Life of the Female Pioneer on the Oregon Trail

Life of the Female Pioneer on the Oregon Trail University Of Phoenix HIS/110 August 25, 2012 Kim Murphy Life of the Female Pioneer on the Oregon Trail My life as a female pioneer taking the journey down the Oregon Trail was one of hardship and adventure. During the early 1800s settlers began to explore new territory in the New World looking for new opportunities. Through the pioneer journeys of Lewis and Clark a route through America was discovered that would take settlers to new land in the Pacific Northwest portion of the country. To reach the new land pioneers, such as I, had to travel down what became known as the Oregon Trail.Through the Oregon Trail the expansion of the West began but to get to this new part of the country I would have to travel two thousand miles along with other pioneers from my part of the country. We started in Missouri that required us to travel through five states to reach our new destination. To reach the new land offered to myself and the other pioneers in the New World, we would travel in large groups with people in wagons and on horseback. This was to help ensure our safety as we traveled the Oregon Trail to the new land in the West.Our travels included men, women, and children of all ages. Although I made the choice to go myself, there were many women on the trail that had to face the hardships of the long trail because their husbands had chosen to take this adventure. This was difficult for many of them because they were forced to leave their already established homes in exchange for the hardships of the trail and an uncertain future in the Pacific Northwest. To travel down the Oregon Trail, we travelled in horse drawn wagons and had oxen’s pulling carts of supplies.I like other pioneer families left my home with my worldly possessions that I could afford to carry. We faced being robbed at gunpoint by highway men on the trail. Another danger faced by the female pioneers and the wagon train were attacks by Native America ns. The Wagon Trains were attacked and burned and the men were killed leaving the women, children, and wagon supplies to be stolen by the Indians. Women were forced to become the slave of an Indian family or the wife of an Indian brave while the children were adopted by Indian families or made to be slaves.I and the other women were responsible for ensuring the food supply lasted on the long journey as well as packing the wagon. We were also responsible for cooking the meals on the Oregon Trail. We were required to wear long dresses with long sleeves in oppressive heat and care for all of the needs of the men and children as well as tend to the sick. There was a major risk to the female pioneer of losing our husbands or even our children to illness or accidents along the Oregon Trail. If the food supply ran short the men would hunt for food, use supplies meant for our new homes, or die of starvation.Illnesses, such as Typhoid and cholera, were common and would spread through the wag on trains creating more work for us women (Bledsoe, 1984). The overworked women would in turn become more vulnerable to becoming sick and perishing. Women who gave birth while on the Oregon Trail faced vast difficulty and in many cases the female pioneer or the new born would die. Women pioneers were usually fairly young because women during this time married as young as 14 but quickly toughened up because of the major responsibilities we faced on the trail.Despite the many hardships faced by myself and the other female pioneers, we helped to pave the way for future generations of Americans and bravely traveled to an unknown land to build a new life. The Oregon territory was originally jointly owned by American and the British but was acquired by America in 1846 and expanded the territory of the United States (Eddin, 2009). Before Oregon was acquired by America the area was sparsely populated and the single woman, such as I, had little opportunity to find a husband. In most cases we would marry a farm hand or the closest neighbor.Marriages were rarely based on love but instead of convenience and the benefit to the family. A large majority of pioneers became farmers making the pioneer women a farming wife but also required her to deal with the harsh winters that were associated with the area and adjust to a life of constant isolation. Once American acquired the Oregon territory the population began to expand and the pioneer families were offered more opportunity as well as single women, such as I, had more opportunity to meet potential husbands.New towns and cities began to emerge and we women were no longer forced to sew our own clothes. It also provided a more convenient and affordable way for us to buy food than in the past. Once the population began to grow in Oregon the society became more modernized and life for I and the other pioneer women became less harsh. References Bledsoe, L. (1984). Adventuresome Women on the Oregon Trail: 1840-186. http://www. js tor. org/discover/10. 2307/3346237? uid=3739256&uid=2129&uid Eddin, O. (2009). The Oregon Country and Westward Expansion. http://www. thefurtrapper. com/oregon_country. htm

Freedom Writers Analysis Essay

Freedom Writers is a drama movie based on the book â€Å"The Freedom Writers Diary† written by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell. The movie was first released on January 5th 2007 in the USA, and on May 18th 2007 in Norway. The director of the movie is Richard LaGravenese and the screenwriters are the Freedom Writers, Erin Gruwell and Richard LaGravenese. The Music is made by Mark Isham, will.i.am, Talib Kweli and other various artists. The main actors are Hilary Swank as Erin Gruwell, Patrick Dempsey as Scott Casey, Imelda Staunton as Margaret Campbell, April L. Hernandez as Eva Benitez, Mario as Andre Bryant, Jason Finn as Marcus and Jaclyn Ngan as Sindy. The Freedom Writers is about the young, novice teacher Erin Gruwell and the students in classroom 203 at Woodrow Wilson High School, Long Beach, California. The story takes place from year 1992 to 1995 and it is a true story. Ms Gruwell was very excited for her first day. She had big plans for how she was going to get the students to line up outside the classroom door, instead of not showing up to class or quit before the first semester was finished. This was how the schools’ reputation had turned out to be after the integration program was suggested at Woodrow Wilson. To teach the street kids, was a lot easier said than done. To get the students’ attention, Ms Gruwell had to call them Nazis and count how many of them who had lost friends to gang violence. The students comes from many different societies. In room 203 there are blacks, whites, Latinos and Cambodians. For many of these kids, death, violence, gangs, and fighting for territories, are daily events. They come from broken families and have had a very difficult and challenging childhood. They are happy if they make it to the end of the day. One of the students, Eva, said to Ms Gruwell during class; â€Å"what are you doing in here that makes a god damn difference to my life?† This wakes Ms Gruwell up, and she starts to use unusual methods like playing games, bring the students on trips, and make them write diaries to try to teach, and to help them with their lives and their chance to graduate high school and go to college. The title of the movie and the book are based on these diaries. There are many strong characters in this movie. It is not easy to decide who the main characters are, because we feel like we get to know every one of them, and each character have its own story. Ms Gruwell seemed like an inexperienced, rich man’s daughter, but through the things she did, she showed us some admirable sides of herself. Eva Benitez is a Latino/Spanish- American girl. She has a very strong personality and fights hard for what she thinks is right. But under the unyielding mask, we can sense a hint of uncertainty. Marcus is a black boy, and one of the persons we get to know most about. He seems like a very nice boy, but he also has his dark secrets. Marcus changes his personality and his way of living a lot because he wants to move back home to his mother. Sindy is a Cambodian girl. She was involved in the main conflicts in the movie. She has been in a refugee camp, and after the war in Cambodia her father is not the same anymore. Her character shows no fear and an admirable willpower. There are many positive things to say about the movie. Many of the actors did an excellent job by playing the characters and getting their personality come through. April L. Hernandez is one of them. She did an excellent job playing Eva Benitez. She had very many different emotions like anger, sadness, frustration and relief. I also liked the music they chose. It was not typical film music. It was up to date hip hop and pop music, which could have been exactly the kind of music the students would have listened to. You feel like you are getting very close to them, and that you get to know them. Although it was a very good movie, there are some negative things as well. The movie was quite predictable. After Ms. Gruwell had caught the student’s attention, you could imagine how the movie was going to end. At some points the movie was pretty boring. This movie shows that it is possible for a teacher to inspire a class and to make a difference in someone’s life. There has been made many movies like this before, for example Half Nelson and Music of the Heart. This movie is different from the others because it is based on a true story. Nevertheless, it was a touching and inspiring movie with many funny moments. I would give this movie 4 stars. It is not one of my favorites, but definitely worth to see.

Individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual - Essay Example A research based on the investigation of 288 companies identified the resistance from employees at various levels as the biggest factor that hindered the implementation of change (Creasey cited in Haslam and Pennington, n.d., p. 3). This is so because the personnel tend to gain benefits from the existing business model of the organization. They have their ways formulated in such a way that any change in the existing business model can be a potential threat to their profitability. A leader is responsible to quell the resistance among people towards the implementation of a change that is compulsory for the organizational growth. The process of transition comprises three entirely distinct processes, each of which upsets the organizational personnel in its own way. The three stages are â€Å"1) Saying Goodbye, 2) The Neutral Zone, and 3) Moving Forward† (Haslam and Pennington, n.d., p. 3). Employees have reason to resist the first stage. At least they know how to work in the old s ystem whether or not it works. Having worked in the old setup for quite some time, they develop a comfort level with the first stage. Lacking the set of competencies required by the new system, people tend to revert to the old system. The Neutral Zone, which is essentially the second stage, consumes most of the time and energy of people. Instead of taking the discomfort as a challenge and working their way towards the new comfort, people tend to go back to the same old ineffective but convenient ways of doing things. In organizations which have the culture of punishing employees for their mistakes, people hesitate to adopt the new system unless they are sure they will not make any mistake in the Moving Forward stage, which is the third stage. The need of security and safety causes people to resist change. It rests with the transformational leader to make the change implemented with minimum inconvenience. According to Herold et al (2008), not much study has been done to find the impa ct of transformational leadership on outcomes of the change. Personal outcomes are the fundamental specialty of transformational leadership (Givens, 2008, p. 4). â€Å"The vision, drive, passion and ability of leaders to inspire their followers into action largely make up †¦ charismatic leadership style [of the leaders]† (Parry and Proctor-Thomson, 2002). A transformational leader necessarily has five crucial qualities that make him an effective transformational leader. A leader must be a Visionary; A leader must be a person of Integrity and Honesty and have Values; A leader must know how to properly motivate others; and A leader must be able to lead change and finally, A leader must be able to lead a culture of change. (Cornelius & Associates, n.d.). Despite their individualistic identity and significance in organizational leadership, these qualities are largely interdependent. Changes in an organization can be fundamentally classified into two types, namely the planned and the emergent. Initiatives drives in an organization from top to bottom are termed as planned changes whereas emergent changes are those which develop from any level in the hierarchical structure of an organization. In either of the two types of changes, leader assumes a crucial role to play. In order for the planned change to be effective, it is imperative that the leader

Environmental Services and Economic Production in Indiana State Assignment

Environmental Services and Economic Production in Indiana State - Assignment Example Indiana State has embarked on an ambitious plan of reducing energy dependency by producing energy from the natural resources and stirring energy consideration. There are more than five environmental services that sustain the economic production in Indiana. They include waste management in cases of conversion of Biomass to biogas and energy preservation. The services are in line with the aforementioned plan of the Indiana state of produce thousands of metrics of energy from the natural sources such as coal, soybean and biomass among others. Indiana enjoys 11 operating ethanol plants and numerous biodiesel manufacturing plants.The State has the world’s largest soybean plant. All these plants produce over one billion gallons of biofuel production capacity. With this enormous economic investment and production of energy from the natural sources, a greater need for preservation and conservation is eminent to safeguard the wellbeing of humanity and continuity of the resources. This perspective explains the endless efforts of the various environmental organizations to offer environmental conservation services. Such agencies include the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. Environmental conservations in Indiana State are of immense importance due to the fact that, the foundation of economic development is based on the natural resources, particularly in agriculture and energy production.To ensure continuity of these natural resources for the wellbeing of the inhabitants preservation and conservation services are necessary.

