Case Study EasyJet Essays

Case Study EasyJet Essays Case Study EasyJet Essay Case Study EasyJet Essay Essay Topic: Easy Marketing This report will consist of an analysis of EasyJets macro and micro marketing environment. Macro-environmental factors include; political, economical, social and technological changes to the environment, i.e. the external marketing environment. The micro-environmental factors on the other hand include groups of people directly affected by the companys decision; for example; stakeholders, competitors, intermediaries and customers, i.e. the internal marketing environment. Using these I will then go on to conduct a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis will enable me to look EasyJets strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and in turn allow me make strategic recommendations for the future. In order to help do this, the report will be based on collected and analysed data about EasyJet and will look in depth and analyse what this means to Tesco as a European conglomerate. Background to EasyJet EasyJet was launched in November 1995 by a Greek called Haji-Ioannou with a fleet of two Boeing 737-300 flying from London to Glasgow and Scotland. Today it operates with 72 aircraft, offering 125 routes from 39 European destinations. The defining way that EasyJet was able to establish itself into such a successful airline is largely due to its base concept of offering a low cost, no-frills service. It believed that as the demand for short-haul air transport was price-elastic, reducing prices would mean more people would fly. This might be a reason why EasyJet was able to undercut its rivals as traditionally airline concepts are based on the fact that airline traffic grows in line with the economy and that cutting prices will only lead to a decrease in revenues. EasyJets revenue in 1998 was  £77 million and in 2006 this figure had risen to 1,619.7 i(easyJet.com) EasyJet keeps costs low by eliminating the unnecessary costs and frills associated with traditional airlines. This is don e by through numerous methods: use of the internet to reduce distribution costs, maximise the utilisation of substantial assets, ticketless travel, no free lunch, efficient use of airports and paperless operations. Easyjet.com is the main brand name ii(keynote.com) and its mission statement is To provide our customers with safe, good value, point-to-point air services. To effect and to offer a consistent and reliable product and fares appealing to leisure and business markets on a range of European routes. To achieve this we will develop our people and establish lasting relationships with our suppliers. (easyjet.com) EasyJet is now the UKs leading low-cost airline and the second-largest in Europe after Ryanair. It continues to facilitate its strategy of growth, for example, with the addition of the Airbus and GB airways at a cost of  £103.5 million iii(news.bbc.co.uk), currently it looks like it will just go from strength to strength? EasyJets external marketing environment (STEP analysis) In order to conduct a STEP analysis, firms need to review the environment in which they operate. The following factors play a major role in the airline industry today i.e. political-legal, economic, socio-cultural and technological. Social Factors Whilst being a dominant low-cost airline, and the second largest in Europe, EasyJet has not won over all members of the public. Currently the French and German community are proving a problem. This is because there is a general reluctance to use credit cards over the phone and Internet. (Hattee J. (2000).) Currently 95% of all tickets are sold over the internet iv(easyJet.com). The idea of cheap flights generally appeals to the public. However, the promotion of prices through for example newspapers and Teletext that are unrepresentative of the actual cost on another day/time, are likely to deter or antagonise customers. It has actually been in the news recently that airlines such as EasyJet should only advertise prices that show the actual cost i.e. includes all taxes etc, a ploy used before to draw in customers. Technological Factors EasyJet is faced with balancing technological advancements, for example, the use of the internet on distribution and cost synergies from industry consolidation, and the risk of rising costs and competitive pricing. EasyJet was one of the first airlines to embrace the opportunity of the Internet when it sold its first seat online in April 1998. Now approximately 95 % of all seats are sold over the Internet, making easyJet one of Europes biggest Internet retailers. v(easyjet.com) Technological developments in the field of e-commerce and aircraft manufacture are vital in allowing EasyJet to maintain an advantage over its competitors. EasyJet now offers paperless operations as the management and administration of the company is undertaken entirely on IT systems which can be accessed through secure servers anywhere in the world enabling huge flexibility in the running of the airline. Also passengers instead of receiving tickets now get emails containing there travel details and booking reference online. This has greatly reduced the costs of issuing, distributing, processing and reconciling millions of tickets each year. vi(easyJet.com) Economic Factors There are likely to be increases in fuel costs, congestion and other environmental restrictions. The risk of terrorism is likely to have an impact on insurance costs i.e. they will go up and the system of security implemented i.e. much greater/more alert. Globalisation should continue to boost traffic in the long-term and the introduction of the single currency in Europe is likely to bring more business to EasyJet as Europe becomes more integrated. Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of low-cost airline easyJet, believes that the euro has reduced the currency risks of running a business in Europe and that must lower costs and hence prices for consumers. vii( www.time.com) Political-legal Factors The political environment concerns the role of the government and the extent to which it intervenes in an economy. Political issues, such as the threat of ongoing war in the Middle East, and more recently issues in South America have driven up oil prices. They have also been going up due to the threat of a cold winter. As a result this reflects on the cost of aviation fuel. Whilst these political factors have a direct impact on the economy, such as increasing fuel costs, increased congestion, environmental restrictions, higher security, and insurance, they are intrinsically linked with social-cultural effects i.e. impacting upon the attitudes towards air travel. Due to terrorist attacks such as September 11th, airlines such as British airways have stopped flights to certain countries (particularly in the middle- east), in fear of another attack. This has had a domino effect whereby it has caused a political stir, with Britains believing that they maybe the next victims of a terrorist attack. Airlines have lost a lot of money as they are no longer going to certain destinations. I believe the implication of certain security measures have also had an influential effect on customers. As ordered by the Transportation Security Administration, new security screening went into effect due to the foiled British terror attacks. The primary restriction was the carrying-on of liquids or gels including beverages, shampoos, sun tan lotions, toothpaste and hair gel. Passengers were permitted to have baby formula and/or breast milk, prescription medicine with a name matching that of the traveller, and non-prescription medicines. Any beverages purchased past the security checkpoint must be consumed prior to boarding any aircraft. Philip Fanara, Jr., Ph.D. CFA, from the department of finance, insurance, and international business, expresses his view that airlines may lose some customers due to the new regulations being an inconvenience. viii(www.thehilltoponline.com) EasyJets internal marketing environment Competitive analysis EasyJet faces stiff competition from airlines such as Ryanair, BMIbaby, MyTravelLite and Buzz. Virgin Express, Hapag Lloyd Express, Germanwings and Air Berlin already are or might become competitors as a result of future expansion plans. Ryanair (EasyJets main competitor) is the only one of these companies so far to have succeeded and shown a continuous annual profit. In September 2006 it made  £235 million and in September 2007 the figure had risen to 291 million, a 24% increase. ix(www.ryanair.com) Suppliers EasyJet currently has two suppliers, Boeing and Airbus. An important part of easyJets strategy is to operate a modern fleet and based on the current business model, requires easyJet to acquire a significant number of further aircraft whilst achieving a low total fleet operating cost. Between 2003 and 2007 there were 12 aircraft deliveries under the Boeing contract. However, 120 aircraft deliveries were made under the Airbus contract in this same period. x(www.easyjet.com) Airbus was looked more favorably upon as it offered significantly better value than Boeing, the Airbus Contract enables it to purchase Airbus A319 aircraft at a price approximately a third per seat below the price for the Boeing 737-700 aircraft delivered to it under the Boeing Contract in August 2002. Other factors included fact that the Airbus had agreed to provide extensive support to the Company, especially with regard to training for easyJets pilots, cabin crew and maintenance personnel. Also, Airbus has put arrangements in place in keeping with low cost operation i.e. Airbus A319 aircraft maintenance will not exceed the cost of maintenance for its Boeing 737-700 aircraft. xi(EasyJet.com) Media The media have provided a link between the airline EasyJet and the public. Press releases portraying special deals and new routes available Im sure have proved beneficial to EasyJet in terms of attracting new customers. For example, deals of the week are advertised which are ideal for those on a budget who need some inspiration when looking for a holiday destination or for those looking for a last minute getaway at an affordable pricexii(www.easyjet.com) and also routes, easyJet to launch flights to Jersey!EasyJet, Europes leading low-fares airline, today announced it will launch two new routes to Jersey from