Monday, January 27, 2020

Brother-Sister Marriages in Graeco Roman Egypt

Brother-Sister Marriages in Graeco Roman Egypt Was it common to find brother-sister marriages in Graeco-Roman Egypt? What is the Evidence for this? This essay will be focusing on brother-sister marriages in Graeco Roman Egypt, and the evidence that we have for it through papyri sources. Although inter-family marriages are not common today, they were certainly practised during Graeco-Roman Egypt. The aim of this essay is to high-light the reasons why such marriages occurred and also, provide evidence of such marriages by means of papyri letters, contracts and documents that was saved from the period. Furthermore, this paper is going to present ideas about incest, and whether or not brother-sister marriages were accepted by society, who can marry, and theories for inter-marriage. During the Roman Egypt period, a census was orchestrated every 14 years, in order to take a household count, and to control taxes. Today, only 172 legible census reports remain, and historians and papyrologists have used this information to analyse the lives of the Graeco-Roman Egypt citizens. This analysis and papyri evidence, and also the works of notable anthropologists, historians and papyrologists, has helped to answer and understand this argument today. Background and Origins of Brother-Sister marriage Nearly everybody in Roman Egypt was married at some point in their lives. Girls in Roman Egypt were expected to be married as young as 12, and definitely by their mid 20s. In Graeco Roman Egypt, marriage laws were different and confusing amongst each society. Marriages were performed under contracts, and for most marriages, there were no age restrictions, unlike today. The strangest element of Graeco-Roman Egypt was that there was no law against close-kin marriages. In fact, brothers and sisters often married as was practiced throughout the previous generations. Evidence for this came from the Roman period through papyri and census returns. It was believed that before the Roman period, women were the inheritors of the land and in order to keep it in the family, the inheritor would have had to marry her brother.The Romans prohibited this custom and would often confiscate the estate if such a marriage took place. However, this law did not apply for Egyptians. For many societies today, it is considered normal to avoid sexual relationships between full brother and sister. However, in the Mediterranean world, such as in the Greek and Roman societies, close kin marriages such as cousin-cousin or even uncle-niece marriages were accepted and encouraged. Brother-Sister marriages originated from the Egyptian tradition of â€Å"Royal incest† which was practised in Egypt by the Pharaohs as far back as 2000BC. According to anthropologist ÄÅ'erny, brother-sister marriages in the royal family were very frequent. For example, the marriage of brother and sister, Isis and Osiris, was seen as divine incest to avoid outsiders. Other Royal marriage amongst brother and sister was that during the Ptolemy Era in Egypt. Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIV were married and she did bore his offspring. It is believed one of the explanations for these Royal marriages was a â€Å"strategy to avoid splitting up of property†or to maintain â€Å"ethnic political status† of the Greeks in Egypt. Although marriage between brother-sister was frequent within the royal family and in Graeco Roman Egypt during the second century CE, it was common for husbands to call their wives ‘sister. This is however not strong enough evidence to ce rtify brother-sister marriage. The laws for marrying brothers and sisters were different in each country. In Ancient Greece, Athenians were allowed to marry half siblings if they were from the same father but different mother whereas Spartans were allowed to marry half siblings from the same mother but different father. In Egypt it is argued to be customary to marry brother and sister. Greek King Ptolemy II continued this custom and married his sister Arsinoe which violated his native Macedonian custom. This started a ‘trend as the next seven of the eleven Greek kings of Egypt married their sisters. Full brother and sister marriage or â€Å"incestuous marriages† is believed to be a regular practise in Graeco Roman Egypt and it took place mainly amongst the elite population. The marriages were genuine, not just for bureaucratic reasons. Many sociologists find this hard to comprehend without returning to the taboo on incest. Evidence of the marriages was first noticed in papyri dating from as early as the first century CE. Although brother-sister marriage would be deemed incestuous today, evidence appearing in papyri shows that brother-sister marriages were socially and legally accepted at the time. This can be seen from official census returns which shows that a large percentage of the marriages were between brother and sister.However, as stated before, attention should be taken when interpreting the papyri. Private letters which were amongst the papyri found in the Fayyum area of Egypt, showed the terms ‘brother and ‘sister in