A cultural analysis of Greece Essay Example for Free

A cultural analysis of Greece Essay This paper presents a cultural analysis of Greece and how this translates into the countrys business practices. The importance in such profiling can be seen in the emergence of many cross-cultural studies that aim to come up with an effective theoretical framework that guides international companies to relate to other companies from different countries with different cultures. One of these frameworks was formulated by a series of national studies conducted by Hofstede in which the author identified cultures according to five indices. Basically, Hofstedes approach presents that culture can be described as a set of characteristics ingrained or wired-in to the brains and the psyche of the members of a particular society thereby affecting behavior. With such understanding according to national cultures, cross-cultural managers can therefore make use of this information that can serve as a basis for cross-cultural and international initiatives of the organization. In application, this paper examines Greece according to Hofstedes five dimensions and how this translates into the countrys business culture; this paper then compares this with the business culture in the United States. The conclusion then leads to the identification of the different points of compatibility and conflict, and the areas which the Greek and the American business cultures can reconcile for a more successful business communications and relations. Global Business Cultural Analysis: Greece I. Section One Introduction Communication plays an important role in any cross-cultural relations, and in the aspect of business, communication in the international context spans beyond language and includes protocols, perceptions and other elements pertaining to business practices. According to Hendon, Hendon and Herbig (1996), the challenge is that although two or more parties are trying to reach an agreement aiming to serve each others interests, cultural factors whether in terms practice and perception significantly contribute to the processing of information that would lead to either the success or the failure of the negotiations or the management strategy should international companies decide to operate together. As Hendon, et al. (1996) pointed out, cultural aspects influence managers, thereby affecting their behavior; this also reflects at the organizational level thereby the degree of the embodiment of the national culture of these companies is constantly present. Cross-cultural issues have become crucial given that more and more businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities brought by globalization. One of the issues that emerged from this is that there was an identified potential point of conflict based on the precept that the differences in the values of the different groups may lead to problems, thereby jeopardizing the advantages offered by the global and international markets (Fontaine, 2007). As a result, international organizations have invested in cross-cultural management initiatives in order to create the most effective approach should the company reaches the point of venturing into foreign operations or cross-cultural negotiations. In addition to the organizational dimension in cross-cultural issues are the elements that can further influence the operations of any business. Kanungo (2006) identified that globalization ha also created a significant impact to the consumers behavior now that they are aware of the strong global forces; technological innovation; and the environment. These elements do not only represent modifications in terms of the markets and the societies global businesses cater to but also the potential overall shift and cultural perceptions that resonate at various levels, from the individual to the organizational behaviors. Which is why given that globalization has become a phenomenon that represents present-day reality (Steger, 2003), even companies who are not internationalized are still subject to many global forces such as buying or selling their supplies from sources overseas. It is also possible that the company may have to work with a foreign employee or a worker from a different cultural background. In any case, the instances of a cultural add-on has become more and more regular (Berger, 1998, 124). However, it is important to look at the many theoretical foundations on cross-cultural studies, especially as to how national cultures are perceived as an important influence in organizational and management behavior. There is one distinctive studies that can be considered to have created a substantial buzz in the entire context of cross-cultural studies: Geert Hofstedes four dimensions, which would later add another component. Hofstedes studies gave way to conclusions that would help in the different approaches towards understanding different cultures, and how these can also create effects at individual, organizational and national levels. Hofstedes Four Dimensions One of the most commonly used model in cross-cultural studies is Hofstedes four dimensions; these dimensions emerged from Hofstedes studies on 40 different countries in which he identified four major prevailing factors in terms of the cultural aspect (Bjerke, 1998): ? Power distance ? Uncertainty avoidance ? Individualism/collectivism ? Masculinity/femininity In order to understand these four dimensions, it is important to look at how Hofstede views culture and how this plays a role in global business applications. Hofstede is renowned for his research on differences among countries in terms of their culture and how these differences are essential. Hofstede operated based on the concept that comparisons among cultures can play a significant role in the making the right decisions based on the acquired information about other cultures; this is deemed helpful when it comes to making negotiations and even designing business strategies should companies decide to enter a foreign market. Hence, Hofstedes works have been founded on how the differences of these cultures are influential to behavior across may social levels. Hofstedes dimensions tend to generalize groups, hence, for instance, multicultural nations are taken as a singular culture (Fontaine, 2007). The four dimensions Hofstede formulated are the main indicators that can identify the points of similarities and differences across these many national cultures (Vinken, Soeters Ester, 2004). His studies on many national cultures have therefore served as a reference point among many cross-cultural managers. Hofstedes approach is known to adapt a more scientific approach as he argued that cultures can be measured and analyzed (Hofstede, Neuijen, Ohavy Sanders, 1990); such can be seen not only in his database which analyzed countries according to their measures in power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity but also in terms of how these factors can impact many organizational tasks such as business negotiations. Culture is therefore an important indicator of behavior and at the same time, it acts as a binding force that defines a group, a society or a region. The four dimensions Hofstede identified are based on how a culture can be also defined according to relations, attitudes and values; in specific contexts, it can be observed that these four dimensions that pertain to Hofstedes definition of culture the programming of the mind that differentiates one group of another (as cited in Fontaine, 2007, 125) presents a predictable framework of characteristics. A fifth dimension was also introduced by Hofstede by including Confucian framework to his dimension, and he identified this as the long term/short term orientation. The long term/short term orientation, a recent addition to Hofstede/s dimension, was founded on the perceptions of time, and how this can affect the behavior of people. This dimension was based on the Confucian orientation with respect to past, present and future, and for Hofstede, this fifth dimension can reflect a societys perception of time, especially as to how this affects their perseverance and regard for values, and how societies also wish to command respect and gain stability (Jacob, 2005). This orientation is seen as an important component as this can reflect how some people can act as based on their expectations with respect to time, such as, for instance, whether their actions are motivated by long-term causes or their short-term goals. The power distance aspect refers to a cultures orientation towards authority. This orientation includes how people understand power and how power works in their communities. With this component, power distance serves as an indicator of equality such as whether some cultures tend to be more democratic or practices a great amount of inequality (Hofstede, 2001). Another index identified by Hofstede (2001) is the uncertainty avoidance. Generally, this refers to how society can tolerate uncertainty. This therefore shows how a culture may be more comfortable in a more structured and rational framework because the tolerance of ambiguity is low whereas some societies may tend to live in the uncertainty, hence, their systems do not adhere to strict rules. Individualism/collectivism pertains to how a culture tend to be more individualist and autonomous or the spirit of the collective fills the members of its society (Hofstede, 2001). In the former, there is a greater sense of independence because the individual is encouraged to think for himself or herself. A collectivist culture, its opposite, tends to have a greater degree of influence according to the social or cultural psyche and norm. Although individuals can be said to initially come from defined groups such as families, the degree of cohesion across social levels differs from one culture to the next. Last but not the least, the masculinity/femininity index measures gender roles in a culture, especially as to how each of these genders are positioned in the society. The values among these two genders are among the fundamental elements in any society because one tends to dominate the other, if not, the attempt to equalize roles can be said to be also present in some cultures (Hofstede, 2001). In addition to the aspect of the relevance of power in these roles, this indicator also describes whether the country is masculine or feminine; the former associates the culture as more assertive and competitive, thereby embodying the male characteristics whereas feminine cultures are viewed as caring and more modest. The strength of Hofstedes approach is that the study and the gathered data have come up with a set of information that generally describes the national cultures thereby demonstrating a general sense how people in a certain country can be expected to behave. The five dimensions have served as an important framework and Hofstedes model has served many nation-level researches especially as to how the applicability of his collected data can be regarded to be valid at a certain point (Smith, 2006). However, the model is not without any criticisms as this brings the issue on how many dimensions must be used as a means to measure culture (Smith, 2006). Another study conducted by Blodgett, Bakir and Rose (2008) that the model has limitations especially as to its validity among individuals. From this, it can be gathered that applicability of Hofstedes framework mainly gives a good reference for a cultural overview of nation, but in more specific terms, there is still some debate as to the design of a more effective cross-cultural analysis model. II. Section Two Greek