Liverpool and London Luton next spring, with daily flights commencing on 31 March and 21 April respectively. xiii(www.easyjet.com) Press is generally good for EasyJet. Environmentalists With the number of flights leaving the UK set to double or triple by 2030, environmentalists have put airlines at the centre of the debate on global warming, a development that could lead to restrictions being imposed on the industry. The Conservatives have unveiled their `Greener Skies proposals. Among the suggestions are the introduction of VAT on fuel for domestic flights and higher tax rates for frequent flyers. xiv(www.keynote.co.uk) Customers Travel is now a priority for todays consumers, however the youth market needs addressing. The outlook for consumer expenditure looks extremely healthy, which will continue to sustain leisure spending. With holidays and additional short breaks now the UKs top two expenditure priorities (23% and 22% respectively), this multiple trip culture has become so ingrained that it will require a major downturn to change this. In Mintels Holiday Lifestyles Responsible Tourism UK, Leisure Horizons January 2007, some 22% of respondents stated that even the disappearance of low fares would fail to change their habits. The 25-44-year-olds are currently the core low-cost market and despite the budget connotations, the no-frills market is actually driven by the wealthier socio-economic groups splashing out on multiple trips.xv(http://academic.mintel.com)

Significant of Edge Waves and Shear Waves Essay

Significant of Edge Waves and Shear Waves - Essay Example Edge waves or low frequency gravity motion waves are water waves that are trapped at the shoreline by refraction. It is produce by the variability of wave energy reaching shore. An edge-wave is a low frequency wave attached to the beach. The edge waves have periods of a minute, a long-shore wave-length of around a kilometer, and amplitude that decays exponentially offshore as shown in figure 1 (Cutchin and Smith, 1973).While they were originally considered to be a curiosity, these waves play a significant role in near shore hydrodynamics. (Eckart C., 1951). The edge waves are modeled by creating incident waves that approach perpendicular to the direction of the constructed shoreline. The numerical modeling of edge waves was first described by Stokes equation in 1946. Shear Wave is also known as the voticity wave. The stability of a steady alongshore current V(x) to small perturbations using a linear vorticity equation based on the shallow water equations and the rigid-lid approximation. They showed that in the region of strong seaward shear (d|V|/dx pressure variance R, is 1 (i.e., equi-partitioning of kinetic and potential energy) independent of the mode mix. For shear waves , R = O(gh/V2), that is, 1 for natural alongshore currents with typically small Froude numbers (e.g., Oltman-Shay et al. 1989). Hence, can be used to estimate the contributions of gravity waves and shear waves to the infragravity band. If the gravity and shear wave velocity fluctuations are assumed to be statistically independent, then the fraction of the infragravity velocity variance contributed by shear waves is approximately given by = 1 1/R.(17). The effects of Shear and Edge Wave in the Environment The shape of the land under sea determines the strength and direction of the wave toward the coastline, while above ground it determines the run-up. Since the generation of a wave is defined by transferance of energy, or force in simple mathematical terms, the decrease in sea floor depth has the proportional effect of focusing and speeding up the movement of the wave. Thus a wave generated from a large, deep body of water will produce larger waves than those produced from a shallower body of water. Beach coastlines. As shown by Adams & Lewis, (1979) offshore coastline has a modifying effect on the wave shape as it breaks on land. The most destructive waves are where the force of the wave is focused as it breaks on l

Cultural Economy of the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Economy of the Media - Essay Example This study stresses that  since advertisements and consumer culture is an ongoing system, customers must be constantly motivated to buy and spend more money on products. It follows then that new strategies must be used to hook these buyers by replacing old goods with new ones and also being constantly in touch with current trends in terms of goods and services. The need for new inventions has pushed the advertisement market into new heights whereby the targeted customers are confused. This means that the targeted clients are more likely to look for new adverts just like looking for new products. Indeed, overcoming ideas to circulation of capital has led to the rise of commodity culture based on a high turnover of signfieds and signifiers.As the research highlights that  hidden beneath the innovations that create new images and colourful presentations are less than normal and discontinuous stories which define the society. The excitement found in this adverts are packed through te chnological fantasy to suit different segments if client base. Recognisable and traditional representations in seasoned advertisements are usually anchored on a combination of new ideologies as well as enduring ideologies.  This then brings about the sense of contoured cultural meaning which integrates different meanings to bring about relativity and conventionalism.  Ã‚  It is not surprising that businesses usually exploit dominant ideologies at the expense of the important elements of promotion which are expected to be dominant in adverts. (Caraher, Landon an