letters between husbands and wives. This nevertheless, should not be taken as literally. Most of the papyri documenting these marriages originate from the Fayyum and according to Hopkins; the women are documented as being â€Å"wife and sister from the same father and the same mother† which â€Å"leaves little room for ambiguity†. Perhaps brother-sister marriage can be due to a restriction of choice. In Roman Egypt, marriages were most likely to have been arranged and therefore, many young women ended up marrying older men or men pre-arranged through family. For Greeks and Romans in Egypt, the choice was very limited as there was the political and social status to consider. Many Greeks did marry Egyptian women however, certain laws applied when it came to status regarding children. Marrying brother and sister was seen as the ideal solution to some Greek families as it overcame the issue of a dowry or the division of family property. Inter family marriages also overcame issues of Greek racism. Sociologist Brent Shaw suggests that Greek settlers in Egypt married within the family to separate themselves from the Egyptian population and to also keep a pure blood ancestry so to avoid tax disadvantages. Despite all these reasons, most scholars agree that although practised, it is known that both Greek and Roman societies prohibited any sexual relationship between siblings. However, in most cases, Greek traditions of endogamy were pushed to the limit. It is also believed amongst scholars that although practised throughout lower and upper Egypt, in the bigger towns rather than villages, inter family marriages were more common amongst the Greek than the Egyptians. This phenomenon of endogamy in Graeco Roman Egypt could be traced to Greek Oedipal mythology, which leads us to the subject of incest. Is Brother-Sister Marriage Considered Incest? Incest refers to sexual activity between two family members and is very much a cultural taboo in most societies and holds heavy penalties. Whilst parent-children or sibling-sibling relations are illegal, other relations such as cousin-cousin may be acceptable in other societies and cultures. The practice of brother-sister marriage has never been common among any other society apart from the Graeco-Roman Egyptian society. Full brother and sister marriage was practised throughout the first three centuries after Christ. Incestuous marriage was widespread during Graeco-Roman Egypt and the evidence for this show in numerous papyri and household census returns. Anthropologist Brent Shaw states that, â€Å"the word incest is linked to moral, social and legal norms established in Graeco-Roman antiquity.† The Latin word for incest- incestum means to be ‘unclean or ‘not pure which refers more specifically to committing a forbidden act between family members. In Graeco-Roman antiquity, there was a difference as to what was considered acceptable behaviour. Roman law and social practices regarding incestuous marriage was far more intolerable than those of Greek law and practices. Shaw states that the Greeks did not have a word similar to the Latin ‘incestumuntil the arrival of Christianity to the society. This shows the differences in attitude towards brother-sister and other close kin marriages.In Greek society, close kin marriage was more acceptable and practised than it was in Roman society. This attitude shows in the story of Oedipus and other stories of the same nature. This attitude was brought over to Egypt and even continued and encouraged. Marriage between cousins and half brother/sister marriages were accepted and became the norm for the Greek population in Egypt. This caused a clash with the Roman societys ‘stringent rules towards incest. Marriages between ethnicities, for example Greek or Roman-Egyptian were however frowned upon. It is not certain whether these marriages can be considered ‘incestuous as a long history of sibling marriage existed throughout the society. To them, this was regarded as the norm and it even existed amongst Egyptian Royalty. The addition of myths and stories justified that brother-sister marriage was accepted and that incest was doubtful. Potential Theories for Inter-Marriage In Egypt, this practice was common amongst the Royal family; however it was still considered a taboo. There are no real explanations as to why they adopted these practices but sociologist Hopkins believes that there are four theories behind inter-family marriage. One factor being the high rate of mortality. Research into the demography of Graeco Roman Egypt at the time, shows that the gap between surviving siblings is so high that the â€Å"son looking for a mate must go outside the family.† Therefore, the only way to solve this was to marry within the family. However, according to the â€Å"indifference theory† by J.R. Fox, belief was that â€Å"boys and girls living and playing together from childhood showed an absence of erotic feeling towards each other†. The main point behind this theory is that â€Å"boys and girls brought up together show no desire for incest.