Culture: an Overview Greece can be easily associated with its glory during the antiquity, with the country immersed in a rich culture of intelligence and might, in addition to the production of several works of art and architecture that can be considered to still have an influence in the modern world. Hence, Greece has always had the impression of classicism, especially with the mark left by Hellenism in the world and Greek history transcending fact and has become an interesting subject for literary works. From political thought to mythology, Greek as a culture remains to be an object of fascination, especially as it has founded an important definition where the Western world begins in this Mediterranean archipelago. Culture can be basically defined through customs and traditions, and in Greece, albeit its development into modernity, has maintained a strong grasp for tradition; this tradition is defined by the roles played by religion and paganism in the country. Greece is dominantly Orthodox Christian although some variations of the faith, as determined by paganistic influences, can be seen to be present and also vary from island to island. This is why Greek culture is generally regarded to have a higher degree of mixed beliefs and that Greeks also tend to be superstitious (Buxton, 1999). Early Greek civilization has demonstrated a significant amount of intellect yet at the same time, the society was also driven by its mythological past. Such combination can be seen to present an attempt to balance myth and reason, and in modern Greece, this can be seen to have developed as modern Greek society remains to take pride in its past through the continuous presence of its customs and traditions, yet at the same time, modern Greek culture has demonstrated significant social changes that have take place in the last century. This is discussed by Mouzelis (1978) who mentioned how societal values remain to be dictated by its core values, and these core values, evidently, play a significant role in the definition of a societys culture. The economy, in the past centuries, has created a significant impact to the social development of any society, and Greece, as it moved on to the modern times, had adapted to these changes. In the social context, Greece had demonstrated the ability to adjust to these new economic demands, and its society, inevitably, has redefined social classes. Its economy also started to redefine itself especially as to how it would define its role in the modern world. All in all, the modernization of Greece has created a degree of impact to its modern culture, but interestingly, Greek culture has strongly maintained what it has always been. As previously mentioned Greek culture has been distinct in terms of the roles religion plays in the lives of the people; this religion fuses the more organized leanings of the Christian Orthodox Church and the more paganistic or mythical practices that many Greeks still practice today. In addition to customs and traditions, Greek culture has maintained its strong identity across many cultural facets, from its art, music, food and wine. The Greek people has demonstrated a strong sense of resilience considering the number of wars they had to endure in the modern times. These wars include its conflict with the Ottomans in which the country fell under rule for a long time, the Balkan Wars, the First World War, and the Greco-Turkish wars. The country also fell under military dictatorship from 1967-1974. With their wounded past, the Greek people had redeveloped a strong national character that had adapted to the realities they faced, especially as Greeces glory would seem to be stuck more in the past and the modernity seems to have favored more the Western nations (Chilton, Dubin, Edwards, Garvey, Fisher, Ellingham, 2008). Interestingly, as Greece would struggle to find its place in the modern world, the Greek society and the people had gone through periods of diaspora in order to escape the conflicts at home. Those who were left behind would be stuck in the chaos of the country in which the economy would find a hard time adjusting to the greater powers coming from the western world, more specifically Europe. The Greek people experienced lack of opportunities in addition to poverty, especially as the country would prove to lack in enough economic resourcefulness until recently. Greece, for a significantly portion of the 20th century, was under-developed, but it was not until in the 1980s that the country would start to catch up and become more integrated with the rest of Europe (Chilton, et al. , 2008) There are some interesting factors in Greek culture that can be regarded to have influenced attitudes of its people. One of these concepts is filotimo. Although hard to translate, filotimo generally refers to the Greeks love for deep honor that they should possess; this goes well with anther important Greek characteristic of integrity which is about behaving as an upright individual. Although a sense of deep honor, as a translation, does not provide enough interpretation of the concept, filotimo can be considered to refer to a character that is highly desirable, but basically, it can be associated with a sense of self who is intrinsically good (Makedon, 1995). In addition to the concept of filotimo, modern Greece had emerged with additional cultural concepts in terms of character, and these are leventia and palikaria. Leventia refers to a sense of manly excellence thereby emphasizing the importance of having certain male characteristics. Leventia is paired with palikaria which also refers to the same meaning. As pair, possessing or being leventia and/or palikaria is about the ability to survive through hard times, especially if the individual or the family has been subject to a critical amount of duress. Having leventia and palikaria can gain an individual substantial admiration from those around him because of the display of a strong sense of self as seen in courage or proactiveness that addresses the source of any problem (Makedon, 1995). Last but not the least, albeit its painful periods of oppression, the Greek people have a great amount of love towards freedom. The love for liberty has always been a Greek characteristic, as seen from the ancient Greek civilization to the modern Greek society. Many themes in the Greek arts have portrayed the importance of freedom, and evidently, as the cradle of democracy, Greek culture had long wanted to fight oppression and aimed for a more liberal and democratic society in which they get to possess a certain amount of freedom despite the restrictions posed upon them (Makedon, 1995). Generally, these characteristics show how modern Greece have managed an important element of its identity, and that is its Orthodox church; however, despite the practice of orthodoxy, this aspect of freedom is practiced in such a way that the Greek people remains to have an open mind towards its paganistic past. In a way, the Greek culture can be regarded to have managed to lessen the conflict between mythos and logos, and today, the Greek people has been finding ways to make room for the modern and how it fits to its long standing tradition. Greek Business Culture Studies on the Greek business culture has had references to Hofstedes cultural framework. In terms of the scores of Greece according to Hofstedes four dimensions, Greece has the following measures in these four indices (Hofstede, 2001): ? Power distance index: 63 ? Individualism: 35 ? Masculinity: 57 ? Uncertainty avoidance index: 112 In terms of Greeces score in the power distance index, this score shows how its people, according to Hofstedes framework, demonstrates the emergence of the social classes in Greek society. This is to say that people are aware of the powers that are present in the society and they know their place with respect to that power. The score of the country in this index can be considered to be average, hence, demonstrating that although people do recognize the presence of inequalities in its society, they see the presence of means to get over certain barriers. The median score for this index is 55, and with Greece at 63, the amount of inequality is above average yet not as drastic as compared to other countries. Basically, this shows how hierarchy plays in the society which can be considered as a paradox considering the Greeks love for liberty and democracy. In a sense, such score shows how the Greeks have embraced reality and that certain powers have created a strong influence in the country. The next score shows that the country has lower measures of individualism thereby showing that Greece is a highly collective society. This shows how Greeks have a strong regard for family and community, and how individuals are strongly influenced by their environment. Kessapidou and Varsakelis (2002) mentioned that when Greeks enter an organization, there is already the expectation that the Greek employee expects to work for this company for the rest of his or her life, and at the same time, in exchange for this loyalty, they expect that the firm will also look after their family. The next indicator is masculinity, and Greece scored slightly above the global average of 50 (Hofstede, 2001). This is an interesting score as generally, the Greek society has demonstrated the strong male influence in terms of their position in the family and the society. The roles between males and females have been regarded to be also more distinctive, in which case the women know their positions and the limits of their power and influence. The uncertainty avoidance index shows the highest score for Greece, and based on this, there are many rules that prevail in the Greek society. Again, this is an interesting score because this contradicts the Greeks love for freedom, but then again, such rules and restrictions may have brought the Greek people to be hungry for more liberty in its societies. The many bounds in Greek society can be seen in its history where the country went through oppression through foreign occupancy and dictatorship. Overall, as employees, Kessapidou and Varsakelis (2002) discussed the characteristics of Greek employees, as follows (273): For Greek people, the working culture is based on sense of honour, dignity, loyalty, and sense of duty reflected in the Greek word filotimo which is similar to the concept of face as reported for China in these societies, filotimo or face becomes an asset for organizations. In cases, however, where expectations are not met, the personnel can be alienated. From the results of Hofstedes study, Greece can be summarized as high power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance, collectivistic and masculine (Joiner, 2001, 232). This profile, as translated into Greeces business culture, strongly demonstrates its association with societal values. According to Hofstede (2001), among the four indicators in his cultural model, the most relevant in the aspect of organizational design can be attributed to power distance and uncertainty avoidance which is why these factors are important in assessing the relationship of national cultures and the organization. In the organizational context, the Greek business culture shows a strong sense of hierarchy and the partenalistic relations that exist in Greek companies; this is evident in the high score in the power distance. In further putting this with respect to Hofstedes description of this dimension, the Greek society as well in Greek organizations, there is the accepted presence of inequalities in terms of the distributio of power. The acceptance in human inequality, interestingly, may