Friday, September 6, 2019

History of British Empire Notes Essay Example for Free

History of British Empire Notes Essay History of the British Empire leading to the establishment of the commonwealth This work contains information about the British Empire compared to the Roman Empire than compared to the Spartans. This shows who done b=worse things and was it worth going through all of that if their Empire is not the best? My work also contains certain opinions(mine and my dad) and tan some extra information about the commonwealth, what they do and who’s involved in it. I say that that British Empire changed the world the most because their economic system and schooling system means they had technology and money to build army and navies in Rome could only dream of. However the British got their political and law system from the Romans and Rome in the day had great economic power. ‘The sun never sets on the British Empire’ Is a well-known saying about the British Empire because there was a lot of colonies around the world which meant it was daytime somewhere in the Empire. The British Empire covered the largest land area ever ruled over by one nation, this involved over 166 countries. The British Empire began around the 1700, even though there is no longer considered an empire it still has a vast commonwealth network (this means that there are still some colonies that still believe in the British Empire) However, the Roman Empire lasted over 1,000 years and stretched from Britain to the Middle East. Much of the building technology of the Romans were adopted by the western world and are still used today. 2,000 years later. The Romans had much less of advanced tools to work with and the longer length of the time they was an empire. There are many good and bad points about the Roman Empire but what shocked me the most was that they took over neighbouring countries in their plan to take over the world; they tried to do this through violence and destruction. They would use black slaves and animals as entertainment; this would involve blood and violence. This would be held in the Colluseam. They also had massive amounts of slaves and killed hundred thousand during their conquest. The Empire wasn’t all that bad, considering the Empire was so big there had to be harsh and inhumane things to keep control of it. But things like the gladiatorial games weren’t necessary as without the slave the Roman Empire wouldn’t have been as successful and prosperous as they were. I think that the slaves deserve a lot of credit in making the Empire a success, even though what the Romans done to them were harsh and despicable. If I was to compare the Roman Empire to the Spartans, really the Roman Empire would be k nown as what they done would have been common at the time as the Spartans put a whole race into slavery and never let one of them rise above being classed as a slave. The Romans was quite cruel as they would torture slaves, child molestation, rape, poison and incest slaughter, this was just some of the things they would to the slaves compared the British Empire which invaded countries, changed most of their original cultures, once used privateers(pirates that were authorized by the government) would be used to plunder enemy ships during war and encouraged the colonies even in America to do the same. So I have compared the British Empire to the Roman Empire who was then compared to the Spartans and to conclude my research i believe that we should be proud the British Empire as we was much more civilised and didn’t go over the top in attempting to take over the world unlike the Roman Empire who would put people/slaves through the worst things to try to succeed in taking over the world. Just to make things clear the Spartans was far worst as they put a whole race into slavery and that’s all they would be. I asked my dad if he is proud o f the British Empire and he said: ‘At the time they brought allot of civilisation to many places that lacked in it, in different countries they helped build rail roads, postal services, and religion.’ Than I asked him if he was proud of it now, he replied: ‘Yes because nowadays we have strong, economical and commercial ties with the common wealth countries’ I don’t think my dad was too sure about the bad points but apart from that it was clear that he is proud of the British Empire because of how much it has helped the world today. The coalition government has set out a vision to strengthen the commonwealth as a focus for promoting democratic values and development. There are 54 independent sovereign states in the commonwealth. The commonwealth are a group of countries working in the same direction to promote the common interest of their people and promotion of international understanding. Membership of the commonwealth is voluntary , it is 63 years old, it has 54 member states which together comprise over 2 billion citizens. Her majesty the queen is head of the commonwealth, membership of the commonwealth does not bring with it contractual obligations rather members commit to a series of statements of believes esta blished by heads of government. The priorities and programmes of the commonwealth: 1.Good offices for peace- strengthen democratic processes and institutions 2.Rule of law- promoting the rule of law is seen enhancing democracy, good governments and development across the membership 3.Human rights- aims to assist members in the adoption and implementation of international human rights 4.Economic development-to assist developing countries to improve their understanding of international trade rules and regulations and to help them strengthen their negotiations within the world trade organisation. 5.Environmentally sustainable development- the commonwealth brings together industrialised countries with significant greenhouse gas emissions. 6.Large emerging economies- notable energy production and some of the poorest and the most vulnerable economies. 7.Human development- the commonwealth works towards the millennium development goals and is partially active in education, gender and health.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Celebrity Endorsement And Its Impact On Sales

Celebrity Endorsement And Its Impact On Sales Results show that celebrity endorsement has a large impact on purchase intention and is infact a causal factor based on the data obtained through this research. All three factors are said to positively affect purchase intention and the results are magnified when all three factors are present. It is seen that the most significant impact is that of physical attractiveness if taken in isolation and the most significant impact is that of celebrity / brand congruence when all three factors are taken into account. What this means is that without physical attractiveness, the impact of the other two factors is negated (in the absence of physical attractiveness, purchase intention will not increase) but the presence of physical attractiveness alone does not have a significant impact on purchase intention. Thus physical attractiveness is an important first step but it is not the most important reason for increase in purchase intention. That belongs to brand / celebrity congruence, which is consistent with previous studies on the subject matter: Choose celebrities which have a good image fit with the brand, otherwise the impact of the celebrity endorsement is minimal. The author concludes by stating that all three are important factors in making an impact on purchase intention through advertisement and thus when choosing a celebrity endorser, all three factors must be taken into account. Celebrity Endorsement and its Impact on Sales Jain (2011) proposes that the increase in celebrity endorsement in the subcontinent in recent years, despite the rising costs is due to the increase in media coverage in the area and the increase in hero worship as well. This has been outlined as the major reasons for increase in persuasiveness of celebrities, which in turn has resulted in an increase in their demand by corporations to endorse their respective brands. The research documents the impact of celebrity endorsement with a focus on the subcontinent, making it pertinent to this study. It is queried as to whether the relationship is always positive or whether there can be negative consequences as well. It is noted that for most brands, the focus has shifted from creating awareness and bringing attention towards their brands to a more contemporary approach, which is to create positive associations within the minds of the consumers and to capture a share of mind, share of heart, share of wallet and share of spirit. This is the essence of branding in todays world and as such, all marketing and advertising actions that are conducted are done so with this end goal in mind. The study researches the idea that celebrity endorsement leads to fulfillment of such goals or are they successful only in capturing the attention of the consumer and creating awareness without moving the consumer to the next stage. Celebrities are thought of as a link between the brand and the consumer and