Maori Social and Cultural Values and Healthcare

Maori Social and Cultural Values and Healthcare Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour. The effect of shame on the health of the Maori client would be a client was diagnosed by type 2 diabetic and was recommended by the general practitioner to loss his /her weight. The general practitioner also made appointment with the weight loss program people and asked the client to attend the program but the client itself was feeling kind off embarrassed or bit shame as he/she have to attend the program, people will gossip about it and how will they react. The client may feel uncomfortable if at first he /she wold have controlled this it wouldn’t have come to this stage. Feeling inadequate not enough or insufficient. The effect of feeling inadequate on the health of a MÄ ori client would be a MÄ ori client visited a doctor as she was not feeling well, she had difficulty in sleeping and usually sweating, nervousness. After proper examination the doctor concluded that she has got hypertension(high blood pressure).the doctor started to inform her what she needs to do to control high blood pressure without medication and with medication too but after that brief information the doctor has given her time to think and decide and he went away giving her space but she felt that she had less information given to her regarding hypertension and she couldn’t say anything as she lacked knowledge and was not able to ask the doctor more about it as she felt embarrassed. Withdrawal (maunu) being pull out, to draw out or to loosened or get isolated. Example a person was feeling sick and needs to see a doctor, but when she went to the hospital she could not access any health services as she didn’t knew anything about health , it was all new to her. Neither has she known about the health services nor has appriopate knowledge felt withdrawn as people there knew where to go and where not to go. Feeling misunderstood took it in a wrong way, improperly understood or interpreted. For an example a MÄ ori client visited a doctor and informed that the medication he prescribed did not do anything and no important in her health but the doctor got bit angry as and said are you trying to teach me.The MÄ ori client felt that what she was trying to say doctor took in a wrong way, she just wanted to get a better medication that will improve her health. 1.2 One to one consultation with a health worker A MÄ ori lady goes to see a doctor and the doctor was male, she went to see the doctor to know how to avoid type two diabetic, but when she found out it was a male doctor she felt bit uncomfortable with him. The doctor tries his best to make feel comfortable. She seemed like she was nervous so the doctor tried to take her stress away by asking her to take deep breaths. She got bit worried to whether the doctor will provide her adequate information or not and whether it will be better for her or not. The doctor provided her with all information and how to avoid them also he also provided a guide book for her to read on her own too. Consumer survey As a health nurse educator she went to a boarding school to all the students doing consumer survey about the ascertain number of smokers. Firstly she asked permission from the parents to continue this survey. During this survey she looked at a simpler way to meet the age group of students made questionnaires that students can understand also got online website which is usually accessed by youths. She conducted this survey through face to face interview. Questionnaires were given out to them simple answers like yes/no .While conducting this survey she also maintained confidentiality and privacy for students. She explained the students while she was doing this survey in a simple way for their understanding. One to one consultation with a health worker of a different gender. For an example a male nurse promoting breast feeding for MÄ ori mothers. Firstly before going near to the mother the male nurse would get permission from the family or the husband to explain this to his wife about breast feeding. If the mother does not agree a male nurse he would give that information to the family members or to the husband so that they can explain to her. He will also get a MÄ ori nurse with him to assist him in communicating with the MÄ ori client as his first language is English. While communicating with the Maori client he will provide privacy to her. Explain her things as simple as he can. Providing information about support and also getting feedback from her is she does not understand anything. Group consultation with a health worker. The health worker having a group of