The Importance of Mastering English

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Good afternoon. My name is Rismadilla Ulfah. I am a student of faculty of communication. This is my second year at Bachelor and I am currently studying primary education. Ladies and Gentlemen, Before I begin my speech I would like to respect, thank and acknowledge the lord of the world, the only one Allah SWT, to given us such deeply enjoyable, particularly faith and healthy comfort, hence, we could attend here in a good situation. To our beloved prophet Muhammad SAW who has taught us knowledge in the world.He also brought us from darkness to the brightness, from stupidity to cleverness. To our lecture who has given such a great opportunity for me to stand here and let me speak out my speech in front of all friends who attend today. And also the last but no least to all of my beloved friends. Thank you for coming. Ladies and Gentlemen, In this speech I will be talking to you about the necessity and importance of mastering English. As we know, English has become the universal language since many years ago.It is because English has the most vocabulary than any other language. English upgraded about 8. 500 vocabularies per year. Up till now English has been the first or second language to people around the world. Many people realized that English has the main role to people who wants to communicate with others in other country. But unfortunately not all of us realize that we need to communicate with the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, Nowadays Indonesian participate many international events. It is cannot be done if we don’t communicate with the universal language.As a student of communication, me and all of my friends agree that English has to be mastering by people who wants to wider their space of communication. It is because the world has become more modern. Internet has created to connect each other in a different countries to feel as close as it can. Mass media and social networks also help us to find pe ople, make friends or even business partner with someone we don’t know first. But since this world has so many countries in different island with different language, we cannot efuse we need a language that could connect us to the others. If we don’t try to learn English, it is such a waste because as people we need to communicate with others. That is means if we don’t mastering English, it would limit us to stay connected to the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, Speak is all of people’s skill. There’s not a single person that cannot speak in English. Although sometimes grammar and tenses could bother us but I think, as long as your partner of conversation understand what you mean it will be alright.The main point is the message that you like to deliver is delivered clearly. But sometimes people underastimate by learning English indonesian people would not have national spirit. I think it is a shallow reason because respect our Bahasa and learning Englis h is a different occasion. As a good communicator we have to targeting who we want to receive our message to. If we are going to tell people in a same language, using Bahasa is the proper way to say it. But if we want the entire world understanding our message, English indeed the right language that we’d like to use.If we were just using Bahasa, the message definitely couldn’t be delivered well. The noise is in the wrong way of telling the message. Key of communication is language. Nothing you cannot do if you mastering the universal language, English. It will help your educational progress, carrier, or even making friends. Even some people know how to learn it in easy way such us listening to songs, watching movies or any other fun way. That will helps you to liking English even more. Nothing is too late if we try hard. Thank you for all your attention. Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh

Religious Experience Essay

Religious experience is seen as a non-empirical occurrence which means it does not depend or can be verified through observation or examination. Majority of people believe it’s supernatural. It is also seen as an experience to make a person aware. Certain religious people believe who have had the experience has drawn them into a deeper knowledge/ awareness of god. Most importantly it is seen as the experience itself is not a substitute for the divine but a vehicle that is used to bring people closer to the divine. It is also known as unique and cannot be shared with anyone. 3 Types of characteristics of religious experience * Vision * Conversion * Mystical experiences Visions: is when an individual believes they’ve seen or heard something supernatural. There are three ways in which an individual can experience this. An intellectual vision brings knowledge and understanding such as a revelation from the almighty god. An imaginary vision is where something that strengthens the faith is seen with the mind eye. Corporeal vision is where the figure is externally present. Examples of this is st Bernadette who was 14 years old, who had a few visions but the visions started off her seeing a figure which didn’t speak to her but then later on the figure begun to speak which was known as virgin Mary gave her a set of instructions saying that the spring water at Lourdes had healing power and that a chapel was to be built on the site. Numinosity : this word was given to describe the sense of a an awesome power, but feeling very distinctly separate from it. Rudolph otto used this so called term

Assessing the Zara brands success worldwide

Assessing the Zara brands success worldwide Zara is one of the most well known brands in the world and is also one of the largest international fashion companies. They are the third largest brand in the garment industry and are a unit of Inditex. It their flagship range of chain stores and are headquartered in Spain. Zara opened its first outlet in Spain in 1975. The headquarters of the company is based in Galicia. There are more than 2600 stores across 73 countries in the world. The Zara clothing line accounts for a huge bulk of its parent group’s revenues. There are other clothing brands owned by Inditex such as Kiddy ´s Class (children’s fashion), Pull and Bear (youth casual clothes), Massimo Dutti (quality and conventional fashion), Bershka (avant-garde clothing), Stradivarius (trendy garments for young woman), Oysho (undergarment chain) and Zara Home (household textiles). Inditex owns all Zara outlets except for places where they are not allowed ownership of stores (that’s where Franchises step in) . Zara is renowned for coming up with products on a short timescale instead of taking forever. They are known for taking around 2 weeks to develop products and have been known to come up with around 10,000 new designs every year (which is an industry record). They have bucked the trend by making productions in Europe instead of shifting their entire production to Third World or Developing countries. However some of their clothes are manufactured in parts of Asia due to the fact that they have a longer shelf life. They make most of their own products inside Spain or other European Countries as they own a large number of factories in both Spain and Portugal. They also don’t have to depend on anyone else as they can get everything done by themselves. Zara is unique in the way that it does not spend money on marketing and instead concentrates on opening new stores instead. Their brave experiments have led them to be labeled as one of the most innovative retailers in the world. Za ra started out with low priced products which were pale imitations of high end fashion products. This move led to Zara being a smashing success and allowed them to expand by opening more stores in Spain. The company management also managed to reduce the time it took to create new designs and came up with the term â€Å"instant fashions† which allowed them to capitalize on new trends really fast. Zara is known to use teams of designers instead of individuals. Zara has to face a lot of competition from H&M, Gap and Bentton internationally. Fortunately Zara is considered to be more fashionable than the rest of the brands despite the fact that its price is less than Benetton and Gap. H&M is still cheaper than Zara but is equally fashionable as Zara. Gap and Benetton are less fashionable and more pricy. SWOT Analysis Strengths Zara’s biggest strength is the fact that it provides cost leadership strategy by aiming at efficiency and cost reduction on products. There is a lot of efficiency merely due to the fact that products are put on fast track and costs are kept really low. They don’t take a long time to come up with new collections. Zara is able to come up with collections really fast (around 2 weeks to get a collection ready).

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Final Exam - Essay Example However, as exhibited by the Abu Daoud incident, this type of cooperation does not always work. Bilateral agreements like extradition treaties do not always ensure international cooperation especially when nations involved are more intent about protecting their interests with other nations. 2. Weapon of the Weak. This is the underdog view about terrorism. The deprived and exploited underdogs view terrorism as a last resort, as a means for them to fight back against their oppressors and against those in power. As a weapon of the weak, the underdogs believe that they are fighting for justice, and they are not concerned about the possible disorder that their actions might bring. For the underdogs, terrorism is their way of fighting for their freedom from oppression and deprivation. They view violence as a necessary evil, as a means to justify their moral ends. Because of these moral ends, they opine that violence and terrorism should not be contained. 3. Export Administration Act. The Export Administration Act is the law passed by the United States which authorized the Secretary of State to designate and identify those countries which have supported and sponsored international terrorism. This act codified export controls and prohibitions on military sales. It also prevented foreign assistance for countries on the list. This act was able to identify and designate the following states, among others, as terrorist supporters: North Korea, Sudan, Cuba, and the Taliban group. Through the act, the following activities can classify states as terrorism sponsors: making lethal materials; giving logistical assistance to terrorists; providing headquarter facilities, safe houses, planning, training, money, documentation, and sanctuary from extradition or prosecution. 4. Mixed motivations. Mixed motivations arise when leaders in the state have different and conflicting motives. For example, during the Kenyan War,