help to ease the process of purchase intention and thus it is imperative that the best celebrity be chosen, the one that is right for the brand and has the potential to create the maximum impact on sales as well as brand equity. As pointed out by other studies, endorsement helps brands to deal with clutter and that is the major reason to use celebrities, instead of everyday men and women in advertisement. One of the major decision criteria which helps corporations choose a celebrity is known as the Q-Rating. This Q rating helps brands to select a celebrity based on the rating that they have with the consumers. This rating is derived, based on a number of criteria but essentially boils down to two: who known is the celebrity and how liked is the celebrity. These two criteria form the backbone of the Q Rating system that helps corporations choose which celebrity is the best fit for their brand. The impact of celebrity endorsement is said to be based on 10 criteria, with the greater the score of the celebrity in each criteria, the greater the impact on sales and purchase intention. Celebrity / Target Market Match: How strongly target market associates itself with the celebrity in question. Celebrity Values: The link between the values of the celebrity and the values of the target audience, thus creating a link for the consumers with the brand. Cost of Celebrity: The cost of the celebrity is generally an indication of the popularity of the celebrity and the higher the cost, the higher the popularity, thus the greater the chance of the celebrity persuading consumers. However the cost should always be compared to the added benefit and the go ahead should only be given if its established that there is sufficient benefit from the increase in cost. Regional Appeal: Different regions may have different appeals within a country and if a product is to be sold throughout the country, it is best to choose a celebrity with relative universal appeal. Celebrity Product Match: The celebrity should be seen as having an image fit with the brand itself, as it is one of the key factors when trying to increase sales. Celebrity Controversy Risk: The greater the chances that the celebrity may be involved in controversy, the lesser the chances that he or she would have a positive long term impact on sales and thus should be avoided. Popularity: The greater the popularity, the greater the chances of brand recall and thus they have a high cost. It should be noted that in order to save cost, popularity should not be forgone. Availability: The best celebrities may not be available due to other endorsement commitments or there is a conflict of interest due to them endorsing a rival brand. In such a case, it is best to move on and choose the next best alternative. Attractiveness: Attractiveness helps celebrities be more likeable and to connect more with the target market and as such this is an important attribute to look for in a celebrity. Credibility: This helps the consumers to trust what the celebrity is saying and to pay more attention to him or her and what he or she is endorsing. This research is important as it looks at the factors within the partnership of a celebrity and a corporation and how they increase or decrease their impact on the impact of celebrity endorsement on sales and as such helps to decide how and when celebrities should be chosen as endorsers. Impact of celebrity Endorsement on Overall Brand In order to select a celebrity for a given product, there should be an optimal match between celebrity and brand image. Here are some parameters which should be considered: (Katyal, 2010): Celebritys personal character is not controversial Personal character fits with the image of the product / brand Cost of hiring the celebrity is worth the output Is there any controversy risk attached after the ad campaigns launched Celebritys popularity Is the celebritys appeal local or regional and does it fit with the appeal of the product in terms of region Celebritys overall credibility Is the celebrity him or herself a brand user? What is celebrity profession? Does it matches to have a natural match to the product and appeal to the consumers. For example, celebrity figure from sport is natural to promote sports related stuff and footwear. What values celebrity is associated with the product? If a celebrity is put in a role to propagate the human service cause does he/she be social worker or figure. Does target audience want to believe in the celebrity for the target product to be advertised or message to be conveyed. After advent of television, cable television, and internet, advertisement industry got revolutionized. New trends and format were introduced for rapid and technical way to impress the public and numerous items, products and services became the household names. Television though invented in 1920s became commercial medium in 1950s. This happen when a price of the television sets began to approach affordable range of average person. Print and Radio had to take back seat to give a way to the new technologies. Now the commercials could be broadcasted with sight, sound, and motion. First time in the history advertisers saw huge potential of multimedia technologies which could give higher gains in sales and profits provided right tools and ideas were selected. Cable television channel introduced channels like MTV for young music lovers, ESPN for sports enthusiasts and Food Networks for people with love of cooking. These new channels were attractive and fun for advertisers who wish to target certain audience for example; entertainment, sports, or food (Sample, 2010). Celebrities in Advertising Personal in marketing have used celebrities in commercials, print campaigns and promotions and other seller techniques for years. It has worked in the past because it was executed properly. However, use of celebrities to grab viewers attention to eventually make sales depends on proper celebrity casting. The right selection of star to pitch the product will mean that the buyers can relate to that person the person a buyer would want to believe in. It is not as simple as you think it is because in many cases the right celebrity is not always affordable. On the flip side, the right celebrity is not always the most expensive one either. Above all else, the most important resides in considering whether the celebrity you select is right for your campaign and take the process from there. Another key factors that one must take into account is the fact that advertisers should understand the basic premise of hiring the celebrity and making it clear to him what is required and the nature of the exact role of the celebrity. If this is successful, companies may retain the celebrity for other products of their brand, making the celebrity more of a brand ambassador than a product endorser. Celebrities can be seen as a marketing vehicle that will likely to continue in the near future. As long as there are new stars being introduced into our entertainment arenas there will be no shortage of talent to fill the need. Though, doing the selection and positioning right is the biggest challenge but if done correctly it can translate into better response and higher sales volume. The equity effect of endorsement by celebrities: A conceptual framework The purpose of this study was create a framework which may be later used to organize and guide future research into how celebrity product endorsement creates equity for both the endorsed product-brand and the endorsing celebrity. The focus of Diana Senos study was how the celebrity as well as the brand could serve to increase equity for each other, essentially feeding off each others image to mutually benefit each other. It looked at the relationship between the endorser and the company and how a strategic fit could be achieved by utilizing the best fit of celebrity for the product to be endorsed. The central findings of the research state that celebrity endorsement is a form of co-branding and that both endorser image and brand image serve as mediators in the equity-creation process of celebrity product endorsement. Mobile brands connect with Pakistan Umair Naeem examines the relationship and industry effects of celebrity endorsement on the telecommunications sector. Umair states how the increase in competition has led cellular service providers to resort to differentiating their brands less on the basis of functionality and features and increasingly on the basis of emotional appeal and a certain message that is sent across. Celebrity endorsements are heavily used to drive home the emotional appeal and to personify the message that is being sent across. Using Mobilink as an example he states, Mobilinks sub-brand Indigo relied heavily on two factors toward establishing its brand equity: brand ambassadors that exuded style and sophistication, and a unique classy look that permeate all forms of its Indigo brand communication. Indigo used models such as Zainab Qayum, movie stars like Shaan, and popular musicians such as Strings to infuse style into its branding. It also played on the aspirations of young