Maori people who came for consultation together about influenza risk and how to reduce the spread of it. The health worker firstly made the environment suitable for them like in a room or office to maintain the privacy. When the clients arrives he greets them in their language by respecting there culture and belief. He also speaks to them in a very respective manner. The health worker provides adequate information to them and they all actively participate in the group where they could not understand things and need to know a bit more about it. He also informed them that if they feel they have not got enough information they ask questions to him. 1.3 Adverse socio-cultural factor one Education- If you as a MÄ ori are not educated you won’t be able to communicate well in front of others. If you are less educated you feel shame (whakama) in yourself as you won’t know what to do if want to see a doctor. You won’t have direct impact to health services. For an example you want to see a doctor but you don’t know where to go and get the information from and you feel shame on yourself as you are not educated how will other people react on it. Adverse socio-factor two Lack of identity (age, gender)- You will feel shame on yourself as people won’t know you who you are and where you are from. Example you have got diabetic and you want to go and access health services at district health but you cannot access as you don’t have an identity and knowledge about it. Another example can be the ministry of health NZ published pamphlet in MÄ ori language to make it easier for people who cannot understand English to read but still you don’t know how to read it in your language too. Adverse socio-economic factor one Employment- A MÄ ori person goes for job interview and does well in the interview but the employer does not give the designation he should get as he does not have the appropriate qualification or degree. He won’t be getting better pay as he should be. He won’t be able to excess any health services as whatever income he earns is spent on the family needs. Sometimes MÄ ori people doesn’t even have job as they don’t have any qualification and feel shame on themselves (whakama) people are laughing at him whenever they go to look for job. Adverse socio-economic factor two- Discrimination in education- The child won’t be getting education up to a better level or appropriate standard as they come from the poor family or due to the ethnicity. The child won’t be treated friendly by other students and teases the child how poor he is and the child will feel shame on himself (whakama) which will make him to avoid going to school. The child will not be getting proper health services as his family does not earn much. 2.1 A) Negative outcome one- No access to medical treatments- Like a MÄ ori client was very ill and wanted to go and see a doctor to get treated but he could not go as he was not educated he didn’t knew where to go and felt shame on himself and didn’t knew which medical treatment to access. Negative outcome two- Traditional medicine- In MÄ ori there is a medicine that they use that is rongoa it is use to prevent many sickness and provide remedies for the sickness. But the medicine making is passed down to generation to generation so the new generation may not know how to make the medicine and maybe don’t even know what ingredients maybe used. Some maybe feel bit embarrassed on themselves as they know anything about their traditional medicine. Negative outcome three- Non-MÄ ori speaking person- A health care assistant goes to meet a client and before going to that client she got bit background about that person and learnt that the person is Maori. When she went there she greeted the families and the client in MÄ ori and was able to speak bit fluently to them all were bit shocked and ashamed on themselves that they are MÄ ori themselves but they cannot speak their own language but a person who is a non-MÄ ori person speaks well. B) Positive outcome one- Cultural appropriate programmes- In a rest home they have people there who wants to get more knowledge about MÄ ori culture so the company organises a teaching session in a culturally appropriate setting to the clients, the health care assistants and clinical staffs. Positive outcome two- Maori provider group- Like for some MÄ ori clients they are special needs clients they require some special aids in their life so the good thing is that now in New Zealand there is a MÄ ori provider group they do funding for Maori health and disabilities issues, taking accounts of the Manaia Health PHO population profile and health needs, building Maori provider capacity in service delivery and improving upon quality issues. Positive outcome three- Whanua ora- The ministry of New Zealand is trying to look for solutions and information to support the whanua plans and track the whanua goals. All this solutions will be used with a group of people or by range of people from the whanua ora navigators or to staff at whanua ora collectives to whanua themselves, although people whose information is captured in whÄ nau plans will be able to have a say in who is allowed to access that information.

