Factors Affecting Brand Choice

Factors Affecting Brand Choice Consumer buying decision eventually is influenced by the number of factors or reasons; this concept of decision making is rooted historically in personal, psychological, demographic, and social concerns of the consumer. There are numerous reasons to buy a brand in a given situation, but our objective is only to study the behavior of the consumer regarding his/her purchasing attitude by examining the significant /dominant reasons of buying a particular product in a given situation. As theory suggests that the consumers are usually choosing a brand they recognize. If the consumers do not choose the brand according to traditional theories, then what are the dominant factors that have a greater effect on the buying behavior of a consumer? A lot of controversies are arising while looking into the literature regarding the consumer choice decision, whether the decisions are based on some attributes of the product like quality, price, brand credibility, or on the basis of consumer attitude and intention, advertising, group influences, innovations, and brand loyalty, or the decisions are made on the ground of brand awareness. So many important elements might have strong influence on buying decisions which need to be considered to understand the consumers buying decision making particularly in low involvement category of the products in an un-awareness situation. Further, it seems highly essential to differentiate between buyers behavior toward a choice among various brands within the product category and the dimensions referring to reasons affecting choice of a buyer. The most situations facing every business are to identify the factors determining preferences for the brands with supporting reasons which affect consumer choice. (Itamar and Nowlis, 2000), further, Wilson and Schooler (1991) found that subjects who had analyzed their reasons for liking different brands of jams subsequently expressed preferences that corresponded less well to those of experts than the preferences of subjects who did not analyze the reasons for their attitudes. In many studies the marketers and researchers has recognized the effectiveness of the factors those affecting brand choice, moreover Brown (1950) in his study identified that, physical characteristics of the brand, users experience with the brand, packaging, price, premiums, guarantees, habit, recommendation by friends, recommendation by experts, convenience of dealers location, personal salesmanship, dealer services, dealer prestige, advertising and display, special characteristics of the manufacturer, e.g., labor policy, location, etc., novelty, chance, availability, brand prestige or social acceptance. Many choice situations occur outside of conscious awareness and with limited information search, (Kivetz and Simonson, 2000). Further, there are evidences when some times non-conscious influences affect choice much more than are traditional concept. Whenever the unawareness on the part of consumer about the brands and the consumer is supposed to make a choice in that condition, then what factors or reasons are there which persuade a consumer to choose any brand among from available brands? The controversies about the concept of Consumer buying Decision help in knowing and testing the impact of the dominant factors/reasons on the consumer buying decision in a no-awareness situation, where a consumer is lacking any kind of information regarding the product category or/and about the available brands in that category of low involvement products. The scope of study was to focus on consumer perception on brand choice based on some factors or reasons. The study specifically was designed to explore the phenomenon in which only frequently bought products are tested in an unawareness situation, where the consumer does not have any prior information and knows nothing about the available set of brands within the product category in a given situation. The extent of the research was accelerated to compare the consumer responses of large city and a small town of rural area (i.e.; Karachi and Khairpur). The objective was to understand the consumer perception in different cultures and market segments that may help in developing an appropriate strategy to satisfy the needs of different customers accordingly. 1.2 Problem statement The goal of this experiment was to empirically examine the buying behavior and decision making attitude of the consumer in a no-brand awareness condition of low involvement product categories as a general phenomena and find out any differences with respect to rural and urban consumer choices. Research Questions: 1. How unawareness does differ from awareness of the brands? 2. How do consumers perceive on the products of low involvement? 3. What factors or reasons are there which persuade a consumer to choose any brand among from available brands? 4. How do consumers make the decision to buy the brand and what are the determinants dominating consumers purchasing decision making? 5. How rural and urban consumers differ on determinants dominating purchasing decision making? The study may contribute and assist local marketers and managers to develop effective strategies regarding production, managing, and marketing of the products in a given marketplace, further; To study the consumer response in unawareness situation. To understand the consumer perception toward low involvement products. To understand the differences in choice decision of rural and urban areas. To evaluate the factors affecting consumer choice. To help managers in developing appropriate and effective marketing strategies. 1.3 Hypotheses: H1: Uniqueness/Innovation is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H2: Quality is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H3: Price is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H4: Packaging/Attribute is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H5: Group Influences is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H6: Company Credibility is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H7: There is no difference in dominant reason for choice of a brand in rural and urban area consumer. 1.4 Outline of the study The basic purpose of the research was to explore and recognize the effects of important elements affecting the consumers preferences and relative actions to purchase and to identify major reason(s) to purchase in a given situation where the consumer has no prior knowledge about the brands under consideration set. Expected Benefits of the study; To have a better understanding of unawareness on the part of consumer where he/she is going to make purchase decision. To realize how the consumer perceive on the low involvement product category, where little efforts are needed to make a purchase. To understand the factors influencing purchasing decision in a given situation. To assist the managers and marketers to know the dominant determinants of consumer decision and to develop the strategies particularly when introducing a new brand in a given market. Definitions The choice has been defined by different researchers in varied aspects, Flemming (1976) viewed the choice with supporting example by saying, that the person walking down a road who hesitates at a fork in the road before choosing which route to take classically illustrates choice. Consumer Buying Behavior was defined by Schiffman, and Kanuk, (1997) as the study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources on consumption-related item, where they buy it how often they buy it and how often they use it. Low involvement refers to the premise that the consumers while making a purchase decision experiencing with little effort, time , and money to decide for a particular brand to buy, because the consumer has been buying frequently in that product category. Uniqueness refers as to be seen and viewed as different from others. Illustrative of consumers efforts to resist or counter the acceptance of popularized goods that symbolically convey conformity, consumers may dispose of goods that become