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BEAUTY SHOP POLITICS

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Question one

Before the period of antebellum, there was no recognition of the African women businesses according to Gill. However, with the introduction of this type of activity as the Gilded Age of Black Business, there was a very great change and shift in the manner in which the black women carried out their businesses. It was a time of change as African American women and black American women realized their role in creating a living for themselves and therefore they engaged very much in the beauty industry. The beauty industry at this point was not just meant for the sake of making sure that the women were beautiful and that their hair was perfect but it also meant that they wanted to engage in political debate and it was through the salons that they could be able to fully engage into this.

Therefore the black women salons became not just places of beauty but gathering places whereby beauty was provided and there were political as well as economical debates and how to make their lives better. During the antebellum south period, women were not recognized as any important people and therefore they were looked down upon. This was even worse for the black women who were considered the lowest individuals in the society since they were women and they were from the race which was considered weak and minor. However, the rise of the beauty industry in the 1900s acted to prove this point wrong that black women were not good enough to do what it is that was needed to be done by any other white women. The change and the drift were very big and it is to be appreciated since it was a positive one.

Question 2

The black women’s hair industry gave birth to the great contribution of black women towards the political field at this time. The relationship between the black beauty industry and the black women’s club movement remains very important and very significant in that the black beauty industry acted as a hatching ground for the black women’s club and therefore the desire and the wish for black women to bring a quality change to the society at that specific time.

The unity of the black women at this point was something to be embraced as they all shared a common goal and agenda that they were all businesswomen. The women’s business club comprised of beauticians, seamstresses, nurses among other black women and they were a big force towards getting more women to join the movement. They gave speeches during events and conferences and urged more women to join them for the sake of making sure that the role of women was recognized by the world. The walker hair culturists union can be termed as a very concrete example during this time which was advancement towards the political activism of the black women towards their goals and their activities. Therefore these women were a very important part of the national beauty culturists league (NBCL), which later came to be a very big movement of black women united together for one common goal.

Question three

The great depression affected most of the people within the American society; however, it did not affect the black women beauty industry as expected. This is because the women-owned everything within this industry and the production, as well as the consumption, was solely based on the black women. This, therefore, meant that the black women never got a chance to suffer as other businesses which had been established suffered. Not only were they not affected during the great depression even during the cold war the black beauty industry was not affected. In the black industry consumption and production were solely based on the black women and therefore they had autonomy over their business, freedom that most of the other businesses never enjoyed and therefore they used this opportunity for their benefit.

The black beauty industry was a monopoly and therefore as it is normal for monopolies not to feel the sting of such cases like the great depression it was the same for the black beauty industry which continued to thrive. However other black-owned businesses like grocery stores and clothing stores had a difficult time as their businesses fell to the level of the white man’s businesses. Therefore the great depression affected the black businesses for everyone who was operating outside the beauty industry while those who were within the beauty industry thrived and everything worked out for them. This was a phenomenal experience since these businesses at the time of the great depression were a very bis source of support and they produced very good quality services, products, and other organizations as they can be said to have been the breeding places for business ideas and political ideas as well.

Question four

Mallory is seen as one of the women who were of great significance during the 1950s and 1960s when it comes to black women’s activism during this time. She was born in 1927 and her role and place in the society were actively known and she was a very determined member of the black community of women who wanted to see change happen within the society. Even though during this time there was no proper establishment of the beauty industry of the blacks those who were present did a very good act of making sure that the black women were heard and that their voices were considered as important and that they were important in the society. It was during this time when the black power movement and black women were part of it as they tried to bridge the gap in the society between whites and blacks.

Another individual who was very important during this time apart from Mallory was Robert F. Williams. She was a champion of the rights of black women rights. The black beauty industry also played a very big role in making sure that the ideas about changing the society and bridging the gap that existed between the whites and the blacks were done in the right manner and at the right time. They fully understood that sometimes force had to be used and therefore even though advocating for peaceful ways of bridging the gap they still understood it was a difficult part of their will and desire to bring in peace and therefore they tried to do everything they can for the realization of black women as important in the running and operation of the country’s activities.

Question five

The American beautician movement shifted to healthy ways of activism through the coining of the civil rights movement which happened in 1966 and from this point there was a lot of advocacy for doing activism in the right manner. All the time the black people were very much important in the running of almost every little part of these kinds of activism since it meant a lot to them because of their segregation in the society by the white men which was happening from time to time. Tiffany Gill acknowledges that it was a difficult time however since activism does not have the right way to do and since the beginning of something is never perfect the black people especially the women and the beauticians did not feel bad about anything they did since it was all aimed at making sure that they lives were better.

However, the kind of activism which was taking place during the 1960s and 1970s was better and it was what led to more changes that were positive towards the individuals and the institutions within the American society. This was a very important time for change to be realized as the black women got fully involved and the ideas which were birthed during their beauty sessions were very important in making sure that they advanced in what they wanted. Therefore it was a very important time for the black women to see new ways of doing things and incorporate their great creativity and wisdom into bringing out the best in the activism.

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A Harder Reality

Many people believe that one of the most significant things in life is the presence of serenity. In our lives, we may experience genuine pleasure when we live in peace. People want the best for themselves, and no one wants to live in a city with a high rate of crime against them. The residents of Omelas are forced to sacrifice their children to maintain their idyllic lifestyle. To be happy, their children must suffer, and every kid must learn “acceptance” of their powerlessness” in order” for them to be content. Many individuals live in Omelas who, in the words of Ursula Le Guin, reflect that most people in today’s world are prepared to sacrifice another human life to maintain the wealth of their society. Even though many individuals do not accept such conditions, Ursula Le Guin, some would want them to walk away and potentially begin a shift. For the simple reason that people understand the importance of evil as a foundation for higher things in life. People who choose to leave Omelas are correct in their choice, but they are also losing out on valuable life experiences resulting from their decision.

People who choose to walk away from Omelas are correct in their decision is because the people of Omelas have made a strange deal with their children. Omelas people want eternal peace, so they decided to sacrifice one of their children. Those children are treated miserably. They locked up and abused them. For example, children are used by bringing them together in a basement where the floor is dirty, no windows and locked. Citizens in Omelas do not want to release those children from the basement. In this way, they can live perfect lives because they seem their child suffers for them. Also, they visited those children in the basement, and these people feel shame because they can’t make conscience. For them, this is the only way to learn “acceptance” of their helplessness.” Some people do not agree with how the child is treated, and they choose to leave Omelas and not be in a part where something is not correct.

Also, people who choose to walk away from Omelas are right in their decision is because they are suffering. Omelas seem like a great place to live, people who live in Omelas have a great life with no worries, but there is a problem. The problem in Omelas is that they cannot achieve complete happiness without having sacrifices. People who are leaving Omelas is a moral decision (Le Guin). If someone treats another person so poorly to achieve satisfaction, this is not the way to live. Also, older people decide to walk away from Omelas because they do not want to be part of it anymore. It is a choice to do something right instead of what is easy. It’s an iIt’sersible decision, and it means leaving the community forever. But who wants to be part of this community where people have to sacrifice themselves and their children? I do not think so; nobody wants to be part of this community where people cannot achieve happiness without sacrifices.

Even if many individuals who leave Omelas do so for the right reasons, they also miss out on an important message. For example, in the United States, most people are processed in nations where employees are subjected to inhumane conditions. They are forced to labor in brutal circumstances for pitiful wages, yet this only serves to improve a lot of the average American. Similarly, these laborers are sacrifices for the luxuries enjoyed by Americans, much as the basement kid was for Omelasian society (Le Guin). Because a great life necessitates some sacrifice, this is a highly upbeat take on the human condition. People believe that life is simple, but that is far from the truth. We must make sacrifices to achieve a higher standard of living.

