes and make-up help set the stage for action character. The point of view used in the film is that of Szpilman the leading actor. While the story begins there are many characters but quickly the point of view of the leading actor takes over. After his escape, Szpilman eyes become what we see the world through. The film unrolls with scenes of Szpilman interacting with his confined world. We see him trying to keep from the Nazis and basically try to survive. In the meantime, the world inside his head comes on and off as he hears music in his head. The director , Roman Polanski, gives a true and brilliant film by being true to the autobiography story of the real life Szphilman. He brings to the film his own past. In his childhood, Roman Polanksi underwent a similar situation. During the war, he escaped Krakow Ghetto. This was after his mother died. He hid for the duration of the war in a Polish farmer’s barn. He survived the war along with his father. He therefore draws from his personal experience as well as his experience with other film that have similar themes. In addition Polanski has had experience with films that deal with confinement and its disturbing effects on people. This is in his movies The Tenant, Repulsion and Bitter Moon. Long shots characterize the movie. In several scenes Szphilman looks at the outside world as we look at him. Through the shots the audience gets to see him processing the world. He stares at people being hunted down and killed. He gets little glimpses of the world and his numbness easily comes out through the long shots. Aspects of technical elements in the film are used to highlight the themes. Low lighting and shadows create a feeling of limited vision. When Szpilman is in hiding, we see him covered in darkness. The indignity of living in subhuman condition underscore the humiliation many holocaust victims were exposed to. As he moves from hiding place and scavenges for food the flooding of light highlight how deserted he is. It is all bright and empty around him and no matter which way he looks he is met with emptiness. Dialogue in the film especially as Szpilman interacts with others show the effect of the long suffering on the victims. Forced to be quiet for long periods of time and unable to fully understand what is happening, dialogue is kept at minimal and no revealing. The characters can not express the depth of their experiences and they preserve themselves though direct dialogue. The sound in the film is kept at bare and music at minimal. There are no swelling scores allowing for the audience to stay with their bare emotions. The piano even when ‘silent’ is a beautiful addition to the film. When Szpilman comes across a piano in his hiding place he finds he can not play lest he will be discovered. However, he moves him fingers over the keys and the audience hears the music he is playing in his mind. The nostalgia and hope that Szpilman harbors comes through. The audience glimpses the source of strength for Szpilman’s survival. In comparing this film to others in the same genre some differences can be seen. One of the differences with another movie in the genre, Schindler’s List, is that the pianist is a film that is based on one person. Schindler’s List is broader in dealing with the holocaust in terms of the point of view. The pianist narrows down the holocaust by concentration on one man’s story. From him the audience can understand the holocaust and not the other way round. Schindler’s list has the story of two people; Schindler and Goeth. The cast in The Pianist is also heavily European while Schindler’s List is not. Another difference in that while the hero clearly comes out in Schindler’s List The Pianist does not give to the leading actor the usual hero traits. While Schindler is clearly a hero Szpilman is not a hero by overt means. He is a hero in choosing to survive and simply not giving up despite the difficulties. In addition, The Pianist does not draw clear lines between the good and the bad or assign blame. While it is clear there are bad people killing and hurting others, the film is largely non judgmental. Having watched the film, I feel that The Pianist is a great film. It lives up to its potential because one is completely caught up in Szpilman’s story and begins to understand the holocaust in that light. While other movies show the great suffering and heroes of the war, this film shows the quiet heroism that might go unnoticed by many, yet it is this sort of heroism that was more rampant than the celebrated one. The film is also capturing in the use of elements. The shooting and the delivery come together and the audience gets lost in the film without getting caught up in the ‘vehicle’ that is the technicalities of the film. The film deeply touched me and made me realize that war is terrible not just in what it physically does to people but also because of the psychological and traumatic effects. One of its effects is that it created a disturbance in me. I did not feel that someone came and rescued the day because for many holocaust victims their day was not saved. The realism of the film was quite refreshing. At the same time the film restores hope in humanity. Despite all the horrific events during the war, there were ample cases of people risking life to protect others. Many people helped Szpilman including the SS officer who was taking a great risk. Just as some people can stoop low beyond belief, so can others rise above expectations. In the end, the human spirit rises up against its adversity and that is the best effect of the film considering its genre. Szpilman’s point of view enables the audience to see the holocaust keenly without getting carried away by too much information or characters. References. Bordwell David and Thomson Kristin, Film Art: An introduction. 8 ed. (New York: McGraw- Hill Higher education, 2006). ‘Schindler’s List’: Internet Movie Data Base. 1990-2010. Web. 16 July 2010. ‘The Pianist’: Internet Movie Data base. 1990-2010. Web. 17 July 2010.

