Pirates Of Silicon Valley Essay Example for Free

Pirates Of Silicon Valley Essay The movie â€Å"PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY† is all about how Apple and Microsoft got started. This creation was made because of the two intelligent people: Steve Jobs for Apple and Bill Gates for Microsoft. It shows how the first Apple computer was made which is the Macintosh. The movie is also about how the two intelligent persons compete to each other in order to be a successful or famous. It also shows how a good leader handles his employees or team. Just like with Steve Jobs. He is so abusive to his workers. It just like he is only the good person. He always wants to follow his decisions and not giving chance to listen to the opinions or decisions of his teammates. That’s why he had also a problem when it comes to his family. It is quite opposite to Bill Gates. Because Bill is just a simple man and he used his intelligence in good way. That’s why he succeeds much compared to Steve Jobs and became a wealthiest man in the world. I learned from that negative attitude of Steve Jobs. It teaches me not to be high regard to yourself in whatever achievements you will have. It’s because we cannot conclude what the future will holds, sometimes those who are not considered now might be the one who will succeed more. In everything we do, we should be humble. We should also consider the opinions of others. Their points of view will sometimes help us succeed not only for our own interest but to the whole organization as a whole. Because in an organization, it’s not only a matter of one mind functioning but it’s a sharing of thoughts, information and ideas to make the organization successful. But if there’s a negative point out in the movie, there is also a positive value that I admired. First is the companionship of each main character. The companionship of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniac and with Bill Gates and Paul. Despite also of the negative attitude of Steve Jobs, I admired how he persists to be successful. After he was fired in the Apple for after five years, he started a company named NEXT and another company named Pixar. Despite of being a loser in Apple, he didn’t lose his hope to be successful again but still dreams that someday he  will be a successful one. That’s good. We should not think that rejections in our life will still be there. Let’s make it as our inspiration to achieve our goals. We should learn from our mistakes because failure is success. The more we fail, the more we will be a better one if we learned from it.

Errors, Uncertainties and Measurements Essay Example for Free

Errors, Uncertainties and Measurements Essay Abstract In this experiment, different measuring devices were used, namely the vernier calliper, micrometer calliper, foot rule, and the electronic gram balance. These devices were used to obtain the mean diameter, volume, mass, and the experimental value of density of the sphere of known composition. 1. Introduction Measurement is the process or act of determining the size, length, quantity, etc. of something being observed or measured. The units of measurement evolved and changed greatly since the day it was made by humans. In different places, these measurements can vary and could well be different from each other. Thus, standards are used nowadays so that we can have a concrete basis and this also prevents fraud or the cheating of somebody especially in business matters. There are different systems of measurement used. We have this CGS system or known as centimeter-gram-second system which is a metric system derived from the meter-kilogram-second system or mks system. It uses centimeter (c) for  length, gram (g), second (s) for time, dyne for force, and erg for energy. The metric system has become a common system for weights and measures. Its simplicity is the reason why scientists use this system of measurement. You can easily change one unit of measure into another. The units of measurement in this system are all based on decimals. By simply moving the decimal point to the right or left, depending on whether the unit is being decreased or increased, you can change its unit. Greek decimal prefixes like deca, hecto, kilo is used to express units of ten multiples or greater. Despite setting  all of these standards, one’s measurement can never be exact and can always have a certain amount of error. When a measurement is done, the outcome could depend on several factors like the measuring system, the procedure taken, the execution of techniques of the operator, and the condition of the environment (Bell, 1999). This dispersion of values that can be attributed to a measured quantity is what we call as measurement uncertainty. The flaws in measurement can come from the measuring instrument itself due to aging, wearing, poor readability or even noise. The item being measured, if not stable, can produce uncertainties. There are two types of measurement error, systematic error and random error. Imperfect calibration of instrument, its age, wear, and tear, throughout the years which lead to errors can be classified as a systemic error. When you measure the weight of an object using a particular balance which is improperly tared and you get a certain amount of grams higher for all your mass measurements is an example of systematic error. Random errors, on the other hand, are caused by unknown and unpredictable changes in the experiments. Irregular changes in the environment can usually cause this and as well as the random noise on an electrical device (Exell). The precision of a measurement is determines the exactness or accuracy of a number of measurements and how the same quantity agrees with each other. Accuracy tells the correctness, veracity or truthfulness of a measurement. The closer the measurement to the accepted value, the more accurate it is. In this experiment, the group aims to achieve the following objectives: (1) to study errors and how they propagate in simple experiment, (2) to determine the average deviation of a set of experimental values, (3) to determine the mean of a set of experimental values as well as a set of average deviation of the mean, (4) to familiarize the students with the vernier caliper, micrometer caliper, and the foot rule, (5) to compare the accuracy of these measuring devices, (6) to determine the density of an object given its mass and dimensions. 2. Theory 3. Methodology The measuring devices were checked for error. The least count of the vernier caliper, micrometer caliper and the foot rule was determined. Ten independent measurements for the diameter of the sphere using the foot rule were made. This was done by taking measurements at different points along its circumference. The mean diameter of the sphere was calculated. The deviation (d) of each measurement of the mean diameter and the average deviation (a.d.) were also calculated. Then, the average deviation (A.D.) of the mean diameter was computed. The % error for the diameter was computed by considering A.D. as the error and the mean diameter as the standard value. The volume of the sphere was then computed. Significant figures were used. The sphere was weighed using the electronic gram balance. The density of the sphere was calculated using the values obtained from the volume and mass of the sphere. The instructor was asked for the accepted value of the density of the sphere. The % error was then computed. The same steps were used using the vernier caliper and micrometer caliper. Base from the data, measurements from the foot rule had the greatest % error for density (53.85 %) while measurements from the vernier caliper had the least % error (0.17%). Possible errors for the measurements are systematic error especially human error. For the foot rule, members of the group possibly commit an error because the foot rule has no handle so that the end of the sphere could easily see. It is also possible that members of the group wrongly read the values. Base from the the data, accuracy of the instruments can be infer; vernier caliper is more accurate that the foot rule. This is because the uncertain digit of the foot rule is certain in vernier caliper. 5. Conclusion The calipers were checked for errors, and studied how they propagated in the experiment. The average deviation was computed for the foot rule, vernier caliper, and micrometer caliper , which is 0.092, 0.042, and 0.0018 respectively. The average deviation of the mean was also determined, namely, 0.029, 0.013, and 0.00057 respectively. The accuracy of the said measuring devices were compared and recorded in table form. The density of the sphere was determined, 12 g/cm3 , 7.813 g/cm3 , 7.831 g/cm3 . Based on the information written above, the objectives of this experiment were achieved. 