In conclusion, people who want to walk away from Omelas are right in their decision event though those who leave think that life is easy. Omelas seem like a great place to live; people in Omelas have a great life with no worries. But in the community of Omelas, children are treated miserable, and they abuse him by locking them up. Also, Omelas people cannot achieve happiness without some sacrifices.

Work cited

Le Guin, Ursula K. Dancing at the edge of the world: Thoughts on words, women, places. Open Road+ Grove/Atlantic, 2017.

Le Guin, Ursula K. No time to spare: thinking about what matters. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.

Le Guin, Ursula K. The ones who walk away from Omelas. HarperCollins, 2017.

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Lifespan Development and Personality of Princess Diana

Development is a life long process that describes the sequence of changes, transition and transformation that an individual goes through in the various stages of their lives. Human development and personalities are bound to be influenced by various factors such as heredity, environment and life experiences. What makes a person who s/he is depends on how one perceives the positive and negative influences of their lives and how they take them emotionally and morally. This paper shall critically analyze the life of a famous individual who I feel has undergone many adversities which have had both negative and positive impact in her life. Her environment and emotional upbringing have been influential to the decisions that she made in her lifetime. Her life is viewed by many as one filled with conflicts as she portrayed selflessness and generosity to those in need even though she came from a royal affluent background. This famous individual is Princess Diana. In order to understand a person’s personality, we must critically look back from where that person has come from.

Early Life

Princess Diana was born Diana Frances Spencer George in July 1, 1961 to her rich and affluent parents, the eighth Earl Spencer and Lady Frances Althorp. Unfortunately, they separated in 1967 and finally divorced in 1969. Diana was sent to a boarding school at a tender age and therefore she was also separated from her brother and sisters. However, this does not mean that Diana lived a lonely life. On the contrary, she was very social with a large circle of friends. These social activities were meant to bring her up in royal status and environment.

At the tender age of twenty, Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and the prospective heir of the throne in Britain. The marriage to the Prince of Wales who was thirteen years her elder changed her status to Princess Diana. She bore him two sons, Princes William and Harry in the period between first and fourth year of their marriage. Their marriage lasted until 1992 when they separated and finally divorced in 1996. Princess Diana’s life ended tragically when she was involved in a fatal car accident in August, 1997.

Major Impacts in Diana’s Life

Childhood is a life development stage in the period between infancy and adolescence. Diana was privileged in terms of being born in a royal family where money and riches was in abundance. Her life seemed to be a quiet and reserved one as she was attended home school up to the age of nine. She loved swimming and dancing activities that matched well with her great sense of humor (Weiten, 2007). Her parents’ divorce when she was barely eight impact her negatively as she became a depressed and lonely child. Shyness became a big challenge in her entire life.

The adolescence stage is an individual’s phase of transition and development where physiological, cognitive and behavioral changes are seen to be in action. The generalized age for this period is usually the age from twelve to eighteen a stage that marks the transition from puberty to maturity. At this stage, the adolescent seeks to interact socially, and always has an urge to be independent away from the family’s protective nest. In other words, s/he seeks an identity. It is at this stage in Diana’s life that she became Lady Spencer after her grandfather’s death. As she struggled to cope with her parents’ divorce, she was even more isolated from the rest of the family when she was enrolled in a boarding school. This impacted her negatively as she underwent psychological changes evidenced in a lonely and homesick self.

The adulthood stage of development was marked with tremendous growth and twists in Diana’s life. She dropped out of high school and got married to Princes Charles. Her status at this point changed again this time as Princess of Wales. Diana became a media limelight during her marriage. Shortly after the birth of their second son, her marriage started to fall apart. She became even more depressed and lonely and at one point was diagnosed with bulimia. Bulimia is an eating disorder that is as a result of one psychologically perceiving themselves as not physically perfect and thereby inducing vomiting after meals (Schimelpfening, 2007). The divorce was a blow in her life and she faced her tragic death a year after the divorce.

The psychological development of Princess Diana’s must have definitely been influenced by the fact that she came from a royal and noble family. Her moral development was positively influenced in that as a child and an adolescent, she was trained and made to engage in social activities with the royal and noble individuals and therefore bred to fit in the royal status. It is therefore true to state that her heredity played a major role in enhancing her moral development. Her expectations from the society were of great help in shaping her moral development as she got the various titles of Lady and Princess. In contrast, her emotional development was severed from a tender age when her parents divorced and also when she herself got divorced. She is supposedly thought to have begged her father,” If you love me, please don’t leave me here” (Weiten, 2007). Diana therefore grew up as a lonely and insecure child who experienced had eating disorders as an adult due to depression. She grew up a shy child which proved to be a great challenge in her adult life as she was always on the public limelight. However, she was seen to overcome this in her involvement in charity work. It is evident that she sought her own happiness by helping others in need.

Erickson’s personality theory states that development is a sequence of changes that are bound to take place throughout one’s life. Each stage of development is marked by conflict a determiner whether the resultant influence is either positive or negative. A successful resolution in a specific stage results in a favorable outcome (Franz & White, 2006). According to this theory, stage five of development is the adolescent stage that is between the ages twelve and eighteen. He describes the ego identity as a major driver of development. It is that sense of knowing who we are as at now, where are heading and knowing our place in society. This stage for Diana was characterized by conflict between identity and confusion. The end result for this was loneliness, insecurity and depression. The fact that her newly acquired title brought with it new expectations and the engagement into marriage at such a tender age proved exhausting to a girl who wanted to be independent and seek her own identity.

Her young marriage was a period where Diana’s life experienced conflict between intimacy and isolation. Erickson’s theory states that achievement of an identity is likely to influence positivity on intimacy. The lack of an identity during her adolescence can be seen as the factor preceding her failed marriage. She was rumored to have also engaged in several love relationships which were also a failure. This caused her more depression and psychological disorders such as bulimia.

The second personality and development theory is the humanistic psychology theory. Although there is no aggregate definition of this theory, there are major statements that are always there in its discussion. The emphasis it presents on personal responsibility, the “here and now” perspective and the critical analysis of personal growth. The theory basically states that one is personally responsible for the events in their own lives, s/he should focus on the events that are happening in their lives now and not the past or the present and finally, looking at life from the perspective that there is more to life than just the urge to make your immediate needs catered for. Diana is the perfect example of this personality theory in that she did not try to blame anybody for the events of her life. She focused on her present life and finally sought to make herself happy by helping others. She presents an individual who believes that life is not about meeting our own immediate needs but finding happiness in the activities that engage in, in the present.

Erickson’s theory in my view best explains the individual behavior and achievements of Princess Diana. This does not mean that it fully explains her personality but the fact that it presents the identity crisis which seem to be the cause of conflict in her overall life is proof of it being the best theoretical approach to describing her personality. Diana did not have a chance to create a personal identity in her adolescence stage due to the various titles that came with different expectations. The depression evidenced in her childhood was with her throughout her life and therefore she was unable to hold on to intimate relationships. Instead, in search of personal happiness, she ended up in charity work where millions of desperate cases benefited.

References

Franz, C.E & White, K.M (2006) Individuation and Attachment in Personality Development: Extending Erickson’s Theory. Journal of Personality Vol. 53(2) pp. 224-256Nieboer, S. (2007) Diana, Princess of Wales: Learning To Give Retrieved April 28, 2010 from http://www.learningtogive.org

Weiten, W. (2007). Psychology: Themes and Variations. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

Schimelpfening, N. (2007). Depression Retrieved April, 29, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://depression.about.com/mbiopage.htm” http://depression.about.com/mbiopage.htm

Marketing Research Proposal guideline

This is a written document that outlines the basic process and plan of your marketing research by using quantitative data general. By applying what you learned in this class, you should exhibit a logical progression of ideas and show the support for your marketing research. Please refer to Chapter 1 and 3 for proposal references. Also, guidelines and a separate sample are posted on blackboard. Minimum 8 pages double space. Maximum 15 pages double space excluding references and citations.