The Effects of Smoking on the Developing Fetus Essay -- Health Medical

The Effects of Smoking on the Developing Fetus The exposure of the fetus to nicotine during development has several effects. The most well known result of smoking is low birth weight of the infant. There are also some studies that reveal nicotine as a drug that can affect the brain of the developing fetus. Nicotine also has direct effects on the neurotransmitter systems in the CNS and may cause a decrease in cell growth which could result in mental impairment. The correlation between maternal smoking and low birth weight has been strongly established. Nicotine affects the placental function by inducing the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine into the maternal blood, which causes decreased blood flow to the placenta (1). The decreased blood flow causes a decrease in delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. This may have an effect on cell growth and development. High levels of carboxyhemoglobin are present in the blood of the mother and the fetus. This may decrease the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen and fetal hypoxia is the result (2). Fetal hypoxia and ischemia are major contributors to developmental defects, but nicotine has been implicated, in various studies, to have a direct affect on fetal development (3). Several studies suggest that nicotine interferes with cell acquisition and development in various brain regions. The developing nervous system seems to be more vulnerable to nicotine exposure than the rest of the body (4). This is important since nicotine readily crosses the placental barrier and fetal blood concentrations are equal to or above that of the mother (1). DNA can be used as a index for measuring cell acquisition. An experiment on rats by Lichtensteiger et. al. reported that DN... ...r. (1988) Prenatal adverse effects of nicotine on the developing brain. Progress in Brain Research. 73:137-157. 2. Moore, K. L. The Developing Human: Clinically oriented embryology, 4th edition. Philadelphia PA: W.B. Saunders Co., 1988, p.146. 3.Navarro, H. A., F. J. Seidler, J. P. Eylers, F. E. Baker, S. S. Dobbins, S. E. Lappi, T. A. Slotkin. (1989) Effects of Prenatal Nicotine Exposure on Development of Central and Peripheral Cholinergic Neurotransmitter Systems. Evidence for Cholinergic Trophic Influences in Developing Brain. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 251(3):894-900. 4. Navarro, H. A., F. J. Seidler, R. D. Schwartz, F. E. Baker, S. S. Dobbins, T. A. Slotkin. (1989) Prenatal Exposure to Nicotine Impairs Nervous System Development at a Dose Which Does Not Affect Viability or Growth. Brain Research Bulletin. 23:187-192.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Edward FitzGerald's Translation. 1 Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight: And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light. 2 Dreaming when Dawn's Left Hand was in the Sky I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry, â€Å"Awake, my Little ones, and fill the Cup â€Å"Before Life's Liquor in its Cup be dry. † 3 And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before The Tavern shouted–â€Å"Open then the Door! â€Å"You know how little while we have to stay, â€Å"And, once departed, may return no more. † 4 Now the New Year reviving old Desires, The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,Where the WHITE HAND OF MOSES on the Bough Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires. ***** 5 Iram indeed is gone with all its Rose, And Jamshyd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows; But still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields, And still a Garden by the Water blows. 6 And David's Lips are lock't; but in divin e High piping Pehlevi, with â€Å"Wine! Wine! Wine! â€Å"Red Wine! â€Å"—the Nightingale cries to the Rose That yellow Cheek of hers to incarnadine. 7 Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring The Winter Garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To fly—and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing. And look—a thousand Blossoms with the Day Woke—and a thousand scatter'd into Clay: And this first Summer Month that brings the Rose Shall take Jamshyd and Kaikobad away. ***** 9 But come with old Khayyam, and leave the Lot Of Kaikobad and Kaikhosru forgot! Let Rustum lay about him as he will, Or Hatim Tai cry Supper—heed them not. 10 With me along some Strip of Herbage strown That just divides the desert from the sown, Where name of Slave and Sultan scarce is known, And pity Sultan Mahmud on his Throne. 