E-marketing Communications Plan for IBB Assignment

E-marketing Communications Plan for IBB - Assignment Example Hence, if we work through this new channel, it can make our work far faster and better than it used to be. Many Companies have moved away from big advertising expenditures that used to be a huge part of their marketing programs and have instead poured money into less expensive PR/Social Media programs. This digital media enabled the long-term partnership with consumers and also provided cost-effective solutions. Companies switching to new media are the latest trend and respond to the need of the market since most consumers prefer online channels these days. Indeed, online media are gaining popularity and consumers easily trust them. Today, content is created, consumed, commented on, collaborated over and circulated at an ever-accelerating pace through the social media, search engines, and digital content. Companies have to move quickly to identify, learn from and engage in conversations that are related to their brands. They need to communicate using channels preferred by an increasi ngly selective audience. So, it has been decided to launch a full flash digital marketing campaign using different mediums. I will closely work with digital marketing agencies to ensure media relations campaigns dovetail with blogger relations and other social media PR strategies, as well as wider marketing and communications initiatives. We work â€Å"with our clients to identify and track the most influential and relevant industry analysts and work out strategies for engaging with them. â€Å" (http://triercompany.com/services/analyst-relations/) For a new website launch, we will work for reputation management strategies, as well as communications services that meet our goals and objectives. We will take the time to understand our unique culture and challenges, which will help us come up with marketing strategies that will give us ultimate success. We will get the services of those agencies which specialize in helping clients build corporate visibility through high-profile media relations. We will also engage several crisis management experts, experienced in handling communications around a wide range of issues. During a campaign, the nationwide network of highly experienced social media mavens will target both consumers and influences. The services that we will explore include research, a brand category identification, message composition, ID maintenance, campaign development, execution and reporting. Methodology Since the world economy is influenced by globalization processes, the total business environment has dramatically changed of late. Competition is no more limited to a single market place, it has also expanded internationally. The technological advancement today creates competitive advantages in every industry and sector. Importantly, digital marketing is on boom and many businesses are shifting their budget to this new form of marketing. Before working on any report, it is vitally important to do a research. In particular, researchers have to ens ure they understand the topic right, and then they need to gather data and craft it in a fine report, which should be understandable in the context of its target market. In other words, researchers carry out a research and transform the facts that they have obtained in a sequence, so that readers can easily understand the idea and the situation described in the report.  

Individual Project and Presentation (3,000 words 50%) A student Essay

Individual Project and Presentation (3,000 words 50%) A student negotiated project and structure interview on a specialism of t - Essay Example It is the contemporary reality that ICTs or Information Communication Technologies have entered all spheres of our life. As a teacher of ICT, the practitioner finds himself using it more and more every day. In the context of formal education, ICT is recommended to be used by children from their earliest years. Siraj-Blatchford & Siraj-Blatchford (2000) position that since the early age children ought to be finding out as well as identifying the uses of ICT in everyday life. Computers along with programming toys are recommended for use to support learning. Use of play will provide a well-structured foundation for the later use of applications. In other words, the priority of modern education is to integrate ICT across the curriculum. The term ICT is used in modern education when one speaks about digital literacy. While the first associations with this term are the Internet, mobile phones, computers, Facebook, television, games, and Twitter, in education a few scholarly definitions are used. Specifically, Hague (2010), who says that ‘digital literacy’ is a confusing term, provides the following definition: digital literacy constitutes â€Å"critical and creative and cultural practices that allow one to understand and share the meaning and knowledge in different modes and formats through various forms of engagement with technology and media† (Hague 2010, 6). ... Indeed, Eshet-Alkalai (2002) says that the term’s indistinct use leads to ambiguity as well as misunderstanding, low-quality communication, and development of misconceptions. It is noted that a certain inconsistency exists between the supporters of the view that digital literacy is majorly about technical skills and those who support the view that digital literacy is about focus on both cognitive and socio-emotional aspects of functioning in an extensively digital environment. Hence, one of the research questions in this paper is â€Å"Is digital literacy more than just using a computer?† Two other questions are: â€Å"Is digital literacy covered in enough depth in the setting?† and â€Å"Should digital literacy lessons be taught earlier?† First of all, let us critically analyse views on the problem of the nature of digital literacy and its major components in available academic sources. The very concept of digital literacy, the term that is widely used to day, was introduced by Gilster (1997) back in 1997. Gilster (ibid) provided a generic explanation of digital literacy rather than a list of competencies and skills that defined digital literacy. In his view, digital literacy is simply an ability to comprehend and utilize information from a range of various sources, i.e. a sort of literacy typical for the digital age. Needless to say, the definition was quite broad, but it evidently opened the door to interpretations by different authors. While the term had been used before, it was Gilster (1997) and then Eshet (2002) that contemplated digital literacy as a broader concept. Specifically, Gilster (1997) explicitly observes that digital literacy is all about mastering ideas rather than

What are the limits and possibilities of critique in the context of Essay

