Professional Wrestling Proposal :: essays papers

Professional Wrestling Proposal Part I:Interest and Motivation The topic I have chosen to write about is the world of professional wrestling. There are many reasons as to why this subject has interested me. One major reason is that I grew up watching pro-wrestling on television. As a child, I was fascinated with the spectacle of the wrestling matches and wondered at the wrestlers themselves. At that age, I took wrestling for what it was. It was a full-contact gladiator sport filled with exaggerated and extravagant wrestlers, cocky commentators, and interesting "one-of-a kind" personalities which added up to a high entertainment value. As I got older and more aware of the sport, I did not just see it as another part of sports entertainment but also as a multi-million dollar business which catered to a wide audience. I began to wonder what was it that made this popular genere work and how it was able to attract the crowds of people, young and old. I also wanted to know the history of pro-wrestling. How did it get started and how it became a part of the American culture? As a fan for several of my childhood years, I now wanted to know the real deal behind wrestling. The professional wrestling sport is a very secretive business. It is on a "what you see is what you get" basis. Many of the fans take the sport for face value and enjoy it for what it is, even if many of them are uninformed on the inside workings of it all. Although many books have been published about wrestling, a high number of them are as cryptic and secretive as the business itself. That is why I am motivated to go into an in-depth research to answer and unravel the questions of the professional wrestling world.  Professional Wrestling. Part II: Knowledge and Preconceptions. After being exposed to professional wrestling for quite sometime, I became somewhat knowledgeable of the sport. I became familiar with most of the wrestling superstars it produced, notably Hulk Hogan which many consider the icon of pro- wrestling. I was also mindful of the wrestling maneuvers and techniques that were used. Although I knew all this, it was all common knowledge. Through personal experience, the people I know who are fans of the sport only know this basic ideology of its premise. I feel that one major reason for the scarce information on pro- wrestling is due to the lack of media coverage. Wrestling is infamous for blurring the lines between true sport and pure entertainment. Many major news, magazines, and articles rarely cover the wrestling world because of

