buy custom Factors That Affect Brand Equity essay

buy custom Factors That Affect Brand Equity essay Brand equity determines the performance, sustainability, and comparative advantage that a brand may enjoy or lack on the market (Kapferer 304). The two terms denote the relative strength of the brand over others. In the competitive corporate world, companies and firms have prioritized brand building as an integral aspect of business strategy. Brand equity is contextualized within the overall structures and framework of total quality management (Kapferer 328). Companies direct significant percentages of their budgetary allocations towards enhancing of their brand equity. Normally, the overall objective is to target the perceptions, sensibilities, opinions, and preferences of the clientele towards the brand. Competition by firms to enhance the image of their brand equity is considered as the virtual terrain for the battle for the psychological attraction of the clientele (Simovic 56). The process of brand building often works through covert and overt ways. The subliminal psychological impact on the minds of the consumer and appeal across different segments of the market are the fundamental objectives of enhancing brand equity. Various studies have explored the different factors that contribute to brand equity in the corporate world. However, few studies have focused on the actual nature of associations between these factors within the understanding of brand equity. Some of the factors that have been explored include marketing communication, pricing and price promotion, product category, distribution intensity, and the perceived quality of a product. This study will attempt to explore the various levels of impact that these five variables have in brand equity. The understanding of these associations and levels of impact will assist in contributing or annulling some of the theories and propositions that have been developed with regard to brand equity. These variables will be explored in terms of their efficacy in controlling the minds of customers towards designated business goals and objectives. The forces of globalization and liberalization of the market economy have made it important for corporate strategists to develop unique systems of brand equity in order to stay ahead in the competition (Simovic 89). The successful completion of the various aspects of brand equity will mostly involve the development of an integrated system that fits within the framework of total quality management. There is a need for studies to explore the fundamental building blocks and the shifting nature of associations that affect the relationships between the variables and brand equity. Such studies would be resourceful for corporate planners and strategists to revise their methods of doing business in line with the shifting market trends. This position draws from the fact that markets are not static. The corporate space is fluid and responds to different kinds of global and local stimuli, macro-economic factors, and micro-economic influences. Aims and Objectives To determine whether there exists any association between marketing communication and the enhancing of brand equity. To explore the nature of association that exists between pricing and price promotion and the nature of brand equity on the market. To investigate the impact of product category on the nature of brand equity on the corporate market. To examine the effect of distribution intensity on the brand equity of a given product. To relate the kind and nature of perceived quality of product and brand equity of a given product. Methodology Target Population This study will target 150 regular consumers of fast foods in New York. The target group will be limited between the ages of 18 to 70. The respondents will be divided into halves across either gender. The selections will observe variations across the demographic categories of race, religion, sexual orientation, educational level, age, income levels, and political concerns. The choice of the sample size, age bracket of the respondents, and the mix in demographic variables will allow the study to capture a representative sample of the American urban population. Only the central parts of New York will be considered in the study. Outlying regions and annexes will be excluded from the study. The population of New York is among the largest in the United States comprising of nearly 18.9 million within an area of 17,400 square kilometers. Further, the study will particularly target respondents who will have lived within the city of New York for the last five years. The assumption made would be that this period is sufficient for an individual to integrate into the culture of a place and adopt certain aspects of lifestyles that rhyme with the dominant patterns of life. Immigrants, tourists, and businesspeople in the fast-food sector will be excluded from the study systematically. The exclusion of immigrants would be because they have not acclimatized sufficiently in the American urban society to warrant their involvement in the study. Tourists will also be excluded for the same reason. Businesspersons in the fast-food line of service will be excluded due to the high likelihood for bias in the information that they keep. Participants will be recruited through a personal contact with the city population at their different times of visit into recreational facilities. The researcher will establish contacts with more than 200 clients at the fast food stores in order to provide room for non-compliance. One of the assumptions that will be made regarding this study is that the clients to be found at the restaurants are more likely to be frequent consumers of the fast food than those who may be found in other areas of the city. Two or three graduate assistants will be enlisted in the task of establishing and retaining contacts with the target group. Studies have observed that a target population of 150 