The Muslim brotherhood in north america Research Paper

The Muslim brotherhood in north america - Research Paper Example Practical politics of the Muslim brotherhood in the US have had some impact on the American domestic scene as well as the way US deals with the Islamic world. This writing traces the development of the Muslim Brotherhood and tests the movement’s readiness to conform to the rules of the emerging American society. In achieving strong union, it is not advisable to sacrifice liberty to attain unity. Although it is always necessary to attain a strong union, liberty is equally important and therefore it should not be neglected. A strong union may be triggered by economic reasons such as unequal distribution of wealth or the zeal for different religious beliefs or perhaps an attachment to different leaders who are contending for power, which may largely divide a society. Some scholars argue that unity can only be achieved when diversity is respected as this implies the paradox of democratic life. Despite the fact that independent systems are always desirable in a democratic world, th eir freedom and independence may somehow entitle them to do harm. It is worth noting that globalization has made America to become part of the world as the world as also turned out to be part of America although the challenge with the American democracy may not live up to expectations if citizenship becomes meaningless. According to Lopez Muslim Brotherhood is an oldest and the most influential Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928 and was strongly opposed to colonial rule (Web). Muslim Brotherhood based its discourse on Islam and believed that Islam is the only answer to Western military, political, economic as well as cultural influence in the Muslim world. The movement used a modern method of political ideas to mobilize support and spread across the world. In US, the nucleus, which began with the Muslim Student Association in the 1960s, laid numerous movements such as Islamic Association of North America as well as the Council on American Islamic Relations that had a common financial sources and occasional participation in common initiatives (Vidino Web). The groups included affluent, well connected, highly educated and motivated leaders with strong followers whom US authorities reach out to when seeking to engage the Muslim Community. Brotherhood movement have access to government because of the dynamics and although they have ideological ties with the middle east they are independent. Many organizations are currently linked with the Muslim Brotherhood and in the past decades, they have changed their tactics and objectives (â€Å"DiscoverTheNetwork† Web). â€Å"DiscoverTheNetwork† posit that the Brotherhoods’ goal to the west is very different and some critics posit that they intend to impose sharia law in the west (Web). One of the movement’s goals in the US is to preserve Islamic identity amongst American Muslims through a conservatism and openness approach without applying g isolation. Moreover, Muslim Brotherhood normal ly wants to be designated as an official representative of the Muslim community of America although there unrelenting in activism has not attracted many members. Most American Muslims usually ignore the movements’ claims thus prompting the organization to associate with the American elites who may financially support them and provide political support as well as legitimacy. They deemed it necessary to connect with elites so that they can

Compare and contrast atheism of Karl Marx, and Richard Dawkins and Term Paper

Compare and contrast atheism of Karl Marx, and Richard Dawkins and provide a profound definition on atheism is with regard to fa - Term Paper Example Most of these atheists have argued that their reason for not believing in the existence of deities is the hypocrisy that comes along with religion. Some see religion as means used by the people in the upper social class to oppress the ordinary or poor people. Some also argue that religion creates a platform on which leaders try to discourage people from rebelling against their leadership. For instance, some religions claim that violence is wrong and punishable this believe is drilled into children as they grow up, making sure that they fear punishment. This makes the children who grow up having this belief to be calm even when they are oppressed by those with higher status than them. This implies that these people will not rebel against any forms of oppression. Some of the major reasons, why people become atheists are discussed below. To begin with, religions argue that there is one creator, who made heaven and earth and all that is in it for seven days. Man was also created, and the creator created a channel to speak to mankind through prophets. With the development of many religions and beliefs, there are many prophets that have emerged most of whom are fake prophets, out to lie to mankind and oppress them in some way. The many numbers of prophets lead to different prophets who make different prophesies. Many atheists wonder that if there is one creator that exists, why it that prophets often give is prophesies that contradict, instead of prophesying constituent issues. Religion prompts mankind to be kind to each other, and to help one another. Religion also helps one to understand that life is not a practice run, thus creates the urge to fulfill the part of life that requires to be fulfilled. Another fact about atheists is that they are very conversant with different religions and their teachings and practices. This is because atheists more often than not, read too much literature on religion. Karl Marx is one of the very well known atheists. Marx has been a n atheist since he was a child for the rest of his life. In the 19th century, Karl Marx was an economist, theorist, and activist of socialism and communism. In his criticisms, Marx refers to religion as the â€Å"opium of the people.† He viewed religion as a foundation for the oppression of the poor and ordinary by the strong and influential people. He also argues that religion is created so as to make the believers docile, and to preventing them from rebelling from their leaders. Moreover, he says that the people who want to fight against the leadership in place use religious interpretations to come up with justifications for their rebellion. The atheism practiced by Marx was both practical and theoretical. Various factors have contributed to his theoretical atheism. The primary factor for his theoretical atheism is due to philosophical reasons; others include social, historical and political reasons. Marx argues that if individual visits a new town and finds their beliefs b eing totally different from his/her believes, the natives of this place are bound to mock him and claim that the visitor is a victim of fantasy and abstraction. The theoretical atheism of Karl Marx has led to him developing three postulates. These three include dialectical or metaphysical materialism, which makes a consideration of matters pertaining the supreme and exceptional basis of all things that do exist. Second is the historical materialism, in which the economic factor is the basic principle and the determining factor. This postulate also

Kurds and they are Stateless Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kurds and they are Stateless Nation - Essay Example This final element of independence or sovereignty is definitive of the modern conception of a state and makes the ultimate difference between being a state and being stateless. It is a common misconception to regard a nation and a state as synonymous but this is a product of a statist bias which gives partiality to recognized states over stateless nations including national minorities. There must be recognition of the presence of a plurality of states in relation to â€Å"stateless nations and their diaspora† (Baubock 310). The stability of states is an important aspect in ensuring the peace and order within a nation. The history of a state must be well-defined and transcend the co-existing history of certain regimes. This will provide for a thorough grasp to differentiate regimes from the actual state. Boundaries are equally susceptible in determining stability as those in power are usually the ones who impose themselves to take over public office. Support from the internatio nal community is necessary in order to preserve territorial integrity. Frequently, it is those states recognized in international affairs that enjoy support from other nations (Meadwell 273). The reality of the existence of substates that configure the entire dimension of understanding what a state is has been around for many generations. Most have been cultivated and subsisted for generations that dates back even prior to the establishment of the state as recognized in international world affairs. The comprehension of nationalism and belongingness cannot be delineated to a clear sense of limiting nationality to the constrictive term as defined by the United Nations in its quest to avoid statelessness. This was extensively discussed by the body of nations through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to tackle the problems that are encountered by refugees in conflicted areas (Balaton-Chrimes 2). But this concentrates on a more personal level through a discourse in the dilemmas encountered by individuals because of their condition as stateless. In a broader sense, nationalism entails a certain degree of belongingness and a commonality in culture and identity that simply declaring one to be a citizen of a particular country by birth or by blood does not equate to its full appreciation by the essence of what it implicates. This recognition from the international community gives the very life to the existence of the state. It also provides the creation of a country and its consequent statehood as well as affords it the capacity to partake in the international forum and exercise its rights as a nation. On the contrary, without the elements to make up a state certain groups that fundamentally comprise a state become dubbed as stateless for comparative purposes. These groups of people who generally have a stake in a particular territorial portion and with accompanying leaders lack sovereignty because they have no independence and are often assimilat ed in recognized states. This is where the Kurds as a stateless nation has been enduring their status as a massive group of people moving toward the elusive autonomy that they have been elusively seeking for decades and had made them among the most pronounced stateless nation in the world. The Kurds have been