African American In The 1920s Essay

The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to improve the state of being for African-Americans. According to the book, Introduction to Black Studies, by Maulana Karenga, various core principles make of the basis of African-American Studies. Some of the core principles consist of 1)history, 2)religion, 3)sociology, 4)politics, and 5)economics. The core principles serve as the thematic â€Å"glue† which holds the core subjects together. The principles assist with the expression of the African-American Studies discipline (Karenga, 27). The core principle of history is primary factor of African-American Studies. History is the struggle and record of humans in the process of humanizing the world i. e. shaping it in their own image and interests (Karenga, 70). By studying history in African-American Studies, history is allowed to be reconstructed. Reconstruction is vital, for over time, African-American history has been misleading. Similarly, the reconstruction of African-American history demands intervention not only in the academic process to redefines and reestablishes the truth of Black History, but also intervention in the social process to reshape reality in African-American images and interests and thus, self-consciously make history (Karenga, 69). African American History or Black American History, a history of African-American people in the United States from their arrival in the Americas in the Fifteenth Century until the present day. In 1996, 33. 9 million Americans, about one out of every eight people in the United States, were African-American. Although African-American from the West Indies and other areas have migrated to the United States in the Twentieth Century, most African- Americans were born in the United States, and this has been true since the early Nineteenth Century. Until the mid-20th century, the African-American population was concentrated in the Southern states. Even today, nearly half of all African-Americans live in the South. African-Americans also make up a significant part of the population in most urban areas in the eastern United States and in some mid-western and western cities as well . Africans and their descendants have been a part of the story of the Americas at least since the late 1400s. As scouts, interpreters, navigators, and military men, African-Americans were among those who first encountered Native Americans. Beginning in the colonial period, African-Americans provided most of the labor on which European settlement, development, and wealth depended, especially after European wars and diseases decimated Native Americans (http://encarta. msn. com). Thus, history plays a role in the way African-Americans have shaped the world over time. The core concept of African-American religion has always played a vital roles in the African-American life since its beginnings in Africa. Religion is defined as thought, belief, and practice concerned with the transcendent and the ultimate questions of life (Karenga, 211). The vast majority of African Americans practice some form of Protestantism. Protestantism’s relatively loose hierarchical structure, particularly in the Baptist and Methodist denominations, has allowed African Americans to create and maintain separate churches. Separate churches enabled blacks to take up positions of leadership denied to them in mainstream America. In addition to their religious role, African American churches traditionally provide political leadership and serve social welfare functions. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first nationwide black church in the United States, was founded by Protestant minister Richard Allen in Philadelphia in 1816. The largest African American religious denomination is the National Baptist Convention, U. S. A. , founded in 1895. A significant number of African Americans are Black Muslims. The most prominent Black Muslim group is the Nation of Islam, a religious organization founded by W. D. Fard and Elijiah Poole in 1935. Poole, who changed his name to Elijiah Muhammad, soon emerged as the leader of the Nation of Islam. Elijiah Muhammad established temples in Detroit, Chicago, and other northern cities. Today, Louis Farrakhan leads the Nation of Islam. A small number of African American Muslims worship independently of the Nation of Islam, as part of the mainstream Islamic tradition (http://encarta. msn. com). Presented with the fact that African-American religion is predominately Judeo-Christian, the tendency is to view it as â€Å"white religion in black face†. However, the rooting of the two religions varies due to the historical and social experiences (Karenga, 212). African-American over time has somewhat declined in its power. The church was once the sole basis of the community, especially to those in need. Today, this is speculated to be the link in the decline in the bonding of the African-American community. The core principle of African-American sociology integrates the various aspects and social reality from an African-American perspective. African-American sociology is defined as the critical study of the structure and functioning of the African-American community as a whole, as well as the various units and processes which compose and define it, and its relations with people and the forces external to it (Karenga, 269). African-American sociology involves the study of family, groups, institutions, views and values, relations of race, class and gender and related subjects. The African-American community, like other communities, is defined by the sharing of common space. Parts of its common space, however, are bounded areas of living, such as ghettos, which not only close African-Americans in the community, but simultaneously shuts them out from the access and opportunities available in the larger, predominately Caucasian society (Karenga, 302). The concept of isolation creates areas of poverty. Socially, isolation in ghettos prevents the cycle of diversity society, allowing prevailing stereotypes to surface. The immense concentration of African-Americans is a reason for disadvantages, such as joblessness, poverty, etc. Statistics suggest that the employment rate issue is an essential on among African-American women. The average rate of unemployment among African-American women in the 1980’s was 16% and was higher for African-American men (Giddings, 350). Thus, the concept of diversity prevents African-Americans from thriving socially. The core concept of African-American politics can be defined as the art and process of gaining, maintaining and using power (Karenga, 311). The institution of politics has played a role in the African-American community since the 15th amendment was passed, allowing African-American men the right to vote (Constitution). In order to obtain political power, however, there are eight bases: 1) key positions in government 2) voting strength 3) community control 4) economic capacity 5) community organization 6) possession of critical knowledge 7) coalition and alliance and 8) coercive capacity. In order to attain these, African-Americans must unite, for unity strengthens weak groups (African-Americans) and increases the power of others (Caucasians) (Karenga, 363). Over time, African-Americans have made substantial strides in politics. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who ran for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, brought exceptional support and force to African-American politics. In 1989, Virginia became the first state in U. S. history to elect an African- American governor, Douglas Wilder. In 1992, Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois became the first African-American woman elected to the U. S. Senate. Today, Moseley-Braun is a candidate for the Presidency of the United States (Franklin, 612). There were 8,936 African-American office holders in the United States in 2000, showing a net increase of 7,467 since 1970. In 2001, there were 484 mayors and 38 members of Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus serves as a political alliance in Congress for issues relating to African- Americans. The appointment of African-Americans to high federal offices? including Colin Powell (chairman of the U. S. Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1989-1993; Secretary of State, 2001-present), Ron Brown (Secretary of Commerce, 1993-1996), and Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas? also demonstrates the increasing power of African-Americans in the political arena (http://encarta. msn. com). Despite the advances of African-Americans in the political scene, the rate of voting has immensely declined compared to 40 years ago. According to statistics, less than 20% of African-Americans between the ages of 18 and 24, the most vital voting age group, voted in the last 40 years (http://www. rockthevote. org ). African-American voting’s disappointing decline over time has become a setback in regards to power, for politics control most of the issues that concern society, such as healthcare, housing, and employment: issues that the African-American community are in need of improving. The core concept of economics is defined as the study and process of producing, distributing (or exchanging) and consuming goods and services. Economically, African-Americans have benefited from the advances made during the Civil Rights era. The racial disparity in poverty rates has narrowed to some extent. The African-American middle class has grown substantially. In 2000, 47% of African-Americans owned their homes. However, African-Americans are still underrepresented in government and employment. In 1999, median income of African American household was $27,910 compared to $44,366 of non-Hispanic Caucasians. Approximately one-fourth of the African-American population lives in poverty, a rate three times that of Caucasians. In 2000, 19. 1 % of the African-American population lived below poverty level as compared to 6. 9% of Caucasians population. The unemployment gap between African-Americans and Caucasians has grown. In 2000, the unemployment rate among African-Americans was almost twice the rate for Caucasians. The income gap between African-American and Caucasian families also continue to widen. Employed African-Americans earn only 77% of the wages of Caucasians in comparable jobs, down from 82% in 1975. In 2000, only 16. 6% of African-Americans 25 years and older earned bachelor’s or higher degrees in contrast to 28. 1% of Caucasians. Although rates of births to unwed mothers among both African-Americans and Caucasians have risen since the 1950’s, the rate of such births among African-Americans is three times the rate of Caucasians (DeBose, 1). Thus, the state of African-American economics have flourished over time, yet remains in a state of improvement. Whether one talks about poverty, incomes, jobs, etc. , all imply and necessitate the concern with economics in the African-American community (Karenga, 355). Conclucively, the possibility of problems arising towards the discipline of African-American Studies are rooted in the birth of the discipline itself (Karenga, 476). The mission of the discipline, problematic administrators, and campus opposition are examples of obstacles that often attempt to prevent the missions of African-American Studies. However, African-American Studies has continued to defend its stance over time. Thus, as long as there is an African-American culture, the quest for knowledge in the African-American studies field will remain. Works Cited DeBose,Brian. â€Å"Reclaiming the Mission†. Nov. 2002 . Franklin, John Hope. From Slavery to Freedom. Nashville, TN: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Giddings, Paula. When and Where I Enter . New York:Perrenial, 1984. Karenga, Malauna. Introduction to Black Studies. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press ? Third Edition, 2002. http://encarta. msn. com http://www. rockthevote. com.