business professionals through the atmosphere and the locales of Indigos ads. He believes celebrity endorsement is currently necessary to differentiate the brands which are increasingly similar in features and thus celebrities help to personify the brands qualities. The naked truth of celebrity endorsement This research was conducted to understand how celebrity endorsement worked for retail outlets and retail stores in general, with a focus on Europes leading chain, J. Sainsbury. Thus The focus of the study is on using celebrity endorsements for retail outlets. Its emphasis is on fit between celebrity image and brand image. Specific cases are analyzed to evaluate the extent to which consumers associate themselves with the image that the given celebrity projects and how that, in turn affects their purchase behavior Sainsburys started using Jamie Oliver (a high profile television chef) for their advertisement campaign, who served to promote the companys grocery products. He was chosen as he was seen as the best fit for their brand. The case itself identifies the criteria that made the endorsement successful by conducting questionnaires, interviews, and focus group studies. It outlines the key elements along with how they were used in the campaign to create a sense of confidence amongst the consumers and thus creating a successful campaign. The overall extent to which the consumers associate themselves with the celebrity and his words is dissected. Impact of celebrity Endorsement on overall brand Endorsements are seen to be on the rise entailing a valid question posed to consumers. Is there a science behind the choice of the endorsers or is it just by the popularity measurement? Which precise reasons lead to impact on brands by using celebrity endorsement? A thorough study of the paper streamlined a 14 point model which can be referred to as a blueprint criterion by brand managers for capitalizing on the celebrity resource through 360 degree brand communication and can also be used in selection of celebrities. The model was projected as the foundation brick on the impact of celebrity endorsement in paper. Our study revealed that 14 factors of the model and the effects of celebrity endorsement are proportional. Success of a brand is determined through celebrity endorsement which is accumulative of the following 14 attributes. If the below parameters score is higher, the chances of getting close to the desired impact are greater. The winner stories of celebrity endorsement are promotions which reflect a fine fit between the brand and the 360 degree advertising. And a decent example of one such story is of Fardeen Khan and Provogue. In the apparel market, Provogues positioning is of a young, active, party-going, attention-grabbing brand and so is Fardeen Khan. The union between the two has had a massive impact and brand managers have utilized this endorsement through 360 degree dimension as noted earlier. Moreover, the marketing/advertising firms should identify the symbolic properties of the sought after product first, as also proposed by the transfer model. Thereafter, consultation of host celebrities is appropriate to assure their similar traits with the product. Finally, after sorting out budget and availability constraints, the suitable celebrity has to be chosen as a representation of symbolic brand properties. The chosen celebrity will have some meanings associated with him/her which will not be suitable for the product. Consequently, only salient features excluding unwanted meanings should be captured and taken care of.Also, advertisements should also be structured in way to highlight the essential similarities between celebrity and the product. When it comes to subtlety, depth and power in delivering meanings celebrities are much nuanced compared to anonymous models. Celebrities also offer demographic information, configurations of range of personality and lifestyle meanings very thoroughly. Their persona evokes meanings with greater clarity. Furthermore, celebrities through repeated performance on public stage create their personalized meanings which can be passed into advertisements, through meaning transfer process. For instance Preity Zinta is perceived as a fun-loving, vivacious and modern Indian woman who can be translated into brand campaign with similar characteristics. In conclusion, the fit between celebrity traits and brand positions and its attributes determine the success. Celebrity endorsements Marketers need to be aware of the impact of using celebrities in commercials, promotions and print campaigns because it works if done properly. If business are about to make an effective advertisement, it must be attention-grabbing to its consumers and therefore most of them uses celebrities as endorsers. According to the article of Katyal S. (2008), celebrities serves the purpose of getting viewers attention; but proper choice of celebrity determines whether it translates into a sale and product image is delivered precisely. Selecting the right star to enhance the image of your product means finding the person to whom your consumers can relate to, meaning the person your consumer wants to believe in. Sometimes the selection of the right star for your product is not that daunting, until you realise that in many cases affordability is in question with the right celebrity. Essentially due to familiarity with stars, brands are normally endorsed by celebrities who make them enormously attractive to consumers. But anyone who thinks seriously about branding soon realises that there are basically two kinds of strong brands: those that are focused and those that are diversified. Significance of branding with celebrity endorsements is complicated to estimate in the present cluttered media industry and consumer markets. Electronic media branding including television will be of continuing interest and importance even with its idiosyncrasies in consumer payment and brand definition. There are three explanatory reasons for this; firstly a strong brand identity is crucial to producing audiences in a multichannel environment which is an environment that is becoming more and more crowded as television converts to digital delivery. Perhaps it is the only means of gaining a place in a viewers/ users channel repertoire. Secondly, brands are important for businesses to expand its markets. Extensions of brand marry an established brand to a new service as a means of establishing immediate market credibility. Besides that the third aspect explains, branding with the use of celebrities in which it is necessary to leverage corporate assets in order to open new markets. These markets may be related to the present business of a branded entity (e.g., ESPN Magazine, CBS Sportsline website), or if not separate they may be unrelated (e.g., logo apparel and other merchandise, Fox Sports restaurant/bars). With the traditional advertiser supported model of television under increasing pressure, television providers, and especially broadcasters, are constantly looking for new revenue streams to continue enhancing brand image and generate sales extensively. All in all, the power of an endorsement by a celebrity depends on the relevance of the celebrity to the product. For example, if Oprah was promoting a book about an issue particularly relevant to women then she is most likely to be effective. A famous chef can endorse a cook book or a famous fitness celebrity can certify an exercise book. If the buyer believes that the celebrity brings an unusual insight or twist, they would be more interested. In the case of skin whitening products, Lucida-ds and [Met] Tathione should carefully assess their endorsers to avoid business campaign failure in terms wrong brand perceptions and ultimate sale drop. Therefore, it is important to consider the conformity of the product and the alignment of both celebrity and brand attribute to be a market winner. Chapter V: Research Study Design Research Objectives Objectives to be analysed should be crisp and clear in order to observe the effectiveness of the decision for celebrity endorsement. Apart from the economic interests of celebrity endorsements (e.g. rise in total revenue/market share), it involves several psychological objectives. Such as an increased knowledge of the brand name, a more clear representation of brand/product characteristics by consumers, enriched attitude towards the ad, towards the brand and lastly, increased purchase intentions. Celebrity endorsement attributes that increase consumer purchase intention Celebrity attributes that are of most importance when analyzing effectiveness of endorsement Impact of celebrity attributes on brand positioning Effects of multiple celebrity endorsement on brand image Effects of celebrity endorsement on brand equity Factors that affect the consumers willingness to purchase a product or service when endorsed by a celebrity? Research Question: What celebrity attributes affect purchase behavior of Lowe Raufs clients? Hypothesis Celebrity endorsement has a significant / insignificant impact on consumer purchase behavior H0= Celebrity endorsement does not have a significant impact on consumer purchase behavior H1= Celebrity endorsement has a significant impact on consumer purchase behavior. Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework has been designed based on the literature review on studies based on this topic. It has been identified through these studies that the following variables combine to form the essence of celebrity endorsement and together, they affect purchase intention. [Source: Chabo Dimed et. al (2005). Celebrity endorsement-Hidden factors to success, Journal of Advertising pp. 298-301] Relevant Variables Variable Article Constitutive definition Operational Definition Attractiveness (Independent) Celebrity endorsements- Hidden factors to success The likeability of the celebrity associated with a product or service with regard to the glamour of the celebrity. Q 17, 18, 19, 20 21 Purchase Intention (Dependent) Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior and Brand Building The ways in which a consumer interacts in accordance with the advertisement strategies run by a company for its product or service. Q12, 13 15 Brand celebrity Fit (Independent) Impact of celebrity endorsements on brands It explains how closely the personality and image of the celebrity matches the positioning of brand. Q 26, 27 ,28 29 Brand Recall (Independent) Advertisement and Promotion It explains how the consumer recognizes the brand with the celebrity who endorses the product or service. Q7, 8, 9, 10 11 Likeability (Independent) Impact of celebrity advertisement on customers brand perception It explains how the charm or glamour of the celebrity affects the sales of the brand. Q 24 25 Trustworthiness (Independent) Celebrity endorsements- Hidden factors to success The celebritys history with the consumers develops a level of trust between the two parties and this is what trustworthiness explains here. Q 22 23 [Source: Chabo Dimed et. al (2005). Celebrity endorsement-Hidden factors to success, Journal of Advertising pp. 298-301] Research Methodology This section outlines and elaborates on the research and how it was conducted. It covers the details of the research design, methodology for collecting the data, population, questionnaire development and data analysis. The aim of the paper is to figure out how celebrity or endorsements affect brands. The basic idea is to equip ourselves with additional research on the phenomenon of consumer response with respect to celebrity endorsed brands; this makes the research a basic research. Since the objective is to find how celebrity endorsements affect brands, this research is termed causal in nature. Data Type The bulk of this study revolves around quantitative data due to the fact that there is greater chance of bias in qualitative data as well as the fact that that numeric data is easier to analyze and understand. Data may be clearly measured and hence this serves as the major portion of the analysis. Quantitative data has been obtained through questionnaires, filled up by employees of Lowe Rauf as well as the final consumers so that both perspectives are covered. Qualitative data is in the form of interviews, two of which are conducted; one with the GM of the Lahore division and another, a joint interview with the account managers of Nestle and Mitchells. Population The study is based on understanding how consumers purchase intention is affected in the wake of celebrity endorsement. Since the study is limited to Lahore, the overall population sample would be equal users in Lahore, which equates to 4,695,600 (based on local census). Sampling Procedure Convenience, non-probability sampling is used for the questionnaire, based on the ease of access and availability of resources for the researcher. The final sample for the questionnaire consists of 30 users (16 male, 14 female) with varying ages, income brackets and occupations. For the interview, as stated, Anwar Kabir (GM Lahore branch) and the two account managers (Haris Habib and Zakria Fawad) are interviewed, based on convenience as well as relevant experience, working within the industry and actually hiring celebrities. Sampling Frame For the purpose of this research, the list of elements upon which the sample is selected from the population includes the fact that they should be easily accessible to the researcher (as convenience sampling is used). The other element of is that at least 50% of the sample should fall into the SEC B income bracket. This is because research shows this class to be the most frequent users of these products. For the interview, the major element (apart from convenience) is that the persons should be experienced in terms of the celebrity endorsement process and must have actually worked on campaigns to select celebrities based on different factors. Data Collection Procedure This research is based on the primary data collection approach. Questionnaires are used for collecting data. Personally administered questionnaires have been used. They were distributed to a total of 30 people of different ages, occupation and income; requiring them to fill a total of 30 questions each. Once the questionnaires were filled they were collected. The anonymity and confidentiality of the respondents and their responses has been ensured and data was analyzed at an aggregate level only. Close ended questions are used in the questionnaire which helps the respondents to make quick decisions to choose among the several alternative before them (Sekaran, 2000). The nature of the questionnaire has also helped the researcher to code the information easily for subsequent analysis. Likert-style rating scale was used; it consists of subsequent options: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Different statements were made in the questions and respondents were asked the degree as to what they agree or disagree upon. Questionnaire Development The questionnaire itself was kept simple and basic to ensure clarity and reduce bias. The purpose was to gather data from the selected population sample with regards to the topic. The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first section contained six questions seeking information about the respondents age, gender, income, marital status, education and occupation. The second section contained questions that were based on information regarding the variables identified in the first chapter, this section itself consisting of five sub-sections; brand recognition and recall, purchase intention, endorser credibility and trustworthiness, endorser attractiveness likeability and image fit. The information attained would be used to analyze the findings and further the study. [Questionnaire attached in Appendix 1] Respondent Profile Data collection from the questionnaires shows that the respondent is a single 18-28 year male student with an income of 30,000-40,000. The other type of respondent is an 18-28 year old housewife with kids and income of 30,000-40,000. [Graphical representations of respondent demographics in Appendix 2] Data Analysis Procedure Once all the data is compiled, it is transferred to SPSS. This is done to understand how purchase intention is affected by the variables outlined in the theoretical framework. Values in the questionnaire are changed to numeric form so that data is quantified. Questions with the Likert-scale rating are given numeric forms, with 1 representing strongly disagree to 5 representing strongly agree. Using this method, the data is input into the software and a regression model is created, along with descriptive statistics and frequency tables. Chapter VI: Results Findings Interview Findings There were two interviews conducted within the Lowe Rauf agency, the first was with the general manager, Anwar Kabir and the second was with Zakria Fawad, the account service maanger. The interviews revealed that it is necessary to prioritize the needs of the firm as well as the agency in light of the budget allotted to the advertisement itself and the portion of the budget available to hire a spokesperson. Since the ideal spokesperson may not be within budget or may not be available due to other reasons, it is imperative that the importance of the key celebrity endorsers attributes be ranked and measured in terms of the impact on purchase intention of the relevant consumer. There were five key attributes that were thought to be important by the Lowe Rauf management, which were: attractiveness, likability, brand fit, trust worthiness and recognition. The order of their importance however is very subjective and it is believed that a more objective means to rank these and other relevant variables, would serve to make better and more informed judgments as to the importance of each variable as per the needs of the client. Hence it becomes important to conduct a regression analysis and quantify the impact of each variable on the purchase intention of consumers within the target customer category. Purchase intention = 0.0461095 + 0.353232* brand recognition and recall + 0.351173* trustworthiness + 0.133718* attractiveness 0.0495677* image fit + 0.21128* likeability The model tested has a coefficient of determina