The Hotel Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Hotel Business - Assignment Example As the discussion stresses the hotel business is one of the booming industries today. The advent of globalization has both necessitated and attracted people to travel far geographic regions either for business, studies or leisure purposes. The demand for hotels have drastically increase with this change in lifestyle. The hotel industry has then been a very profitable venture for most businessmen. Travel catalyzes the hotel industry. And since technology has increased the possibility and ease of transportation, we predict that the hotel industry will also continue to boom. From the report it is clear that agreeing on contracts and signing becomes very fragile especially if it involves a great deal of resource and puts the integrity of the business at risk. Contract agreement can be a very sensitive issue whether it be on employment, on business links and even in some financial decisions such as investing and borrowing. People who have experience on contract agreements have something to share on how to make the process of agreeing easy and comfortable. For the hotel industry, the practical guide is the same as with the other industries. During telephone conversations and at meetings take notes of the points covered and at the end read them back to the other person to ensure there is a mutual understanding of what has been agreed† and â€Å"confirm those points in a letter as soon as possible† while also maintaining copies of all communications.... On the other hand, if both parties do not agree on non-negotiable aspects such as price, then the owner must not pursue with the deal. Preparation is also very important. This is the stage where the hotel owner can study previous contracts on similar arrangements so that adapting there will be a foundation for familiarity. This is also the stage where the owner can write down the most important points that you need on agree on (Nicholas Sharp). As to the records, Sharp and Etches give two practicals: "During telephone conversations and at meetings take notes of the points covered and at the end read them back to the other person to ensure there is a mutual understanding of what has been agreed" and "confirm those points in a letter as soon as possible" while also maintaining copies of all communications (Nicholas Sharp). When the contract is with a supplier, several things must be done before inking the contract. It would be very helpful to shop for different quotes before narrowing down your choice to a particular supplier. The contract should contain the relevant information such as "how and when payment should be made" (National Consumer Agency). During the negotiation, it is highly advised to never agree to something whether verbally or in writing when you still have some points to raise and agree on. A very straight action of saying "no" to a proposal that contains some things that you do not agree on is also a must. "Tactically, it is often better for you to prepare and send the other party the contract you want, rather than wait to get the other party's version. If you have to react to another version this

The Land Registration Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The Land Registration Bill - Essay Example One significant step towards achieving the mirror principle, a step which is particularly welcome, has been the phasing out or complete removal of a number of overriding interests by the 2002 Act. This is because the 2002 Act envisages that the majority of interests in land will only be capable of being created when simultaneously registered. However, admitting to there being overriding interests undermines the ‘mirror principle’. These un-registrable rights, deemed so important that they do not require registration and which have to date been given statutory protection, dilutes the fundamental objective on which the 2002 Act is based. Lord Denning in Strand Securities v. Caswell spoke of the purpose of the overriding interest in Section 70(1)(g) of the Land Registration Act, 1925 (the â€Å"1925 Act†) as being to â€Å"protect the person in actual occupation of land from having his rights lost in the welter of registration†. He further stated that such a p erson may â€Å"simply stay there and do nothing† but will nonetheless be protected. The 1925 Act listed out the ‘old law’ overriding interests in Section 70(1). Section 70(1) consisted of a number of lettered paragraphs. Many of the types of interest listed in Section 70(1) were unimportant; in practice there were five important categories of overriding interest. â€Å"The guiding principle on which it [the Bill] proceeds is that interests should be overriding only where it is unreasonable to expect them to be protected on the Register.†