respondents and above is the most appropriate in capturing representative information on any given subject of the study (Kumar 78). Such a sample should reflect heterogeneous qualities in terms of demographic factors. Study Area This study will take place in New York City. New York is the most populated city in the United States of America. New York is an international destination for business, entertainment, technology, and other areas of modern interest (Lankevich 77). Current statistics puts the population of New York at 8,175,133 (Lankevich 151). New York reflects the worlds cultural diversity being home to about 800 different languages. There are about 4000 mobile vendors in New York. Many of these vendors deal in the fast food industry (Lankevich 45). The city is distinguishable from other cities in the United States because of the peculiar culture and manner of speaking. New York City is culturally diverse, which makes it convenient for the study of customer prefernces and opinions on the matter of brand equity. The concentration of major businesses at the different parts of the city shows that the city has a significant business potential and a research clientele. The corporate culture of the city and the relatively high levels of education in the city would influence the participation of the population. The choice of New York City as the study area would benefit from the mix of associations and the high volume of international business that affects the way in which consumers respond to forces that determine brand equity. New York has been regarded as a global nexus of business, which responds to the global forces that determine the conventional trends of business and consumer preferences. Some opinions hold it that New York acts as a global pace setter in the world due to the influence it wields across the different segments of the society. This will give the study an increased opportunity for generalization. This study will, therefore, explore the opportunities in order to expose the internal factors and forces that determine brand equity. Data Collection Methods Primary data will be collected through written questionnaires and interviews. This is because the study is primarily a quantitative approach. The questionnaires will be issued to the respondents and given sufficient amount of time to enable their cooperation. The information collected from the questionnaires will then be synthesized, organized and analyzed in order to a unified body of knowledge. Linkert scales will be used to explore the degree of opinion or perspectives adopted by the respondents on the various variables that regard brand equity. A mixture of closed-ended question and open-ended question will be used in the questionnaires. Interviews will be structured in a manner that would in the extraction of relevant information from resource people on the matter of brand equity. Businesspersons, business experts, and researchers will be responding to specific elements of the questions. Each question in the interview will be scheduled to take between 5 to 10 minutes. The information from the interviews will be collected by way of tape recorders and notebooks. The information will then be synthesized in order to align them with the objectives of the study. The responses will be coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Secondary information will be obtained from archival records, peer-reviewed journals, business databases, and other sources of published works that explore the matter of brand equity and its influence on consumer trends and preferences. Priority will be given to the most recent publications. Publications that fall within the past ten years will be considered. These publications will be organized according to particular themes that are consistent with the objectives of the study. Information from the secondary sources will be clustered into tables and matched with existing bodies of information as represented in the literature review. According to the studies on approaches in methodology, pairing and matching of information helps in harmonizing of disparate forms of information into a meaningful whole (Goddard and Stuart 91). Test for Reliability of Research Instruments Validity Since this is a quantitative research, it will be important for the study to determine the reliability of the instruments. It is usually important to determine whether the selected instruments have the capability to measure, the kind of relationships that they are designed to determine. This enables the researcher to make an early decision on whether to procede with the research instruments of whether to adopt other kinds of instruments. Another important aspect of this test is that it helps the study to determine the possible degree of error that might result from the measurements. In this study construct validity will be determined the suitability of a given test to a particular construct. The constructs to be measured will include the responses from the respondents regarding their preferences for particular products within the context of brand equity. The test of construct validity in this quantitative research will be used in the task of determining the possible variations in the nature of responses across one particular variable. Usually one group among the subjects will show a higher degree of the construct than the other. Reliability Reliability tests in research are used in the determination of the internal consistency of the test throughout a specified period of time (Kumar 56). It is the test of the stability in the results even if conducted in a different environment if it happens under the same conditions. Reliability and validity tests are understood within the need to provide works of research with the element of space-less and timeless universality. Reliability is usually measured in terms of coefficients such that it can be considered as low reliability or perfect reliability (Kumar 