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Traditional and New Approaches of Media Effect

Traditional and New Approaches of Media Effect Widhia Kurnia Sukmono How do you think the media affect us? Critically evaluate debates on media effects and traditional and new approaches to media effect theories. With reference to one particular case study, provide you considered assessment of how the media influence, and affect, us. It has been widely accepted by the public that the media is capable of Influencing societies on a large scale. The media has long been deemed as a very powerful force within society that can subvert norms and values that could ultimately undermine our social order. How the media exactly affect us can be seen as a rather complex issue that concerns many media scholars for a long time. Various theories on media effect has been created by some of the world’s renowned communication scholars in order to depict how the media influence people. Debates on how the media influence may cause more harm than good Is still ongoing till now. Hence, it is the utmost importance to analyse the various models of media effect and how it has evolved in order to fully understand how the media actually influence us. Especially now since we are currently living in a media saturated culture, more than ever we depend on the media for our understanding of world events. This essay aims to analyse traditional and new approaches of media effect, and sought to debate on the credibility of various media effect theories. The five media effect theories mentioned in this essay will include the Hypodermic Needle Theory, The Reception theory, Two Step Flow theory, Catharsis theory and Encoding Decoding theory. To further the analysis of media effect on society, this essay will also touch on the subject of moral panic and how it is related to media influence. Finally, this essay will also perform a case study on the prevalence of violent behaviour among young people caused by high violent imagery portrayed by media industry. Some people argued that the amount of violence presented in the media is the core reason causing young viewers to adopt violent behaviour, but this may not be necessarily true. The idea that the media has powerful effects on people gained ground during the 1920’s and 1930’s, in light of the fascist treatment towards society and dictators utilizing the media as a propaganda tool in countries like Germany and Russia. After researcher began observing the effect of propaganda during World War 1, they brought about the very first theory of media effects which is called the Hypodermic Needle Theory or the Magic Bullet Model. The Hypodermic Needle Theory is a linear communication theory which suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of a passive, receptive, uncritical audience. A classic example of the application of the hypodermic needle theory was illustrated on October 30, 1938 when Orson Welles and the newly formed Mercury Theatre group broadcasted their dramatization of H.G Wells’ â€Å"War of the Worlds.† The program, which was presented in the format of a news bulletin, caused one million listener of the 12 million listener in America to be â€Å"panic-stricken†. A wave of mass hysteria disturbed households, interrupted religious services causing severe traffic jams and clogged major communication system. People even fled their homes in the city to seek shelter in more rural areas, grocery stores were raided and people began to ration food. The nation was in a state of chaos caused by a single broadcast of what was meant to be a radio dramatization of a well-known book. After the event occurred media theorist classified the â€Å"War of the Worlds† broadcast as the archetypal example of the Hypodermic Needle Theory and an example of moral panic. This event demonstrated perfectly on how the media worked, simply by injecting the message directly into the bloodstream of the public like a drug, it then successfully stimulated a uniform response from the mass population. This theory shows how audiences are seen a passive and gullible individuals who could easily be manipulated by the media. Although the Hypodermic Needle Theory has died away in the 1930’s since it fails to recognize the fact that audience themselves are active producers of meaning. Nevertheless, the Hypodermic Needle Theory is one of the earliest and fundamental theory of media effects that continues to influence the way we talk about the media and the creation of other media effect theory. However, this theory may still be applicable to children or young viewers as they are considered extremely passive audience and uncritical. They would not be able to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong and may possibly see violence as an acceptable behaviour in society. Hence, it is often recommended that media industry to apply censorship to prevent children from latching onto violent behaviour. Unlike what Hypodermic Needle Theory depicted, the media effect process can be seen as a more complex thing, the media doesn’t necessarily have total direct and powerful influence on audiences as it involve more variables. Media and audience relationship does not exist in void but is involved and influenced by many things such as social context, culture and political-economy. Audience would consists of unique individuals who have different social and culture which makes it problematic to conceptualise one mass audience. The term active audience was then created alongside the Reception theory which is the exact polar opposite of the Hypodermic Needle Theory. This theory recognises viewers as active participants in media that is able to form out unique responses from each individual viewers. Campbell and Morgan (2009) states that one particular message received by five different people most probably create five unique responses depending on personal factors such as religion, edu cation, culture, political affiliation and legal framework. Lazarsfeld and Katz (1955) also add that people may become opinion leaders, usually are individuals who pay close attention to the media. This also bring us to the next media effect theory called the Two-Flow step theory which suggest that media meanings are mediated through key individuals that influences how we think. These so called ‘opinion leaders’ sought to observe media content and pass on their interpretation of media to others. In a paper presented at the 20th Annual World Wide Web Conference in 2011, researchers managed to look into the flow of information on the social networking site Twitter and revealed that they had found significant evidence to support the Two Step Flow Theory. Researchers found that news distributed in twitter find its way through people a number of prominent and influential opinion leaders like celebrities, journalist and bloggers. Ultimately the media is no longer seen as having strong powerful direct effect on audiences anymore. (Lazar sfeld, 1955). Another theory called the Catharsis theory was created, the term â€Å"Catharsis† is derived from the Greek word Katharsis which literally means cleansing, purging, or purification. This theory has played an important role in the discussion about the effects of violence in the mass media for many years. It implies that the execution of an aggressive action under certain conditions diminishes the aggressive drive and therefore reduces the likelihood of further aggressive action. The crucial point in Catharsis Theory is that the observed aggressive action does not necessarily need to be executed in reality, it can instead take place in the audience fantasy and imaginations. This is closely linked to the consumerism aspect of mass media in whereby audiences use what they see on the media to fulfil the different needs and wants they have (Goldstein, 1998). One of the most common needs of audience is the urge to escape reality. The mass media industry is able to give these sensatio n through wide array of films or games exhibiting characteristic of tragedy and violence for the audience to cleanse their negative feelings (Campbell and Morgan, 2009). Catharsis is then deemed to be beneficial to both the individual and society. People viewing violence-oriented television programs, films or video games experiences emotional release from negative feelings such as fear and anger. The thrill and excitement delivered by these media text meets the adventurous needs of the audience without actually placing them in any real risk (Edgar, 1977). This theory then suggest that children who are exposed to violence on the media are unlikely to end up practising it, since they are purged of their aggressive drive and negative feeling. All of the theoretical approaches discussed have only allocated power to either the audience or the media. One of the pioneer works to break away from this over emphasis of unilateral power was established by Stuart Hall’s through his encoding/decoding theory developed in the 1980’s. Hall (1980) argues that media producer ‘encode’ specific