not fair well with the Greek fundamentals on democracy but apparently, such cultural characteristic is more of an indicator of a strong sense of respect towards authority (Joiner, 2001). Leadership is therefore emphasized in Greek organizations, and in business, there is much dependence on the companys leaders when it comes to making decisions. Such cultural factor can then be attributed to the historical development in Greece which, accoding to Psychogios and Szamosi (2007), lived in a society with the centralized Greek political system that highlights the powerful state and the large public sector (8). In terms of the reflection of Greeces high uncertainty avoidance index, many studies have actually revealed that groups with hih uncertainty avoidance index demonstrate a fear of making decisios, hence, the presence of many rules that can be easily referred to. In Greece, according to studies by Bartholomew (1995), Bourantas, et al. (199), among others (as cited in Joiner, 2001), fear of decision-making has been found among Greek managers and subordinates, hence, much of these activities are left to the upper management. There is indeed the influence of culture in terms of the business own practices. Although this may not be true in all cases, the general perception towards Greek businesses reflect how the business culture have its foundations according to its societal values, these values are which influenced by the countrys culture. III. Section Three In Comparison with the US Business Culture Based on Hofstedes cultural model, Greece scored high in power distance index, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance index, whereas it scored low in individualism. These scores translate to the Greek business culture of centralization, concentrated power, more distinct gender roles, and high reliance on the organizations to take care of the employees family. Greek employees are also found to possess the characteristics of loyalty, integrity and dignity, as guided by the concept of filotimo. In comparing this to the American culture, the contrasts can be immediately seen the differences in the scores Hofstede gave the United States (Hofstede, 2001). The US scored high in individualism, low in power distance index, uncertainty avoidance index, and long term orientation, whereas in terms of masculinity, the US scored above average. The similarities can be therefore seen in the masculinity aspect in which both shows that gender roles remain to be differentiated in the American business culture. However, the similarities end there. Based on the scores, the American culture can be described as highly individualistic, with a greater sense of equality and fewer rules thereby showing greater tolerance in new ideas and beliefs. Basically, the American business culture does embody these characteristics. As the country embraced capitalism and industrialization earlier than Greece, the countrys business culture tends to have a more progressive and liberal approach. There is a strong presence of market economy forces in the United States, and employees are also driven by the economic opportunitis presented to them. One of the important aspects in the American business culture is the presence of competition, and competition is present not only among businesses but among individuals as well (McCraw, 2000). Hence, unlike in Greece where a bulk of the important responsibilities are left to upper management, American organizations and their employees grab these opportunities to hold more responsibilities because it means more opportunities for them to gain better positions. Competitive is therefore a characteristic of the American business culture, and this makes sense according to the results of the scores of the United States according to Hofstedes model. Although these scores and comparisons between national and business cultures can be regarded to be applicable, it should be noted that the degree of relevance may not be true in all cases. In addition to the challenges as to the validity of Hofstedes model (Blodgett, et al. , 2008), there is also the case of change that can possibly take place at social and business levels. As discussed in the first section, the applicability is limited as to the relevance of national cultures to business cultures although the fundamentals of a national culture tends to become apparent generally. For instance, the Greek concept of filotimo can be considered to be true even at business levels, and at the same time, the collective spirit can be seen in how many Greek corporations are family-owned. Such is true in the case of the United States in terms of the masculunity scores. Although in some instances gender roles remain defined in the US, in the business world, more and more women have started to hold significant positions across many organizations. Therefore, the relevance of national culture perceptions are only true up to a certain extent but information such as those gathered by Hofstedes studies serve as useful references to the basics of the social and business dynamics in a country. IV. Section Four Opening an American Business in Greece Based on the scores in Hofstedes cultural framework, the USAs national culture distance from Greece is at 3. 47 according to 42 surveyed American firms in the country (Kessapidou Varsakelis, 2002). With this number, it can be assumed that there will be greater difficulty in the successful establishment of the American company in Greece; however, this may not be the case, and the same is true even if the company has a Greek affiliate. According to Kessapidou and Varsakalis (2002), the strength lies in the Greeks characteristic to be collective, hence, they tend to comply with the requirements of the company. In addition, the concept of filotimo can drive Greek employees to perform better, thereby filotimo, in a sense, serves as a source of competitiveness, which is compatible with the American busines culture. However, there may be some problems in terms of the management aspect between the American and the Greek managers, or the Greek managers needing to comply with the demands of American management practices. Although there are highly centralized American companies, the delegation of power and responsibility is one of an American companys assets, hence, should decisions need to be made, even some subordinates may step in and show a sense of leadership. This may intimidate Greek managers and employees, especially if the firm would have American employees working in the Greek operations. In addition, the Greek employees may think that the Americans are too aggressive and ambitious in the workplace, thereby possibly creating a rift among the employees. Hence, the recommendation is that prior to the establishment of the American operation in Greece, both sides need to be educated about the cultures they are about to encounter. Since that Greece is going to host the company, the American company needs to comply more with the Greek culture, but since it is the American company that is going to establish the business, the Greek employees and managers also need to

Case Study: Food Expiration Dates

Case Study: Food Expiration Dates If the best before date stamped on your milk carton says January 1, 2011, does that mean its not safe to drink it anymore on January 2? How long can raw meat last inside the fridge before it goes bad? Is there a difference between Use by, Best before, Sell by, and all the other date labels? Questions like these continue to boggle many Filipino homemakers today. With the constant struggle to stretch every peso for their family, throwing away unconsumed food just because a date says so is something that isnt fun to do at all. What do these dates really mean and should they be followed with utmost strictness? Food Product Dating Placing dates on food products is a practice being followed by the food industry to let the retail store know how long a product for sale should be put on display. Food product dating also helps consumers like us determine until when we can buy or use the product at its best quality, provided it has been properly stored. Do note that these dates are not to be confused as a safety date, as there are many factors that determine food safety. There are basically two types of food product dating: closed or coded dating and open dating. Closed or coded dating may be seen on shelf-stable products like canned goods and boxes of food. Coded dates can be in MMDDYY format, while some manufacturers use the Julian calendar wherein January would be 001 to 0031 (1st to the 31st day of the year) and December would be 334 to 365 (334th to the 365th day of the year). These are packing numbers meant to be used by the food manufacturers to track production. The dates that most consumers see on the grocery shelves, on the other hand, like those stamped on packed meat, eggs and dairy products, is called open dating. This uses the standard calendar date format such as date month year or dd/mm/yy. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Regulation No. 001 Series of 1982 (Subject: Guidelines for Open-Date Marking of Prepackaged Foods), open date markings should be indicated on food packages using indelible ink or embossed on cans or any other acceptable manner. The same guidelines also specify that the date marking should appear in a conspicuous place such as in the front panel of the label or on top of packages like box, bottles or cans. Putting open-date markings on packaged food products is routinely done by food producers and manufacturers, but not all of them are required to do so. According to the BFAD Memorandum Circular No. 6 s. 1993 (Subject: Monitoring of Food Products Requiring an Open Date Marking), the food products that are required to indicate their best before date are the following: Liquid Milk Products which include filled, recombined or reconstituted evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and UHT sterilized milk. Whole Milk Powder Dried Dairy Milk Powder Filled Milk Powder Skimmed Milk Powder Bakery Products (those sold in supermarkets, not in bakeries) which include loaf bread and buns Infant Food and Infant Formula Vitamin C-enriched liquid fruit drinks because after some time, vitamin C content may not be as much as what the label declares. According to FDA Regulation No. 001-D s. 1982 (Subject: Guidelines for the Open-date marking of Vitamin C enriched liquid fruit drinks), before its best before date, these fruit drinks should at any time contain 80% of the label claim of Vitamin C, but not lower than 30 mg/250 mg sample. The memorandum also mentions the directive that requires retailers to remove from their sales counters all products above that do not bear the required open date markings. The open dates are based on the average shelf life of the food item being packed before it loses its optimal quality or nutritional content. This doesnt mean that after the date you cannot consume the products anymore, it simply means that the quality of food is no longer assured. Once the date passes, food products should still be safe for consumption, as long as its handled and stored properly (i.e. kept at 40 degrees F or below). You may continue to consume food past its best before date up to a certain extent, depending on the recommended storage times that will be discussed further down this article. Open Date terminology Locally, the Bureau of Food and Drugs (which was later renamed Food and Drug Administration or FDA in August 2009), enforces guidelines that cover open-date marking and labeling of packaged food. The FDA defines the different