† However in contradiction to this, there were instances of incest between siblings which links to Sigmund Freuds theory of â€Å"suppression† where â€Å"incestuous desires come from the subconscious†.This again, relates to the influences of Greek myths such as Oedipus and stories of Egyptian Gods Isis and Osiris who were brother and sister as well as husband and wife. Social Class Social status may play a part in brother-sister marriages. Those with status liked to maintain â€Å"racial purity† and this was maintained through means of close-kin marriages. The social class in Graeco-Roman Egypt was divided. The Romans and Greeks lived privileged lives whereas the Egyptians remained poor. Therefore, marriages remained within the respective societies. With respect to inheritance, sibling marriages were favoured as any land was to be distributed equally among the children. However in regards to women in Graeco-Roman Egypt, property and land was secured by marriage contracts therefore being financially protected in the event of divorce of death of a husband. Those who still inherited land were not subject to the Roman tax poll. Women who married out of the family had to take along with her property that she had inherited. Therefore, the only way to keep property within the family, even if the marriage ended in divorce or death was to marry a brother. According to Greek practices the father had the power to choose a spouse for his daughter and so, the ideal solution was to arrange brother-sister marriages so that the family will not lose property as land was very important for social status and mobility, and was used for financial gain. As girls married young in Graeco-Roman Egypt, it was fairly easy to influence these marriages. Papyri Evidence of Brother-Sister Marriage Evidence for such marriages comes from the census household returns. However, the evidence can be seen as biased to the richer population as their papers would have been better preserved compared to those of the poor Egyptians. The census was conducted every 14 years between the years 19 C.E. and 257 C.E. Out of 172 of the legible census returns, between 15-21 per cent was marriage between brother and sister. 12 per cent of these marriages were between full brother and sister. Here are the papyri evidence for brother-sister marriage, which comes in the form of letters, wedding invitations, marriage contracts and birth registrations: Registering the birth of a son P.Oxy 2858 To Agathodaimon and Herakleidesscribes of the metropolis, from Kephalas son of Heron son of Theon and from his wife who is sister of the same father and of the same mother,Didumewe register the son born to us, Didumos. We deposit a notification of his birth. This is a document registering the birth of a son. The parents are citizens of the Metropolis Arsinoe. This was a privileged status and their reference of being husband and wife as well as brother and sister was necessary to identify themselves. Here is another example of a brother-sister couple registering the birth of their child: Apynchis and Tapasis, his sister-wife, registering their eight year old daughter 14 February 185 AD To Hermophilos, royal scribe of the Arsinoite nome. Herakleides division, from Aphynchis, son of an unknown father and his mother Tapholemis, and from his sister Tapasis, born from the same mother who is also his wifewe register our daughter Taesis, who was born to us both and is now eight years old The next papyri source comes from two parents who were also children of a brother-sister marriage. This papyri shows two generations of brother-sister marriages, therefore proving that it did occur and that it was common and accepted in society. P.Tebt.320 To Sarapionand Serenusexamining magistrates, from Eudaimon, son of Heron son of Souchas, his mother being Herons sister Thermoutharion and from his wife Sarapias who is his sister of the same father and of the same mother, both of metropolitan status Hopkins suggests that brother-sister marriage was due to parents wanting to save the expense of their daughters dowry. However, he also states that this was not an advantage in means of wealth as outside marriages could potentially bring in the same amount of wealth in terms of inheritance. Some Egyptians just chose to believe that brother-sister marriage would result in an economical advantage. This papyri is an example of a marriage settlement between brother and sister, where a dowry was specified. This proves that as well as this being a brother-sister marriage, the brother/husband also received a dowry from her, perhaps paid by their father. BGU 183; Mitteis, Chrestomathie 313 Horos son of Tesenophisaged about forty three years with a scar on the left calf agrees with his own sister by the same father and the same mother who is also his wife, Eriea, aged about thirty five years with a scarthat he as party to agreement has hereby received from hera dowry of silverto the value of twenty drachmae. Let the married pair live together without recrimination just as they have done before, and Horos is to provide all necessities and clothing befitting to a wedded wifeIf Horos leaves her, then he as party to the agreement is to return the dowry within thirty days of being asked for