Modern democracy develop in America Essay Example for Free

Modern democracy develop in America Essay The English colonies on the eastern coast of American can be divided into three groups, the North, the Middle Colonies and the South. They all have very different attitudes but they all came here to America to escape from the oppression back in Europe and to develop a new, democratic country. To establish democracy, they all have to face the same enemy, the British. Modern democracy involves the right to vote, check and balance, and an elected representative. The main reasons for development of modern democracy in America were religion, wealth, political freedom, pragmatism and secularism. Religion and political freedom are strongly related to each other because Christianity provided an essential moral foundation for liberal democratic government. The Pilgrims who reached New England in 1620 escaped from religious persecution by the English church and government and the corruptions of Holland. Soon they decided to set up their own government base on Christian ideas, particular the idea of equality. It was one of the early steps towards modern democracy in America. The Pilgrims drew up an important agreement called the Mayflower Compact. The agreement stated that the government would make just laws and equal with the consent of the colonists. In practice this meant that adult male Pilgrims met from time to time to elect a governor and a small group to assist him. The Puritans also hated the hierarchy system in the English church. But comparing to the Pilgrims, the Puritans were more ambitious. They thought it was destiny and Gods will that brought them to America. Religion and the idea of city upon the hill caused them to form a democratic government. City upon a hill was proposed by John Winthrop. He meant that the new colony would be an example for the rest of the world of how God meant men and women to live. The Puritans should build their city well and it would become a model which England might follow. Wealth also hindered the movement of democracy. First of all, the colonists in the south went to American hoping to find wealth and success which they found by growing tobacco and slave trade. Once they got wealth, they wanted to protect their property and to gain further profit. The only way to do  this is to have a government system where it will concern about peoples self interest. As a result, a democratic government is developed where most issues were approved or discussed by the people before it was passed. Pragmatism means human taking practical actions to problems. America is a new, strange land to the colonists. The colonists had to be very flexible to cope with the wilderness. Secularism means the exclusion of religious and supernatural beliefs. These two ideas combined to develop another characteristic of modern democracy that is religious freedom. It was first suggested by William Penn, a Quaker. They believed all men are equal no matter what race or what religion they believed in. The Quakers thought religion does not dictate political decisions, though the moral views originating in Christianity remain. Rather then concentrating on the religious aspect, they concentrate on improving their lives in this new country. The Shakers held a similar idea with the Quakers. They believed in Hands to work, heart to God. This developed the idea of you can believe in any religion or none at all, with little legal or social sanction, that is the freedom of religion. The main cause of the American War of Independence is how the British treated Americans after the Seven Years War. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) had the French on one side and Prussia backed by British gold on the other. The Seven Years War was mainly the result of trading rights. The British colonials (Americans) were pinned up against the Atlantic seaboard, with only the Hudson Bay Company in the north challenging the French trading. The colonists were running out of land. British found the need to expand. But doing so, they would enter the Ohio Valley, controlled by France. In the end, France was defeated. Although Britain won the war, they found themselves in an unfavourable situation. The war was longer than the British had expected and was expensive. Even worse, the colonists were moving west. In order to maintain their new land in America British must send troops to protect it, this was another huge spending. Since Britain had defended the thirteen colonies, they thought tha t the colonists should pay for the troops by various taxes. Starting from 1763, Britain tried to apply its own policy onto the American colonists. The American colonists were unpleased because the reason why there were here in America was to escape from English rule but now the British government was making decisions, disregarding the assemblies that they established earlier. A few events highlighted the colonists resentments and anger toward Britain. In 1764, the Revenue Act was introduced. It stated that colonists have to pay duty for molasses which is used to make rum. It was the first time that the colonists felt the unjust of British rule. The next year, British introduced another tax through Stamp Act. This Act made colonists to buy stamps for newspaper and many other essential items. They even have to buy license for playing cards and dice. The colonists became outrageous, they believed only their assemblies can tax on them, not the London Parliament which is few thousands miles away and they had not much power in it. The anger towards British rule was intense by Britain demolishing all duties in the Townshend Act apart from tea. The colonists regarded this as a bribe to make them end the boycott with British government so that the British can tax them. As a result, a first actual rebellion was broke out and it was known as the Boston Tea Party. Few colonists disguised themselves as Indians and threw cargos of tea into the harbour. This rebellion alerted the British. The British decided to make a harsher plan towards America. The Intolerable Acts were made in 1774 to gain total control over American colonists. The British block ports and only allow American assemblies to meet once a year. This is the ultimate reason for making the American wanted to go to war with Britain. The Acts caused the colonists to stop all trade with Britain and raise their own troops. Americans felt that Britain was taking their democracy away by simply ruling them in British way. Under British rule, Americans did not have the right to vote or to elect government. They did not have religion freedom and must follow the English church. They could not have their own trade. The colonists feelings could be expressed through the Philosophes arguments. As the famous philosophe, Voltaire said, I disagree with everything you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it!, he believed that the Church stood in the way of truth by telling people what to believe instead of allowing them to think for themselves. The American extended this  idea even further and thought that Britain was in the way of their democracy and that the welfare of the colony and the Empire were not always synonymous. The philosophes also emphasised on human rights and this related to how the American thought when a government does not consent the governed, it should be change. The colonists fled from the oppression back in Europe and wanted to start a new life. Their religion, ambition and attidtues finally led them to the road to modern democracy. But Britain disregarded their rights and democracy and this is the immediate cause of the American War of Independence.

