How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay

How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You'll no doubt have to write a number of argumentative essays in both high school and college, but what, exactly, is an argumentative essay and how do you write the best one possible? Let's take a look. A great argumentative essay always combines the same basic elements: approaching an argument from a rational perspective, researching sources, supporting your claims using facts rather than opinion, and articulating your reasoning into the most cogent and reasoned points. Argumentative essays are great building blocks for all sorts of research and rhetoric, so your teachers will expect you to master the technique before long. But if this sounds daunting, never fear! We’ll show how an argumentative essay differs from other kinds of papers, how to research and write them, how to pick an argumentative essay topic, and where to find example essays. So let's get started. What Is an Argumentative Essay? How Is it Different from Other Kinds of Essays? There are two basic requirements for any and all essays: to state a claim (a thesis statement) and to support that claim with evidence. Though every essay is founded on these two ideas, there are several different types of essays, differentiated by the style of the writing, how the writer presents the thesis, and the types of evidence used to support the thesis statement. Essays can be roughly divided into four different types: #1: Argumentative#2: Persuasive#3: Expository#4: Analytical So let’s look at each type and what the differences are between them before we focus the rest of our time to argumentative essays. Argumentative Essay Argumentative essays are what this article is all about, so let's talk about them first. An argumentative essay attempts to convince a reader to agree with a particular argument (the writer's thesis statement). The writer takes a firm stand one way or another on a topic and then uses hard evidence to support that stance. An argumentative essay seeks to prove to the reader that one argument- the writer's argument- is the factually and logically correct one. This means that an argumentative essay must use only evidence-based support to back up a claim, rather than emotional or philosophical reasoning (which is often allowed in other types of essays). Thus, an argumentative essay has a burden of substantiated proof and sources, whereas some other types of essays (namely persuasive essays) do not. You can write an argumentative essay on any topic, so long as there's room for argument. Generally, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one, so long as you support the argumentative essay with hard evidence. Example topics of an argumentative essay: â€Å"Should farmers be allowed to shoot wolves if those wolves injure or kill farm animals?† â€Å"Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?† â€Å"Are alternatives to democracy effective and/or feasible to implement?† The next three types of essays are not argumentative essays, but you may have written them in school. We're going to cover them so you know what not to do for your argumentative essay. Persuasive Essay Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative essays, so it can be easy to get them confused. But knowing what makes an argumentative essay different than a persuasive essay can often mean the difference between an excellent grade and an average one. Persuasive essays seek to persuade a reader to agree with the point of view of the writer, whether that point of view is based on factual evidence or not. The writer has much more flexibility in the evidence they can use, with the ability to use moral, cultural, or opinion-based reasoning as well as factual reasoning to persuade the reader to agree the writer’s side of a given issue. Instead of being forced to use â€Å"pure† reason as one would in an argumentative essay, the writer of a persuasive essay can manipulate or appeal to the reader’s emotions. So long as the writer attempts to steer the readers into agreeing with the thesis statement, the writer doesn’t necessarily need hard evidence in favor of the argument. Often, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one- the difference is all in the approach and the evidence you present. Example topics of a persuasive essay: â€Å"Should children be responsible for their parents’ debts?† â€Å"Should cheating on a test be automatic grounds for expulsion?† â€Å"How much should sports leagues be held accountable for player injuries and the long-term consequences of those injuries?† Expository Essay An expository essay is typically a short essay in which the writer explains an idea, issue, or theme, or discusses the history of a person, place, or idea. This is typically a fact-forward essay with little argument or opinion one way or the other. Example topics of an expository essay: â€Å"The History of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell† â€Å"The Reasons I Always Wanted to be a Doctor† â€Å"The Meaning Behind the Colloquialism ‘People in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones’† Analytical Essay An analytical essay seeks to delve into the deeper meaning of a text or work of art, or unpack a complicated idea. These kinds of essays closely interpret a source and look into its meaning by analyzing it at both a macro and micro level. This type of analysis can be augmented by historical context or other expert or widely-regarded opinions on the subject, but is mainly supported directly through the original source (the piece or art or text being analyzed). Example topics of an analytical essay: â€Å"Victory Gin in Place of Water: The Symbolism Behind Gin as the Only Potable Substance in George Orwell's 1984† â€Å"Amarna Period Art: The Meaning Behind the Shift from Rigid to Fluid Poses† â€Å"Adultery During WWII, as Told Through a Series of Letters to and from Soldiers† There are many different types of essay and, over time, you'll be able to master them all. A Typical Argumentative Essay Assignment The average argumentative essay is between three to five pages, and will require at least three or four separate sources with which to back your claims. As for the essay topic, you'll most often be asked to write an argumentative essay in an English class on a â€Å"general† topic of your choice, ranging the gamut from science, to history, to literature. But while the topics of an argumentative essay can span several different fields, the structure of an argumentative essay is always the same: you must support a claim- a claim that can reasonably have multiple sides- using multiple sources and using a standard essay format (which we'll talk about later on). This is why many argumentative essay topics begin with the word â€Å"should,† as in: â€Å"Should all students be required to learn chemistry in high school?† â€Å"Should children be required to learn a second language?† â€Å"Should schools or governments be allowed to ban books?† These topics all have at least two sides of the argument: Yes or no. And you must support the side you choose with evidence as to why your side is the correct one. But there are also plenty of other ways to frame an argumentative essay as well: â€Å"Does using social media do more to benefit or harm people?† â€Å"Does the legal status of artwork or its creators- graffiti and vandalism, pirated media, a creator who’s in jail- have an impact on the art itself?† â€Å"Is or should anyone ever be ‘above the law?’† Though these are worded differently than the first three, you're still essentially forced to pick between two sides of an issue: yes or no, for or against, benefit or detriment. Though your argument might not fall entirely into one side of the divide or another- for instance, you could claim that social media has positively impacted some aspects of modern life while being a detriment to others- your essay should still support one side of the argument above all. Your final stance would be that overall, social media is beneficial or overall, social media is harmful. If your argument is one that is mostly text-based or backed by a single source (e.g., â€Å"How does Salinger show that Holden Caulfield is an unreliable narrator?† or â€Å"Does Gatsby personify the American Dream?†), then it’s an analytical essay, rather than an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay will always be focused on more general topics so that you can use multiple sources to back up your claims. Good Argumentative Essay Topics So you know the basic idea behind an argumentative essay, but what topic should you write about? Again, almost always, you'll be asked to write an argumentative essay on a free topic of your choice, or you'll be asked to select between a few given topics. If you're given complete free reign of topics, then it'll be up to you to find an essay topic that no only appeals to you, but that you can turn into an A+ argumentative essay. What makes a â€Å"good† argumentative essay topic depends on both the subject matter and your personal interest- it can be hard to give your best effort on something that bores you to tears! But it can also be near impossible to write an argumentative essay on a topic that has no room for debate. As we said earlier, a good argumentative essay topic will be one that has the potential to reasonably go in at least two directions- for or against, yes or no, and why. For example, it’s pretty hard to write an argumentative essay on whether or not people should be allowed to murder one another- not a whole lot of debate there for most people!- but writing an essay for or against the death penalty has a lot more wiggle room for evidence and argument. A good topic is also one that can be substantiated through hard evidence and relevant sources. So be sure to pick a topic that other people have studied (or at least studied elements of) so that you can use their data in your argument. For example, if you’re arguing that it should be mandatory for all middle school children to play a sport, you might have to apply smaller scientific data points to the larger picture you're trying to justify. There are probably several studies you could cite on the benefits of physical activity and the positive effect structure and teamwork has on young minds, but there's probably no study you could use where a group of scientists put all middle-schoolers in one jurisdiction into a mandatory sports program (since that’s probably never happened). So long as your evidence is relevant to your point and you can extrapolate from it to form a larger whole, you can use it as a part of your resource material. And if you need ideas on where to get started, or just want to see sample argumentative essay topics, then check out these links for hundreds of potential argumentative essay topics. 101 Persuasive (or Argumentative) Essay and Speech Topics 301 Prompts for Argumentative Writing Top 50 Ideas for Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Writing [Note: some of these say "persuasive essay topics," but just remember that the same topic can often be used for both a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay; the difference is in your writing style and the evidence you use to support your claims.] KO! Find that one argumentative essay topic you can absolutely conquer. Argumentative Essay Format Argumentative Essays are composed of four main elements: A position (your argument) Your reasons Supporting evidence for those reasons (from reliable sources) Counterargument(s) (possible opposing arguments and reasons why those arguments are incorrect) If you’re familiar with essay writing in general, then you’re also probably familiar with the five paragraph essay structure. This structure is a simple tool to show how one outlines an essay and breaks it down into its component parts, although it can be expanded into as many paragraphs as you want beyond the core five. The standard argumentative essay is often 3-5 pages, which will usually mean a lot more than five paragraphs, but your overall structure will look the same as a much shorter essay. An argumentative essay at its simplest structure will look like: Paragraph 1: Intro Set up the story/problem/issue Thesis/claim Paragraph 2: Support Reason #1 claim is correct Supporting evidence with sources Paragraph 3: Support Reason #2 claim is correct Supporting evidence with sources Paragraph 4: Counterargument Explanation of argument for the other side Refutation of opposing argument with supporting evidence Paragraph 5: Conclusion Re-state claim Sum up reasons and support of claim from the essay to prove claim is correct Now let’s unpack each of these paragraph types to see how they work (with examples!), what goes into them, and why. Paragraph 1- Set Up and Claim Your first task is to introduce the reader to the topic at hand so they’ll be prepared for your claim. Give a little background information, set the scene, and give the reader some stakes so that they care about the issue you're going to discuss. Next, you absolutely must have a position on an argument and make that position clear to the readers. It’s not an argumentative essay unless you’re arguing for a specific claim, and this claim will be your thesis statement. Your thesis CANNOT be a mere statement of fact (e.g., â€Å"Washington DC is the capital of the United States†). Your thesis must instead be an opinion which can be backed up with evidence and has the potential to be argued against (e.g., â€Å"New York should be the capital of the United States†). Paragraphs 2 and 3- Your Evidence These are your body paragraphs in which you give the reasons why your argument is the best one and back up this reasoning with concrete evidence. The argument supporting the thesis of an argumentative essay should be one that can be supported by facts and evidence, rather than personal opinion or cultural or religious mores. For example, if you’re arguing that New York should be the new capital of the US, you would have to back up that fact by discussing the factual contrasts between New York and DC in terms of location, population, revenue, and laws. You would then have to talk about the precedents for what makes for a good capital city and why New York fits the bill more than DC does. Your argument can’t simply be that a lot of people think New York is the best city ever and that you agree. In addition to using concrete evidence, you always want to keep the tone of your essay passionate, but impersonal. Even though you’re writing your argument from a single opinion, don’t use first person language- â€Å"I think,† â€Å"I feel,† â€Å"I believe,†- to present your claims. Doing so is repetitive, since by writing the essay you’re already telling the audience what you feel, and using first person language weakens your writing voice. For example, â€Å"I think that Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States.