popular and repeat the cycle in search of new and special products, innovations, and emerging fashion trends (Snyder 1992; and Tepper, 1997). Product quality may be defined as the consumers judgment of the excellence of the product or service (Zeithaml, 1988).Quality (perceived not conformity) is a prime factor that plays very dominant role in selection process. Price may defined in its narrowest sense as the amount of money charged for a product or service, and in broad sense it is the sum of all the values that customers give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service (Kotler and Amstrong, 2008). Packaging can be defined as to design and produce a wrapper or container for a product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). A persons groups consist of all the groups that have a direct (Face-to-face) or indirect influence on his/her attitudes or behaviors. (Kotler and Keller, 2005). Corporate reputation has been defined by Fombrun (1996) as a perceptual representation of a companys actions in past and prospects of future that are an aggregate of many personal judgments about the company. While Keller (1998) has defined company credibility as the degree to which consumers do believe that a company can deliver products and services that satisfy most their needs and wants. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Choice Decision To choose a brand among from available brands of low involvement product category in a situation where consumer does not know about the brands under consideration seems very critical, because the most theories of consumer behavior support the awareness as a dominant factor in consumer choice. On the other hand it was also assumed that excess of every thing is dangerous, likely it can be guessed that more information may confuse the consumer about the brand to be selected. Jacoby, Speller, and Berning (1974) are of the opinion that Consumers actually make poorer purchase decisions with more information. The research was intended to test the assumption that what may happen when the consumer is completely unknown about he brands under consideration in a low involvement product category. The choice is restricted toward the limited brands in different categories of low involvement products. There is no disagreement on that every one is facing with a choice. If, however, the example is changed slightly, it is more doubtful whether we are still talking about a choice. The person walking on a sidewalk, when confronted with a puddle, changes his direction slightly and continues. In this case few people may say that a choice was involved. Attitude of the consumer plays an important role in making decision making in a given situation. A consumers attitude and purchase intention towards a brand is not only a product of their cognitive evaluations of that individual brand but are also determined by their perception of other competing brands within the consideration set. (Ronnie, Anne, and Karinna, 2006). 2.1.1 Decision making Process [Fig. 2.1] Need Recognition Problem Awareness Purchase Decision Evaluation of Alternatives Information Search Post-Purchase Evaluation Need Recognition The buying process starts when the buyer recognizes a problem or need. Need recognition occurs when actual state differs significantly from desired state. It is triggered when a customer is exposed to either an internal or an external stimulus. Hunger and thirst are internal stimuli, the color of a product, the package design, name of a brand mentioned by a friend, or an ad. are considered external stimuli (William, 2002). It is widely accepted that the traditional problem solving approach involving rational decision making to the study of consumer choice may not be suitable for all situations, or is at least incomplete to understand choice behavior. Limited information search and evaluation of alternatives led to a situation in which consumer choice is also driven by hedonic considerations ( Dhar, and Wertenbroch, 2000). In general, a common distinction to be made is that while the utilitarian goods usually are primary instrumental and functional, hedonic goods provide fun, pleasure and excitement. Consumer Information Search Consumer information search should yield a group of brands, sometime called the buyers evoked set (or consideration set), which are consumers most preferred alternatives (Clow, and Baack, 2001). Evaluation of Alternatives In close relation to information search, evaluation of alternatives has also gained a momentum in recent research (Laroche, Kim, and Zhou, 2003). Their study on consumers use of five heuristics (conjunctive, disjunctive, lexicographic, linear additive, and geometric compensatory) in the consideration set formation found that conjunctive heuristics is the most often used decision model in the consideration set formation for two product classes in the study (here,Sun block brands and pens). Conjunctive heuristics means that a consumer selects a brand only if it meets acceptable standards, the so-called cutoff point on each key attribute consumer regards as important (Assael, 1998). In the non-compensatory method of evaluation, a consumer would eliminate a brand that does not fulfill the standards on one or two of the most important attributes, even it is positive on all other attributes. Brands, which will be selected to group purchase options, will also be considered during the alternative evaluation process (Hawkins, Roger, and Kenneth, 1998). Purchase Decision and Post-purchase evaluation To select a specific brand after evaluation the buying and consuming it may consequently result in delighting, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and disappointment about the selected brand. It is essential to distinguish between the attributes per se and consumers perceptions of these attributes, because consumers differ in their perceptions. It is the perception that affects behavior, not the attribute itself. Attribute is often used to mean choice criteria, but this leads to confusion. A vast amount of research has been and is being conducted on many of them (factors) individually. Testing the product, the advertising, and the package, is an old story. But seldom has an adequate overview been taken. Does the consumer pay more attention to the advertising-beyond a certain point, at least-than to the dealers salesmen? Would lower prices or improved quality be more preferred by the buyer? How important are such factors as the recommendations of experts or of friends and to what extent may the individual marketing firm control them? The most effective direction of marketing activities requires accurate answers to all of these questions. The importance of the factors influencing choice has been recognized for many years by the researchers and marketers, as Brown (1950) identified as, Physical characteristics of the brand, Users experience with the brand, Packaging, Price, Premiums, guarantees, Habit, Recommendation by friends, Recommendation by experts, Convenience of dealers location, Personal salesmanship, Dealer services, Dealer prestige, Advertising and display, Special characteristics of the manufacturer, e.g., labor policy, location, etc., Novelty, Chance, Availability, Brand prestige or social acceptance. The weight of (no redundant) reasons in choice and, correspondingly, the degree to which the choice of reasons drives the choice of options vary across decisions and are likely to depend on the task, the context, the choice problem, and individual differences. In particular, when consumers are explicitly told to explain their decisions, it is reasonable to expect that the reasons that can be used to support considered options play a prominent role in the choice process. A question that naturally arises is what factors determine preferences for reasons and how does a need to provide reasons affect choice? (Itamar, and Nowlis, 2000). Wilson and Schooler (1991) found that subjects who had analyzed their reasons for liking different brands of jams subsequently expressed preferences that corresponded less well to those of experts than the preferences of subjects who did not analyze the reasons for their attitudes. Purchase decision Decision making is very complex phenomena where the consumer does not make a decision simply, and but to arrive at a final and concrete decision the consumer experiences sub-decisions (i.e.; What type of goods should be purchased, chased?, How much of an item should be purchased?, When should the purchase be made?, Where should the purchase be made?, How should the purchase be made, i.e., by telephone or in person, by cash or on credit, by husband or wife, and so on? What brand should be purchased? In many cases, the consumer is not conscious of the fact that he arrives at decisions with respect to all of these sub-decisions to purchase (Brown, 1950). 