Ethical issues in advertising

Ethical issues in advertising ETHICAL ISSUES IN ADVERTISING INTRODUCTION Human beings create a number of different worlds. One of the worlds that human beings have created is the world of money, trade, commodities and exchange. To an outsider, this often feels like a world full of beauty and ugliness in equal proportions messy, flashy, exotic and sometimes even scary. Advertisers are often so engrossed with the nitty-gritty of the profession and dealing with as well as outsmarting competition, that they are unable to observe and comprehend this phenomenon. The business arena can be viewed as the world of buyers and sellers, producers and consumers, bosses and workers, a world of money. It is in effect nothing less than an ontological category – A Way of Being. It is not accidental to who we are, but rather, it defines the way we relate to each other as well as to the world around us. However, we must realise that it is not the be-all and end-all, and that there are other ways of Being; the most fundamental of these being Ethics. As per Geoffrey Klempner, Ethics is defined by an â€Å"I-thou† relationship as follows: â€Å"When I engage another person in moral dialogue, there are not two parallel processes of practical deliberation going on, his and mine, but only one. â€Å" This is in clear contrast with the case of a dialogue between traders or politicians, where each is privately deliberating as to how to gain the upper hand. In the former case, one is already committed to the practical consequences of agreement, and of doing the action which by the combined light of both the parties valuational perspective, is seen as the thing to be done. Human beings can belong to more than one world, or even move between worlds. We live in the marketplace and also outside of it. We can either play the various roles assigned to us in the game, or we can step outside of our economic personae and observe ourselves from an ethical point of view. Geoffrey Klempner has put forward three propositions as a prolegomenon to a philosophy for business: Business and commerce take place in a frame, in an arena defined by unwritten rules Normalethics is suspended within the business arena The aim of a philosophy for a business is to understand the rules that define the business arena, i.e. to grasp from an ethical perspective, as tohow business is possible When we claim that in the business world normal ethics is suspended, we do not deny the validity of rules of conduct, such as honesty and fairness. Without these universal rules and these values, the game could not be played. However, these obligations do fall far short of the demands of ethics. Advertising plays a major role in consumer marketing. It enables companies to meet their communication as well as other marketing objectives. Advertising is typically used to inform, persuade, and remind consumers. More importantly, it reinforces their attitudes and perceptions. For decades, advertising has been a target of criticism. It has been hailed as an engine of free market economy, a capitalistic virtue, as, and as a promoter of consumer welfare. On the other hand, its detractors accuse it of an array of sins ranging from sexism to deceit and manipulation, as an economic waste to purveying of harmful products, from triviality to moral and intellectual pollution (Mittal, 1994). Many see advertising as a threat to the self realization and to the cultural identity of the developing countries, since: It brings to many people alien ethical values It may deviate consumer demands in the developing countries to areas which might inhibit development priorities It affects and can also often deform ways of life and lifestyles(Mac Bride, 1980) Advertising is considered unethical in the following scenarios: It degrades the rivals product or a substitute product It gives misguiding information/false information It conceals information that vitally affects human life (e.g. Side effects of drugs) It makes exaggerated claims It is obscene or immoral or is against the broad national interest Even though comparative advertising may be considered legal and given the fact that its widespread use may have granted it acceptance, the debate on whether it is ethical or not, still continues to rage. There is however no unanimity or common ground among advertising professionals and marketing clients with regards to such questionable practices. However, all of them agree to this one aspect, that while considering the question of unethical practices, the focus needs to be to safeguard the interest of buyers at the micro level and of the society at the macro level, since their satisfaction remains the key to marketing success. The criticism has not been limited only to its intended effects on society, but also extends to its unintended effects. Most of the criticism has come from the elite observers of society. In contrast to this however, the general public has historically viewed advertising in a much more positive way. Criticisms of advertising have generally originated from the highest socio-economic classes. Since the earliest days of what now entails the modern marketing era and before, lower and middle class people have historically been more positive towards advertising. (Bauer Greyser, 1968; Fullerton Nevett, 1986; Steiner, 1976; Zanot, 1984). In India, we are still unaware of the extent to which these intellectual criticisms reflect the more widely held consumer beliefs and attitudes. To understand the viewpoints and opinions of the Indian public, we must examine as to how advertising is perceived in terms of its economic, social and ethical impacts. BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING Advertising is omnipresent in todays world, with a large proportion of human and also material resources are devoted to the field of advertising. Advertising has a number of benefits, which we can classify under the following heads: Economic Benefits of Advertising Advertising plays a very important role in the process by which an economic system is guided by moral norms and is responsive to the common good that contributes to human development. It is an essential part of the functioning of the modern market economies, which exist, or are emerging in many different parts of the world as well as those which seem to be the most efficient instrument for effective utilization of resources and also for effectively responding to the needs of different socio-economic kinds. Benefits of Political Advertising As a free and a responsible media, in a democratic system, it helps to counteract the tendencies towards monopolization of power on the part of oligarchies and also the special interests. Thus, political advertising can make a significant contribution by informing people about the policy proposals and the ideas of parties and their candidates, also including new candidates who were hitherto unknown to the public. Cultural Benefits of Advertising Advertisers have the opportunity to exert a strong influence on decisions pertaining to media content. They do so by supporting the material of excellent aesthetic, intellectual as well as moral quality that is presented with the greater interest of the public, and is particularly done by encouraging and making it possible for media presentations to be oriented towards those minorities whose needs go unnoticed and thus un-served. Moral and Religious Benefits of Advertising It has often been seen, that benevolent social institutions, including institutions of a religious nature, make in-depth use of advertising in order to communicate their messages. These may be messages of faith, messages of patriotism, messages of tolerance, or even messages of compassion and neighbourly service. The advertised messages may be those of charity towards the needy, messages concerning health and education, as well as constructive and helpful messages that not only educate, but also motivate people in a variety of ways. High involvement in all aspects of media-related activities, including advertising, has today become an essential part of a highly comprehensive pastoral strategy. ETHICS IN ADVERTISING Advertisings visible social role makes it a target for criticism. Some of todays customers believe that a great deal of advertising is unethical because: It adds to the price of the products It is untruthful It tricks people It targets vulnerable people Numerous advertising-related issues are often left to the discretion of the advertisers and are based on ethical concerns: Advocacy à   Advertising tries to persuade the audience to do something that is not correct. It is not objective or neutral. Accuracy à   Subtle messages trouble critics, especially when aimed at groups such as children, the elderly or the disabled. Acquisitiveness à   Consumers are continually persuaded that they continually need more and more new products. However, consumers make the final decision. ETHICAL ISSUES PREVELANT IN ADVERTISING Even though a section of the media and the public lambasted the advertisers and the advertising agencies for the falling scores of decency and taste in advertising, such advertisements raged on and they have now become the order of the day. Brands that were far-fetched from carnality have started showing all-consuming lust in their advertisements. This trend is prevalent in India as well. It began when on 23rd July 1995, a Mumbai tabloid published a photograph of an advertisement for Tuff shoes that showed models Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre, posing in the nude with a python wrapped around them, just about covering the vitals. The protests and controversy dragged on for a long time. The nation pooh-poohed the audacity of the couple, while the advertisement agencies defended their creative rights. The slogan of advertisers now-a-days is â€Å"Love it. Or Hate it. Or think it is offensive. But you have to notice it.