Writing about writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing about writing - Essay Example In this paper, comparisons will be made between two articles that discuss Walter Isaacson’s retelling of the life of Steve Jobs, one of the most influential men in this century. It is curious to note that although both articles are presented in the same form of media, that is, online newspapers, the piece written by Janet Maslin for the New York Times appears more convincing and appropriate because of the words she used, how she presented her topic and the way she wrote her article. Since Walter Isaacson wrote best-selling biographies of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, it was not a big surprise that Steve Jobs wanted the Isaacson to write his life story. Nevertheless, because Jobs was as popular as his inventions, Isaacson’s book, which came out only a few weeks after the Apple inventor died, had expectations to meet. In October 2011, two articles came out online from Reuter and New York Times discussing Isaacson’s â€Å"Steve Jobs.† Penned by Fred Schruers and Janet Maslin, respectively, the articles gave contrasting opinions on Isaacson’s most recent best-seller. ... Given the hype surrounding the literary work, it is easy to assume the need for the book review. Steve Jobs was not only well-known because of his Apple creations. His personal life and work ethics are also public knowledge. Readers worldwide would be very interested to read about how the man built one of the most trusted names in the world of technology. The question is would their money be worth it. Would the book be a good buy? Janet Maslin addresses this curiosity when she says, â€Å"His story calls for a book that is clear, elegant and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Mr. Isaacson’s â€Å"Steve Jobs† does its solid best to hit that target. (Maslin)† In effect, she is telling her audience that the book is as satisfying as the other â€Å"i† products from Apple, namely: the iPad, iTunes and iPhone. Since almost everyone around the world has an iPad and/or an iPhone, wanting to have the iBio would appear to be a given reaction. Maslin repeats her a pproval of the book writing, â€Å"So, â€Å"Steve Jobs†... must reach across time in more ways than one. And it does, in a well-ordered, if not streamline, fashion.† Maslin also makes it easy for the viewers to get an idea of how Steve Jobs is presented in the book by allotting each paragraph of her article to specific topics the book covers. One paragraph describes how the Isaacson tells about the beginnings of each Apple product. Another paragraph mentions Jobs’ rival, Bill Gates. Yet another one talks about how Jobs’, through the book, talks to the past, present and future generations. Employing very familiar words such as iPod, iPad, iMac, NeXT, Pixar and iTunes, Maslin was able to introduce the book to the general public, her

The Political Characteristic of the Declining Economy Assignment

The Political Characteristic of the Declining Economy - Assignment Example The paragraph provides an insight into the financial crisis, aiding us to establish the link between the European Union leaders and the currency factor. The intermittency factor that crossly explored the market trends from April 2012 onwards was based on the actual GDP within the Euro as explored by eurostat, which is the agency providing relevant statistics about the fluctuations of the euro. The immediate analysis provides the financial stress, explained by the fell in the overall GDP by up to 0.2% (April statistics). This inconclusively provided further weakening of the currency and the previous quarters had recorded a 0% growth rate. The intermediate concept aiding growth according to the article (par 3) is by cutting expenditures. Financial policies were hence initiated in order to help created a stronger economic variance and this also included providing support through bailout and related financial models. The statistical analysis also points out the monetary balances and asse t adequacies within the zone. This continually reflected changing exchange rate scenarios as per the critical understanding of the regulatory factor. While reforms within the various financial sectors have included examining the changing trends within the policies in the eurozone, (Germany for example demonstrated weak currency at the close of the 1st quarter), full compliance in terms of political policies by individual countries appeared real (Par 4). Source: Eurozone The economy of the Euro zone contracted but with technical avoidance of recession. The eurostat data showed the its GDP remained at bar during the 1st quarter of 2012. However the contraction was at 0.3% during the first quarters of 2011. However, the weakeness of the euro led to shrinking and to a fall by 05% in 2012. According to Willman (2007), the statistical analysis of vast financial ratings reflect a continuously varying seller-buyer trading preferences that are naturally controlled by the nature of the exchan ge rates. However, the exchange rates explored in part 5 of the essay show those projections relative to quantitative easing practices. Literally, the dynamics explores that the currency itself would dynamically change from one level to another, inflicting a lot of price hike within the zone. Ultimately, the scenario would hence explore vital market exchanges, and fully controlling the spending within countries. The foreign exchange market was low (par 5) partly due to financial crisis and also due to general slow growth. The purchasing characteristic identified in par 5 slowed tremendously and this also indicated that the various occurrences such as the depreciation of the currency would hence be critically considered. Source: Eurozone The industrial production in the Eurozone contracted to about 0.6% by June. This shows a slum but though the indexed analysis provides a universal relevance of the shrinking, it also provides a reflection of the major drag factors. Par 6 provides a d iscussion on basic foreign exchange within the zone and the potentialities of foreign exchanges. Further research also identifies notable inclusion of market structures, and the changing restrictions on competition and on other capital requirements. The core framework also explored the relevance of politics as outlined by

Social Questions and Multicultural Education Research Paper

Social Questions and Multicultural Education - Research Paper Example Also in regards to the sociological question, a class is defined as an organization of a given social grouping; which are characterized by similar rights, perceptions if not qualities, and duties. These are most often founded innately on one side and through socialization on the other side. As an end, a class is deemed with the task of founding a culture since there it forebears a routine within the organization in question. It is, therefore, no surprise that the local societies, as well as the world over, are usually classified. This alone describes the functionality definition of â€Å"class.† (Askew & Carnell, 1988). This refers to an identification paradigm based on sexuality, partly describing the gender but broadly established on roles. It uses both the psycho-social identities to the physical parametric observations and ends with individualized perceptions of themselves. In the long run sexual identity focuses on the various customs within an individual about their sexu al life. This is different from other the observation in other animal kingdoms which is specific to the task of reproduction. Sexuality, viewed in this regard in the human kingdom would just be but the tip of an iceberg. Why is this so? This is because human beings have in the recent past lived in such an advanced era that they have changed the original mode of reproduction. In the modern times, reproduction can be fully made a success even in a modern laboratory (Department for Education and Skills, 2007).... From the foregoing and relevant to the subject area, ability generally connotes the cognitive ability. For this reason, a concrete definition of this term must be tied to the intuitive values stemming from the capabilities definition of ability. In a nutshell, ability is thus the mental capacities within an individual to perceive and reason out. From its innate nature, it is tied to the fact that nature depicts a system of variety which displays the fact that various entities exist in different dimensions. This is because a student, for example, who doesn’t get well acquainted with simple skills, taught; which are in contrast viewed by another as â€Å"chicken feed† displays such a reality (Weare, 2004). Disability In contrast to ability, disability denotes cognitive incompetence an individual suffers in their endeavors to add up to new skills, attitudes, knowledge and dispositions. The person in question is a victim of natural co-existences. This makes them have gradua l control over their entire experiences and ultimately may have a grasp of their aspired courses. What this means is that the person in question doesn’t suffer a permanent condition, though long lasting in nature; this is however remedied through the incorporation of frequent practices on specified tasks. For a long time however, such an identity has been faced with innumerous challenges due to the massively widespread alienation. This has been from parallel classes as well as some expertise personnel who have most often acted unprofessionally to help avert the same consequences often pre empted. This is referred to as stereotyping whence the expert, for instance, the teacher in a class room situation, classifies

Reserach Report and Problem Analysis Report Essay

Reserach Report and Problem Analysis Report - Essay Example The audit led to a loss of a lot of money for Mrs. Roadway because she did not have any paperwork like a VAT invoice from the supplier to substantiate that she had paid VAT. The legal representatives for the Jeffersons Company maintain that she does not have the right to ask for a VAT invoice but they were willing to give her their VAT number. The reason given to Mrs. Roadway by the legal representatives for not providing a VAT invoice (i.e. no other customer has ever requested for a VAT invoice) is not sufficient enough to deny her the invoice. For Mrs. Roadway’s business proposal to be financially viable, she has to be able to reclaim this VAT from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) because the repayment will reduce her borrowings to a manageable level. However, without a valid VAT invoice from Jeffersons, reclaiming the VAT might become problematic. As a corollary this research report will cover the issues of whether a supplier is required to issue an invoice, when it should be issued and what it must contain. CONCLUSION: Value Added Tax (VAT) can be defined as a category of consumer tax charged for any manufactured consumer product. A VAT invoice is usually dispensed to purchasers who give substantial statistics and details to prove that they have an intention to claim back the VAT paid to the government. In order to acquire a VAT invoice there are a set of some very precise pre-details which must appear on the VAT invoice such as the name, address and VAT number of the company or enterprise that provided the merchandises. For continuous and excellent book-keeping, accurate VAT calculations and invoices are required (Ebrill, et al 2001)1 Mrs. Roadway has already made strides to hire a Private Wealth team which has handled her application to HMRC so that she can charge VAT on the leases and reclaim the VAT that she will pay to Jeffersons. As a result, she has the right to request a VAT invoice from Jeffersons solicitors so that she can have the right paper work to help her with the process of reclaiming the VAT. Mrs. Roadway had to needed a VAT invoice from Jeffersons’ solicitors because she had previously gone through problematic experience which was brought about by lack of a VAT invoice. The fact that Jeffersons’ solicitors has never issued a VAT invoice to any of their consumers, will help Mrs. Roadway and build up her case against Jeffersons’ solicitors. The pre-requisites put in place to guide the process of dispatching an invoice for purchases as denoted in Article 33 of the VAT Directive2 might make the process of acquiring a VAT invoice frustrating but it is considered important for regulation purposes. In Mrs. Roadways case, the guidelines denoted in the VAT Directive will help Mrs. Roadway show that she deserves to be issued with a VAT invoice from Jeffersons’ solicitors because as per the VAT Directive a potential beneficiary of VAT refund should be issued with a VAT invoice. REPORT: Primary Sou rce: Staatssecretaris van Financien v Stadeco BV, 2009: A primary ruling in relation to the explanation of art21 (1) (c) of the 6th Council Directive was offered. The ruling was that a VAT invoice should be issued to a potential beneficiary of VAT refund. This was in line with Article 33 of the VAT Directive. HMRC concisely states that a registered VAT member has an obligation to provide any VAT-registered clients with a VAT invoice

Letter Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter Response - Essay Example I loathe games and duplicity in relationships; I think if two people are interested in each other, they should simply be themselves and let the natural course of things play out. I am most comfortable when there is enough distance for individuality to shine through, but sufficient shared intimacy to make life richer because of the companionship. For me, passion is the welcome storm that passes overhead and leaves freshness, comfort, and safety in its wake. Laughter is the sunshine that brightens the day and makes everything grow stronger. I am looking for a relationship where I can be free to follow my heart and dreams, while sharing that journey with someone who knows me well enough to stay by my side, and to keep walking with me even though I may follow a stray trail once in a while. I may not always know where I am going, but I know that I will eventually arrive at my desired destination. If you can run through life's breakers on the beach, climb its mountains, and walk the narrow forest trails with humor, focus, stability, and grace-while keeping a smile on your face and a gleam in your eye-you might want to come and go with me.