118). The test for reliability is usually considered as one of the internal elements that prove the authentic qualities of any work of research. It is usually considered that reliability tests will confirm whether a given finding can be relied upon in order to offer a generalized assessment regarding the topic under study. In this study, reliability tests were conducted through the coefficient of stability. The coefficient of stability is usually determined through the test-retest reliability. This study will conduct a pilot study based on a smaller sample of respondents in order to test the reliability of the instruments. Two studies will be conducted under the same conditions across different periods. The correlations between the two studies will be used to determine whether the instruments used in the study are reliable or not. Ethical Considerations Some of the information to be extracted from the respondents during the interviews and questionnaires may be of high confidential nature. It is for this reason that the study will choose to represent the information in terms of codes in order to conceal the identities of the respondents. Although the respondents will be within the age of consent, it would be appropriate to handle the information obtained in a manner that does not jeopardize some of their private interests. Another ethical consideration to be factored into this study is the search for official permission before the research takes effect. Seeking official permission before the study is one of the preliminary aspects of carrying out a research process. It is often considered as a fundamental factor because it helps to anchor the study within the standard parameters that are acceptable for the research process. Challenges Likely To Affect the Research Process Some of the challenges that are likelyy to affect the research process include non-cooperation by some respondents and time constraints. This research will involve dealing with members of the public whose daily schedules are difficult to follow. The researcher is likely to encounter problems of maintaining correspondence with these respondents because of this factor. The costs of maintaining contact with the respondents may pose significant budgetary constraints on the part of the researcher. However, one of the safeguards taken in anticipation of this challenge was exceeding the supply of questionnaires to the respondents. This move will shield the entire process against the possibility of errors that may arise because of poor compliance on the part of some of the sampled respondents. Another possible challenge that could be encountered in the course of the study is time constraints. Unforeseeable obstacles to the process may pose practical challenges towards the completion of the process. Some of these challenges may eat into the time schedule allocated for another part of the study. This would imply constant revision of the time schedules and adjust of the periods in order to compensate for the lost time. This would probably imply some element of mismatch between the time of the researcher and the supervisor. The methodologies developed for this study have been designed in such a manner that allows the ease of adjustments of the time factor. However, this threat has been taken care of through the allocation of slightly more time on every stage of the research in order to provide room for adjustment. Studies have pointed out the need to balance between quality and quantity in the execution of a research study. The study is also likely to experience budgetary challenges because some of the items and tools could exceed the estimated price by the time the study is on course. Acquisition of special software management date is one of the likely challenges that would impact negatively on the financial aspects of the research. Data Analysis Studies have pointed out that the process of data analysis must involve the matching of the objectives and the hypothesis of the study in order to promote cohesiveness and harmony in the research body. The analysis of data will be conducted through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The information obtained from the respondents will first be translated into codes. The codes will then be entered into the software for the purposes of analysis. The process of analysis will involve regression tests, cross tabulations, frequency evaluations, and percentages in order to establish the nature and degree of associations that exist between the variables. Some of the methods that will be used during the process of data analysis are the chi-square, which will provide the degree of correlation between the various variables. The suitability of the chi-square as an analytical tool is derived from its potential to pair one or more variables in order to determine the degree of association that exists between them. Usually the magnitude of the correlation degree is used to tell whether there exists a significant association between the two variables. Various independent variables will be correlated with the dependent variable and other independent variables with the view of analyzing the way they affect or are affected within these associations. In this study, brand equity will be the dependent variable while the independent variables will include marketing communication, pricing and price promotion, product category, distribution intensity, and the perceived quality of a product. The information will be presented in terms of tables, charts, and histograms. The cross tabulation between the variables will be done in order to ascertain whether there exists a significant association between the different variables. The representation of the information obtained will be done in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of the study. The inferences that would be drawn from the study will be matched with the hypotheses in order to validate or invalidate the hypothetical