What are the limits and possibilities of critique in the context of postmodern thought and culture - Essay Example Human culture and its eventual adoption the postmodernism in rejection of the modernism is highly recognizable in variant extents of life. Critiquing of the respective visual arts facilitates the improvement of the cultures and expounding of differing section of their application2. On the other hand, postmodernism entails the social inclined art aimed at capturing of the aesthetic, morally upright nurturing and advancement of the society as an envisaged section of the historical long civilization3. Post modernism is recurrently invoked when the artists sculpture their expertise through practicing of relevant options in their respective fields. Post modernism offers outstanding approach in enabling of criticism of art, thus questions the conspicuous values and comprehensible institutions for modernity4. The start of postmodern activities dates back to before 1960’s as active politicization intensified the liberalization and freedom process of other various sectors due to the fe lt inability of the modernism to capture and solve the existent humanitarian problems. From then onwards the main inherent components of modernism had been rationality, individualism, objectivity, truth; and were hence replaced by postmodernism features of the western contemporary and global society. From the video, ‘Is Bad art for bad people?’ the looks by Jake Chapman on astonishing and perturbing images of the alleged epitome of the postmodern traits is very much disturbing5. An audience notes that, post modernism conveys on a lot of contents of modernism thus rejecting the spirituality and the base backings of the benefits of arts. The documentary has no deeply placed meaning but extends on beyond the modern art by amplifying its ability to avail insight6. The documentary exhibits how the post modernism thought attempts to snub the apparent autonomy from the arts. From the documentary, the documentary featuring Terry Richardson, he feels that while other dislikes hi s works, he admires them a lot. He proceed on saying that, â€Å"good†¦ you are obviously effecting them†¦I want people to walk away and think about them... for them to be haunted.† Postmodern thought relates to postmodernism which refers to a an interlinked frame of ideas that assumed a recognition as a structured academic discipline in 1980s. The definition of the postmodernism is quite an obstacle due to variant avenues it receives its application in the society. This includes the art, music, literature, fashions, communications, sociology and technology7. Effectively, the intrinsic path of assuming triumphant path in attempts to acquire the approved meaning for the post modern thought is through acknowledging that post modernism is a model of motion or change towards modernism an hence it’s the essential center from which postmodernism assumes its initialization. The initial facet of this model of thinking is aesthetic motion vastly labeled as modernism. The boundaries of critiquing the post modernism highly underlies on the assumptions of the scientific objectives, the endeavors in explanation of the contemporary realities8. As for arts, the reality is in mankind is not mirrored from the general comprehension of it;

Analyzing a Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing a Pricing Strategy - Essay Example The company chosen here for the pricing strategy analysis is â€Å"Givenchy† which is a world renowned firm for perfumes and luxury goods. This company has maintained its market value and product quality since years and their pricing strategy is well balanced with their customer demand and need. The customers are the life of any business and their needs and demands are evaluated by studying the market segmentation and their value attribution. The Company’s pricing strategy is entirely formulated with the aim of delivering highly qualitative products which can be identified as the status symbol of wealthy people. The company has different product line as perfumes, clothes, jewellery and other fashion accessories. The company has a phenomenal product value among the world wide consumers and for the very same reason it does not compromise much on its pricing. This is because the price of the product is which conveys the consumers about the value and quality of the product. Market segment is a sub set of consumer market, which caters to the profitability of a firm. A company creates value for a market segment by adding advantages and benefits to their products in accordance with customer tastes. Givenchy is an international firm which manufactures branded goods and luxury items and hence its customers are mainly aristocrats and wealthy population. Here the value for products is given by attributing quality and uniqueness to product they sell. This is because the wealthy consumers look primarily for a product which is of outstanding quality with extra – ordinary features. Givenchy being a renowned luxury brand creates value for their product in the international market by establishing their brand image, quality consistency and status symbol quotient. In order to create product value in their market segment, the company makes use of various endorsements, promotional offers, discounts and advertisement campaigns. The endorsement of Givenchy products are done by international celebrities who are considered as fashion icons and divas. This ensures the consumers that the Givenchy product lines are highly in vogue and have the characteristics of unique designer wear. Moreover, advertisement is considered as the potential means of creating brand image and value among market segments. Givenchy employs top rated models for their products launch and as their brand ambassadors. This delivers the consumers a message that the pr oduct is of exquisite standard and flamboyance. Additionally, the sophisticated company website and services offered, re-instates their product value and brand image among its consumers worldwide. 2. Does the company use different price offerings for different market segments? Describe these and evaluate how effective they are. A. â€Å"Givenchy† being an international brand has well planned strategies to absorb effectively into the global market. The pricing strategy of a company is based on a market research performed by the company in different market segments. A company keeps in mind, the demand for a particular product, competitor’s price, purchasing power of the customers and the good will of the product to formulate a viable pricing strategy for their products. Even though, Givenchy has wide market segments around the globe, there price offerings are

Mother Tongue Essay Example for Free