Formal essay Essay Example for Free

Formal essay Essay The therapeutic relationship is an important component of nursing. Nurses use their own awareness of self as a valuable tool to build rapport with patients and develop the therapeutic relationship. This essay will demonstrate the importance of self awareness by discussing how it can be developed, the advantages of self awareness, and the consequences of not practising self awareness in nursing contexts. There are a number of ways that a nurse can develop self awareness. Smith and Jones (2012) suggested that self awareness can be developed by †¦ Johns and Harrison (2009) agreed, but also suggested that †¦ would be useful. However, there was some disagreement with these findings. A research study conducted by Marks and Spencer (2010) found that †¦ Although some of these authors disagreed on the methods of developing self awareness, what they did agree on was the advantages for patients if nurses are self aware. When nurses are self aware, benefits for the patient include †¦ The benefit to communication was stated emphatically by Lewis and Carroll (2008) who found that †¦ Similarly, other authors have noted that †¦ (Brown, Green, 2009; Butcher, Baker, 2011). There are also benefits for the nurse who is self aware. For example, †¦ Similarly, healthcare organisations can benefit when their staff are more self aware because †¦ The benefits of self awareness have been clearly demonstrated, but consideration must also be given to what might happen to a therapeutic relationship if nurses are not self aware. If a nurse is not self aware, the ramifications for the therapeutic relationship can be severe. Smith and Jones (2012) reported on an instance where a lack of self awareness on the part of a nurse resulted in †¦ They suggested that greater self awareness on the part of the nurse would have †¦ Other possible results of a lack of self awareness on the part of a nurse include †¦ (Brown, Green, 2009). It is therefore clear that poor self awareness on the part of a nurse can severely influence the development of a therapeutic relationship which can adversely affect the outcomes for the patient. In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated the importance of nurses having good self awareness if they are to develop effective therapeutic relationships with their patients. The main methods for developing self awareness were reviewed, including †¦ When nurses have developed good self awareness, there are benefits for patients, nurses and health organisations, including †¦ However, if nurses do not have good self awareness, possible adverse influences on the therapeutic relationship and on patient outcomes can include †¦ Thus, it is undeniable that self awareness is a significant skill that nurses need to acquire. Reflection (200 words) There has been an enormous change in my perception of the role and function of nurses since I started university. I initially regarded registered nurses as mainly providers of medication who comfort patients in pain. Moreover, I always thought that patients would be cordial to nurses. The idea that nurses could face violent patients was totally new to me. However, I now comprehend that nurses need to employ effective communication strategies to  coordinate the care of patients and also deal with the possible threat of aggressive patients. As a result of this learning, I have realised that I do not know how to deal with aggressive patients, so I will attend a workshop to start developing skills in this area. I was always under the impression that nurses went into hospital wards and directly commenced treatment. On the contrary, from readings that I have done, I understand that it is important to obtain patient permission before commencing treatment. Some patients make decisions about treatments themselves, while others might consult with family members. This could be for cultural reasons, but I have realised that I lack knowledge about other cultures. Therefore, I will try to learn more about the different cultures of the people with whom I work and study. Andre, K., Heartfield, M. (2011). Nursing and Midwifery Portfolios: Evidence of Continuing Competence. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier. Bulman, C., Schutz, S. (2013). Reflective Practice in Nursing. Chichester, UK: WileyBlackwell. Dempsey, J., Wilson, V. (2009). Thoughtful Practice: Self-awareness and reflection. In J. Dempsey, J. French, S. Hillege, V. Wilson (Eds.) Fundamentals of Nursing and Midwifery. Broadway, NSW: Wolters Kluwer. Johns, C. (2009). Becoming a Reflective Practitioner. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Timmins, F. (2008). Making Sense of Portfolios: A Guide for Nursing Students,Nursing Students. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. Usher, K., Holmes, C. (2010). Reflective practice: what, why and how. In J. Daly, S. Speedy, D. Jackson (Eds.) Contexts of Nursing. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier

Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business

Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business Chapter One Introduction For some marketing managers, the twenty-first century may appear a very strange place indeed. Much of that strangeness comes from the ‘electronification of traditional marketing practices. OConnor et al (2004) said that direct and database marketing might be fairly well understood, but what about the concepts such as social network marketing. This is one of the latest tools available to todays marketing managers. The most popular social network marketing tools are Facebook, Twitter, My Space, LinkedIn, etc., but there are some other different social network marketing methods like blogs, e-mail marketing, video promotion on YouTube and many more. In truth, the migration from traditional marketing to internet marketing is part of a process that has taken place over the past decade. But what is Social network marketing and how it is different from ordinary marketing, advantages and disadvantages of social networking, its impact on other businesses has been researched in this disse rtation. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business Objectives Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Chapter two Research Background The Cumin Restaurant The Anand family have a long and successful history of catering, originating from their home in Nairobi, Kenya. They came to the UK in 1975 and have been in the catering business ever since. Their first restaurant in the UK was The Brilliant, followed by Madhus, both in Middlesex. These were followed by Curry Craze in Wembley, Curry Special in Ilford and Curry Fever in Leicester, all of which are still very successful today. The restaurant capacity is 74 cover over two floors 20 on the ground floor and 54 on the first floor. Being in the city centre, they are also an ideal place to hold business meetings or lunches. (The Cumin Restaurant online, 2011) Chino Latino, Park Plaza Their central Nottingham hotel features Chino Latino, the multi award-winning, on-site restaurant.Chino Latino serves fresh, gourmet Pan-Asian cuisine and Latin-inspired cocktails in a relaxed, modern atmosphere. One of the top Nottingham restaurants, Chino Latino offers a fantastic choice of a la carte, set, tasting and bento box menus. The bar offers an array of exciting cocktails, bottled beers and bar platters in a distinctively Latin atmosphere. Chapter three: Literature Review Introduction A literature review is a survey and discussion of the literature in a given area of study. It is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic, and it is usually organised chronologically or thematically. A literature review is written in essay format. It is not a commented bibliography, because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. It is not a summary; rather, it evaluates previous and current research in regard to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research. (University of Toronto Online, 02.12.2009) Ridley (2009) described literature review as the part of the thesis where there is extensive reference to related research and theory; it is where connections are made between the source texts and the research among these sources. It also refers to the process involved in creating the review that appears in the thesis. The changing media environment The mainstream print and broadcast media have faced major challenges in recent years, with many newspaper titles facing closure and television channels facing shortfalls in revenue. An important reason for this has been migration of significant amount of advertising budgets to online channels. Research by Forrester Jennings (2007) has indicated that audiences and attention is shifting to online channels as 52 per cent of Europeans are regularly online at home. Around 36 per cent of European internet users watch less TV, 28 per cent have reduced their newspaper and magazine reading and 17 per cent have decreased listening to the radios since going online. This shift away from conventional media has been further exacerbated by the recession from 2008 which led many advertisers to cut their budgets, resulting in print and broadcast media receiving a diminishing share of the declining total budget (Jennings, 2007). Online advertising has been the beneficiary of recent changes in the allo cation of advertising budgets, but this general shift hides a number of different formats for communicating with target audience, ranging from mass appeal banner ads placed on frequently visited websites, through to personalised e-mail campaigns in which the message can be uniquely tailored to the requirements of individual target buyers. Social media can be characterised as â€Å"online applications, platforms and media which aim to facilitate interactions, collaborations and the sharing of content† (Universal Maccann International, 2008, p.10). the importance of social network media lies in the interaction between consumers and the community, and in the facilitation of asynchronous, immediate, interactive, low-cost communication† (Miller et al, 2009, p. 306). Social network sites allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; to articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and to â€Å"view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system† (Boyd and Ellison, 2007, p. 211). On larger social network sites a connection, individuals are typically not looking to meet new people but are more interested in managing relationships by maintaining contacts with old friends who are already part of the extended so cial network (Boyd and Ellison, 2007; Hart et al, 2008). To sum up, social network sites can be seen as alternative communication tools which support existing relationships and activities in a fun and colourful way that can enrich the users experience (Ofcom, 2008). Many social network websites have emerged; attracting distinctive groups on users in terms of their demographics, for example the average age of users of Bebo is lower than for Facebook. Many appeal to communities with specific shared interests. In addition to consumers-oriented social network sites, many professional and trade associations have set up networks to exchange information of particular interest to member, for example the social networking site â€Å"LinkedIn† is particularly aimed at professionals. There is now lot of evidence that social network sites have become mainstream and it has been reported that globally, these sites account for one in every 11 minutes spent online. In the UK, this figure is even higher one in every six minutes (Neilson Company, 2009). Over half (54 per cent) of internet users between 16 and 24 have set up their own page or profile on a social networking site (Ofcom, 2008). The take up of online social media has been at the expense of traditional media, and a study by Ofcom of the media habits of UK 15-24 year olds shows that since using such media for the first time, the amount of time spent reading national newspapers declined by 27 per cent; reading local newspaper by 22 per cent; reading magazines by 21 per cent; listening radio by 15 per cent and watching TV by 13 per cent (Ofcom, 2006). Online social media offers opportunities to connect these hard-to-reach audiences drifting away from traditional media. Social Network Marketing Marketers need to be where their customers and potential customers are, and increasingly this is on social networking sites. Most of their marketers have started using social networks to market their businesses and to gain financial freedom. It also markets and then offers the product or service to the relevant audience and provides significant benefits using the dialogues and personal connections and to gain a wider audience for the product, but according to Scott (2007, p.229), ‘marketing on these sites can be tricky because the online community at social networking sites hates open commercial messages. There are abundant amount of active users across sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Hi5; 2.6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (Shih 2009). Social networking has become a rapidly growing global phenomenon spreading across the world. According to Chaffey and Smith (2008) well-run communities on the social networks strengthen relationships, trust and loyalty, as well as maintaining brand awareness in the minds of the community members. Communities also allow a unique opportunity to stay close to customers, their concerns, their worries and their desires. Despite these benefits, building an active community can be time consuming and difficult though cheap. Careful moderation and seeding of topics from a subject expert may be required. An alternative approach is to link up to an established community that has greater independence. Either way social networks are the part of the dynamic dialogue and dynamic opportunities that todays marketer enjoy. Social network networking has many advantages which makes it an interesting and a useful marketing tool for any business. This tool is cheap compared to other methods of advertising, when it comes to costing to reach the target audience. Another advantage is that it is easy to record and review any marketing campaign which makes it easier to analyse the changes that need to be made in service or products. But when we look at the negative side of it, social network marketing has got some disadvantages as well. According to Shih (2009), the biggest drawback of social network marketing is that the business could be the main targets for the detractors and their criticism which would make people who are interested in the business turn off by reading the negative comments. Some of the common disadvantages of social networks are security and safety of the business, violation of copyrights, vulnerable to thefts and scams. (Sethi and Adhikari, 2010) In general, the problem with the social networks is they need frequent updating and it is time consuming as well. Branding on Social Networks Social networking sites offer brands many opportunities for engagement. When brand profiles are created, the brands can exist as â€Å"people† on the sites. Friends can interact with the brands, share information, photos, and videos, and participate in two-way communication. The brand as person enhances the ability of a brand to use conversation marketing. Building a brand persona strengthens brand personality, differentiates brands from competitors, and sets the stage for a perceived relationship. Assuming the brands persona is likable and credible, it can facilitate message internalisation (the process by which a consumer adopts a brand belief as his or her own). (Tuten, 2008) Why would a person â€Å"friend† a brand? There are lots of incentives for friending brands, as explained in the Never Ending Friending report. These include incentive-driven motives like getting invitations to upcoming events, receiving information on sales and special offers and relationship-oriented motives such as a desire to support the company because it offers high quality products, to associate with the brand and its image, and to respond to a friends recommendation about the brand. The value proposition is already in place. (Clifton, 2009) Ultimately, branding on social networking sites promotes brand awareness, brand recall, and, if done well, builds on brand loyalty and brand equity. Social networks offers opportunities for brand promotion and engagement for those brands that learn to leverage the unique attributes of network in question. (Clifton, 2009) However, social networking is not without its flaws. Advertising, even when developed and distributed in superlative online venues, still suffers from the limitations facing all forms of advertising. Clutter is a tremendous distraction for people as they are faced with advertising in and on every imaginable media. Online readers are bombarded with sometimes numerous ads on a single page. With the many display ads, profile components, and widgets visible on social network pages, clutter is an issue. There is also limited inventory for advertising space on the sites. (Tuten, 2008) Social networks offer the greatest benefits to brands when the brands play to a networks culture, developing brand personas and engaging friends in dialogue. However, the workhorse of social network advertising is still the display ad. Unfortunately, display ads are not nearly as effective on social networking sites as they are on other types of websites. Clickthrough rates are much lower. (Clifton, 2009) Marketing in Post Modernism world Postmodernism invites a unique perspective of how to manage marketing and how to understand the consumer. Postmodernism says that social experiences are an interplay of myths which produce regimes of truth and that much of what we understand or believe about the individual, self, freedom, structure and so on is arbitrary and short-lived, fleeting rather than essential and fixed. We need to change our views as the customer changes. â€Å"The main conditions of postmodernism marketing are hyper-reality, fragmentation, reversals of production and consumption, decentring of the subject, paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites) and loss of commitment.† (Kotler, 2009, p. 27) Ø Hyper-reality: Exemplified by the virtual words of cyberspace and the pseudo worlds of theme parks, hotels and heritage centres, hyper-reality involves the creation of consumption sites and marketing phenomena that ‘more real then real. Here the distinction between reality and fantasy is momentarily blurred. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Fragmentation: Marketing in postmodernity is unfailingly fast, furious, frenetic, frenzied, fleeting and hyperactive. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Reversals of production and consumption: Postmodern consumers are active in the production of meaning, of marketing, of consumption. They do rather than have ‘done to them. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Decentring of the subject: Centeredness is where individuals are defined by their occupation, social class, demographics, postcode, and personalities and so on. Postmodernism suggests that this is not so, and that the harder marketers try to pin down the decentred consuming subject the less successful they will be. Ø Paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites): We have examples of the mixing and matching of opposites and the combination of contradictory styles in the world famous Irish dance show Riverdance or Lord of Rings. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Loss of commitment: Growing disillusionment with the delivery of promises and the willingness to try different experiences has resulted in a loss of commitment. The postmodern consumer takes on multiple, sometimes even contradictory projects, to which he/she is marginally and momentarily committed. This is observed in all walks of life: in relationships, in professions, and consumption. Marketing managers experience this when consumer loyalties to brands change. (Kotler, 2009) Customer Perception and satisfaction Customers perceptions of the quality of a service and their overall satisfaction have some observation indicators. Customers may smile when they talk about the product or service. They may say good things about the product or service. Both actions are manifestations or indicators of an underlying construct we might call customer satisfaction. The term customer satisfaction and perception of quality are labels we use to summarise a set of observable actions related to the product or service. (Hayes, 2008) The largest contributor to customer satisfaction, however, is something an organisation cant fully control; the customers perceptions. Whether theyre based in fantasy, fiction, or some other state of unreality, perceptions have the weight of fact. In the business of pleasing customers, perceptions are fact. Perceptions are also wildly inconsistent. Two different customers can consume the exact same product and have radically different perceptions about its quality. The differences may result from expectations each customer brought to the transaction, or they may simply result from varying powers of perception. Moreover, even one customer with consistent expectations might have varying perceptions about a products quality, depending on his or her mood, or stress level, the time of day, the alignment of the planets whatever. Its tempting to conclude that customer satisfaction is whatever the customer happens to think it is at any point in time. (Hayes, 2008) Customer Psychology and behaviour Apruebo (2005) defined consumer Psychology as the study that deals with the activities directly involved in selecting, obtaining, and using products, services and ideas to satisfy needs and desires, including decision process that precede and follow these actions. It is an applied branch of psychology on consumer behaviour. Consumer behaviour is the study of buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas. First and foremost, emerging definition refers to the concept â€Å"an exchange process,† as a fundamental element of consumer behaviour. A consumer is inevitably at one end of an exchange process in which resources are transferred between two parties. (Solomon, 2009) Consumer behaviour is an interesting field of study. Its nature is dynamic and an interactive process. All of us are consumers because our tendency or impulse can direct us to market our everyday purchase decisions in the marketplace or any shopping place. Summary The review also identifies the impact of social network marketing on businesses along with its advantages and the disadvantages. The literature review gives a greater understanding on the chosen topic set out in the aims and objectives, by the comparative study by different authors, and by highlighting areas of research that have not been fully explored. The information found enabled the researcher to come across different theories and ideas that need to be considered so as to proceed further into the research. The limitation that was faced while doing the literature review were that it was sometimes quite difficult to find the information on certain areas of subject as topic being very contemporary and not many books or journals being published on this topic. The upcoming section will be examining methodology, where the usage of different types of research will be discussed in order to gain appropriate and thorough information. Chapter four: Methodology Introduction to methodology The research methodology defines what the activity of research is, how to proceed, how to measure progress, and what constitutes success. It provides advancement of wealth of human knowledge, tools of the trade to carry out research, tools to look at things in life objectively; develops a critical and scientific attitude, disciplined thinking to observe objectively; skills of research particularly in the ‘age of information. According to Fisher (2007) methodology is the study of a whole academic field. It is a stepping-back from a subject and a consideration of it at a broader and deeper level. The research methodology is a science that studying how research is done scientifically. It is the way to systematically solve the research problem by logically adopting various steps. Also it defines the way in which the data are collected in a research project. Several different methods are commonly used in research project and it would vary according to the nature of the aim and objective, scope of the topic and thesis and the sources of data which are used. (Jankowicz, 2005) Triangulation Triangulation is the use of multiple methods; usually quantitative and qualitative research, in the study of the study of the same research problem. Triangulation is a complex methodology that usually requires a term of qualitative and quantitative researchers to maintain the integrity of both methodologies. The philosophical basis and assumptions for both quantitative and qualitative research must be maintained when these methodologies are combined, if the findings are to be meaningful. (Grove, 2005) Objective one: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Marketing managers from two organisations