Women s Rights Of Women - 1657 Words

From women being granted the right to vote in the 19th amendment, to the steadily increasing number of women in the workforce, great strides have been made for women in the United States to have the same rights and opportunities as men. While many things have been achieved over the years, challenges still remain for women in today’s workplace such as the maternity protection, sexism, and sexual harassment. While the International Labor Organization (ILO) has been working to protect women in the workforce by providing maternity protection to ensure that the women’s work does not pose any risks to the health of the women and child, the United States is among the worst for enforcing maternity protection (International, 2014). According to†¦show more content†¦This inability to pay for necessary things becomes even more important when a woman has a single parent household, and only one source of income. Research has found that workers with childcare issues spend a large amount of the company’s time on them, and they may end up missing several days of work each year to take care of sick children (Reference, 2014). If more businesses had childcare options, which could even include having an onsite childcare facility, they would find that there are benefits to having this. These benefits would include work productivity, less missed days of work, and also an increased sa tisfaction level with the job (Reference, 2014). The United States may be lagging in helping women to better balance work and family conflicts, but changes are slowly making their way through legislation. California was the first state to pass legislation for paid family leave. It is the State Disability Insurance Program, and it allows employees a maximum of six weeks of partial pay each year to take care of family matters, such as having a newborn child (Schweitzer, 2007). Having paid leave does not only help mothers while they are caring for a new child, but it also gives them a path to follow back to work rather than stop working completely in order to care for a child. The Google company is a great example of why more businesses should have paid maternity leave. They originally had three months of partially paid maternity leave for new mothers, but they