Mother Tongue Essay Today we live in a society that is often called a salad bowl. It is called a salad bowl because it consists of various different people from various different backgrounds. We all live together in a society, but we still retain our own distinct flavors which helps to contribute to the richness and diversity of society. Unfortunately, today we also live in a society in which some of these groups are marginalized and looked down upon by others. Hence, often times as individuals we feel the need to compromise the way in which we communicate our ideas so that we can appeal to the views of the majority. Two authors explore how their attempt to compromise almost caused them to become detached from their roots. In Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, Tan talks about growing up as a young child in America and learning the English language. She speaks about growing up as a writer and her mothers imperfect diction which had a major influence on her. On the other hand, In her essay, Censoring Myself, Betty Shamieh talks about being an American playwright and having to censor herself because of how her work was viewed. Both authors explore the influence that their background had on their ability to express themselves. As individuals we should not be afraid to express ourselves because of our differences, rather we should use our differences and show how our distinctions make us very unique. Firstly, In Mother Tongue, Tan talks about how her mothers limited English diction skewered her perception of her mother. Tan mentions how, Like others, I have described it to people as broken or fractured English (Tan 273). This shows how Tan viewed her mothers English speaking abilities. She describes it as if her mother spoke damaged English, which needed to be mended or repaired. For Tan it was imperative that she spoke proper English and used proper diction, thus she was ashamed of her mothers English. Tan fell under the impression that her mothers English speaking abilities reflected the quality of what she had to say. Since her mother expressed her words in an imperfect manner, tan believed that her thoughts were also imperfect (Tan 274). Her perception was also supported by how people in society responded to her mother. Tan states that people in  department stores, banks, and restaurants would not take her mother seriously. They would provide her bad service, pretend not to understand her, or act as if they were mute (Tan 274). This further contributed to Tans feeling of embarrassment and shame towards her mother. Tan also describes an incident in which her mother went to the hospital and was told that the hospital had misplaced her CAT scan. The hospital did not show any remorse for losing the scan, nor did they assure her that they would locate it, that is until her mother had Tan speak to the hospital (Tan 275). As a reader this shows us how language is perceived and the role that it plays in the lives of individuals. For Tan it was imperative that she was able to blend in and be like others, so that she wouldnt be ridiculed. Luckily, she was able to realize the positive influence that her mothers diction bought her. Furthermore, Tans mother teaches her to think in a different manner than the other children in her school. Tan states that her developing language skills were influenced by her family and in this case her mother, hence it affected her results on achievement tests. Since her mother taught her to think differently she was unable to perform as well in English as she did in math and science. Later Tan realizes the value of this different systematic way of thinking and it contributes to her rebellious nature towards her teachers who suggested shed be much better in engineering, accounting, or anything else than English, since she was of Asian descent. She decided to challenge this stereotype, and thanks to her mother became a writer, who didnt write using challenging diction that required a lot of thought, but rather diction that could be read and understood by audiences such as her mother. This is the reason she starts writing about her mother: â€Å"I wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal: her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech, and the nature of her thoughts† (Tan 277). She acknowledged the richness that her mothers heritage provided her and then she decided her first reader and critic should be her mother. Overall this taught Tan that she didnt need to compromise to the high caliber and complexity of the English language, but rather she could express her thoughts in a simplistic, yet effective way which could be understood by everyone. In her essay, Censoring Myself, Betty Shamieh talks about being an American playwright and having to censor herself because of how her work was viewed by others. She states: I have been censored in many ways. But I think the most overt example of censorship I have yet faced is my experience with a project called the Brave New World Festival (Shamieh 294). For the Festival she wrote a monologue about being the sister of a suicide bomber in mourning because she was unable to prevent his vicious act of terrorism. Her approach towards writing this play was to promote anti-terrorism, but due to the harsh tragedy of 9/11 she felt that there would be some potential backlash. When she was asked to perform her monologue at the Brave New World Festival, she was very skeptical of being criticized, thus she asked a famous actress named Marisa Tomei to act in the play (Shamieh 295). Post 9/11, president Bush let it be known on national television that he thinks citizens better watch what they say (Shamieh 294). This shows the amount of tolerance that was granted towards individual expression post 9/11, where anything that was said could be viewed in light of terrorism. As an Arab American Shamieh acknowledged that her work would be a source of criticism, but she felt the need to express her view and in doing so had to compromise so that she could get her play preformed. Moreover, Shamiehs play was ridiculed for its content, so being afraid of losing her spot in the festival she produced another piece that could be preformed. This shows the censorship she faced with her work and her need to compromise her writing so that it would appeal to the majority. Shamieh states that: Arab American artist are largely faceless in this country and I felt that, by dropping out, I would be helping those who are trying to keep it that way (Shamieh 295). This portrays Shamiehs want to express her views and to represent the Arab community, whos voices were neglected. Essentially she was trying to give a voice to the voice less. She later presents a story about an Arab-American girl who ends up on a hijacked plane and talks the hijackers out of their plans. Once again her intent was to promote anti-racism, but in a humorous way, yet her new play was not only censored, but this time completely taken out of the festival. This shows the ability individuals had in being ab le to