basis of the study. In this manner, the study will contribute towards supporting to existing theories of providing critical evidence that offers competing perspectives regarding the dynamics and aspects of brand equity. Time Table Generally, this study is designed to be conducted within four months. The first month will involve the gathering of information from the respondents. This will involve the preparation and administration of questionnaires to the respondents. The second month will involve harmonizing, transcribing, coding of the information obtained from the primary sources. The third month will involve the analyzing the information and writing first draft of the report. The fourth month will involve editing and presenting the report. Month I Month II Month III Month IV Gathering of information Harmonizing, transcribing and coding. Analyzing and writing first draft Editing, reviewing draft and presentation Structure of Final Work Introduction to the concept of brand equity Factors affecting brand equity The impact of marketing communication on brand equity The effect of pricing and price promotion on brand equity The role of product category on brand equity The effect of distribution intensity and brand equity The impact of perceived quality of a product on brand equity Conclusion Buy custom Factors That Affect Brand Equity essay

Dusicyon (Warrah) - Facts and Figures

Dusicyon (Warrah) - Facts and Figures Name: Dusicyon (Greek for foolish dog); pronounced DOO-sih-SIGH-on; also known as the Warrah Habitat: Falkland Islands Historical Epoch: Pleistocene-Modern (2 million-100 years ago) Size and Weight: About three feet long and 25 pounds Diet: Birds, insects and shellfish Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; strange diet About Dusicyon (Warrah) Dusicyon, also known as the Warrah, is one of the most fascinating (and most obscure) animals to have gone extinct in modern times, certainly not anywhere as well-known as the Dodo Bird. Not only was Dusicyon the only prehistoric dog to live on the Falkland Islands (a few hundred miles off the coast of Argentina), but it was the only mammal, periodmeaning it preyed not on cats, rats or pigs, but birds, insects, and possibly even shellfish that washed up along the shore. Exactly how Dusicyon wound up on the Falklands is a bit of a mystery; the most likely scenario is that it hitched a ride with early human visitors from South America thousands of years ago. Dusicyon earned its amusing nameGreek for foolish dogbecause, like many animals restricted to island habitats, it didnt know enough to be afraid of the second wave of human settlers to the Falklands during the 17th century. The problem was, these settlers arrived with the intention of herding sheep, and thus felt compelled to hunt Dusicyon to extinction (the usual method: luring it near with a tasty piece of meat, and then clubbing it to death when it took the bait). The last Dusicyon individuals expired in 1876, only a few years after Charles Darwin had the opportunity to learn aboutand be puzzled bytheir existence.

Service Recovery Effects on Customer Satisfaction Essay

Service Recovery Effects on Customer Satisfaction - Essay Example Further, the research results showed that their was a correlation between service recovery and customer loyalty. 1. Introduction The concept of service recovery is both a business function and a critical focus point from the marketing perspective. The hotel industry is majorly based on offering intangible services and this makes service recovery an important business strategy. Essentially, service recovery entails the measures that an organization puts in place to respond to failures in service delivery. The hotel industry is prone to several variables that make it necessary to put in place service recovery strategies. Therefore, the effect of service recovery on customer satisfaction and loyalty becomes an important topic of research. To gain insight into this topic, the researcher used questionnaires to collect data which was used to analyze the impact of service delivery on customer loyalty and satisfaction in the hotel industry. 1.1 Research Aim This report aims to examine the im pacts of service recovery on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the hotel industry. ... 2. Literature Review 2.1 Service Recovery According to Keith (2008), service recovery is the well thought out process solving the issues of aggrieved customer and returning the customer to a state of satisfaction with the product or company. Service delivery can also be thought of as the set of actions a firm takes as a response to poor service quality (Andreasson, 2000). Therefore, service recovery can be considered as the response of a firm to its clients after a product or service failure with the intention of appeasing the aggrieved client and maintain their business value. The ultimate goal of service recovery is to ensure that clients maintain their business relationships with the firm that caused them the initial problem. In every organization, things occur that may have undesired effect on the customer. Hence, a company needs to have systems in place to implement corrective measures whe n things go wrong. The ultimate test of a company’s commitment to quality service is how it handles issues concerning instances of provision of below per services (Craig. 1999). He further argues that organizations need to put in place effective recovery strategies to win back a customers trust after instances problems in service delivery. Service recovery strategies are necessary to ensure that the service failures do not fit into a pattern of failure which might have devastating effects on the business enterprise (Berry 1995). Some studies indicate that excellent initial service is much better than relying on service recovery. However, other studies point out that service recovery has a greater impact on the customer than even the initial service.