Format of marketing research proposal

Typically, this individual Marketing Research proposal will include the following:

1. Executive Summary (0.5-1 page): a brief overview of the main points in your marketing research; give the reader a good understanding of the whole research.

2. Theory part (4.5-7pages): This part includes:

Selection of an organization or brand

the background and introduction of a company,

SWOT of the selected company,

customer analysis of this company,

SWOT of at least 3 competitors of this company (must be in detailed description), compare this company/brand with its 3 or more competitors

industry analysis and industrial trend of this company.

formulation of a research problem

List research question(s)

Objective(s)

Hypothesis(ses)

3. Methodology (around 1.5-3 pages):

study design

selection of data collection sample

data collection method in detail

predicted results based on the assumption of your data analysis

4. Possible findings/recommendations (1-2 pages): what you find from this research and your recommendations to solve stated problems.

5. Other parts:(0.5-2)

personnel involved

specifications/assumptions

timelines

budget

6. References: minimum 5 references.

The evaluation criteria for the proposal are as follows:

Is this proposal done professionally?

Is the paper consistent with the structure and the format of the marketing research proposal report provided above?

Has the paper considered applying data analysis techniques in this course?

Is this proposal of Marketing Research interesting, meaningful, and of practical useful?

You are to apply concepts covered in readings and lectures; a terminology-laden description is insufficient. You should cite at least 5 references from journal articles or books to support your marketing research proposal.

MARKETING RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL PACKAGE HOLIDAYS TO MILLENNIALS

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Introduction

Tourism and Travel Industry

The onset of the global pandemic has set the UK tourism and travel industry back with an estimated £22 billion lost since 2020 (Roberts, 2021). However, the discovery of vaccines has reignited hope that a once vibrant industry could see an uptick and normalcy by 2022. Prior to the pandemic, the UK tourism and travel industry was estimated at £24 billion (Visit Britain, 2019). Also, according to (Gelfeld 2018), the millennial generation was travelling at a higher rate than the baby boomers and Generation Z. Moreover, in most cases, the travel destination choice of some millennials was inspired by how aesthetically pleasing the place would look in photos purposely taken for social media (Magill, 2017). Therefore, this report explains how marketing managers can use social media to ethically influence millennial consumer behaviour in buying responsible travel package holidays.

Market Segment

The tourism and travel industry has increasingly become millennial-centric because they are travelling at a higher rate compared to previous generations (Leonhardt, 2019). Leonhardt (2019) explains that millennials make five trips a year on average, with three of these being international trips. Baratti (2021) also explains that millennials are 50% more likely to travel in the wake of the global pandemic than generation X and baby boomers. Moreover, Leonhardt (2019) explains the millennials are responsible travel planners because they spend an average of £4,400 compared to £6,600 by baby boomers and £5,400 by Generation X. For marketing managers, there is a window of opportunity to appeal to the millennial generation to purchase responsible travel package holidays through social media.

Marketing Objective

The proposed marketing objective is to use social media to ethically influence millennials into buying responsible travel package holidays. Social media has increasingly become essential for millennials because they spend an average of 2 hours and 34 minutes on social media each day (Marketing Charts, 2021). Furthermore, millennials have increasingly adopted social media as a tool to determine their next holiday destination. (Constantoglou and Trihas, 2020). Some millennials scour highlight reels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for aesthetics, cost-efficiency and hospitality to make a decision on where they would like to travel next

Some millennials travel for leisure and escapism from their day to day lives. In other words, they are looking for emotional balance in a world where work-life balance is scarce (Ketter, 2020). (Chen and Petrick, 2013) argue that such a concept is an element of mental health. Research by Kroesen and De Vos (2020) has also shown that tourism and travel significantly improve a person’s mental health because they counter stress, depression and anxiety. In most cases, millennials will choose a travel package that benefits them both financially and emotionally.

Moreno et al. (2017) also explain that millennials will often prioritize trust while making purchases for goods and services. The reason for this is the millennial inclination towards feeling like they are part of something bigger. Also, (Grier 2017) explains that since travel is considered a luxury, people who buy travel packages associate an added level of trust to a company that offers them a generally positive experience. Sung et al. 2014) explains that customers who purchase goods and services deemed to be luxurious will carefully assess the brand’s image to enhance their own perceived personality. Chances of re-purchasing are high if the customer deems a brand personality as able to help a customer to “treat themselves”. Moreover, Carpentier, Van Hoye and Weijters (2019) explain that social media has coincided with the ability of brands to express their brand personalities.

Looking at travel as a luxury, Reed et al. (2012) offer a framework to look at the aspect of “treating yourself” in tourism. Reed et al. explain that the influence of positive connotations derived from the consumption of luxurious goods and services are directly linked to the principle of the ideal self. Critically, one can also discern the influence of positive connotations in the ethos, pathos and logos of marketing campaigns done for travel package holidays. In most cases, these ads are plastered all over social media and are auto-signalling in nature (Chu, Deng and Cheng, 2020). Therefore, one can argue that akin to the purchase of luxury goods and services, purchasing travel packages transcends individual feelings of success, achievement and pleasure.

Constantoglou and Trihas (2020) explain that some millennials travel because of the band-wagon effect. In other words, they travel because their friends and relatives are travelling. Research by Ubank (2018) also explains that over 47% of millennials derive a level of satisfaction from impressing their friends through purchasing goods and services deemed to be luxurious. A further 27% of millennials are said to derive great pleasure from using social media to impress their friends. Therefore, such criteria justify the use of social media to ethically influence the millennials into buying responsible travel package holidays.

Furthermore, the tendency of millennials to dabble in social signalling justifies the use of social media for the current campaign. The concept is rooted in conspicuous consumption, which centres on extrinsically motivated customers (Todorova, 2013). In this case, the external motivation for the target market millennials is their social media friends. These social media friends motivate millennial customers to purchase a good or service only to reward them with likes and comments on a post. Charness and Chen (2020) also explain that phenomena like priming in men compel them to spend on travel packages to highlight success and show off to potential suitors.

The correlation between the snob effect in millennial travellers and conspicuous consumption also justifies the use of social media as a marketing tool. For instance, when an individual purchases a travel package that is deemed to be financially out of reach for others, the snob effect comes into play (Uzgoren and Guney, 2012). The snob effect is especially characteristic of UK millennials and their social media use. For marketing managers, this snobbish behaviour can be leveraged because the millennial market has accurately portrayed signs that can be successfully turned into successful marketing campaigns. Moreover, most travel agencies have increasingly developed authentic and custom marketing techniques such as blogs and influence marketing (Chu, Deng and Cheng, 2020). The influencer marketing phenomenon also bodes well for the source credibility theory, as explained by Umeogu (2012), because most social media influencers are believed to be credible. This somewhat explains the success of travel agencies in marketing their travel packages using social media influencers.

Also, based on the source credibility theory, travelling is a visible cue that millennials use to present themselves to friends as well as strangers. The interrelationship between social media use and millennial travel tendencies helps some create an online identity and achieve a form of self-actualization (Magill, 2017). One can also look at such self-presentation through the Looking Glass Self theory (Anderson, 2012). Herein, perception is reality, and most millennials take into account the reaction to their travel photos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter from friends as well as strangers. For marketing managers, such a scenario can be leveraged to market responsible travel package holidays to millennials. To do this, the marketing managers can position the travel package as a need to a pertinent need of the typical millennial traveller. Such a campaign can be curated by adhering to the fundamentals of the marketing concept.