† Advertising is largely criticized since selling carries a stigma. Centuries ago, Anacharis had said, the market is a place set aside where men may deceive each other†. Even to this date despite the significant rise in consumerism and despite the efforts to counter market deception, buyers are still gullible and are not particularly on the guard against deception. Under intense competition and declining profits, the perspective of organizations shifts from what is best for the society in the long run, to what is best for the company in the short-run. The advertisers claim that ethics are fine for the secure however all the slipping that a company needs is the desire for a greater market share. Since advertising pertains to a large audience, it belongs refers to the 4th quadrant of the grid shown below. Thus, the question to be asked by advertisers is, â€Å"What makes a good society?† Advertising thus must address the most controversial, collective level welfare issues. ADVERTISING AREAS THAT COME UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF ETHICS Advertising ethics affects both the practice of our lives and of business, in subtle as well as prominent ways. Ethics in advertisements concern us all in one way or the other. The areas under the scrutiny of the critics are: TYPES OF ADVERTISEMENTS For sex related products Instead of generating awareness among people about the necessity of safe sex and the benefits of birth control, condom advertisements continue to intrigue the audience and especially the youth with the unique feel that it has to offer. E.g. Moods Condoms For health care and professional services The slimming centres which promise miraculous weight reduction and the cosmetic surgery clinics which assure a permanent solution to all beauty problems. E.g. VLCC Slimming Centre For vices with fatal effects Tobacco chewing ads Commercials of alcoholic beverages that tempt the non-alcoholics to have a sip Gambling In early 2001, the Government of India announced that it would table a bill banning the tobacco companies from advertising their products and from sponsoring sports and cultural events. This example brings to the fore both the commercial and ethical dimensions of such a ban. It helps us to understand the role of ethics in a business decision and to understand where to draw the line in making decisions, which involve both ethical and commercial considerations. The element of social responsiveness as well as social responsibility attached to a business ethics dimension results in corporate strategy or even in formulating a business policy. Thus, we see that the connotation of ethics goes beyond the illegal acts of professional managers or even entrepreneurs. It covers the entire gamut of business operation, including ethics in advertising. PUFFERY Puffery refers to the exaggerated claim of a products superiority or it could also be the use of subjective/vague statements that may not be true in the literary sense. The Uniform Commercial Code is responsible for standardizing sales and business practices throughout the U.S. It makes a distinction between puffery as well as any specific or quantifiable statement about the product quality or the performance that constitutes an â€Å"express warranty.† For example, a diner advertisement promoting what it claims to be the worlds best cup of coffee would classify as puffery. Such a claim would be almost impossible to substantiate, and no reasonable consumer would fall for it and take such an exaggeration at its face value. Puffery often makes use of the superlative form of a word, like best or greatest. Puffery might also at times exaggerate the advertised effects of a particular product. SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING One that is transferred in such a way that the receiver is not consciously aware of receiving it. Subliminal means something that registers below the level of the conscious human mind. The brain perceives all the information in theory however the mind does not interpret the information for a meaning. Numerous studies indicate that quite often, we actually do perceive information at the subliminal level. A good example would be as to how often one would notice when the speedometer in the car is about to roll over to a bunch of zeroes. One doesnt consciously notice the mileage on the car ever so often, but the zeroing does make us pay attention. While driving to work, how many cars do we pass? What makes and models were they a part of? The only ones that we paid particular attention to were most probably the really neat cars or those cars which were driven by the people we recognize. If we notice something consciously, then it ceases to be subliminal anymore. Inserting subliminal messages in advertisements is an inherently misleading action. It involves an attempt to manipulate the thinking of a person, without the person even realizing it. The West has seen a considerable number of subliminal advertisements and related hullabaloos. This is primarily because the advertisement, marketing and the regulating media themselves have been quite active while raising such issues. During the US Presidential elections of the year 2000, it was found that a political advertisement for the candidature of George W. Bush subliminally flashed the word RATS while criticizing candidate Al Gores plan for prescription medicine. While the ad maker was prompt in denying that the quickly flashed word was in fact a subliminal message designed to sling mud at Gore, a large number of people, however, had concluded that RATS was indeed inserted with the surreptitious intention of subliminally causing the viewers to associate Al Gore with vermin. The questionable wo rd appeared on the screen only for a microsecond, thus passing by so fast that it was almost not recognizable to the conscious mind, especially when the mind was already passively lulled by television. As per the theory of subliminal advertising, the image would, actually register in the viewers subconscious mind, thus causing the viewer to negatively associate candidate Al Gore with a rat/rodent. TYPES OF APPEALS IN ADVERTISEMENTS Use of questionable appeals The advertisements that bank on negative appeal and fear like neighbours envy, feud, jealousy etc. are part of this category. Nimbus Neo Sports (Neo) had bagged the telecast rights for the India-West Indies and also the India-Sri Lanka series to be held in India. In January 2007, an ad campaign was launched by Nimbus with the pay-off line being Its tough being a West Indian in India. One of the advertisements in this series showed a West Indian desperately searching for some water to quench his thirst, as his palette is unable to handle the spicy Indian food. However, the Indians put their dirty fingers and their dentures into the water in order to deny him from having a drink. Another advertisement showed a West Indian couple along with an Indian boatman, on a boat-ride. On reaching the centre of the deep lake, the boatman throws the oars into the lake and then disrobes; giving the impression that he would assault the girl. Then, he jumps into the lake leaving the distraught couple stuck in the middle of the lake. Media experts have opined that what according to Nimbus was a creative way of showcasing the competitive spirit in India, as well as creating hype around its new sports channel, had actually trod the fine line between creative and unconventional advertising and respecting the ethical sensibilities of the people. It was felt by some critics that the two advertisements that were shown in the campaign, were in bad taste and also was offensive, since it showed people being mistreated, on the basis of colour/nationality. The advertisements were also criticized for showing Indians in bad light as India has always been known for its hospitality. Stereotypical appeals This includes sexual or racial stereotyping. Advertisements that imply that a woman, whether in the kitchen or in the boardroom, must look sensuous and inviting under any given circumstances, is an apt example of advertisements creating stereotypes. The fairness creams are also responsible for stereotyping the dusky women as being socially less desired for marriage. Other stereotypes that are often portrayed and concretized through advertisements are: Racial Ethnic Stereotypes Senior Citizens Gay Lesbian Consumers LARGER EFFECTS ON THE SOCIETY Given their wide reach and influence on the audience, we must realise that advertisements have significant impact on society in the long run: Value formation Advertisements are responsible for moulding society and the material wants of the people. The advertisements which display scantily clad female models in effect commoditize women. Moreover, the deluge of advertisements that increase ones propensity of consumption makes one feel that it is essential to possess a certain commodity in order to show that one belongs to a particular section (generally, higher echelon) of the society. Media content This refers to the information content of advertisements. Those advertisements which suggest the usage of preserved food items without even the slightest mention of the fact that many of