Population Population At Risk - 2246 Words

Population at risk Since decades, health of population has been affected by geographic location and surrounding environment. Therefore, it is obvious that there would be a difference in the health status of the population of rural and urban areas. The urban and rural populations are differentiated by varieties of socio economic, demographic and educational factors. The people in urban areas usually have high standard of living, financial status and education level in comparison to people in rural areas. While focusing on the rural areas in Missouri, one such rural population exists in Dade County, Missouri. It is located in southwest Missouri with population size of 7,628, and it is ranked 101 in Missouri in terms of population size†¦show more content†¦Most of the people in Dade County are self-employed based on agriculture, fishing and mining industries, and some people are also engaged in administrative, professional, management and science related sectors for their living (City Data, 2014) . However, the Dade County has 6 percent unemployment rate in 2014, and 18.4 % of the people in the county are considered to be poor in 2013, which is quite higher than Missouri rate of poverty (Missouri Department of Mental Health, 2015). At the same time, the median household income in Dade County is $35,146 in 2013, which is reasonably low than Missouri median household income (City Data, 2014). The people in Dade County are sparsely distributed along the region of the county, so people have their own means of transportation, and there is lack of public transportation, so people are almost communicating to the different places everyday by their own vehicles. Moreover, the education level in the rural community makes them clearly distinguished from urban population, because the education has a major impact on the understanding and thinking of the people’s way of living their life. , the 78.5% of the population who are 25 and above age in the rural County have their high school degree or higher, and 9.9 percent of the same age group has their bachelor’s degree or higher, and 134 students are currently enrolled in College (City Data, 2014). Overall, most of the people in the county are limited to their high school level of

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 1185 Words

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that takes place during the depression and in the Deep South where racial discrimination is prominent. Hamlet is a tragic play, written about the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, involving incest, murder, and dishonesty. The above literatures are written during different periods of time and are contrastive in numerous aspects. However, both literatures are comprised of numerous scenes where the main characters deal with situations that test their morality and values. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and Hamlet in Hamlet, are asked to determine the fate of someone else’s life. Atticus and Hamlet are heroes of justice, but their justices are contrasting. Atticus is called to save a life and Hamlet has the duty to take a life. Although both of their duties regarding another person’s life are different, they exude the same type of heroic abilities through their struggles with justice. Numerous people think of heroes as being superhuman and having extraordinary powers. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a hero is a character who when faced with danger or a position of weakness, exhibits courage and is admired for their brave acts and will for self-sacrifice for the good of humanity. In regards to Atticus and Hamlet, they are not superheroes. They do not have supernatural powers; however, they are heroic in more realistic ways. They are heroes that are relatable to society today. Atticus and Hamlet, devote their lives inShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mot her. With that being said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the difference between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee873 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that â€Å"it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil . Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the bird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the story in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was poverty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreHarper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird931 Words   |  4 PagesHarper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngestRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to children or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establ ishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,Read MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, her