it Other evidence of brother-sister marriage comes in the form of a divorce contract. Even though the couple are brother and sister, sometimes, the marriage does not work out, and therefore ends in divorce. Here is an example of this: P.Mil.Vogl.85, AD 138 Copy of a contract;Kronion son of Kronion aged about 54 years with a scar on his left forearm and his ex wife Taorsenouphis, who is also his sister of the same father and of the same mother, aged 50 years without distinguishing marksagree with each other that their life together has been brought to an endand it is agreed that each of them may administer his own affairs as he chooses and Taorsenouphis can live together with another man without reprisal of any kind Brother-Sister marriages were seen as common and not abnormal, therefore they were celebrated openly and guests were invited by invitation: P.Oxy.524 Dionysius invites you to dinner at the marriage of his own children (teknà ´n)tomorrow, that is the 30th at the 9th hour P.Oxy. III Herais invites you to dinner at the marriage of her children at home tomorrow, that is the fifth, at the 9th hour. These wedding invitations clearly show that brother-sister marriage was in fact common and accepted by society. They also provide proof that such practices did occur. Invitations were usually delivered by hand the day before the wedding.> Private letters between husbands and wives may provide evidence of brother-sister marriage, but they cannot be seen as sufficient proof as calling someone ‘brother or ‘sister was seen as a term of endearment. There are archives of letters between husband and wife using these terms of endearment, however, the next source is of a letter from a husband to his wife and sister: P.Oxy.528 Serenus to Isidora, his sister and wife, many greetings. Before all else I pray that you are wellI want you to know that ever since you left me I have been grieving, weeping by night and lamenting by dayYou sent me letters which would have moved a stone, so much did your words affect me. Do let me know if you are coming back or not. This letter shows that although they were brother and sister, they were also affectionate as husband and wife. Love was an evident emotion in brother-sister marriage as well as in outside marriage. This goes to show that perhaps the children were not forced to marry but chose to marry out of love for their sibling. Evidence for love, comes in the form of this love letter, perhaps from a wife to her husband: P.Oxy.3059 Didyme to Apollonius, her brother and sun greetings.Know that I do not see the sun,Since I do not see you;I have no sun but you The archive of Apollonios the strategos and Aline, AD 113-120 This was an archive of over 200 Greek papyri, belonging to the wealthy Apollonios family who were landowners in the Hermopolite nome. Apollonios the strategos was part of the highest office in the bureaucracy of Graeco-Roman Egypt. Apollonios was married to Aline who was believed to also be his sister. The couple frequently wrote letters as Apollonios spent most of his time away from his family, addressing each other as ‘brother and ‘sister.> Aline to Apollonios C.Pap.Jud.II 436 (September AD 115) Aline to Apollonios her brother, many greetings. I am very worried about you, because of events that are said to be taking place and because you left me suddenlyPlease, then, keep yourself safe and do not put yourself in dangerTo Apollonios my brother. This could be proof that they were brother and sister, as well as husband and wife. However, due to the frequent use of ‘brother and ‘sister during the time, it is not certain whether this can be used as real evidence. We now return to the question being posed of this paper; â€Å"Was it common to find brother-sister marriages in Graeco-Roman Egypt?† The answer is indeed, yes, it was common to find these marriages. Brother-sister marriages were considered a norm for Graeco-Roman Egypt as it was practised* by ancestors before them. We also know that these marriages were sanctioned in traditional myths such as, the brother-sister marriage of Isis and Osiris. The Oedipus myth also allowed this practise to be justified. These marriages were not classed as ‘incestuous as it was very normal and traditional to marry within the family. Inheriting land and property also played a part in making these marriages common, as families wanted their land to be kept within the family. From the surviving evidence, we can see that people openly stated in letters and documents that they were ‘husband and wife of the same father and of the same mother. And wedding invitations were even sent to guests, inviting them to celebrate the family wedding. It is fair to say that these marriages were accepted. Brother-sister marriages were more common amongst the Greeks and Egyptians rather than the Roman citizens, as it was customary in Greek and Egyptian cultures. The genetic effects amongst offspring of these marriages are un-known as nothing in papyri states that family marriages links to this. However, considering some families only married within the family for several generations, it may be safe to say that there is no direct