meanings in media text, which is distributed to audiences who will then decode and reproduce these meanings through their own understanding (Hall, 1980 pp 128). Hall does not just chart a middle ground between audience and the media but also introduces media producers into the equation and their roles in this relationship. Hall suggest that producers of the media message would usually encodes their agendas and assumption in the media text which will then shapes the ‘preferred meanings’ of the text. Such meanings would then limit and guide audience interpretations. Similarly to the Reception theory, Hallâ€⠄¢s Encoding Decoding theory suggest that specific factors outside the media text such as gender, education and ethnicity do play a role in influencing audience’s interpretations. One of the reasons why encoding and decoding model is significant in media studies is because it balances the relationship between the media and the audience, returning some power to the media while at the same time maintaining audience as active participants. This approach acknowledges both audience and the media as sites of meaning making. Hall then further develops the audience decoding method as affected to four different levels of responsiveness. Firstly, dominant meaning the audience recognise and agree with the preferred meaning offered by media text. Secondly, oppositional meaning that the audience disagree with the preferred meaning because it contradicts to their own set of beliefs and attitudes. Thirdly, Negotiated, is when audience opposes or adapts to the preferred meaning. Finally, ab errant meaning the audience gives meanings deviant to the preferred meaning. This theory then suggest that producers of media text may encode their preferred meaning inside the text, but it is up to the audience to decode the messages from their very own perspective. By analysing these various media effect theories presented in this essay and how they have evolved. It has become clear that the way media affect us involve a particularly complex process. Nowadays the media does not directly influence us it is clear that the way the media affec These different media effect theories that are presented in this essay attempt to explain and justify the manner in which the mass media influences society are all practical in their own References: Campbell, S., Ling, R. (2009). Effects of mobile communication. In B. Jennings M. B. Oliver. (Eds.). Media effects: Advances in theory and research (pp. 592-606). New York: Routledge, New York. : As one of the recommend readings for media effects, it draws the reality of modern society apparently and describes the way media has an influence on the modern society and human life by providing the difference between modern and past world. The more media is developed, the more convenience people are. Whilst, the more opportunities people get to share or communicate with the others, the more problems such as privacy issues or mobile violence are occurred. So this gives both sides of idea with some examples. Cline, V. B., Croft, R. G., Courrier, S. (1973). Desensitization of children to television violence.Journal of personality and social psychology,27(3), 360 : This Journal draws the present environment of children who are now surrounded by mobile technologies such as television, computer and Smartphone. Also this tells the reader that children are now exposed from violence contents. Even though most of the media such as film, news usually deals with dramatic violence; it is able to have influence on children to follow the contents recklessly. Furthermore, it proves these conditions by measuring the physical and psychological change of children and links the results with the media violence. The text criticized contemporary society that is desensitized from the conditions. Edgar, P. (1977). Children and screen violence. St Lucia: University of Queensland Press. : In this text Edgar defines what violence is and interprets the norm of violence in the area of media technologies by providing several examples. Also, it contains the theoretical research of mass media and its violence. This more focuses on the mass media violence on children and adolescence and discusses whether it is one of the most considerable issues or not in contemporary society. Goldstein, J. (Ed.). (1998). Why we watch: The attractions of violent entertainment. New York: Oxford University Press. : This text provides some reasons why people are attracted to violent entertainment in social and mass media such as films, video games, sports programs and news. Goldstein insists that the audiences may have all different reasons why they are attracted by violent media contents. For instance, some are attracted by violent content of media due to stress-elimination and some are exposed by those just for self-satisfaction in fictional places. Moreover, this points out the reason why media violence is considerable issues in modern world from different points of views and how it affects the number of people predominantly. Katz, E. Lazarsfeld, P.F. (1955) Personal influence: The part played by people in the flow of mass communications, The Free Press, New York. : In this text, Katz and Lazarsfeld analyse how mass communications and mass media affects on people and the way they will be changed. As the form of case study, the text gives fairly detail examples in real world. It also emphasises and deals with the role of the people in contemporary society such as sharing the common belief, communication or sending messages among people. Similarly, they states that messages transmitted through mass media go directly into the minds of those who receive or view the content and describes that those then leads the audiences to believe the stories conveyed and act in a uniform manner as suggested by the information they now have. Poynting, S., Morgan, G. (2009). Introduction. In S. Poynting G. Morgan (Eds.), Outrageous!: Moral panics in Australia (pp. 1-10). Hobart: Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies. : The text is one of the required readings for understanding the media affect. As form of case study, this provides the detailed examples and helps readers to understand the concept of moral panic in Australia clearly. Also, this text points out the connection between the impact of modern social technologies, media and past Australian society. Seymour Feshbach (Catharsis theory

Hamlet: Nature of Truth Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet:   Nature of Truth Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To some, truth is something that is absolute and unchanging. To others, truth is volatile and inconstant. In the 16th and 17th century, the foundations of civilization itself had been shaken. Many of the ideas which were thought to be absolutely true had been plunged into the depths of uncertainty. The cosmological, geographical, and religious revolutions called into question the nature of truth itself. It is no wonder, then, that some of the great writers at the time included within their works a treatise on the ways in which truth is constructed. Because of the major ideological revolutions that shaped his world Shakespeare used characters and theatrical devices to create their own ideas on the construction of truth. Shakespeare agrees that each individual must search for his or her conception of the truth, based upon our his or her current knowledge, but he uses the limitations of the stage itself to demonstrate this idea. When Ophelia dies at the end of Act IV, Gertrude gives Laertes a vivid description of Ophelia's death, but this death is never acted on stage. We never know for sure whether Gertrude is telling the truth, and if she was a witness to the death, why she didn't try to save Ophelia. The fact that we only hear about the death calls into question the validity of the transmission of knowledge from one person to another, suggesting that truth itself is not something that one will always learn from another, but something that one must find by oneself. Shakespeare further complicates the truth in Hamlet with the many unanswered questions he leaves us with. We don't know for sure if the ghost is truly good or e... ...d by the rest of history. The revolution of thought that occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries forced Shakespeare and other authors to change the foundations of their own thought. They were all willing to present to us their own ideology of truth so that we may benefit from their knowledge. Everyone faces these crises in life, the crisis of one's own opinions being shattered by reality. We may hold on to our opinions, disregarding fact or twisting the facts to fit our theories. But in order for progress to occur, we must at times shed our previous beliefs in favor of ones newly created. We must endeavor to find a version of the truth that is based in knowledge, and one that satisfies our desires. We may never find a version of truth that is satisfactory for everyone. But our search cannot cease. The truth, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.      

