Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay Example

Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay Example Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay The Australian tourism advertisement that was released earlier this year, complete with the tagline â€Å"So where the bloody hell are you? † was one of the most controversial government-funded ads in recent memory. The advertisement was created and funded by Tourism Australia and screened on domestic television in dozens of countries around the world. The release of the ad prompted considerable worldwide discussion: it was initially banned from British television by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre, due to the ad’s use of the word ‘bloody’ and its perceived connotation as a profanity (â€Å"Brits ban ‘bloody hell’ TV ad†). I have chosen to analyse this advertisement because it is a recent, controversial text filled with many complex images that portray what it means to be Australian. The advertisement portrays the following Australian locales: outback pub; secluded beach; ocean-side saltwater pool; kangaroo-inhabited golf course; open patio house; remote offshore tropical island; Uluru, Australia’s center; Sydney Harbour; barren desert (refer to appendix for a full description). The implied negative consequence of ignoring the advertisement is that potential tourists will be unable to visit and experience the beauty of the Australian landscape. Australia is portrayed in multiple ways by this text. As it is a tourism advertisement, its purpose is to convince foreigners to visit our country. According to the representations of Australian culture that are put forth by this text, we Australians value alcohol (primarily beer); engage in physical activity, no matter the age; frequent our many beaches; appreciate our native fauna; value family life; respect our indigenous citizens, and are generally sociable people. Each of these depictions of what Australians represent and value are tied to the process of ideology. The term ‘ideology’ is rooted in the work of Marx. He argued that the dominant ideas and viewpoints in society were that of the ruling class (â€Å"Questions of Culture and Ideology†). Althusser submits that there are two sides to ideology: one that consists of the actual living conditions of people’s lives, which is not false; and a set of meanings which misrepresent class and power within society, which is thus false. As many of the scenes and situations depicted in the focus text are irregular and stereotypical, the advertisement is ideologically constructed to depict Australian culture in a particular light. Ideology can be thought of as a sophisticated filter, through which our worldview is perceived (â€Å"Ideology†). Personal ideologies and societal ideologies may differ: whereas a society, by and large, may subscribe to ideologies of peace, democracy and justice, an individual may hold opposing viewpoints and thus, opposing ideologies. Within our focus text, Australian ideological values such as equality, respect and the importance of family are prevalent. The Australian tourism ad is one that is rife with complex imagery, whose purpose is to represent Australia. Semiotics, the study of signs, refers to the way in which particular images, text or objects can be used to create messages, which are often a part of a larger system of signs. For example, a green light is generally interpreted as a sign to ‘go’, within the larger context of a traffic light-controlled motor vehicle intersection. Once isolated and taken out of that context, the green light makes little sense. Consider an example from the text; the casual manner of the man who tells us â€Å"Bill’s on his way down to open the front gate† ironically suggests that this is a petty task, until the shot of a vehicle driving across a vast landscape conveys the message that such a seemingly simple task is, in fact, quite an ordeal. When discussing semiotics, ‘myth’ refers to a sign or series of signs that depicts one term within a system as indicative of all other terms. Furthermore, the simplification of signs known as ‘indifferentiation’– the refusal of difference (Thwaites 68) – perpetuates myths by silencing all non-dominant terms or voices. For example, within the focus text, the producers are guilty of mythic indifferentiation by suggesting that the only place that Aboriginals have within Australian culture is as an entertainment source for non-Aboriginals. Though it is unfair to write the advertisement off as largely mythic in its semiotic construction and thus not indicative of wider Australian culture, I have, for the purpose of this essay, ntertained the thought. A ‘metonym’ refers to the association between terms, either in part or whole. Thus, the scene in the bar metonymically suggests that all Australian men work hard and enjoy a cold beer – served by a woman, no less – at the end of a day’s work. The choice of an attractive young woman in a bikini to represent beach culture m etonymically invokes sex. The purpose of this sign is to physically attract foreigners to Australia through the use of a sexually attractive woman. Whether or not this specific sign is aimed at a particular sex is irrelevant: the woman in the bikini nonetheless represents happiness, health and virility. These traits are exhibited by a majority of the Australians in the ad, and are thus metonymically indicative of the rest of the Australian society. The very idea that all Australians are happy and healthy is, of course, ridiculous. For example, it is estimated that half of Australia’s population is overweight (â€Å"About Overweight and Obesity†) and approximately one in twenty Australians is currently living with depression (â€Å"Understanding Depression†). Imagine if you were a European and saw an ad on television that portrayed Australians as they are in reality: for example, if the beautiful blonde bikini girl was replaced with an overweight man with a disgusting smoker’s cough. While this may more closely mirror reality, it would be an extremely poor marketing decision. The signs that appear in this text are all carefully chosen for the purpose of appearing attractive to an overseas market. The producers’ attempt at political correctness in regard to the Aboriginal people largely misses the mark. While their native musical instruments of rhythm sticks and didgeridoo, and the spiritual icon of Uluru are well-represented and tasteful, the final scene featuring Aboriginal people dancing and the quoted line, â€Å"And we’ve been practicing for over forty thousand years† invokes a connotation that effectively reduces the entire Aboriginal people to little more than a tourist attraction, assumedly for the rich, white Europeans that the advertisement is largely aimed at. While it is highly unlikely that the producers of the text intended for this to be the denotation (or ‘preferred reading’, Thwaites 62) of the scene, the fact that it can be easily read in this manner, as derogatory toward the Aboriginal people, is demonstrative of the many different ways in which signs can be read. The Australians that speak in the advertisement use short, simple sentences to convey their messages. The language is constructed in this manner for two reasons: firstly, because it was broadcast in countries where English might not be prevalent, and thus the producers wanted to simplify the language as much as possible; in addition, they attempted to capture the manner in which an ordinary Australian speaks, which is something that they achieved well. Furthermore, the one word that caused quite a stir, â€Å"bloody†, is not even worth batting an eyelid at, as an Australian living in Australia. Tourism Australia’s Manager of Strategic Insights, Lawrence Franklin, suggests that the use of the word â€Å"tapped into real perceptions of the irreverent, self effacing nature of Australians† (â€Å"Bloody hell, does research work? †). While the word was apparently politically incorrect enough within other cultures for them to attempt to ban the advertisement, the colloquialism is so institutionalised within our society that the so-called â€Å"great Australian adjective† is well and truly a part of our vernacular, endorsed far and wide, from the average citizen right up to our Prime Minister (â€Å"Australia’s Bonzer†). The inclusion of golf as the choice of sport to portray Australian-ness is a strange one. The creators of this text clearly wished to send out a particular image of Australian sport; instead of showing scenes from a popular team sport for which Australia is well known, such as rugby league or cricket, the producers chose to show the financially exclusive sport of golf. This sign attempts to convey a message of sophistication. I suppose that golf is more of an internationally recognised sport than the other two mentioned, and the producers decided to make a safe bet on a commonly played game, rather than alienate their audience by displaying an unfamiliar sport. Tourism Australia’s â€Å"So where the bloody hell are you? † television advertisement is an undoubtedly well-produced, well-researched product that adequately represents a majority of Australia’s culture, people and values. When analysed using semiotics, ideology and ordinariness, it is exposed to be a rich text that provides many points of discussion. While it is next to impossible to coherently convey everything that it means to be an Australian within a one-minute audio-visual presentation, the ad was, overall, fair in its depiction of the Australian way of life. References and Works Consulted â€Å"About Overweight and Obesity. † Australian Government Department of Health and Aging. 30 September 2002. 1 June 2006. health. gov. au/internet/wcms/publishing. nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-hlthwt-obesity. htm â€Å"Australias bonzer. So why the bloody hell arent you guys here? † Times Online. 4 February 2006. 31 May 2006. timesonline. co. uk/article/0,,3-2055531,00. html â€Å"Bloody hell, does research work? † Australian Market Social Research Society. April 2006. 29 May 2006. mrsa. com. au/index. cfm? a=detailid=2095eid=121 â€Å"Brits ban ‘bloody hell’ TV ad. † Sydney Morning Herald Online. 9 March 2006. 30 May 2006. smh. com. au/news/national/brits-ban-bloody-hell-tv-ad/2006/03/ 09/1141701625132. html Barker, Chris. â€Å"Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. † Questions of Culture and Ideology. Ch. 3 pp. 57-87. Ideology. † Elana Starr. 31 May 2006. http://www89. homepage. villanova. edu/elana. starr/pages/ideology-cinema. htm Thwaites, Tony, Lloyd Davis and Warwick Mules. â€Å"Introducing cultural and media studies: a semiotic approach. † Interaction of Signs. Ch. 3 pp. 48-74. Altheide, David L. â€Å"Media Hegemony: A Failure of Perspective. † Public Opinion Quarterly 48. 2 (1984). â€Å"Understanding Depression. † BeyondBlue: The National Depression Initiative. 24 November 2005. 31 May 2006. beyondblue. org. au/index. aspx? link_id=7. 246tmp=FileStreamfid=263