Alternatively, millennials are just like any other travellers. In this case, however, the millennial traveller is motivated by push and pull factors proposed by the Push and Pull theory (Su, Johnson and O’Mahony, 2018). For most travellers, the push factors are intrinsic and include the desire for escapism, relaxation, rest, health, fitness, prestige, social interaction and adventure. On the other hand, pull factors include the aesthetics of the destination, including cultural attractions, recreation facilities, beaches and weather (Su, Johnson and O’Mahony, 2018). For the marketing managers, the success of a marketing campaign to convince millennials to buy responsible travel package holidays hinges on appealing to their push factors while leaving room for the negotiation of their push factors.

Ultimately, it is deducible that the marketing managers can market the responsible travel packages using social media because of the susceptibility of millennials to peer influence and influencers. Likewise, the travel packages can be marketed as a solution to a need already held by the millennials because of the millennial need to “treat themselves”. However, the managers ought to ensure that they leave some room to manoeuvre and market to the millennial travellers who are influenced by push and pull factors just like the average traveller.

Recommendations for Marketing Managers

Using the SOSTAC Framework, the recommendations to managers are made based on situation, objectives, strategy and tactics (Reed, 2014). The situation aspect covers the current situation for the marketing managers. The objectives appraise where the managers should aim to be. Finally, the tactics section delves into how the managers can reach the desired goals and objectives.

Situation AnalysisThe outbreak of the global pandemic has devastated the tourism and travel industry in the United Kingdom. However, the discovery of vaccines has provided hope that the social distancing stipulations and lockdown orders will gradually ease up tourism, and travel will fully reopen (Choudhury, 2021). Social media has also been a vital cog in the marketing and promotional efforts of tourism and travel companies before and after the onset of the global pandemic. Certainly, the time is right for marketing managers to offer responsible travel package holidays to the millennial generation.

Objectives

The chief aim of the marketing managers should be to increase their social media engagement numbers with the millennials. The marketing managers should aim at gaining 15 to 20% more comments, interactions and impressions on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts.

Strategy

The marketing managers should adhere to theories discussed in the critical analysis section, including the marketing theory, the pull and push theory and the hierarchy of needs theory. The marketing managers should also adhere to psychographic segmentation because it allows for the millennial generation to be broken down further. Psychographic segmentation can offer more insight into buying behaviours, values, beliefs, social status, lifestyles, activities and opinions of different millennials.

Tactics

The marketing managers should use celebrity social endorsements, social media influencer endorsement and the vast google advertising network. The marketing managers should look at digital nomads like Richard Quest, who possesses a huge following and has established connections with reputable networks like CNN. Furthermore, the marketing managers should look at travel influencers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to promote the responsible travel package holidays to potential clients. However, emphasis should be put on Instagram mostly because of its graphic richness compared to Facebook and Twitter. @Travelbabbo On Instagram is a possible candidate as a social media influencer.

Performance Measurement

The performance should be measured using a Management by Objectives basis (MOB). In other words, the success of the respective tactics should be measure based on pre-determined goals and objectives (Synnott, 2017). It has been established that the goal is to achieve 15-20% more engagement on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts. Therefore, when the engagement numbers exceed or range between 15 to 20%, then the campaign can be deemed to be successful. However, if the engagement numbers fall below the range, then the campaign would be unsuccessful, and a change of strategy would be necessary.

Conclusion

The trends and themes in the tourism and travel industry all point to a resurgence after the discovery of vaccines. This resurgence can be leveraged by marketing managers to sell responsible travel package holidays to millennials. Using the marketing concept as a basic theory, the marketing managers should aim to boost social media engagement levels by 15 to 20% to appeal to a tech-savvy millennial generation. The success of each respective campaign can be gauged based on a management by objectives basis.

Reference list

Anderson, J. (2012). Through the Looking Glass of Theory. Administrative Theory & Praxis, [online] 34(3), pp.483–488. Available at: 10.2753/atp1084-1806340312 [Accessed 2 Apr. 2020].

Baratti, L. (2021). Millennials Are the Generation Most Likely To Travel in 2021. [online] TravelPulse. Available at: https://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/millennials-are-the-generation-most-likely-to-travel-in-2021.html.

Carpentier, M., Van Hoye, G. and Weijters, B. (2019). Attracting applicants through the organization’s social media page: Signaling employer brand personality. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 115, p.103326.

Charness, G. and Chen, Y. (2020). Social Identity, Group Behavior, and Teams. Annual Review of Economics, 12(1), pp.691–713.

Chen, C.-C. and Petrick, J.F. (2013). Health and Wellness Benefits of Travel Experiences. Journal of Travel Research, 52(6), pp.709–719.

Choudhury, S.R. (2021). Vaccination is key to bringing tourism back from the brink, industry leaders say. [online] CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/tripcom-airasia-and-oyo-on-global-travel-recovery-from-covid-vaccines.html.

Chu, S.-C., Deng, T. and Cheng, H. (2020). The role of social media advertising in hospitality, tourism and travel: a literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print).

Constantoglou, M. and Trihas, N. (2020). The Influence of Social Media on the Travel Behavior of Greek Millennials (Gen Y). Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 8(2).

Gelfeld, V. (2018). 2019 Boomer Travel Trends. [online] AARP. Available at: https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/life/info-2018/2019-travel-trends.html.

Grier, L. (2017). How Travel is Redefining Luxury. [online] HuffPost. Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-travel-is-redefining-luxury_b_5a13ab12e4b010527d677ff1.

Ketter, E. (2020). Millennial travel: tourism micro-trends of European Generation Y. Journal of Tourism Futures, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print).

Kroesen, M. and De Vos, J. (2020). Does active travel make people healthier, or are healthy people more inclined to travel actively? Journal of Transport & Health, 16(3), p.100844.

Leonhardt, M. (2019). Millennials are making travel a priority more than previous generations—that’s not a bad thing. [online] CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/30/millennials-making-travel-a-priority-more-than-previous-generations.html.

Magill, D. (2017). The influence of social media on the overseas travel choices of Generation Y. Cardiff Metropolitan University, [online] 5(1). Available at: https://repository.cardiffmet.ac.uk/handle/10369/8739.

Marketing Charts (2021). Here’s Why Millennials Use Social Media. [online] Marketing Charts. Available at: https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital/social-media-116290.

Moreno, F.M., Lafuente, J.G., Carreón, F.Á. and Moreno, S.M. (2017). The Characterization of the Millennials and Their Buying Behavior. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 9(5), p.135.

Reed, A., Forehand, M.R., Puntoni, S. and Warlop, L. (2012). Identity-Based Consumer Behavior. SSRN Electronic Journal.

Reed, D. (2014). SOSTAC: The guide to the perfect digital marketing plan. Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice, [online] 16(2), pp.146–147. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/dddmp.2014.79.

Roberts, D. (2021). Coronavirus and the impact on the UK travel and tourism industry – Office for National Statistics. [online] www.ons.gov.uk. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/tourismindustry/articles/coronavirusandtheimpactontheuktravelandtourismindustry/2021-02-15.

Su, D.N., Johnson, L.W. and O’Mahony, B. (2018). Analysis of push and pull factors in food travel motivation. Current Issues in Tourism, [online] pp.1–15. Available at: 10.1080/13683500.2018.1553152.

Sung, Y., Choi, S.M., Ahn, H. and Song, Y.-A. (2014). Dimensions of Luxury Brand Personality: Scale Development and Validation. Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), pp.121–132.

Synnott, K. (2017). Management by Objectives: An Overview. SSRN Electronic Journal. [online] Available at: 10.2139/ssrn.3053038.

Todorova, Z. (2013). Conspicuous Consumption as Routine Expenditure and its Place in the Social Provisioning Process. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 72(5), pp.1183–1204.

Ubank (2018). Social media “likes” before long-term savings goals. [online] www.ubank.com.au. Available at: https://www.ubank.com.au/newsfeed/articles/2018/06/social-media-envy-driving-spending-among-millennials.