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Interpersonal Communication Demonstrated in the Movie, One Flew Over Th

Interpersonal Communication Demonstrated in the Movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Communication is an essential part of our lives. It is through the process of communication that we are able to make contact, and thus develop who we are in relationship to others. Interpersonal communication is a specific type of communication in which the people involved are contacting each other as persons, and through an ongoing process, defining who they are for each other. In the following pages, I will explain six concepts related to the study of interpersonal communication. Following each explanation, I will give examples of how each concept is demonstrated in the movie, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". In doing so, I hope to show that the concepts introduced in interpersonal communication can be applied to our everyday lives. Personal versus Impersonal Communication Each day we engage in various types of communication. Strange as it may sound, each time we speak with someone, we are not necessarily engaging them as a person. Sometimes, we just want to cash a check at the bank or pay for our groceries without creating anything deeper. Other times, we might want to discuss our feelings with a friend or introduce ourselves to someone new. Whatever the case may be, the type of communication that we engage in will be more personal at times, and more impersonal at other times. One way to envision this, is to imagine the communication events of our day lying somewhere on the impersonal--------------- interpersonal continuum. There are five characteristics that distinguish the personal from the impersonal: uniqueness, measurability, choice, reflectiveness, and addressability. Uniquen... ...nherently good or bad, but each serves its purpose depending on the context in which it occurs. Communication involves cues that can be best understood as parts of a continuum. This continuum ranges from cues that are primarily verbal (words), to mixed(pitch, tone of voice), to primarily nonverbal (facial expression, gestures, appearance). In any given communication situation, all of these ques work together in the process of negotiating selves. This process involves constructing and responding to definitions of ourselves and definitions of the people we are communicating with. Contact and communication is what makes us human. The quality of our communication is directly related to the quality of our lives, both physiologically and spiritually. For this reason, learning effective communication skills should be important to all of us.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Huckleberry Finn Analysis Essay

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been regarded as one of the greatest novels in American regionalism. So many Americans have read it, and many have enjoyed it and many believe that it is worthy of the highest praise, and deserves to be included in the canon of Great American literature. As a piece of regionalist literature, the novel shines out amongst other novels. Twain vividly describes the Mississippi river and surrounding area of Missouri with detail unrivaled. His characters’ dialogue accurately depicts the dialogue of the area, and their attitudes, especially towards African Americans, are also historically accurate. However, as Huck and Jim move farther south down the river, Twain loses touch with his style of writing. The regionalist aspect suddenly crumbles, and his plot line gets outrageously unbelievable. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not deserving of inclusion in the canon of Great American literature. As Jane Smiley said in her essay Say It Ain’t So, Huck, â€Å"There is more to be learned about the American character from its canonization than through its canonization(Smiley 61). If Twain had kept the story line in his territory of familiarity the outcome may be different, but as his setting moves south, his writing moves right along with it. To clearly see how Twain’s writing deteriorates as the novel progresses one must compare quotes from when the novel is set in Missouri to when the novel is set farther south. Here is a quote from the beginning of the novel, describing the area around Jackson Island, â€Å"†¦but mostly it was big trees all about, and gloomy in there amongst them. There was freckled Boyer 2 freckled places on the ground where the light sifted down through the leaves, and the freckled places swapped about a little, showing there was a little breeze up there†(Twain, 51). The way he describes nature in this excerpt shows his true talent. The personification of the ground and the light, giving it the human-like characteristics of freckles gives the passage a personal touch. His diction and prose make the reader feel like they are watching the golden beams of light dance before their eyes. This is why Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are recognized across America. However, in Chapter 31, when Jim ends up on the Phelps’ plantation, and the Phelps end up being Tom Sawyer’s family, and the Phelps mistake Huck for Tom and Tom for Sid, Twain is really pushing the believability of his novel, and from this excerpt we can see that the beauty of his prose is gone, as though he’s lost touch with the regionalist touch that makes his writing great, â€Å"‘Phelps’s was one of these little one-horse cotton plantations, and they all look alike. A rail fence round a two-acre yard; a stile made out of logs sawed off and up-ended in steps, like barrels of different length†¦(Twain, 273)† and on and on about the buildings of the plantation. There is nothing here that even remotely sounds like it came from someone who knows the area. Twain even says, â€Å"†¦and they all look alike† in the passage. He really lost his essence and creativity. He wrote out of his sphere of knowledge, and his novel suffers for it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a wonderful piece of literature. Twain captures the true essence of being a teenage boy on a big adventure on the lazy Mississippi river. However, the end of his novel switches settings from Missouri, to further south, on a plantation coincidentally owned by Tow Sawyer’s family, and the reader can clearly see that Twain was out of his element, and he lost the wonderful sense of regionalism that made his Boyer 3 his works, and his era, influential in American literature, mainly because he wasn’t writing about the region he knew, grew up in, and loved. This is why Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not deserving of inclusion into the great canon of American literature.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

The History of Body Modification

The History and Culture of Body Modification What is body modification and why has it had such a large impact on society? For centuries humans have been using their bodies as a canvas to identify themselves to the rest of society. Body modification lets a person stand out or blend in; it allows people to describe who they are and where they come from without saying a word. There are many forms of body modification such as Tattooing, Scarification, Piercings, Stretching, Plastic Surgery, and Corseting. Each form holds a story, a reason why it is done. In the past three decades, Western body art has not only become a practice, and in some quarters a fashion, that has crossed social boundaries of class and gender, â€Å"high† culture and â€Å"low,† but also it has been greatly influenced by â€Å"tribal† practices, past and present. † (Enid Schildkrout, Inscribing the Body, Para 10 line 8) Tattooing The history of tattooing stems back thousands of years from all over the world for all different reasons. â€Å"In terms of tattoos on actual bodies, the earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. 