The instructions are given below Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The instructions are given below - Assignment Example However, most of the citizens in the European counties were not happy about what their governments were doing. In connection to this, the relationship between the states worsened. It was at this time that the, France began to experience revolutions. The main cause of the revolution was that, the French government had introduced a lot of tax on most of the commodities. This move was seen by the people as being unfair (Schroeder 5). It was also at this time that most European countries started importing slaves to their countries. Most of these slaves were drawn from Africa. However, the rate of unemployment had started to increase. Therefore, most citizens were not happy with their government because they felt that the government did not have their interest at heart (Schroeder 12). In addition to this, most of the people felt that the slaves could be a security threat to them. This is because at that particular time, Africans were seen as being uncivilised (Schroeder 4). Question two. How were Luther, Equiano, and either Engels or Dickens trying to create change in their worlds through their writings? What arguments did they utilize and who were their intended audiences? Make a historical argument about how their approaches differed and what those differences tell us about changes in Europe in the 16th-19th centuries. In the mid-19th century, Luther become increasingly concerned about how the catholic church was treating Christians. It was at this time that he started writing books why Christians should leave Catholic church and form another church. On the other hand Equiano writing was based on the English slave trade (Schroeder 5). He was more concerned about how the English was not respecting human rights. Finally, Engels main intention was to create awareness on the importance of the government to continue practising socialism. This was because at that particular time, most of the governments in Europe were trying

Problems with Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Essay examples -- Euthan

Euthanasia Problems      Ã‚  Doctors do err on cancer patients' survival times, so how can they say when the time is ripe for assisted suicide. A study in the July 1 issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, finds that doctors are often wrong in predicting how long terminally ill cancer patients will live. After studying the accuracy of doctors' predictions regarding 233 patients with end-of-life cancer, the researchers found most doctors had a tendency to overestimate survival time. But among patients who lived longer than six months, 40% had been expected to die sooner. The results are relevant to decisions to refer patients to hospice care -- and also to decisions for assisted suicide, which in Oregon can only be made by patients who are expected by their doctors to die in six months [A. Vigano et al., "The Relative Accuracy of the Clinical Estimation of the Duration of Life for Patients with End of Life Cancer," 86 Cancer 170-6 (July 1, 1999); Reuters, 6/30].    Numerous US studies have established that the Americans most directly affected by the issue of physician-assisted suicide -- those who are frail, elderly and suffering from terminal illness -- are also more opposed to legalizing the practice than others are:    * A poll conducted for the Washington Post on March 22-26, 1996, found 50% support for legalizing physician-assisted suicide (Washington A18) Voters aged 35-44 supported legalization, 57% to 33%. But these figures reversed for voters aged 65 and older, who opposed legalization 54% to 38%. Majority opposition was also found among those with incomes under $15,000 (54%), and black Americans (70%).    * An August 1993 Roper poll funded by the Hemlock Society and other euth... ... suicide: attitudes and experiences of oncology patients, oncologists, and the public." 347 The Lancet 1805 (June 29, 1996):1809    Humphry, Derek. "What's in a word?" Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization 1993, Table 1-A.    Koenig, Dr. Harold et al.. "Attitudes of Elderly Patients and their Families Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide." 156 Archives of Internal Medicine 2240 (Oct. 28, 1996)    Lee v. Oregon, 891 F.Supp. 1429 (D. Or. 1995), vacated on other grounds, 107 F.3d 1382 (9th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 118 S. Ct. 328 (1997).    "Poll Shows More Would Support Law Using Gentler Language," TimeLines (Jan.-Feb. 1994):9    Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S. Ct. 2258, 2262 n. 7 (1997. -- -- --. 117 S. Ct. at 2272, quoting United States v. Rutherford, 442 U.S. 544, 558. 1979.    Washington Post, April 4, 1996.