types of open date terminology as the following: Consume Before Date also known as Use by date or Expiry date. This is the date which gives you the last day of the products estimated shelf life. This is only guaranteed if certain storage conditions are met, of course, such as storage temperature and handling. Beyond this date, the food product in not considered marketable anymore or is expired and must be discarded. The consume before date must be indicated in labels of packed fresh food products like fruit juices, chocolate drinks, fresh milk, butter, yogurt, cream, cheese, cured or frozen meat and fish, bakery products, and baby food. Products that have no preservatives are highly perishable therefore indelible markings must be indicated visibly in these labels. Best Before Date also called Best if used by date. The keyword here is using the word best beside the date, meaning it is the date which signifies the end of the period where the products best quality is guaranteed. Again, the guarantee assumes a stated storage condition. Beyond this date, the products quality attributes will be expected to deteriorate but may still be satisfactory for human consumption. After a few days or weeks of the indicated date, though, changes in color or texture and decrease in nutritional content may is expected. Other products, especially those imported from overseas, may have different open date markings compared to locally distributed food. The following are some of the more popular open date terms used: Sell-By Date this is actually meant for the store owners more than the consumers. This date gives an approximation on how long the store should display a product for sale before it should be pulled out of the shelves. Consumers are also advised to buy the product before the sell-by date because, according to senior faculty member Paul VanLandingham of the Johnson Wales University Center for Food and Beverage Management, this is the last date wherein freshness is at highest level of quality in terms of taste, freshness and consistency. After the sell-by date, the food product should still be edible for some time after. Born-On Date this is equivalent to the date of manufacture and is often used to date beer. VanLandingham explains that beer quality is affected by how much sunlight it is exposed to. Since sunlight can reactivate microorganisms in the beer, store owners are advised to be careful with handling beer in clear bottles more than those in dark brown or clean bottles. Generally, commercialized beer can go sub-par after three months from the born on date. Guaranteed Fresh Date this is usually used by bakeries and is similar to best before date. As the name suggests, the guarantee is given that the baked product is at peak freshness before the date indicated. After the guaranteed fresh date, food will still be edible and may still be consumed, but taste, texture and nutritional value may not be the same anymore. Storage Times Keeping food at 40Â ° F or below inside a refrigerator is usually good s for food as the common food-borne bacteria usually grow in much higher temperatures (41 degrees F and above). Did you know that if you freeze perishable food like meat cuts, youre actually extending your foods shelf life by as much as several days? The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service website gives a food storage chart on food that bears a sell by or no date marking. Assuming youre storing food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, cook or freeze the following food products by the times mentioned below: Raw poultry, ground meat, variety meats (like heart, tongue, liver, brain, etc), uncooked beef or pork sausages: 1 or 2 days Raw pork, beef, lamb, veal: 3 to 5 days Cured meat (like ham, tocino, etc): 5 to 7 days Eggs: 3 to 5 weeks Cooked poultry and sausages: 3 to 4 days Hotdogs and bacon: 2 weeks if sealed, 1 week if opened Luncheon meat: 2 weeks if sealed, 3 to 5 days if opened Cooked ham: 7 days if sealed; if opened, 3 days for slices, 7 days if kept whole Canned ham (with keep refrigerated label): 9 months if unopened, 3-4 days if opened Canned meat and poultry: 2-5 years if unopened; if opened, 3-4 days Life after food product dates According to experts, the average American family disposes of over 120 lbs of food monthly food that could have still been perfectly okay to eat! Talk about wasted money on what should have been spent on other basic needs of the family. Well, good thing that a USDA research has reported how packed foods can last several days (some, even weeks) after the sell-by date printed on packages. This is certainly good news for the Filipino household budgeters. As recommended by the Center of Consumer Research at University of California, Davis, heres a list of foodproducts that are okay to consume (if properly handled and stored) even after open date markings: Milk if pasteurized, milk usually remains fresh for about 5-7 days after the sell-by date. Make sure that its not exposed too long to sunlight, though, as it can lose some essential vitamins. This is why most milk cartons come in opaque containers. Eggs can be stored up to 5 weeks after taking them home. This is because most egg processing plants coat their eggs in mineral oil, which essentially blocks bacteria from entering any of the approximately 17,000 egg shell pores. Keeping eggs refrigerated also keeps bacteria away. Its best to keep them in their original carton and place them in the colder parts of your ref, not on the egg tray placed at the door (this is actually the warmest part of the fridge) Poultry, beef, pork and seafood cooking before storing in the fridge doubles the original shelf life of meats (3 to 5 days instead of 1 to 2 days). Once completely frozen, meat can last up to several weeks, even months. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, freezing meat at 0Â °F (which is equivalent to -17.78Â °C) is best for safety reasons. Keeping meat frozen at 0Â °F wont kill bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses, but it sure can slow down growth by forcing them into a state of dormancy. Some parasites can be killed at this temperature. Theoretically, keeping food frozen at this temperature can make meat last forever. Attempting to achieve this at home, however, is an extremely difficult task since your refrigerator is opened several times a day (causing fluctuation in temperature every time). Taking this into consideration, heres a list of recommended storage times of frozen products in home refrigerators: Bacon, sausage, raw poultry: 1 to 2 months Ham, cooked meat, hot dogs or cold cuts: 2 to 3 months Raw ground meat: 3 to 4 months Cooked poultry: 4 months Raw steaks, roasts or chops: 4 months to a year Raw poultry parts: 9 months Canned goods normally, canned goods are great refrigerator-free foods that last long if stored in the right conditions. If you cant find an expiry date printed on the label, here are some easy reminders on how long they usually last: highly acidic canned food like pineapple or tomato sauce can last about 18 months or more. Canned goods that are low in acid content like canned veggies or meat can be kept up to 5 years. Texas AM University professor of food and nutrition Peggy VanLaanen strongly recommends keeping canned goods at 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit in a dry, dark place for optimal shelf life. Humidity can speed-up deterioration, so this should be avoided. Do not buy dented cans or those that are swelling or bulging since these may easily be harboring harmful bacteria already (if you have bulging cans in your shelves, throw them out now even if expiration date isnt due yet) Yogurt this can last up to 5 days beyond the use by date, for as long as you keep them refrigerated. You may lose the friendly bacteria after this, but it should still be safe to eat. To keep yogurt fresh longer, place it upside down in your refrigerator as this creates a seal that can keep harmful bacteria from seeping in its packaging. Fruit juice this can last up to 6 days beyond the use by date, for as long as you keep them refrigerated. The sugars and acids added to your fruit juice already lengthen the shelf life and those in concentrate form can also last longer because air has been removed prior to packing. Keeping juices in the refrigerator after purchasing them will surely lengthen shelf life in general. Mishandled food can breed bacteria even before its labeled date, so it is important that you follow storage instructions mentioned in product packaging. For example, if you bought a pack of hotdogs that say theyll expire next month and you forgot to refrigerate the pack for several days, bacteria could have already contaminated your food even before the expiration date. If food is already contaminated by harmful bacteria like Listeria, E. coli or Salmonella, they can multiply and build colonies within days, even if you decide to throw the forgotten pack of hotdogs back in the refrigerator. According to food safety advocate, Bill Marler of Marler Clark (a Seattle law firm that represents victims of food poisoning), when bacteria are already present in food, the use-by date becomes irrelevant since it can cause harm even before the date indicated. In this case, it will be safer for you and your family to just throw away unconsumed food instead of risking the possibility of getting sick. Trust your nose and tongue For food that are not packed for commercial distribution (like cooked viands bought from a local carinderia or made to order baked goodies), the best way to find out if food is still edible or not is if we use our God-given sense of smell and taste. These are actually what our ancestors used back when food dating was not discovered yet. In general, you should not eat food that gives off a repulsive smell or taste, as it most likely isnt fit for consumption anymore. In the absence of an expiry date sniffing and tasting is the way to go! Sources: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2006/db20061002_959305.htm http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/do-food-expiration-dates-matter http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5389/a_guide_to_food_expiration_dates.html?cat=22 http://www.safety.com/articles/what-do-food-expiration-dates-really-mean.html http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/food_product_dating/index.asp http://thehealthylivingsite.com/2010/09/03/foods-you-can-safely-eat-past-the-expiration-date/ http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/features/article/read-the-label http://www.bfad.gov.ph/oldsite/FDA%20Regulation%20001%20s.%201982.pdf http://www.bfad.gov.ph/oldsite/MC/mc%206%201993.pdf http://www.bfad.gov.ph/oldsite/BC/fda%20reg%201-d%201982.pdf http://www.wisegeek.com/how-long-will-frozen-meat-stay-fresh.htm

Critical analysis of communication and promotion mix