will be interviewed in order to justify the first objective which helped him to have a thorough knowledge of the impact of social network marketing on the businesses. They are very short personal interviews which will mainly offer realistic data which is much appropriate to obtain a detailed vision into the first objective, with the hopefulness of achieving first-hand knowledge or primary data. The questions which are designed will be same to all the marketing managers. The researcher was encouraged by the words of Fisher (2007) that the idea of an interview is straightforward, the interviewer engages in informal conversation with the respondent about a particular area of interest. The interviewer may steer the conversation a little, by picking up on the cues and themes raised by the respondent, but generally the respondent leads the direction of the interview. More comprehensive information can be obtained during an interview, however the co re strength of an interview cannot always be accurate as some interviewees may feel forced into providing better responses, but actually contributing prejudiced data. Some online articles, books and case studies will also be referred to elaborate the impacts of social networking marketing on the businesses. Objective two: Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. The mix of personal and the email interview will the method which will be relevant for second objective and will justify the same. It will be made sure that the format of the questions is simple, easy to understand, concised and precise so that the respondents are able to understand each one of it. There would be around 8 questionnaires in the interview with the mixture of closed and open questionnaire. The difference between closed and open questionnaire is simple. The closed ones have lots of tick boxes for respondents to fill in, whereas open questionnaires allow a free response so that people answer using their own words. (Long, 2007) The second objective which will analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the social network marketing, mix of secondary resources like books, internet, journals, case studies etc. may be helpful to the research and to get some elaborated information because some people may feel shy sharing the information during face-to-face interview and questionnaires and therefore giving a good backup to the objective. Objective three: Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. The third objective is to analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing so in order to obtain exceptional outcomes the researcher thinks that it is reasonable to procedure explanatory research, making a precise blend of interviews, statistical data and facts, books and various other methods. The researcher thinks that the information or data relevant to objective three is very limited and hence using a blend of interview, statistics, books etc. is very simple in the growth of knowledge to gain a better understanding. Fisher (2007) thinks that observation is relatively underused method in research hence it will be sensible thing to use this method as it provides good examples and information to illustrate the objective. Observation can be used as a technique to gather quantitative data, and quantitative data may be combined into a participant observation study as it is most commonly associated with qualitative research derived from an ethnographic tradition of studying different peoples way of life (Long, 2007). The researcher would be observing his workplace (Cumin Restaurant) to justify third objective as Facebook community page was made by the researcher so as to observe the effectiveness of the social network marketing. Summary This report has examined some insight into the theoretical outline that constructs the essentials of the methodology. It demonstrates and explains the choice and use of various research methods that are appropriate to the aims and objective of the research project chosen. It is a sound justification of chosen methods, including evidence of secondary data supporting the choice of methods. Alternative methods have been demonstrated confirming malfunction is not a possibility because of external restrictions and limitations. Some objectives are justified by a single method but there are some objectives which required more than one method to justify it. Chapter five: Findings Introduction to aim and objectives This is the largest and probably the most important part this research. This chapter gives an opportunity to discuss the research findings, based on the methods used that were already been discussed in the methodology. These findings are derived from the analyses of statistical data and interviews used for research collection and the measurement of data. Important points of this chapter are linked back to principle ideas in the Literature Review with the evidence obtained in the research. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business. Objectives Following are the objectives of the report: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Findings from Personal Interview Mr. Sandeep Anand Owner, Manager, The Cumin Restaurant, Nottingham 1. Do you or your business have a profile on any social network? Which? Sandeep: Yes I had a personal profile on Facebook previously but as I came to know that now businesses can make their community page on it as well, I made my business profile. 2. How often do you update your profile? Sandeep:My web designer generally updates my business page which is usually updated once a week. 3. Did it make any difference to your business? Sandeep: Not really at the moment, because the profile is quite new, not many people know that we are in Facebook but I hope as the time passes we will get some customer through it. In my knowledge I have got three costumers giving reference from Facebook. 4. Did anybody recommend you to have a profile on social network? Sandeep: Yes, my web designer recommended me to have one, which I thought is a good idea. 5. If no, then what made you join? 6. Have you identified any business advantage of using Facebook over traditional media? Sandeep:The biggest advantage of using Facebook is there are good choices which you can make according to your budget and if you are not interested to spend any money just make a profile page and dont publish it. But you have to put extra effort to make it more effective. 7. What are the drawbacks of social networks to the business? Sandeep:I have seen some business which has got negative comments which can be viewed by all viewers which is not good for the business. So I think privacy and security is the biggest drawback. 8. Would you recommend anyone to have a business profile on social networks? Why? Sandeep: Yes definitely, because it gives you an edge over other businesses with very little cost and is more effective than the traditional forms of advertising if used effectively. I will highly recommend to the small and medium businesses which are coming into this sector as a fresher with a minimal budget. Findings from Email Interview Ms. Srijana Gurung Restaurant Supervisor (Chino Latino)/Duty Manager, Park Plaza, Nottingham A same set of questions was sent to Ms. Srijana Gurung who is a Restaurant Supervisor and a duty manager in Park Plaza Hotel in Nottingham. Answer 1: Yes I have a personal profile and a profile for my hotels restaurant Chino Latino. My hotel gave me liberty to make a profile page for their restaurant as it is good for their hotels business and for their restaurant as well. Answer 2: I go on to the profile daily just to have a look and to make necessary updates for eg. I introduced a new staff uniform for my restaurants staff, so I have put the pictures of it. Answer 3: Fan following and liking has gained good publicity of our restaurant but we havent measured any difference but I hope it goes well in the future. Answer 4: No, nobody recommended me. Answer 5: It is one of the most upcoming trends of having a profile on the Facebook and in this post recessionary period many businesses have made their pages on Facebook and results are very positive. So I thought of having one for my restaurant. Answer 6: Yes, I am sure there are many advantages of social network marketing over traditional media. They are very cheap, cost efficient, easy to manage and operate and the bst one is they are very contemporary. Answer 7: They take time to show results. There is very less privacy. Anybody can have their profile page on these social networks and even fake profiles can be made and some of these fake profile. Answer 8: Yes absolutely, they are here for us to use and to use efficiently and as they are very cheap they are very affordable but has to be managed properly and updated regularly. But do maintain the businesss privacy level so as to protect from spam and fraud. Statistical Data (Econsultancy, 2010) * Facebookclaimsthat 50% of active users log into the site each day. This would meanat least 175 million users every 24 hours†¦ A considerable increase from the previous 120 million. * Twitternow has75 million user accounts. * LinkedInhas over50 million members worldwide.This means an increase of around 1million members each month since July/August last year. * Facebook currently has in excess of350 million active users on global basis.Six months ago, this was 250 million†¦ meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year. * More than 35 million Facebook users update their status each day. * Wikipediacurrentlyhas in excess of14 million articles, meaning that its 85,000 contributors have written nearly a million new posts in six months. * Photo uploads to Facebook haveincreased by more than 100%.Currently, there are around2.5 billionuploads to the site each month this was around a billion last time I covered this. * There are more than70 translations availableon Facebook. Last time around, this was only 50. * Back in 2009, the average user had 120 friends within Facebook. This is now around 130. * Mobile is even bigger than before for Facebook, withmore than65 million users accessing the site through mobile-based devices.In six months, this is over 100% increase. (Previously Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business Chapter One Introduction For some marketing managers, the twenty-first century may appear a very strange place indeed. Much of that strangeness comes from the ‘electronification of traditional marketing practices. OConnor et al (2004) said that direct and database marketing might be fairly well understood, but what about the concepts such as social network marketing. This is one of the latest tools available to todays marketing managers. The most popular social network marketing tools are Facebook, Twitter, My Space, LinkedIn, etc., but there are some other different social network marketing methods like blogs, e-mail marketing, video promotion on YouTube and many more. In truth, the migration from traditional marketing to internet marketing is part of a process that has taken place over the past decade. But what is Social network marketing and how it is different from ordinary marketing, advantages and disadvantages of social networking, its impact on other businesses has been researched in this disse rtation. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business Objectives Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Chapter two Research Background The Cumin Restaurant The Anand family have a long and successful history of catering, originating from their home in Nairobi, Kenya. They came to the UK in 1975 and have been in the catering business ever since. Their first restaurant in the UK was The Brilliant, followed by Madhus, both in Middlesex. These were followed by Curry Craze in Wembley, Curry Special in Ilford and Curry Fever in Leicester, all of which are still very successful today. The restaurant capacity is 74 cover over two floors 20 on the ground floor and 54 on the first floor. Being in the city centre, they are also an ideal place to hold business meetings or lunches. (The Cumin Restaurant online, 2011) Chino Latino, Park Plaza Their central Nottingham hotel features Chino Latino, the multi award-winning, on-site restaurant.Chino Latino serves fresh, gourmet Pan-Asian cuisine and Latin-inspired cocktails in a relaxed, modern atmosphere. One of the top Nottingham restaurants, Chino Latino offers a fantastic choice of a la carte, set, tasting and bento box menus. The bar offers an array of exciting cocktails, bottled beers and bar platters in a distinctively Latin atmosphere. Chapter three: Literature Review Introduction A literature review is a survey and discussion of the literature in a given area of study. It is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic, and it is usually organised chronologically or thematically. A literature review is written in essay format. It is not a commented bibliography, because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. It is not a summary; rather, it evaluates previous and current research in regard to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research. (University of Toronto Online, 02.12.2009) Ridley (2009) described literature review as the part of the thesis where there is extensive reference to related research and theory; it is where connections are made between the source texts and the research among these sources. It also refers to the process involved in creating the review that appears in the thesis. The changing media environment The mainstream print and broadcast media have faced major challenges in recent years, with many newspaper titles facing closure and television channels facing shortfalls in revenue. An important reason for this has been migration of significant amount of advertising budgets to online channels. Research by Forrester Jennings (2007) has indicated that audiences and attention is shifting to online channels as 52 per cent of Europeans are regularly online at home. Around 36 per cent of European internet users watch less TV, 28 per cent have reduced their newspaper and magazine reading and 17 per cent have decreased listening to the radios since going online. This shift away from conventional media has been further exacerbated by the recession from 2008 which led many advertisers to cut their budgets, resulting in print and broadcast media receiving a diminishing share of the declining total budget (Jennings, 2007). Online advertising has been the beneficiary of recent changes in the allo cation of advertising budgets, but this general shift hides a number of different formats for communicating with target audience, ranging from mass appeal banner ads placed on frequently visited websites, through to personalised e-mail campaigns in which the message can be uniquely tailored to the requirements of individual target buyers. Social media can be characterised as â€Å"online applications, platforms and media which aim to facilitate interactions, collaborations and the sharing of content† (Universal Maccann International, 2008, p.10). the importance of social network media lies in the interaction between consumers and the community, and in the facilitation of asynchronous, immediate, interactive, low-cost communication† (Miller et al, 2009, p. 306). Social network sites allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; to articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and to â€Å"view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system† (Boyd and Ellison, 2007, p. 211). On larger social network sites a connection, individuals are typically not looking to meet new people but are more interested in managing relationships by maintaining contacts with old friends who are already part of the extended so cial network (Boyd and Ellison, 2007; Hart et al, 2008). To sum up, social network sites can be seen as alternative communication tools which support existing relationships and activities in a fun and colourful way that can enrich the users experience (Ofcom, 2008). Many social network websites have emerged; attracting distinctive groups on users in terms of their demographics, for example the average age of users of Bebo is lower than for Facebook. Many appeal to communities with specific shared interests. In addition to consumers-oriented social network sites, many professional and trade associations have set up networks to exchange information of particular interest to member, for example the social networking site â€Å"LinkedIn† is particularly aimed at professionals. There is now lot of evidence that social network sites have become mainstream and it has been reported that globally, these sites account for one in every 11 minutes spent online. In the UK, this figure is even higher one in every six minutes (Neilson Company, 2009). Over half (54 per cent) of internet users between 16 and 24 have set up their own page or profile on a social networking site (Ofcom, 2008). The take up of online social media has been at the expense of traditional media, and a study by Ofcom of the media habits of UK 15-24 year olds shows that since using such media for the first time, the amount of time spent reading national newspapers declined by 27 per cent; reading local newspaper by 22 per cent; reading magazines by 21 per cent; listening radio by 15 per cent and watching TV by 13 per cent (Ofcom, 2006). Online social media offers opportunities to connect these hard-to-reach audiences drifting away from traditional media. Social Network Marketing Marketers need to be where their customers and potential customers are, and increasingly this is on social networking sites. Most of their marketers have started using social networks to market their businesses and to gain financial freedom. It also markets and then offers the product or service to the relevant audience and provides significant benefits using the dialogues and personal connections and to gain a wider audience for the product, but according to Scott (2007, p.229), ‘marketing on these sites can be tricky because the online community at social networking sites hates open commercial messages. There are abundant amount of active users across sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Hi5; 2.6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (Shih 2009). Social networking has become a rapidly growing global phenomenon spreading across the world. According to Chaffey and Smith (2008) well-run communities on the social networks strengthen relationships, trust and loyalty, as well as maintaining brand awareness in the minds of the community members. Communities also allow a unique opportunity to stay close to customers, their concerns, their worries and their desires. Despite these benefits, building an active community can be time consuming and difficult though cheap. Careful moderation and seeding of topics from a subject expert may be required. An alternative approach is to link up to an established community that has greater independence. Either way social networks are the part of the dynamic dialogue and dynamic opportunities that todays marketer enjoy. Social network networking has many advantages which makes it an interesting and a useful marketing tool for any business. This tool is cheap compared to other methods of advertising, when it comes to costing to reach the target audience. Another advantage is that it is easy to record and review any marketing campaign which makes it easier to analyse the changes that need to be made in service or products. But when we look at the negative side of it, social network marketing has got some disadvantages as well. According to Shih (2009), the biggest drawback of social network marketing is that the business could be the main targets for the detractors and their criticism which would make people who are interested in the business turn off by reading the negative comments. Some of the common disadvantages of social networks are security and safety of the business, violation of copyrights, vulnerable to thefts and scams. (Sethi and Adhikari, 2010) In general, the problem with the social networks is they need frequent updating and it is time consuming as well. Branding on Social Networks Social networking sites offer brands many opportunities for engagement. When brand profiles are created, the brands can exist as