Gran Torino Essay

After a while, the two bonded and where Walt helped him through manhood by toughening him up, providing dating advice and helping him get a job in construction. During this, Walt learned that Thao had tried to steal the car to be a part of the gang that he confronted earlier in the movie. Throughout the rest of the movie, the gang had harassed Thao by destroying his construction tools, conducted a drive-by shooting, sexual and physically assaulting Thao’s sister. He then realized that Thao and his sister will never safe as long as the gang is still in the neighbourhood. For this reason, he had gone to the gang member house and committed one final act to help save them. In this paper, the effects of social construction of race and how it is portrayed in the film will be examined. First, the concept of social construction will be analyzed, providing an overview of the definition and its effects. Furthermore, how it is illustrated in the film will be examined. Race as a Social Concept Historically, race has been utilized to differentiate individuals based on their biological and physical appearance. Traits including body shape, skin color and hair style were used to divide individuals into particular racial group (Machery and Faucher, 2005, pp. 1208). However, no empirical evidence exists to supports these classifications. This, in turn shows that differentiations are not rooted biologically or based on getting differences. Rather, the concept of race is explained through process of social construction. Through the lenses of social constructionism, it does not deny the evident physical differences in skin color and characteristics of individuals (Rothenberg, 2008, pp. 10). It simply sees these differences on a continuum of diversity rather than as reflecting innate genetic differences among people† (Rothenberg, 2008, pp. 10). Therefore, race exists due to society’s placing significance on the differentiation between individuals. Effects of Social Construct of Race Takaki stated that â€Å"race†¦has been a social construction that has historically set apart rac ial minorities from European immigrant groups† (as cited in Rothenberg, 2008, pp. 9). Throughout time, the categorization of race had form white hierarchy and domination over other groups of race. This in turn caused an effect of inequality, marginalization and unfair treatment towards particular groups. Asians, Blacks, Aboriginals, and Latinos are among the groups who are subjected to this form of treatment. Some examples include the justification of enslavement of black people, and the denial of access to Canada for non-white individuals. The success behind these social constructs is these divisions of race appear to be natural and a part of everyday lives rendering it to be invisible (Perry, 2011, pp. 16). Thus making it easy to be taken for granted (Perry, 2011, pp. 6). As Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1994) stated, Everyone learns some combination, some version, of the rules of racial classification, and of her own racial identity, often without obvious teaching or conscious inculcation. Thus we are inserted in a comprehensively racialized social structure. Race becomes ‘common sense’—a way of comprehending and being in the world. (as cited in Perry, 2011, pp. 16) Therefore individuals are aware of these divisions but choose to accept it as it has become a natural dynamic in society. Identifying Asian The concept of race is a social process that constructs differences creating divisions among individuals. Throughout time, the classification of certain groups has resulted in prejudice and stereotyping of particular racial groups. This is portrayed in one scene in Gran Torino when Walt was looking with scorn at Thao’s grandmother and said, â€Å"Why the hell do this chinks have to move in this neighborhood for? † (Eastwood, 2009). The protagonist’s use of the word â€Å"chinks† shows the stereotypical label of the Asian community. Chinks† is used to refer to the epicanthic fold found in the inner angle of the eye (wisegeek, n. d. ). This use of this term is associated to the racialization of the Asian race because this difference in appearance was utilized to negatively identify members of this group. Other perceptions in the film include Walt’s snarky comments such as â€Å"aren’t Asians supposed to be smart? Or the assumption as the Hmong as â€Å"jungle people† (Eastwood, 2009). These stereotypical and prejudiced statements are seen extensively throughout the movie. The irony of it is the statements reflect society’s views of the Asian identity. This leads to the notion that through the social process of differentiating groups based on racial traits and characteristics leads to the division of races with the effect of oppressing some. This, sequentially cause the stereotypical and prejudiced associations to be made. If society had not placed a meaning on physical appearance or characteristics, the racial assumption would not exist. Furthermore, if no classification were made towards these individuals, the Asian race will not exist. Youth Asian as Gang Members The Montreal police define a street gang as ‘a group of individuals, usually adolescents and/or young adults, who use the power of group intimidation in order to carry out, on a more or less regular basis, violent criminal acts’ (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, pp. 116). Police documentation had identified five ethnic groups where street gangs originated (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 117). Among the five is the Asiatic ethnic group (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 117). The process of police construct of race in terms of street gangs involves the process of racialization (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 123). Robert Miles defines it as â€Å"a process of categorization through which social relations between people are structured