6. Applications Among the three measuring devices, the vernier caliper gave the least percent error. The accuracy of a measurement is affected by the least count of the  measuring device. Its’ accuracy would always be uncertain because every measuring instrument has a distinctive amount of uncertainty in its measurement. Error is the deviation of a measured value from the actual value. It is the imprecision in measurements that cannot be avoided. There are two types of error, random and systematic. Repeated measurements obtained from a random error can still be reliably estimated. A systemic error occurs if there is a defect in the equipment or in the design of the experiment. The errors that we encountered during the experiment were more of systematic errors. Most errors are human errors; the some measurement in the vernier caliper are obtained from wrong used of the instrument. A student weighs himself using a bathroom scale calibrated in kilograms. He reported his weight in pounds. What is the percentage error in his reported weight if he uses this conversion: 1 kg=2.2 pounds? The standard kilogram is equal to 2.2046. % Error = |A-T|TÃâ€"100 % Error = |2.2-2.2046|2.2046Ãâ€"100 = 0.21% In an experiment on determination of mass of a sample, your group consisting of 5 students obtained the following results: 14.34 g, 14.32 g, 14.33 g, 14.30 g, and 14.32 g. Find the mean, a.d. and A.D. Suppose that your group is required to make only four determination for the mass of the sample. If you were the leader of the group, which date will you omit? Recalculate the mean, a.d. and A.D. without this data. Which results will you prefer? Table 1. Mass and deviation of the sample in five trials Trial| Mass (g)| Deviation (d)| 1| 14.34| 0.04| 2| 14.32| 0.02| 3| 14.33| 0.03| 4| 14.30| 0.00| 5| 14.23| 0.07| Mean = 14.30 a.d. = 0.032 A.D. = 0.014 14.23 will be omitted because it is the farthest value from each other. Table 2. Mass and deviation of the sample in the chosen four trials Trial| Mass (g)| Deviation (d)| 1| 14.34| 0.02| 2| 14.32| 0.00| 3| 14.33| 0.01| 4| 14.30| 0.02| Mean = 14.32 a.d. = 0.0125 A.D. = 0.007 Base on the computed data above, the data from table 2 are preferred. 7. Reference Bell, S. (1999). A beginners guide to uncertainty measurement. United Kingdom: Crown. Error and Statistics. (2012, December 1). Retrieved from http:/www.lepla.org/en/modules/Activities/p04-error4.htm Exell. (2012, November 30). Error Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.physics.umd.edu/courses/Phys276/Hill/Information/Notes/ErrorAnalysis.html Metric System. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008. Random Errors- Physics Laboratory Tutorial. (2012, December 1). Retrieved December 1, 2012, from http://phys.columbia.edu/~tutorial/rand_v_sys/tut_e_5_1.html Taylor, J. (1999). An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in Physical Measurements. University Science Books, 128-129. Undergraduate Physics- Error Analysis. (2012, December 1). Retrieved from http://felix.physics.sunysb.edu/~allen/252/PHY_error_analysis.html

Relationship Between Culture and Economy

Relationship Between Culture and Economy Critically consider the relationship between culture and economy. To what extent is it true to suggest that decline of community and the growth of competitive individualism are produced by the shifting needs of the capitalist economy? INDIVIDUALISM independent self reliance a doctrine that bases morality on the interests of the individual a social theory maintaining the political and economic independence of the individual and stressing individual initiative (Penguin English Dictionary, 2001) an economic system characterized by the profit motive and by private ownership and control of the means of production, distribution and exchange (Penguin English Dictionary, 2001) The 15th century saw the rise of humanism and the re-evaluation of the human condition in relation to his or her world. This was viewed as a journey from the dark ages of fear and oppression to the enlightened visions of individuality and hope. In reality, it was a journey that very few were privileged enough to afford. One arena for the exercise of this alternative approach was equating classical Greek and Roman cultures with what was then the rigours of contemporary religion. Already, the image of the individual is looking to another stereotype for definition. Yet how surprised these early scholars would be to find that with this individuality came loss of community spirit, apathy and destruction of the extended family in supposedly advanced societies. They would probably be less surprised to find that economics and politics are two of the tools which have been used to carve out and colour these new societies. The following essay looks at how specific these factors operate within this changing framework of postmodern (Featherstone, 1991) society. It extends its scope beyond classical economic and political theory, which is due more consideration that given here. It considered some of the literature available on the subject of culture and economics, but, in order to get a balanced view, it also tries to see what other elements contribute to the decline of community. To start with, it is necessary to understand the elements that go to make up contemporary society. To put it in Foucaultian (1983) terms, how are these discourses constructed and what are their requirements. How specific are they to each society? â€Å"They [discourses] offer us social positions and statuses: the capitalist economy makes us into ‘workers’, ‘employers’ or ‘unemployed’† (Burr, An Introduction to Social Constructivism, 1995, p.54) Culture and economics have been much studied, investigated and written about but the relationship between the two has been a difficult one to define. Guiso, Sapienza, Zingales, (2005) argue for a â€Å"heterogeneity of preferences† as affecting peoples economic choices. If one agrees with this, then the roots of this heterogeneity have to include culture. However, each of these elements of human society have only the stability of the time in which they are created. They are shifting sands and manipulated by both internal and external factors. For example, in a democracy where politicians are elected by the people, it can be supposed that they are saying what the people like to hear and promising to do what the people who elect them want. It may be a cynical view, but once in power, it appears that one form of manipulation gives way to another. As Chomsky (1992) says, propaganda is to democracies what power is to dictatorships. Political ‘spin’ both reacts and lead s. Yet, as the Frankfurt School of Philosophy shows, a depressingly negative conflict between applied reason and an ability for society to cope with, and adapt positively to, change. For example, the search for ‘panaceas’ (Horkheimer, 1987) disturbs explanations of society and economics. The panacea of the poor, as the saying goes, used to be religion. Theorists now point to consumerism as the new religion, yet it fails to provide the happiness it promises. Horkheimer (1987) explores the roots from which these questions arise and examines the success of individuality and autonomy. Why, when advanced technological societies seem to provide such levels of individual choice, is there such discontent? Could it be that an undermining of certain values has rendered us instinctively insecure? Could it be that there is truth in the statement that â€Å"every aspect of culture is in the process of commodification and linkage to the sale of goods† (Herman, 1995)? If so, is individuality an illusion and humans purely commodities to be sold to whether through cultural conformity or adherence to contemporary ideals? For the purpose of this essay, certain parameters need to be placed on the issues. For example, culture, as defined by the Penguin English Dictionary (2001), is a number of things. It is mental development, namely through education. It is the â€Å"intellectual and artistic enlightenment as distinguished from vocational and technical skills†. It is the customary beliefs and social forms of specific groups. Finally it is defined as â€Å"socially transmitted pattern of human behaviour that includes thought, speech, action, institutions and artefacts† (Penguin, 2001). This essay will mostly involve the last definition of culture. Economics seems simpler to define: â€Å"A social science concerned chiefly with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services† (Penguin, 2001). However, even in these general terms it is easy to see how culture and economy inter-depend. For the purpose of this essay, culture and economics will be put in the context of capitalist economies. It will start with questioning what the needs are of a capitalist economy according to theory and actuality. It will then examine how community has changed and whether both the past society and present individuality are ideals rather than realities. This will then be put in the context of contemporary society. Whilst this essay has a specific focus, it is understood that there are many other forms of political, social and economic systems and these can have different effects depending on their societies. For example, as Paecher, in agreement with Burr’s quotation above, points out; â€Å"Different forms of discourse result in the prioritising of different forms of knowledge; change the power relations between discourses and the knowledge relations associated with them will change as well† (Paechter, Educating the