â€Å"people† on the sites. Friends can interact with the brands, share information, photos, and videos, and participate in two-way communication. The brand as person enhances the ability of a brand to use conversation marketing. Building a brand persona strengthens brand personality, differentiates brands from competitors, and sets the stage for a perceived relationship. Assuming the brands persona is likable and credible, it can facilitate message internalisation (the process by which a consumer adopts a brand belief as his or her own). (Tuten, 2008) Why would a person â€Å"friend† a brand? There are lots of incentives for friending brands, as explained in the Never Ending Friending report. These include incentive-driven motives like getting invitations to upcoming events, receiving information on sales and special offers and relationship-oriented motives such as a desire to support the company because it offers high quality products, to associate with the brand and its image, and to respond to a friends recommendation about the brand. The value proposition is already in place. (Clifton, 2009) Ultimately, branding on social networking sites promotes brand awareness, brand recall, and, if done well, builds on brand loyalty and brand equity. Social networks offers opportunities for brand promotion and engagement for those brands that learn to leverage the unique attributes of network in question. (Clifton, 2009) However, social networking is not without its flaws. Advertising, even when developed and distributed in superlative online venues, still suffers from the limitations facing all forms of advertising. Clutter is a tremendous distraction for people as they are faced with advertising in and on every imaginable media. Online readers are bombarded with sometimes numerous ads on a single page. With the many display ads, profile components, and widgets visible on social network pages, clutter is an issue. There is also limited inventory for advertising space on the sites. (Tuten, 2008) Social networks offer the greatest benefits to brands when the brands play to a networks culture, developing brand personas and engaging friends in dialogue. However, the workhorse of social network advertising is still the display ad. Unfortunately, display ads are not nearly as effective on social networking sites as they are on other types of websites. Clickthrough rates are much lower. (Clifton, 2009) Marketing in Post Modernism world Postmodernism invites a unique perspective of how to manage marketing and how to understand the consumer. Postmodernism says that social experiences are an interplay of myths which produce regimes of truth and that much of what we understand or believe about the individual, self, freedom, structure and so on is arbitrary and short-lived, fleeting rather than essential and fixed. We need to change our views as the customer changes. â€Å"The main conditions of postmodernism marketing are hyper-reality, fragmentation, reversals of production and consumption, decentring of the subject, paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites) and loss of commitment.† (Kotler, 2009, p. 27) Ø Hyper-reality: Exemplified by the virtual words of cyberspace and the pseudo worlds of theme parks, hotels and heritage centres, hyper-reality involves the creation of consumption sites and marketing phenomena that ‘more real then real. Here the distinction between reality and fantasy is momentarily blurred. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Fragmentation: Marketing in postmodernity is unfailingly fast, furious, frenetic, frenzied, fleeting and hyperactive. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Reversals of production and consumption: Postmodern consumers are active in the production of meaning, of marketing, of consumption. They do rather than have ‘done to them. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Decentring of the subject: Centeredness is where individuals are defined by their occupation, social class, demographics, postcode, and personalities and so on. Postmodernism suggests that this is not so, and that the harder marketers try to pin down the decentred consuming subject the less successful they will be. Ø Paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites): We have examples of the mixing and matching of opposites and the combination of contradictory styles in the world famous Irish dance show Riverdance or Lord of Rings. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Loss of commitment: Growing disillusionment with the delivery of promises and the willingness to try different experiences has resulted in a loss of commitment. The postmodern consumer takes on multiple, sometimes even contradictory projects, to which he/she is marginally and momentarily committed. This is observed in all walks of life: in relationships, in professions, and consumption. Marketing managers experience this when consumer loyalties to brands change. (Kotler, 2009) Customer Perception and satisfaction Customers perceptions of the quality of a service and their overall satisfaction have some observation indicators. Customers may smile when they talk about the product or service. They may say good things about the product or service. Both actions are manifestations or indicators of an underlying construct we might call customer satisfaction. The term customer satisfaction and perception of quality are labels we use to summarise a set of observable actions related to the product or service. (Hayes, 2008) The largest contributor to customer satisfaction, however, is something an organisation cant fully control; the customers perceptions. Whether theyre based in fantasy, fiction, or some other state of unreality, perceptions have the weight of fact. In the business of pleasing customers, perceptions are fact. Perceptions are also wildly inconsistent. Two different customers can consume the exact same product and have radically different perceptions about its quality. The differences may result from expectations each customer brought to the transaction, or they may simply result from varying powers of perception. Moreover, even one customer with consistent expectations might have varying perceptions about a products quality, depending on his or her mood, or stress level, the time of day, the alignment of the planets whatever. Its tempting to conclude that customer satisfaction is whatever the customer happens to think it is at any point in time. (Hayes, 2008) Customer Psychology and behaviour Apruebo (2005) defined consumer Psychology as the study that deals with the activities directly involved in selecting, obtaining, and using products, services and ideas to satisfy needs and desires, including decision process that precede and follow these actions. It is an applied branch of psychology on consumer behaviour. Consumer behaviour is the study of buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas. First and foremost, emerging definition refers to the concept â€Å"an exchange process,† as a fundamental element of consumer behaviour. A consumer is inevitably at one end of an exchange process in which resources are transferred between two parties. (Solomon, 2009) Consumer behaviour is an interesting field of study. Its nature is dynamic and an interactive process. All of us are consumers because our tendency or impulse can direct us to market our everyday purchase decisions in the marketplace or any shopping place. Summary The review also identifies the impact of social network marketing on businesses along with its advantages and the disadvantages. The literature review gives a greater understanding on the chosen topic set out in the aims and objectives, by the comparative study by different authors, and by highlighting areas of research that have not been fully explored. The information found enabled the researcher to come across different theories and ideas that need to be considered so as to proceed further into the research. The limitation that was faced while doing the literature review were that it was sometimes quite difficult to find the information on certain areas of subject as topic being very contemporary and not many books or journals being published on this topic. The upcoming section will be examining methodology, where the usage of different types of research will be discussed in order to gain appropriate and thorough information. Chapter four: Methodology Introduction to methodology The research methodology defines what the activity of research is, how to proceed, how to measure progress, and what constitutes success. It provides advancement of wealth of human knowledge, tools of the trade to carry out research, tools to look at things in life objectively; develops a critical and scientific attitude, disciplined thinking to observe objectively; skills of research particularly in the ‘age of information. According to Fisher (2007) methodology is the study of a whole academic field. It is a stepping-back from a subject and a consideration of it at a broader and deeper level. The research methodology is a science that studying how research is done scientifically. It is the way to systematically solve the research problem by logically adopting various steps. Also it defines the way in which the data are collected in a research project. Several different methods are commonly used in research project and it would vary according to the nature of the aim and objective, scope of the topic and thesis and the sources of data which are used. (Jankowicz, 2005) Triangulation Triangulation is the use of multiple methods; usually quantitative and qualitative research, in the study of the study of the same research problem. Triangulation is a complex methodology that usually requires a term of qualitative and quantitative researchers to maintain the integrity of both methodologies. The philosophical basis and assumptions for both quantitative and qualitative research must be maintained when these methodologies are combined, if the findings are to be meaningful. (Grove, 2005) Objective one: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Marketing managers from two organisations will be interviewed in order to justify the first objective which helped him to have a thorough knowledge of the impact of social network marketing on the businesses. They are very short personal interviews which will mainly offer realistic data which is much appropriate to obtain a detailed vision into the first objective, with the hopefulness of achieving first-hand knowledge or primary data. The questions which are designed will be same to all the marketing managers. The researcher was encouraged by the words of Fisher (2007) that the idea of an interview is straightforward, the interviewer engages in informal conversation with the respondent about a particular area of interest. The interviewer may steer the conversation a little, by picking up on the cues and themes raised by the respondent, but generally the respondent leads the direction of the interview. More comprehensive information can be obtained during an interview, however the co re strength of an interview cannot always be accurate as some interviewees may feel forced into providing better responses, but actually contributing prejudiced data. Some online articles, books and case studies will also be referred to elaborate the impacts of social networking marketing on the businesses. Objective two: Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. The mix of personal and the email interview will the method which will be relevant for second objective and will justify the same. It will be made sure that the format of the questions is simple, easy to understand, concised and precise so that the respondents are able to understand each one of it. There would be around 8 questionnaires in the interview with the mixture of closed and open questionnaire. The difference between closed and open questionnaire is simple. The closed ones have lots of tick boxes for respondents to fill in, whereas open questionnaires allow a free response so that people answer using their own words. (Long, 2007) The second objective which will analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the social network marketing, mix of secondary resources like books, internet, journals, case studies etc. may be helpful to the research and to get some elaborated information because some people may feel shy sharing the information during face-to-face interview and questionnaires and therefore giving a good backup to the objective. Objective three: Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. The third objective is to analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing so in order to obtain exceptional outcomes the researcher thinks that it is reasonable to procedure explanatory research, making a precise blend of interviews, statistical data and facts, books and various other methods. The researcher thinks that the information or data relevant to objective three is very limited and hence using a blend of interview, statistics, books etc. is very simple in the growth of knowledge to gain a better understanding. Fisher (2007) thinks that observation is relatively underused method in research hence it will be sensible thing to use this method as it provides good examples and information to illustrate the objective. Observation can be used as a technique to gather quantitative data, and quantitative data may be combined into a participant observation study as it is most commonly associated with qualitative research derived from an ethnographic tradition of studying different peoples way of life (Long, 2007). The researcher would be observing his workplace (Cumin Restaurant) to justify third objective as Facebook community page was made by the researcher so as to observe the effectiveness of the social network marketing. Summary This report has examined some insight into the theoretical outline that constructs the essentials of the methodology. It demonstrates and explains the choice and use of various research methods that are appropriate to the aims and objective of the research project chosen. It is a sound justification of chosen methods, including evidence of secondary data supporting the choice of methods. Alternative methods have been demonstrated confirming malfunction is not a possibility because of external restrictions and limitations. Some objectives are justified by a single method but there are some objectives which required more than one method to justify it. Chapter five: Findings Introduction to aim and objectives This is the largest and probably the most important part this research. This chapter gives an opportunity to discuss the research findings, based on the methods used that were already been discussed in the methodology. These findings are derived from the analyses of statistical data and interviews used for research collection and the measurement of data. Important points of this chapter are linked back to principle ideas in the Literature Review with the evidence obtained in the research. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business. Objectives Following are the objectives of the report: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Findings from Personal Interview Mr. Sandeep Anand Owner, Manager, The Cumin Restaurant, Nottingham 1. Do you or your business have a profile on any social network? Which? Sandeep: Yes I had a personal profile on Facebook previously but as I came to know that now businesses can make their community page on it as well, I made my business profile. 2. How often do you update your profile? Sandeep:My web designer generally updates my business page which is usually updated once a week. 3. Did it make any difference to your business? Sandeep: Not really at the moment, because the profile is quite new, not many people know that we are in Facebook but I hope as the time passes we will get some customer through it. In my knowledge I have got three costumers giving reference from Facebook. 4. Did anybody recommend you to have a profile on social network? Sandeep: Yes, my web designer recommended me to have one, which I thought is a good idea. 5. If no, then what made you join? 6. Have you identified any business advantage of using Facebook over traditional media? Sandeep:The biggest advantage of using Facebook is there are good choices which you can make according to your budget and if you are not interested to spend any money just make a profile page and dont publish it. But you have to put extra effort to make it more effective. 7. What are the drawbacks of social networks to the business? Sandeep:I have seen some business which has got negative comments which can be viewed by all viewers which is not good for the business. So I think privacy and security is the biggest drawback. 8. Would you recommend anyone to have a business profile on social networks? Why? Sandeep: Yes definitely, because it gives you an edge over other businesses with very little cost and is more effective than the traditional forms of advertising if used effectively. I will highly recommend to the small and medium businesses which are coming into this sector as a fresher with a minimal budget. Findings from Email Interview Ms. Srijana Gurung Restaurant Supervisor (Chino Latino)/Duty Manager, Park Plaza, Nottingham A same set of questions was sent to Ms. Srijana Gurung who is a Restaurant Supervisor and a duty manager in Park Plaza Hotel in Nottingham. Answer 1: Yes I have a personal profile and a profile for my hotels restaurant Chino Latino. My hotel gave me liberty to make a profile page for their restaurant as it is good for their hotels business and for their restaurant as well. Answer 2: I go on to the profile daily just to have a look and to make necessary updates for eg. I introduced a new staff uniform for my restaurants staff, so I have put the pictures of it. Answer 3: Fan following and liking has gained good publicity of our restaurant but we havent measured any difference but I hope it goes well in the future. Answer 4: No, nobody recommended me. Answer 5: It is one of the most upcoming trends of having a profile on the Facebook and in this post recessionary period many businesses have made their pages on Facebook and results are very positive. So I thought of having one for my restaurant. Answer 6: Yes, I am sure there are many advantages of social network marketing over traditional media. They are very cheap, cost efficient, easy to manage and operate and the bst one is they are very contemporary. Answer 7: They take time to show results. There is very less privacy. Anybody can have their profile page on these social networks and even fake profiles can be made and some of these fake profile. Answer 8: Yes absolutely, they are here for us to use and to use efficiently and as they are very cheap they are very affordable but has to be managed properly and updated regularly. But do maintain the businesss privacy level so as to protect from spam and fraud. Statistical Data (Econsultancy, 2010) * Facebookclaimsthat 50% of active users log into the site each day. This would meanat least 175 million users every 24 hours†¦ A considerable increase from the previous 120 million. * Twitternow has75 million user accounts. * LinkedInhas over50 million members worldwide.This means an increase of around 1million members each month since July/August last year. * Facebook currently has in excess of350 million active users on global basis.Six months ago, this was 250 million†¦ meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year. * More than 35 million Facebook users update their status each day. * Wikipediacurrentlyhas in excess of14 million articles, meaning that its 85,000 contributors have written nearly a million new posts in six months. * Photo uploads to Facebook haveincreased by more than 100%.Currently, there are around2.5 billionuploads to the site each month this was around a billion last time I covered this. * There are more than70 translations availableon Facebook. Last time around, this was only 50. * Back in 2009, the average user had 120 friends within Facebook. This is now around 130. * Mobile is even bigger than before for Facebook, withmore than65 million users accessing the site through mobile-based devices.In six months, this is over 100% increase. (Previously