express their ideas. Being an  Arab American, Shamieh had the right to express her views, yet despite this, her work was viewed under a wrong light and taken out of the play. This taught Shamieh that as individuals we will often face censorship for many reasons, whether it may because of our race, ethnicity, gender, sex, etc. For Shamieh, this experience taught her to write about the things she cared about, the things that represented who she was. She acknowledged that she was censoring herself by not producing a play about the Palestinian experience, which was a huge part of who she was (Shamieh 296). As individuals we will often face criticism from others, but the important thing is to express our voices so that we can communicate our ideas and portray ourselves under a proper light. Hence, often times as individuals we feel the need to compromise the way in which we communicate our ideas so that we can appeal to the views of the majority. Authors Betty Shamieh and Amy Tan were both subjected to trying appeal to others. They both explore how they found themselves and attempt to tell readers to express their individuality. As American citizens, majority of us come from different backgrounds which gives us a broader perspective. We should try not to forget our roots and neither should we become entrenched in trying to appeal to others who see us under a different light. We as individual bring about diversity and cultural richness to America, hence we should not be afraid to communicate our ideas in a manner that represents who we are. When we constantly feel the need to compromise we often lose our identities and our own unique individuality. We are discrete individuals and we should utilize our differences, rather than trying to hide or forget them. If we do not s tand up and express our perspectives then others will express them for us. So, thus we need to communicate our ideas in an effective manner, while still retaining our original flavors in the salad bowl. Works Cited 1) Neweib, Janice. Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. The Mercury Reader: A Custom Publication. New York: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011. 271-277. Print. 2) Silverman, Jonathan, and Dean Rader. Censoring Myself by Betty Shamieh. The World Is a Text: Writing, Reading, and Thinking about Visual and Popular Culture. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2011. 294-296. Print.

Tradition and the Individual Talent Analysis

Tradition and the Individual Talent Analysis Tradition and the Individual Talent was originally published across two instalments of the Egoist in 1919 and later, in 1920, became part of T.S. Eliots full length book of essays on poetry and criticism, The Sacred Wood. Literary modernism is visible throughout the essay in the self-consciousness Eliot writes of with regards to writing poetry. The Waste Land, like much literature of the modernist era breaks away from traditional ways of writing and uses Eliots own understanding of tradition, literary allusion, in a unique way. This essay will be focusing on the arguments made by Eliot, with regards to literary tradition, in Tradition and the Individual Talent and how The Waste Land relates to those arguments. Eliot begins Tradition and the Individual Talent by arguing it is the poets treatment of their position within the historic context of literature that demonstrates talent. The essay asserts that the poet should use their knowledge of the writers of the past to influence their work. He states that we shall often find that not only the best, but the most individual part of his work may be those in which the dead poets, his ancestors, assert their immortality most vigorously. Eliot explains that to write with tradition in mind does not mean imitating, as this would lead to repetition and novelty is better than repetition. He defines tradition as something only to be gained by the labour of knowing literature of the past and by being critically aware of what techniques and content is of value. The poet should be aware of the simultaneous order of literary tradition, dating back to the classics. Tradition is the accumulated wisdom and experience of literature through the ages and is, according to Eliot, essential for great achievements within poetry. Eliot argues that no writer or piece of literature has value or significance when isolated from the literary cannon. In order to judge a work of art or literature it must be compared to works of the past. He believes that tradition is constantly changing due to adding new work to the literary cannon. He suggests that the author should conform to literary tradition and be informed by the past, but that by doing so the work of the author modifies the work they have been informed by. It is important for the poet to be aware of their own position within the present but also their relevance in relation to literature of the past. The modern author adds meaning to the traditional text by incorporating its influence into their work. Eliot acknowledges that the new work of art, when original, modifies the literary tradition in a small way. The relationship between past and present is not one-way, the present can alter the past, just as the past informs the present. Eliot then acknowledges that knowledge of the past as a whole would be impossible. In order to gain a good sense of tradition one must critically examine the past, focusing on works of art that are considered to be of high value. He explains that the definition of a sense of tradition is to be critically aware of trends and techniques which became typical of a particular age, movement or even author, and to have the ability to recognise deviation from this. An author with a good sense of tradition should also be aware that the main literary trends do not come, solely, from the most recognised poets, but they must be aware of trends set by poets of lesser recognition. Although the work of present poets is compared and contrasted to poets of the past, it does not determine whether the work of the present is better than the work of the past. Standards and principles are recognised to have changed. The comparison is made in order to analyse the new work, creating a deeper understanding of the text. It is only through this comparison the traditional and the individual elements can be determined. Eliot claims that art never improves. He argues that, despite changes in thinking, great writers such as Shakespeare and Homer remain relevant. He recognises that artists work with different materials and their art is a product of different eras, therefore it would be impossible to measure a qualitative improvement in any school of art. Eliot is aware that questions will be asked about the great level of knowledge that would be required of any one poet in order to meet his understanding of tradition. The essay