Other: gender, power and schooling, 2001) This puts the issues within a cultural context. To do the same with regard to economics one could take the following example. Certain people who benefit from a technologically advanced capitalist economy would find survival extremely challenging in a subsistence economy. However, this is but one approach and one aspect of these issues. In order to see whether capitalism and the increase of individuality alone have been the reasons for a decline in the ideal of community, the ‘needs’ of all these elements of society have to be considered. The ‘needs’ of a capitalist economy can perhaps both be guided and led by the society they are integrated with. A ‘need’ to understand and quantify the changes that occur within these economies has led to works such as that done by Webber and Rigby (in Albritton et al, 2001, pp. 246-262). To take a factual analysis as typical of the more classical economics, they study the slow down in world economy that took place in the 1970’s. They concluded that a lowering profitability in the advanced economies was to blame for the slow down. They took this overview and quantified the results of economic change in order to assess what the reasons were from an analytical perspective. In reality, unemployment rose and wages, as Sennett shows, fell. He quotes a fall of 18% in American wages between 1973 and 1995 (Sennett, 1998, p.54). Whilst the division of rich and poor is as evident through history as today, the illusion that a capitalist society would benefit all individuals was dissolved. Discontent and disillusionment with political promises became part of the culture. It may be that the pressures felt by individuals to strive and survive through competitive application of business strategies has its roots in the depression and vulnerability of unemployment. Sennett talks about these changing pressures in terms of inequality within corporate structures. He has individuals required to out perform and increase skill diversity (p.55) in order to succeed. Work is therefore governed by economics on the one hand and culture on the other with politics as a mediator between desired forms of society and managed realities. In this light, the opposite of competitive indi vidualism is unemployment and whilst fear of the latter keeps the former competitive, the cost of the latter encourages methods of achieving full employment. For example, Featherstone uses the actions of Seattle (1996) to develop its image as a â€Å"quality of life capital† (p.107). The aim was to reduce its mass unemployment by making itself attractive both within the cultural sphere above and as a thriving economic entity. This postmodernisation (Cooke, 1988; Zukin, 1988b cited in Featherstone, 1996) is, once again, a form of self-publicisation and image production – something that this essay will return to later. To return to the UK situation. A percentage of the UK population became dependent on the Welfare State for survival and became known as the long-term unemployed. Politics and economics are at the forefront when it comes to paying for unemployment. Since the 70’s, politics has tried both a carrot and stick approach to reducing outgoings on the unemployed. Behind these initiatives is the Government budget and the premise that you can measure the success of a country by its National expenditure – this will be returned to later. Politics has continued to experiment with methods of cutting the costs of the Welfare State. Programs such as working for the dole were started. Limiting the time unemployment benefit is available for has been tried. Gradually, the programs and policies work there way back to education, the family and the community. For example the Back to Basics campaign could be seen as an attempt to introduce values that would apparently aid community cohesion. H owever, the ethics involved required a level of appreciation and agreement with the cultural capital (Bordieu, 1987, cited in Featherstone, 1991) of that discourse. Long-term unemployment undermined the expectation and value of educational cultural capital. Yet, â€Å"western governments [tended] to view education as a principal means for alleviating social disadvantage† (Webb, Schirato Danaher, 2002, p.111). Therefore politics had to try and create the values to aid economics. For a section of society, there was no educational habitus, as Bordieu would put it, or familiarity with ‘mind sets’ that make education familiar. Again, politics needed to create these as ‘natural’ expectations. This is one demonstration of the links between economics, culture and individuality and already it shows how the elements are forced both to react and interact. It also shows a necessity for illusion, created ideals, stereotypes and manipulations. A different approach looks at the ethics behind human society and puts parameters on the changes they incur. For example, market survival, success and failure through economic cycles brings in Sennett’s (1998) exploration of ‘flexibility’. Flexibility can take a global or local approach for businesses (and seems to be one of the manufactured ideals that consumerism needs to create within its target markets). When faced by falling profits in their domestic markets, the multi-nationals (cigarette firms, drinks etc) tend to expand into under-developed markets such as the third world, youth, specific racial groups (Herman, 1995). Other forms of flexibility worked on creating ‘needs’ in domestic markets (Sennett, 1998). They create niche markets and challenge the individual to be incomplete without compliance. These ‘needs’ may be defined as part of the basis of capitalist economies, but they also become part of the defining factors of their s ocieties, part of their history and therefore their culture. The next question is how is the actuality of ‘community’ affected by business. How do the ethics applied to financial success co-exist with a construction of community? A tendency to divide the community into constituent elements – business community, cultural community, class community etc has led to a range of definitions. Wenger (1998), for example, explains individual integration into business systems through the idea of a community of practise. The variables are at what level individuals are integrated into these systems and this is one way of viewing business and business community in contemporary society. It can also start to expose the isolation even within a workforce. For example an ITC worker can work from an office or home so long as the technology is in place. Although he or she is a member of this community of practise, they can be isolated from the control systems that lead it. Even if working from home, they are divided between which community they are contributing to. To return to consumerism, it would seem that rather than focus on the destruction of the family as a form of power, consumerism and the business community uses it as an expression of individuality. Likewise, politics appears, when faced by a population that is demanding reform, to come up with an ideal that no longer exists and re-creates it in the form it requires – the Nuclear family becomes a unit of modernity, essential services become community actions. The forms used to promote these needs range from local publicity to mass media, globalisation and spin politics. Herman (1995) looks at the affect of the market on culture. He identifies the tools of commercialisation on television, both in subliminal forms (brand placement) and straight-forward advertising. He looks at how commerce exploits certain pre-existing elements â€Å"which sell ´ (1995) (e.g. sex and violence). He suggests that the global popularity of American movies, music and escapisms â€Å"reflects the global decline in family and civil life, and loss of faith in politics.† (Herman, 1995, p.8) Whilst this has been a simplification of the intricacies of commercialisation, it agrees with those such as Slater who state that â€Å"culture as a whole has become consumer culture† (Slater, 1997, p121). In the introductory section questions were raised as to why discontent should exist in an apparently free society. So far, the dichotomy of appearance and actuality in a capitalist society has been alluded to rather than explored. At the essence of this duality is perhaps the recognition that the â€Å"fundamental unit of meaning in capitalist and economic thought is the object,, that is, capitalism relies on the creation of a consumer culture† (Hooker, 1996). An object is controllable and manipulatable. However, if the object is a human being then it is that person’s individual choice that has to be appealed to. As the roots of commerce tend not be the same ethically as those applied to society, appealing to individual choice requires a certain degree of basic undermining of community values. This ethical difference is shown by the types of programs Governments use to support business, which they must in a market economy, as opposed to the types of programs used to re- construct community. Whilst the former takes a business community approach, the latter tends to work on the individual. At one level, the individual is expected to rationalise, at the other to conform through consumerism and political acquiescence. Alexander (1997) explains that recognition of this duality of commerce and its society has existed for some time. In essence, he argues that an imbalance threatens society` when it becomes overly dominant and creates a â€Å"severed culture† (Alexander, 1997, p.209) and therefore artificially sustained. He quotes Disraeli and Snow as warning that a: â€Å"similar gulf continues everywhere between the mind of commerce and industry on the one hand, and the mind of non-commercial people – most people – on the other.