† Versus, â€Å"Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States.† The second statement sounds far stronger and more analytical. Paragraph 4- Argument for the Other Side and Refutation Even without a counter argument, you can make a pretty persuasive claim, but a counterargument will round out your essay into one that is much more persuasive and substantial. By anticipating an argument against your claim and taking the initiative to counter it, you’re allowing yourself to get ahead of the game. This way, you show that you’ve given great thought to all sides of the issue before choosing your position, and you demonstrate in multiple ways how yours is the more reasoned and supported side. Paragraph 5- Conclusion This paragraph is where you re-state your argument and summarize why it’s the best claim. Briefly touch on your supporting evidence and voila! A finished argumentative essay. Your essay should have just as awesome a skeleton as this plesiosaur does. (In other words: a ridiculously awesome skeleton) Argumentative Essay Example: 5-Paragraph Style It always helps to have an example to learn from. I've written a full 5-paragraph argumentative essay here. Look at how I state my thesis in paragraph 1, give supporting evidence in paragraphs 2 and 3, address a counterargument in paragraph 4, and conclude in paragraph 5. Topic: Is it possible to maintain conflicting loyalties? Paragraph 1 It is almost impossible to go through life without encountering a situation where your loyalties to different people or causes come into conflict with each other. Maybe you have a loving relationship with your sister, but she disagrees with your decision to join the army, or you find yourself torn between your cultural beliefs and your scientific ones. These conflicting loyalties can often be maintained for a time, but as examples from both history and psychological theory illustrate, sooner or later, people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever. The first two sentences set the scene and give some hypothetical examples and stakes for the reader to care about. The third sentence finishes off the intro with the thesis statement, making very clear how the author stands on the issue ("people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever.") Paragraphs 2 and 3 Psychological theory states that human beings are not equipped to maintain conflicting loyalties indefinitely and that attempting to do so leads to a state called â€Å"cognitive dissonance.† Cognitive dissonance theory is the psychological idea that people undergo tremendous mental stress or anxiety when holding contradictory beliefs, values, or loyalties (Festinger, 1957). Even if human beings initially hold a conflicting loyalty, they will do their best to find a mental equilibrium by making a choice between those loyalties- stay stalwart to a belief system or change their beliefs. One of the earliest formal examples of cognitive dissonance theory comes from Leon Festinger’s When Prophesy Fails. Members of an apocalyptic cult are told that the end of the world will occur on a specific date and that they alone will be spared the Earth’s destruction. When that day comes and goes with no apocalypse, the cult members face a cognitive dissonance between what they s ee and what they’ve been led to believe (Festinger, 1956). Some choose to believe that the cult's beliefs are still correct, but that the Earth was simply spared from destruction by mercy, while others choose to believe that they were lied to and that the cult was fraudulent all along. Both beliefs cannot be correct at the same time, and so the cult members are forced to make their choice. But even when conflicting loyalties can lead to potentially physical, rather than just mental, consequences, people will always make a choice to fall on one side or other of a dividing line. Take, for instance, Nicolaus Copernicus, a man born and raised in Catholic Poland (and educated in Catholic Italy). Though the Catholic church dictated specific scientific teachings, Copernicus' loyalty to his own observations and scientific evidence won out over his loyalty to his country’s government and belief system. When he published his heliocentric model of the solar systemin opposition to the geocentric model that had been widely accepted for hundreds of years (Hannam, 2011) Copernicus was making a choice between his loyalties. In an attempt to maintain his fealty both to the established system and to what he believed, he sat on his findings for a number of years (Fantoli, 1994). But, ultimately, Copernicus made the choice to side with his beliefs and observations above all and pub lished his work for the world to see (even though, in doing so, he risked both his reputation and personal freedoms). These two paragraphs provide the reasons why the author supports the main argument and uses substantiated sources to back those reasons. The paragraph on cognitive dissonance theory gives both broad supporting evidence and more narrow, detailed supporting evidence to show why the thesis statement is correct not just anecdotally but also scientifically and psychologically. First, we see why people in general have a difficult time accepting conflicting loyalties and desires and then how this applies to individuals through the example of the cult members from the Dr. Festinger's research. The next paragraph continues to use more detailed examples from history to provide further evidence of why the thesis that people cannot indefinitely maintain conflicting loyalties is true. Paragraph 4 Some will claim that it is possible to maintain conflicting beliefs or loyalties permanently, but this is often more a matter of people deluding themselves and still making a choice for one side or the other, rather than truly maintaining loyalty to both sides equally. For example, Lancelot du Lac typifies a person who claims to maintain a balanced loyalty between to two parties, but his attempt to do so fails (as all attempts to permanently maintain conflicting loyalties must). Lancelot tells himself and others that he is equally devoted to both King Arthur and his court and to being Queen Guinevere’s knight (Malory, 2008). But he can neither be in two places at once to protect both the king and queen, nor can he help but let his romantic feelings for the queen to interfere with his duties to the king and the kingdom. Ultimately, he and Queen Guinevere give into their feelings for one another and Lancelot- though he denies it- chooses his loyalty to her over his loyalty to Ar thur. This decision plunges the kingdom into a civil war, ages Lancelot prematurely, and ultimately leads to Camelot’s ruin (Raabe, 1987). Though Lancelot claimed to have been loyal to both the king and the queen, this loyalty was ultimately in conflict, and he could not maintain it. Here we have the acknowledgement of a potential counter-argument and the evidence as to why it isn't true. The argument is that some people (or literary characters) have asserted that they give equal weight to their conflicting loyalties. The refutation is that, though some may claim to be able to maintain conflicting loyalties, they're either lying to others or deceiving themselves. The paragraph shows why this is true by providing an example of this in action. Paragraph 5 Whether it be through literature or history, time and time again, people demonstrate the challenges of trying to manage conflicting loyalties and the inevitable consequences of doing so. Though belief systems are malleable and will often change over time, it is not possible to maintain two mutually exclusive loyalties or beliefs at once. In the end, people always make a choice, and loyalty for one party or one side of an issue will always trump loyalty to the other. The concluding paragraph summarizes the essay, touches on the evidence presented, and re-states the thesis statement. How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 8 Steps Writing the best argumentative essay is all about the preparation, so let's talk steps: #1: Preliminary Research If you have the option to pick your own argumentative essay topic (which you most likely will), then choose one or two topics you find the most intriguing or that you have a vested interest in and do some preliminary research on both sides of the debate. Do an open internet search just to see what the general chatter is on the topic and what the research trends are. Did your preliminary reading influence you to pick a side or change your side? Without diving into all the scholarly articles at length, do you believe there’s enough evidence to support your claim? Have there been scientific studies? Experiments? Does a noted scholar in the field agree with you? If not, you may need to pick another topic or side of the argument to support. #2: Pick Your Side and Form Your Thesis Now's the time to pick the side of the argument you feel you can support the best and summarize your main point into your thesis statement. Your thesis will be the basis of your entire essay, so make sure you know which side you’re on, that you’ve stated it clearly, and that you stick by your argument throughout the entire essay. #3: Heavy-Duty Research Time You’ve taken a gander at what the internet at large has to say on your argument, but now’s the time to actually read those sources and take notes. Check scholarly journals online at Google Scholar, the Directory of Open Access Journals, or JStor. You can also search individual university or school libraries and websites to see what kinds of academic articles you can access for free. Keep track of your important quotes and page numbers and put them somewhere that’s easy to find later. And don’t forget to check your school or local libraries as well! #4: Outline Follow the five-paragraph outline structure from the previous section. Fill in your topic, your reasons, and your supporting evidence into each of the categories. Before you begin to flesh out the essay, take a look at what you’ve got. Is your thesis statement in the first paragraph? Is it clear? Is your argument logical? Does your supporting evidence support your reasoning? By outlining your essay, you streamline your process and take care of any logic gaps before you dive headfirst into the writing. This will save you a lot of grief later on if you need to change your sources or your structure, so don’t get too trigger-happy and skip this step. #5: Draft Now that you’ve laid out exactly what you’ll need for your essay and where, it’s time to fill in all the gaps by writing it out. Take it one step at a time and expand your ideas into complete sentences and substantiated claims. It may feel daunting to turn an outline into a complete draft, but just remember that you’ve already laid out all the groundwork; now you’re just filling in the gaps. #6: Edit If you have the time before deadline, give yourself a day or two (or even just an hour!) away from your essay. Looking it over with fresh eyes will allow you to see errors, both minor and major, that you likely would have missed had you tried to edit when it was still raw. Take a first pass over the entire essay and try your best to ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes- you’re just looking at the big picture right now. Does it make sense as a whole? Did the essay succeed in making an argument and backing that argument up logically? (Do you feel persuaded?) If not, go back and make notes so that you can fix it for your final draft. Once you’ve made your revisions to the overall structure, mark all your small errors and grammar problems so you can fix them in the next draft. #7: Final Draft Use the notes you made on the rough draft and go in and hack and smooth away until you’re satisfied with the final result. A checklist for your final draft: Formatting is correct according to your teacher’s standards No errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation Essay is the right length and size for the assignment The argument is present, consistent, and concise Each reason is supported by relevant evidence The essay makes sense overall #8: Celebrate! Once you’ve brought that final draft to a perfect polish and turned in your assignment, you’re done! Go you! Be prepared and â™ ª you'll never go hungry again â™ ª, *cough*, or struggle with your argumentative essay-writing again. (Walt Disney Studios) Good Examples of Argumentative Essays Online Theory is all well and good, but examples are key. Just to get you started on what a fully-fleshed out argumentative essay looks like, let's see some examples in action. Check out these two argumentative essay examples on the use of landmines and freons (and note the excellent use of concrete sources to back up their arguments!). The Use of Landmines A Shattered Sky The Take-Aways: Keys to Writing an Argumentative Essay At first, writing an argumentative essay may seem like a monstrous hurdle to overcome, but with the proper preparation and understanding, you'll be able to knock yours out of the park. Remember the differences between a persuasive essay and an argumentative one, make sure your thesis is clear, and double-check that your supporting evidence is both relevant to your point and well-sourced. Pick your topic, do your research, make your outline, and fill in the gaps. Before you know it, you'll have yourself an A+ argumentative essay there, my friend.