by the signification of human biological characteristics in such a way as to define and constructs social collectivities† (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 12). It is when negative characteristics, traits and behaviour are associated with particular groups (Jiwani, 2011, pp. 43). This is due the perception and presumed differences of the group (Jiwani, 2011, pp. 43). In terms of the police construction of police, this can be seen through the provision of â€Å"Images of violence-prone ‘ethnic youth’ from war-torn countries (it is taken as given that the ‘ethnic youth’ in question are male) (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 123). When compared to children in Quebec, Ontario, a police man stated â€Å" ‘ Here in [Quebec] our kids are born with a hocky puck in their hand, but there [a country of origin of immigrants] they come into the world with a grenade in their hands† (Symons, 2002, pp. 18)†The culture belief portrays the racialization of the street gang issue (Symons, 2002, pp. 118). The ideology that street gangs originated from the upbringing in a war-torn country signifies street gangs as an immigration issue. As another police stated â€Å"‘They have guns there [in country of origin],â€⠄¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ‘It’s part of their more’† (Symons, 2002, pp. 118). This is seen with the portrayal of the Hmong gang in Gran Torino. Earlier in the film, Sue had shared to Walt that the reason they resided in America and is to escape the violence that is occurring in their homeland (Eastwood, 2009). By providing this background story of escaping a war torn country and the portrayal of young Asiatic gangs terrorizing the neighborhood, supports the racialization of Asiatic gang members. This has come from the social process of constructing that living a life in a war-torn country makes the individual a gang member. Since this living condition is associated with the Asian youth, these members are automatically perceived as a gang member. Other scenes in the film include the portrayal of the ethnic group Latinos as gang members, which are also identified as the patent of street gangs Minority groups and Immigrants as Criminals A key stereotype of Asians race is that of the mysterious, devious, fearsome Asian† (Zong and Perry, 2011, pp. 115). This consecutively marks the group as different and foreign which causes them to be feared and avoided. (Zong and Perry, 2011, pp. 115). Within society this is reflected through minorities and immigrants being â€Å"over police and under protected† by the criminal justice system (as cited in Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 69). Often times, during the legal process, immigrants are provided longer sentences and severe punishments compare to those who have lived in Canada for 20 years and more (Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 8). In terms of other minority groups, Blacks and Aboriginals are overrepresented in the correctional system ((Zong and Perry, 2011, pp. 115). Individuals in society are aware of these unfair treatments, but many still links race and crime together. This is due to the belief and perception of immigrants and minorities as dangerous and different. It is important to note that these factors cannot be found when looking at the white population. This leads to the notion that â€Å"‘Canadians’ do not break the law, but racialized ‘immigrant groups do’† (Chan and Mirchandani, 2002, pp. 9). The portrayal of minority groups and immigrants in the film can be seen when no white individual is shown to be a criminal. The members of the street gangs were of Latino, Black and Asian descents. The white characters portrayed were successful businessmen, a hero and a priest. In fact, the protagonist was a Korean War veteran where he killed several men in battle. Instead of being convicted for his actions, he was provided a medal of honor. The portrayal of these scenes shows that white individuals do not commit crime and so cannot be identified as criminals. Society had classified certain inviduals to be part of the Asian and Black race dividing them from the white population. Throughout various events and social processes the perception of Asian and Black race to be dangerous was constructed. This in turn had let these groups to be viewed as criminals. This is believed to be taken a significant effect due to unfair treatment and portrayal of minorities and immigrant in the criminal justice system. White as ‘powerful’ The notion of race as a social process has caused an effect where certain groups are marginalized. Within the society, a white individual is the dominant and superior while others are oppressed, and inferior. This perception has led to the view of that the white population is powerful compared to the other racial groups. The portrayal of this can be seen with the protagonist of the film. Thao and the other gang members had gone to his house to attack him. During the fight, Walt comes out pointing a rifle towards the gang threatening them to get off his lawn and leave. By doing this, he earns the respect of Thao’s family and the Hmong community. To show their gratitude, they showered him with gifts, meals and flowers. Through the remainder of the movie, Walt was shown to be a leader, influencer and hero. He was guiding Thao away from becoming a gang member by providing a job, teaching about manhood and purchasing items for him. He was also shown as a savior when he gave up his life so that Thao and his family can live a life without any gang violence. Within the racial context, the representation of Walt as the savior illustrates the ideology that white is powerful, whereas the Asian group is seen to be helpless, powerless and vulnerable. This leads back to the notion of social constructionism where the division of race had caused some groups to be in power and the others as powerless. In this case, the white group