† (Alexander, The Civilised Market, 1997, pp.208-209) If this is the case, one of the needs of a capitalist economy from its community is complicity and another is apathy. When the USA and the UK became enamoured with the market, they did not fully comprehend that business is based on profits and that â€Å"present profits are offsets to future costs† (Alexander, 1997, p.124). Governments supported markets at the cost of small business, competitiveness and ultimately high unemployment. To support an artificial ethic, society must either be too powerless, and at worst apathetic, to demand change, or too comfortable believing the ideals of individuality. The price of this redefinition of ‘self’ has been loss of community cohesion. This brings us to the means of capitalist power and whether loss of community values are the price to be paid for individuality. Slater examines how philosophies and theorists identify ‘alienation’ (Slater, 1997, p.104) of the individual where people become a commodity to be managed. For the majority, they no longer are integrated into a society within which they are part of the control system. It has been argued that there is the illusion of control maintained through choice (Slater, 1997). An idealistic example could be an individual in a self-sufficient but essentially subsistence economy such as a tribal village. Each person contributes to the survival of the whole village. Roles are understood. Culture is therefore a reflection of unity and survival. However, in the apparently ‘rich’, technologically advanced economies, the cult of the individual has placed specific values on success through materialism†¦ and perhaps best supported this through the illusion of choice. Slater further examines this illusion of choice and its production through the media and suggests that: â€Å"All consumption, but above all cultural consumption, has become compensatory, integrative and functional. It offers the illusions of freedom, choice and pleasure in exchange for the real loss of these qualities through alienated labour; it integrated people within the general system of exploitation by encouraging them to define their identities, desires and interests in terms of possessing commodities; and it is functional in that consumer culture offers experiences ideally designed to reproduce workers in the form of alienated labour.† (Slater, Consumer Culture and Modernity, 1997, p121) Slater comes to the above through his study of the development of political economics from Marx to Smith, the Frankfurt School to Soper (1981) and Doyal and Gough (1991). He uses the issue of modernity as his framework. In the above quote he talks of capitalism as essentially a cycle of loss. He also argues that culture produces the demand for this capitalism in the first place and that therefore if â€Å"all objects of consumption are meaningful [this] implicates them in the wider field of cultural reproduction† (Slater, 1997, p.5). The following looks briefly at this social reproduction from the perspective of Bourdieu and education. It does this in order to see how individuality and community actually fit within contemporary society. This gives an opportunity to see how political mechanisms use social structures for the production of specific communities. Bourdieu (1983, cited in Webb, Schirato Donaher, 2000) argues that schools are mechanisms for social reproduction. In this example, they are mechanisms for reproducing social inequalities through their policies and practises. For example, Mercier and Harold (2003) demonstrate that the religiously and culturally generated westernised ideal of the heterosexual family unit finds expression in school documentation. This raises the question of discrimination. Whitton, Sinclair, Barker, Nanlohy and Nosworthy (2004) list the forms of discrimination likely to be met in teaching ranging from race to academic ability. How each school accepts, rejects or translates these terms of reference seems to depend on its own cultural and educational version of Bourdieu’s habitus (Schirato Yell, 2000). For example, schools that respect difference may act firmly to stamp out evidence of sexism under the banner or anti-bullying. Their reaction may be just as firm against the somewhat more recognised discriminatory forms of racism (Lareau McNamara, 1999; Sandercock, 2003). In understanding the reactions to these issues, the values placed on social inclusion finds expression through applied social reproduction. For example, translation of another degree from another country into a qualification recognised abroad can take a renegotiation of Bourdieu’s cultural capital (Schirato Yell, 2000). If the issue to be re-evaluated is race or sexuality, the space for it in the culture determines the procedures necessary to move from isolation to inclusion. This can be empowered or disabled by the values pl aced upon it. To take this a step further would perhaps be to recognise this example as showing the vulnerability of individuality when it is beyond specific economic value systems. Social, economic and political discourses can perhaps be seen as reflecting and manipulating the value systems applied to educational institutions. As Robert Doherty (Journal of Educational Enquiry, 2003) puts it, social exclusion may be perpetuated through deliberate institutional, personal and political ambiguity. If there were an economic value to be placed on the people involved, the situation may be very different. Berger asserts that â€Å"capitalism does operate by the principle of self-interest† (Religion and Liberty interview, 2004). However, he then goes on to divide the situations individuals occupy. For example, a business person may well be a parent and apply different ethics and attitudes to each area. Therefore, whilst successful businesses require an underlying self-interest, the same person may have a more altruistic approach in other areas. When Broom and Selznick (1979) explain culture from a framework of social organisation, they show how different underlying values affect the individual. â€Å"Culture is the design and the prescription, the composite of guiding values and ideals† (Broom Selznick, Essentials of Sociology, 1979, p.57) And â€Å"Statements of need are by their very nature profoundly bound up with assumptions about how people would, could or should live in their society: needs are not only social but also political in that they involve statements about social interests and projects.† (Slater, Consumer Culture and Modernity, 1997, introduction) In this context, consumerism takes culture, re-designs or creates need and draws an illusion to create a contemporary image of individuality. The politics of a market economy apparently has to conform to support this in order to support its economy. However, one way of assessing how individualism stands in relation to a balance of power between culture and economics is to look at some of the recent studies into ‘downsizing’. Whilst not new this is an individual choice and a reaction to discontent with contemporary society. In Hamilton’s (2003) examination of what he terms a sickness derived from affluence, he sees down shifters as the â€Å"standard bearers in the revolt against consumerism† (p.207). They represent a move away from humans as consumerist ‘objects’ and return to values based not on how much they own and earn, but on their value as people. However, this is still an expression of individuality and it is not a return to community or family values. In this book Hamilton tracks the changes from the classical economist’s view of economy where the aim was to quantify how to develop a society’s wealth. He takes in the voices of dissent such as Veblen (1925) and Galbrai th (1958) that sought to warm against the growth of consumerism not as a panacea but more as a cultural poison. Other warnings came in the forms of nations approach to their pronunciations on economics. Where policy makers and politicians need seemingly factual tools to communicate with their electorate, economics can provide. However, Hamilton uses the example of Kuznets warnings regarding reducing a nation’s prosperity to a measurement based on national income (p.13). These provided something of a false floor above which consumerism and the individual continued to thrive but below which a widening gap was forming. It could be seen as a hollowing out, an undermining, of the values that had held people together, but perhaps that is too idealistic. When he comes to the unchallenged rise of ‘neo-liberalism’ (p.10) Hamilton uses