The Harris Matrix Tool Used to Comprehend the Archaeological Past

The Harris Matrix Tool Used to Comprehend the Archaeological Past The Harris Matrix (or Harris-Winchester matrix) is a tool developed between 1969-1973 by Bermudian archaeologist Edward Cecil Harris to assist in the examination and interpretation of the stratigraphy of archaeological sites. The Harris matrix is specifically for the identification of both natural and cultural events which make up a sites history. The construction process of a Harris matrix compels the user to classify the various deposits in an archaeological site as representing events in the lifecycle of that site. A completed Harris Matrix is a schematic that clearly illustrates the history of an archaeological site, based on the archaeologists interpretation of the stratigraphy seen in the excavations. The History of an Archaeological Site All archaeological sites are palimpsests, that is to say, the end result of a series of events, including cultural events (a house was built, a storage pit was dug, a field was planted, the house was abandoned or torn down) and natural events (a flood or volcanic eruption covered the site, the house burned down, organic materials decayed). When the archaeologist walks onto a site, evidence of all those events is there in some form. The archaeologists job is to identify and record the evidence from those events  if the site and its components are to be understood. In turn, that documentation provides a guide to the context of the artifacts found at the site. Context means that artifacts recovered from the site mean something different if they are found in the construction foundations of the house rather than in the burned basement. If a potsherd was found within a foundation trench, it predates the use of the house; if it was found in the basement, perhaps only physically a few centimeters away from the foundation trench and maybe at the same level, it postdates the construction and may be in fact from after the house was abandoned. Using a Harris matrix allows you to order the chronology of a site, and to tie a particular context to a particular event. Classifying Stratigraphic Units to Context Archaeological sites are typically dug in square excavation units, and in levels, whether arbitrary (in 5 or 10 cm [2-4 inch] levels) or (if possible) natural levels, following the visible deposit lines. Information about every level that is excavated is recorded, including depth below surface and volume of soil excavated; artifacts recovered (which could include microscopic plant remains discovered in the laboratory); soil type, color and texture; and many other things as well. By identifying the contexts of a site, the archaeologist can assign Level 12 in excavation unit 36N-10E to the foundation trench, and Level 12 in excavation unit 36N-9E to the context within the basement. Harris Categories Harris recognized three types of relationships between unitsby which he meant groups of levels which share the same context: Units which have no direct stratigraphic correlationUnits which are in superpositionUnits which are correlated as parts of a once-whole deposit or feature The matrix also requires that you identify characteristics of those units: Units which are positive; that is to say, those that represent the upbuild of material to a siteNegative units; units such as pits or foundation trenches which involved the removal of soilInterfaces between those units History of the Harris Matrix Harris invented his matrix in the late 1960s and early 1970s during post-excavation analysis of site records from the 1960s excavation at Winchester, Hampshire in the UK. His first publication was in June 1979, the first edition of The Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. Originally designed for use on urban historic sites (which stratigraphy tends to be horrendously complex and jumbled), the Harris Matrix is applicable to any archaeological site and has also been used to document changes in historical architecture and rock art. Although there are some commercial software programs that assist in building a Harris matrix, Harris himself used no special tools other than a piece of plain gridded papera Microsoft Excel sheet would work just as well. Harris matrices may be compiled in the field as the archaeologist is recording the stratigraphy in her field notes, or in the laboratory, working from notes, photos, and maps. Sources Barros Garcà ­a JMB. 2004. The Use of the Harris Matrix to Document the Layers Removed during the Cleaning of Painted Surfaces. Studies in Conservation 49(4):245-258.Harris EC. 2014. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. London: Academic Press.Harris EC, Brown III MR, and Brown GJ, editors. 2014. Practices in Archaeological Stratigraphy: Elsevier.Higginbotham E. 1985. Excavation Techniques in Historical Archaeology. Australian Journal of Historical Archaeology 3:8-14.Pearce DG. 2010. The Harris Matrix technique in the construction of relative chronologies of rock paintings in South Africa. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 65(192):148-153.Russell T. 2012. No one said it would be easy. Ordering San paintings using the Harris matrix: dangerously fallacious? A reply to David Pearce. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 67(196):267-272.Traxler Ch, and Neubauer W. 2008. The Harris Matrix composer, a new tool to manage archaeological stratigraphy. In: Ioannides M, Addiso n A, Georgopoulos A, and Kalisperis L, editors. Digital Heritage, Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia:  Cyprus. p 13-20. Wheeler K. 2000. Theoretical and Methodological Considerations for Excavating Privies. Historical Archaeology 34:3-19.