Umeogu, B. (2012). Source Credibility: A Philosophical Analysis. Open Journal of Philosophy, [online] 02(02), pp.112–115. Available at: https://file.scirp.org/pdf/OJPP20120200015_60107254.pdf.

Uzgoren, E. and Guney, T. (2012). The Snob Effect in the Consumption of Luxury Goods. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, [online] 62, pp.628–637. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187704281203546X.

Visit Britain (2019). 2019 snapshot. [online] VisitBritain. Available at: https://www.visitbritain.org/2019-snapshot.

‌

Lifestyle Changes In Recycling

Introduction

Recycling has been one of the most popular phrases in the recent times. This has mainly been aided by the fact that the whole or the entire world is realizing and waking up to the reality of global warming and the limited nature of resources. In essence, it has become imperative that people be mindful of their usage of the available resources and even reuse them so as to enhance or guarantee an element of sustainability. In addition, people have had enhanced awareness about the need to cater for their environment, something that has made recycling the most viable and easy option. However, the improvement of the environment through recycling is easy if people make varied lifestyle changes.

First, it is imperative that an individual strives to be a “green consumer” (Wilcox, 2007). This entails weighing the available options to ensure that any product bought has the least impact on the environment. Such an item would be packaged in easily-recyclable material, water-efficient and energy efficient (Wilcox, 2007).

In addition, it is imperative that an individual switches to renewable energy. Recent times have seen the emergence of numerous options of clean, alternative energy. Quite a large number of utility companies have been providing green energy and assisting people to switch to clean energy (Silverman, 2008). The use of renewable energy ensures that there is less waste dumped on the environment (Wilcox, 2007). These include solar energy and wind energy.

Third, it is imperative that an individual ensures proper disposal of waste. This involves sorting out the waste products into renewable and nonrenewable, thereby allowing recyclable materials to be reused while the non-recyclable materials are properly disposed. In fact, some of the components of the non-recyclable materials can be used in the making of new items, thereby reducing landfill and conserving the environment (Silverman, 2008).

References

Silverman, B. (2008). Recycling: Reducing waste. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library.

Wilcox, C. (2007). Recycling and waste management. Minneapolis, Minn: Lerner Publication Co.

Jocelyn Lupercio

Ms. Alma Lopez

English 102-72

12 May 2022

Beauty Standard Effects on Society

With the help of celebrities and social media, society has set a beauty standard that makes a significant number of people question their looks. This standard only defines what society believes makes an attractive, desirable, perfect, and beautiful look. The ideal Western beauty standards include having light skin, being tall and skinny, with long hair, having a small nose, large eyes and big breasts, and having long legs. The Western culture of beauty is ubiquitous and rapidly circulating worldwide, with these beauty standards being promoted by the televisions, fashion industries, the internet, and social media. For instance, when the media advertises beauty is usually advertised as a person with a slim figure and flawless textured skin and not mention beautiful shiny hair. Also, influencers, celebrities, brands, and models use the set beauty standards to sell themselves by creating an image of perfection on social media. Most perfect bodies on social media and Instagram platforms are highly manipulated and edited (Bosco 1). The beauty standards set by society that are promoted by media and certain influencers have proven to affect society physically, emotionally, and in health. Therefore, a more diverse, self-loving, and accepting interpersonal beauty should be encouraged.

Advertisements, social media, and some of the television programs watched today continue pushing the expectations of the ideal Western beauty standards on young women instead of preventing the escalation of these standards. They overwhelm people who are not comfortable with their physical appearances pushing them to want to fit into the standard. This statement is supported by Bosco (1), who states that the expectations of society trigger the feeling of incompleteness. It is estimated that between 20% and 40% of women are not satisfied with their bodies, while about 10% to 30% of men display body dissatisfaction (Quittkat 2). Therefore, to avoid social exclusion, most women will do whatever it takes to adhere to society’s ideal of perfection by whatever means. Some women retort to weight loss methods such as dieting to attain their desired appearance, while the majority of women engage in different forms of body sculpting and cosmetic surgery to attain their desired appearance. Only 5% of women naturally have the ideal body type depicted by Americans in the media (Lincoln n.p). Research also reveals that cosmetic procedure trends have increased a 22% from the year 2000 to the year 2020 (Cosmetic Procedure Trends n.p).

Women’s weight loss practices and cosmetic surgeries to help them fit into the set beauty standards are associated with adverse health effects. Extreme diets result in the development of eating disorders such as Bulimia or Anorexia (Swami 706). At least 9% of the global population is affected by eating disorders, with America having about 28.8 million people suffering from an eating disorder in their lifetime. Eating disorders are reported to be among the deadliest mental sicknesses, with roughly 10,200 people suffering from mental sicknesses every year (ANAD n.p). In 2017, approximately 3.3 million lives across the world were lost to eating disorders (Van 523). Most of these deaths were from Anorexia Nervosa (AN), which is reported to be the eating disorder with the highest mortality rate (Edakubo1). On the other hand, cosmetic surgeries may result in severe health effects such as bruises and hematoma, formation of seroma, infections, excessive blood loss, nerve damage causing motor or sensory loss, scarring, and anesthesia-related problems. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are more severe problems associated with cosmetic surgery that may lead to death (Khunger 190).

Not being the “ideal” beauty standard can also affect one mentally and emotionally. To begin with, women’s self-esteem suffers as a result of media-imposed unrealistic beauty standards, which encourage them to believe that their physical attractiveness falls short of the “perfect look.” Research also reveals that roughly 91% of women are not happy with their physical appearances (Lincoln n.p). Also, poor body image is associated with depressive symptoms and higher anxiety levels (Satghare 1). The 2019 body image report published by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) revealed that 35% of the surveyed individuals were depressed while 34% were feeling anxious due to their body image (MHF n.p). Low self-esteem is the main cause of depression. People with more depressive symptoms experience lesser social interactions facilitated by various reasons. Firstly, these people may experience rejection from others because they create a poor mood for their interaction partners. Also, the social environment is less likely to reinforce them, thus making them feel uncomfortable in social interactions and are less likely to participate in social activities (Elmer 1). Also, the sense of not looking or feeling good enough regardless of what one does may affect a person, making them close off and not want to go out because they are scared about negative comments people will have to say about them.

It is important to note that beauty is not only tailored to one specific body type, color, or height. Beauty can come in all types of shapes and sizes, and it is important that one loves themselves despite their physical appearance. Usually, the core value of people and personality play a big factor in beauty. One may be having trouble with accepting their bodies; however, there are proven practices of self-love that can make an individual more comfortable within their external and internal selves. One of these practices is engaging in physical exercise. Research reveals that physical exercise positively impacts body image and self-esteem by making people feel thinner, stronger, and happier (Gaddad 775).

Also, recognizing inner beauty assists people in accepting their bodies. Usually, people with inner beauty like and accept themselves for who they are (Yolinda 1). Instead of being obsessed with the outer appearance, these individuals understand that there is much more to a person’s beauty than the physical appearance. This helps them avoid harming themselves to fit into the beauty standards set by society. To these people, inner beauty, which is defined by someone’s personality, is what matters to them. Inner beauty is reflected in how people present themselves to the world. It includes virtues such as humility, sincerity, selflessness, positivity, and appreciativeness. People with inner beauty also do not compare themselves with others. This gives them satisfaction with their body images, and they will not want to look like others. Research reveals that an individual’s satisfaction with their physique is a vital component of self-acceptance (Rajagopalan 299). Accepting one’s body helps reduce the pressure from society’s set beauty standards. Furthermore, the formation of support groups can help in increasing people’s self-esteem and improve their body image acceptance. Research reveals that social support groups can have a good effect on improving the way one can perceive oneself. For instance, the Girls’ Circle support group assisted in increasing girls’ social support, self-efficacy, and body image (Steese et al. 55).