Best Fall Foliage and Autumn Color Web Cams

Best Fall Foliage and Autumn Color Web Cams Here are some of the very best web video cameras showing fall leaf color in forests throughout North America for this viewing season. These selected sites record the color of fall tree foliage using live web cameras mounted at strategic locations. By viewing these forest web cams, you will see how fall color is spreading and the autumn leaf wave is moving throughout North America. Starting in mid-September, Canada, the Rockies and Maines leaves will turn colors and steadily creep southward in waves of yellow, orange and red - read Catching the Fall Color Wave. The tree leaf display will end with leaf fall in the southern United States in late November. The Weather Channel has an excellent current map of expected fall color conditions.   The Best Views Algonquin Park. Ontario, Canada - The park covers 1.9 million forest acres. Here is a live view and a pan view that gives you a first show of leaf color turn in aspens for North America. Acadia National Park. Maine, USA - View turning leaves on 40,000 acres of Atlantic coast shoreline. Mixed hardwood colors light up the green spruce/fir forest. Glacier National Park. Montana, USA - There are now six outside digital cameras located in Glacier National Park. You can curser over each link to see an updated quick shot. The Nations Capitol. Washington D.C., USA - This web cam view is from the Netherlands Carillon looking east toward the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building. Brasstown Bald. Georgia, USA - Web cam view from Georgias highest point near Blairsville. You need the latest free Java install for this live video. Mammoth Cave National Park. Kentucky, USA - View of Green River Valley looking north-northwest. The visual range is approximately 15 miles and overlooks a massive upland hardwood forest. Fall Foliage Cams. The Entire USA - Another destination site for fall leaf viewing in North America.

Amazon Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Amazon - Case Study Example , the organization was an online bookstore but it diversified its operations to include services such as DVDs and VHS tapes, software, electronics, video games, music CDs, furniture, clothing, MP3s, and food items. Technology ensured that E-books could eclipse the sale of hard copies and Bezos took advantage of it (Stone, 2012). This was in recognition to what Amazon had done in making online shopping popular. In order to ensure that its products are closer to the customer, Amazon operates different retails websites for several countries including US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, China, Spain, Italy, France and Japan. In addition, the organization operates international shipping lines to given countries for delivery of its products to its customers there (Enright, 2010). The main competitors for the organization are Apple Inc., eBay Inc., buy.com, Google, Barnes & Noble, Inc., Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC, and Catalog & Mail Order Houses. This is because the companies are in the same business and they have been able to establish themselves in the market as well. These competitors operate several websites that customers can use to purchase their wares. In addition, the competitors such as Apple Inc offer a diverse number of services that can be used to rival Amazon. However, in order to stay ahead of the game Amazon ensures that it produces services that are not available in the other online retailers. For, example it was the first to introduce an international shipping line for transporting goods to its customers (Enright, 2010). The relationship between Amazon and publishers based in New York is very good because Amazon is able to sell books everywhere (Stone, 2012). This means that the organization has already established itself and thus customers trust its operations. Because of its policies, which are to satisfy the customer at all the times, Amazon has been able to create a huge client base. In addition, the existing clients for Amazon act as its marketers

Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Poetry - Essay Example Four stanzas characterize The Road Not Taken, each having five lines. The scheme of the rhyme in the poem is ABAAB. This means that the rhymes are masculine and strict, meaning that the speaker is in a dilemma to choose a path that is rarely used by people. The poem the road not taken has received widespread recognition based on which it reflects dilemma when an individual has to make a choice in life. Based on the simple words used in The Road Not Taken the author employs (â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh / I took the one less travelled by†), scholars stipulate that the poem is easy to memorize without the reader really understanding it. In the case of the poem, the persona stipulates â€Å"the passing here/ Had won them really about the same.† Ideally, the two roads â€Å"that morning/ In leaves no step had trodden black.† This means that in the case of the two roads, one of them is less travelled. As such, it is inappropriate to ignore the after-effects prevalent based on the way in which they are portrayed in the poem, since the persona is unsure on the path in which he should follow. In this case, the speaker stipulates that â€Å"I took the less travelled by / And that has made all the difference.â €  The major attraction evident in the poem is the archetypal dilemma, meaning that the narrator cannot make the right decision on the path to follow. The reader encounters it both figuratively and literally numerous times and in an instantaneous manner. The paths present in the folks and woods reflect deep-rooted and ancient metaphors for a lifeline. In this case, the persona stipulates that â€Å"The roads diverged in a yellow road / To where it bent in the undergrowth.† They reflect crisis and decisions that one has to make in life. The similar folks are a symbol for fate and free will. People are free to choose anything, but they are unaware of what lays ahead based on the choice they make. The speaker states, â€Å"hen took the other, as