will be criticised on the basis that there are great poets who did not have the level of education that Eliot is claiming is required. Eliot goes on to argue that it should be the duty of every poet to build their knowledge of the past for the duration of their career. He believes that it is knowledge of tradition that encourages and strengthens the poets ability to write great work. Eliot recognises that, at the start of a poets career, individuality will assert itself, but he notes that it is the sign of an immature poet and that as they continue to write one should lose the sense of the poets personality within the work they create. The poet should become objective with maturity. This therefore makes it irrelevant who wrote the poem under analysis, the relevance lies in the poems delivery of literary tradition. Eliot notes the necessity of the poet experiencing new situations and emotions without any changes being visible in their poetic voice. He states the more perfect the artist, the more completely separate in him will be the man who suffers and the mind which creates. He notes that the personality of the poet should not be expressed in their work but should remain unchanged by external factors. Eliot expresses that poetry may be formed from singular or various feelings, emotions or a combination of the two. He argues that poetry is in fact the organisation of emotions and feelings rather than inspiration. He believes that the quality of the poetry is not determined by the intensity of feelings or emotions but the intensity of the process of creating and ordering those feelings as part of poetic composition. The more pressure involved in the creative process the better the quality of the end product. Eliot goes on to note the difference between personal emotions of the poet and the emotion of poetry itself. While personal emotions may be simple, the expression of these emotions may be complex. While it is not the role of the poet to express new emotions, the poet should express ordinary emotions in new ways. Eliot then goes on to reject Wordsworths theory of poetry that is has its origin in emotions recollected in tranquillity. He believes that the composition of poetry does not require emotion, recollection or tranquillity, but that original poetry results from concentration on experiences. He also argues that this concentration should not be deliberate but passive. Poetry should be an escape from the poet, not a reflection of them. Eliot is not denying the poet personality but is declaring that the impersonality required to create good poetry can only be achieved when the poet surrenders themselves to the poetry they create. In part three of the essay, Eliot concludes that the poet is only capable of surrendering themselves to their work if they have acquired a good sense of tradition. And he is not likely to know what is to be done unless he lives in what is not merely the present, but the present moment of the past, unless he is conscious, not of what is dead, but of what is already living. By this he means that the poet should be conscious not only of their position within the literary cannon of the past but also where they belong in the literature of the present and how their poetry is relevant as a statement of the world in which it is created. The arguments made by Eliot suggest he is of the didactic school of poetic literary theory, believing that poetry should educate as well as entertain. Tradition and the Individual Talent sets out rules to be a great poet. Although he does not go to the extreme of being a neo-Classical critic, his theories do bear some resembalance in that he speaks of the classics being as relevant to poetry now as ever. This suggests that Eliot believes alluding to classical poets can improve the quality of the poetry. While Tradition and the Individual Talent does argue for originality it does so in a way that relies upon literature of the past. This still fits with the understanding of literary modernity as suggested by Ezra Pounds statement Make it new as, rather than making something completely original, Eliot is suggesting you take the traditional and make that new by attributing new meanings to what has been expressed. Eliot does not allow for the expression of new emotions. The arguments Eliot makes for the absence of the individuals experiences within their poetry is limiting the originality and uniqueness of poetry. While Eliot allows for originality in the way in which poets react and respond to the literary and historic tradition, he limits free expression of the self. Whilst the poet often takes influence from the past there should be unlimited freedom for expressing new ideas and emotions relating to the new material and the world in which they live. The ideas expressed in Tradition and the Individual discourages poets who are less well educated and therefore could discourage naturally talented poets from creating truly unique poems. Overall the essay is flawed not in the expression of Eliots arguments but in the rigidity of rules he places on a creative process, which should be free from rules and allowing for complete creative freedom. In Tradition and the Individual Talent, Eliot stated that the most individual parts of [the authors] work may be those in which the dead poetsassert their immortality most vigorously. When placing this alongside his argument that the experienced and mature poets converse with literary tradition in their work, it is hardly surprising that The Waste Land is full of literary allusions. The way Eliot alludes to literary tradition is in itself a source of originality, fitting with his arguments, however, emotions, personality and the personal experience of T.S. Eliot are disguised within The Waste Land. These aspects become clear when studied from a biographical perspective. The Waste Land is often read as an attempt to put the ideas of Tradition and the Individual Talent into practice, but the remaining part of this essay will focus on how Eliot fails to separate his personal experiences from the creative process. The Waste Land was written in 1922 during a period when T. S. Eliot was under orders from his physician to take three months rest. It is generally believed that this was due to a nervous breakdown. As a result of this Eliot was treated for neurasthenia[1] under the care of Dr. Vittoz in Lausanne, Switzerland. Because the majority of The Waste Land was composed during the period of Eliots treatment, the poem can be viewed as representative of Eliots psychological condition and his healing. It is due to this that Eliots emotions and personality are visible in the themes, structure, language and even grammar of the poem. This is something which Tradition and the Individual Talent claims should be absent in the work of a great poet. It is perhaps due to Eliots belief that poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality there have been relatively few critics to study Eliots poetry alongside biographical examinations of the poet. Lyndall Gordon states that the more that is known of Eliots biographical life the clearer it seems that the impersonal faà §ade of his poetry-the multiple faces and voices-masks an often quite literal reworking of personal experience.