In conclusion, society’s beauty standards may not seem ideal and create insecurities. Such insecurities adversely affect individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional health. Most women will do whatever it takes to adhere to society’s ideal of perfection. They may end up engaging in excessive dieting, which results in eating disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia. Eating disorders are serious sicknesses and may result in death. Also, people may be tempted to undergo cosmetic surgeries to fit into the set beauty standards. These surgeries are also associated with severe effects. Also, not being the “ideal” beauty standard can result in loss of self-esteem and depression. It is vital to note that beauty is not only tailored to one specific body type, color, or height. It can come in all types of shapes and sizes. This can be achieved by acknowledging one’s inner beauty, which creates more self-love and acceptance. Inner beauty is reflected in how people present themselves to the world and is characterized by virtues such as humility, sincerity, selflessness, positivity, and appreciativeness. People with inner beauty are not obsessed with their outer appearance but focus mainly on a person’s personality.

Works Cited

ANAD.” Eating Disorder Statistics .”National Association Of Anorexia Nervosa And Associated Disorders, 2021, https://anad.org/eating-disorders-statistics/.

Bosco, Maria Concetta Lo. “Social media, beauty standards and the discriminatory bias in body transformation practices: a commentary on why posthuman thinking matters.”  EbscoHost. Web Interface

Cosmetic Procedure Trends – Plasticsurgery.org. 2021. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2020/cosmetic-procedure-trends-2020.pdf.

Edakubo, Shunsuke, and Kiyohide Fushimi. “Mortality and risk assessment for anorexia nervosa in acute-care hospitals: a nationwide administrative database analysis.” BMC Psychiatry 20.1 (2020): 1-8.

Elmer, Timon, and Christoph Stadtfeld. “Depressive symptoms are associated with social isolation in face-to-face interaction networks.” Scientific Reports 10.1 (2020): 1-12.

Gaddad, Preeti, et al. “Relationship of physical activity with body image, self-esteem sedentary lifestyle, body mass index and eating attitude in adolescents: A cross-sectional observational study.” Journal of family medicine and primary care 7.4 (2018): 775-779.

Khunger, Niti. “Complications in cosmetic surgery: A time to reflect and review and not sweep them under the carpet.” Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery 8.4 (2015): 189–190.

Lincoln, Stephanie. “Promoting Positive Body Image Training With Dr. Caryn Bello .”The Junior League Of Boston, Inc., 2022, https://www.jlboston.org/promoting-positive-body-image-training-with-dr-caryn-bello/.

Mental Health Foundation, 2022. “Body Image Report – Executive Summary .”https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/body-image-report/exec-summary.

Quittkat, Hannah L., et al. “Body dissatisfaction, the importance of appearance, and body appreciation in men and women over the lifespan.” Frontiers in psychiatry 10 (2019): 1-12.

Rajagopalan, Jaya. “Body Appreciation: Through the Lens of Positive Psychology.” Indian Journal of Positive Psychology 12.4 (2021): 299-302.

Satghare, Pratika, et al. “The relative associations of body image dissatisfaction among psychiatric out-patients in Singapore.” International Journal of environmental research and Public health 16.24 (2019): 1-12.

Steese, Stephanie, et al. “Understanding GIRLS’CIRCLE as an intervention ON perceived social support, body image, self-efficacy, locus OF control, and self-esteem.” Adolescence 41.161 (2006): 55.

Swami, Viren, et al. “Associations between women’s body image and happiness: Results of the YouBeauty. com Body Image Survey (YBIS).” Journal of Happiness Studies 16.3 (2015): 705-718.

van Hoeken, Daphne, and Hans W. Hoek. “Review of the burden of eating disorders: mortality, disability, costs, quality of life, and family burden.” Current opinion in psychiatry 33.6 (2020): 521-527.

Yolinda, Regina. “The Concept of Beauty in Elsheskin’s# ImPerfectBeauty Campaign: Semiotic Analysis of Advertisement.” Available at SSRN 4070457 (2021).

A Hegelian Religion

In the excerpt from his book Hegel’s Philosophy of Religion, Bernard M. G. Reardon allows the reader to become more familiar with religion and its role in the world, according to Hegel. In describing Hegel’s views, Reardon expresses a number of points of interest concerning the general place of religion in Hegel’s philosophy, as well as its importance for human beings. One of the most striking aspects of Hegel’s views of religion involve its contrast with those of his predecessors. Unlike Kant and Descartes, Hegel believes that “to the genuinely religious man talk about proving divine existence is an irrelevance” (p. 28). He does believe that emotion is an integral part of religion, as Schleiermacher does, but unlike Schleiermacher, he insists that religion is more than feeling: “…but when I say ‘I have God in my heart’ the feeling is here expressly represented as the continuous, permanent manner of any existence. The heart is what I am; not merely what I am at this moment, but what I am in general; it is my character.” (p. 32) For Hegel, the Vorstellungen of feeling are limited by the senses, but when coupled with thought that “‘lifts up the sensuous qualities of the content to the realm of universal thought-determinations'” (p. 33), one can truly understand the concept of religion. Hegel uses the term Begriff, to describe the “gripping together” of the different aspects of the perception of religion. His view seems to offer a more complete depiction of religion, as opposed to the partial and one-sided depictions offered by Kant and Schleiermacher. This is wholly in agreement with his overall philosophy, in which only the whole is true. The place of religion in Hegel’s depiction of reality lies between art and philosophy. It becomes clear that, while art presents truth in a sensual manner and philosophy serves as the mental dwelling upon the metaphysical, religion acts as the bridge between the two sides. Granted, neither art nor metaphysics can truly be described in the simplicity above, but it seems that religion offers aspects of both.

In Hegel’s view, “religion and philosophy share, as I [Reardon] have stated, one supreme object: God and the Absolute” (p. 31). Hegel argues that religion cannot possibly be wholly or essentially emotional in its character because “feeling belongs to man’s animal nature and is confined to the individual and subjective” (p. 31). This would eliminate the existence of an Absolute Truth, objectively perceptible by the intellect: an idea completely opposed to Hegel’s beliefs. Another important aspect and goal of religion is its self-reflective nature. Not merely self-reflective on an individual level, but on a universal level, as well. For Hegel, religion is “the knowledge which the Spirit has of itself as spirit” (p. 60). In Hegel’s system of philosophy, mankind’s consciousness is a result of the Spirit’s drive to know itself. Religion is a manifestation of this drive.

The discussion develops further, as Reardon describes Hegel’s interpretation of evil as “the drive of the finite things to be simply what they are as finite” (p. 69). Hegel maintains that there must exist a reconciliation between the infinite and the finite: “Reconciliation is a correction of this, a reorientation of the finite away from its own finitude to the infinite, its source and true home” (p. 69). This reconciliation occurs in art, and now in religion. Like art, religion helps mankind to reorient itself towards the infinite, but on a higher, more intellectual level. A Hegelian Religion In the excerpt from his book Hegel’s Philosophy of Religion, Bernard M. G. Reardon allows the reader to become more familiar with religion and its role in the world, according to Hegel. In describing Hegel’s views, Reardon expresses a number of points of interest concerning the general place of religion in Hegel’s philosophy, as well as its importance for human beings. One of the most striking aspects of Hegel’s views of religion involve its contrast with those of his predecessors. Unlike Kant and Descartes, Hegel believes that “to the genuinely religious man talk about proving divine existence is an irrelevance” (p. 28). He does believe that emotion is an integral part of religion, as Schleiermacher does, but unlike Schleiermacher, he insists that religion is more than feeling: “…but when I say ‘I have God in my heart’ the feeling is here expressly represented as the continuous, permanent manner of any existence.