Robert D. Furchgott’s Contribution to the Discovery of Nitric Oxide as

Introduction In 1998 the Nobel Prize in physiology was awarded to three scientists for their contribution to the discovery of nitric oxide (NO) as a physiological singling molecule, particularly in vascular smooth muscle: Dr. Robert F. Furchgott, Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, and Dr. Ferid Murad1,2. Although the Prize was only initially awarded to Furchgott and Murad, it was later admitted that without the work of Ignarro an important link would not have been made. More specifically, in 1977 Murad found that nitric oxide was the active molecule causing vasodilation when studying the effects of vasodilatory effects nitroglycerine1,2. In 1980 when studying the effects of vasodilatory effects or acetylcholine in rabbit aorta, Furchgott found that vascular endothelial cells are necessary for vascular smooth muscle relaxation3. He concluded that endothelial cells produce what he called endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), a signaling molecule that caused vascular smooth muscle to relax1,3. Lastly, in 1986 Ignarro, showing that vascular endothelial cells produced similar responses when stimulated to produce EDRF and when exposed to NO, determined that nitric oxide and EDRF were the same molecule, thereby uniting the work of Murad and Furchgott into a cohesive vasodilatory model1,2. Nitric Oxide and Vascular Relaxation Nitric oxide is an abundant and diverse secondary signaling molecule throughout the body, playing roles in memory, learning, inflammation, and blood pressure. It is synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) from L-arginine and oxygen, though there are three known types of NOS: NOS 1, NOS 2 and NOS 34. NOS 1 and 3 are stimulated by high intracellular calcium ion concentrations, as caused by vasodilators l... ...el Prize Awarded to Scientists for Nitric Oxide Discoveries. Circulation 98, 2365-2366 2. Raju T. (2000). The Nobel Chronicles. The Lancet, 356, 346 3. Furchgott R. F. (2003). Nobel Lecture. Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine 1996-2000. 4. Barrett K. E., Barman S. M., Boitano S., Brooks H. L. Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology (2012). Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology. McGraw-Hill 5. Nobel Prize.org (2014, February 25). Robert F. Furchgott - Biographical. Retrieved from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1998/furchgott-bio.html 6. Furchgott R. F., Zawadzki J. V. (1980). The obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine. Nature, 288, 337-376 7. Martin W. (2009). Robert F. Furchgott, Nodel laureate (1916-2009) - a personal reflection. British Journal of Pharmacology. 158(3), 633-637

Criteria for Heroes Essay

For individuals to be seen as heroes in ancient world they had to meet specific criteria. Above all, a man needed to be a skilled warrior, who had to respect authority, both governmental and religious. Heroes were given no room for pride, they were to be modest, not only giving credit to their culture and the gods for any great deeds they had done, but also accepting everything that happened as fate, not scenarios they had created for themselves. In other words, they did not make themselves who they are, rather they had been predestined to become it. The final requirement of being a hero was composure. Heroes were not permitted to be blinded by rage or have mood swings. Perhaps the greatest example of Achilles fighting skill is when he fights with and kills Hector, the greatest of the Trojan warriors. However, this fight may have never happened if Athena had not disguised herself as one of Hectors brothers and convinced him to fight. Achilles fails miserably at respecting anyone in authority, whether governmental or religious. He not only disrespects King Agamemnons authority, but also the goddess Athena herself. This lack of respect begins when Achilles calls an assembly of the Greeks, something only Agamemnon was able to do. He then proceeds to insult the king, telling him he is greedy, shameless, a cheater, and a drunk. To top it off, Achilles contemplates drawing his sword to strike down Agamemnon, and is only stopped by Athena grabbing his hair. Needless to say, killing the leader of your nation would be the ultimate act of disrespect to the government. Although he does so badly with respect for government authority, Achilles has no problem respecting human religious authority, only because he has no encounters with priests, prophets, and etceteras. However, he does show some disrespect to Athena for stopping his murder of King Agamemnon. Instead of following the goddess orders whole-heartedly, he does it quite reluctantly and talks back in the process. Humility is another requirement Achilles fails to meet. His excessive pride is seen throughout The Iliad. When he tells Agamemnon that he is withdrawing himself and all his forces from the Trojan War, Achilles makes it sound as if he has done greater things than anyone, putting himself on a pedestal. Never does Achilles credit anyone or anything for his success, including the  gods. It is always he himself who has done something. Although Achilles is so prideful about his deeds, he is able to accept Fate. As he reprimands his horses as if it were their fault Patroclos was killed, one of them tells Achilles his