Critical analysis of communication and promotion mix The aim of this report is to analysis and evaluation of communication and promotional mix in terms of marketing. First of all, the report will focus on communication and promotional mix and how the University of Derby, Buxton communicate with students. Secondly, the author will define communication, promotional mix and marketing. Then finally, the report will provide recommendation and conclusion. There are different ways of communication in terms of marketing communication or personal communication and every author defines communication indifferently. According to Looy et al (2003, p.89) define personal communication as the oral presentation and or demonstrations to one or more (potential) buyers for the final purpose of making sales. On the other hand, Cleary (2009, p.2) define communication as is the process of creating meaning between two or more people through the expression and interpretations of massage. According to shank (2004, p.350) he define promotional mix as is the cons ists of advertising, personal selling, public relation and sells promotion. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2008, p.5) define marketing is the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationship in order to capture value from customers in return. The University of Derby, Buxton is aiming how to communicate with student very well and efficiently. In doing so the University of Derby Buxton (UDB) is urging students to write a report that, how the university of derby can do well in terms or communication and promotion and also how to attract the interest of student. Furthermore, it also aims the students with opportunity to contribute its plans to develop existing resources and recommendation. 1.1 Mission statement The University of Derby Buxton provides the best of program to all students who desire to study there. The mission statement is to be the learners first choice university for quality and opportunity (www.derby.ac.uk, 2010). 2. Services There is different definitions s of service. According to Gronroos (1990, p.27) quoted by Looy et al (2003, p.11) define service as a service is an activity or series activities of more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessary, take place in interactions between the customer and service employees and/or physical resources or goods and/or system of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer problem. In the other hand, University of Derby Buxton has an effective way of communication in terms of student wanting to come to the university .nevertheless, is also important to organisation as a whole. Therefore, the university use a variety of promotional tools, such as; advertising, public relation, direct marketing, personal selling, promotion and added value approaches like events, sponsorship, pop material and merchandising. 2.1 The 7ps and 4Ps In marketing there are service that company or organisations consider in terms of selling their product. In service marketing there are 4ps and 7ps. According to Nargundkar (2006, p. 45) said, the 4ps consist of product, price, place and promotion babes on which the majority of product marketers conceptualise and implementing their market plans. On the other hands, according to shilbury et al (2009, p.4) gave a brief description of the 7ps. And the 7ps consist of service marketing: Product: to ensure that product changes provide benefits to the customer (includes identifying the actual product. the University of Derby Buxton (UDB) makes sure they offer and provide the best service for the on campus and off campus student. Price: ensure that the product is priced at a level that reflects customer value. The university makes sure that they do something good for the student. Place: distributes the product to the right place at the right time to allow ease of purchase. Promotion: communicate the product ability to satisfy the customer through advertising personal selling, sales promotion, sponsorship, public relation and promotional licensing. The University of Derby, Buxton (UDB) promote their university through communication for example one way or two way communications. Physical evidence: is the visual and / or tangible clue of the service product, such as the design and contractors of the facility, and in general enthusiastic approach. Student can touchà © or feel the university until they have actually come to the university to experience it. Process: the represented of the marketing and operations function and therefore afflict real time service delivery and quality. People: are responsible for delivering the event and are major distinguishing quality factors in the consumption process. The lecturer make sure they deliver the right service or lectures to all student who are studying in the university d Derby, Buxton. 2.2Characteristics of a service Many organisations do have service element to the product they offer or sell e.g. MacDonald sell physical product. In other words, customers are expecting or concern about the quality of their service. The University of Derby Buxton (UDB) provide best service for the student. According to Gronroos quoted in Looy et al (2003, p. 11) suggests that service can be define as an activity or series of activities of a more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessarily, take place in interactions between the customer and service employees and /or physical resource or goods and /or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer problem. In other words, not all service is the same, for example De Montfort University (DMU) has different way of delivering service to their student. In service marketing there are different characteristics. According to (Jobber, 2009, p822,-825) said service characteristics are: Intangible: Services are that cannot be seen, tasted, touched smell until before they are bought. This service is hardly to touch or feel and also difficult for customers or student to know or evaluate before buying the product. In other words, relating to university of Derby, Buxton (UBD) student will not know how the university is like until they have actually come to the campus to study. Inseparability: is a physical good, service have a inseparability that they have simultaneous production and consumption. E.g. haircut and medical operation Perishability: is a service their Perishability in the sense that consumption cannot be store for the future. Variable: is a service quality may be subject to considerable validity, which makes standardization difficult. 2.3. Significance for promotion Significance of promotion can be the brand name of the product, The University of Derby, Buxton (UDB). In other words, student came to university of Derby, Buxton (UDB) because of the quality of service precious student has ever had when they were studying here. 2.3. Branding According to Kotler et al (2006, p.3) define branding as is about taking something common and improving upon it in ways that make it more valuable and meaningful. The University of Derby, Buxton (UDB) has competitors so they make sure they distinguish their product from other competitors out there. Additionally, they want to develop the service for student and also the university support their logos. Furthermore, student who comes to University of Derby, Buxton (UDB) has a trust. According to Jobber (2010, p.307) define trust as consumers tend to trust strong brand 3. Communication, marketing and promotion to student The university uses different ways to communicate market and promote students. The university listens to student and keep them informed. 3.1 Student needs As the government increasing the fees for student, there will be more issues for student, for example student will drop of from school because they cannot afford to payback. In other hand, there will more implication for that. As of 2010/2011 a years university tuition costs up to  £3,290 so the cost for three years will bring the total to  £9,870 Accommodation for a year can cost as much as  £150 a week or as little as  £65 depending on where you live so you could pay as much as  £9,360 for 3 years accommodation Eating properly for students is last on their list and this is where a lot of money is wasted. If they learnt to cook the easiest meals, they could save money. The average cost of food for 3 years can be  £2,880 Depending on the contract of accommodation, bills may be included but things like phone and internet access may not so budget another  £1,080 for three years worth If your child gets a place on campus, then there will be no travelling costs but if the accommodation is not within walking distance then travelling fees for 3 years could total to  £2,880 Clothes depending on how trendy you want them can cost up to  £1,000 a year making is  £3,000 for three years Toiletries such as shampoo make up, body wash, hair products and creams can reach a whopping  £1,800 Study costs this includes books, study material, trips and stationary will vary depending on the course taken but you could spend over  £800 for the course of 3 years Socialising everyone knows that students like to party so going out every Friday or Saturday night will be the norm. This can add a huge unnecessary cost to the budget even if you dont drink or smoke. Going to the cinema and restaurant also counts so budget up to  £600 a year for this or  £1,800 for three years The cost for three years of university expenses totals to  £33,470 To make it easier, it works out  £11,156 a year or  £929.72 a month to send just one child to university. If you can convince your children to stay home, then obviously the costs will be brought down and the bulk of finances will go into yearly tuition fees. 3.2 analysis of Pieters model 3.3. One way communication 3.4Two way communication 4.5. Personal communication or selling According to Jobber (2007, p. 545) define personal selling as the marketing task that involves face- to face contact with customer. Most students came to university of Derby, Buxton (UDB) because of what they have heard about it or seen on their website. 4. was the framework helpful Yes the frame work was helpful because the entire student know what everybody has in mind concerning in terms of marketing. 4.1Areas for improvement 4.2Planning 4.3Strength 4.4Limitation 4.5Weakness 5. Conclusion 6. Recommendation the author recommends that the university of derby, Buxton should have place for the college the further education student(FE) the author recommends add more computers to the library the author recommends he university has to put the graduation on the website for student to watch The author recommends all the businesses in the Dome have to work together for example the spa. the author recommends The university has to build a network relationship

violence in tv Essay -- essays research papers

Violence in our Children’s Cartoons How Does Television Violence Affect Children’s Behavior Does television promote violence and crime among children? Although most people look at television as an entertaining and educational way to spend time, some people think there is too much violence in television and that is influencing our young into becoming aggressive in nature and to tolerate violence. Cartoons are the most violent programs on television (Johnson, 1999). Mostly all cartoons have consent fighting between hero and villains. Some cartoons have funny looking character torturing another character. Can violence on cartoons make a kid or a young adult to do some kind of violent act? Yes, in Ohio a five year-old boy set his house on fire that killed his little sister. The boy said he developed the idea by watching the cartoon Beavis and Butthead (Josephson, 1995). Other example of a child performing a violent act was a six year-old Jeremy Nezworski imitated an act of hanging himself like a ghost after he watch the act on the cartoon The Scooby Doo Show, and the boy killed himself (Josephson, 1995). Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles is thought of to be one of the most violent cartoons that ever appeared on television according to Terry Harrison, a preschool teacher (Brady 60). The sound of a three-year-old boy yelling "cowabunga" is a war cry that unleashes chaos in the classroom. "Suddenly we are faced with a little gang of ninja's trying to kick and punch each...