The heart is what I am; not merely what I am at this moment, but what I am in general; it is my character.” (p. 32) For Hegel, the Vorstellungen of feeling are limited by the senses, but when coupled with thought that “‘lifts up the sensuous qualities of the content to the realm of universal thought-determinations'” (p. 33), one can truly understand the concept of religion. Hegel uses the term Begriff, to describe the “gripping together” of the different aspects of the perception of religion. His view seems to offer a more complete depiction of religion, as opposed to the partial and one-sided depictions offered by Kant and Schleiermacher. This is wholly in agreement with his overall philosophy, in which only the whole is true. The place of religion in Hegel’s depiction of reality lies between art and philosophy. It becomes clear that, while art presents truth in a sensual manner and philosophy serves as the mental dwelling upon the metaphysical, religion acts as the bridge between the two sides. Granted, neither art nor metaphysics can truly be described in the simplicity above, but it seems that religion offers aspects of both.

In Hegel’s view, “religion and philosophy share, as I [Reardon] have stated, one supreme object: God and the Absolute” (p. 31). Hegel argues that religion cannot possibly be wholly or essentially emotional in its character because “feeling belongs to man’s animal nature and is confined to the individual and subjective” (p. 31). This would eliminate the existence of an Absolute Truth, objectively perceptible by the intellect: an idea completely opposed to Hegel’s beliefs. Another important aspect and goal of religion is its self-reflective nature. Not merely self-reflective on an individual level, but on a universal level, as well. For Hegel, religion is “the knowledge which the Spirit has of itself as spirit” (p. 60). In Hegel’s system of philosophy, mankind’s consciousness is a result of the Spirit’s drive to know itself. Religion is a manifestation of this drive. The discussion develops further, as Reardon describes Hegel’s interpretation of evil as “the drive of the finite things to be simply what they are as finite” (p. 69). Hegel maintains that there must exist a reconciliation between the infinite and the finite: “Reconciliation is a correction of this, a reorientation of the finite away from its own finitude to the infinite, its source and true home” (p. 69). This reconciliation occurs in art, and now in religion. Like art, religion helps mankind to reorient itself towards the infinite, but on a higher, more intellectual level.

A Hegelian Religion In the excerpt from his book Hegel’s Philosophy of Religion, Bernard M. G. Reardon allows the reader to become more familiar with religion and its role in the world, according to Hegel. In describing Hegel’s views, Reardon expresses a number of points of interest concerning the general place of religion in Hegel’s philosophy, as well as its importance for human beings. One of the most striking aspects of Hegel’s views of religion involve its contrast with those of his predecessors. Unlike Kant and Descartes, Hegel believes that “to the genuinely religious man talk about proving divine existence is an irrelevance” (p. 28). He does believe that emotion is an integral part of religion, as Schleiermacher does, but unlike Schleiermacher, he insists that religion is more than feeling: “…but when I say ‘I have God in my heart’ the feeling is here expressly represented as the continuous, permanent manner of any existence. The heart is what I am; not merely what I am at this moment, but what I am in general; it is my character.” (p. 32) For Hegel, the Vorstellungen of feeling are limited by the senses, but when coupled with thought that “‘lifts up the sensuous qualities of the content to the realm of universal thought-determinations'” (p. 33), one can truly understand the concept of religion. Hegel uses the term Begriff, to describe the “gripping together” of the different aspects of the perception of religion. His view seems to offer a more complete depiction of religion, as opposed to the partial and one-sided depictions offered by Kant and Schleiermacher.

This is wholly in agreement with his overall philosophy, in which only the whole is true. The place of religion in Hegel’s depiction of reality lies between art and philosophy. It becomes clear that, while art presents truth in a sensual manner and philosophy serves as the mental dwelling upon the metaphysical, religion acts as the bridge between the two sides. Granted, neither art nor metaphysics can truly be described in the simplicity above, but it seems that religion offers aspects of both. In Hegel’s view, “religion and philosophy share, as I [Reardon] have stated, one supreme object: God and the Absolute” (p. 31). Hegel argues that religion cannot possibly be wholly or essentially emotional in its character because “feeling belongs to man’s animal nature and is confined to the individual and subjective” (p. 31). This would eliminate the existence of an Absolute Truth, objectively perceptible by the intellect: an idea completely opposed to Hegel’s beliefs. Another important aspect and goal of religion is its self-reflective nature.

Not merely self-reflective on an individual level, but on a universal level, as well. For Hegel, religion is “the knowledge which the Spirit has of itself as spirit” (p. 60). In Hegel’s system of philosophy, mankind’s consciousness is a result of the Spirit’s drive to know itself. Religion is a manifestation of this drive. The discussion develops further, as Reardon describes Hegel’s interpretation of evil as “the drive of the finite things to be simply what they are as finite” (p. 69). Hegel maintains that there must exist a reconciliation between the infinite and the finite: “Reconciliation is a correction of this, a reorientation of the finite away from its own finitude to the infinite, its source and true home” (p. 69). This reconciliation occurs in art, and now in religion. Like art, religion helps mankind to reorient itself towards the infinite, but on a higher, more intellectual level.

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Bauman, Rickey Lee, and Carol Whitfield. “An Apology for Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” (2016).

The book focus on the writings in Herman’s Hessel novel Sidharta that talks of human suffering. The book gives brief description of what motivated Hesse into writing Christian writings including the fact that they would have to pray and read the bible. The paper looks at the theme of liberation and knowledge in Siddhartha. In the first half of the book, we see Siddhartha being an empty vessel and in the first half of the story he wants to fill himself with knowledge. In doing so he tries to feel himself with knowledge. This paper will be a good reference point in understanding the various themes presented in the text through the mystic utterances.

Kumari, Archana. “Literature in the Age of Globalization with Special Reference to Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” Language in India 19.2 (2019).

The book looks into Hesse Siddharta book that focuses on the use of ancient scriptures and sermons that could be attributed to Buddha. The book mentions the journey of Hesse to South East Asia thus developing the basis and understanding of what the book Siddhartha is based and developed. It shows how the main character Siddhartha is developed through the way he seeks a life of enlightenment. This journey resulted in the embracement and understanding of Om. It explains the origin of Om as a symbol of all things and the utterances can be found in Buddhism as a representation of unity and perfection. This source helps in outlining how Om is uttered in the novel and how the author uses it to foreshadow the ending of their quest. The source will also be a great reference point in looking at the quotes from the book that portray mystic utterances as well as foreshadowing in the text

Mehta, Sonia. “Scientific Relevance of OM for Holistic Well-being.”

The novel Siddhartha at the very begging show the main character as he prepares himself to “pronounce Om”. The utterance of Om in its own by the main character Siddhartha foreshadows how his quest is going to end. In the books, while reciting a common sermon that describes Om to be a symbol of perfection and unity as it is a reminder to breathe and focus. This article helps to describe the relevance of OM in the well-being of an individual, in which it enhances the role of OM in the novel that is the main item the spiritual seeking of Siddhartha helps him achieve his quest of enlightenment. This source helps to show the role of this mystic utterances in the book.

Maples, Thomas C. Siddhartha, a hermeneutic analysis of the individuation process. Diss. Saybrook University, 2011.

The theme in Siddhartha shows how the novel is received and the perceptions the audience has on it in that it mostly drives human nature. It is in a human’s nature to try and seek enlightenment and in the case of the novel, the author takes his time in preparing to pronounce the word Om. This analysis helps to review the foreshadowing that helps the audience in understanding the later activities or events of the novel. The analysis implicitly suggests the use of foreshadowing in the books helping describe the spiritual quest journey of Siddhartha. The sight of a ferryman who was peaceful in the novel is an example of foreshadows that shows the spiritual progression of Siddhartha in that the sight foreshadows him as a man of total spiritual peace.

Misra, Bhabagrahi. “An Analysis of Indic Tradition in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” Indian Literature 11.2 (1968): 111-123.