the discontent within rich societies to demonstrate how wealth and consumerism have failed the individual. He points out the essential fact that individuals have to act in their own interests in order to support consumerism. From this point it is easy to make the jump to the illusion of the individual as some-one with free choice. These illusory factors are perhaps products in themselves. For example, Lasch (1978) looks at the human condition as predisposed to narcissism. If this is so then illusions and ideals, as recognised by Bordieu (1990), are allowed to distance themselves from reality through altering systems of belief. For example, Bordieu uses the example of social roles such as monarchy to show how culture endows roles within specific structures (1990) and creates the person in that image. He recognises â€Å"social functions are social fictions† (p.195). Yet again, images are presented in place of realities. Applied to this is change. Lasch states that the ‘degeneration of politics in spectacle† (1978, p.81) has led to the transformations of â€Å"policy making into publicity† (1978, p.81). He continues with identification of this distance between image production and reality. He explains how disempowerment, and alienation, occurs due to these images becoming the focal poin ts. Whilst these two points of view may diverge on other issues, they agree on idea that â€Å"images of power overshadow the reality† (Lasch, 1978, p.81). But where do these images and illusions find their genesis? In modernised reproduction of ideals? In the production of expected stereotypes? Is the notion of the family unit replaced not only by a unit of commercialism but by an image of itself and its role in social structures? Both Bordieu and Lasch recognise the impossibilities of endowing an illusion with responsibility. Another method of judging how the community fits with politics is to look what happens with migration, such as with the Italian culture. This is historically strongly networked, in part due to the city state mentality and late unification of the country. Amici, vicini, parenti (friends, neighbours, relatives) as the saying goes are still a composite force in Italian society. The answers as to why community spirit should have resisted degradation better than in many other technologically advanced societies has been much explored. One answer stems from the weakness of the political bodies and lack of trust in the ability of a politics to support the nation. These seem to be one of the fundamental causes of continued community interdependence. If this is true, then the link between politics and a consumer society is evidently very strong. Whilst Italy does not in any way lack consumerist ideals, it maintains the community through a distrust of political spin and lack of longevity (altho ugh Berlusconi has succeeded where many have failed – perhaps aided by owning some of the television stations). This can be taken further by looking at how Italian reacted to migration. For example, how did the Italians who migrated to America react? According to Gardaphe (undated), they were â€Å"constantly negotiating their relationship between the local cultures of their origin and of their land of immigration†. It is interesting to find that self-image of Italian American individuals is affected by whether they are integrated into the structures of power associated with that community: Where the local identities are strong is where Italian Americans are an integral part of political and social infrastructure; it is weak where there is little or no connection to that community. (Gardaphe, undated) This would agree with the idea that competitive individualism plays two roles in society. It could be said that an egocentric, consumerist attitude where the self is important above all else plays into the hands of the illusion of modern society. However, the above Italian American example seems to show that community needs to involve all aspects of society in order to provide a strong, cohesive balance of powers. To a degree, this essay has been broader in its approach than hoped. However, it has tried to substantiate the view that there are many elements responsible for community decline. It has looked at the rise of individuality from its roots as a part of historical community – the Enlightenment and Renaissance – to the extremes of alienation brought about by competitive individualism. The essay has looked briefly at education from the perspective of Bourdieu and his theories on social reproduction. It has also looked at migration to see what happens to a particular community then. In summary, the rise of competitive individualism seems to be more negative than positive. It has not provided the happiness that it promised, yet the illusion of freedom makes it worth while. Throughout the essay, illusion has been a focal point for both economy and culture. The essay has looked at propaganda and ‘spin’ as tools of the market place and politics and produces of illusi on. This emphasises the division between reality and illusion. Whilst the essay agrees with Bourdieu that the reality of social institutions is that they do attempt to reproduce the societies and cultures they come from, it also agrees that politics and the market create the ideal for their own ends. Therefore, competitive individualism is just one part of the re-definition of community. However, where culture will change in accordance with society, individualism is a basic essential of a capitalist economy without which the market cannot operate in the form we now know it. References Achbar, M Wintonick, P. (1992). Manufacturing Consent: Noem Chomsky and the Media. A feature documentary. Quebec, Canada: Necessary Illusions. Albritton, R., Itoh, M., Westra, R. Zeuge, A. (eds) (2001). Phases of Capitalist Development. Hampshire: Palgrave Alexander, I. (1997) The Civilized Market: Corporations, Conviction and the Real Business of Capitalism. Oxford, UK: Capstone Publishing Ltd. Allen, R. (consultant Ed) (2002). The Penguin Concise English Dictionary. London, UK: Penguin Books Bourdieu, P. (1990). In Other Words: Essays Towards a Reflexive Sociology. Translated by M. Adamson. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press Broom, L. Selznick, P. (1979). Essentials of Sociology. (2nd Ed) New York, NY: Harper and Row Doherty, R. (2003). Social exclusion: licence through ambiguity Journal of Educational Enquiry, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2003. University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom Carter, D. (Ed) (2004). The Ideas Market. Victoria, Australia: Melbourne University Press Featherstone, M. (1991). Consumer Culture and Postmodernism. London, UK: Sage Publications Foucault, M. (Oct-Nov. 1983). Discourse and Truth: The Problematiz

Apathy in Ithaca :: Ithaca Essays

Apathy in Ithaca      Ã‚   In Ithaca, the depth of Joyce's irony is displayed.   The denouement of this odyssey is perfect for this story, while at the same time leaving us with the exact opposite of the resolution in the tale the book proclaims to emulate.   Odysseus' public apotheosis parallels Bloom's private shame.   The concise question and answer format which Ithaca adopts, found no where else in the book, is refereed to by many critics as reminiscent of a catechism.   The description is well deserved given the overt religious themes in Ulysses.   The almost mathematical precision of the text in juxtaposed with gut wrenching emotion surrounding infidelity.   The parallels that one can draw between the characters of Ulysses and the Odyssey are perhaps the deepest in Ithaca while the themes and undertones of the work drift further apart.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The attempt at a father-son relationship between Bloom and Dedalus is never more apparent as they converse, and fail to converse.   Bloom plays the role of a cuckold almost too well, objectifying in Stephen that which he himself lacks.   Of Dedalus, Bloom notes "Confidence in himself, an equal and opposite power of abandonment and recuperation." (Joyce, Ulysses 550)   This is a far cry from the Dedalus depicted anywhere in the novel.   Bloom is looking to Dedalus as a father who dreams his son will accomplish more than he ever could, and in as much he is disillusioned.   The depiction of the scene in Ithaca is one of mathematical precision, and it should strike as odd the amount of opinion and emotion underlying many of Bloom's assumptions.   He assumes Dedalus' refusal to wash is the "incompatibility of aquacity with the erratic originality of genius, (550) and that his silence implies that me must be composing poetry to himself.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These two men typify the thematic essence of father and son, and in doing so, they destroy the preconceived notions left in the wake of Telemachus and Odysseus.   No longer is the bond of father and son to be understood as a bloodthirsty quest for familial vengeance.   No, it is replaced with a pair so opposite that they have nothing to discuss but the weather.   Not even the violation of Bloom's marriage bed could bring these two to arms.