[2] Eliot claimed that Tiresias is the most important personage in the poem, uniting all the rest it is therefore likely that Tiresias, as the main consciousness of The Waste Land, represents Eliot in his struggle to gain brain control. Tiresias fits Vittozs understanding of the neurasthenic as living very little in the present and his thoughts always turn to the past or the future.[3] Tiresias figured in this sense can be understood as throbbing between two lives (l. 218) where the lives represent the two different aspects of his mind, the conscious and the subjective. Tiresias can be assigned the role of the characterisation of Eliots illness as the positive driving force of inspiration within the poem. Eliot himself wrote on the theory of the impact of illness on art in a positive light: it is a commonplace that some forms of illness are extremely favourable, not only to religious illumination, but to artistic and literary composition.[4] Eliot took a rest break in Margate in October 1921 which proved unsuccessful: On Margate Sands. I can connect Nothing with Nothing. (l. 300-302) This demonstrates the symptom of hopelessness. There are no connections to be found between the speakers thoughts. The conscious and subjective aspects of the mind are unable to communicate with one another. There are multiple references in the poem to blindness, deafness, muteness and difficulties with the sensation of touch. Vittoz has stated that the neurasthenic often looks without seeing and listen[s] without hearing (p. 44). The narrator, whether it is considered to be Tiresias, Eliot or another refers to all of these issues: I could not Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, Looking into the heart of the light, the silence.'(l. 38-41) It is the neurasthenic condition that could be preventing the speaker from connecting emotions to senses which results in further hopelessness. This is followed by a quotation from Tristran and Isolde, Oed und leer das Meer (Desolate and empty the sea) which again furthers the state of despair associated with neurasthenia. Along with the narrator and Tiresias there appears to be another character who, as Vittoz would describe, looks without seeing and listen[s] without hearing: My nerves a bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me. Speak to me. Why do you never speak. Speak. What are you thinking of? What thinking? What? I never know what you are thinking. Think. (l. 110-113) The reference to nerves in line 110 should be attributed to insomnia, another symptom of neurasthenia. This furthers the argument that Eliots neurasthenia has impacted the poem greatly. Here we also see a lack of control in Eliots writing, he writes the question Why do you never speak without a question mark and the incomplete sentence What thinking? There is a severe lack of control in the poem so any semblance of narrative becomes blurred along with the sense of time, characters and their voices. The poem does seem to progress towards a sense of peace. It is in this way that it can be understood as Eliots process of recovery. In order to progress from this state of confusion Eliot must go through Vittozs therapy in order to reach the point of shantih. Vitozz wrote that several times a day the patient should repeat ideas of calm three times, this can explain the closing line Shantishantishanti (l. 434). In the manuscript version this movement can also be seen from the poem beginning with the horror, the horror to ending with the words still and quiet. In What the Thunder Said the tone of the poem begins to find its direction, or demonstrates the narrator approaching brain control. DA Damyata: The boat responded Gaily, the hand expert with sail and oar The sea was calm, your heart would have responded Gaily, when invited, beating obedient To controlling hands (l. 418-423) At this point in the poem Eliot is approaching a point of recovery. The poem has moved from the uncontrolled nature of neurasthenia to a calmer state of mind thanks to controlling hands. When linked to Vittozs technique of placing his hands on his patients temple in order to feel brain activity this passage is clearly in appreciation of his therapy. He spent time in the mountains recovering the symptoms of insomnia, hopelessness and confusion, In the mountains, there you feel free./I read, much of the night, and go south in winter (l. 17-18). These repeated references to symptoms, treatments and Eliots own experience of recovery certainly suggest neurasthenia is central to The Waste Land. This argument does not dispute the understanding of The Waste Land as a reflection on modern society. T.S. Eliots neurasthenia was a product of the financially focused post World War Britain in which he lived. The Waste Land can be seen as reflective of the sensibility of the time in Britain, struggling between the wars and trying to gain control, the poem could therefore be understood as diagnosing the society in which he lived. Whichever interpretation one believes, The Waste Land was composed as a result of T.S. Eliots mental health problems, whether it be an awareness of neurasthenia in order to diagnose society with or the expression of his internal struggle. This is clear through the fragmented nature of the text. The unannounced changes in speaker, time and location are as a result of Eliots mental state and yet have been studied in great depth without considering the biographical aspects of the context of the poem. The reason for neglecting this way of reading the text is lik ely to be a result of Eliots own arguments in Tradition and the Individual Talent, that The emotion of art is impersonal. The emotion of The Waste Land however is very personal to the poet, T.S. Eliot. [1] The symptoms of neurasthenia were notoriously vague-they included headaches, noises in the ear, bad dreams, insomnia, flushing, and fidgetiness, flying neuralgia, spinal irritation, impotence and hopelessness. Gold, M. K. 2000. The Expert Hand and the Obedient Heart: Dr. Vittoz, TS Eliot, and the Therapeutic Possibilities of The Waste Land. Journal of Modern Literature, 23 (3), pp. 519533. [2]Lyndall Gordon, Eliots Early Years (Oxford University Press, 1977), p. 2. [3] Roger Vittoz, Treatment of Neurasthenia by Means of Brain Control, trans H.B. Brooke (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1921). P. 19. [4] Eliot, T. S. and Kermode, F. 1975. Selected prose of T.S. Eliot. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. pP. 237.