Families in a Modern Society-Victorians Free Essays

Victorian Times- 1837-1901 What do Victorian times mean? Victorian times means during Victoria’s rule. The time Queen Victoria was on the throne. She ruled for 64 years. We will write a custom essay sample on Families in a Modern Society-Victorians or any similar topic only for you Order Now What was it like living in the Victorian times? There was no electricity, instead gas lamps or candles were used for light. There were no cars. People walked, travelled by boat or train or used coach horses to move from place to place. Why are the Victorians so famous? Britain managed to build a huge empire during the Victorian period. It was also a time of tremendous change in the lives of British people. In 1837 most people lived in villages and worked on the land; by 1901, most lived in towns and worked in offices, shops and factories. During Queen Victoria’s reign: †¢Britain became the most powerful and richest country in the world, with the largest empire that had ever existed, ruling a quarter of the world’s population. †¢Towns and cities got piped water, gas and, by the end of the century, electricity †¢The number of people living in Britain more than doubled from 16 million to 37 million, causing a huge demand for food, clothes and housing. Factories and machines were built to meet this demand and new towns grew up, changing the landscape and the ways people lived and worked. †¢Railways, originally built to transport goods, meant people could travel easily around the country for the first time. Railways brought new foods to towns and cities. †¢Many households had a servant or servants – in 1891, 2 million servants were recorded in t he census †¢Seaside holidays were ‘invented’ (became popular). †¢Police Force ‘invented’. †¢New cookers and gadgets for the home were invented. What was Family life like during the Victorian times? Your quality of life during the Victorian times depended on whether you were rich or poor. Rich Victorians enjoyed a good and easy life; Poor Victorians had a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death. How many children did a normal Victorian family have? Families were usually large; in 1870 many families had five or six children. Victorian Children Life was not the same for all children during the Victorian times. The kind of life a child had in the Victorian times depended on its family. Children from working class families had few luxuries, ate poor food, worked long hours lived in damp, filthy conditions, many children died of disease. Children from rich families usually well fed, clean and well clothed, didn’t need to work, went on holidays, had expensive toys, and had pets such as ponies. What did child call his/her father? They called their fathers ‘sir ‘Each member of the family had their own role and children were taught to â€Å"know their place† and â€Å"be seen and not heard. Religion Region was very important to the Victorians. A great number of people went to church, at least once and probably twice, every Sunday. Food At the beginning of the Victorian period, people relied on the foods that were in season and available locally or those which had been pickled or preserved. Later, when the railways were built, many new fresh foods were available. The invention of the steam ship, and of transport refrigeration, meant that also meat, fish and fruit could be imported from overseas quite cheaply. There were no fridges and freezes in the homes to keep food for a long time, so meals were limited by small shops. Clothing Victorian people dressed appropriately to their age, and position in society Toys Poor families made their own, such as cloth-peg dolls and paper windmills. Rich Children Girls played with dolls and tea sets whilst boys played with toy soldiers and marbles. Housing Most cities and towns were not prepared for the great increase of people looking for accommodation to live near their work place. There was a shortage of houses; so many people had to share a room in other people’s houses. Rooms were rented to whole families or perhaps several families. Often ten or twelve people shared one room. If there were no rooms to rent, people stayed in lodging houses. Many factory owners built houses for their workers near their factories. The houses were built close together really quickly and cheaply. These houses often had two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. They were not really big enough for the large families people tended to have during the Victorian time. The houses also did not have running water and toilets. Up to 100 houses had to share an outdoor pump to get their water and share an outside toilet. To make things worse, the water from the pump was often polluted. 21st century The 21st century is the current century (today) What is it like living in the 21st century times? We live in an exciting time. Never before in the history are there so many resources available for individuals. Never before in the history are there so many opportunities for us. Here, in the 21st century, lack of resources or opportunities is no longer a problem. The problem is how to take advantage of them We now have electricity, instead of gas lamps or candles. We have gas central heating for instant hot water and heat at the touch of a button. We have cars and public transport, people seldom walk. What is Family life like during the 21st century times? A mixture of different families in the modern society defines the 21st century life. One parent families, dysfunctional families, traditional families, nuclear families and reconstituted families. How many children are normal for the 21st century family have? Families of the 21st Century come in all shapes and sizes. Divorce, remarriage, parenting out-of-wedlock and a host of other variables have turned nuclear families into the exception rather than the norm. 21st Century Children The twenty-first century is known for its cool gadgets and gizmos MP3 Players, iPhones, DVD’s. The surge in Internet use and social networking. From Facebook to My space, everyone is online, and hooking up with other likeminded individuals from all over the planet. Another important technological phenomenon is the widespread use of wireless technology. Children have many luxuries, eat well, do not work, go on holidays, have expensive toys, many have pets. Children live in clean, humane conditions; have vaccinations and medicines to protect against disease. Laws are in place to protect the health and safety of children. Food Improving people’s health through healthy foods available 24-7 from supermarkets where everything is provided and available. Local shops are also available and Take always and cafes etc. For eating out. Clothing Ready to wear industry, expensive and unique fashion styles. Housing Housing is now provided by the local council for you and your family, sharing with other families and overcrowding is against the law. How to cite Families in a Modern Society-Victorians, Essay examples