Deregulation In The Electric Industry :: essays research papers fc

Electricity is the principal force that powers modern society. It lights buildings and streets, runs computers and telephones, drives trains and subways, and operates all variety of motors and machines. Yet most people, despite their great dependence on electrical power, hardly give it a thought. They flip a switch, turn a key, or pick up a phone and expect the power to be there without fail. The almost-century old structure of the American electric utility industry is in need of change. Almost all interested parties accept the fact that technological change and altered views of the nature of government intervention have made the idea of increased competition attractive (Johnson 35). But just how should the competitive market be structured? Some participants want complete deregulation so they can derive the fullest benefits of competition quickly. Others argue that the unfettered free market, however, will cause hardship and inequities (36). Stability in electrical power has traditionally depended on a system highly regulated by federal and state government. In recent years, however, many leaders in government and industry alike have pushed for deregulating the system to make it more responsive to changes in business and technology and more open to the forces of free-market competition (Craven C5). Deregulation has been successful in reducing costs and promoting innovation in airlines, natural gas, telecommunications and other industries. The electric industry is next. Initial steps to deregulate electrical power are now being taken in the United States and Canada. Today the subject is being actively debated in board-rooms and state-houses across the Continent. Everyone is wondering what deregulation will do to the industry. People do not know how it will affect businesses and consumers, and they are debating whether to move fast or slow with deregulation. The "open access" rule of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission went into effect on July 9, 1996. Known as Order 888, it applies only to wholesale transactions. It requires public utilities that own, operate, or control transmission lines to charge other firms the same transmission rates they charge themselves, under comparable terms and conditions of service (Encarta "Deregulation"). This will open control of the market, and it will prevent utilities from denying transmission grid access through prohibitively high rates. Public utilities, municipal utilities, and rural cooperatives are the only customers that are able to purchase wholesale power for resale. Office buildings provide the power to their end users, but the tenants, building

Themes of Class and Society in Blood Brothers Essay -- essays research

Blood Brothers How does Willy Russell explore the themes of class and society through Mickey and Eddie on stage? Introduction Through out the play `Blood Brothers’ Willy Russell explore the themes of class and society through Mickey and Eddie. He uses to look at the ideas of different classes in society within the play. Willy Russell `Blood Brother’ concerned with issue of class in society and Eddie and Mickey represent working class and middle class respectively. The lifestyle of Eddie symbolyses a more comfortable, which he has many good things such as foods, sweet, money and the environment of Eddie. He also has comfortable with his parents. â€Å" It’s only because I love you, Eddie† it states that Eddie’s parents love him, huge him and even though he do not get punished like Mickey. Mickey receives little support where he lives in a rented council estate flat. â€Å" We come all this way just look at the bleeding estate†. This tells that Mickey live up by the park. Russell uses dramatic devices to reveal these differences to the audience. For example the dictionary, he uses dictionary in the middle class family because in the middle class family they have all kind of resources such as books. But the working class family does not have any of these resources. Fo r example Mickey don’t know what a dictionary is. â€Å" Its thing in it†, it comments on that there is much differences about the society through Mickey and Eddie to the audience. Russell clearly intends to show how society was divided by showing the effect upon two characters. â€Å" Give one to me†. On the past Mrs. Lyon took one of the twins from Mrs. Johnstone by persuading her before the twins were born. This is how Russell uses to show how society was split. .. ...h used to show the difference in class between Mickey and Eddie to the audience. The characters react each other about the way they speak and does. For example Willy Russell uses language of the two main characters to reveal the difference in their upbringings and education. Mickey regularly uses slang and shorten words â€Å" Gis a ciggie?† it shows that Mickey is unsatisfied with speaking standard English whilst Eddie shown to be posh by speaking eloquently, â€Å" you, sound dead funny swearing in that posh voice,† Willy Russell state here to show the diversity in class and society through out the play. It uses dramatic irony that the two characters are unknown to each other that they are twins, but the audience realise and know the relationship of Mickey and Eddie. This emphasises the effects of differences in class and that the audience will be more affected be event. Themes of Class and Society in Blood Brothers Essay -- essays research Blood Brothers How does Willy Russell explore the themes of class and society through Mickey and Eddie on stage? Introduction Through out the play `Blood Brothers’ Willy Russell explore the themes of class and society through Mickey and Eddie. He uses to look at the ideas of different classes in society within the play. Willy Russell `Blood Brother’ concerned with issue of class in society and Eddie and Mickey represent working class and middle class respectively. The lifestyle of Eddie symbolyses a more comfortable, which he has many good things such as foods, sweet, money and the environment of Eddie. He also has comfortable with his parents. â€Å" It’s only because I love you, Eddie† it states that Eddie’s parents love him, huge him and even though he do not get punished like Mickey. Mickey receives little support where he lives in a rented council estate flat. â€Å" We come all this way just look at the bleeding estate†. This tells that Mickey live up by the park. Russell uses dramatic devices to reveal these differences to the audience. For example the dictionary, he uses dictionary in the middle class family because in the middle class family they have all kind of resources such as books. But the working class family does not have any of these resources. Fo r example Mickey don’t know what a dictionary is. â€Å" Its thing in it†, it comments on that there is much differences about the society through Mickey and Eddie to the audience. Russell clearly intends to show how society was divided by showing the effect upon two characters. â€Å" Give one to me†. On the past Mrs. Lyon took one of the twins from Mrs. Johnstone by persuading her before the twins were born. This is how Russell uses to show how society was split. .. ...h used to show the difference in class between Mickey and Eddie to the audience. The characters react each other about the way they speak and does. For example Willy Russell uses language of the two main characters to reveal the difference in their upbringings and education. Mickey regularly uses slang and shorten words â€Å" Gis a ciggie?† it shows that Mickey is unsatisfied with speaking standard English whilst Eddie shown to be posh by speaking eloquently, â€Å" you, sound dead funny swearing in that posh voice,† Willy Russell state here to show the diversity in class and society through out the play. It uses dramatic irony that the two characters are unknown to each other that they are twins, but the audience realise and know the relationship of Mickey and Eddie. This emphasises the effects of differences in class and that the audience will be more affected be event.