Consensus and Conflict Theory in Society

Consensus and Conflict Theory in Society Marxism and Functionalism can certainly be defined as classical sociology and both have had a significant impact upon contemporary understanding of culture. Neither perspective is the preserve of a sole theorist. They are multifaceted and extensive in scope. Thus, due to the limits of this study, this essay shall concentrate on but a few of the theoretical points, namely consensus and conflict because, as I hope to prove, these provide and incredibly useful framework for the analysis of contemporary culture In Leviathan Thomas Hobbes notes that man in the state of nature is inexorably engaged in a war of all against all. Reason dictates that one’s life is, â€Å"Solitary, poor, nasty brutish and short,† (Hobbes in Parsons p90) where man’s interests conflict so greatly. How humanity solved this problem of conflict of interest, the creation of society, was the study of Emile Durkheim, the French sociologist who first developed the Functionalist perspective. â€Å"In his (Durkheim’s) criticism of the utilitarian (Hobbes) conception of contractual relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦he insists that a vital part is played by a system of binding rules embodied in the institution of a contract.† (Parsons p376) The functionalist perspective was further advanced by Talcott Parsons. â€Å"The concept of order is located predominantly at the level of the social system itself and the cultural system becomes a mechanism of the functioning of the social system.† (Savage p146) The normative order, for Parsons, is the key ingredient that retains social order in society. Norms, which can be regarded as moral standards, regulate action and interaction. Norms are coercive, to break them invites sanctions from social estrangement to capital correction and punishment. Individuals are forced to cooperate and act in predictable ways, or face the consequences. Norms are external to individuals, laws and the like, but also internalised through socialisation, children’s schooling being a very important normative learning area. The normative order, that produces acquiescence in individuals to the order, Is the staple of Parson’s consensus theory. â€Å"Society therefore is a self equilib rating system: order is always maintained without major changes in society. In the end, the system functions.† (Jorgenson p285) A perfect example of how the system functions is Durkheim’s concept of Anomie in his study of suicide. Anomie is, â€Å"precisely the state of disorganisation where the holds of norms over individual conduct has broken down.† (Parsons p377) A possible outcome of this kind of break down is suicide. Norms so permeate society that personal equilibrium, individual’s thoughts and actions, is permeated too, as governed by norms as social interaction and law. â€Å"A persons will is constrained by the application of sanctions.† (Parsons p379) If an individual breaks one of the norms of society, then society will sanction them to discourage other such deviant behaviour through the threat of punishment. In the case of Durkheim’s suicide study, the sanction imposed when an individual commits suicide is the social stigma that then attaches itself to their family accompanied by the threat, in Christian countries for instance, of religious punishment burning in hell. In Erving Goffman‘s view of society, â€Å"The key factor is the maintenance of a single definition of the situation, this definition having to be expressed, and this expression sustained in the face of a multitude of potential disruption.† (Goffman p246) For Goffman actors meet on the field of interaction under a metaphorical flag of truce, working together to attempt the smoothest possible interaction with the best possible outcome for both sides. â€Å"The maintenance of this surface of agreement, this veneer of consensus, is facilitated by each participant concealing his own wants behind statements which assert values to which everyone present feels obliged to give lip service.† (Goffman p20-21) The definition of a given situation may well only be a veneer, a pretence, lies may be suspected even known but, as long as they are not revealed, then definition of the situation is maintained. Goffman’s language, the use of the word consensus, shows his theoretical links to the Functionalist perspective, in particular Parson’s consensus theory. The reason that lies may not be exposed is because it would be against a societal norm to do so. Thus norms regulate interaction providing a consensus. For Goffman the individual acts in different roles that are governed by norms, suppressing and sacrificing certain drives, needs or wants in order to maintain the definition of the situation, to maintain the consensus. As the definition of the situation allows individual acts of interaction to maintain cohesion and momentum, so the normative order governs those definitions, allowing the juggernaut of society to roll ever on. This classical thread, from Durkheim to Goffman via Parsons is incredibly important for the understanding of contemporary culture. That there is a normative order and how it regulates human action is critical for any understanding of society. The minitatude of Goffman’s analysis, explaining the exigencies of social interaction, the tiny details, has proved both popular and crucial in contemporary sociology. The Marxist tradition, starting with Karl Marx and Frederich Engels, has many issues with the functionalist consensus view of society. â€Å"The state is by no means a power imposed on society from without; just as little is it ‘the reality of the moral idea,’ ‘the image and the reality of reason.’