link between sibling marriage and genetic defects, which is probably why it was more acceptable during that period. References Bagnall, R.S. and B. Frier (1994) â€Å"The Demography of Roman Egypt† (Cambridge) Lindsay, J. (1963) â€Å"Daily Life in Roman Egypt† (Frederick Muller Limited) Lindsay, J. (1963) â€Å"Daily Life in Roman Egypt† (Frederick Muller Limited) Lindsay, J. (1963) â€Å"Daily Life in Roman Egypt† (Frederick Muller Limited) Huebner,S.R (2007) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† (Columbia) Huebner,S.R (2007) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt†(Columbia) Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Bagnall, R.S. and B. Frier (1994) â€Å"The Demography of Roman Egypt† (Cambridge) Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Endogamy-marriage within a particular society or tribe or ancestry J. Modrzejewski,(2005) â€Å"Greek law in the Hellenistic Period: Family and Marriage† (Cambridge) Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Shaw B.D. (1992) â€Å"Explaining Incest: Brother Sister Marriage in Graeco-Roman Egypt† Parker, S. (1996) â€Å"Full Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt: Another Look† Cultural Anthropology, Vol.11, No.3, pp362-376(American Anthropological Association) Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Fox,J, R. (1962) â€Å"Sibling Incest†, British Journal of Sociology Vol. 13, No.2 pp.128-150 (Blackwell Publishing) Fox,J, R. (1962) â€Å"Sibling Incest†, British Journal of Sociology Vol. 13, No.2 pp.128-150 (Blackwell Publishing) Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Parker, S. (1996) â€Å"Full Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt: Another Look† Cultural Anthropology, Vol.11, No.3, pp362-376(American Anthropological Association) Parker, S. (1996) â€Å"Full Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt: Another Look† Cultural Anthropology, Vol.11, No.3, pp362-376(American Anthropological Association) Parker, S. (1996) â€Å"Full Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt: Another Look† Cultural Anthropology, Vol.11, No.3, pp362-376(American Anthropological Association) Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History Parker, S. (1996) â€Å"Full Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt: Another Look† Cultural Anthropology, Vol.11, No.3, pp362-376(American Anthropological Association) Parker, S. (1996) â€Å"Full Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt: Another Look† Cultural Anthropology, Vol.11, No.3, pp362-376(American Anthropological Association) Rowlandson, J., (1998) Women Society in Greek Roman Egypt; a sourcebook. (Cambridge) Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History, Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History, Hopkins, K. (1980) â€Å"Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt† Comparative Studies in Society and History, Rowlandson, J., (1998) Women Society in Greek Roman Egypt; a sourcebook. (Cambridge) Rowlandson, J., (1998) Women Society in Greek Roman Egypt; a sourcebook. (Cambridge) Verb: ‘He practises the piano every day noun: ‘These practices have all but died out

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Brand management. Dove Essay

1) Why does Unilever want fewer brands? First of all let’s define what we mean does â€Å"brand† mean? I think brand is the practical, emotional, or instinctual response that is stimulated in the brain by a product or company. Brand is the image and feeling that get to people minds and hearts when they hear, smell, see and think of your name, product, and benefit. A brand may identify one item, a family of items, or all items of that seller. If used for the firm as a whole, the preferred term is trade name. Unilever wants fewer brands because it takes time, energy and resources to manage each brand. The more brands you brandish, the more resources you expend. In addition, brands compete with other brands for mental real estate in the customer’s mind. So, Unilever needs to have fewer brands, but these brands have to be stronger. Also, Global decentralization brought problems of control to the company and its portfolio had grown is a relatively laissez-faire manner and that makes Unilever has lacked of g lobal identity. 2) What was Doves market positioning in the 1950’s? What is its position in 2007? In the 1950’s, Dove’s position was a functionally superior cleanser than soap, centered on science. Today, Dove is transforming into a lifestyle brand, centered on an emotional connection between consumer/product. In the 1950s Dove’s positioning was based on the functional superiority of its products and Dove’s position was a functionally superior cleanser than soap, centered on science. Since the formula for the soap had come from military research conducted to find a non-irritating skin cleaner with high levels of natural skin, Dove did not call their product ‘soap’. The advertisements clearly conveyed that Dove was one-quarter cleansing cream and further reinforced this fact visually with photographs that showed cream being poured into a tablet. Thus their positioning in the 1950s was solely based on