Globe Theatre Essay Example for Free

Globe Theatre Essay William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564. William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son. Scholars have surmised that he most likely attended the Kings New School, in Stratford, which taught reading, writing and the classics. THEATRICAL CAREER Some of Shakespeares plays were published in quarto editions from 1594. By 1598, his name had become a selling point and began to appear on the title pages. Shakespeare continued to act in his own and other plays after his success as a playwright. EARLY WORKS With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeares first plays were mostly histories written in the early 1590s. Richard II, Henry VI (parts 1, 2 and 3) and Henry V dramatize the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers, and have been interpreted by drama historians as Shakespeares way of justifying the origins of the Tudor Dynasty. Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period: the witty romance A Midsummer Nights Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wit and wordplay of Much Ado about Nothing, the charming As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Other plays, possibly written before 1600, include Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. LATER WORKS It was in William Shakespeares later period, after 1600, that he wrote the tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. In these, Shakespeares characters present vivid impressions of human temperament that are timeless and universal. Possibly the best known of these plays is Hamlet, which explores betrayal, retribution, incest and moral failure. These moral failures often drive the twists and turns of Shakespeares plots, destroying the hero and those he loves. In William Shakespeares final period, he wrote several tragicomedies. Among these are Cymbeline, The Winters Tale and The Tempest. Though graver in tone than the comedies, they are not the dark tragedies of King Lear or Macbeth because they end with reconciliation and forgiveness. JULIUS CAESAR The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, his assassination, and the defeat of the conspirators at the Battle of Philippi. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, which also include Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. THE TEMPEST The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonios lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonsos son, Ferdinand. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction,[1] in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunkentinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Slys diversion. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments—the taming—until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherinas more desirable sister, Bianca. HAMLET The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge. Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudiuss brother and Prince Hamlets father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old kings widow and Prince Hamlets mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness—from overwhelming grief to seething rage and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. Hamlet is Shakespeares longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others. [1] The play was one of Shakespeares most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most-performed, topping the Royal Shakespeare Companys performance list since 1879. TWELFTH NIGHT Twelfth Night; or, What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–02 as aTwelfth Nights entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of the occasion,[1] with plot elements drawn from the short story Of Apollonius and Silla by Barnabe Rich, based on a story by Matteo Bandello. The first recorded performance was on 2 February 1602, at Candlemas, the formal end of Christmastide in the years calendar. The play was not published until its inclusion in the 1623 First Folio. MACBETH Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare. It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects produced when evil is chosen as a way to fulfil the ambition for power. The play is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1607, and is most commonly dated 1606. The earliest account of a performance of what was probably Shakespeares play is April 1611, when Simon Forman recorded seeing such a play at the Globe Theatre. It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book. It was most likely written during the reign of James I, who had been James VI of Scotland before he succeeded to the English throne in 1603. James was a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, and of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during James’s reign, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s relationship with the sovereign. MERCHANT OF VENICE The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedyin the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeares other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous Hath not a Jew eyes? speech. Also notable is Portias speech about the quality of mercy. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the plays most prominent and most famous character. THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeares early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors (along with The Tempest) is one of only two of Shakespeares plays to observe the classical unities. It has been adapted for opera, stage, screen and musical theatre. The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identitieslead to wrongful beatings, a near-seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and false accusations of infidelity, theft, madness, and demonic possession. POEMS In 1593 and 1594, when the theatres were closed because of plague, Shakespeare published two narrative poems on erotic themes, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. He dedicated them to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. In Venus and Adonis, an innocent Adonis rejects the sexual advances of Venus; while in The Rape of Lucrece, the virtuous wife Lucrece is raped by the lustful Tarquin. Influenced by Ovids Metamorphoses, the poems show the guilt and moral confusion that result from uncontrolled lust. [124] Both proved popular and were often reprinted during Shakespeares lifetime. A third narrative poem, A Lovers Complaint, in which a young woman laments her seduction by a persuasive suitor, was printed in the first edition of the Sonnets in 1609. Most scholars now accept that Shakespeare wrote A Lovers Complaint. Critics consider that its fine qualities are marred by leaden effects. The Phoenix and the Turtle, printed in Robert Chesters 1601 Loves Martyr, mourns the deaths of the legendary phoenix and his lover, the faithful turtle dove. SONNETS Published in 1609, the Sonnets were the last of Shakespeares non-dramatic works to be printed. Scholars are not certain when each of the 154 sonnets was composed, but evidence suggests that Shakespeare wrote sonnets throughout his career for a private readership. Even before the two unauthorised sonnets appeared in The Passionate Pilgrim in 1599, Francis Meres had referred in 1598 to Shakespeares sugred Sonnets among his private friends. Few analysts believe that the published collection follows Shakespeares intended sequence. He seems to have planned two contrasting series: one about uncontrollable lust for a married woman of dark complexion (the dark lady), and one about conflicted love for a fair young man (the fair youth). It remains unclear if these figures represent real individuals, or if the authorial I who addresses them represents Shakespeare himself, though Wordsworth believed that with the sonnets Shakespeare unlocked his heart. The 1609 edition was dedicated to a Mr. W. H. , credited as the only begetter of the poems. It is not known whether this was written by Shakespeare himself or by the publisher, Thomas Thorpe, whose initials appear at the foot of the dedication page; nor is it known who Mr. W. H. was, despite numerous theories, or whether Shakespeare even authorised the publication. Critics praise the Sonnets as a profound meditation on the nature of love, sexual passion, procreation, death, and time. ESTABLISHING HIMSELF By 1597, 15 of the 37 plays written by William Shakespeare were published. Civil records show that at this time he purchased the second largest house in Stratford, called New House, for his family. It was a four-day ride by horse from Stratford to London, so it is believed that Shakespeare spent most of his time in the city writing and acting and came home once a year during the 40-day Lenten period, when the theatres were closed. By 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners built their own theater on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the Globe. In 1605, Shakespeare purchased leases of real estate near Stratford for 440 pounds, which doubled in value and earned him 60 pounds a year. THE MERMAID TAVERN GROUP About this time Shakespeare became one of the group of now-famous writers who gathered at the Mermaid Tavern located on Bread Street in Cheapside. The Friday Street Club (also called the Mermaid Clu was formed by Sir Walter Raleigh. Ben Jonson was its leading spirit. Shakespeare was a popular member. He was admired for his talent and loved for his kindliness. Thomas Fuller, writing about 50 years later, gave an amusing account of the conversational duels between Shakespeare and Jonson: Many were the wit-combats betwixt him and Ben Jonson; which two I behold like a Spanish great galleon and an English man-of-war; Master Jonson (like the former) was built far higher in learning; solid, but slow, in his performances. Shakespeare, with the English man-of-war, lesser in bulk, but lighter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about, and take advantage of all winds, by the quickness of his wit and invention. Jonson sometimes criticized Shakespeare harshly. Nevertheless he later wrote a eulogy of Shakespeare that is remarkable for its feeling and acuteness. In it he said: Leave thee alone, for the comparison Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Rome Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come. Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe. He was not of an age, but for all time! Sweet Swan of Avon! what a sight it were To see thee in our waters yet appear, And make those flights upon the banks of Thames, That so did take Eliza, and our James! WRITING STYLE William Shakespeares early plays were written in the conventional style of the day, with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases that didnt always align naturally with the storys plot or characters. However, Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the traditional style to his own purposes and creating a freer flow of words. With only small degrees of variation, Shakespeare primarily used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, or blank verse, to compose his plays. At the same time, there are passages in all the plays that deviate from this and use forms of poetry or simple prose. Shakespeare combined poetic genius with a practical sense of the theatre. Like all playwrights of the time, he dramatised stories from sources such as Plutarch and Holinshed. He reshaped each plot to create several centres of interest and to show as many sides of a narrative to the audience as possible. This strength of design ensures that a Shakespeare play can survive translation, cutting and wide interpretation without loss to its core drama. As Shakespeare’s mastery grew, he gave his characters clearer and more varied motivations and distinctive patterns of speech. MARRIAGE AND LIFE IN LONDON In 1582, when he was 18, he married Anne Hathaway. She was from Shottery, a village a mile (1. 6 kilometers) from Stratford. Anne was seven or eight years older than Shakespeare. From this difference in their ages, a story arose that they were unhappy together. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born in 1583. In 1585 a twin boy and girl, Hamnet and Judith, were born. What Shakespeare did between 1583 and 1592 is not known. Various stories are told. He may have taught school, worked in a lawyers office, served on a rich mans estate, or traveled with a company of actors. One famous story says that about 1584 he and some friends were caught poaching on the estate of Sir Thomas Lucy of Carlecote, near Warwick, and were forced to leave town. A less likely story is that he was in London in 1588. There he was supposed to have held horses for theater patrons and later to have worked in the theaters as a page. By 1592, however, Shakespeare was definitely in London and was already recognized as an actor and playwright. He was then 28 years old. In that year Robert Greene, a playwright, accused him of borrowing from the plays of others. Between 1592 and 1594, plague kept the London theaters closed most of the time. During these years Shakespeare wrote his earliest sonnets and two long narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. Both were printed by Richard Field, a boyhood friend from Stratford. They were well received and helped establish him as a poet. RELIGION Some scholars claim that members of Shakespeares family were Catholics, at a time when Catholic practice was against the law. Shakespeares mother, Mary Arden, certainly came from a pious Catholic family. The strongest evidence might be a Catholic statement of faith signed by John Shakespeare, found in 1757 in the rafters of his former house in Henley Street. The document is now lost, however, and scholars differ as to its authenticity. In 1591 the authorities reported that John Shakespeare had missed church for fear of process for debt, a common Catholic excuse. In 1606 the name of Williams daughter Susanna appears on a list of those who failed to attend Easter communion in Stratford. Scholars find evidence both for and against Shakespeares Catholicism in his plays, but the truth may be impossible to prove either way. SHAKESPEARE PROSPERS Until 1598 Shakespeares theater work was confined to a district northeast of London. This was outside the city walls, in the parish of Shoreditch. Located there were two playhouses, the Theatre and the Curtain. Both were managed by James Burbage, whose son Richard Burbage was Shakespeares friend and the greatest tragic actor of his day. Up to 1596 Shakespeare lived near these theaters in Bishopsgate, where the North Road entered the city. Sometime between 1596 and 1599, he moved across the Thames River to a district called Bankside. There, two theaters, the Rose and the Swan, had been built by Philip Henslowe. He was James Burbages chief competitor in London as a theater manager. The Burbages also moved to this district in 1598 and built the famous Globe Theatre. Its sign showed Atlas supporting the world. Shakespeare was associated with the Globe Theatre for the rest of his active life. He owned shares in it, which brought him much money. Meanwhile, in 1597, Shakespeare had bought New Place, the largest house in Stratford. During the next three years he bought other property in Stratford and in London. The year before, his father, probably at Shakespeares suggestion, applied for and was granted a coat of arms. It bore the motto Non sanz droictNot without right. From this time on, Shakespeare could write Gentleman after his name. This meant much to him, for in his day actors were classed legally with criminals and vagrants. Shakespeares name first appeared on the title pages of his printed plays in 1598. In the same year Francis Meres, in Palladis Tamia: Wits Treasury, praised him as a poet and dramatist. Meress comments on 12 of Shakespeares plays showed that Shakespeares genius was recognized in his own time. HONORED AS ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603. King James I followed her to the throne. Shakespeares theatrical company was taken under the kings patronage and called the Kings Company. Shakespeare and the other actors were made officers of the royal household. The theatrical company was the most successful of its time. Before it was the Kings Company, it had been known as the Earl of Derbys and the Lord Chamberlains. In 1608 the company acquired the Blackfriars Theatre. This was a smaller and more aristocratic theater than the Globe. Thereafter the company alternated between the two playhouses. Plays by Shakespeare were also performed at the royal court and in the castles of the nobles. After 1603 Shakespeare probably acted little, although he was still a good actor. His favorite roles seem to have been old Adam in As You Like It and the Ghost in Hamlet. In 1607, when he was 43, he may have suffered a serious physical breakdown. In the same year his older daughter Susanna married John Hall, a doctor. The next year Shakespeares first grandchild, Elizabeth, was born. Also in 1607 his brother Edmund, also a London actor, died at the age of 27. GLOBE THEATRE The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeares playing company, the Lord Chamberlains Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend and grandson Sir Matthew Brend, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and closed in 1642. A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named Shakespeares Globe, opened in 1997 approximately 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre. The Globe was owned by actors who were also shareholders in Lord Chamberlains Men. Two of the six Globe shareholders, Richard Burbage and his brother Cuthbert Burbage, owned double shares of the whole, or 25% each; the other four men, Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, andThomas Pope, owned a single share FAMOUS QUOTES All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Listen to many, speak to a few. CRITICAL REPUTATION Shakespeare was not revered in his lifetime, but he received a large amount of praise. In 1598, the cleric and author Francis Meres singled him out from a group of English writers as the most excellent in both comedy and tragedy. And the authors of the Parnassus plays at St Johns College, Cambridge, numbered him with Chaucer, Gower and Spenser. In the First Folio, Ben Jonson called Shakespeare the Soul of the age, the applause, delight, the wonder of our stage, though he had remarked elsewhere that Shakespeare wanted art. FIRST FOLIO Mr. William Shakespeares’ Comedies, Histories, Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeares plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio. Printed in folio format and containing 36 plays (see list of Shakespeares plays), it was prepared by Shakespeares colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. It was dedicated to the incomparable pair of brethren William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke and his brother Philip Herbert, Earl of Montgomery (later 4th Earl of Pembroke). Although eighteen of Shakespeares plays had been published in quarto prior to 1623, the First Folio is the only reliable text for about twenty of the plays, and a valuable source text even for many of those previously published. The Folio includes all of the plays generally accepted to be Shakespeares, with the exception of Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and the two lost plays, Cardenio and Loves Labours Won. W. W. Greg has argued that Edward Knight, the book-keeper or book-holder (prompter) of the Kings Men, did the actual proofreading of the manuscript sources for the First Folio. Knight is known to have been responsible for maintaining and annotating the companys scripts, and making sure that the cuts and changes ordered by the Master of the Revels were complied with. DEATH Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 and was survived by his wife and two daughters. Susanna had married a physician, John Hall, in 1607, and Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months before Shakespeare’s death. In his will, Shakespeare left the bulk of his large estate to his elder daughter Susanna. The terms instructed that she pass it down intact to the first son of her body. Shakespeares will scarcely mentions his wife, Anne, who was probably entitled to one third of his estate automatically. He did make a point, however, of leaving her my second best bed, a bequest that has led to much speculation. Some scholars see the bequest as an insult to Anne, whereas others believe that the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial bed and therefore rich in significance. Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. The epitaph carved into the stone slab covering his grave includes a curse against moving his bones, which was carefully avoided during restoration of the church in 2008.

Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King :: Writing Literature Papers

Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King In the period immediately before World War I, there was a revolution in all art forms. The impressionists in France, late in the nineteenth century, had abandoned photographic realism to imply their emotional impressions of a scene. By the time of Picasso and Braqueat the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, painters were analyzing shapes, deconstructing them for component elements, or later, doing away with representationalreality all together. Composers like Igor Stravinski and Charles Ives introduced atonal, dissonant passages into music. Artists did not want to create in the same manner as theirpredecessors; they wanted to extend the range of their art. Beyond the arts, Sigmund Freud demonstrated the existence of the sub-conscious, a theory that would revolutionize the field of psychology. Einstein changed the face of Physics by proposing the theory of relativity and Werner Heisenberg predicted that complete and accurate depictions of phenomena wereimpossible. It was a time of sweeping change; the world if literature was no exception. In poetry, Ezra Pound was reacting against the metronomic beat of Victorian poetry. His credo was "Make it new." He insisted that writers use no superfluous word and avoidabstractions at all cost. T.S. Elliot followed Pound's technique, his voice and the voice of post-war Europe coming through in his masterpiece, The Wasteland. In fiction, James Joyce was insisting on removing the obvious presence of the author. Gertrude Stein was experimenting with sentence structure and word repetitions, trying to immerse her readers in a sense of ongoing present. Sherwood Anderson, like Joyce, wrote stories that did not snap shut at the ending, but developed gradually, aimlessly, their intent being a revelation of character. All these authors defined character less through authorial description and more through what the character said and did. Earnest Hemingway knew and studied with many of the best modernists. Their influence accentuated the spare laconic style he had already developed in high sc hool. The spare unadorned, grammatically simple, declarative sentences, largely devoid of adjective or adverb, also echoed Hemingway's own philosophy. For Hemingway, loss was inevitable: fate, circumstance, something always brought on the end. Love expired, through death or disenchantment, fame always dwindled, youth and vitality crumbled through the years; life itself was nothing more than a unpredictable feast of the senses. His philosophy is both stoic and existential: one should not complain, one should show grace under pressure (Hays, 41) Also, one should care about one's craft because it was the individual's actions which defined the character.

A Vision of Teaching Profession in 2025

TITLE: A VISION OF TEACHING PROFESSION IN 2025 Priyanka Joshi Junior Research Fellow (J. R. F) Dept. of Education Panjab University, Chandigarh ABSTRACT KEYWORDS: Professionals, Modalities, continuous, latest trends, technology, mentors, rethink, updating, knowledge, knowledge explosion.We Lead, Care, Inspire For the future of the Nation passes through our hands as Teachers Technological changes in the era of modernization have significantly affected the role of teachers’ as professionals. As the future of education, rest on the competencies, professional growth and abilities of teachers as professionals so, it cannot be ignored. Related article: HR Map ExplainedAccording to Caroll and Resta (2010) teachers of today and tomorrow must be ready to facilitate learning in multiple modalities embracing; greater diversity of space, time, resources, media and methods for learning as well as the new 21st century environments which are synchronous and asynchronous, face to face and virtual. Further, Garoia(2012) referred that the present century has visioned so much of expectations from education which are so high that the teachers of today and tomorrow have to continuously rethink about their professional development.She further highlighted that this professional development is ought to be continuous in process because of; knowledge explosion and latest trends associated to methodology, technology, social and teacher networking. All these demands and requirements have posed a demand on teachers to assess, update, renew and modify themselves as mentors than teachers. The present paper will highlight; a) The teacher of today b) Changing role of the teacher in the present scenario c) Lifelong learning as renewal and updating of knowledge d) In-service growth and teachers †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Followed by conclusion and suggestions. * The Teacher of TodayThe teacher of today symbolizes himself to be professional in true sense because of the emerging concepts of criteria of appointments in schools colleges and universities. No more, the present century holds teaching as a profession by ‘chance’ but teaching as a ‘choice’. This scenario has placed an emphasis on the teachers to develop their potential, capacities in a way that no more they are called as a ‘simple’ but ‘effective’ in performance by performing a quite range of functions such as ; classroom management, teaching and learning strategies and how to implement them successfully with professional ethics, student learning and so on.These views were strengthened by Travers & Reborc (2 008) who professed that teacher professionalism extends beyond one’s ability to understand content. Here, the educator must discover if the students are being reached in an effective way. This calls for a profession which involves a lifelong career commitment and service to society. Teaching as a profession, no doubt is characterized by intellectual pursuits within a code of ethics and is highlighted by the making of independent professional judgements. But going by the present scenario, our country witness mass bunking from the classes, cheating, private tuitions and so on.To avoid this, this means that the teacher of today needs much more than just a mere subject expert. Further, through extensive training and professional development, they will incorporate in themselves lot of life skills which will not only enhance their performance but quality wise they will help them to grow to greater heights. * Changing Role of the Teacher in the Present Scenario The present scenario is characterized by the changing needs of the teacher which has pressurized him to change, reform and update according to the new teaching strategies, classroom practices and knowledge explosion.Let us have a look at the review how the role of the teachers has gradually changed:- * Koppic and Knapp (1998) highlighted that teacher can develop themselves with respect to practice if they focus on six dimensions narrated as; knowledge, professionalism, instruction, collaboration, agency and authority. He further added by saying that teachers to grow must make initiatives to make sense of new policies, ideas, programs and their own work. * According to Cohen & Ball (1999) review of the federally funded research suggest that the teacher must be a researcher, educator and reformer.The research further highlighted that now is the time that he must understand when curriculum, instructional materials and assessments so that he can focus on the goal and prospects of educational improvement to be enhanced. * Thomson & Zeuli (1999) advocated that if teachers want to see that their students work they must enable themselves to change so that they can make distinctive changes in teaching practice and student learning. They further concluded that the most effective teacher learning is to focus on instruction-as- interaction, rather than on isolated elements of instruction. Lieberman & Miller (2000) described the new professional teacher as researchers, meaning-makers, scholars, and inventors. Also they further stated that teachers establish a firm professional identity through which they act as the role model by updating themselves through the lifelong learning . * Lifelong learning as renewal and updating of knowledge Professional development is a normal part of school culture. Professional development is required in order to maintain certification.School corporations mandate that teachers participate in staff development opportunities offered by the school district throughou t the year. Teachers may also be expected to draft growth plans to give direction to their ongoing learning. Salary schedules also encourage teacher learning by offering higher salaries to individuals with more training, degrees or credits. Occasionally teachers are permitted to attend workshops and conferences outside the school system. Teachers are expected to grow as professionals and need to learn while they are teaching if students are to receive an optimal education.While schools do allocate limited funds and release time to professional development, a view of teachers as life-long learners is a perspective that is missing in most schools given the limited cope, quantity, and quality of professional development available to teachers. It is not uncommon to hear the phrases â€Å"life-long learning† or â€Å"life-long learner. †These terms adorn school mission and goal statements. Few people would malign the importance of developing life-long learners, but fewer su ggest ways in which such an ideal may be accomplished. Such a goal need not remain illusory.It is crucial that schools and communities recognize the importance of developing teachers as life-long learners. It seems foolish to hope to engender life-long learning skills and attitudes in children without paying attention to those same skills and attitudes in developing the teachers of those children. And if a teacher will remain a lifelong learner it would be facilitate him/her to cater to the upcoming problems in the realm to teaching learning process and the demands of the upcoming generation. * In-service Growth and Teacher As professionals we still have a long way to go.Even now in in-service teacher education is seldom conceptualized in practice as the continuation of pre service preparation. Too frequently in service practices are characterized by an aggregate of incidental activities, sporadic in occurrence, lacking in productive purpose, unorganized in structure and unsynchroni zed within the framework of a school district’s total operation. Perhaps a staff does grow or improve through such activities; however, the evidence seems to indicate that the bird of chance wings high on the winds of such uncertainty.Programs or practices of in service teacher education which appear to be producing results of a promising and lasting character are those in which conscious effort is made to reduce the element of chance in the development of staff. At the practical as well as the therotical level, positive and directional growth is enhanced through a program of inservice teacher education which develops activities planned most carefully in terms of directional purposes, organizational structure, and operational processes which are synchronized and complementary. ConclusionKnowledge is no longer considered a commodity which only a subject expertise can provide. In the present scenario knowledge is something which individuals constructs and create from their own experience with the materials, ideas & texts they have. Teachers of today and of preparation (pre-service teachers) have to construct themselves, reform themselves according to the teachers they actually have and develop themselves professionally according to the new and emerging ideas of the knowledge, learning and instruction in their own learning situations in their classrooms.This give a call to teachers to work and learn in a way in which they can compete efficiently, confidently and critically so that he can become efficient in true terms and targeted as a priority. Suggestions * To promote professional values and attitudes such as reflective practice, autonomous learning and collaboration. * To improve Practical teaching competencies. * To consider teaching as a profession and promote teaching as an attractive career; * to keep a balance between theory and practice; All beginning teachers, during their first years in the profession receive professional and personal support (à ¢â‚¬Ëœinduction’); * To engage themselves in regular reviews of their training needs and effective continuing professional development. * To develop and improve themselves as leaders for learning. This means that the role of the teacher in the year 2020 demands him to update and rehearse himself in a seamless continuum so that he has a assured quality. REFERENCES Ball, D. L. & Cohen, D. K. (1999). Developing practice, developing practitioners: Toward a practice-based theory of professional education.Caroll, T. , & Resta, P. (2010). Redefining teacher education for digital-age learners. Summit report from the Invitational Summit on Redefining Teacher Education for Digital-Age Learners. Retrieved from: http://redefineteachered. org/sites/default/files/SummitReport. pdf? q=summitreport Garoia,Valentina. (2012) . A closer look at the future of teachers' profession in 2025. Retrieved from http://insight. eun. org/ww/en/pub/insight/thematic_dossiers/articles/learning_networks/2025. html. Lieberman, A. , ; Miller, L. (2000). Teaching and teacher development: A new synthesis for a new century. In R. S. Brandt