Marketing Mix IPod

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Mixfor IPod. Answer: The Three Layers of a Product IPod was introduced in 2001. Following are the three levels for iPod: Core product- This layer represents the benefit or function of the product. IPod is a portable digital music player. Actual product- This layer represents the features or properties of the tangible product. IPods are available in different colors like silver, grey, pink, and blue and golden. The storage capacity varies from 2GB to 128GB, depending upon the model(O'Cass and Heirati, 2015). IPod touch has a camera facility for taking pictures. Nike+ feature is available for tracking the workout progress. Augmented product- This layer represents the value added features. Apple provides a one-year warranty for its iPod models(Sinha, Sahgal and Mathur, 2013). Product Life Cycle According to the Product Life Cycle (PLC) model, a product goes through the following stages on the basis of various parameters like the cost of production, sales volume and profits: Development stage- This stage is a part of the organization's strategy to expand its business by offering a new product to existing markets of operation. Heavy investment is required for the Research and Development activities. Brainstorming results in the generation of ideas. Once the idea is transformed into a product, testing is done before launching it in the market in order to ensure that the product meets the safety standards(Kuczenski, 2015). Various strategies are formulated including promotional strategies, distribution strategies, and pricing strategies. Introductory stage- The volume of sales in this stage is low become most of the people are not confident about the product regarding its use or performance. Extensive marketing is required in this phase. A company incurs losses due to high production cost and low sales revenue. Growth stage- During this stage, the sales increase due to positive word-of-mouth and advertising activities(Kuczenski, 2015). The rival brands notice the performance of the product and try to offer products with similar technology. Maturity stage- The products face stiff competition during this stage. Brands make use of product and price differentiation in order to retain their market share. This results in declining profits(Kuczenski, 2015). In order to retain their market share, the brands adopt product differentiation. Decline stage- The demand for the product declines drastically due to the availability of better technology. Figure 1: The fluctuation in sales volume during different stages of Product Life Cycle The launch of iPod revolutionized the music player industry. Huge money was spent on advertising activities. This resulted in Apple acquiring more than 72% market share of MP3 player industry in 2007. It is believed that iPod entered the maturity stage in 2008. In order to maintain leadership in this industry, Apple adopted the differentiation technique. It displayed innovation through attractive designs, amazing features, top-notch performance. At present, iPod is in the decline stage(Sinha, Sahgal and Mathur, 2013). The main reason for the decline in sales is the change in customer needs. They do not require a separate device for listening to music. Another reason is the choice of pricing strategy. In order to maintain the premium brand image, Apple has not lowered the prices for iPod models. Recommendations Apple's product portfolio includes iPad, iPhone, iPod, TV, Macintosh, iTunes and watch. Undoubtedly, Apple is one of the most innovative companies. Apple should focus on iPhone as it the best selling product and it can help the company in generating higher profits. In contrast to the Android smartphones, iPhone does not have the facility of file transfer through Bluetooth(Sinha, Sahgal and Mathur, 2013). Apple should work towards adding the Bluetooth feature in iPhone. Adding SD ports to iPhone can also enhance the customer experience. References Kuczenski, B. (2015). Partial ordering of life cycle inventory databases.The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 20(12), pp.1673-1683. O'Cass, A. and Heirati, N. (2015). Mastering the complementarity between marketing mix and customer-focused capabilities to enhance new product performance.Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, 30(1), pp.60-71. Sinha, A., Sahgal, A. and Mathur, S. (2013). Practice Prize PaperCategory Optimizer: A Dynamic-Assortment, New-Product-Introduction, Mix-Optimization, and Demand-Planning System.Marketing Science, 32(2), pp.221-228.