Academic Time Management Essay -- Informative Information

Academic Time Management With every new experience come challenges, and anxieties that can be overwhelming if they are not handled and dealt with in a reasonable way. Beginning college is certainly no exception. Stress takes many forms, most notably in the academic sense, as exams, papers, and various projects and assignments. Making the grade is an important aspect of many college students, and the best way of getting good grades without sacrificing all aspects of a social life is effective time management. Well developed time management skills not only help to organize all the different pieces of a students life it also reduces their levels of stress and anxiety, while allowing them to achieve decent grade point averages. Simply learning and implementing useful time management techniques can help anyone through the turbulent transition to college academic life. Stress College life is filled with academic stressors and anxieties that consume most students. Many of the reported causes and time periods during the school semester in which students experienced heighten angst were similar and consistent among their peers. However, freshman and sophomores students had higher reactions to stress than juniors and seniors (Misra, 2000, 1). This variation is caused by the underclassmen’s’ lack of strong social support networks, and their underdeveloped coping mechanisms needed to deal with college stress due to demanding school work and tasks. Academic stress not only stems from the physical workload of classes, exams, papers, projects, and assignments, but also from psychological factors. Most of the pressure and stress students face is self-imposed. â€Å"Students’ perception of the extensive knowledge base required and... ...a, 2000, 4). Time management has been a proven stress reducer, by helping break up and spread out workloads so that students can complete assignments with as little anxiety as possible. Using such organizational techniques also allocates ample amounts of study time for each class improving students’ GPA. Time management strategies provide an effective guide for working your way through any college experience and are invaluable to every type of university student. References: Lahmers, Amy. â€Å"Factors associated with academic time use and academic performance of college students: A recursive approach.† Journal of College Student Development Sept./Oct. 2000: 544-554. Misra, Ranjita. â€Å"College students’ academic stress and its relation to their anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction.† American Journal of Health Studies 2000: 41-51.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† in the late 1800’s while being treating by the very trusted Weir Mitchell. During this time women were commonly admitted into the care of doctors by their husbands without their given consent. At this time there was very little research concerning Post- Partum Depression. According to the A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia, Post-Partum is moderate to extreme depression women may experience after giving birth. The symptoms include fearfulness, restlessness, and anxiety- all of which are displayed by Jane in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Gilman was advised by Dr. Mitchell to stop writing and rest, only partaking in â€Å"household† activities. She was not to visit with friends or go outside much. Contesting to these rules, Gilman ended treatment with Mitchell and wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† with the hopes of shedding much needed light on the ineffectiveness of his strategies. The mental condition of many women often worsened due the general population’s lack of consideration involving a woman’s outspoken opinion involving the betterment of her own health. Carol Kessler writes in â€Å"Consider Her Ways: The Cultural Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Pragmatopian Stories, 1908-1913,† â€Å"The utopian fiction of Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes on as its â€Å"cultural work† the demonstration that women are not confined to one traditional mode of being–wife/motherhood–but can fill as varied social roles as can male counterparts† (126). Kessler is stating Gilman’s writing is not only a statement against the mental health practices concerning women, but also includes other issues that were dominated by a patriarchal society. Denise D. Knight suggests in her essay â€Å"I Am Getting Angry Enough to do Something Desperate,† that Jane’s behavior at the end is â€Å"an expression of the tremendous rage she feels toward her husband, John† (78). This statement is evidence suggesting that women were well aware of the need for a change involving these matters. Gilman uses the yellow wallpaper to symbolize the psychological, sexual and creative oppression women experienced during Gilman’s contemporary times. Jane’s â€Å"condition† is revealed to the reader at the beginning of the story. Jane has just arrived at the â€Å"vacation† home and is writing secretly since John forbids it. She writes of John, â€Å"You see, he does not believe I am sick!† (Gilman 173). This quote indicates to the audience that Jane’s voice is of no importance next to John’s. Jane continues to voice her opinion about her illness and what she believes could cure her. John blatantly ignores any suggestions she may have concerning her own health, appearing heartless and cold. This is very clear when Jane initially voices dislike for the room with the yellow wallpaper, in which she is assigned to stay. Jane writes, â€Å"I don’t like our room one bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza †¦but John would not hear of it!† (Gilman 174). Gilman allows the audience a glimpse at the symbolism of the wallpaper at this point. Jane mentions her dislike of the room with the yellow wallpaper as soon as she is introduced to it. Upon bringing this discomfort to John’s attention she is sufficed with a promise to replace it. However, John later breaks his promise with the reasoning that they will only be there three months. The creeping feeling Jane experiences concerning the wallpaper symbolizes the mental instability she feels looming over her. John convinces Jane there is nothing wrong with the room and refuses to move her even though she requests he do so. When Jane persists she writes of his response to her, â€Å"But John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself† (Gilman 174). Jane is forced to h ide her feelings and worsening condition, as well as her writing. This interaction between the two characters demonstrates how many women during this time period were not to have opinions or preferences. This scene displays the lack of self-expression and freedom women encountered. Creativity in women was not widely accepted in Gilman’s society and was often deemed improbable. In one of Jane’s entries she describes, â€Å"There comes John, and I must put this away he hates to have me write a word† (Gilman 175). This sentence is powerful because the written word is often more powerful than the spoken word. Women were rarely given the luxury of speaking freely, much less writing freely. John’s reluctance to allow Jane to write illustrates the narrow minded ideals men had concerning women. In â€Å"Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper,† Gilman writes that Dr. Mitchell, â€Å" concluded there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to â€Å"live as domestic a life as far as possible,â₠¬  to â€Å"have but two hours’ intellectual life a day,† and â€Å"never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived’†(51). Both Gilman and Jane were creative women that used writing as therapy to express what others around them could not understand. Jane’s journal and her writing symbolize the creative talents and intelligence many women were capable of but were forced to conceal. Gilman contradicts the idea of women being married to make great â€Å"mothers† with the statement, â€Å"And yet I cannot be with him† (Gilman 177). Jane is referring to her infant son. The possibility that a woman could want more from life other than to marry and have children was an almost impossible notion at the time. In â€Å"Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: A Centenary† Linda Wagner- Martin writes, â€Å"Of these many conflicts inherent in women’s trying to lead acceptable female lives, perhaps the most troublesome is that of motherhood, its attendant responsibilities, and its almost inevitable loss of self-identity† (52). The A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia sugg ests that a common cause of Post-Partum Depression in women is the decreasing amount of time they have to themselves after having a child. Women of brighter minds were often misplaced in this type of society. Many artists feel an undeniable obligation to their work, often taking time away from their families. It was impossible for artistic women to prosper when their prime purpose in life was to marry and have children. Knight writes, â€Å"Gilman demonstrates how stifling the cult of domesticity was for intelligent women† (78). Jennie, Jane’s caretaker, represents this idea. Jane writes of Jennie, â€Å"She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession† (Gilman 178). Jennie’s characteristics and tendency to stay out of Jane’s business resembles a fear felt by many women. While it was common for many intelligent women to become depressed due to creative and psychological oppression, fear often quieted any desires for change. It was widely understood that any woman who tried to live otherwise would just as easily end up in Jane’s predicament. Martin writes of the matter, â€Å" The point, obviously, is that society expects women to be fulfilled through motherhood, and that women who question their roles as mothers, who complain or are angry about those roles, are suspect if not beyond human comprehension† (63). In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Jane’s behavior often reflects this idea that women longed for the opportunity to choose their life occupation, rather than being assigned