The Layers of Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay -- Kill Mocki

The Layers of Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toothpaste: it is made up of so many different ingredients. You can look at a tube of toothpaste, study it, observe the colors of the plastic container and notice the size and shape of it. You can guess all you want what's on the inside, but you will never know until it is squeezed. People: they are made up of so many different things. You can look at them, study their behaviors, and observe their appearances. You can make many assumptions about what they're like on the inside, but you will never know their true character until they are squeezed. When a person is put in a tight position it doesn't make their character, it exposes it. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird there are several characters that are present throughout the book, but one seems to appear out of nowhere in chapter eleven. Her name is Mrs. Dubose, and she has a very interesting character. It has several layers that almost need to be peeled away like an onion. Integrity is just one of the numerous layers of her character. Integrity is how a person reacts when they are being "squeezed." Mrs. Dubose has a high standard of morals and she is true to them--she walks her talk. She looks out for people other than herself. She is determined. Mrs. Dubose is unquestioningly a woman of integrity.    Mrs. Dubose displays integrity by standing up for her beliefs. She has self-appointed herself as the "manners police", according to the standards she was raised with. The way she was raised children were expected to respect their parents and other elders. Mrs. Dubose makes a point to call the kids on it whenever they are acting out of line according to her values. She yells at Scout t... ...her life, a time that can be very lonely for a person. In a sense, she is being squeezed, like a tube of toothpaste--yet she stays strong. She still keeps all her values, instead of throwing them out the window. Mrs. Dubose doesn't just sit around and watch the world go on, she tries to make a difference. She doesn't throw herself a pity party, burdening others with her problems. Instead, she decides to make the most out of the time she has left in her life. She decides to improve her life so that she can die having lived life to the fullest. Mrs. Dubose, in all her integrity, is the tastiest kind of toothpaste there is.    Works Cited Johnson, Claudia. "The Minor Charaters of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird." Studies in American Fiction (1991):129-139. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York City, NY:   J.B.Lippincott Company, 1990. The Layers of Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay -- Kill Mocki The Layers of Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Toothpaste: it is made up of so many different ingredients. You can look at a tube of toothpaste, study it, observe the colors of the plastic container and notice the size and shape of it. You can guess all you want what's on the inside, but you will never know until it is squeezed. People: they are made up of so many different things. You can look at them, study their behaviors, and observe their appearances. You can make many assumptions about what they're like on the inside, but you will never know their true character until they are squeezed. When a person is put in a tight position it doesn't make their character, it exposes it. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird there are several characters that are present throughout the book, but one seems to appear out of nowhere in chapter eleven. Her name is Mrs. Dubose, and she has a very interesting character. It has several layers that almost need to be peeled away like an onion. Integrity is just one of the numerous layers of her character. Integrity is how a person reacts when they are being "squeezed." Mrs. Dubose has a high standard of morals and she is true to them--she walks her talk. She looks out for people other than herself. She is determined. Mrs. Dubose is unquestioningly a woman of integrity.    Mrs. Dubose displays integrity by standing up for her beliefs. She has self-appointed herself as the "manners police", according to the standards she was raised with. The way she was raised children were expected to respect their parents and other elders. Mrs. Dubose makes a point to call the kids on it whenever they are acting out of line according to her values. She yells at Scout t... ...her life, a time that can be very lonely for a person. In a sense, she is being squeezed, like a tube of toothpaste--yet she stays strong. She still keeps all her values, instead of throwing them out the window. Mrs. Dubose doesn't just sit around and watch the world go on, she tries to make a difference. She doesn't throw herself a pity party, burdening others with her problems. Instead, she decides to make the most out of the time she has left in her life. She decides to improve her life so that she can die having lived life to the fullest. Mrs. Dubose, in all her integrity, is the tastiest kind of toothpaste there is.    Works Cited Johnson, Claudia. "The Minor Charaters of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird." Studies in American Fiction (1991):129-139. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York City, NY:   J.B.Lippincott Company, 1990.