the preservatives used have been proved to have carcinogenic effects are part of this category. Use of deception The advertisements of brands which conceal their negative aspects are included in this category. An example of this is the advertisements of cosmetics which say nothing at all about the long-term effects of using their products on a regular basis. Also, the advertisements of various educational institutes that wrongly claim to provide 100 percent placement to their students fall into this category. Advertisements targeting children and adolescents The advertisements that target the vulnerability of the adolescents and the children result in the creation of role models whom these kids are expected to emulate. This in turn shapes their dreams and aspirations in a truly unbecoming way. ADVERTISERS CONCERN Voice/Tone of the advertisement Comparative advertisements that thrive on inflicting vitriolic attacks on rivals are an example of this category. Copying of ideas and plagiarising of advertisements in the ad world is another such menace. Impediments to research on Ethics in Advertising There exist certain impediments to research on advertising ethics: Lack of practitioner interest Research is often impeded by the inapplicability of published findings to the business operations. Another reason for the same might be the disinterest of corporations in sponsoring research on advertising ethics as also is the funding constraint that cause researchers to rely only on a convenience sample. Lack of sound measures and framework Research is also impeded by a lack of psychometrically sound measurement scales and also a lack of theoretical frameworks in the field of advertising/marketing. Lack of relevant theories in related disciplines Research is also sometimes hampered by theoretical shortcomings in the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, management, philosophy and advertising/ marketing. Lack of academic interest Research is often impeded by the lack of a journal editor and the difficulty that researchers face when trying to relate ethical issues to the traditional advertising issues. Why be ethical? During the 83rd Annual Management Conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Keith Reinhardt, the Chairman and the Chief Executive of the US $15-billion company DDB Worldwide Communications Group, quoted the legendary co-founder of DDB, Bill Bernbach: All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of the society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level. It might be misconstrued that Reinhad is against the edgy and the unconventional advertising means, however, that is not the case. He is against prurient sex, filthy humour and violence in advertisements. By making a success story out of the advertisements that are offensive to public decency, the message being put forth is disturbingly clear: the more rude and shocking you can be, the more successful you will be in advertising your product. Moreover, such advertisements send out faulty signals to the youngsters who represent and shape the future of our society. The people to blame for this are young creative directors who take pride in their eccentric thought process. Not only this, but the advertising industry also encourages this through machineries from Cannes to Clios that help place such creations on the pedestal. Passion is, without doubt, the most important ingredient in creative achievement. However, its flame need not necessarily leap for bullets, obscenity and falsehoods alone. It is essential to reinforce the virtue of positive passion in todays advertising world. It is imperative that ethics is a part of advertising, since we have a duty to live a good and fulfilling moral life. This duty is equally applicable to our business lives as well as our private lives. Marketing professionals also know that strong ethics do bring in good business. REGULATORY FACTORS AFFECTING ADVERTISING LEGISLATION The Federal Trade Commissions main focus regarding advertising is to identify and eliminate advertisements that are deceptive or those that mislead the consumer. The key areas of concern in this regard are: Deception The current policy on deception contains three basic elements: Where there is omission, practice or representation, there must be a high probability that it will mislead the consumer A â€Å"reasonable customers† perspective is used to judge deception The deception must lead to material injury As is evident from these basic elements, deception, in most cases becomes difficult to prove. Thus, even though an advertisement might be indulging in deceptive practices that do not strictly fall under the purview of the above mentioned elements, it cannot be prohibited. Reasonable basis for making a claim The reasonability of a claim is decided on a case-by-case basis. The following factors are taken into consideration in this regard: Type specificity of the claim made Type of product Possible consequence of the false claim The degree of reliance by consumers on the claim made The type and accessibility of the evidence available for making the claim Comparative Advertising Comparative advertising refers to an advertisement in which a particular product/service mentions the name of the competitor for the purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product which is naming it. Comparative advertising by companies are on some occasions used to put down products of rival firms, without any basis or facts. This leads to unhealthy competition in the marketplace. Comparative advertising is considered deceptive unless: Comparisons made are based on facts The differences that are being advertised are statistically significant The comparisons made involve meaningful issues The comparisons are made to meaningful competitors In the 1980s during the period that has been now referred to as thecola wars,the soft drinkmanufacturerPepsiran a series of advertisements in which t showed people caught on hidden camera, and administered a blind taste test, chose Pepsi over arch rivalCoca-Cola. Endorsements An endorser or a testimonial refers to any advertising message that consumers believe reflects the opinions, beliefs or experiences of an individual, a group, or an institution. Endorsers must: Be qualified by experience or training to make judgements They must actually use the product SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY As per Phillip Kotler, â€Å"An organizations Task is to determine the needs, wants and interests of the target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than its competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumers and the societys Well-Being.† Thus we see that organizations do have a responsibility towards society, apart from achieving their individual profit targets. An organization can exhibit two levels of social responsibility: Level One à   Being socially responsible is a business philosophy Level Two à   The advertiser is engaged in Pro-social Messaging An organization also exhibits different approaches to social responsibility: Obstructionist Stance à   Organization does as little as possible i.e. exhibits a low degree of social responsibility Defensive Stance à   Organization does only what is legally required Accommodative Stance à   Organization meets legal ethical requirements and sometimes also goes beyond what is required Proactive Stance à   Organization seeks opportunities to be socially responsible i.e. exhibits a high degree of social responsibility There are also different levels of Self Regulation that are often seen in organizations: Self-Discipline à   An organization develops, uses and enforces the norms by itself Pure Self Regulation à   The industry is the one which develops, uses and enforces norms Co-Opted Self Regulation à   Industry voluntarily involves non-industry people in the development, application and enforcement of norms UNETHICAL ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET http://www.rubak.com/article.cfm?ID=13 CONCLUSION Thus, we have seen the various types of advertisements that fall under the purview of unethical advertising, and have also seen the far reaching effects of the circumvention of ethics and morals on the society at large. Wherever freedom of speech and communication exists, it is then largely up to the advertisers themselves in order to ensure that ethically responsible practices are being conducted in their profession. Besides avoiding abuses and falling out of line with the ethical dimension of advertising, the responsible advertiser should also make it a point to undertake the repair and the harm sometimes caused by advertising. Since unethical practices have become commonplace, conscientious advertisers must take it upon themselves to make significant personal sacrifices in order to correct them. However, people who want to do things that are morally right must be prepared to suffer loss and also at times personal injury, rather than doing what is wrong. This does not mean that adv ertising, as we know of it today, be eliminated from the contemporary world. Advertising is an integral element in modern day society, especially with regards to the functioning of a market economy, which is becoming more and more widespread. Moreover, as described in the report earlier, advertising can, and often does play a fairly constructive role in the exchange of information, economic growth, and the ideas, and also in the fostering of solidarity among groups as well as individuals. Despite this, we must keep in mind, that it can als