is seen to be of dominance while the Asian group is perceived to be inferior and vulnerable. Conclusion A once popular belief in society was that everyone was born into distinctive biologically and natural based differences known as race (Rothenberg, 2008, pp. 9). However as time passed, the notion of race had transformed into the idea that it was created through human interaction known as social construction. In other words, through social processes, the differences between racial groups were constructed and not from nature itself. However, through the development of division among groups, some were placed in a position of power while others in a minority position. Throughout time, the white group have become the dominant and powerful group over other racialized group. This, sequentially have led to several unfair treatment, marginalization, and oppression against this group. These effects have been portrayed in the film Gran Torino in regards to the racial group of the White and Asian. Through social constructionism, prejudices and stereotypical terms have been used to identify the Asians groups. Secondly, the notion of Asian youth as gang members. Thirdly, the perception of Asian individuals as criminals. Lastly, the ideology of white power over Asian groups. These reflections of currents societal beliefs and perception towards the White and Asian groups originated from the process of social construction. In other words, the reason why it the racial groups of Asians and White exist is through social collectivities . If society did not place a meaning towards the differentiation among individuals, race would not exist, thus these assumptions would be of non-existent as well. References Eastwood. C. , Gerber, B. , & Lorenz, R. (Producer). (2009). Gran Torino [Motion Picture]. United States of America: Warner Brothers. Jiwani, Y. (2011). Mediation of Race and Crime. In B. Perry (Ed. ), Diversity crime and justice in Canada. (pp. 39-56). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. Jiwani, Y. (2002). The criminalization of race and the racialization of crime. In Chan, W. , & Mirchandani, K (Ed. ), Crimes of Colour (pp. 67-86). Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. Machery, E. , & Faucher, L. (2005). Social Construction and the Concept of Race. The Philosophy of Science Association, 72, 1208-1219 doi: 0031-8248/2005/7205-004. Perry, B. (2011). Criminal Justice/Social Justice. In B. Perry (Ed. ),  Diversity, crime, and justice in  Canada  (pp. 3-38). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. Rothenberg, P. (2010). Race, class, and gender in the United States  (8th  ed. ). New York: Worth Publishing Symons, G. (2002). Police constructions of race and gender in street gangs. In Chan, W. , & Mirchandani, K (Ed. ), Crimes of Colour (pp. 115-127). Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. Zong, L. , & Perry, B. (2011). Chinese Immigrants in Canada and Social Injustice: From Overt to Covert Racial Discrimination. In B. Perry (Ed. ),  Diversity, crime, and justice in  Canada  (pp. 106-124). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.

A Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the...

A Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of Americas most renowned authors, demonstrates his extraordinary talents in two of his most famed novels, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. To compare these two books seems bizarre, as their plots are distinctly different. Though the books are quite seemingly different, the central themes and Hawthornes style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is most famous for his books THE SCARLET LETTER and THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES, which are closely related in theme, the use of symbolism, characterization, and style. The central themes in The Scarlet Letter and The†¦show more content†¦Phoebe is considered to be the heart which warms the house, while Holgrave is the intellectual head. When Phoebe and Holgrave fall in love, heart and head are brought together to form a union that may end the curse forever (Sheldon, p. 16). The obvious and most prevalent theme in both books is the effect of sin. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynnes sin was an understandably human one which arose from desire for the simple human bliss open to all mankind. At this point, Roger Chillingworth is capable of remorse and is still able to rejoin the great heart of mankind, but he is led astray into his own sin in which he pries into Dimmesdales heart, and his latent evil posses him (Rountree, p.89). In The House of the Seven Gables, this theme seems to come through as an inherited curse. Greed drives both Colonel and Jaffrey Pyncheon to encourage the persecution of a less powerful man, and then takes his land or inheritance. This sin is seen as a curse throughout the book as it influences all that the living do (Carey, p. 58). One of the characteristic themes of each book which helps to establish the setting, is the individual vs. society. Hester Prynnes battle with society is established immediately, and we are let to judge her for what she has done. Hawthorne is known for being a Romantic writer with a Romantic subject: a rebel who refuses to conform to societys code. MostShow MoreRelatedEssay about Symbols and Symbolism in The House of the Seven Gables3364 Words   |  14 Pagesin The House of the Seven Gables      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American literature reflects life and the struggles faced during existence. Symbols are an eloquent way for an author to create a more fully developed work of art. The stories themselves tell a tale; however, an author also uses symbols to relay his message in a more subtle manner. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the earliest authors to use symbols as an integral part of his plots. 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