death is near. Achilles tells the horse he knows this, indicating he accepts it. Hector does not credit himself for his accomplishments. He usually gets around glorifying himself by thanking the gods. Achilles pride contributes to his downfall, and it also shows Hector to have far less hubris than his opponent. Composure may be the requirement Achilles is furthest from meeting. Almost every time his name is mentioned, he is in some fit of rage. His very first tantrum is when he about kills Agamemnon, only being stopped by Athena. His next episode of anger comes after the death of Patroclos, but it is actually helpful to the Greeks. Achilles charges over the battlefield, destroying all Trojan warriors he crossed paths with. The final act of Achilles great anger is after he kills Hector. Achilles is still deeply hurt by the death of his friend Patroclos, so he drags Hectors body behind his chariot, mutilating it. The Epic of Gilgamesh embodies the national ideals of the Sumerians who believed that coming of age of a young man especially one who would become king, required a ritual experience. That aided the young man to face his monsters, nature, gods, and the reflection of Gilgamesh found in his mirror image Enkidu. The Sumerians understood the need for such a quest of self because there is a person that resides in all of us, both benefactor and destroyer that must be identified and controlled before we can accept our adult responsibilities. This is why the story incorporates emotions, but they are also unrealistic. Gilgamesh must face his anger and learn to replace it with a sense of community that is much closer to love, not hate. His ego must also be trained to respond appropriately to both winning and losing because this is what life is for each of us. The ancient Greeks had strict criteria for individuals to follow if they were to be seen as heroes. Those requirements were skill in battle, respect for authority, humility, and coolness under fire. Not many men met all requirements, including Achilles and Gilgamesh, but they were still viewed  as heroes. When the emotions are brought under control, when each person is successful at slaying their â€Å"dragons,† then they can move into an adult position that requires control over all the dualities of love and hate, power and weakness, anger and joy, selfishness and community. Between Achilles and Hector, Hector was the better choice for the title of hero, he was respectful of authority, humble about his success, and was very levelheaded. Achilles had great fighting skill as well. However, he had trouble respecting authority and keeping his cool, both results of his excessive pride. If Achilles had not been so prideful, he could have been a much greater warrior and hero, perhaps achieving status equal to the gods. He simply had too much pride. As desired, Gilgamesh learns to do good deeds, and this is truly all that society asks of anyone.

What Is Political Correctness Definition, Pros, and Cons

â€Å"Political correctness† is the process of speaking without offending anyone. Love it or hate it, what was once considered simple â€Å"good manners,† has become far more involved, and frankly, controversial. Exactly what is political correctness, where did it come from, and why do we love to argue about it? Key Takeaways: Political Correctness Political correctness (PC) refers to language that avoids offending persons of various genders, races, sexual orientations, cultures, or social conditions.One of the most commonly stated goals of political correctness is the elimination of verbal discrimination and negative stereotyping.The demand for political correctness is often controversial and becomes the source of criticism and satire.Critics argue that political correctness cannot change the underlying feelings that lead to discrimination and social marginalization.Political correctness is now a common weapon in the cultural and political war between American conservatives and liberals. Political Correctness Definition The term political correctness describes written or spoken language thats intentionally phrased to avoid offending or marginalizing groups identified by certain social characteristics, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. Beyond the obvious avoidance of overt slurs, political correctness also includes the avoidance of terms that reinforce preconceived negative stereotypes. The elimination of verbal discrimination is often considered one of the main goals of political correctness. Since the 1980s, the increasing demand for political correctness has been alternately praised, criticized, and satirized by commentators from all corners of the political spectrum. The term is sometimes applied derisively in order to ridicule the idea that language is capable of change—or that the public’s perceptions and prejudices against certain groups can change through language. Among the more subtle forms of political correctness is the avoidance of the use of microaggressions—brief off-hand comments or actions that either intentionally or unintentionally express negative prejudicial slights toward any marginalized or minority group. For example, telling an Asian-American student, â€Å"You people always get good grades,† while possibly meant as a compliment, may be taken as a microaggressive slur. A relatively new form of being politically correct is to avoid â€Å"mansplaining.