11 Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough, A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse—and ThouBeside me singing in the Wildernessâ €” And Wilderness is Paradise enow. 12 â€Å"How sweet is mortal Sovranty! â€Å"—think some: Others—â€Å"How blest the Paradise to come! † Ah, take the Cash in hand and waive the Rest; Oh, the brave Music of a distant Drum! ***** 13 Look to the Rose that blows about us—â€Å"Lo, â€Å"Laughing,† she says, â€Å"into the World I blow: â€Å"At once the silken Tassel of my Purse â€Å"Tear, and its Treasure on the Garden throw. † 14 The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon Turns Ashes—or it prospers; and anon, Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face Lighting a little Hour or two—is gone. 15And those who husbanded the Golden Grain, And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain, Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd As, buried once, Men want dug up again. 16 Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai Whose Doorways are alternate Night and Day, How Sultan after Sultan with his Pomp Abode his Hour or two, and went his way. ***** 17 They say the Lion and the Lizard keep The Courts where Jamshyd gloried and drank deep; And Bahram, that great Hunter—the Wild Ass Stamps o'er his Head, and he lies fast asleep. 18 I sometimes think that never so red The Rose as where some buried Caesar bled; That every Hyacinth the Garden wearsDropt in its Lap from some once lovely Head. 19 And this delightful Herb whose tender Green Fledges the River's Lip on which we lean— Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knows From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen! 20 Ah, my Beloved, fill the Cup that clears TO-DAY of past Regrets and future Fears— To-morrow? —Why, To-morrow I may be Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years. ***** 21 Lo! some we loved, the loveliest and best That Time and Fate of all their Vintage prest, Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before, And one by one crept silently to Rest. 22 And we, that now make merry in the RoomThey left, and Summer dresses in new Bloom, Ourselves mu st we beneath the Couch of Earth Descend, ourselves to make a Couch—for whom? 23 Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend, Before we too into the Dust descend; Dust into Dust, and under Dust, to lie, Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and—sans End! 24 Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare, And those that after a TO-MORROW stare, A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries â€Å"Fools! your Reward is neither Here nor There! † ***** 25 Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to ScornAre scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust. 26 Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies; The Flower that once has blown for ever dies. 27 Myself when young did eagerly frequent Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument About it and about: but evermore Came out by the same Door as in I went. 28 With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand labour'd it to grow: And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd— â€Å"I came like Water, and like Wind I go. † ***** 29 Into this Universe, and why not knowing,Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing: And out of it, as Wind along the Waste, I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing. 30 What, without asking, hither hurried whence? And, without asking, whither hurried hence! Another and another Cup to drown The Memory of this Impertinence! 31 Up from Earth's Centre through the Seventh Gate I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate, And many Knots unravel'd by the Road; But not the Knot of Human Death and Fate. 32 There was a Door to which I found no Key: There was a Veil past which I could not see: Some little Talk awhile of ME and THEE There seemed—and then no more of THEE and ME. **** 33 Then to the rolling Heav'n itself I cried, Asking, â€Å"What Lamp had Destiny to guide â€Å"Her little Childre n stumbling in the Dark? † And—â€Å"A blind Understanding! † Heav'n replied. 34 Then to this earthen Bowl did I adjourn My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn: And Lip to Lip it murmur'd—â€Å"While you live â€Å"Drink! —for once dead you never shall return. † 35 I think the Vessel, that with fugitive Articulation answer'd, once did live, And merry-make; and the cold Lip I kiss'd How many Kisses might it take—and give! 36 For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day, I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay:And with its all obliterated Tongue It murmur'd—â€Å"Gently, Brother, gently, pray! † ***** 37 Ah, fill the Cup:—what boots it to repeat How Time is slipping underneath our Feet: Unborn TO-MORROW, and dead YESTERDAY, Why fret about them if TO-DAY be sweet! 38 One Moment in Annihilation's Waste, One Moment, of the Well of Life to taste— The Stars are setting and the Caravan Starts for the Dawn of Nothin g—Oh, make haste! 