it. Sexual oppression of women is also touched on in this piece. John often goes away for a work and even when he visits, there is minimal physical contact between him and Jane. Judith A. Allen writes in â€Å"Reconfiguring Vice: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Prostitution, and Frontier Sexual Contracts,† â€Å"Gilman shared in a common, international, late nineteenth-century feminist critique of marriage and of other sexual economic contracts† (173). Gilman’s very opinionated statements regarding women’s freedoms clearly extended to their sexual needs as well as emotional needs. While it was often expected for women to stay behind and tend to the children while the men were away at work, it was often overlooked how these physical absences affected them. It was socially acceptable for a man to appease his sexual appetite with other women while he was away, but not for his wife to do the same with other men. This was taxing on many women. When John is visiting Jane one night, he simply scoops her up and takes her to bed, where he reads to her until she is tired and ready for bed. Jane appears to be too ill to confront her sexual desires like many women of the time. Her relationship described with John is surfaced. Since there is a lack of a physical relationship between the two, there appears to be no relationship at all. This clarifies the belief that women were married off to produce children and please their husbands. Once Jane begins taking notice of the wallpaper itself, the tone of the story takes a dive. While the tone of the story begins somewhat light hearted and seemingly harmless, there is still a hint of foreshadowing. It is when Jane becomes obsessed the audience becomes aware of how terrible her condition truly is. It is almost used as a mockery of John’s ignorance throughout the entire story. The narrator writes, â€Å"There are things in that paper that nobody knows about but me, or ever willâ €  (Gilman180). This is when Jane is realizing the figure in the wallpaper in fact is a woman and she appears to be behind bars. The symbolism here is that no one can understand how Jane is feeling, including the other women around her. As time goes on John tells Jane things such as, â€Å"You are gaining flesh and color,† and â€Å"I feel much easier about you† (Gilman181). Rather than asking Jane how she feels, he is telling her. The irony is Jane’s willingness to accept being told how to act, feel, and live. Based on the mockery provided by the narrator, John does not truly understand what Jane needs, considering he, like everyone else involved, does not view women as people capable of reasoning and complex feelings. This idea was prevalent to the society throughout that time period. The phrase â€Å"dear John† is mentioned throughout the story, indicating the importance of John to Jane. As Jane’s condition and obsession with the wallpaper worsen, her strength d ecreases as well. She is forced increasingly rely on others, including John. She writes of John, â€Å"Dear John! He loves me very dearly and hates to have me sick† (Gilman 180). The irony is how little of importance Jane appears to have in John’s life. He has a routine written for Jennie and Jane to follow throughout the day while he’s away. One of the nights he is visiting, Jane writes, â€Å"He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had† (Gilman 180). These words have an empty meaning. If Jane were the only thing John had, he would have paid more attention to her and realized she was not getting better in the least. This supports the then popular belief that women would be content with simply being told what they want to hear. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† there are statements made against the male physicians that were so highly admired among communities during Gilman’s time. Jane writes, â€Å"John is a physician and perhaps that is one reaso n I do not get well faster† (Gilman 173). Jane is admitting that a woman’s duty to submit to her husband gets in the way of her need to be persistent concerning her health. This observation is ironic and bold. It argues the mockery in the situation. John, as a doctor, is held up to such high standards, yet he has no idea what is really going on with this woman. The story is ridiculing society’s idea of â€Å"intelligence.† John makes the mistake of treating Jane as if something is wrong with her. However, the humor is in the doctors’ inability to figure out that women are simply composed of the same emotional capabilities as men. It is also necessary to pay special to attention the symbolism of name choice in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† John and Jane can allude to â€Å"Jane Doe† and â€Å"John Doe.† If this is the case, both could be identified as of no particular importance to the audience. A Jane or John Doe are unidentified people. Gilman did not feel the need to give the se characters any specific names that would identify them with a particular characteristic or trait. Their situation is unidentified, and their situation was very common for that time. John’s disregard for Jane’s claims of her slow descent into a worsening mental condition was a common practice for doctors regarding women. Often when a woman needed or wanted something, she had no other choice but to acquire the assistance of her husband. In the instance of Jane needing alternative means of medical care, her only hope would have been John. Naturally John did not listen to her protests. Gilman is stating that both men and women should have an equal say in marriage. Kessler writes, â€Å"The ‘partnership’ society that Eisler defines seems already to have been present in the â€Å"pragmatopian† imagination of Charlotte Perkins Gilman as revealed in her turn-of-the-century fiction, especially the short stories: the alternative or partner-oriented gender roles she depicts could be realized or attained then or in the present-day society that we know† (126). There were also many marriages lacking the understanding John clearly does not display. This coincides with the idea that many women who were married to many men at that time experienced the oppression Jane feels and were met with the same ignorance John displays. At the end of the story Jane writes, â€Å"For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything is green instead of yellow† (Gilman 188). This has a childlike feel to it. Earlier in the story, when Jane is trying to talk to John about how she is feeling he replies with, â€Å"What is it, little girl?† (Gilman 181). The last scene of the story describes Jane as this crazy woman, but it has her creeping around the ground like a child. In â€Å"Environment as Psychopathological Symbolism in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’† Loralee MacPikew writes, â€Å"The fact that the narrator’s prison-room is a nursery indicates her status in society. The woman is legally a child; socially, economic ally, and philosophically she must be led by an adult–her husband† (286). One day when Jane is stuck in her room alone, she reverts to her childhood while staring at the wallpaper, giving a description of a vivid memory. She writes, â€Å"I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store† (Gilman 177). These behaviors revert to the idea that even as children, females were facing emotional neglect. It also supports the idea Jane was often treated like children by their husbands, posing the question how could she be expected to be a â€Å"good† mother if she herself was not permitted to act like an adult. Gilman’s decision to make the wallpaper yellow as opposed to any other color is interesting. Yellow is often viewed as a neutral color concerning gender. This may be connected to Gilman’s outcry of the belief that women ar e inferior to men concerning creative, emotional, and intelligent capability. Once Jane begins to acknowledge the wallpaper, her descriptions of it become more detailed. She describes it, â€Å"looked at in one way, each breadth stands alone; the bloated curves and flourishes- a kind of â€Å"debased Romanesque† with delirium tremens- go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity† (Gilman 179). The words â€Å"delirium tremens† (Gilman 179) indicate how the wallpaper concurs with Jane’s worsening condition. Colors have often been known to manipulate a person’s mood. Following this belief, yellow is known to promote communication. This is an ironic symbol, considering John did not listen to Jane in the least. There are many times he overlooks her feelings or statements. At the beginning of the story Jane claims to feel something strange about the house. When she brings this to John’s attention he says what she â€Å"felt was a draught, and shut the window† (Gilman 174). Clearly John’s inability to listen to Jane discourages her to speak of anything at all to him. In â€Å"Consider Her W ays,† Kessler writes, â€Å"By refusing to accept definitions of traditional â€Å"male† and â€Å"female† roles, and instead of offering clear alternatives to such mainstream notions, Gilman forces readers to question boundaries defining behavior assumed acceptable on the basis of gender† (126). This statement supports the notion that Gilman believed that both men and women should share all household responsibilities, including working and raising children. The satirical symbolism at the end of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is astounding. It does a great job of surprising and shocking the audience. It leaves this image imprinted of a crazy lady taking a bite out of a bed and creeping around her husband. Once Jane believes she is the lady inside the wallpaper, she writes, â€Å"and I don’t want to have anybody in, till John comes. I want to astonish him† (Gilman 187). At this point her anger is apparent. The narrator is clearly pointing fingers at who is to blame for her current predicament. She is comparable to a child throwing a tantrum. It’s almost as if Jane is assuming the behaviors of a role she has been given, which is no different than what she does from the beginning of the story. She does what she is told. However, John often refers to her as everything but a woman. Naturally this mentality was bound to catch on. Jane also had no other means of escape from her world. John refused to allow her to go anywhere. It was almost as if she were a child being grounded. When children are forced to stay inside they use their imaginations as entertainment. To do this is human nature, and Jane is no exception. There is also attention to be paid to the bars described in the wallpaper. Jane writes, â€Å"at night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars!† (Gilman 182). The bars symbolize all the oppression felt by Jane. As the progression of Jane’s condition worsens, the appearance of the bars becomes more prominent. Once Jane discovers the bars, she notices the woman in the wallpaper, â€Å"The outside pattern, I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be† (Gilman 182). This quote refers to the unawareness John and other men of the time displayed concerning women. Gilman is making a statement against how obvious it is that Jane knows what she needs more so than her husband. This scenario was common among many women during that time period. It is also an outcry against a woman’s inability to practice self-expression. Once Jane decides to try and help the woman escape from the wallpaper (and becomes the woman herself), she peels off all the paper so she cannot be put back. Once John gets into the room she says to him, â€Å"’I’ve got out at last,’ said I,† in spite of you and Jane! And I’ve pulled of most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!’† (Gilman 189). This statement could be interpreted as Gilman’s creative self being defiant against the rules set up by a patriarchal society. While this last scene can be understood as haunting and disturbing, it almost seems as if Jane is getting the last laugh in the end. Her husband who is â€Å"successfully† a physician has failed his own wife. Jane’s road to insanity was brought on by her husband’s â€Å"trusted† tactics. Shortly after the story was published, Weir Mitchell was forced to re-evaluate his tactics used on â€Å"mentally unstable† women. There were many patriarchal barriers facing women when â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written. Gilman does an extraordinary job of displaying the horrors that resulted from this complex and delicate subject. The image of a woman behind bars in yellow wallpaper could not be more appropriate to convey such an important message. This short story demonstrates the feeling of entrapment and misplacement many creative and intelligent women felt during Gilman’s time. The yellow wallpaper is a strong symbol of a declaration of independence, creativity, and self-expression in a society where such notions were much too often withheld from the female population.

Who Will Light the Incense When Mother’s Gone? & On Going Home

When reading non-fiction we have to think critically about what the writer is trying to convey in their piece. We look at formalist criticism and historical criticism, to see if there is anything that belong in either of those two categories. Writers also can also use different strategies in order to convey their thesis or themes. The non-fiction works that I have chosen are â€Å"Who Will Light the Incense When Mother’s Gone? † by Andrew Lam and â€Å"On Going Home† by Joan Didion. I will discuss their theme and how Lam and Didion conveyed that theme into their work and for what purpose and to whom it was for.I will also discuss why it is considered a piece of non-fiction and how imagination plays a part in the selected stories. Who Will Light the Incense when Mothers’ Gone? By Andrew Lam Summary The theme that comes out in the short story by Andrew Lam is â€Å"tradition. † Lam conveys this theme when his mother asks who will light the incense. In Vietnam, which is Lam’s homeland, he remembers lighting incense but since fleeing to America is has become a distant dream and he no longer knows who to pray to and for what purpose.â€Å"Having fled so far from Vietnam, I no longer know to whom I should address my prayers or what promises I could possibly make to the long departed. † (p. 1115). It is a tradition that his mother has kept since moving to the America’s and it is a tradition that could be lost once she is no longer on this earth. But Lam realizes that his mother and he live in two different worlds. His mother still believes in praying to the ancestors every morning, while Lam is too busy living an American life. Strategy Purpose & Audience Lam conveys this theme by his memories of what it was like growing up with his mother in America.She kept her children’s degrees, trophies from sporting events, just as any loving proud mother would do. But above that shelf, she had her incense that she l it every morning, religiously. â€Å"†¦she climbs a chair and piously lights a few joss sticks for the ancestral altar that sits on top of the living room bookcase. † (p. 1115). The purpose of this story that I believe Lam is trying to express is the feeling he felt when he heard that no one will light the incense when his mother is gone. This is a feeling that any immigrant child can be able relate to; disappointment.His mother wishes for one of her children to follow the tradition of praying to the ancestors but she knows that it will be too much to ask. â€Å"And when, upon my mother’s insistence, I light incense, I do not feel as if I am participating in a living tradition so much as pleasing a traditional mother. † (p. 1116). Lam expresses that he feels he does not belong is lighting the incense because it is such a Vietnamese tradition and he has adopted the American ways. Non-Fiction This piece is described as non-fiction because this is a recount of a day in his life, and how he felt about that day.He first starts off by describing his mother’s birthday. â€Å"My mother turned seventy recently, and though she remains a vivacious woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 1115). He then goes in detail about the conversation that went on between his mother and his aunt. His mother asks who will be able to light the incense when she is gone, his aunt then reply’s that she does not know because none of her children will do it and to forget even thinking that the grandchildren will do it. (p. 1115) Imagination Imagination is required in reading this story. I say this because, as the reader you have to put yourself in the narrators place.Unless you are a child of an immigrant, you need to try to understand what he or she is going though in this story. Lam feels disappointment in himself because he could light the incense but would not feel right in doing so because he has not practiced doing so in such a long time. If you were to imagin e yourself as an immigrant child who does not follow the traditions from your homeland anymore, you would not feel comfortable in doing the traditions as well. â€Å"I wish I could assure my mother that, after she is gone, each morning I would light incense for her and all the ancestor spirits before her, but I can’t.† (p. 1116)On Going Home by Joan Didion Summary In Joan Didion’s â€Å"On Going Home† the reoccurring theme is â€Å"home. † The narrator is home for her daughter’s first birthday and the feelings of being home again are overwhelming â€Å"And yet some nameless anxiety colored the emotional charges between me and he place that I came from. † (p. 636). Didion is explaining that the term home, now has a different meaning to the younger generation. She explains how she feels about being home and what she wishes for her young daughter. She exclaims how she cannot give the life or feeling of â€Å"home† to her daughter, like she had.â€Å"†¦would like to give her home for her birthday, but we life differently now and I can promise her nothing like that. † (p. 637) Strategy Purpose & Audience Didion is trying to convey the feeling of being home again. Even though Didion is getting into her thirties, married, with a child and with a home of her own, being at the place she grew up brings unexpected feelings. â€Å"†¦and yet I was almost thirty years old before I could talk to my family on the telephone without crying after I had hung up. † (p. 636) During the time that Didion left home, the idea that you were never able to come home again weighted heavy on your mind.The purpose of this story could be to see if anyone still felt the same way about being home, like she did. Anyone who has left home, and wished to come back could relate to this story, or someone who is close to their family. Non-Fiction This story is a form of non-fiction. Didion is retelling the time she went ho me to her parents’ house for her daughters first birthday. She talks about the conversations that she and her family has about people she once knew. â€Å"†¦and we appear to talk exclusively about people we know who have been committed to mental hospitals, about people we know who have been booked on drunk-driving charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.636)Another bit about this story being non-fiction is how her family and herself talk to one another. She says that they do not â€Å"demand† anything from her, and that they do not fight, and there is nothing particularly wrong. She also speaks about visiting her aunts. These are all events that Didion went through while visiting her family for her daughter’s birthday. Imagination In this short story, you do need to have a sense of imagination. You need to place yourself in the shoes of Joan Didion while visiting her parents’ house, about being around the objects that are now so precious to you.She brings on emoti ons that only a child who has left home, or a person who is thinking about leaving home can feel. The emotions of getting into a routine again, having conversations about people around town that you used to know, and being around family that you have not seen in a while. Having to imagine this can provoke the same nameless emotions that Didion expressed. Conclusion Both themes for each stories revolve around family. Having a tradition that means a lot to a family member or being able to come home for a visit. Everything leads up to being around family, who love and support you though everything.