conveying the benefits of Dove as a moisturizing agen t and a cleanser. However, Dove changed its positioning in 2007. A reason for this change was the parent Unilever’s initiative ‘Path to Grow’. Under this initiative Unilever wanted to reduce the diversity of its brands and bring down the number of brands from 1600 to 400. Unilever had selected Dove as one of its portfolio of brands that would serve as ‘Masterbrand’. Each of these Masterbrands would be an umbrella  identity over a range of product forms. Under this new initiative, Dove was transforming into a lifestyle brand, centered on an emotional connection between consumer and product. This meant that Dove is no longer communicating functional superiority as functionality meant different things in different categories. 3) How did Unilever organize to do product category management and brand management in Unilever before 2000? What was the corresponding structure after 2000? How was brand meaning controlled before 2000 and how is it controlled at the time of this case? Throughout the years, Dove has kept a consistency with their appreciation for natural women. However, their style of messaging has changed. From emphasizing the functional benefit of a moisture rich cleansing bar and having the product sell itself, Ogilvy and Mather advertising agency has created a life stage of confidence for the natural women. They rely on more edgy concepts, though maintaining respect to the product and mission statement. On other word, before 2000, Unilever’s brand management strategy was decentralized and cannibalistically capitalistic, pushing each brand manager to compete with in-house brands. After 2000, organizationally Dove sought to thin the herd and focus on building super-brands. Prior to 2000, the meaning of Dove was simple and aspirational: soap that would not dry your skin. After 2000, Dove used emotional stimulus to implant the product deep in the customers’ minds. Dove became a statement of who you are, so one of the big differences between then and now is the additional availability of options to communicate a branded message to consumers. 4) Spend a little time searching blogs, using Google Blog Search, Technorati, BlogRunner, or any other blog search engines, to get a sense of what people are saying about Dove today. What does this discussion (your blog search) contribute to the meaning of the brand? There is some kind of political or social message included in their advertisements of the real beauty campaign, which heat up discussions on the Internet. On the blogs, I feel there are mostly negative critics about Dove. However, this is with regard to their advertisements so it means the reactions are about the message included in it, not specifically about the products. In addition,  Dove does not include its products in the advertisements of the campaign.†¨Among the blogs, Dove is perceived as a brand which tries to express what the average women looks like. Dove emphasizes on true beauty and naturalness, which concerns a true challenge by expressing this in its advertisements. To some people it is appealing w hile for some others it is not. This comes forth out of believe that the women in the advertisements are not really natural; there is some distrust among a group of customers when it comes to unknown possibility of putting on make-up and using Photoshop in the advertisements. This is what the discussions on blogs can result in; it can generate distrust as well as trust of the Dove brand among people and/or customers and I want to focus on two factors here Image building: Once I typed the term â€Å"Dove†, thousands of posts come out. No matter the comment is good or bad, the more the posts are. From different bloggers, there are different point of views for this brand which provide consumers a whole scope of a product. And if read comment for a famous blogger, his neutral comments not only impress consumers but also even persuade them into buying Dove’s products more. Second, Brand identification: Besides persuasive comments from famous bloggers which make customers devote to it, most discussions are usually customers’ reviews based on their personal experiences and usually follow a product page or a link connected to purchasing pages. In fact, these kind of reviews are almost good words, but even though knowing that the reviews are over exaggerated, customers still identify with Dove unconsciously and furthermore purchase instantly. I believe it is hard to know the effect on the sales of the Dove products and it is not clear, the discussions mainly focus on the message of the advertisement campaigns. †¨In the end, the discussions generate favorable and unfavorable arguments for the Dove brand. The image of women in advertisements is a sensitive subject among women in the world. The term ‘beauty’ captures many different meanings among people and therefore it is a topic, which can lead to endless discussions. Moreover, for Dove this means that it is not perceived as solely a brand for products however, also as a brand which tries to make people aware of the impact of brands and its advertisements in general. Finally, I think they should have focused in both genders or mentioned how males can affect women’s’ decision-making. 