39 How long, how long, in infinite Pursuit Of This and That endeavour and dispute? Better be merry with the fruitful Grape Than sadden after none, or bitter, Fruit. 40 You know, my Friends, how long since in my HouseFor a new Marriage I did make Carouse: Divorced old barren Reason from my Bed, And took the Daughter of the Vine to Spouse. ***** 41 For â€Å"IS† and â€Å"IS-NOT† though with Rule and Line, And â€Å"UP-AND-DOWN† without, I could define, I yet in all I only cared to know, Was never deep in anything but—Wine. 42 And lately, by the Tavern Door agape, Came stealing through the Dusk an Angel Shape Bearing a Vessel on his Shoulder; and He bid me taste of it; and 'twas—the Grape! 43 The Grape that can with Logic absolute The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute: The subtle Alchemist that in a Trice Life's leaden Metal into Gold transmute. 4 The mighty Mahmud, the victorious Lord, That all the misbelieving and black Horde Of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul Scatters and slays with his enchanted Sword. ***** 45 But leave the Wise to wrangle, and with me The Quarrel of the Universe let be: And, in some corner of the Hubbub coucht, Make Game of that which makes as much of Thee. 46 For in and out, above, about, below, ‘Tis nothing but a Magic Shadow-show, Play'd in a Box whose Candle is the Sun, Round which we Phantom Figures come and go. 47 And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press, End in the Nothing all Things end in —Yes—Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what Thou shalt be—Nothing—Thou shalt not be less. 48 While the Rose blows along the River Brink, With old Khayyam the Ruby Vintage drink: And when the Angel with his darker Draught Draws up to Thee—take that, and do not shrink. ***** 49 ‘Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays: Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays, And one by one back in the Closet lays. 50 The Ball no Question makes of Ayes and Noes, But Right or Left, as strikes the Player goes; And He that toss'd Thee down into the Field, *He* knows about it all—He knows—HE knows! 1 The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it. 52 And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky, Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die, Lift not thy hands to *It* for help—for It Rolls impotently on as Thou or I. ***** 53 With Earth's first Clay They did the Last Man's knead, And then of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed: Yea, the first Morning of Creation wrote What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read. 54 I tell Thee this—When, starting from the Goal, Over the shoulders of the flaming FoalOf Heav'n Parvin and Mushtara they flung, In my predestin'd Plot of Dust and Soul 55 The Vine had struck a Fibre; which about If clings my Being†”let the Sufi flout; Of my Base Metal may be filed a Key, That shall unlock the Door he howls without 56 And this I know: whether the one True Light, Kindle to Love, or Wrathconsume me quite, One Glimpse of It within the Tavern caught Better than in the Temple lost outright. ***** 57 Oh, Thou, who didst with Pitfall and with Gin Beset the Road I was to wander in, Thou wilt not with Predestination round Enmesh me, and impute my Fall to Sin? 58 Oh, Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,And who with Eden didst devise the Snake; For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man Is blacken'd, Man's Forgiveness give—and take! KUZA-NAMA (â€Å"Book of Pots. â€Å") 59 Listen again. One Evening at the Close Of Ramazan, ere the better Moon arose, In that old Potter's Shop I stood alone With the clay Population round in Rows. 60 And, strange to tell, among that Earthen Lot Some could articulate, while others not: And suddenly one more impatient cried— â€Å"Who *is* the Potter, p ray, and who the Pot? † ***** 61 Then said another—â€Å"Surely not in vain â€Å"My Substance from the common Earth was ta'en, â€Å"That He who subtly wrought me into Shape Should stamp me back to common Earth again. † 62 Another said—â€Å"Why, ne'er a peevish Boy, â€Å"Would break the Bowl from which he drank in Joy; â€Å"Shall He that *made* the Vessel in pure Love â€Å"And Fancy, in an after Rage destroy! † 63 None answer'd this; but after Silence spake A Vessel of a more ungainly Make: â€Å"They sneer at me for learning all awry; â€Å"What! did the Hand then of the Potter shake? † 64 Said one—â€Å"Folk of a surly Tapster tell â€Å"And daub his Visage with the Smoke of Hell; â€Å"They talk of some strict Testing of us—Pish! â€Å"He's a Good Fellow, and ‘t will all be well. † ***** 65 Then said another with a long-drawn Sigh, My Clay with long oblivion is gone dry: â€Å"But, fill me with the old familiar Juice, â€Å"Methinks I might recover by-and-bye! † 66 So while the Vessels one by one were