Gay Marriage Should be Legal :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. Thirty-six states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet a few states have passed laws that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Several other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States' homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry, and others believe that gay people should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals. I think that the United States should allow same-sex couples to marry just like heterosexual couples. There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of permitting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as â€Å"a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.† Furthermore, it defines a spouse as â€Å" a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife† (What 1). Under these guidelines, it is quite obvious that gay couples would not be eligible for marriage. People against homosexual marriage also say that it is a person’s choice to be gay. Since the individual chooses to be a homosexual, they should not be given special privileges. Another argument that you hear is that these couples should not get married simply because of the torment and ridicule they would be faced with in their everyday lives. There are news reports from across America telling about how a gay person was beaten or killed just because they were looked at as different. Some of these people would end up the target of verbal abuse and maybe even physical abuse, just because some heterosexual people see them as different. Gay Marriage Should be Legal :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. Thirty-six states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet a few states have passed laws that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Several other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States' homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry, and others believe that gay people should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals. I think that the United States should allow same-sex couples to marry just like heterosexual couples. There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of permitting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as â€Å"a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.† Furthermore, it defines a spouse as â€Å" a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife† (What 1). Under these guidelines, it is quite obvious that gay couples would not be eligible for marriage. People against homosexual marriage also say that it is a person’s choice to be gay. Since the individual chooses to be a homosexual, they should not be given special privileges. Another argument that you hear is that these couples should not get married simply because of the torment and ridicule they would be faced with in their everyday lives. There are news reports from across America telling about how a gay person was beaten or killed just because they were looked at as different. Some of these people would end up the target of verbal abuse and maybe even physical abuse, just because some heterosexual people see them as different.