† A combination of â€Å"man† and â€Å"explaining,† mansplaining is a form of political incorrectness in which men marginalize women by attempting to explain something to them—often unnecessarily—in a condescending, oversimplified, or childlike manner. History of Political Correctness In the United States, the term â€Å"politically correct† first appeared in 1793, when it was used in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Chisholm v. Georgia dealing with the rights of state citizens to sue state governments in U.S. federal courts. During the 1920s, the term was used in political discussions between American communists and socialists to refer to a strict, almost dogmatic, adherence to the Soviet Union’s Communist Party doctrine, which socialists considered to be the â€Å"correct† position in all political issues. The term was first used sarcastically during the late 1970s and early 1980s by moderate-to-liberal politicians to refer to the stance of extreme left-wing liberals on some issues considered by the moderates to be frivolous or of little actual importance to their causes. In the early 1990s, conservatives had begun using â€Å"political correctness† in a pejorative manner criticizing the teaching and advocacy of what they considered left-wing liberal ideology â€Å"gone wild† in U.S. colleges, universities, and liberal-leaning media. In May 1991, then U.S. President George H.W. Bush used the term when he told the graduating class of the University of Michigan that, â€Å"The notion of political correctness has ignited controversy across the land. And although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. It declares certain topics off-limits, certain expression off-limits, and even certain gestures off-limits.† PC Culture Today, PC culture—a theoretical purely politically correct society—is most commonly associated with movements such as gender-based bias, gay rights, and ethnic minority advocacy. For example, the PC culture prefers that the terms â€Å"spokesman† or â€Å"spokeswoman,† be replaced by the gender-neutral term â€Å"spokesperson.† However, the PC culture is not limited to social or political causes. To promote religious tolerance, â€Å"Merry Christmas† becomes â€Å"Happy Holidays,† and a demand for simple empathy asks that â€Å"mental retardation† be replaced with â€Å"intellectual disability.† In December 1990, Newsweek magazine summarized conservatives’ concerns by equating the PC culture to a sort of a modern Orwellian â€Å"thought police† in an article asking, â€Å"Is This the New Enlightenment or the New McCarthyism?† However, it was Dinesh DSouzas 1998 book â€Å"Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus† that first caused the general public to question the benefits, motives, and sociological effects of the political correctness movement. Pros and Cons Advocates of the process of political correctness argue that our perception of other people is greatly influenced by the language we hear used about them. Language, therefore, when used carelessly or maliciously, can reveal and promote our biases against various identity groups. In this manner, the strict use of politically correct language helps to prevent the marginalization and social exclusion of those groups. Persons opposed to political correctness regard it as a form of censorship that quashes freedom of speech and dangerously restricts public debate on important social issues. They further accuse advocates of an extreme PC culture of creating offensive language where none had existed before. Others argue that the very term â€Å"political correctness† can be used in ways that can actually hinder attempts to stop hate and discriminatory speech. Opponents point to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey which showed that 59 percent of Americans felt â€Å"too many people are easily offended these days over the language that others use.† According to Pew, while most people naturally try to avoid using language that offends others, extreme examples of politically correct terms tend to devalue the English language and lead to confusion. Finally, those opposed to political correctness argue that telling people that it is socially wrong for them to express their feelings and beliefs in certain ways will not make those feelings and beliefs go away. Sexism, for example, will not end by simply referring to salesmen and saleswomen as â€Å"salespersons.† Similarly, referring to the homeless as â€Å"temporarily displaced† will not create jobs or wipe out poverty. While some people might swallow their politically incorrect words, they will not abandon the feelings that motivated them. Instead, they will hold those feelings inside to fester and become even more toxic and harmful. Sources Alder, Jerry; Starr, Mark. â€Å"Taking Offense: Is this the new enlightenment on campus or the new McCarthyism?† Newsweek (December 1990)Gibson, Caitlin. â€Å"How ‘politically correct’ went from compliment to insult.† Washington Post. (January 13, 2016)U.S. President George H.W. Bush. Remarks at the University of Michigan Commencement Ceremony in Ann Arbor, 4 May 1991 George Bush Presidential LibraryDSouza, Dinesh. â€Å"Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus.† Free Press; (October 1, 1998). ISBN-10: 9780684863849Chow, Kat. Politically Correct: The Phrase Has Gone From Wisdom to Weapon. NPR (December 14, 2016)