speaking, One spied the little Crescent all were seeking: And then they jogg'd each other, â€Å"Brother! Brother! â€Å"Hark to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a-creaking! † 67 Ah, with the Grape my fading Life provide, And wash my Body whence the Life has died, And in the Windingsheet of Vine-leaf wrapt, So bury me by some sweet Garden-side. 68 That ev'n my buried Ashes such a Snare Of Perfume shall fling up into the Air, As not a True Believer passing by But shall be overtaken unaware. ***** 9 Indeed the Idols I have loved so long Have done my Credit in Men's Eye much wrong: Have drown'd my Honour in a shallow Cup, And sold my Reputation for a Song. 70 Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before I swore—but was I sober when I swore? And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand My thread-bare Penitence apieces tore. 71 And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour—well, I often wonder what the Vintners buy One half so precious as the Goods they sell. 72 Alas, that Spring should vanish with the Rose! That Youth's sweet-scented Manuscript should close! The Nightingale that in the Branches sang,Ah, whence, and whither flown again, who knows! ***** 73 Ah Love! could thou and I with Fate conspire To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire, Would not we shatter it to bits—and then Re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire! 74 Ah, Moon of my Delight who Know'st no wane The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again: How oft hereafter rising shall she look Through this same Garden after me—in vain! 75 And when Thyself with shining Foot shall pass Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the Grass, And in thy joyous Errand reach the Spot Where I made one—turn down an empty Glass! TAMAM SHUD (It is completed. )

Bestbuy’s Strategy Essay

According to the case, BestBuy is trying to create a competitive advantage in three areas: customer-centricity, employment policies, and exclusive branding. After studying the VRIO framework, I have found that BestBuy’s three areas of strategy do fit into the VRIO framework. BestBuy believes that an effective strategy is a commitment to customer-centricity. A business that implements customer-centricity caters to specific customer needs and behaviors. According to the book, BestBuy wants to steer away from a product-centered marketing approach to a more customer-oriented marketing approach which will have them asking what problems its customers are facing, and then providing solutions. Furthermore, BestBuy wants to segment its customers into four different profiles: Upscale Suburban, Urban Trendsetter, Empty Nesters, and Middle America. In different regions around the U. S. you will find these diverse groups. BestBuy has been able to utilize the rare attribute of the VRIO framework with its ability to serve the needs of the predominant customer segment in a given region. BestBuy is unlike any company in the consumer electronic industry because as the book mentions, â€Å"Nearly all companies claim to be customer oriented, but being customer centric required a radical reorganization and shift in employee mindset. † BestBuy has reformatted the physical space in its stores and related products have been bundled together to meet the needs of certain segments. Store teams have also been trying to answer the following questions: What kind of traffic do we have coming in our stores today, how effectively are we selling to the people in the stores, what does our customer information look like, what segments do we have coming in, and what kind of market share do we have for those segments? To answer those questions BestBuy has been investing in the right tools so that the field knows what to focus on. BestBuy has taken customer interest a step further, and so far it has given them a rare advantage. BestBuy has also done a good job of organizing its employment policies to capture value. According to the book, BestBuy has set up an employee listening program that uses open communication to better understand the needs of its workers. This program has done a great job of exploiting the company’s capabilities because it is implementing tools such as annual company-wide surveys, a virtual discussion board, and one-on-one dialogue sessions. BestBuy is capturing value because they are listening to their employees and discerning information that was previously unknown to management. The final area that BestBuy is focusing its strategy on is exclusive brands. This last area is very important to BestBuy because it is valuable, rare, and costly to imitate. BestBuy currently owns these private labels: Insignia, Dynex, Init, Rocketfish, and Geek Squad. As far as background goes, Insignia produces TVs, monitors, home-theater systems, and portable video/ audio players. Dynex