Fa mmeh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fa mmeh - Essay Example The main reason for the occupation of Egypt by the British was to safeguard the Suez Canal which was a major transport route but British did not have any defined relationship with Egypt but a protectorate till the advent of the First World War. Egypt was particularly under the authority of Evelyn Barin early 19th century and later Lord Cromer. Cromer was highly opposed to local industrial development that would overthrow British textile industry but developed high level agricultural production to grow Egypt’s economy. Cromer however, also created tangible advantages to locals particularly in the education sector via restrictive policies. The political climate was also strained when Mahdi began a rebellion against Egyptian occupation in Sudan in 1881 but was overcome. British influence was marred by local resistance until calls were made by Kamil for forcible evacuation of British rule in Egypt but the World War II reversed these forces by British declaring Egypt its protectora te after the war. On the other hand, Iran did not experience rigorous colonial impact due to the stringent impact of decentralization that had been established in Iran. Besides, the colonial influence came later relative to Egypt. Iran had suffered strenuous strains between the fall of Safavid and the Qatar dynasty. Decentralization by coercion on state authority was perpetrated by the introduction of Shi‘a religion in Iran. High recognition of their religion by the Iranian society propagated the resistance against inversion. Society members with strong religious values were also vindicated into performing state functions such as legal practices. Safavid’s fall however saw the end to religious / Shi‘a functionality as a ruling group and the government assumed responsibility with both Russia and British expressing high interest. This saw the inception of the reign of Nasir al-Din Shah. His reign initially targeted military reforms by

Marketing Plan for a Mobile Application Business Plan Coursework

Marketing Plan for a Mobile Application Business Plan - Coursework Example There is extensive requirement of a holistic time management applications in the market, which Personal Time Manager would be able to fulfill. It would be able to assist people to plan out their official and personal activities (Blythe, 2009). Apart from managing the office projects, the time management apps would be also helpful in tracking progress and reminding the user, whether his/ her daily goals are met or not. A single app capable of managing, tracking and reminding every detail would be surely a unique selling proposition (USP) for the company. Moreover, this app would be able to grab the customer base of those apps which do not have multiple usages. This section would be including a comprehensive analysis of the marketing plan for Personal Time Manager. Aspects like market segment, target customers, competitors, buyers, and strategies would be also included in the domain of this marketing plan. 5.1 Marketing Segmentation Market segmentation is a part of the marketing strate gy which assists in segregating the consumers in homogeneous groups based on their needs, preferences, and other criteria. Though there are many products for which segmentation is not required because these are manufactured for the mass, but in this case the product or service is a paid time management application for Smartphone users, such as for customers using Iphone, Android based phones, Mac or iPad. Segmenting the market would assist the company to choose and identify the segment that they want to target for their product or service. However, users of mobile applications can be segregated on the basis of their age, gender, income level, as well as usage (Brassington and Pettitt, 2007). The users or customers can be segregated on the basis of their income level, need for time management, and frequency of usage. Income level is considered because generally students do not prefer to buy apps for mobile phones. They rather download freeware from internet; while professional prefer to have paid services because they find them secure, original and convenient. Further, they also extensively require time management apps to fit in every function within scheduled time. The frequency of usage in such cases is high. Even companies buy such apps for their employees, and it is used consistently in the organizations for scheduling daily operational functions (Buono, and Savall, 2007). 5.2 Competitor Analysis The market of mobile applications is extremely competitive because there is abundant availability of mobile apps. Even when there are various freeware in the market, there is a wide user base for paid time management and productivity apps. In such a scenario, Personal time Manager will face difficulty in the market (Evans, Ahmad, and Foxall, 2009). Personal Time Manager would face competitors like Microsoft OneNote, SmartTime, Microsoft CloudOn, OmniFocus, SpringPad, Wunderlist 2, Google QuickOffice Pro HD, MediaFire, Astrid tasks, Google Docs, Evernote, Remember t he Milk, Any. DO, Toggl Online Timer, TeamWeek, Spotify, Checklist Wrangler, Shopper, Remind You, Things, and many more (Mobi Thinking, 2013). Most of these applications assist the mobile users to keep track of their time, tasks, documents and online files, but none of them can claim to be