000 B. C. But following the more recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border in 1991 and his tattoo patterns, this date has been pushed back a further thousand years when he was carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old. The distribution of the tattooed dots and small crosses on his lower spine and right knee and ankle joints correspond to areas of strain-induced degeneration, with the suggestion that they may have been applied to alleviate joint pain and were therefore essentially therapeutic.This would also explain their somewhat ‘random' distribution in areas of the body which would not have been that easy to display had they been applied as a form of status marker. † (Cate Lineberry, Tattoos -The Ancient and Mysterious History, Para 2 and 3) There is evidence that women in Ancient Egypt had tattoos on various parts of their bodies, some on their inner thighs or on their hips, these tattoos were thought to help alleviate the pain of childbirth. â€Å"Tattooing of ancient Egyptian women had a therapeutic role and functioned as a permanent form of amulet during the very difficult time of pregnancy and birth.This is supported by the pattern of distribution, largely around the abdomen, on top of the thighs and the breasts, and would also explain the specific types of designs, in particular the net-like distribution of dots applied over the abdomen. † (Cate Lineberry, Tattoos – The Ancient and Mysterious History, page 2, Para 2, line 4) Scarification Scarification is another form of putting design on the human body. Scarification also known as cicatrization changes the skins texture by cutting into the skin and then controlling how the skin heals.Many substances can be added to the cuts to turn the scars int o raised bumps, or change the color of the skin. â€Å"In some cultures, a smooth, unmarked skin represents an ideal of beauty, but people in many others see smooth skin as an unfinished, unattractive surface† (American Museum of Natural History http://www. amnh. org/exhibitions/bodyart/glossary. html#totop, para 10) In South Africa the practice of Scarification has lasted centuries and the techniques used to produce the scared images have been passed from generation to generation.The custom of scarification is usually carried out by the young women of the tribe as a sign of beauty. The scar designs can be found on the chest, stomach and backs of the tribal women. The following image shows three Tembu women with decorative scarification. Piercings Body piercing is probably one of the more welcomed forms of body modification and involves piercing anything from earlobes to noses and even sexual body parts. Throughout history body piercings have been used to show status and age, and as wards and talismans.There are many different types of piercings and many different reasons each was used. Sailors would get a gold earring to help improve eyesight, Ancient Egyptian women would pierce their belly buttons to ward off demons from entering through the belly button and harming their unborn children, Roman soldiers would pierce the nipple area of their armor. In many cultures ear piercings are done to show that the recipient of the piercing has reached puberty. In Borneo the parents of the child each take turns piercing an earlobe to symbolize the child’s dependence on their parents.During the time of the Roman Empire, Roman soldiers would wear upper body armor that was shaped like a man’s chest they pierced the armor where the nipples would be and used those rings to clasp their cloaks into place. This practice lead to the belief that they would only clasp their cloaks to actual nipple rings. Women of the 14th century were known for wearing such lo w necklines that their nipples were often visible, women then began to pierce their nipples or use nipple caps to add decoration to their chest, sometimes fragile chains of gold, pearls, or diamonds would be linked between the piercings.These piercings were mainly worn among the upper classes of the 14th century. (http://www. painfulpleasures. com/piercing_history. htm) The Prince Albert is now as it once was, a popular male piercing, that not only enhances sexual stimulation but also allows the wearer to control where their penis lay inside the pants. â€Å"The Prince Albert piercing is named after Prince Albert who was the husband of Queen Victoria of England. He was reputed to have had this piercing done prior to his marriage to the queen around 1825, at that time Beau Brummel started the craze for ultra-tight men’s trousers.Because the pants were so tight, the penis needed to be held to one side or the other so as not to create an unsightly bulge. To accomplish this some men had their penis pierced to allow it to be held by a hook on the inside of the trousers, this piercing was called a â€Å"Dressing Ring† at the time because tailors would ask if a gentleman dressed to the left or the right and tailor the trousers accordingly, tailors to this day will ask if you dress to the left or right. † (http://www. ainfulpleasures. com/piercing_history. htm ) Body Modification Making the body thinner and more graceful is something many cultures do, long thin neck lines, curved shapely torso’s these are signs of beauty through the world. Throughout Europe and North America corsets have been a popular way to give a woman curves and emphasize or deemphasize parts of her body. On the Thai-Burmese border tribal women wear heavy brass neck rings to elongate their necks as a symbol of beauty.Women of the Karen tribe wear heavy brass neck rings that give the appearance of long necklines. This particular form of body modification has likely been a Kayan tradition for over a thousand years. The primary reasons for wearing them now are for beauty and to preserve their culture while they are in exile. These long necks are a symbol of beauty in the tribe. The interesting thing about these neck rings is that they do not actually stretch the neck; instead the rings ush down on the muscles around the collarbone giving the impression of a longer neck. Corsets were first popularized in the mid-16th century. At that time, the garment was used not to minimize the waist but to enhance the bust. The Victorian era brought many changes to corsets, which are still with us today. Modern corsets are shaped in the same way as the 1800s corset. Steel stays were introduced in this area, allowing corsets to reshape the body. Tight lacing was common, further reducing the waist and enhancing the bust and hips.Tight lacing is a way to wear the corset where over a period of months or years a woman can were the corset taking it off only at night to s leep and each day when it is put on again it is tightened a little more than the day before. This is done so that the body holds the shape given when the corset is taken off. Shapely hour glass figures are a seen as a mark of beauty. Throughout history people from all over the world have used various forms of body modification to tell people who they are. Tattoos, Lip plates, Piercings, Brass Neck rings, all say something about the person they are attached to.For centuries tribes have used tattoos to mark tribal leaders and spiritual leaders or to mark when a child has come into puberty and can be counted as an adult. Tribes in Africa use the body as a canvas and mark them with scar designs because a bare unmarked body is seen as an unused surface, while in other cultures an un-scarred unblemished body is seen as a thing of beauty. Brass neck rings are used to create beauty on women in tribes who find that the long, elegant design of a neck should be shown and accentuated.Piercings have always been used for a wide variety of reasons; to mark an age, to decorate a bare chest, or to help improve eyesight and ward off demons. The reasons behind body modification vary, from culture to culture and for each gender. â€Å"These permanent designs-sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal- have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments, and even forms of punishment. †(Cate Lineberry, Tattoos -The Ancient and Mysterious History, Para 1 line 3)