5) Footnote 1 of the case leads you to a blogger who asks, with reference to the age of YouTube advertising, â€Å"Is Marketing now cheap, fast and out of control?† Footnote 2 refers to Dove as having started a conversation â€Å"that they don’t have control of.† In â€Å"When Tush comes to Dove† Seth Stevens writes about the â€Å"risky bet that Dove is making†. Do You see risks for the Dove Brand today Summery: Dove consider as the world’s number one brand for health and beauty product sector. In the past it has built its success on innovating products such as its early toilet bar with moisturizing cream, which was quite a revolution on the soap market at that time. Dove’s marketing strategy since 1957 and the launch of the first â€Å"cleansing bar† was to communicate on the functional superiority of its product (no dry sensation) over traditional soap. It was a great success that made the brand the leader on this market. But as I read it in the case, Dove became a â€Å"masterbrand† of Unilever in 2000, which started to sale many health and beauty product (deodorants, body lotions, hair care, etc) under the brand name of Dove. That’s why Dove had to change its advertising strategy. Marketing could no longer base its strategy on the functional superiority of its â€Å"soap† but had to communicate on a wider message. That’s when Dove started with its â€Å"Campain for real beauty† and builds the image of a brand with â€Å"ideas† and â€Å"point of view† on the society. Dove had always preferred natural-looking women for its ads rather than stereotypical models but each time, it was only to promote the benefits of Dove products. In this campaign, it was the first time they promote controversial message against the common image of women’s beauty. They communicated on the natural beauty (provided by Dove products) instead of â€Å"unreachable† and â€Å"fake† beauty that you can see in the majority of advertisement. This controversial marketing campaign had a huge success in terms of media coverage but some people talked about the risks taken by Dove in opening a social debate that they couldn’t control and the fact that they might get the image of the â€Å"fat people† brand which could put them in an uncomfortable marketing position. First of all, Dove made this range of ads to discuss about the common image of beauty in our society. They were taking position as they present themselves as the leader of a battle against non-natural and unreachable beauty. It is a good way to build the image of a brand that has a point of view and cares about women’s problems beyond the need of the product itself (lack of self-esteem, etc). They made some TV ads that to launch the â€Å"buzz† and it worked better than expected as the media started to talk about a new social debate and some TV shows mention it as cultural phenomenon. Then they posted videos on YouTube. After a quick and large spread on the web, the message took another dimension as bloggers and forum’s users start to talk about it. That’s where the risks has begun. As Dove’s message was diffused widely, it was getting harder and harder to control the content of it and the image it wanted to promote. I think the only field where it is risky is for the non-potential consumers that can speak in a bad way about the brand and then change the mind of the potential consumers. As is mentioned in the case, every controversial message is dangerous if you can no longer control it. Some voices started to see Dove as the brand for â€Å"fat women† and saw the no-aspiration aspect in Dove’s advertising. There were a lot of parodies done on the ads and some of them were very critical about Unilever hypocrisy and real motives. Though Unilever was very careful about public relations, there was a risk with this campaign of losing the power of delivering a clear image and message. To conclude, I think that if I could find some risks in this strategy, the benefits of it are far more numerous. . I do not consider it risky for Dove to put an advertisement campaign in this way. Because using this new way of distributing their advertisements only enhances the brand awareness and the attachment and loyalty of customers of the Dove brand. Also, They successfully touched many people in a very short time and, above all, besides the first TV and banner ads, this campaign grew up hugely without costing a thing, which is an amazing advantage and smart act. TV shows and debate, as well as Internet diffusion were doing the work for it. I think their strategy is not a big problem for the brand’s image if we compare it to all Dove’s sales and financial results.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Classroom Management debate Essay