Sugar Ray Robinson Essay Example for Free

Sugar Ray Robinson Essay In the 1940s America had become a more technologically advanced country. The television had been invented, along with the world’s first computer and Americans were encouraged that ownership of this technology would make their lives better. This gave people financial problems. At this time the national debt was 43 billion dollars. Willy followed this trend by having the car, the refrigerator, the washing machine and the vacuum cleaner. Willy could not afford to buy these things out right, therefore was under pressure to make payments each month. This affected his mental state because not only did he have to provide for his family, but also had to earn extra to give his family these items that Americans were being persuaded were necessary. The American Dream is to be successful and envied without using a lot of effort. As Lorraine Hansberry says something has indeed gone wrong with at least part of the American Dream, and Willy Loman is a victim of the detour. I believe that there is a lot wrong with the American and how it is misleading many people into believing that America is the key to success. However, not all of Willys mistakes can be blamed on the American society, because Willy is able to think for himself. Also not everybody was miserable in the 1940s. This is also the era where people were successful, such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis in boxing, Gary Cooper, Betty Davis, Judy Garland and Marlon Brando in film, and, Irving Shaw and Doctor Spock in literature. Aristotle’s tragic theory is that the character in question is a great man, who dies, after: undergoing a fall, having a tragic character flaw, at some point being subjected to some recognition of his flaws and making an audience feels pity and catharsis. One point that Aristotle made was that the hero of the story had to be a great man. In this play, it is the opposite. Willy is a common man living in America, with a stereotypical job, money problems, living in a normal house with a typical American family. He hasnt done anything great for society, or even for his family. But, does the fact that he is not a great man, make the audience less impressed or moved by his downfall? This is dubious. On one hand, the audience feel less sympathetic because he is quite ignorant of what is happening, and he didn’t try to help any situations. For example when he is in the garden planting seeds, he didn’t listen to what Linda said about nothing being able to grow in the garden. Also his flaws could have made him gain less sympathy because in some cases he was to blame, for example the way that he treated Linda, telling her to shut up all the time makes him seem rude and disrespectful. By treating Linda this way, he will not gain the audiences respect, making him fail in being a tragic hero. On the other hand, the audience are able to connect with Willy. As Popkin says Willy is Everyman meaning that he is a recognisable character in a realistic world. Another point that Aristotle made was that the character had a downfall or a reversal of fortune. This is true of Willy in the play for he creates pity from the audience when he loses his job and has to tell his sons, I was fired and Im looking for a little good news to tell your mother, some audience members could also feel pity for Willy because he is losing his mind and recalling his past memories, for example whenever he speaks to Ben. Ben is both a character and a representation of the American Dream. One example of Ben’s representation of the American Dream is when Willy is playing a game of cards with Charley, Ben says â€Å"I must make a train, William. There are several properties I’m looking at in Alaska. † This shows Ben’s success by the fact that he is looking to buy property whereas the audience know that Willy has to pay debts. This is also showing a contrast between the two characters. Another point made in Aristotle’s theory is that the character must have a flaw or be flawed. Once again this is true of Millers character, Willy. In my opinion, Willys biggest flaw is how he is unfaithful to his wife, and how Biff, his son, finds out. You you gave her mamas stockings. I dont think flaws like this make an audience feel pity for the character, they could feel angry for the way he disrespected Linda, and maybe feel sympathetic for Biff who had to keep what he found out a secret. An audience would realise that he is keeping this secret when Linda talks about Willy’s attempted suicide, when Biff says, â€Å"What woman? † An audience would be able to comprehend what Biff is talking about from seeing previous flashbacks, of Willy’s. Willy also has other flaws, for example, his mental illness plays a big part throughout the play, and an audience could feel pity for him because it is not necessarily his fault that he is suffering from mind loss. Personally, I dont feel sympathetic to Willy because he is flawed. I feel that Willy has made unforgivable mistakes, such as making Happy crave attention by ignoring him, when Willy has a flashback remembering old times with his sons, Happy says,Im losing weight, you notice, Pop? But Willy doesn’t respond to him. Also he practically tells Biff that it is acceptable to steal during another flashback with Ben, Go right over to where theyre building the apartment house and get some sand. Although Willy is mentally ill, he is still conscious of what he is doing, therefore able to correct his mistakes. An additional point within Aristotle’s theory was that the character creates catharsis within an audience member. Catharsis is a relief of strong suppressed emotions, in this case through a piece of drama. Vogal agreed with this point when he said, Miller has awoken catharsis in us. I believe that this all depends on how sympathetic the audience feels towards Willy. Somebody who feels upset about how Willy had spent his life would feel this way at the end of the play. But, if somebody didnt feel sympathetic about what happened to Willy throughout the play, would not feel catharsis, and could feel as if it was his own fault that all these bad things have happened to him. An arguable point made is whether Willy has a moment of self recognition, which is another point that Aristotle made. Some people may argue that Willy does have a point of self recognition because he kills himself, thinking that the family would come into money therefore making himself realise that he had failed to support his family. Another argument would be that Willy knew because of the way Ben spoke to him. For Ben, the American Dream made him successful. But, even though he was a strong believer, the American Dream didnt do anything for Willy. Other people may say that Willy didnt have a moment of self recognition because when times were hard, for example when he came back home from his business trip. He still had to do it all over again to try and gain success. People could also say that Willy didnt kill himself to help his family, but because of his mental illness. In my opinion Willy does have a moment of self recognition, because he thinks that killing himself and getting the insurance money is the best thing for his family. I also think that it is his mental illness that stops him from realising that they wont get any money because he is committing suicide. In conclusion, I think that Willy is partially successful in being a tragic hero and evoking sympathy from an audience. I agree that what has happened to him is very upsetting, such as his death and him losing his job. However, I feel that in some cases he deserves to be punished for his terrible errors. Such as the way he treats his family. Willy is quite naive, with believing that practically wasting his money will make him successful. However, I do agree with Miller when he says (About Aristotle’s theory being out of date. ) Because a modern audience may suffer the same common tragedy as Willy does on this play.

American Intervention in WWII Essay -- World War II

World War II is generally viewed to be a moral war, or, as Howard Zinn would put it, â€Å"a good war.† This conventional impression of World War II results from American propaganda, along with misinterpretations of related events. Quite the contrary, the United States’ foreign policy, especially during World War II, was driven by imperialist goals rather than humanitarian concern. These foreign interventions are usually justified using political ideologies that advocate the spread of democracy but the United States government fails to act in the interests of the common people in other countries; instead, the US government intervened in foreign countries to protect its own needs and those of its private corporations. In addition, the United States faced competition from other countries, Japan for example, and was naturally pressured into maintaining its superiority internationally. In order to preserve its power, the American government used its ties with Europe to try and amass as much power needed. In the end, this American competition with Japan, American relationship with Europe and the civil injustices within the US prove that this war, as good as it may seem, was motivated by imperialist objectives. American intervention in World War II is generally viewed as a positive act because, as Howard Zinn described, â€Å"It was a war against an enemy of unspeakable evil. Hitler’s Germany was extending totalitarianism, racism, militarism and overt aggressive warfare†; by merely entering the war, the United States gives off an impression of compassion and interest in the welfare of other people. American reaction to Mussolini, for example, demonstrated that, on a rather superficial scale, the United States did in fact attempt to h... ...Pain of WWII Interned Japanese Americans†. BBC. 2009. Web. March 29th 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17080392. Grevin, James. â€Å"History of US Foreign Policy since World War II.† Internationalism. 2004. Web. March 30th 2012. http://en.internationalism.org /ir/113_us_policy.html N/A. â€Å"How did Participation in America’s Wars affect Black Americans?†. American Studies Today Online. 2007. Web. March 28th 2012. http://www.americansc. org.uk/Online/Woodland.htm Office of the Historian. â€Å"The Atlantic Conference and Charter, 1941†. US Department of State. Web. March 30th 2012. http://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/AtlanticConf. Steven. â€Å"World War II: A People’s War?†. Libcom. 2009. Web. March 27th 2012. http://libcom.org/history/world-war-ii-peoples-war-howard-zinn Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: Harper Collins,.2003.

Bcg Matix

Placing products in the BCG matrix results in 4 categories in a portfolio of a company: BCG STARS (high growth, high market share) – Stars are defined by having high market share in a growing market. – Stars are the leaders in the business but still need a lot of support for promotion a placement. – If market share is kept, Stars are likely to grow into cash cows. BCG QUESTION MARKS (high growth, low market share) – These products are in growing markets but have low market share. – Question marks are essentially new products where buyers have yet to discover them. – The marketing strategy is to get markets to adopt these products. Question marks have high demands and low returns due to low market share. – These products need to increase their market share quickly or they become dogs. – The best way to handle Question marks is to either invest heavily in them to gain market share or to sell them.BCG CASH COWS (low growth, high ma rket share) – Cash cows are in a position of high market share in a mature market. – If competitive advantage has been achieved, cash cows have high profit margins and generate a lot of cash flow. – Because of the low growth, promotion and placement investments are low. Investments into supporting infrastructure can improve efficiency and increase cash flow more. – Cash cows are the products that businesses strive for. BCG DOGS (low growth, low market share) – Dogs are in low growth markets and have low market share. – Dogs should be avoided and minimized. – Expensive turn-around plans usually do not help. And now, let's put all this into a picture: Main Steps of BCG Matrix * Identifying and dividing a company into SBU. * Assessing and comparing the prospects of each SBU according to two criteria : 1. SBU’S relative market share. 2. Growth rate OF SBU’S industry. Classifying the SBU’S on the basis of BCG matrix.* Developing strategic objectives for each SBU. Benefits * BCG MATRIX is simple and easy to understand. * It helps you to quickly and simply screen the opportunities open to you, and helps you think about how you can make the most of them. * It is used to identify how corporate cash resources can best be used to maximize a company’s future growth and profitable too Limitations * BCG MATRIX uses only two dimensions, Relative market share and market growth rate. * Problems of getting data on market share and market growth. High market share does not mean profits all the time. * Business with low market share can be profitable too BCG analysis Unilever MISSION STATEMENT * Unilever's mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition; hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. From sumptuous soups to sensuous soaps, our products all have one thing in common. They help you get more out of life. Brands C ooking & eating Let our culinary experts bring pleasure to your palate. Healthy living Let us make the healthy choice your easy choice. Beauty & styleWe want to help you feel good about yourself. Around the house Hints to make your household chores that little more manageable. BCG Analysis Chart for Unilever Portfolio Cash Cows Stars Products Question Marks Dog Products Decisions after Analyses BCG * Build Market Share: Make further investments (for example, to maintain Star status, or turn a Question Mark into a Star) * Hold: Maintain the status quo (do nothing) * Reduce the investment (enjoy positive cash flow and maximize profits from a Star or Cash Cow) * Get rid of the Dogs, and use the capital to invest in Stars and some Question Marks.

Official Document

Corporate clients across The Greater Toronto area are about to earn how to truly, â€Å"Impress with Empress. † The Empress Of Canada is a chartered vessel located in the Toronto Warburton, ideally suited to host up to 489 guests. The boat caters to its clients in hosting a variety of cruises that include: lunch/ dinner cruises, booze cruises, corporate gatherings, weddings, or special event cruises.However, The Empress of Canada has particularly run into difficulties at attracting the corporate clients into their business. Therefore, the current predicament is that The Empress of Canada is inefficiently able to target new and existing corporate clients into their business. Reaching and educating the corporate client on why they should choose The Empress of Canada over its competitors is essential to increasing the overall demand for their lunch/ dinner corporate cruises. Our solution is simple and effective.We will focus on Empress of Canada's bra ending position, in that it offers corporate clients a premium, formal luxury through a superior customer service experience, which serves as a key differentiator from the competing boats in the marketplace. We will then use this positioning to provide Empress with better communication strategies that will focus on boisterousness's selling n The Greater Toronto Area, and ultimately gain the attention Of corporate clients that Empress Was previously unable to capture.The main goal for our campaign is to raise awareness among the target market of the possible uses of The Empress of Canada services, and will be done through three mediums that include: print advertisements in the February and March 2015 issues of The Toronto Life magazine, direct emailing to existing customers using personalized messages to express gratitude and offer them alternative suggestions to meet their business entertaining needs, and lastly, social media improvement, particularly through Faceable, which will reinforce the large number of options corporate clients have when choosing The Empress of Canada.We anticipate that this campaign will yield a considerable expected increase in revenue, seeing upwards of a million dollars in revenue, when executed over a tenement period, given our campaign strategy. The short and longer benefits that The Empress of Canada will ex prince are substantial and will ultimately propel the business into attaining a more desirable corporate client database with significantly increased revenues. PART 1: Situational Analysis PEST Politically The Empress operates on the Toronto harbor therefore they must follow the rules and regulations of the Toronto port authority.Other outside factors that affect The Empress would be fuel costs as this is the result of political actions. These fuel costs affect the price o f operating the Empress and in other provinces the price of fuel has resulted in the hiking of fares to cover fuels costs. (BC Ferries hiking fares, 2014) Environmental Weather affect s the empress because they have seasons where they operate and ones where they have maintenance. The season for which they operate is from April to October, peak times being June to August.They still operate during September but many people don't realize this and miss out on one of the most beautiful times to be on the lake. Coloratura Social factors greatly impact Empress, as it's essentially a banquet hall and seen as a destination for social events, it has to Stay relevant for event seekers and planners. Corporate culture is becoming more important, and employee morale is becoming a significant focus to many industries. Companies are now recognizing â€Å"Departing from the customary routine of meetings and cubicle life can go a long way toward building morale. (ERP, 2014) Companies see value in investing in a company party as it is a chance for them to socialize with their peers and re cognizance personal and company wide achievements. Corporate Cruises provide a clientele with a larger budget, potential repeat customers and possibly a professional referral. They have to communicate that Empress is the destination for corporate events because Of the care and effort they put into their work, and the professional manner in which they will be ha ended. Technological The expanding digital landscape is changing how companies approach their business.More companies are looking to social media and the internet for ways to market their business. â€Å"Whether it is creating a winning online experience or enabling mobile commerce, digital marketing is a hot topic, with most companies either revamping or implementing new strategies. † (Osaka, 2014) Many consumer look to the internet to find out about companies and compare and contrast them, and this technical change should be prioritize in most business today. Competition Direct Competitor 1: Marinara Cruises Marinara has numerous fleets for different occasions and times of year.They run through the winter, m aking it possible to host holiday parties on the boat with heating. Marinara also has different menus for different times of day and events, and is also flexible for food accommodation needs. In addition, Marinara offers demodulating packages and team building picnics excursion outlines with an itinerary; the willingness, customer friendly brochure is available in PDF online. Furthermore, the company is the largest hospitality cruise operation in Canada, and also has received numerous awards and has professional associations (Torn to. Mom, 2014). These factors make Marinara a strong leader of the cruise operation sector in Toronto. However, Marinara's soft spot is its ling point Of catering to various audiences. This could work against attracting corporate customers. In particular, offering children friendly option s such as children's menu and optional goodies, as well as student discounts, may push away some clients who are looking for formal luxury and wish to avoid any risks of being associated with a younger, less mature and sophisticated company.Direct Competitor 2: Yankee Lady Yankee Lady's largest thriving point is being a warm, familiarized local company. Their two yachts are designed and constructed in Toronto by the owners, and the larger one has capacity of 300 people; it s smaller than Marinara or Empress, but large enough for corporate social events. Yankee Lady's website has a very customariness, informative â€Å"Team Building' page, which discusses values about social aspects of workplace and corporate culture. However, there are strong signs that Yankee Lady has branding issues and a lack of effective communication skills.For example, on the official website, Yankee Lady cites positive feedback from past corporate clients: BMW, Mini, Nikkei and Dolce & Cabana. This suggests Yankee dad is seeking to associate itself with premium and luxury brands, as sees website, which stresses luxuriousness of the brand as well. However, this positioning is inconsistent with some aspects of the brand. The name â€Å"Yankee Lady† itself is very casual and fails to make consumers associate the brand with weighed, premium values.Moreover, the first section shown under the â€Å"menu† tab on the website is â€Å"on a budget†, and one of the dishes is named â€Å"cheap and cheerful†; corporate would not want their employees and clients to see that and perceive the company as being cheap for choosing Yankee Lady. Unprofessional is also seen in word choices on their Faceable postings. Secondary & Indirect Competitors The secondary competition consists of other cruises operating businesses in Torso's waterfront.Any competitor in this category either: has distinct branding from Empress of Canada, Yankee Lady and Marinara, operates in a smaller scale than the three companies, or both. In addition, we have identified indirect competitors of the Empress of Canada; this category includes a variety of businesses in Toron to that offer/can be used for corporate social events (please refer to exhibit? ). With increased awareness for the importance and benefits of social aspects at workplace, many local businesses remote the use of their venues for corporate social events.The top three results of Google's search performance with the key. ;odor â€Å"corporate social events in Toronto† are of articles making â€Å"top 10† and â€Å"top 6† recommendations for organizations offering team building activities: 1) 1 0 great ideas for corporate events & afterward socials in Toronto (Ratchets d, 2014) 2) 1 0 Toronto Team Building Activities for corporate Groups (warrior, 201 1) 3) 6 Local & Affordable Team Building Activities in Toronto (Etcetera, 201 3) Recommendations vary in the level of physical activity, luxuriousness and affordability.Empress is not mentioned in either one of the three, while on the other hand, Spin, a pooping social club located in downtown Toronto, is named in each of them. The indirect competition of Empress is as significant as the secondary competition, if not more. This is because corporations' root purpose of holding such events lies within motivating/showing appreciation to their employees or clients; their choice of venue or activity is a medium that helps them achieve it most effectively, and it does not have to be a cruise boat.Comparing Key Findings on Competitors to Empress of Canada In inclusion, no competitor truly offers the bundle of luxury, the edge of the city getaway and the location convenience, tailored specifically to Corporate Canada. Empress of Canada has the strongest brand consistency, representing luxury, class and style, and its premium values are supported by the red carpet service and superior customer service experience they provide. However, Empress of Canada also has significant soft spots in terms of its online presence, which may result in losing customers to competitors.First, it is not featured on the Warbu rton official website, whereas boats of Yankee Lady and Marinara, amongst secondary competitors, are listed with pictures and website links. The Harbor-front project is funded by the municipal government, thus it is a credible information source that consumers can use for research. Secondly, Empress does not show up on the first page, when Google search is performed with the keyword â€Å"Toronto cruises†; the search results are occupied by Marinara and secondary competitors. Last and most importantly, social media activities and customer engagement is inadequate, especially compared to Marinara.Empress needs to seek or more effective communication strategies, in order to defend itself from the competition (please refer to exhibit? ). PART 2: Marketing plan Target Market The Empress of Canada will use a small segment strategy that focuses on boisterousness's selling. The target market will be businesses with over 100 employees located within the Greater Toronto Area. These co mpanies may be looking to run staff parties or staff appreciation events, or use the boat as an opportunity to meet with their clients.The focus will be on older and more refined companies which are looking for quality experiences and are more likely to act as return linens, while likely providing referrals to other organizational departments an d companies. Branding At the core of the Empress of Canada is a focus on quality of service. Both owners play a prominent role on the cruise and make it a priority to always offer superior customer service; from the booking to the boarding the experience at Empress of Canada is always top notch. This quality of experience will be the focus of the companies branding.The customer experience serves to differentiate the Empress of Canada from other competing boat cruises, especially in regards to their positioning towards corporate clients. Businesses shouldn't have to worry about their companies experience when booking with Empress of Canada, t hey need to know that they are in good hands, and that they will get the best possible experience. Our Marketing efforts will aim to position Empress of Canada as a premium, formal luxury through a superior customer service experience.All media and advertising should be focused on this new branding strategy including this new identity in any outgoing promotions. The current tagging of, â€Å"Long Live the Fun† (found via Twitter cover photo) is not reflective of this business and our desired positioning of being â€Å"the loyalty' of the harbor cruises. In order to better meet the brands positioning, while keeping the quality top of mind for prospective and current customers, the tagging that should be implemented is, â€Å"Impress with E empress†.This helps to show what the Empress does for the customer, as corporate clients will want to show off their status and make sure their own clients remain with them, they will want to impress them, standing out from their own competition. Communication Strategy The main goal for this campaign is to raise awareness among the target market about the variety cruise options available when using the Empress Canada services, which will encourage both new clients to take their first cruise as well to retain current clients.The target market for this particular campaign is corporations within the Greater Toronto Area, who will be reached through a variety of communication channels and mediums. This strategy will be supported by the use of print advertisements, direct emails, and a variety of Faceable posts print The first tactic that will be utilized in this campaign is print advertising. The goal of these print advertisements is to gain new customers that ay not have heard of Empress before or have not yet considered it for a corporate gathering.Toronto Life Magazine was chosen as the publication in which to run the advertisements, as it reaches an audience of 795,000 people within the GTAG, with an average ci rculation of 90,563 per issue. Its primary readership average age is between 2554, with an average household income Of over $100,000 (Toronto Life, 2013). The magazine is released monthly, so it has a longer shelf life than weekly magazines or dally newspapers. This is a strong benefit for Empress, as the life of the ad will remain for the duration of at least a month. Toronto Life's purpose as stated on their website is as follows: † Toronto Life and tortellini. Mom are the print and online destinations for people who want to get the most out of Toronto. Our goal is to add to their knowledge of the city, helping them enjoy its pleasures and cope with its complexity. † (Toronto Life, n. D. ). The readers of this magazine look to it as a so urge to find ideas and suggestions for quality dining, entertainment, and events, which are all well in line with the services that Empress can offer. Empress will place its ad in the â€Å"features† section with premium ligamen t in order to better reach corporate groups and to associate with other businesslike offerings.If not directly reaching corporations, the rationale behind this placement is to reach a young professional demographic that may see the ad and then suggest Empress to their manager or boss for a corporate gathering. The cost of running a 1/3 page square print advertisement in Toronto Life magazine is $6,885, with an extra cost of $690 for premium placement (please refer to exhibit 3) (Toronto Life, 2013 The intent with this campaign is to run the advertisement twice: once in February 2015 and once in March 2015.The reasoning behind this timing is because corporations usually have their budgeting for the year finalized in February, so they are then able to start allocating their resources to specific costs, events, etc. February to May is usually the time in which most boat cruises are booked for the summer months, so it is important that Empress can advertise within this time frame to enc ourage more corporations to fill the available cruise time slots. An average advertisement consultation cost is $4000 for the creation of the ad.Included in Appendix is a mockup of a potential advertising concept (Exhibit 4). This mockup was created with the branding and positioning of the campaign in mind; it emits the idea of an upscale, luxurious boat cruise that would appeal to larger corporate audiences interested in a classy and elegant experience. The ad itself includes a description of possible ways in which corporations can use the services that Empress has to offer, including themed events, staff meetings, staff parties, retirement parties, and customer appreciation parties.As stated previously, the main goal of this campaign is to create awareness and inform our target market of differentiate in which report clients can use Empress, which is what this ad is achieving. There are minor potential risks involved with this aspect of the campaign. The first is that the reach of the magazine is far broader than Empress's target market, which means that cost s would be less directly targeted towards actual potential clients. With print advertising, it is also difficult to measure actual return on investment.It is important that the ad catches the eye of the reader and does not get lost in the clutter. Lastly, with a breakable response rate of just 13 bookings, there is a very limited risk of a negative return on marketing investment. Email The second part of our communication strategy is to focus on retaining past clients and encouraging repeat purchases (please refer to exhibit 5). This will be executed through the use of an email platform, with a similar design aesthetic to the print ad campaign. The general purpose is to use a personalized message to ensure all past clients feel valued and appreciated.The email will initially act as a follow to the client's past purchase, thanking them for their business and asking to hear feedback on their experience wi th Empress. The second part of the email will stimulate future sales by suggesting new ways to SE Empress for their business entertainment needs. For example, an email to a client that once used the cruise for a company holiday party may include suggestions to host client parties on board as well. A final element oft he emails will include a link to a brief survey asking the client to provide feedback on their experience with Empress.These survey responses will create an internal data source from which Empress can draw information to better their services in the future. This tactic will use the customer's familiarity and positive association with the brand to grow sales. Rather than blindly emailing thousands of encounters off of an email list, it will prove much more efficient and profitable to focus efforts on happy past consumers. The openhanded rate will be much higher for those familiar with Empress, compared to a unconsumed who would very likely delete an email from an unfamil iar company without reading it.Targeting the email strategy to encounters and resulting in a high malediction rate could tarnish the Empress brand, as the emails could be seen as spam by potential clients. A m ajar advantage to an emailing strategy is that statistics regarding the penetrate of these emails is fully available to Empress. Conveniently displayed will be figures describing exactly how many customer s opened the email, how many deleted it without opening, and how many replied or clicked through to the company website via the email.Furthermore, targeting past clients means that the contact information to send the emails is already available. Empress will not have to purchase a costly database from a third party source. Overall, this strategy is extremely inexpensive as the majority of spending will be going toward designing the email. Furthermore, it is nearly less costly to focus on retaining past customers rather than gain new ones. This tactic is efficient, costiveness , and will have a high return rate. There are minor risks to this strategy.The first is that there is still a possibility of the emails being ignored and deleted, especially if the mail unintentionally ends up in a client's spam inbox. The possibility of this is extremely low as it is expected that all past clients would have Empress in their email address book. If this does happen, it will also be easy to track through the email metrics regarding deletion rate. Secondly, it may be seen as risk to invest in a marketing tactic that is not actually expanding the client base.This is easily justified as targeting past, satisfied clients will likely generate more future sales with lower costs than targeting n ewe customers. Social Media Our final communication strategy focuses on improving The Empress of Canada's social media presence. In this we will be specifically focusing on a Faceable platform, as this is the largest and most important social media platform and will have the largest impact. Growing a large following on such a medium can allow Empress of Canada to circulate managing and promotional material in the longhorn, at virtually no cost.

The Bet

The Bet "The Bet" By Anton Chekhov The debate among about life imprisonment virus's capital punishment has been fought long and hard. This argument takes place here in this story where two men are having a lively discussion about which is more humane, life imprisonment or capital punishment. The one who chooses life imprisonment is the lawyer. The banker is against this and chooses death. The banker is so sure that no one would lose their life to imprisonment rather then end it all quickly. The banker, so confident, makes the bet with the lawyer staking two million rubles that he couldn't sacrifice his freedom for his belief and stay confined by himself for fifteen years.The banker being so confident thinks no one would lose fifteen years of his or her life for so much money. In the beginning the banker disagrees with the people who say that the death penalty is out of date.Prisoners per 100,000 population

Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg in the Civil War

Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg in the Civil War David McM. Gregg - Early Life Career: Born April 10, 1833, in Huntingdon, PA, David McMurtrie Gregg was the third child of Matthew and Ellen Gregg.   Following his fathers death in 1845, Gregg moved with his mother to Hollidaysburg, PA.   His time there proved brief as she died two years later.   Orphaned, Gregg and his older brother, Andrew, were sent to live with their uncle, David McMurtrie III, in Huntingdon.   Under his care, Gregg entered the John A. Hall School before moving on to nearby Milnwood Academy.   In 1850, while attending the University of Lewisburg (Bucknell University), he received an appointment to West Point with the aid of  Representative Samuel Calvin.    Arriving at West Point on July 1, 1851, Gregg proved a good student and an excellent horseman.   Graduating four years later, he ranked eighth in a class of thirty-four.   While there, he developed relationships with older students, such as J.E.B. Stuart and Philip H. Sheridan, with whom he would fight and serve with during the Civil War.   Commissioned a second lieutenant, Gregg was briefly posted to Jefferson Barracks, MO before receiving orders for Fort Union, NM.   Serving with the 1st US Dragoons, he moved to California in 1856 and north to Washington Territory the following year.   Operating from Fort Vancouver, Gregg fought several engagements against the Native Americans in the area.    David McM. Gregg - The Civil War Begins: On March 21, 1861, Gregg earned a promotion to first lieutenant and orders to return east.   With the attack on Fort Sumter the following month and beginning of the Civil War, he quickly received a promotion to captain on May 14 with orders to join the 6th US Cavalry in Washington DCs defenses.   Shortly thereafter, Gregg fell gravely ill with typhoid and nearly died when his hospital burned.   Recovering, he took command of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry on January 24, 1862 with the rank of colonel.   This move was facilitated by the fact that Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtain was Greggs cousin.   Later that spring, the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry shifted south to the Peninsula for Major General George B. McClellans campaign against Richmond. David McM. Gregg - Climbing the Ranks: Serving in Brigadier General Erasmus D. Keyes IV Corps, Gregg and his men saw service during the advance up the Peninsula and ably screened the armys movements during the Seven Days Battles that June and July.   With the failure of McClellans campaign, Greggs regiment and the rest of the Army of the Potomac returned north.   That September, Gregg was present for the Battle of Antietam but saw little fighting.   Following the battle, he took leave and traveled to Pennsylvania to marry Ellen F. Sheaff on October 6.   Returning to his regiment after a brief honeymoon in New York City, he received a promotion to brigadier general on November 29.   With this came command of a brigade in Brigadier General Alfred Pleasontons division. Present at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, Gregg assumed command of a cavalry brigade in Major General William F. Smiths VI Corps when Brigadier General George D. Bayard was mortally wounded.   With the Union defeat,  Major General Joseph Hooker assumed command in early 1863 and reorganized the Army of the Potomacs cavalry forces into a single Cavalry Corps led by Major General George Stoneman.   Within this new structure, Gregg was selected to lead the 3rd Division consisting of brigades headed by Colonels Judson Kilpatrick and Percy Wyndham.   That May, as Hooker led the army against General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stoneman received orders to take his corps on a raid deep into the enemys rear.   Though Greggs division and the others inflicted substantial damage on Confederate property, the effort had little strategic value.   Due to its perceived failure, Stoneman was replaced by Pleasonton. David McM. Gregg - Brandy Station Gettysburg: Having been beaten at Chancellorsville, Hooker sought to gather intelligence on Lees intentions.   Finding that Major General J.E.B. Stuarts Confederate cavalry had concentrated near Brandy Station, he directed Pleasonton to attack and disperse the enemy.   To accomplish this, Pleasonton conceived a daring operation which called for dividing his command into two wings. The right wing, led by Brigadier General John Buford, was to cross the Rappahannock at Beverlys Ford and drive south toward Brandy Station. The left wing, commanded by Gregg, was to cross to the east at Kellys Ford and strike from the east and south to catch the Confederates in a double envelopment.   Taking the enemy by surprise, the Union troopers succeeded in driving the Confederates back on June 9.   Late in the day, Greggs men made several attempts to take Fleetwood Hill, but were unable to compel the Confederates to retreat.   Though Pleasonton withdrew at sunset leaving the field in Stuarts hands, the Battle of Brandy Station greatly improved the Union cavalrys confidence. As Lee moved north towards Pennsylvania in June, Greggs division pursued and fought inconclusive engagements with Confederate cavalry at Aldie (June 17), Middleburg (June 17-19), and Upperville (June 21).   On July 1, his compatriot Buford opened the Battle of Gettysburg.   Pressing north, Greggs division arrived around midday on July 2 and was tasked with protecting the Union right flank by new army commander Major General George G. Meade.   The next day, Gregg repulsed Stuarts cavalry in a  back-and-forth battle east of town.   In the fighting, Greggs men were aided by Brigadier General George A. Custers brigade.   