Marketing Strategy for Samsung Essay

A marketing strategy is a company’s hope to achieve strong and profitable customer relationships by targeting certain customers, using a marketing mix, and implementation. In an ideal world, strategies at all levels of the organization should be well spoken and understood. Interpretations of the strategies then result in realistic, well-defined marketing plans and programs which can be created and acted upon. Organizations can have a greater chance of being successful if they develop deep understanding of markets and the customers within those markets. The marketing strategy is a dynamic document which focuses on bringing plans to life. It is a road map for carrying out marketing activities and implementing marketing plans. Every marketing strategy should be measured by its ability to directly impact and improve upon each factor that the strategy contains. With â€Å"selling† as the vital goal, marketing strategies are influenced by two core factors: first, getting hold of of customers; second, maintenance of the obtained customers. So every other strategy that is laid out will focus on the above two. A Company has to work closely towards achieving these two to attain the desired cutting edge over its competitors. There are also a few other objectives like creating awareness (informational and educational) about the product, brand-building and accelerating sales. Traditional Marketing: With the world changing at every second, marketing is also taking a rapid change. New methods of marketing like e-marketing and online marketing have been growing. Yet traditional marketing still holds influence with many corporate companies. One of the main implications of traditional marketing is the infamous model of the four P’s, formulated by Jerome McCarthy. The ‘Four Ps’ or the ‘marketing mix’ is an essential with every marketer. The ‘Four Ps’ refers to the four factors that a marketer has to think about before introducing a product or offering a service. The marketing mix comprises of Product, Price, Promotion and Placement. In McCarthy’s opinion, the first and foremost comes the Product-its production and management; second, the process of determining and affordable price; third, the promotion of the product which involves advertising, branding etc and  finally fourth, the placement or distribution of the product, its retailing and the process by which it reaches the consumer. All these four essentials have to be decided, determined and well planned before pursuing any product launch. The company that will be looked at is Samsung Electronics. The debate whether the traditional method of developing marketing strategies are still used and maintained will be looked at. Firstly an overview on the Samsung mobile phone market and how it relates to marketing strategies will be looked at. Ansoff Growth Matrix which suggests that there are four main ways in which growth can be achieved through a product strategy:(1) Market penetration – Increase sales of an existing product in an existing market(2) Product development – Improve present products and/or develop new products for the current market(3) Market development – Sell existing products into new markets (e.g. developing export sales)(4) Diversification – Develop new products for new marketsOne thing should be pointed out is how a product appears in relation to other products in the market, or how importance the brand of a product is. Brand is a mixture of tangible and intangible attributes symbolized in a trademark, which, if properly managed, permits a business to differentiate its products and services from those of its competitors, add extra value for consumers who value the brand and improve profitability. As previously mentioned, the global handset market has experienced rapid growth over the past few years. Undeniably this is a tremendous growth, and this growth has created a fierce competition among handset manufacturers. The next parts of this analysis describe how Samsung’s marketing strategy drive the company’s actions in response to such competition to be recognized as one of the leading global player in the handset industry. Samsung began sponsoring the Olympics with the 1998 winter games in Nagano. It has signed a contract with the International Olympic Committee to continue through the Beijing games in 2008, and will likely continue afterwards. The marketing strategy using this Olympic sponsorship plays a  very vital role in raising our brand awareness throughout the world. Samsung over the years had vastly increased the sales of their mobile phone handsets online. The World Wide Web is a rapidly growing industry and is an alternative way to traditional marketing strategy according to various people. Internet marketing has not completely taken over the concept of Marketing, but has incorporated it and expanded the opportunities available to marketers. Internet Marketing still uses the traditional concepts of the marketing mix (4 P’s), but the logic of them has changed. Consider ‘Promotion’, with traditional marketing businesses used a one too many process, by using mass media to transmit their advertisement to their customers. This involved no interaction with the customer. Internet Marketing changes this by using a many to many communication process, enabling customers to interact with the medium, with each other and also provide content to the medium. Thus, marketers must reconstruct advertising models for the interactive, many to many medium underlying the web. This is perhaps one of the major changes from the traditional methods of marketing. One of the most obvious advantages that Internet marketing provides is the removal of barriers in regards to location. Samsung can now reach a much wider audience; customers that were considered unreachable can now be targeted with new products (Diversification). Also Samsung do not need operate from a physical location (shop front) any more, they are able to provide all the information that a customer needs on their web site e.g. using catalogues, pictures, video clips etc. This has an effect on the ‘Price’ of their products and services as overheads may be reduced (such as rent). A disadvantage of this is that Samsung must be aware of what customers want, as the marketplace is now much wider. This is where effective marketing strategies have to be developed. In the twentieth century we have gone from a situation of scarcity of product to today having an abundance of choice. With many choices available to buyers, having a competitive advantage is vital to the company that wants to thrive. Knowing the competition is one part of understanding competitive advantage and this relies on information. Consider the corner grocery store; they need only to approximate what their customers really want because the convenience factor brings in their business. But when Samsung eliminate this advantage, as customers can use the WWW to go anywhere to get what they want, Samsung need to know exactly what they are looking for. Samsung also need to ensure that your website has good design and is able to firstly attract customers to your site and also to encourage them to revisit. Samsung have many versions of their website in dozens of languages dedicated to customers from countries all over the world. The websites gives us product and service information on all their products and on some versions of the websites gives people the option to buy online directly through them. Samsung says the lower fourth-quarter sales were part of a strategy to grab share in the first quarter, a ploy that’s worked the last two years. A spokesman for the company told The Wall Street Journal that Samsung believes holiday shoppers are extremely price-sensitive, and won’t be attracted to its pricey models. So it clears out existing inventory in the fourth quarter, and then boosts shipments in the first so as to maintain a high average selling price. Samsung says it can avoid having to slash first-quarter prices on unsold inventory this way — even though its margins were squeezed in the fourth quarter by price cuts to follow those enacted by Nokia. However, there are still criticisms of the traditional tools and approaches used in marketing strategy by. A main criticism argued by Fodness â€Å"†¦marketing strategy is all-to-frequently stereotyped as the outcome of mechanical application of traditional analytic frameworks and techniques (SWOT, Ansoff Diagram, portfolio models, etc.). problems arise when data so easily generated by these formulaic efforts are misinterpreted as simple answers to complex questions.† Comment Fodness also suggests that â€Å"†¦the exploration of strategy from new directions is now coming together in the concept of what is being called strategic thinking. (Fodness 2005) Strategic thinking is the way in which people in an organization think about, assess, view, and create the future for themselves and their associates. It is more  than responding to day-to-day as well as long-term problems, opportunities, and new realities; it is creating tomorrow. It is not reactive, but proactive. Strategic thinking focuses on how to create a better future by being proactive and adding value to society. This is more than just looking at traditional techniques such as Swot and Ansoff etc in the sense that businesses need to be more proactive (they should start changes if necessary rather than react to events). Strategic thinking focuses on finding and developing unique opportunities to create value by enabling a provocative and creative dialogue among people who can affect a company’s direction. It is the input to strategic planning-good strategic thinking uncovers potential opportunities for creating value and challenges assumptions about a company’s value proposition, so that when the plan is created, it targets these opportunities. Strategic thinking is a way of understanding the basic drivers of a business and thoroughly (and playfully) challenging predictable thinking about them, in conversation with others. Strategic thinking must take into account:Competencies and Skills: Samsung’s main strength is innovation. This can create a competitive advantage as they can offer next generation product. Samsung have a lesser reputation than Sony for reliability and quality, this can alter customer perception, however this perception can be change over time. As important as the content of strategic thinking is the process by which it takesplace. Processes are needed to ensure that strategies are: †¢Aligned: Samsungs strategies must fit with its mission, vision, competitive situation and operating strengths. †¢Goal-oriented: Strategies are the means by which a company sets out to achieve its goals. Effective strategies, then, set clear expected outcomes and make explicit links between these outcomes and the company’s goals. †¢Fact-based: The best strategies are based on and supported by real data. While strategic thinking by its very nature requires assumptions about the future, these assumptions must be educated guesses, based on facts-for example, actual performance data or results of some kind of pilot test or experiment. †¢The logic behind the strategy must be clear. Effective strategies tell believable stories. †¢Based on Broad Thinking: Companies that are strategically nimble are able to consider multiple alternatives at once and to consider a range of scenarios in making strategic choices. †¢Focused: No company can do everything or be all things to all people. Strategy setting involves making choices about what a company will do and-as important-what it will not do. Strategies provide clear guidance about how a company’s activities will be prioritized, and how its limited resources will be deployed. †¢Agreed upon: Especially in large, complex organizations, successful strategies must gain the support of multiple stakeholders. This often requires a process of developing strategies that is interactive in gathering multiple points of view and in sharing the thinking behind the strategy as it evolves. †¢Engaging: Strategies that will need to mobilize broad resources must be easily articulated so that they can capture the attention of the people who will be asked to carry them out. †¢Adaptable: Strategies need to be able to be adjusted to build on learning from experimentation, errors and new information. At the same time, there needs to be some thoughtfulness in these adjustments so that they are responsive without being overly reactive. †¢Implementable: Because effective strategies draw on the particular strengths  and skills of an organization, they include explicit considerations of how they will be implemented. Implementable strategies provide clear guidance for decision making in order to shape behaviour throughout the company. Today’s electronics marketplace is changing at a rapid pace with new technologies, economy change, and increased competition. To face these challenges, companies rely on top management to plan and formulate methods to overcome these obstacles. The primary task of top management is implementing a strategic plan. Strategic planning is the process of identifying the business of the firm today and the business it wants for the future, and the course of action or strategy it will pursue. To be effective and successful, managers must possess skills in strategic thinking. Strategic thinking is a process in which a manager can make the business vision a reality. This is accomplished by developing abilities in teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking. Strategic thinking should also be a tool to help confront change, plan for and make transitions, and envision new possibilities and opportunities. Strategic thinking should be implemented in marketing strategies adopted by corporate firms. This is because organisations in the 21st century are more like â€Å"organisms† than â€Å"machines†. Strategic thinking is not a straight forward technique like a SWOT analysis but a more in depth approach and more interactive with the workforce. It may positively affect the marketing plan they may adopt for future products. Before drawing up any marketing plan, certain things have to be clear:McDonald (1989) stated that there are ten barriers to Marketing planning these barriers were identified by McDonald, M. they are as follows:1.Confusion between marketing strategy and tactics. 2.Isolation of marketing function from business operations. 3.Confusion between marketing function and marketing concept. 4.Prevailing organisational structures along functional lines. 5.Lack of skills in in-depth analysis. 6.Confusion between process and output. 7.Lack of core marketing management knowledge and skills. 8.Lack of a disciplined, systematic approach to marketing planning. 9.Need to prioritise objectives. 10.Need for a more appropriate marketing culture.’With the right marketing team that involves key marketing analysts, Samsung should be able to overcome these barriers. However, it is easy to have some kind of conflict in their marketing plan e.g. parts in the plan which are deemed to be part of the strategy may not be a strategy but a tactic. These little hiccups can affect the marketing performance of Samsung. As the Samsung top management develops a strategic plan for their organization, there are five different factors that must be focused on. These five factors will help define the ideal outcome. In addition, it will help set up and develop the steps necessary to make the business vision a reality. The first factor that top management must consider is Samsung Electronics itself. The organization of the business involves the delegates, the organizational structure of the business, and the resources necessary to make it all work. For Samsung to have top management they will have to establish what the organization will look like and decide what type of structure will support the business vision. Any top management must also combine people, resources, and structure together to achieve an ideal outcome. Observation is the second factor. When looking down at the world from an airplane, a person can see much more than when on the ground. By increasing observation skills, top management will become more aware of what motivates people, solve problems more effectively, and be able to distinguish between alternatives. The third factor is views. Views are simply different ways of thinking about  something. Views can be used as tools to help think about outcomes, identify important elements, and amend actions to achieve the best position. The fourth factor is driving forces. What are the driving forces for Samsung that will make the wanted outcome a reality? Driving forces usually place the foundation for what top management wants people to focus on in business. Examples of driving forces might include commitment, action, effectiveness, productivity, and value. Other driving forces might include: individual and organizational motivation, empowerment and promotion Factors such as a clear vision, values, and goals, productive factors like a mission or function, and quantitative factors such as results or experience may also be driving forces. After working through the first four phases of the strategic thinking process, top management should be able to define their ideal position. The ideal position outline should include:The conditions that have been found to be necessary if Samsung is to be productiveThe niche in the marketplace that Samsung will fillAny opportunities that may exist either currently or in the future for SamsungThe core competencies or skills required in SamsungThe strategies and tactics that will be used to pull it all together. By working through these five areas, the Samsung management team will get a clearer picture of exactly how the company vision can be accomplished. As the vision becomes more focused, ideas will appear stronger and more convincing. Not only will it be easier for management to convince others that the idea is a good one, but it will also be easier to maintain their certainty and motivation when reaching upon any drawbacks or obstacles in their path. Overall, anybody can apply strategic thinking skills to any area of his/her life. But by making a concentrated effort to apply them specifically to the business project, Samsung Electronics will have a much better chance of facing challenges in the marketplace if they adopted strategic thinking. Michael Porter who came up with the Five Forces has proposed three common strategies that provide a good starting point for strategic thinking for  Samsung and any other firm: overall cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Overall cost leadership – Samsung works hard to achieve the lowest production, administration and distribution costs so that it can price lower than its competitors and win a large market share. Differentiation – Samsung may concentrate on achieving superior performance in an important customer benefit area valued by a large part of the market. The firm cultivates those strengths that will contribute to the intended differentiation. Therefore, the firm seeking quality leadership. Focus – Samsung focuses on one or more market segments. The firm gets to know these segments intimately and pursues either cost leadership or differentiation within the target segment. According to Porter (1986), â€Å"Competitive advantage is a function of either providing comparable buyer value more efficiently than competitors (low cost), or performing activities at comparable cost but in unique ways that create more buyer value than competitors and, hence, command a premium price.† These factors can be adopted by companies such as Samsung Electronics. They can use tactics and marketing measures to gain a competitive advantage and added-value over Sony and other major rivals. It is a reality in business today that strategic thinking is one of the most difficult tasks for business leaders. Although it is easier to be tactical or task oriented, the business leader must be strategic or risk becoming very short-sighted. Therefore a clear understanding of the value and the benefits of strategic thinking are very important. Here is a list of thoughts on the value of strategic thinking for Samsung:1. staying at the front or leading edge of change and innovation2. Optimizing the ability to shape and leverage change to the company’s advantage, electronics are changing everyday3. eliminating anxiety4. Creating a sense of cohesion and unity for the company staff5. Providing proactive  leadership7. Thinking systemically with a whole systems approach8. Becoming a life-long learning organization9. Providing an effective system to solve major problems and setbacks10. Improving and understanding of the business environmentAnd now a list of my thoughts on the benefits of strategic thinking. 1. improved guidance on actions to achieve the company vision and mission2. an early detection system to warn of changes3. creation of a proactive leadership culture4. identification of competitors and opponents5. identification of business allies6. long term survival of the business7. elimination of reactive decision-making8. a competitive advantage9. agility and capacity to respond positivelyFrom looking at traditional marketing strategy techniques used by Samsung and other firms, we can see how certain tools can help the scope of a business strategy. We have also learnt that new marketing strategies are shaping up firms more over the past years, though traditional marketing (e.g., 4 P’s and SWOT) are still at the forefront of every marketing strategy. We have learnt that there is more to marketing strategy than simply systematic tools and techniques. Strategic thinking, which has been discussed by theorists and professionals such as Michael Porter, plays a new vital role in marketing and strategy development. We have learnt that Strategic thinking looks at different areas of in detail that helps us develop new ways of achieving a competitive advantage. A certain amount of the analysis involved in strategic thinking may be qualitative, which also may be time consuming and expensive. We can see that the point that Fodness made in 2005 about tools in marketing strategy being stereotyped as simple answers to complex questions as mechanical application. New directions of exploring strategy are coming together to form the concept of strategic thinking. We have learnt from Fodness and Porter that strategic thinking can boost and assist existing marketing strategy tools which can answer complex questions. We have learnt that not all methods and techniques in marketing strategy are straightforward and are simply mechanical applications. There are several ways for Samsung to adopt new and existing marketing  strategies and to implement them. The main point is that strategic thinking could benefit Samsung and help them improve their performance in mobile phone market. Strategic thinking could strip off the firm’s ideologies that falsely stereotypes marketing strategies. And seek new ways of gaining a competitive advantage, being innovative and always being in touch with consumer’s tastes, needs and changing trends. References: http://www.interbrand.com (accessed on 12/12/2008)http://www.businessweek.com (accessed on 12/12/2008)http://www.Mobile-review.com (accessed on 12/12/2008)http://www.samsunggroup.com (accessed on 12/12/2008)http://www.quickmba.com/MarketingStrat.shtml (accessed on 28/12/2008)http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/strategy_marketing.htm (accessed on 28/12/2008)http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ourbusinesses/researchdevelopment.html (accessed on 28/12/2008)http://www.samsung.com/za/aboutsamsung/companyprofile/researchanddevelopment/CompanyProfile_Overview.html (accessed on 28/12/2008)http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1648156/Michael-Porter-What-is-Strategy.html (accessed on 28/12/2008)Grant, R.M. (2005), â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis†, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford (U.K.)Hunger, J. David & Wheelen, Thomas L. (2003) â€Å"Essentials of Strategic Management†. Pearson Education Inc, New Jersey:De Mooij, M. (1998), Global Marketing and Advertising: Underst anding Cultural Paradoxes, Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA. Ansoff (1995), Advertising Management (5th ed.), Prentice Hall, NJ: Upper Saddle River. Kotler, P. Adam, S. Brown, L. Armstrong, G. 2001, Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall, NSWMcCarthy, E.J., Perreault, W.D., Quester, P.G., Wilkinson, J.W., Lee, K.Y., 1994, Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach, Irwin, AustraliaPorter, M. E. â€Å"The State of Strategic Thinking.† The Economist (May 23, 1987).