produces storage media, data and power cables, webcams, and office supplies. Init produces media storage, equipment bags, totes and furniture for home theaters. Rocketfish is a top notch producer of cables that are mostly used for TVs. And most famously, Geek Squad provides computer repair and installation services. BestBuy realizes that they cannot solely rely on these small private labels to create, on their own, enough revenue to stay in business. But nevertheless, these private labels are valuable because they add attractive features to the company. Most of the products offered by these small labels are accessories that add value to the more expensive products which in turn increase the profitability of BestBuy. In particular, I think Geek Squad is valuable because a lot of older people do not know how to set up the more complex electronics and often run into problems. Easy-to-setup installation and troubleshooting is a very attractive feature to most consumers. Along those same lines, these small labels are rare because their products are only being sold in BestBuy stores. If you’re a huge fan of Rocketfish cables or really appreciate the helpfulness of Geek Squad then you have to come to BestBuy to get you want. These private labels are also costly to imitate I imagine because it could be costly to implement and staff a repair and installation service in all of your stores like BestBuy has done with Geek Squad. Also, these private labels have a few unique products that could be hard to replicate. I know that Init has created some nice, high quality equipment bags and furniture for home theaters. I believe that after weighing the benefits of all three of these areas that BestBuy has indeed created a competitive advantage. In one way or another they have valuable, rare, costly to imitate, or are organized to capture value with their products and services. BestBuy’s business level strategy is to focus on its people through customer centricity and employment policies. The managers in both areas want to listen to the people and discern how to best appeal to them. Managers have planned to become customer centric by profiling its customers and then design the stores and provide products according to the profiles in the region. The cost driver associated is the cost of input factors because it requires a radical reorganization and shift in employee mindset. Stores need to be reformatted and related products need to be bundled. The main value driver for this focus has been customer service. BestBuy has excelled at customer service because they are able to identify customer needs and appeal to their wants because of the unique profiles that have been created. The main cost driver for employment policies has also been cost of input factors because I imagine it has been costly to implement the new annual company-wide surveys, a virtual discussion board, and one-on-one dialogue sessions. The main value driver for the employment policies is customer service. BestBuy has created distinctive techniques for company-wide communication that in turn provide better customer support. Managers now know what the consumers are thinking because the employees are able to share information with their superiors in an efficient way. The competition between BestBuy, Amazon, Apple, and Wal-Mart has been fierce over the last several years. BestBuy has found itself to still be at the top of consumer electronics in the minds of its customers with 40% of the votes. However, BestBuy comes in 11th place in the Top 15 most valuable retail brands. Furthermore, Apple has recently made a large push in the race by reaching $2. 8 billion in sales in 2010 which puts them in third place behind BestBuy and Amazon. However, BestBuy is in last place according to share performance in 2010 and 2011. After looking at all of the different results and surveys I would say that BestBuy is right in the thick of things and battling for the top spot. Amazon may be more a valuable company but the consumers still view BestBuy as the leading consumer electronic company. One of the critical problems facing BestBuy is people coming into the store and testing the products and then leaving and buying the product elsewhere. I think that BestBuy’s strategy to become customer centered is a good strategy. Many of the same products are sold by multiple companies, but if BestBuy can appeal to the segments and profiles of people coming into their stores then they can get people to buy the products in their stores. Identifying the profiles of people coming in is the first step and then being able to bundle products and arrange displays in an appealing way is a good strategy. If BestBuy continues to value its consumers I think they will find a way to sustain a competitive. After all, people want to feel important and be given what they need and desire.