Ambush Marketing

Ambush marketing is a marketing tool, which may lead to serious marketing success. Ambush marketing emphasizes the importance of shows in big business promotion, and the role of big business in creating shows. Sporting events represent just one example of the way ambush marketing can work in real world business environment. Sponsorship becomes secondary as soon as ambush marketing tools are applied in practice. Ambush marketing is the use of a Sporting Event, in marketing, while not sponsoring the event.The use of the event is done to associate the company with the event, however, in most cases a rival company will be the official sponsor of the event. This is done in full legality and does not break any laws. Ambush marketing is an extremely flexible means of using shows in business promotion. Ambush marketing can take variety of forms, and be adjusted to particular marketing situations. However, this form of marketing strategy generates numerous legal and ethical issues. Sponsors c laim discriminative character of ambush marketing approaches.Simultaneously, ambush theory offers a list of solutions to tackle ethical and legal issues. A Great, yet hypothetical, Example of ambush marketing would be an American Superbowl, which is usually sponsored by Budweiser Beer. Miller beer traditionally associated with the game is not its official sponsor. In reality, Miller uses the benefits of Budweiser’s sponsorship to promote its own trademark, without breaking the legality of the sporting event. Why this trend? Sport is a big business and big businesses are heavily involved in sports.Athletes in the major spectator sports are marketable commodities, sports teams are traded on the stock market, sponsorship rights at major events can cost millions of dollars, network television stations pay large fees to broadcast games, and the merchandising and licensing of sporting goods is a major multi-national business. Although sports have had a commercial component to its o peration since its formative years tracing back to Ancient Greece, in no previous time have we seen the type of exponential growth in the commercialization of sports as occurred in the past decades.This is mainly due to the sophistication of advertisement such as the purchasing of TV and radio slots and billboards in prime locations. It is important to note that sponsorship is not the first financial resource of sport organisations. The main sources of funding for major sport and mega events are TV broadcast rights, sponsoring comes in second and ticketing third . Sponsoring grew in line with the phenomenal increase in TV demand for sport events. One of the main reasons for the emerging yet inevitable trend of Ambush Marketing is to this hype surrounding famous events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and the NFL Super Bowl.Due to the high costs of sponsoring such events, smaller companies cannot afford to spend the amounts larger conglomerates and multinational companies like Co ca Cola, Samsung, McDonalds, Nike, and Kodak pay for getting their sponsorship, and this is one of the basic reasons that is perpetrating ambush marketing. Even larger companies are limited to the amount of events they can sponsor since the sponsorship fees do not include the expenses of the advertisement such as TV, print, outdoor ads, and promotional activities.For the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Coca-Cola Company forecasted their expenses to about $60 million for commercial air time on NBC’s Olympic telecasts in addition to the $40 million the company paid for its worldwide sponsorship rights. Common Forms & Strategies Ambush Marketing takes many forms. One main form commonly used is known as Association Ambushing. This is when the non-sponsor gives the impression of being an official sponsor by using words or symbols associated with the event.For example, during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Anheuser-Busch was the official sponsor and Schirf Brewery, a local and small company, came up with a fairly clever idea of marking its delivery trucks with â€Å"Wasutch Beers. The Unofficial Beer. 2002 Winter Games. † Another main type of ambush marketing is known as Intrusion Ambushing, which is when the non-sponsor piggybacks on the media and spectator exposure of the event for instance by advertising near event venues. Some of the most commonly, but not restricted, employed ambush marketing strategies are as follows:1. Sponsoring the broadcast of the event: Kodak’s sponsorship of the ABC broadcasts of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when Fuji was the official IOC sponsor.2. Sponsoring sub-categories within an event and exploit the investment aggressively: During the 1988 Olympics at Seoul, Kodak secured the worldwide category sponsorship for the Games, while Fuji obtained sub-sponsorship of the U. S. swimming team.3. Making a sponsorship-related contribution to a players’ pool: Ian Thorpe was sponsored by Adidas when Nike was the official clothing supplier for the Australian Olympic team.Thorpe was even photographed with his towel draped over Nike’s logo at a medal presentation ceremony to protect his personal contract with Adidas. 4. Engaging in advertising that coincides with a sponsored event: Intense advertising done by a competitor during or around a sponsored event such as booking billboards near to event venues to fool consumers into thinking there is a link to the event. An example of this was during the 1992 Olympics; Nike placed large murals of USA basketball team members Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley on the sides of buildings in Barcelona.Nike was not an official sponsor of the Games. 5. Pulling a stunt: This is when a small amount of people pull a high profile stunt to attract attention. For example, during an Australian-New Zealnd rugby match in 2002, two naked men streaked onto the playing field â€Å"wearing† a painted-on Vodafone logo, while Vodafone was not a sponsor. Effectiveness Ambush marketing, undoubtedly has been found to be quite effective in its success in creating the appearance of being a legitimate sponsor. In practice, it appears that the public does not properly identify the official sponsors.On corporate sponsorship, Tony Meenaghan explained in an article for the Sloan Management Review, â€Å"By sponsoring an event or providing a budget for an event's broadcast, a sponsor can generate audience awareness while simultaneously creating associations of the event's values in people's minds,† Further on he states, â€Å"An ambush marketer can associate with a major event without large-scale investment in securing rights and thereby fulfill brand awareness and image objectives at low cost—benefits usually available only to the official sponsor,† â€Å"It also generates goodwill, which is a consumer's natural reaction to support for an activity of which he or she approves.At the very least, it creates consum er confusion, thereby denying the legitimate sponsor clear recognition for its sponsorship role. † Meenaghan claimed that ambush marketing â€Å"simultaneously reduces the effectiveness of the sponsor's message while undermining the quality and value of the sponsorship opportunity that the event owner is selling. † In a 1994 survey by the Wirthlin Group, a corporate image research organization, showed that only 12 percent of American adults were able to identify Coke as an Olympic sponsor, despite its’ 66-year affiliation. Furthermore, no other Olympic corporation sponsor had more than 3 percent recognition.An outstanding example on the effectiveness of ambush marketing that is still seen as the ambush of all ambushes is Nike’s marketing campaign for the 1996 Atlantic Olympics. Nike plastered the city in billboards, handed out swoosh banners to wave at the competitions and constructed an enormous Nike center overlooking the