Throughout the novel, Om plays a very important role by helping the main character achieve his quest via the uses of rhetoric’s as well as having a relationship with Om. The reaction of Siddhartha throughout the book is shown to be reactive as he never truly seeks Om. He rather seeks answers for his questions to help in his enlightenment. In many ways, he was able to achieve the state of Buddha that he reacts to making his relationship reactive. The source helps in identification of the reactive relationship Siddhartha has to the finding of Om. The analysis shows the methods in which she Siddhartha achieves Om that through a reactive relationship unlike in his advice to Govinda was able to become enlightened.

Reference

Bauman, Rickey Lee, and Carol Whitfield. “An Apology for Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” (2016).

Kumari, Archana. “Literature in the Age of Globalization with Special Reference to Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” Language in India 19.2 (2019).

Mehta, Sonia. “Scientific Relevance of OM for Holistic Well-being.”

Maples, Thomas C. Siddhartha, a hermeneutic analysis of the individuation process. Diss. Saybrook University, 2011

Misra, Bhabagrahi. “An Analysis of Indic Tradition in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” Indian Literature 11.2 (1968): 111-123.

Literature

Students Name

Institution of Affiliation

Date

Beauty and Societal Perception

Marge Piercy and Maya Angelou are of perceptions that the outer beauty does not make a woman beautiful but rather the inner beauty. Piercy is of the idea that the beauty of a woman lies in her physical appearance to seem attractive in the eyes of the judgmental society as well as the desire to live up on to the standards of others rather than an individual’s ideals. Piercy is of a perception that ‘Barbie Doll’ and is a mock of the individual’s social appearance and acceptance. Barbie’s poem attacks the women’s desire to look different so that they can fit in well with the people within their surroundings. Throughout her poem, Piercy uses various literary devices such as metaphors and imagery to provide concrete support to her opinion regarding society’s powerful impact on the individual’s perceptions and decisions.

In her bid to justify her perceptions, Piercy uses similes in her poem. For example, in stanza three she describes how the girl’s “good nature wore out/ like a fan belt” (16-17). The girl’s happiness gets buried beneath the self-hatred to which arises from the negative and the painful judgements that result from the mouth of the individuals in the society. With the society being so judgmental on her, the girl is unable to keep the pressure any longer, and this implies that the perception of beauty basing it on the society’s opinion does not have any weight on her anymore. Therefore, the girl decides to do away with making the outside world happy through her outer beauty but maintain her hidden beauty of the soul.

Piercy also uses imagery to justify her claims in the poem regarding the perception of the inner beauty. In the second stanza, Piercy uses imagery describing the girl as an average child and to who possesses lovely essential qualities and as well a good heart. The repetition of the line “a fat nose on thick legs” builds the broader picture of arrogance that is portrayed by the society in describing the girl. Imagery has also been used to portray the girl as a young child, One such good example, “and presented dolls that did pee-pee/ and miniature GE stoves and irons/ and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.” (Lines 2 and 3). The use of the above lines depicts the girl as being a young child who is reckless and have the qualities of a child. Besides, Barbie uses imagery to portray the girl’s experiences, and this can be seen in the lines 17 to 25 where the author compares Barbie Doll to the young girl. In the end, the girl pays the final price and to which Piercy depicts via use of imagery to unveil this. “Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said/Consummation at last /To every woman a happy ending.” (23 to 25). Here the author shows that the society finally accepts the girl as she has been made over, despite it not being truly herself.

Euphemism has also been used in the poem, ‘So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up.’ In line 18. The girl cuts off her nose and legs and attempts to give them up, and she does this so that she is able to get rid of the society’s expectations to which she could not meet. Through the use of euphemism, the audience is made aware of the negative perception of the author in relation to the outer beauty among the women. Here she makes it clear that the outer beauty does not matter and as well the society’s perception on an individual can be detrimental and is capable of causing harm to a person.

Piercy has also used irony in her poem criticizing the perception of the society on a person’s outward appearances. In line 25, the author uses line 25, “To every woman a happy ending”. Here Piercy refers to the death as a happy ending, but on the contrary, it is not a happy ending as she dies at the end. Piercy uses the element of irony to justify further and intensify his perception and as well to the theme of the poem concerning judgements and expectations from the society. The author states that after death, the girl is able to separate herself from the judgmental society as well as their expectations and this is depicted as being her happy ending. When the judgement stops and the expectations from the society are put to an end, the girl is finally regarded as beautiful, and this implies that the outward appearances do not matter rather one should be focused on the inner beauty.

Maya Angelou can be seen to have the same perceptions to that of Marge Piercy that the outer beauty does not make a woman beautiful and thus the society’s judgments and expectations do not matter or affect at any point in the realization of internal beauty. Maya advocates for confidence and at the same time convey to the audience that the looks of a woman can’t let anybody bring them down if they carry themselves in a manner that portrays pride in themselves. A woman is genuinely phenomenal if she is prepared to overcome the society’s expectations and judgements and instill happiness within themselves. To justify her perception that the outer beauty does not matter, Maya uses various poetic devices and technique.

Imagery is one of the techniques used by Maya to support her claim. She skillfully uses imagery to develop a mental picture of a female who is considered as being self-confident, self-loving and as well, being a proud woman. For example, Maya in the first stanza in line 2 Maya states that “I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size”. From the line, the woman is proud of being whom she is and does not need the appreciation of the other people to be proud of herself. Besides, the author uses other lines in the poem to create an image of the phenomenal woman. Some of these lines include, ‘The curl of my lips, the ride of my breasts, the swing of my waist as well as the stride of my steps’. Through the use of imagery, the author has been able to describe the whole body of the woman from the head to feet as well as her behavioral patterns to which contribute to her being a phenomenal woman.

Maya uses irony as well to justify her claims that the inner beauty is more significant than the outer appearance. Through the use of irony, the author is able to represent her thoughts about beauty and the perceptions of society. The author of the poem is an African-American woman and has past experiences on racial discrimination, oppression and rape in the American soil. According to the American society, the standard of beauty is based on the grounds of the possession of fair skin color, blue eyes as well as sharp features. In contrast, African American women don’t conform to the standards of beauty assumed by the American society and Maya is convinced that the inner beauty is, in fact, the true beauty of a woman. A phenomenal woman feels confident in her huge physique and a shapely body, and that she discovers joy in her womanhood. Some of the lines in the poem indicate that she is proud of her body and does not need the society’s judgement to make her proud. Some of the lines include, ‘I’m a woman phenomenally, the strides of my breasts and the flash of my teeth’. These comments by the author make the audience able to realize the irony from the society’s expectation and the qualities of the African American women.

Besides irony and imagery, the author uses refrain in the first three stanzas of the poem found in the last four lines. “I am a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” A repetition is also found in the last stanza but with an addition of cause’, “Cause, I am a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” The author repeats these lines to make the emphasis and make a self-assurance mantra that the inner beauty is more worthy than the outer beauty and this aids the audience to associate the repetition with the phenomenal woman. The author also uses a tone of a strong and confident woman who is not bothered by what the society think and talk about her as she finds happiness in her womanhood. The tone can be found in the first three stanzas where she says she is not embarrassed by her physical appearance.

Piercy and Maya have used various techniques of poetry that include symbolism, irony, and imagery and refrain as well from supporting their perceptions that the beauty of a woman is based on the inner beauty and not the outer beauty. Both poets are against the societal expectations and judgement of women claiming that their judgement is not right about the beauty of a woman. A phenomenal woman is proud of her womanhood and does not expect any judgments from the society to make her proud. Based on the evidence provided by the two poets, it’s, therefore, true that the beauty of a woman is based on her inner beauty and not the outer and judgmental appearance of a woman.

Work Cited

Angelou, Maya. Phenomenal woman: Four poems celebrating women. Random House Incorporated, 1994.

Piercy, Marge. Barbie Doll. Red Mountain Tribe, Incorporated, 1971.