Economics of India essays

Economics of India essays 50 Years of Independence ; 5000 Years of History The Republic of India possesses tremendous contrasts and enormous ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. Since independence in 1947, the Indian civilization has expanded in every facet - from its increasing population to its to its intertwining cultural and social systems. There are over 1600 languages, nearly 400 of them are spoken by more than 200, 000 people. Ethnically, the country is comprised of mostly of Indo-Aryans and Dravidians while Hindus are the majority in the religious groups. The distinguishing characteristic of India is that is unofficially uses the caste system to differentiate between socio-economic classes and to prevent a fusion of various groups. Like the US , India is a democratic republic with a federal form of government. Geographically, India lies east of Pakistan, west of Bangladesh, south of China, and north of the island-country of Sri Lanka. India's population is the world's second largest continues to grow at a rate faster than that of China, threatening to overtake it in the next century. Over thousands of years of its history, India has been invaded from the Iranian plateau, Central Asia, and the West. "The Indian people have absorbed and changed these influences to produce remarkable racial and cultural synthesis" ( US Dept. of State, 1997, p 3) .They have had a continuous civilization since 2500 BC., when the inhabitants of the Indus River Valley developed an urban culture based on commerce and agricultural trade. Around 2000 BC, Aryan speaking tribes migrated from the northwest into the subcontinent. As they settled, they adapted to the previous Dravidian cultures. In the fourth and fifth centuries AD, northern India was unified under the Gupta Dynasty. During this period, know as India's "Golden Age", Hindu culture and political administration reached new heights. Islam spread over the continent o...

Vanraj Mini Tractors Essays

Vanraj Mini Tractors Essays Vanraj Mini Tractors Essay Vanraj Mini Tractors Essay The competitors in this segment are Chinese made tractors and locally assembled tractors; however those are no match for Vandal even if those are cheaper as Vandal is geared towards hostile Indian conditions. The tractors in other segments have higher horse power- at least twice as costly as Vandal and half as fuel efficient. Vandal can also be used for other farming purposes like spraying pesticides, POT, Intercultural operation etc. And other non farming purposes Like transportation also. Average landholding in India being 1. 7 hectares and with 82% of farmers belonging o this category- this segments looked quite lucrative for a product like Vandal. Problem Definition The manufacturers were In dilemma whether to target Just the small and marginal farmer segment of the tractor market. Analysis Summary Advantages for a farmer in favor of buying a small tractor- Initial purchasing cost half of that of a big tractor, fuel consumption cost halved as well. Better than bullocks In cost and maintenance terms. Tractors are financed up to 90% through banks and at cheap rates even for marginal farmer. Government gives subsidy of ASK for mini tractor market segment. Its smaller wheel base and turning radius offers better invulnerability, accessible to all corners of the land. It can also De us technologically EAI Tort non-Tarring purposes Walt I Title or no molestations Against buying a small tractor- Tractors are not only used for agricultural purposes but also for rural transportation and hauling of agricultural produce to market. They also have a social significance in rural India- they are a symbol of power and masculinity. Custom work like renting out for generating some extra cash can be done only with larger tractors. Market Outlook The small and marginal farmer market segment has little competition with a huge potential demand. Market can be created given that credit availability is not a problem -banks are ready to finance up to 90% of the tractor cost to a farmer with as less as 3 acres of land. Government also has favorable policy for this sector- ASK of subsidy is give n from Government side to farmer per tractor. Another sector that can be looked at is horticulturalist market. Our Recommendation We recommend forming one marketing strategy to target small and marginal farmer segment and another marketing strategy for the other market segments. Small and marginal farmer market segment is price sensitive market segment- we have to market Vandal as cost effective product. We suggest launching Vandal in one geographical area and after getting the feedback expanding the operation in other geographical areas in phased manner. Support for our Recommendation Small and marginal farmers have different requirements than the larger farmer, they eve small landholding than the larger ones and keeping a big tractor is out of question for them. The small and marginal farmer segment is cost sensitive market and hence dealing Walt tins market segment we nave to KICK Tort long term galas Instead AT near term benefits- break even can happen only in 12th year, refer the break even calculation below. We are entering a new market segment and we dont have established distribution channel- we need to launch the product in one geographical area first and after getting the feedback from that customer group based on this feedback we have to improve on product, pricing, distribution and marketing etc and then launch in other geographical areas in phased manner.