stadium. Following the 1996 Atla nta fiasco, many thought Nike had been an official sponsor of the games. In December 2001, a study found that, from a list of 45 likely sponsors of the 2002 World Cup, 20 percent of those polled picked Nike. Ethical & Legal Issues The main question that arises is whether or not the practice of ambush marketing is ethical, illegal, or simply smart business practice.In reality, marketing has never been a gentle industry to begin with. Ambush marketers refer to the event and to their own names and products in an ingenious and creative manner, without using registered trademarks, logos, and slogans so in most cases they manage to circumvent the law. This puts the legal position of ambush marketing practices in an unclear position. Referring back to the Nike example during the 1996 Atlantic Olympics, Simon Pestridge, Nike’s brand manager explains diplomatically in an interview with MSNBC following the event, â€Å"We play inside the rules and we bring a different point of view th at’s true and authentic to sport. â€Å"Corporate sponsors and event organizers regard the â€Å"parasitic† or piggyback tactics, a term often used by aggrieved event organizers and their sponsors, as unethical. On the other hand, ambush marketers argue it is a fair game. Merrill Squires, managing partner of the Dallas-based Marketing Arm, said in a 1999 interview with ABCnews. com, â€Å"The weak link is marketers who sign a sponsorship deal and don’t look at it carefully. They need to negotiate for every potential right to block out competitors. † Tackling the Issue Learning from experience, sponsors and event owners have picked up on several strategies for countering ambush marketing:1. Pressurize event owners to protect their events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) seeks to block ambushing by controlling images, official license souvenirs, and by offering first option to official sponsors on other promotional opportunities.2. Link event and broadcast sponsorship. This includes combined packages of event sponsorship, broadcast sponsorship and advertising time around television broadcast of the event.3. Anticipate potential competitive promotions. Sponsors must investigate the terms of sponsorship contract, what rights co-sponsors have and if they are in the same industry.4. Exploit the sponsorship rights secured. Sponsors should launch a well-rounded marketing communications campaign and exploit the association with the event fully.5. Resort to legal action, especially if a non-sponsor uses marks associated with an event. There have been several major attempts to crackdown on ambush marketing. One major attempt was the Sydney’s Solution also known as the Sydney 2000 Act, which went further than ever in trying to counter ambush marketing.The highlights of the Acts passed were the Indicia and Images Act and Olympic Arrangements Act. The Indicia and Images Act prohibited the use of phrases and images from unlicense d commercial use, which was broadly defined that would suggest a connection with the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The Olympic Arrangements Act prohibited any selling or distribution of articles in public places within a 3km radius from the event.There were several non-sponsors who were still able to legally market their brand around the event. In the end, Sydney went further that ever in trying to crackdown on ambush marketing strategies, but were still found to be inadequate for responding to ingenious marketing strategies. It is clear that the control of ambush marketing requires additional strategies. In the future as the Beijing Olympic Games are approaching in August 2008, the International Olympic Committee claims they are preparing to counter ambush marketing. The IOC plans to safeguard its sponsors’ interests inside the venues by making sure no ambush marketing campaigns are being picked up by television cameras.Non-authorized beverages will be banned from the venues as well as t-shirts and products featuring non-sponsor corporate names linked with the Olympic Games. Conclusion If Ambush marketing provides smaller companies with a chance to promote themselves, does that mean that ambush marketing approaches are legally and ethically misbalanced?Does that mean that smaller companies illegally use the official sponsorship benefits to promote their trademarks? There is no definite answer to that question. One thing is clear: Ambush marketing remains one of the most effective marketing tools in contemporary business and sports. As long as sports turn into business, and business makes money in sports, ambush marketing will bring substantial financial profits to those who are aware of its benefits.The coming Olympic Games in Beijing will show the effectiveness of anti-ambush procedures which the IOC plans to implement, but companies will still seek new means of advertising themselves without sponsoring big shows. Ambush marketing is an evasive tool of s elf-advertising; as long as it takes unclear legal position, ambush marketing strategies will keep flourishing across all levels of promotion in business. Ambush marketing is an ambiguous means of companies’ self-promotion. On the one hand, it helps smaller companies gain a better market share and make their trademarks recognizable to potential customers. On the other hand, larger sponsors view ambush marketing as the means of undermining their marketing stability.Confusion is the third, and probably, the most important effect ambush marketing causes on consumers. In this complicated marketing environment, competitors should be more careful when signing sponsorship deals. Legal responsibility will eliminate the majority of ambush marketing threats which sponsors should address on their way towards success and recognition.Bibliography1. Sauer, Abram. â€Å"Ambush Marketing Steals the Show. † May 27, 2002. .2. Meenaghan, Tony. â€Å"Ambush Marketing—A Threat to C orporate Sponsorship. † Sloan Management Review. Fall 1996. .3. â€Å"THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; In ‘trolling for sponsors,' organizers of the 1996 Games are playing against the clock — and trailing. † The New York Times. 31 August 1995 .4. Garrigues, Cristina. Ambush Marketing: A Threat to Global Sponsored Events? 26 March 2004. .5. http://www. usp-age. com/flash/2006/jul06/marketing_battle. swf.6. http://www. austlii. edu. au/au/journals/MurUEJL/2001/10. html.7. http://www. accessmylibrary. com/coms2/summary_0286-9614696_ITM.8. Shah, Tina. â€Å"Ambush Marketing.† November 2004 http://www. advancedge. com/archives/nov04/MBArk_ambush_marktng. pdf.9. ALSO NOTE ABOUT RAPPAPORT DOCUMENT Wei L, Kretschmer M. , Ambush Marketing: A study of strategies and legal responses, ISLR Pandektis, Vol. 5:3, 2004. Davis R. N. , Ambushing the Olympic Games, ISLR/Pandektis, Vol. III Nr. ?, p. 7.10. Page name: Ambush marketing, Author: Wikipedia contributors , Pu blisher: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. , Date of last revision: 28 April 2008 04:46 UTC , Date retrieved: 30 April 2008 15:14 UTC , Permanent link: http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Ambush_marketing&oldid=208688867 , Page Version ID: 208688867.FOOTNOTE : According to the International Olympic Committee, the revenues generated from these sources for the period from 2001 until 2004 accounted for respectively 53%, 34% and 11% of , the remaining 2% coming from other licensing activities, http://www. olympic. org/uk/organisation/facts/revenue/index_uk. asp;This is roughly true in relation to football as well. According to FIFA’s 2006 Financial statements, 58% of its revenues in 2006 came from TV broadcasting rights and 24% from marketing rights, i. e. sponsoring, http://fr. fifa. com/mm/document/affederation/administration/2006_fifa_ar_en_1766. pdf; FIFA’s overall yearly revenue for the period 2003-2006 reached CHF 3. 238 billions.