Following the Union triumph at Gettysburg, Greggs division pursued the enemy and harried their retreat south. David McM. Gregg - Virginia: That fall, Gregg operated with the Army of the Potomac as Meade conducted his abortive Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns.   In the course of these efforts, his division fought at  Rapidan Station (September 14), Beverly Ford (October 12), Auburn (October 14), and New Hope Church (November 27).   In the spring of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Major General Ulysses S. Grant to lieutenant general and made him general-in-chief of all Union armies.   Coming east, Grant worked with Meade to reorganize the Army of the Potomac.   This saw Pleasonton removed and replaced with Sheridan who had built a strong reputation as an infantry division commander in the west.   This action rankled Gregg who was the corps senior division commander and an experienced cavalryman. That May, Greggs division screened the army during the opening actions of the Overland Campaign at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House.   Unhappy with his corps role in the campaign, Sheridan obtained permission from Grant to mount a large-scale raid south on May 9.   Encountering the enemy two days later, Sheridan won a victory at the Battle of Yellow Tavern.   In the fighting, Stuart was killed.   Continuing south with Sheridan, Gregg and his men reached the Richmond defenses before turning east and uniting with Major General Benjamin Butlers Army of the James.   Resting and refitting, the Union cavalry then returned north to reunite with Grant and Meade.   On May 28, Greggs division engaged Major General Wade Hamptons cavalry at the Battle of Haws Shop and won a minor victory after heavy fighting.   David McM. Gregg - Final Campaigns: Again riding out with Sheridan the following month, Gregg saw action during the Union defeat at the Battle of Trevilian Station on June 11-12.   As Sheridans men retreated back towards the Army of the Potomac, Gregg commanded a successful rearguard action at St. Marys Church on June 24.   Rejoining the army, he moved over the James River and aided in operations during the opening weeks of the Battle of Petersburg.   In August, after Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early advanced down the Shenandoah Valley and threatened Washington, DC, Sheridan was ordered by Grant to command the newly-formed Army of the Shenandoah.   Taking part of the Cavalry Corps to join this formation, Sheridan left Gregg in command of those cavalry forces remaining with Grant.   As part of this transition, Gregg received a brevet promotion to major general.   Shortly after Sheridans departure, Gregg saw action during the Second Battle of Deep Bottom on August 14-20.   A few days later, he was involved in the Union defeat at the Second Battle of Reams Station.   That fall, Greggs cavalry worked to screen Union movements as Grant sought to extend his siege lines south and east from Petersburg.   In late September, he took part in the Battle of Peebles Farm and in late October played a key role in the Battle of Boydton Plank Road.   Following the latter action, both armies settled into winter quarters and large-scale fighting subsided.   On January 25, 1865, with Sheridan set to return from the Shenandoah, Gregg abruptly submitted his letter of resignation to the US Army citing an imperative demand for my continued presence at home. David McM. Gregg - Later Life: This was accepted in early February and Gregg departed for Reading, PA.   Greggs reasons for resigning were questioned with some speculating that he did not wish to serve under Sheridan.   Missing the wars final campaigns, Gregg was involved in business activities in Pennsylvania and operated a farm in Delaware.   Unhappy in civilian life, he applied for reinstatement in 1868, but lost out when his desired cavalry command went to his cousin, John I. Gregg.   In 1874, Gregg received an appointment as US Consul in Prague, Austria-Hungary from President Grant.   Departing, his time abroad proved brief as his wife suffered from homesickness.   Returning later that year, Gregg advocated for making Valley Forge a national shrine and in 1891 was elected Auditor General of Pennsylvania.   Serving one term, he remained active in civic affairs until his death on August 7, 1916.   Greggs remains were buried in Readings Charles Evans Cemetery.      Ã‚   Selected Sources Civil War Trust: David McM. GreggSmithsonian: David McM. GreggOhio Civil War: David McM. Gregg

The Importance of effective political communications and how to build Essay

The Importance of effective political communications and how to build and managed country reputation through effective political communications - Essay Example nd if the communication process is to be effective then the needs of the citizens to communicate on various issues in order to have them addressed must be fulfilled. This requires then a level of professionalism from both the political organisations and the journalist – the two institutions which are critical to the political communication system. McNamara (2010) definition of effective is worth mentioning here – ‘reaching the citizenry in such a way as to impact their views in a positive way.’ Numerous communication theories have been put forward in order to analyse communication in the political sphere. Grunig and Hunt (1984) has put forward four models of PR, three of which emphasise one way communication and a two-way symmetrical model which is the ideal situation for a democracy and thus for effective political communication,. This model employs communication for the purpose of negotiating with publics, resolving conflicts, and for the promotion of mutual understanding and respect between the organisation and its publics. Present day political communication seems to be lacking to a great extent in this regard. This paper looks at the work of a number of writers/researchers who have done work in the area of political communication. Each of them has put forward their theory on political communication. The ones which are of interest are introduced and critiqued separately. The paper also provides a comparative analysis of their work. Blumler and Gurevitch (1995) in their book ‘The Crisis of Public Communication’ looks at the issues affecting effective political communication. Blumler and Gurevitch (1995) attribute this crisis to four sources: the drive by the two political communication institutions – politicians and journalists, to understand the strategies used by each other in order to make adjustments in response to each others actions; and Blumler and Gurevitch (1995) link the communicators and the audience in a network of expectations