Car Design from 1950

Car Design from 1950 Introduction Car design is a way of making both outside and inside of an automobile in a style, which integrates shape of the car with its mechanical ability. Automotive design involves vehicle development in the way it appears which includes its ergonomics. The design elements are usually divided into three important areas: one is the exterior design, which involves the design in the proportion, shape and how the texture of the surface of the vehicle will look like. This design is done first through making drawings either manually or electronically.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Car Design from 1950-2000 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Then there is the development of clay or digital model. The other aspect is in interior design which defines where parts such as doors, and seats, among others, are placed. This aspect emphasizes mainly on the ergonomics and the passengers comfort. It goes through the same procedur e as the exterior design of sketching, then designing the digital and the clay model. The last aspect in design is usually focused on trims along with its color. To achieve this, extensive research and development is usually involved. Discussion 1950s Cars Design The early 1950s gave rise to chrome on cars and stylists who influenced by ideas from planes and trains designed many automobiles. The 1950s saw emergence of the tail fin courtesy of Harley Earl who worked on aeronautical designs. The tail fin era was between 1957 and 1960. The tail fin and chrome were most regarded as the design, which gave some of the outlandish cars ever designed in this era. Another revelation came in 1955, when Ford designed its model, which they named Ford Thunderbird. It was quite complex with rear exhaust, windshield, and front grill with fixed turbines (Hulbert, 2010). Ford Thunderbird Convertible 1955 Source: Anythingaboutcars.com.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chrysler’s group designer by the name Virgil Exner was notable with his different style of cab forward also known as the Forward Look. An example of the Forward look design is a 1956 Plymouth Fury, as is shown in the picture below (Bell, 2003, p. 12). 1956 Plymouth Fury Source: Anythingaboutcars.com. General motor’s Harley Earl and Virgil Exner turned out to be very influential in this era. They competed with one another with tail fins that are more elaborate. Earl saw this as a ploy to marketing while Exner believed the fins helped the car while on the road. These fins were later on utilized to control cars in great speeds. In 1957, there was a new design called the Chevrolet Bel Air as shown in the picture below, which gives the extent to which the designers were willing to go (Hulbert, 2010). 1957 Chevrolet Bel AirAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Car Design from 1950-2000 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Source: Anythingaboutcars.com. In 1959, the previous designs were replaced with the Cadillac Series 62. This design was fitted with fins that were over 1ft high, and it had bullet lenses at the rearwards. This was regarded as a design icon and rates highly among all time American classics (Jain, 2004, p. 2). 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Source: Anythingaboutcars.com. The above picture shows the design of a tail fin 1959 Cadillac automobile which came up at the height of the tail fin era. Earl later came up with iconic designs together with his group to create such designs as Auburn 851, among others. Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Auburn 851 Source: Anythingaboutcars.com. In 1959 saw a new design of Cadillac Cyclone, which was a fantasy of a rocket like, it, had a wheelbase of about 104 inches. It had an independent suspension and a top of clear plastic. It was coated inside using vaporized silver that it can resist sunrays and had electric sliding doors. 1959 Cadillac Cyclone Source: Anythingaboutcars.com. 1960s During this era, focus was shifted to vehicle speeds and acceleration as well as engine size. The designs that were available included Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Charger. These designs were fitted with vents all over which had no purpose at all but for just mere appearance. The Dodge Charger had a fuel tank capacity of 7.2 liters. Chevrolet Source: Raizman Chevrolet Camaro Source: Anythingaboutcars.com. Ford Mustang In this same era, there was consolidating into the big three of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler together with American Motors. These firms dominated both the global m arket and the domestic market. In 1961, General Motors introduced three models. One was the Oldsmobile Fs of the cars of this era include BMW M1, De Tomaso Pantera, Lamborghini Countach, and Lotus Esprit. The 1970s ushered in an interesting design, in angular box lines, which became a trait in style. This was again copied over into the 1980s. DeTomaso Pantera Source: Raizman. 1980s Cars Design The 1980s decade came with a trend of over indulgence, and the cars produced during this era were overpriced. It also witnessed the effects of materialism in that style was outdated, as most of the people wanted the expensive cars. The cars that were available at this time were the likes of Audi Quattro. Though it looked purposeful and powerful, it had no style and was not beautiful in shape. Another model was the Ferrari Testarossa, which was quite unfamiliar from the traditional Ferrari lines. Among the easily recognizable inclusions in designs of 1980s was incorporation of a hot hatch. In line with this, cars like Peugeot 205 along with Volkswagen Golf, which are both GTis started penetrating the market and were popular with the product named above (hot hatch) (Diseno-art., 2011, p. 1). Peugeot 205 GTi Source: Diseno-art.com. 1990s Cars Design The effects of the styling traits from the 1980s extended to some part of the early 1990s. Later on some interesting shapes began to come up which were very organic with appearance looking much powerful like the Dodge Viper. The Dodge Viper was made in a more look of an animal than a machine. In 1992, an Italian design house called Ghia extended the organic form to another level with shapes covering the car. The front face of this car model looked like a prehistoric animal. In 1995, another design came in Ford GT90; this design was clearly the reverse of Viper. This new model utilized edge design as its policy to create new model (Anythingaboutcars, 2011, p. 1). Dodge Viper GTS Source: Raizman. What the major point that chang e from the car design from 1950-2000 1950s The main changes in car design covered areas such as fuel efficiency and output of the engine. In 1950s, major changes that took place in car designs included jet designs, among others. This design made cars quite fascinating. 1960s This era saw the introduction of basic wedge profile. Later on, the engines of these cars were transversely mounted, and their bodies designed to support structural loads. 1970s This period saw introduction of a utility that combined luxury along with capability of four-wheel drive. Another additional change was the inclusion of electronic anti-lock braking system. This era had the most changes as it also saw design of restraint airbags, seatbelts, and traction control systems. In addition, the era also saw inclusion of computerized engine system. 1980s This era brought about the introduction of front-wheel drive cars along with compact cars, which had the advantage of being efficient in fuel consumption. This p eriod also saw the introduction of the two-box minivan design in 1983. 1990s This decade was quite memorable with the introduction of designs with hatchbacks. car bodies were designed to incorporate passengers as well as cargo. Explain how material culture has been designed and used as relational media on car development 1950-2000 Automobiles play an important role in life since they ease travelling; their introduction opened opportunities for people to transport goods and services. Development in car designs also encouraged subjective democracy since people could go to their places of choice. Moreover, Car development brought about power, style, and a way of identifying each other’s taste and style in society. Automobiles were much friendlier to the environment and were cleaner because it eliminated the animal waste in the streets (Raizman, 2003). Influence of car designs between 1950 and 2000 on political, economic, and social as well as culture climates Political Developme nt of automobiles has contributed greatly towards political change. This is due to increase in individualism and reduction of social interactions amongst people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, automobiles manufacturers urged governments to construct roads and conservatives have become more interested in promoting improvements in automobile industry (Raizman, 2003). Economic Developments in car designs have greatly influenced spreading of employment opportunities and planning of the city, among others. In addition, it has minimized rate at which people walk to work and use of railroads. Another area that has greatly benefited is infrastructure; this is evident in the increased number of good roads all over the world (Logix Microsystems Ltd., 2011). Social Social changes brought about by the effects of development in automobile industry include disconnection between communities due to reduced pedestrian-village interaction. It also brought less communication among st neighbors because they rarely walk unless it is for exercise reasons. Culture The developments of automobiles brought about ease in travelling from one place to another since it was more affordable and convenient. This was mainly in areas not accessed by railways. Another change brought about by automobile development is that it made people keener while walking across the streets. This growth also led to outward expansion of cities and development of suburbs. In addition, it encouraged people to live in less expensive areas, which are far from the city and encouraged interactions in neighborhoods. Another cultural change is in incorporation of automobiles in all aspects of life. These range from books to music as well as movies (Logix Microsystems Ltd., 2011). Which mutations of styles and idioms morphed and ensued The styles that are usually used in car design are quite varying and distinct in style of body design and its classification is not huge. The most common styles used a re four-wheel drive vehicle, which are designed in such a way that all the wheels receive engine power at the same time. Another style is called the convertible design, which has a folding roof that allows for an open roof while driving. Thirdly, there is the station wagon design, which has same height from both sides. Conclusion For the past few years, car designers have engaged in designing products for ideas. A smart car is one that can get instructions from a user and execute the information by itself. An example would be a smart car. There are two elements involved in car design; these include ensuring a balance in ergonomics as well as aesthetics. Car design is a field, which keeps on changing and can never be said to be predictable (Anything about cars, 2011, p. 1). Smart Car Source: Diseno-art.com. References Anythingaboutcars. (2011). The Fabulous 1950s Cars Here is Their Story. Anythingaboutcars.com. Retrieved from: anythingaboutcars.com/1950scars.html Bell, J. (2003). C oncept of Car Design: Driving the Dream. Rotovision. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/search?q=Bell%2C+Jonathan+%282003%29ie=utf-8oe=utf-8aq=trls=org.mozilla:en-US:officialclient=firefox-a Diseno-art. (2011). From Concept Cars to Power Boats: Car Design History a brief overview. Diseno-art.com. Retrieved from: diseno-art.com/car_design_history.html Hulbert, L. (2010). Car Design: Car Designs of the 1950s. eHow.com. Retrieved from: ehow.com/list_7319746_car-designs-1950s.html Jain, S. L. (2004). Dangerous Instrumentality: The Bystander as Subject in Automobility. Cultural Anthropology 19 (1): 61–94. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/can.2004.19.1.61/abstract Logix Microsystems Ltd. (2011). Car Designs: 1950-2009. carazoo.com. Retrieved from: carazoo.com/article/1410200901/Car-Designs:-1950-2009 Raizman, D. (2003). History of Modern Design. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Art.