† (Engels in Hechter p180) The Marxist tradition has many issues with what it considers a utopian explanation of power in social order. The state, the embodiment and, in many cases producer, of societal norms is felt to be the inevitable consequence of a society ripe with irreconcilable antagonisms largely manifesting in class conflict. â€Å"A power, apparently standing above society, has become necessary to moderate the conflict and keep it within the bounds of ‘order’.† (Engels in Hechter p180) This power, this normative order of the state is alienating and another tool for the ruling class to maintain its position of dominance over th e working classes. As with most Marxist theory, the power that maintains social order is not fostering cooperation but coercion. We have already seen that punitive punishment is meted out to norm breakers. Where Parsons sees this as a tool for society to remain cohesive and function relatively smoothly, Engels sees a repressive state apparatus designed to keep the proletariat in its place through sanctions. Where Functionalism describes consensus, Marxism defines conflict, class conflict. The normative order is ideology in all the very worst senses of the word. â€Å"A dominant power may legitimate itself by promoting beliefs and values congenial to it; naturalising and universalising such beliefs so as to render them self-evident and apparently inevitable.† (Easthope p5-6) Appearing as truth, immovable, certain, ideology controls the class conflict always in favour of the ruling class, the bourgeoisie. The most pertinent criticism of Functionalist theory by Marxism is that it explains the inequalities of the system as functional. That the proletariat are poor is for the good of the system, the society. Marxism refuses to accept this. The system is unfair and unequal because those in charge, through ideology, keep in that way, protecting their interests. â€Å"Children also learn the rules of good behaviour, i.e. the attitude that should be observed by every agent in the divisio n of labour, according to the job he is ‘destined for’: rules of morality, civic and professional conscience, which actually means rules of respect for the socio-technical division of labour and ultimately the rules of order established by class domination.† (Althusser p127) The Marxist tradition, and in particular the concepts of ideology, are hugely important to contemporary Feminist understandings of society. â€Å"The univocity of sex, the internal coherence of gender, and the binary framework for both sex and gender are considered throughout as regulatory fictions that consolidate and naturalise convergent power regimes of masculine and heterosexual oppression.† (Butler p44) The pervasive and domineering regimes in Marxism and Feminism are, essentially, controlled by the same rich and powerful men. The importance of feminist sociology in contemporary society is its understanding of, and explanation for, the universality of female subjugation. It is considered not enough that women are dominated by men because it is functional, for the best of the system. It is illogical to conclude, as the functionalist tradition can be accused, of assuming that it is functional to effectively marginalise the contribution of one half of the population of man kind. Just as it is illogical to assume that it is functional to marginalise the proletariat, who constitute a majority of humanity. The Marxist tradition, and the feminist, emphasise the conflict in society, along gender and class lines, and demand sociological attention be paid. Moreover they identify the place where much of this conflict occurs, the ideological order, the self same normative order that the functionalist tradition regards so highly. No sociological study of contemporary society would be worth attempting without some attempt to explain gender, class and other inequalities beyond the assumption that they are ‘for the best,’ of the system. In conclusion society continues. Always has and always will till humanity is extinguished. In no way could society continue without some form of consensus, some shared values or norms. To be without such rules we would exist in the state of nature, in anarchy and thus we would not exist for very long. Yet within those rules there is great scope for conflict. Functionalism, in its more ‘pure’ form of Durkheim and Parsons, and in the more unique observations of Goffman, help explain that consensus that is so essential to avoid anarchy. Marxism, the pure of Marx and Engels, the adaptation of Feminism, show how that consensus becomes corrupted and a tool for one section of society to dominate another. Society continues. With conflict and consensus. Contemporary society can not be understood without appreciating why and how conflict and consensus occur. Functionalism and Marxism both illuminate those aspects, both show how society continues. Bibliography Althusser, Louis, 1971. For Lenin Western printing services Ltd. Butler, Judith, 1999. Gender trouble. Routledge Easthope, Antony, 1991. Literary into cultural studies. Routledge Goffman, E, 1990. The presentation of the self in everyday life. Penguin Michael Hechter Theories of social order published by Stanford University press 2003 Nik Jorgenson Sociology an interactive approach Harper Collins 1997 Parsons, Talcott, 1937 The structure of social action. Free press. Stephen Savage The theories of Talcott parsons pub by Macmillan 1981