2.2 Consumer Buying Behavior Consumer Buying Behavior has been defined by Kotler, and Amstrong, (2001), as Consumers make many buying decisions every day. Most large companies research consumer buying decision in great detail to answer questions about what consumers buy, where they buy, how and how much they buy, when they buy, and why they buy A simple model of the consumer buying behavior deemed as the stimulus-response model. According to this model, marketing stimuli and other major force enter the consumers black box and produce certain responses. One in the black box these inputs produce observable buyer responses, such as product choice, brand choice, purchasing timing, and purchase amount. The consumer decision-making process does not occur in a vacuum. On the contrary, underlying cultural, social, individual, and psychological factors strongly influence (lam, Hair, and McDaniel, 2002). Cultural Factors Culture represents the behavior, beliefs, and in many cases, the way we act learned by interacting or observing other members of society. In this way much of what we do is shared behavior, passed along from one member of society to other. In order to increase customer satisfaction the managers and marketers are trying to understand the real behavior and attitude of consumers in a given situation. The better the marketer understand the factors underlying consumer behavior, the better able they are to develop affective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs (Assael, 1998). 2.3 Low Involvement Hoyer and Brown (1990), examining the heuristic for low-involvement decision making, and found that consumers who are aware of the name of one of the brands in a product category will repeatedly choose that brand, even when it offers objectively determined lower quality. Consumers who are unfamiliar with the brand names often will experiment with and eventually settle on a brand that offers higher quality. Time pressure commonly influences consumers opportunity to engage in effortful decision strategies. Payne, Bettman, and Johnson (1988) demonstrate that consumers who are faced with making a choice under time pressure (lack of opportunity) will accelerate information processing, ignore certain pieces of information, or shift to simpler heuristics. Perhaps the simplest low-involvement decision heuristic involves the retrieval of previously formed affect associated with the product (Peter and Nord, 1982). 2.4 Uniqueness/ Innovation Uniqueness and Innovation play a significant role in making choice of a brand particularly in unawareness condition, as (Tepper, 1997) view it as Conceptual models of social nonconformity recognize that behaviors that render a person different relative to other people may reflect several motivational processes, Although such a choice may at times differentiate the decision maker from others, this outcome is incidental to acting consistent with personal standards. Consumers need for uniqueness is also distinct from independence, a motivation that may inadvertently manifest in social different-ness as a result of adhering to ones personal taste. Decisions shift the focus from the choice of options to the choice of reasons. Buyers who explain their decisions and have high need for uniqueness tend to select unconventional reasons and are more likely to make unconventional choices (Itamar, and Nowlis, 2000). Itamar, and Nowlis (2000) further support their view that the effect of NFU (Need for Uniqueness) on choice emerges when consumers have the opportunity to explain their decisions and do not expect to be individually evaluated. That is, the ability to explain, without concerns about others criticism, may allow greater use of unconventional arguments and unconventional choices that express uniqueness and independence. Further they argue that the need for uniqueness and autonomy is usually dominated by the desire for social approval and other pre ssures for conformity, when consumers are encouraged to explain their decisions and are not concerned about others criticism, expressions of uniqueness come to the surface and affect choices. Consumers need for uniqueness may fit into a broader theory of consumption as an extension of self (Belk, 1988). This supposition is further supported by the work of Tepper (1997) that Consumers need for uniqueness could be examined as a trait influencing processes whereby situations that elicit consumer counter conformity motivation lead to conflict and acts of conflict resolution. In phenomenological interviews, Thompson and Haytko (1997) found that attempts to stay ahead in the realm of fashion trends by discarding fashions that catch on and seeking emerging innovations are interpreted as acts of resisting conformity. The concept is exemplified in the comments of one of Thompson and Haytkos (1997) interview participants: Usually if something is hot, Ill go out of my way to stay away from it. Even if I like it at first, if everyones wearing it, I dont want to be wearing it. The concept of consumers need for uniqueness derives from Snyder and Fromkins (1977) theory of uniqueness. According to this theory, the need to see oneself as being different from other persons is aroused and competes with other motives in situations that threaten the self-perception of uniqueness (i.e., situations in which individuals see them- selves as highly similar to others in their social environment). A unique product may be sought out to restore a persons self-view as one who is different from others, such as when an anonymous art collector bids via the internet or telephone for a rare painting she wants to display in her bedroom. (Tian, Bearden, and Hunte, 2001) McAlister and Pessemier (1982) suggest that a desire for social distinction via unusual products influences new product adoption and variety-seeking behavior. Where (Fisher Price, 1992). Commenting thatBecause consumer choices, particularly creative choices, may establish ones uniqueness, such choices are likely to attract followers who also seek to develop their special-ness or share a common link with early adopter groups. And Initially unpopular consumer choices may later gain social acceptance and thereby positively distinguish the consumer as an innovator or fashion leader (Heckert, 1989). It should be noted that changing from an initially preferred choice to a new one in order to avoid similarity is a criterion for distinguishing counter conformity from other motivations that incidentally result in being different (Nail, 1986). And even initially unpopular choices can gain widespread acceptance over time (Heckert, 1989). On the contrary Thompson and Haytko (1997) in his research concluded and suggested that this could be the time when innovation is less important than heritage, as brands with history can speak to consumers through nostalgia packaging, graphics and advertising messages. As a result of pursuing different-ness through no confrontational venues such as the purchase of unique products, individuals driven by counter conformity motivation should not perceive themselves to be similar to others with respect to their consumer choices (Kilduff, 1992; Snyder and Fromkin, 1977). This concept is further supported by Snyder and Fromkin, (1977) that specifically, uniqueness theory suggests that individual differences in motivation to seek different-ness arise from early childhood socialization that either emphasizes obedience and following norms or emphasizes creativity and individuality. Further, Thompson and Haytko (1997) have suggested that, for those who construct their personal identity through a contrast between their perceived fashion orientation and that of others in their social setting, personal identity does not reflect a stable set of essential features but is negotiated in a dynamic field of social relations. Bloch (1995) in his research concluded and proposes that individual differences in the need for uniqueness influence consumers product selections through its effect on affective and cognitive responses to the exterior design. This indicates that strategically marketers should place the greater emphasis on unique features may be a reasonable heuristic when subjects must choose between two alternatives (Meyer and Eagle, 1982). 2.5 Quality While making a purchase decision it was observed that the quality of the product was affecting intensively on the consumers ability to make a decision, because the consumer always expecting a good quality product at reasonable price. Since the consumer had no previous experience with the brand under consideration, the quality of the brand was being judged through the brand exposure and outlook. Garvin (1987) proposed that product quality can be captured in eight dimensions: performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality (i.e., image). Quality assessment is very critical and personal that may be viewed from different dimensions, particularly the product attributes/features and its out look, its color and shape/design etc. Income of the buyer may determine the degree of quality of a product; a particular brand may be viewed as of good quality by the person having low income and low buying power, while a higher income person may see it as inferior. The price of a brand and company and store prestige may be considered as significant cues for quality. It is encouraging to be able to confirm that such stimuli as price information and the reputation of a store or company are used as cues to the quality of a product (Wheatley and Chiu, 1977). 2.6 Price Price and quality remained very interrelated factors those affect collectively on perception of a consumer and response toward the brand. A better understanding of how customers use price information in choosing among alternative brands within frequently bought product categories helps to evaluate it and knowing the intensity as compare to other factors or reasons. Andrews, I. R., and Valenzi (1971) found that when other cues are present, some researchers have found that price remains the dominant cue. It is also consistent with Shapiros (1973), and (Marketing Science Institute, 1972) suggestion that the use of price as an indicator of quality is a reflection of both its concrete, unambiguous nature and the faith that consumers tend to place in at least some price setters such as prestigious retail stores. Notions of the price customers use as a reference in making purchase decisions, such as fair price (Thaler, 1985), aspiration price, and list price (Klein Oglethorpe, 1987). Mostly the price we consider as the expected price should coincide with the fair price Where the perceived fair price may be lower than the expected price. Customer response depends not only on the retail price, but also on how it compares with the reservation price (Scherer, 1980), perceived price (Della Bitta and Monroe, 1974; Emery, 1970; and Monroe, 1973), or evoked price (Rao and Gautschi, 1982; Thaler, 1985; Winer, 1985) view that customers use the price they expect to pay for a brand on a given purchase occasion as a reference in forming price judgments. Nwokoye (1975) found evidence that some customers use end prices-the lowest and highest prices-as anchors in their price evaluations. A significant role of the expected price in customer brand choice was found by Kalwani, Sugita, and Yim (1986) which have modeled a brands expected price as a function of the last price paid, the deal proneness of the customer, and the frequency of sales promotions of the brand, and Gurumurthy and Little (1986) assume a reference price is formed as adaptive expectations of past prices and allow a latitude of acceptance of the reference price within which customers are insensitive to price gains or losses. Price declines in importance and may become insignificant in its impact on quality perception (Jacob, Olson, and Haddock, 1971; Vithala ,1971). This indicates that it is probable, however, that price effects on quality perceptions are product specific (Gardner, 1970). Price expectations of consumers are not a function of past prices only, but these expectations are influenced also by contextual variables. 2.7 Attributes /Packaging Packaging was considered as the leading indicator of quality and a dominant clue in selecting a brand when the consumer is completely unaware about the brands real quality and performance. According to Slovic (1975) decision makers faced with a need to choose between two equally valued alternatives tend to prefer the one that is superior on the more important attribute. In judging alternatives, consumers may combine evaluations on various attributes. The rules for combining evaluations are thus important aspects of the choice process (Bettman, 1979). Consumers make purchases by image and perception of value, packaging, color and other attributes of a product, and packaging is widely considered as the silent salesman, which helps in developing strategies for better marketing results. Packaging is very important instrument in the marketing mix. Packaging has two functions: (i) to protect and contain the product; and (ii) as an interface to sell the product to the consumer. High-quality packaging involves target market research, environment changes in market, society, and the technology. Product features/attributes have also proved as a significant importance in deciding for a brand to purchase. Research suggests that an important determinant of the extent to which a feature is contrasted or assimilated is the degree of feature overlap between the new feature and the brand to which it is added (Herr, 1989). In the present case, it was expected that when a brand with superior features or brand name adds yet another (positive) feature, the new feature is assimilated into the existing perception of superior performance and, thus, is unlikely to significantly affect the over- all evaluation of the product. Reference Gro

Political and Socioeconomic Essay

The communication gap between First and Third world feminist, as expressed by Narayan lies within a cultural setting: though Western feminism is still an upholding to the rights of women, Third world feminism speaks towards a culture’s specific issues, as Narayan writes, â€Å"I am arguing that Third-World feminism is not a mindless mimicking of ‘Western agendas’ in one clear and simple sense – that, for instance, Indian feminism is clearly a response to issues specifically confronting many Indian women† (13). Thus, feminism is explicit to country and cultural beliefs, not hinging upon a predetermined, or in this case Western view. There are many people, mostly women, who have been fighting for their equal rights – and we now commonly call this as feminism. Feminism started not merely on 19th century, but even during the 17th to 18th century. This is the very reason why feminists have gotten so much attention from well respected organization and government officials. With this idea in mind, many are now asking, who are the women who started the feminist movements and what prompted them to initiate such action? By digging deeper to what the real meaning of feminism is, it can also be identified the first few women who fought and strived really hard just to show the world that feminism is indeed worth fighting for. These women have their own issues that they highlighted and it all boils down to the fact that females are not just a decoration for males, instead, they are people who can be effective even in dealing with other important aspects of he society like the government. Feminists’ ideas started during the time of the infamous Enlightenment, with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and the Marquis de Condorcet who initiated championing women’s education. The first scientific society for women was founded in Middleberg, a city in the south of the Dutch republic, in 1785. Journals for women which focused on issues like science became popular during this period as well. Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the first works that can be called feminist, although by modern standards her comparison of women to the nobility, the elite of society, coddled, fragile, and in danger of intellectual and moral sloth, does not sound like a feminist argument. Wollstonecraft believed that both sexes contributed to this situation and took it for granted that women had considerable power over men. Indeed, it was during the late 17th century to the early 18th century that the earliest works on the so-called â€Å"woman question† criticized the restrictive role of women, without necessarily claiming that women were disadvantaged or that men were to blame (Deckard, 1975). When 18th century came, the movement is generally believed to have begun as people increasingly came to believe that women were treated unfairly under the law. The feminist movement is rooted in the West and especially in the reform movement of the 19th century. The organized movement is dated from the first women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848 (Deckard, 1975). This feminism started not on one place or country, but coincidentally, a lot of women from various countries around the world fought for their rights as and equal and rightful members of the society. Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the founders of the suffragette movement and aimed to reveal the institutional sexism in British society, forming the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Often the repeated jailing for forms of activism that broke the law, particularly property destruction, inspired members went on hunger strikes. Due to the resultant force-feeding that was the practice, these members became very ill, serving to draw attention to the brutality of the legal system at that time. In an attempt to solve this the government introduced a bill that became known as the Cat and Mouse Act, which allowed women to be released when they starved themselves to dangerous levels, then to be re-arrested later. (Deckard, 1975). Meanwhile, the Feminist movement in the Arab world saw Egyptian jurist Qasim Amin, the author of the 1899 pioneering book Women’s Liberation, as the father of Arab Feminist Movement. In his work Amin criticized some of the practices prevalent in his society at the time, such as polygamy, the veil, or women’s segregation, and condemned them as un-Islamic, and contradicting the true spirit of Islam. His work had an enormous influence on women’s political movements throughout the Islamic and Arab world, and is read and cited today (Deckard, 1975). Various women were able to raise their voices during that time. They were able to capture the attention of many and hear out their grievances. Let us take a closer look at each of the famous and most influential women during this Abolition Movement, and create a more prominent appreciation on their ways and methods of fighting for their cause. Among the most influential women whose actions were all aimed at highlighting the feminist rights, the Grimke sisters (Sarah Grimke and Angelina Grimke Weld) topped the list. Motivated by religion and a desire to live a useful life, they were among the first American women to speak in public. They wrote a number of tracts against slavery and for woman’s rights. To abolitionist acclamations, Angelina became the first American woman to address a state legislature. Both sisters would remain abolitionists and woman’s rights activists for the remainder of their lives with Angelina concentrating on the abolitionist movement and Sarah concentrating on the woman’s rights movement (Lerner, 1998). Sarah Grimke offered the best and most coherent Bible argument for woman’s equality yet written by a woman. She was also able to identify and characterize the distinction between sex and gender; she took class and race into consideration; and she tied the subordination of women both to educational deprivation and sexual oppression. She identified men, individually and as a group, as having benefited from the subordination of women. Above all, she understood that women must acquire feminist consciousness by conscious effort and that they must practice asserting their rights in order to think more appropriately (Lerner, 1998). Angelina, on the other hand, in several of her pamphlets and speeches, developed a strong argument for women’s rights to political equality. In her insistence on women’s right, even duty, to organize for political participation and to petition, she anticipated the practice and tactics women would follow for the rest of the century. In both her â€Å"Appeal to Southern Women† and in her â€Å"Letters to Catherine Beecher† she fashioned a defense of women’s right to organize in the antislavery cause which connected it with the causes of white women and influenced the practice of several succeeding generations (Lerner, 1998). It is therefore in culture that the main difference between First-World and Third-World feminism lays. The treatment of women in India is one filled with hypocrisy. In Narayan’s essay, the India chastises Western civilization for their treatment of women; for instance, Indian women were permitted to attend higher education classes decades before the English even considered the aspect. Indian’s say that they treat their women as goddesses, while the West treats their women far less as equals, but this in turn is duplicitous, in examples Narayan gives of the treatment from men received by her grandmothers, and her mother (chastisement, beatings, and submissiveness, and silence). Narayan gives childhood examples of how she became a feminist, and they are not dominantly rooted in the idea of Westernization, but culturally in a Third-World view, as she writes, â€Å"†¦though I cannot bring myself to it, of her pain that surrounded me when I was young, a pain that was earlier than school and ‘Westernization’, a call to rebellion that has a different and more primary root, that was not conceptual or English, but in the mother-tongue† (7). This then gives insight into how feminism isn’t dependent upon the introduction of Western culture in liberating women, but is in fact contingent upon a witness’s own account of oppression and their reaction to that oppression, that is that Narayan’s own rebellion was a response to her mother’s sadness in being trapped by her mother-in-law and her marriage. This exemplifies the difference between First-World and Third-World feminism, the fact that Narayan must contend with the paradigm of Western feminism instead of simply revered as representing her own culture’s fault; Narayan is not representing Western ideas but is only supporting equality and fair treatment for her fellow Indian women. In the Indian culture, women are perceived to become wives first and their own identity as a person is wiped away by such a paradigm, this is true for the incentive of women’s movements, the West included. Indian wives are submissive and the Third-World culture enhances this notion by parlaying women into marriage at the age of thirteen (as Narayan’s grandmother had done), and treating them as Other rather than as Self. Narayan writes of the predominant sentiment found in India in regards to women, â€Å"They were anxious about the fact that our independence and self-assertiveness seemed to be making us into women who lacked the compliance, deference, and submissiveness deemed essential in good â€Å"Indian† wives† (8). The wife and mother ideas of women are predominant in most cultures, and the concord factor between First and Third world feminism is united in this fact, and their rebellion against such submissiveness. The culture of feminism is presented as one that has great bonds with politics. For both First-World and Third-World feminism there is no difference in the root of feminism when it is in politics, and political campaigns that women are often secluded: in schooling, voting, and citizenship, women have been treated secondarily in both First and Third world cultures. Therefore, Narayan’s generation of Third-world feminist aren’t rebelling because of Westernization, but because in their own politics women have been forgotten in India and in the West, â€Å" It takes political connections to other women and their experiences, political analyses of women’s problems, and attempts to construct political solutions for them, to make women into feminists in any full-blooded sense, as the history of women’s movements in various parts of the world shows us. † Therefore, the dichotomy of First-World and Third-World feminism finds harmony in this political connection. The westernization of Indian has been blamed for the rebellious nature of feminism and even the introduction of the women’s movement, but in fact, it is the own culture’s deviant nature that gives rise to the necessity of feminism. Narayan gives example of her cousin being tortured with cigarettes and being locked away while in another country and keeping silent about it for years until a relative came to visit. The silence is the devastating part of the story; in Indian culture, it is supposed and indeed ingrained in Indian women to hold their tongues, and be submissive, and not innocent, but obedient. Yet, western culture was seen to pervade the Indian traditional way of living, â€Å"Veiling, polygamy, child-marriage, and sati were all significant points of conflict and negotiation between colonizing â€Å"Western† culture and different colonized third-World cultures. In these conflicts, Western colonial powers often depicted indigenous practices as symptoms of the â€Å"backwardness and barbarity’ of Third-World cultures in contract to the â€Å"progressiveness of Western culture. † The figure of the colonized woman became a representation of the oppressiveness of the entire ‘cultural tradition’ of the colony. â€Å" (17) The effect of this colonization of Indian women was one of conflicting progressiveness. Traditions of Indian culture were already bred with English sentiments (such as the sari) and English clothing was continually being upgraded and introduced into Indian culture; in fact men were wearing suits long before women were allowed to change into less traditional clothing. In one example Narayan gives, she and her family went on a vacation in a more rural part of the country and she was instructed to wear her Indian clothing and not her Western clothes because she had hit puberty (though in the city nothing was wrong with such clothes), Narayan writes, â€Å"My story reveals that what counted as ‘inappropriately Western dress’ differed from one specific Indian context to another, even within the same class and caste community†(27). The effects of Westernization therefore and colonization give rise to differing ideas of what constitutes traditional wear from one part of the country to another. In conclusion, Narayan gives insight to how differing opinions of feminism are still spurned from similar ideals. Third-World feminists are not ‘outsiders within’, that is, they are not denying the tradition of their country, but instead, feminists need to challenge some of the more patriarchal rules of India. Third-World feminists are not denying their culture, but are asking for change. Work Cited Ahmed, Sara (2004). â€Å"The Cultural Politics of Emotion†. Routledge Publishing Boydston, Kelley, Margolis, The Limits of Sisterhood, p. 178. Deckard, Barbara. 1975. The Women’s Movement: Political, Socioeconomic and Psychological Issues New York: Harper & Row. p. 253. Gerda Lerner. 1988. The Grimke Sisters from South Carolina: Pioneers for Women’s Rights and Abolition. Oxford University Press. Narayan, Uma. Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue. Yee. Shirley J. Abolitionist Movement. February 2002. Sunshine for women.

Why Everybody Is Talking About Samples of Contemporary Theatre Essay...The Simple Truth Revealed

Why Everybody Is Talking About Samples of Contemporary Theatre Essay...The Simple Truth Revealed How to Get Started with Samples of Contemporary Theatre Essay? FACE Contemporary Theater does not pay for the operating and front of the home expenses of the institution. Inside my opinion, the art of theater is among the most empowering facets in ones life. A slice of theater only lasts for a particular time period. The major goal of a dance performance review is to assess the caliber of the dance and recommend it to the overall public. The study of theater and performance has developed rapidly in previous decades. It can be expedient if I use my very own artistic procedure to illustrate this. The stage isn't an open (postmodern) stage, rather it acts as a digital closed space. There are significant differences between Roman theatre and modern-day entertainment scene in conditions of. Australian Contemporary theatre is a tool to deal with those thoughts that are part of Australian life. Absurdism, among the most exciting and creative movements in today's theater, is a term applied to a special type of realistic drama that has absorbed theater audiences and critics for the last three decades. Today entertainment is thought to be a luxury and people expect in order to unwind and observe the players. Also, it assists in marking the loops or gaps of earlier research. Lastly, the detail of real speech makes the scene pop. More frequently than not I work site-specifically, in other words, in direct reaction to a specific site or space, as an example the dissecting room or anatomy museum. Moreover, contrary to other modes of communication, in theater an individual cannot return and see a particular scene. Theatre has quite a strong place in our society due to its culture and history. I'd like to deal with a variety of interrelated problems that confront the modern theatre. In the debut, give an overall description of the dance performance. Look for the information regarding the performance and history of this kind of dance. The main purpose of this guide is to give students an opportunity to comprehend what's a reaction paper and to describe how to complete it with no efforts. The outcome is a mix of these processes as a consequence of dynamic interaction in our mind. Nevertheless, for anyone who'd love to talk about the problem of the Filipino contemporary theatre, the difficult and very complicated postcolonial history of the nation appears among the key challenges. Schools are institutions intended to develop student's skills in all facets of life and allow them realize their talents and capabilities. Bridget's essay is quite strong, but there continue to be a couple little things that could be made better. Chock-full of language games and grammar jokes, in addition to challenges to almost every moral standby you'll be able to imagine, the play is equally as thought-provoking because it is amusing. The second part should contain your individual thoughts about the topic. At the right time of writing the exhibition hasn't yet opened and public result of the undertaking won't be known until after the evaluation period. You can go to the official concert, an amateur performance in the road, or watch it online or inside a recording. Technology has also made it much less difficult to create props, so performances nowadays are getting more realistic with better props and much better technology. To begin with, you must observe the performance. Contemporary performance provides a more expansive array of experiences. Iphigenia's' character also needs to be pondered upon. Dance is not only a concrete phenomenon, it is a social, cultural, and historical item. Also, it is going to be useful to mention different performances generated by the choreographer (artistic director). Describe the elements of the dance and the way it contributed to the general performance.

East of Eden - Setting - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2741 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: East of Eden Essay Did you like this example? Intro John Steinbeck was born in 1902, in Salinas, California, the setting of this novel. From The Grapes of Wrath to Cannery Row, he has given American Ethos memorable portraits of the dispossessed- immigrants, farmers, rural underclass and the like. Though not in grinding poverty, Steinbeck did not manage to publish a commercially successful book until 1935, during which he observed how America responded to the Great Depression and labor unrest. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "East of Eden Setting" essay for you Create order He grew incredibly fond of the proletariats, their compelling stories and concrete ethics, an admiration that would bring to the socially small and insignificant to fictional heroism, like Lennie of Of Mice and Men Samuel Hamilton of East of Eden. The fruit that the snake entices Eve to ingest is from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil. The consequences of the Fall are that humans are no longer innocent and, as Satan appeals to them with lies and grandeur, will always be naturally inclined to do evil. God punishes his disobedient children with a trying mortal life of suffering, and asks humans to use free will to eradicate the urges of sin completely, repent otherwise and be good by His authoritatively prescribed standards for salvation. This binary, absolute path to the Pearly Gates provides comfort and consistency in a radical world. It is also this very simplicity of the divine that Steinbeck rejects for the complexities of that glittering instrument, the human soul. (Steinbeck 32). To say Steinbeck is interested in the tension between man and God would be an understatement- all but one novel in his wide body of work contain overt references to neo-Christian ideas. An Episcopalian from childhood and conversant with traditions of the faith, he gradually distanced himself from organised religion and grew skeptical of its role in American culture in his later years. If his previous work had the refrain to give polish and poise to his meditation on this dilemma, East of Eden makes no such effort to shield his intent evident in the primitivism in structure and hardheaded attitude. Coupled with his awareness that this should be his magnum opus- the work he has been preparing for all his life- this novel is the one where his authorial voice comes through the loudest, both in moral lesson and in artistic vision. East of Eden takes two familiar biblical stories from the Book of Genesis- Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel- using the narrative framework of each to tell a multigenerational epic following the Trasks and the Hamiltons, that first and foremost pays tribute to the human spirit in all its good and evil. It explores what Steinbeck sees as the single most important question of existence- A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done wellor ill? (Steinbeck, 317). Sprinkled in between those sweeping questions is Steinbecks interrogation of the validity of these long-held moralities and the Juedo-Christian doctrines that defend- not only questioning its application outside of the Bible, but also whether it is realisable at all as a code of ethics. Both intentions manifest in inextricably intertwined ways- from the collapsed ruins of now obsolete scriptures, modern morality must rise in its place. What critique of evil present is so obvious and indisputable by nature that it has taken an ancillary role to the more revelatory study into good. Hence, in this essay, I will be examining the rich moral tapestry the characters must navigate to achieve Steinbecks idea of good. Goodness is traditionally unflinching and unwilling to capitulate to circumstances. It, in its purity, stands in opposition to evil, and is forever in combat with it. To quote from Lee, Evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. While good is consistent and everlasting, it also necessarily means that good does not change, evolve or adapt, the harms of holding onto it like an anchor we see in each of these characters undoing. A central idea of Steinbecks characterisation is espoused in perhaps the most iconic line of the book: And now that you dont have to be perfect, you can be good.. This line implies that perfection stands as an obstruction to the pursuit of goodness, that the two are diametrically opposed in nature. When the novel states outright that the wretched are empty because they are incapable of love, the same can be said about an absolute good. Adams romanticism disallows him from seeing the person as whole, leaving him unable to reciprocate love in any meaningful way. He still feels a general ambivalence towards his sons, despi te his want to connect with and care for them. Adam is good to his own detriment. During his interactions with his father and brother, and during his service in the army, he is continually exposed to brutality and betrayal, yet never develops the survival instinct of suspicion and measured cynicism. He has no comprehension of his wife Cathys immense darkness, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Burned in his mind was an image of beauty and tenderness, a sweet and holy girl and that image was Cathy to her husband, and nothing Cathy did or said could warp Adams Cathy Although Adam recognises darkness in his father and brother, he determines Cathy to be good without calling for reaffirmation, blinded to her malevolence by a veneer of feminine vulnerability. This sightlessness is punished with a shot to the shoulder and consequently, a deep, lethargic depression as Adam feels his bedrocks of belief shaken. As no real human thought is without fault, Adam is thoughtless and grows to be hollow and inert, living in an internal world with no room for pride, ambition or desire. Later on, his cabbage importation business fails and he becomes a laughingstock due to his idealism and failure to consider the financial outcome of the project, one of many times Adams lackadaisical thinking causes harm. He fails at being a good brother when he was not perceptive enough to respond to Charles destructive cries for help. He fails at being a good father to Abel when he rejects the gift he offers him , even after witnessing the immense sorrow and violence a similar refusal by his father imbued in his brother Charles, and at parenting Aron by being the same meddlesome, oblivious dad that he once resented Cyrus for being. He fails at being a good husband when he forces Cathy to behave in alignment with his idyllic vision of the future without considering her thoughts. When Adam would swell out in his stomach with a pressure of ecstasy that was close kin to grief, it is not real love, which is tempered with complexity and understanding, but a painful and volatile impression of love. Comparatively, those capable of hate are proven to be equally capable of love- the idea that love and can only thrive when one is familiar with the absence of it. Adam and Aron do not feel affection for their father, while Charles and Cal love their fathers fiercely. Cal, in particular, grew up a passionate love for his father and a wish to protect him and to make it up to him for the things he had suffered after he learns about Cathy, because having been on both ends of hurt, he understands the sheer extent of evil Cathy must have possessed to unleash this enormity of pain unto his father. This understanding escapes Aron, who acts out in confusion and selfish anger. The idea that a perfect being cannot empathise with the plights of the corruptible as explored here is also a prominent strand in anti-theology, which states God is an intrinsically problematic judge of character as he does not possess our marred agency. The biblical Adam story is about a uncorrupted mans arrival at humanity, and to a certain extent, Adam Trask manages to reach the same enlightenment, with his final labored utterance summing up the simultaneous gift and burden of free will: Timshel, or Thou mayest. His son, on the other hand, the closest adherent to the Christian ideal of morality, is never afforded the luxury of redemption or growth. In the same way that Abel dies before arriving at the promised Land of Canaan while Cain joins the rest of humanity in exile in the Land of Nod, Aron remains trapped in adolescence while his brother matured. Aron skews goodness into obsessive purity, taking on a much more sinister manifestation of perfect morality as a religious man bound by the rigid doctrines of his faith. Aron is perfect while Adam is good, and that makes all the difference. In maintaining the illusion that his father is categorically forthright and his absent mother an untainted saint, the revelation that people contradict his code of ethics by acting immorally breaks Aron completely. When he discovers Kate is the owner of a brothel, he is unable to comprehend it and rejects the notion. Again, as with all perfect ideals, purity crumbles under the duress of complexity. Ultimately, the didactic lesson of the book is that everyone gets to choose between good and evil, yet complications with this rise in interpretation of Aron and Cathy. The ways in which Arons characterisation may be problematic in a narrative all about self-will are immediately apparent. During Arons life and his transformation from coddled golden child to devout theist to lost soul, he is so one-dimensionally depicted that his missteps seem inevitable by design. The fact that Cathy is introduced as a monster by birth, designed to make a painful and bewildering stir in her world (58), allows for very little room for postulation about the soul-stricken, innate nature of her evil. Crawling onto the Trasks brothers porch, leaving a slick trail of blood behind her, her entrance in their legacy is not just sinuous- it is the original biblical sin, which seems an odd choice when considering how the point of Steinbecks creation is to refute against the existence of any purely evil entity. Cathy did not have the agency to opt out of evil, as if the others knew something [she] didntlike a secret they wouldnt tell [her] (355). When Cal confronts her about her deficiency she seems to be in genuine grief, agonising over the emptiness of her conniving life. While other characters are given a wealth of opportunities to change, Aron and Cathy seem logically predisposed to make a specific set of decisions for epitomising their respective extremes, so much so that they are cursed by Steinbeck from the start. They seem out of keeping in the complex moral realm so delicately crafted by the novel, but in fact, the coexistence of these two diametrically opposed ideas is reconciled when considering the metafictional identity of these characters as Christian-defined metrics which every other character compares themselves to. In the Bible, Jesus was sacrificed to allow the forgiveness of human sin, his infinite benevolence balancing out our infinite moral ruination. In East of Eden, grace has to be given by us to each other. In the same way Christ died for equilibrium, each symbolic character died to restore true free will into the world of East of Eden, with Adams ending the novel. As Adam would not be able to react proportionately and forgive, his death spares Cal from fulfilling the looming fate of Cain, retreat from the edge of his predestined demise and is finally truly free to choose. In Steinbecks words: The danger and the glory and the choice rest finally in man. (Steinbeck, Banquet spe ech) The caveat of Arons tragic end is religion. He passively takes spiritual instructions from a clergyman and builds his moral framework according to the holy text without question. In usurping personal choice to divine intervention, he effectively denies himself the chance to choose between good and evil, becoming the perfectly good child of God without impure desires or any affinity to sin- men in Eden before being tempted by the snake. The argument then seems to be that such a hypothetical being cannot survive outside of paradise and hence does not exist outside of the fictional vacuum. When Arons preconception of his mother shatters, the first aberration from his sinless existence, he becomes liberated from Eden, and uses his newfound free will to recklessly enlist in the army, stranding himself in the most amoral, diseased landscape of human making. In such, Aron embodies another criticism on Christian conduct, in that the cynical assumption that humanity is all ugliness is a self-fulfilling prophecy. People who look out for sinners to chastise will find an abundance. Those who do not accept the integral nature of vices along with virtue could run off and hide, but escapism may cost them their resilience and wisdom, and their insufficiencies will eventually catch up on them. The parallel evoked between the church and the whorehouse in Chapter 19, both having arrived in the Far West simultaneously, (Steinbeck, 166 ) and each intended to accomplish the same thing: [to take] a man out of his bleakness for a time (166), is similar to that drawn between Kates and Arons experiences, with the two mirroring each other despite being on opposite ends of the moral spectrum. Aron considers himself above the common and sullied crowd, Kate too thinks of herself as an intellectual superior to everyone else, and both suffer from their self-imposed desolation- In the end, both characters puts an end to their miserable existence through suicide or self-inflicted danger. Kates fondness of Aron as a son she had never spoken to no doubt stems from a superficial level of physical resemblance, but it could also be attributed to her understanding that he is the only character with a psyche as detached as hers. In the curious case of Kate Trask, it would still be reductive to label her a serpentine madam. In her old age, Kate is riddled with crippling arthritis, becoming a sick ghost, crooked and in some way horrible (Steinbeck 425) having lost her sexual allure to age, and conveys a loneliness and paranoia readers can relate to. Her doting on a son she never got to know, frantic attempts to restore control over her brothels toppling hierarchy, and contemplation of a nd eventual suicide all establish a humanity that was absent prior. As seen from Cathys association with Alice in Wonderland since childhood, she feels bewildered and alone in a world too abstract and bizarre for her purely calculating mind. Alice would put her arm around Cathys waist, and Cathy would put her arm around Alices waist, and they would walk awaybest friends (425) hints that she still desires companionship, and that the reason she so adamantly drives away everyone who ever got close to her may have been fear of true vulnerability or having a connection with someone that is not fictional. Even the verisimilitude of love abandons her in the end, as Alice doesnt know (425) of her final journey to grow smaller and smaller and then disappear (426). This subdued end to her gloriously twisted life is candid and melancholic. In engendering feelings of empathy for the truly irredeemable, who does not by any stretch of the imagination deserve any goodwill, our instincts as moralistic readers prove to be the antithesis for Kates denouncement of huma nity as nothing more than the gray slugs that come (180). Much in the same way, the readers are able to identify narcissism and unflattering self-indulgence in Arons perfection where Adam, in his naivete, is blind to. Steinbeck trusts the readers to be able to pick up on the nuances and minitae, through attentiveness to complexity of psychological design, that makes them better humans than Adam and Cathy. In such, we see the characters compliant in the overarching theme. Steinbecks disinterest in making these symbolic people believable is not a mistake. The storyteller in-universe being named John Steinbeck, the decision to publish all his letters documenting the creative process and his quote that reads The design of a book is the pattern of a reality controlled and shaped by the mind of the writer. (Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez 1) all invite us to view the Trasks through metafictional critical lens, to read the story through a novelists mind and interpret it as such- a constructed story with a focused moral message. Consideri ng that lens in application, conventions of storytelling dictates that if a novel where good triumphs implores us to be good.