Set of procedures the teacher uses in order to ensure the smooth and motivational interaction among learners. It also involves the e? cient use of audiovisual aids and other forms of realia and equipment. Critical points to consider: †¢Teacher Talking Time †¢Student Taking time †¢The use of L1 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT https:// docs. google. com/open? id=0B5T z9DyyMdqCQjNZX0dkZkdvYmM Why is teacher talking time (TTT) important? ?Teacher talk = Organization of the classroom = Process of language acquisition. ?The quantity of TTT is important and so is the quality. A good balance should always be the target. Factors to be considered: Nunan (1995: 190) 1. The point in the lesson in which the talking occurs. 2. What prompts the teacher talk (planned or spontaneous) 3. The value of the talk as potentially useful for acquisition. Students Talking Time STT STT is the opportunity students have to talk in the classroom. Learners need to: †¢Attend to information †¢Volunteer original ideas †¢Ask relevant questions. †¢Work with other learners †¢Solve problems co-operatively. †¢Work independently in class or at home. STT is enhanced by: †¢Promoting a ‘listening culture’ in the classrooms. †¢Asking more challenging questions. †¢Being ready to accept unexpected answers †¢Allowing silences and time for thought †¢Planning and building in meaningfultasks to encourage productive talk †¢Encouraging students to ask questions, to initiate talk and to seek for meanings CONCLUSIONS THE USE OF L1 IN CLASS. 1. Facilitate teacher-student communication 2. Facilitate teacher-student rapport 3. Facilitate learning 4. Systematize comprehension of L2 structures Harbord, J. (1992) : ? The use of the mother tongue in the classroom in The ELT Journal, Vol. 46/4. IN CONCLUSION†¦ †¢There must be a balance in the TTT and the STT if teachers really want to achieve their objectives in class. †¢The use of L1 should be done taking into consideration students’ needsand environment. Nevertheless, it must be used e? ciently. †¢I think that†¦ ?   

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Essay on The True Villian in Frankenstein - 1590 Words

Mary Shelly wrote the Gothic tale Frankenstein. In the novel, who is the true villain, the Monster or Victor Frankenstein? Which character do you have the most sympathy for? Mary Shelly wrote the novel â€Å"Frankenstein† using gothic techniques. Nearly 200 years after the book was first published in 1818 the readers still debate about the real villain of the story. Victor Frankenstein could be the hero of the story; the reader sympathises with him when he suffers the loss of his mother, his brother William, wife Elizabeth, his father and friend Clerval. This extreme suffering that Victor goes through is a characteristic of romantic heroes. Also as Victor is narrating it emphasises the suffering that he goes through. We also feel†¦show more content†¦The fact he also has no parents is reflected on that he has no name; a child’s name is normally given by their parents. This makes the reader feel sorry for the monster as it emphasises the fact that he has been abandoned by Victor and has no parents. The theme of alienation is carried on throughout the story and can be seen in the point of the De Lacey’s who are thrown out of France. The monster is also alienated by the De Lacey’s who reject him even though helps them out as he grows to love them. He is rejected as Felix, Agatha and Safie return and see him with the old man. This rejection and alienation makes the reader feel sorry for the monster as it is purely prejudice of his looks. The readers see the monster as very calm as he restrains his anger when he sees Victor and doesn’t harm him. Also his language is very eloquent and persuasive he compares Frankenstein to God saying that Victor is his, â€Å"natural lord and king† and that he ought to be Victor’s Adam. The monster flatters Victor and uses rhetorical questions to get Victor thinking so that he would listen to his story and this is all after he is threatened and insulted by him. Also the monster regrets what he did to Victor this shows that he has feelings and a conscience. The reader feels for the monster because of the use of embedded narration, which allows the readers to see the storyShow MoreRelatedThe Consequences Of Technology On Mary Shelley s Frankenstein Essay1703 Words   |  7 PagesThe Consequences of Technology Revealed in Shelley s Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, written in the late nineteenth century, the author proposes that knowledge and technology can be dangerous to individuals and all of humanity. Frankenstein was one of the first cautionary tales about scientific research. Shelley s novel offers profound insight of the consequences of morally insensitive scientific and technological research. Learn from me. . . at least by my exampleRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe s Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, And The Tell Tale Heart1579 Words   |  7 PagesGothic Frankenstein The amount of scary books, dark video games and horror movies in the horror genre is unparalleled by any other single genre. People who take part in this genre enjoy the heart-pounding thrill of being scared or the long drawn out tension that causes them to sit on the edge of their seat. Historically many of the early examples of the horror or gothic genre like Dracula by Bram Stoker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar