Marketing concepts: Qatar airways

Marketing concepts: Qatar airways Advertising is an indirect way of communication which influences the target segment to consume their product or enjoy their services. The study of this advertisement will help us examine the concepts of consumer behaviour used in the promotion of the Premium Terminal of Qatar Airways. This will help us determine the reasons for requirement of a premium terminal and also study key elements used which attract the passengers. Most of the passengers travelling by first and business class could relate to this advertisement, hence resulting in its success. Qatar Airways is the national airline of Qatar and has its headquarters based in Doha. According to Mr Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Doha International Airport and Qatar Airways For a visitor, the first point of contact with Qatar is generally the airport and it is their driving priority to ensure that the best-ever facilities welcome first-time and return visitors. It gives all its first class passengers an access to the top end spa facilitie s and even body massages to relax themselves. The new Doha Airport will set a benchmark for all the future airports. It will be an international signature for the vision of Qatar, he declared in London during a ceremony to unveil the Master Plan of new Airport. This advertisement is a part of multi-million dollar global campaign designed to demonstrate the assets of the airlines and to increase its awareness among masses. Its one of the three advertisements which are a form of extensive brand campaign launched by the Qatar Airways for its extensive promotion which include the Lounge, the Appetizer and the Journey. However we are going to analyse the Lounge Commercial. We shall now look into background of the product which is Qatar Airways. Background The background is going to give us an insight about history of the airlines and an overview of its current position. Qatar airways is among the fastest growing airlines with an unmatched in-flight service based on what Porter (1985) would refer to as the competitive differentiation (Porter, 1985). Initially the airlines were privately owned by a royal family of Qatar. It became operational from 20th January 1994. But at present, this airline is partially owned by private investors, while the government holds 50% stake. Qatar Airways has managed to push the boundaries in aviation industry achieving what other airlines have been unable to do. The company follows a long term growth strategy, which includes addition of a new aircraft every month to their growing fleet size and inauguration of the New International Airport at Doha by 2011. Qatar airways have a unique Privilege Club which is one of the most generous loyalty clubs in the world. Its members have an access to a range of exclusive services and benefits designed to make their travelling experience comfortable and rewarding. Since we have a rough idea of the product, we will now study the association of this advertisement with different cultural dimensions used by Hofstede, as this will shape a path for the application of other relevant theories. Hoftedes dimensions :- Geert Hofstede introduced the five dimensions of culture which distinguish between different cultures across the world and help the marketers in the development of advertisements. This advert satisfies the Hofstedes dimensions of Culture. High Power Distance- Since the premium terminal at the Doha International Airport is exclusively for the first and business class passengers and not for the economy class, it relates to the Hofstedes high power distance. Its so because there is a lot of difference in the quality of services provided to different classes be it economy or first class. It even relates to the culture of Qatar. Masculinity- According to Hofstede, Masculinity stands for a society in which gender roles are clearly distinct: Men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success; women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. The main elements portrayed in this advertisement are ego, high status and comfort. The high level positions are mostly held by men in Gulf countries like Qatar. Thus Qatar is a highly masculine country which is very well depicted here. The business class is still considered to be male dominated. Thus we see a man enjoying the premium services at the Qatar lounge. The people in such social cultures give a lot of importance to status and money and are ego-oriented. Thus this brand helps its customers to associate themselves with high status and power. Individualistic This term refers to a culture in which everyone is expected to look after themselves. As we can see, the man shown in advert is individualistic because hes independent. Further the use of a mobile phone and laptop enhance his individuality. As perceived, all the first and business class passengers have the privilege to enjoy unique services like spa, sauna, Jacuzzi etc. Thus as an individual, they like pampering themselves. Now since the idea of advert has become pretty clear after studying the Hofstedes dimensions, we can now focus on some more theories to explain the whole concept in depth. To start with, lets understand the purpose of using some specific objects and signs in this advert. Semiotic Analysis Semiotics can be defined as the study of the correspondence between signs and symbols and their roles in how we assign meanings (Solomon, 2007, p 103). Every advertisement demonstrates a symbolic meaning. Semiotics is an apt way of understanding an advertisement and is often used to analyse it. If we talk in terms of marketing, it is thus the study of how these marketing environments and advertisements of their products make efforts to re-create the meaning of acting on peoples sensual awareness of tastes, sounds, smells, images, and words. Rather, we would not exaggerate the point if we say that as humans, we are the meaning machines in that human beings tend to get through everything that is sensed with meaning (Desmond, 2003, p 183). It is interesting to know that meaning of an ad is based upon the interpretation of the viewer, as much as on the people creating it (Langrehr Caywood, 1995). As a result of this, the people will think at an individual perspective and therefore will interpret the advert in many ways based on their socio-cultural environment, personality and knowledge. However from the semiotic point of view, every marketing message has three components: an object (product), a sign (symbol), and an interpretant or meaning, and is commonly used for analysing different types of advertisements (Schiffman Kanuk, 2004) as a result of which it is selected for this purpose. Many symbols have been used as semiotics in this advertisement each of which defines something different. The object is Qatar Airways, the Iphone is the symbol. It can have different meanings based on the individual interpretations. It can be taken to represent the luxury and high social class of the passengers travelling through the Qatar Airways. Whereas on the other hand, it could be thought to help its passengers connect to their loved ones. While from another perspective it may represent a person as an individual as many scholars consider the use of cell phones as individualistic. They have shown the passenger, a porter and an air hostess in the advert. But if we analyse carefully, they have not shown the face of any of them. This is so because they dont want their target audience to deviate from the product, rather they want them to concentrate just on their product and amazing services they provide to their customers. There has been the use of various elements which can be interpreted to be associated with royalty and high class, like the laptop, iphone, comfortable chair, vintage items, porters carrying the suitcases of first and business class passengers. The market research measures are mostly based on the visual elements, and not verbal elements, used in the advert. The quality work and giving personal attention to each of their customers is their main objective and trademark. The premium terminal at Doha International Airport provides exclusive services to its first class and business class passengers. These services include fine dining and spa facilities and even massages. The passengers can unwind themselves by pampering themselves with a relaxing Jacuzzi, sauna or a soothing spa and even indulge in some rejuvenating treatments from facials to body massages given by strained therapists perfecting in the aromatherapy (See Appendix 1). The whole process of sauna or spa is depicted in a segment of this advertisement (See appendix 2). The use of objects like Gardenia flowers, bamboo, aqua marine stones for massage, steam, bath tub, and wind chimes relate to the exquisite royal services provided at the terminal. The wind chimes can be perceived as a symbol of relaxation and peace of mind while the other elements used relate to the materials used during a spa or sauna. This demonstrates the extra effortsl made by the authorities at the premium terminal to give the highest standard facilities to their current customers and to attract the potential customers. There has been an extensive use of the purple colour in the advert which leads us to give a thought to why they have used purple as the primary colour. Colours:- The colours convey meanings mainly in two primary ways which can be either the natural association or the psychological or cultural symbolism. The association of colours may arise from the political beliefs, superstitions, religious beliefs, historical reasons, cultural beliefs etc. The purple colour relates to the self knowledge. It is the union with your higher self (Colour Therapy). Qatar being a royal country associates well with the colour. The Qatar Royalty Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and his better half Sheika Moza bint NaseerAl-Missned have been seen supporting this colour many times. In a recent event, the Royalty wore a tie of purple colour while his wife wore a purple dress (See Appendix 3). Thus there has been the use of Purple colour in the logo of Qatar Airways as well as the uniform of the crew. One of the reasons can be that this colour is used in their country flag (See Appendix 4). The use of purple as the primary colour has its own significance (Color Wheel P ro) -The flowers like lilac, orchids are purple in colour and are very expensive and rare, thus signifying wisdom and extravagance. -The purple colour represents the royalty as this colour has been used by people of high rank or authority since ages. Thus implies visionary leadership. It symbolises luxury, comfort, power, wealth, respect and independence. This use of purple colour represents the royalty and high class passengers travelling by Qatar Airways. It also explains the luxurious and comfortable services provided by the airlines at their premium terminal at the Doha International Airport. It shows the passion and dedication towards their customers. The premium terminal of Qatar Airways in Doha is a luxurious brand in itself. It gives us a royal feel and demonstrates a life of luxury and comfort. We are now in a condition to associate the high class and luxurious social life with the behaviour of the consumers. Social class and Consumer Behaviour The behaviour of the consumers differs a lot across different social cultures. This depends highly on their socio-cultural values and their economy as well. Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies and continues to grow at an astonishing pace. It continues to deliver a wide range of high standard products to the International community. Its nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has averaged surprisingly 27.2 % over the time period of 5 years (2005-2009). The Qataris have second highest GDP per capita incomes in the world and hence Qatar is the second richest country in the World. According to the Qatar Economic Review 2010, the people in Qatar spend the second largest amount of money on transportation after their housing. Qatar is a premium brand. The consumption of such a prestigious brand is viewed as a status symbol and whose price, even when higher by the normal standards, is considered to further enhance the signal of wealth. It has been revealed by the researchers that perceived limited supply of products enhances the consumers value and preference for a brand (Verhallen 1982; Lynn 1991; Pantzalis 1995). Items that are in limited supply have high value, while those readily available are less desirable. Rare items command respect and prestige (Solomon 1994, 570). As we know that the number of seats in Business and First class is very less, therefore the rich people take pride in travelling by these classes as it makes them unique. Qatar is a country of royal and high class people. Thus the premium terminal is devoted to this higher and royal segment of the society where they are facilitated with all the desired comforts. We have analysed the product and its features by now. The next step involves the relevance of the product to consumer and how the consumer relates to the brand. Kapferer Brand Identity Prism The branding has now changed from just identifying the product to dealing with the meaning of different brands through expanded brand identity systems. The entry of new system of brand identity is considered to be a great advancement towards a much more sophisticated version of branding, which suggests that in order to be successful and to stand out, different brands need to be imbued with human characteristics and traits (Aaker 1996; Kapferer 2004). Brands are thought to have a personality that consumers use as an avenue for expressing themselves or to experience those emotional benefits which differentiate the brand from others. We will now discuss the role of a consumer in influencing how brand personality is perceived. This is formulated on the basis of the fact that as consumers using a brand tend to build trustworthy relationships with it, they reinforce the positive attitude towards that preferred brand (Phau, L. Lai, K.C. 2000). Now Kapferer has explained the brand identity prism in the form of a six sided prism shown below :- Physical Appearance :- Every brand contains an external specificity which is physical appearance. This is the core of the brand and its value. It is the first step towards the building up of a brand. It represents the product features and attributes. The logo of the Qatar Airways is the head of Oryx gazelle which is an African antelope which lives in herds consisting of dominant males. This goes with the masculine society of Qatar. Since most of the country of Qatar is made up of deserts, therefore they have used this animal to represent the geography of Qatar as well. Use of purple colour is another way of identifying the brand as a status symbol. As mentioned earlier, this colour is perceived as used by royal and high class. So the people travelling by first and business class are able to connect to it. Brand Personality :- This is a way in which the brand talks about the quality of services offered and at the same time, it indicates a human being. Thus it measures those characters of the consumers which relate to the brand. Some of the features as perceived in this advert are high class, status and superiority. Relationship :- Every brand has the aim of maintaining healthy and long term relations with their customers. Thus it stands on the trust and associations. This is achieved through the great ambience, royal and comfortable environment provided by Qatar Airways. As seen in this advert, the facilities like spa, dining facilities with world class wine, porters carrying your luggage, etc add to the ambience and make customer feel special by providing superior customer services. Culture :- This refers to the aim and values of brand. In this advert, the brand i.e. Qatar Airways possesses the culture of Qatar, country of its origin. Most of the brands possess not only personality but also culture. Thus we can see the elements of high standards in this advert. There is commitment to work and hospitality towards their customers. Reflection:- The reflection shows the customers view of product. The reflection has to be such which helps the consumer relate to that particular brand. The Qatar Airways have been awarded the status of 5 star airlines, thus associated with high social class and prestige. For e.g. the passengers travelling by first and business class will consider themselves to be from a rich background as they get all the special and unique services. Self image: The self image relates to the features of advertisement of the brand which the customer can relate to. It goes hand in hand with the personality of brand. It is very helpful when it comes to understanding the behaviour of consumers as they will buy or consume the product corresponding to their self image. Thus it is the internal reflection of customer. The premium terminal for first and business class passengers gives them a feeling of inner satisfaction and thus makes them feel special by providing them out of the world facilities both on and off the ground. Despite the advert being quite apt, there are still a few things that could make it somewhat better. Limitations The advertisement focuses on only the first and business class passengers leaving aside the economy class. This biased behaviour might receive some mixed reactions from the people travelling in the economy class. Then we have noticed that as perceived by the advertisement, the culture represents an individualistic side, whereas Arab countries like Qatar are collectivist countries. Therefore, it may happen that the people may not connect themselves to the individualistic man shown in the advert. Hence they wont interpret the advert as the marketers want them to. Moreover the word count prevented me from interpreting the advertisement on basis of Maslows Hierarchy of needs. Conclusion The advertisement is designed in such a way that helps the target audience to connect to it. The people interpret these adverts differently on the basis of their culture, knowledge and beliefs. We made use of the Hofstedes dimensions in order to get a clear idea of the cultural associations with the advert. Later we studied the semiotics used in it and how it relates to the consumer using the Qatar Airways. The colour theory was explained to emphasize on the importance of the purple colour used for the uniform of the crew and the logo. We can also analyse that how it gives an insight about the culture of Qatar and also associates with the passengers. Last but not the least; Kapferer Brand Identity Prism was used to judge the way a consumer perceives a particular brand as this model says that a consumer is what he consumes. REFERENCES Aaker, D.A. (1996) Building Strong Brands, New York. The Free Press. Bear, Jacci H. Purple Color Meaning Colors That Go with Purple and The Meaning of the Color Purple. Available at: http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/purple.htm. [Accessed 18 December 2010]. Brand Identity Prism | mba4you.net. Available at: http://www.mba4you.net/index.php/2009/04/11/brand-identity-prism/. [Accessed 9 December 2010]. Brand Identity Prism by Kapferer. Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Brand-Identity-Prism-by-Kapfererid=1215591. [Accessed 9 December 2010]. Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning. Available at: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html. [Accessed 8 December 2010]. Color Matters Symbolism and Emotions. Available at: http://www.colormatters.com/symbolism.html. [Accessed 8 December 2010]. 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[Accessed 4 December 2010]. Verhallen, Theo M. (1982), Scarcity and Consumer Choice Behavior, Journal of Economic Psychology, 2 (2), 299-321. Appendix 1:- Appendix 2- The narration of the advertisement- Its 36 to 38 degree Celsius No higher, no lower Its soft but not too soft Its just enough to smooth things out Its all of this Half way to anywhere With plenty of time to spare With Qatar Airways premium terminal in Doha Five star service for first and business class passengers Qatar Airways- The Worlds five star airlines. Appendix 3

Mart :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The largest and most successful company in the world is now being ridiculed for the way in which it has risen to the top. Wal-Mart is accused of setting a bad example for American companies by squeezing producers for low prices, outsourcing manufacturing jobs, discriminating in the workplace and for the inhumane treatment of employees. What these critics don’t understand is that there are positive aspects to what Wal-Mart is doing. Wal-Mart is good for America because it embodies capitalism. It constantly improves the productivity of American retailing, encourages competition and outsourcing, provides quality items at a low cost, is a stepping stone for retail workers, and creates business opportunities for other companies. Voted â€Å"America’s Largest Corporate Cash Giver† by Forbes magazine in 2003, Wal-Mart is also very generous to charities around the world. Wal-Mart is not detrimental to our economy or our country. It is a fundamental puzzle piece that is merely a strong player in today’s neoliberal game of capitalism. Lets face it, the good old days when producers dictated what appeared on the shelves of stores is now over, and in place is a buyer-driven chain where the consumer dominates. Now you have the choice of what to buy, where to buy it, and for the price you want. That is the great thing about global capitalism, it sparks competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competition in the market is a good thing for consumers and helps achieve the lowest prices one can possibly find anywhere in the world. Wal-Mart is driving prices down through its competitive bargaining strategy for its manufacturing costs. By holding prices at a low level, inflationary pressures are relieved and the economy is a lot steadier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By selling items for less than average, Wal-Mart allows its customers to acquire more than normal when shopping in the store. Lower prices also mean more money is left in the pockets of consumers. This allows opportunities for businesses of all types. If the consumer doesn’t spend all their money at Wal-Mart, they will most likely go out and spend it somewhere else. That means more money spread across the economy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The low prices we enjoy at Wal-Mart indirectly come from the outsourcing of American manufacturing jobs. By sending low skilled jobs overseas, the overall prices of items decline tremendously. Some Americans will be left without a job for a short period, but it is through outsourcing that the global economy becomes most efficient.

Eating Disorders in Males Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Eating Disorders in Males Eating disorders are largely considered to be a "female disease". Statistics seem to validate this perception – of the estimated five million-plus adults in the United States who have an eating disorder, only ten percent are thought to be male ((1)). Many professionals, however, hold the opinion that these numbers are incorrect – it is impossible to base the statistics on anything other than the number of adults diagnosed with eating disorders, and men are much less likely than women to seek help for such a problem ((2)). This means that the male population probably suffers more from eating disorders than the numbers show. The fact that the number of men who suffer from eating disorders is larger than most people think, and the fact that most people do not consider men to be susceptible to eating disorders at all, raise the question of whether or not we treat men who may have an eating disorder the same way we treat women. Simply put, this knowledge begs the question: is it more dangerous to be a man with an eating disorder than it is to be a woman with one? For quite some time, there was a great deal of debate within the medical community as to whether or not men develop eating disorders for the same reasons that women do ((2)). Since very few men are willing to participate in treatment and study programs for people suffering from eating disorders, there was little way of knowing what psychological factors triggered disordered eating in males. A study published in the April 2001 issue of an APA journal, which looked at men with eating disorders and compared them to women with eating disorders and men without eating disorders, found that "men are generally very similar to women in terms of co... ... them on the early signs of an eating disorder in their child. It is also important that doctors be aware of the possibility that one of their male patients may have an eating disorder, and that they treat any of the symptoms that would lead them to believe a female patient had an eating disorder just as seriously when those symptoms occur in a male patient. By working to erode the assumption that eating disorders are fundamentally un-masculine, we assure that men feel able to seek the same help that as women. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.jsonline.com/alive/news/aug00/eat14081300.asp 2) http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=\\TANQUERAY\M_ContentItem&mstr=/M_ContentItem/ZZZ0626R6LC.html&soc=APA&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH 3) http://www.something-fishy.org/cultural/issuesformen.php 4) http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/0401/blbul401.htm

The Class-Size Amendment Must be Repealed in Florida! :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

The Class-Size Amendment Must be Repealed in Florida! The latest amendment to the Florida constitution reduces the average class size in schools around the state. Although many people believe that smaller class size will help students learn by giving them more time individually with their teacher, studies prove that class size has little or no effect on student achievement. The class-size amendment is a waste of non-existent money, and in the long run, it will only hurt Florida’s economy and the education program. On November 5, 2002, voters approved the reduction of class sizes around the state, much to the dismay of the governor and well-informed citizens everywhere. Governor Bush previously had warned that the revision to the constitution would cost $27.5 billion over eight years and would force the state to raise taxes and cut services. Unfortunately, naà ¯ve supporters of class size reduction chose to go ahead with the modification of the constitution for emotional reasons, having no actual evidence demonstrating benefit from smaller classes. Much evidence exists, however, to demonstrate why this amendment should not have been passed. In 1986, the Tennessee legislature commissioned the Tennessee Class Size Experiment to determine if class size made a difference in achievement for disadvantaged students. After studying 79 different schools in 42 school districts for 4 years, the researchers found that class size only had an effect on students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and that effect was minute. The impact was only on reading, not math, and smaller classes did not help disadvantaged students. A 2002 study of New York City schools showed that smaller schools, not smaller classes, had an effect on student success. From these and other studies, Florida should have learned that paying $27.5 billion to count the number of children in a class is a waste of money. Instead,

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor :: Mama Day Gloria Naylor Literature Essays

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor Mama Day by Gloria Naylor is a fantastic novel filled with vivid imagery and intriguing characters. Naylor weaves a realistic tale, despite the fantastic events that she describes. Her characters are believable and behave like "real people". However, Naylor's greatest asset is her descriptive powers, which not only sets the scene, but enraptures readers into Cocoa's dual worlds of New York City and Willow Springs, imprisoning us with her words. The plot centers around the three main characters: Ophelia/Cocoa/Baby Girl, George and Mama Day. Mama Day is by far the most dominant personality, although we are not inside her mind the same way we are with Cocoa and George. Mama Day represents the power and resilience of nature and the town of Willow Springs itself. She seems to literally be upholding the town, and to be so indispensable, I wonder what the town will do when she is gone, left with only Dr. Buzzard as the resident "medicine man." But Mama Day seems to have no intention of leaving anytime soon. Naylor enhances the connection of Mama Day with nature by associating her with natural imagery. We always see Mama Day in her gardens, or the forest, nursing the land with her skill. She has a connection to nature, and can understand it, as seen by her prediction of the storm. Mama Day represents the last vestiges of the power of the African wise woman, a role that is dying out as society becomes more and more urban. Cocoa straddles the worlds of nature and the city. Her roots are in Willow Springs and she cannot forget that. However, we can never see her taking up the role of wise woman after Mama Day is gone. She has been too changed by the city and its disappointments and heartaches. This division causes much of the conflict between her and George, since she often lashes out when her soul is divided. George Andrews represents, of course, the world of the city. He cannot accept Mama Day's primal power, and loses his life for his lack of belief. His angry retaliation at the helpless chickens represents the urban idea of attempting to control nature. George tries to control something he can't understand, and thus pays the consequences. Each character is associated with their own imagery and language. When each of them speaks, it is with their own unique dialect.

Blue Collar vs. White Collar Work Essay

Throughout history the lives of the people in the working class have not always been easy. People always work hard to earn money and support their families; however, people don’t always work in a suitable working area. The term â€Å"Blue Collar† is jobs that require manual labor from people. The problem with these kinds of jobs is that the places the people work in can be extremely unsanitary and may cause a bad working environment for the people in it. Blue collar work is also the work most people do not want to do but it is needed for the people who do white collar jobs to prosper. Also blue collar workers are known as people who did not do well in school or people that aren’t smart. Well that is not the case with these workers because without them we wouldn’t be able to do some of the things we do now or be able to survive. Also some blue collar workers are called undocumented workers in which they don’t have any documents to prove that they can work or are from this country but help the country in doing jobs that are needed for a low wage. Therefore blue collar workers are a very important part to society and we need them to thrive. For example in â€Å"Made in L.A† there are 3 young Latina immigrants who work in Los Angeles sweatshops they do manual labor for an extremely low wage. Even though they did the same work as others they got paid less because they are immigrants, it is hard work with low wages but they continue to do it to support themselves and their family just like the blue collar workers do nowadays. With the little voice they had, they protested and tried to make a difference for all future immigrant workers not to be treated inferior to them. People in blue collar jobs get paid less than white collar workers which are office work but they enjoy their job other than others even though it is dirty. Even though the U.S has strict policies on immigrants, they are actually needed because they do many of the blue collar jobs that are needed in the country. For example in the article â€Å"Putting a S top to Slave Labor† it says that† If we required good documents starting tomorrow, the nation would plunge into an instantaneous economic crisis† (p156). This would happen due the fact that they do most of the jobs that people don’t want to do and get low wages also which are blue collar jobs. There are many instances of unsanitary work places. In the article â€Å"Migrant Farm Worker,† by Studs Terkel shows the conditions of the working place and also shows child labor. He says the animals were being treated better than the workers themselves. â€Å"Veterinarians tend to the needs of domestic animals but they can’t have medical care for the workers.†(p133) this shows that the bosses who supply these people with blue collar jobs are being taken advantage of and that the animals are living better than the workers. Also this goes to show what little care the bosses had for their people and that they only cared about the money instead of the needs of these people. People need to see the working class as people rather than machines that do something over and over again. Just because someone has to work hours in front of a machine and have a dirty job does not mean that the person is not a human being. There are many people needed in the world to do some jobs that which most people would not do. If we didn’t have those kind of people and if everyone wanted to do the same thing as everyone else than we would have a hard time surviving since it is needed to be done. â€Å"The case for working with your Hands,† states â€Å"More fundamentally, now as ever, somebody has to actually do things: fix our cars, unclog our toilets, and build our houses.†(18) This goes to show that if no one does those jobs there would be a lot of problems and that we always are going to need blue collar workers perhaps more than white collar in most cases. â€Å"The Case for Working with Your Hands,† also states â€Å"The trades suffer from low prestige and I believe this is based on a simple mistake. Because work is dirty, many people assume it is also stupid.†(19) The thing that people don’t realize is that not every job is going to appeal to them because we are all different and different people do different things, just as some people like to sit behind a computer everyday some people will not do that. The treatment of workers is a growing issue and it’s going to keep on growing and growing if people don’t realize what these big companies are doing and put a stop to it. For example the shoe company Nike employs many people but the thing people don’t know is that there are 12,000 young women in Indonesia making the lowest amount of money and working long tiring shifts. Every $80 sneaker Nike makes it only costs them 12 cents for the labor. This shows the unfair treatment of these workers and how the company is taking advantage of them and it is not only Nike doing this but any major company uses the same force of labor. In â€Å"Who Makes the Clothes We Wear?† it says â€Å"Government officials raided a sweatshop filled with immigrant Thai women laboring as little as 59 cents per hour.†Also not only were they being taken advantage of the discipline was enforced by threats of rape and beatings.(26) This goes to show the little care they have for these workers and the actions that are being taken against them. It also shows a dark side to these companies in which the workers are being treated worst than dogs. In the article â€Å"Reapers† by Jean Toomer it says that â€Å"Black horses drive a mower through the weeds and there, a field rat, startled, squealing bleeds, His belly close to ground. I see the blade, Blood-stained, continue cutting weeds and shade.† (37) This article shows tough field work for black people back around the 60s. They were bleeding but their determination was too great and they continued to go and do their work. Slavery could be identified as blue collar work also. In the article â€Å"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?† Frederick Douglass says â€Å"There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven who does not know that slavery is wrong for him.† (140)This shows that everyone knows that slavery is wrong but they continue to do it disregard the health of the workers but the financial health of a company or a person. Slaves have to endure much pain and long haggard days with little to no pay working out on the fields and any other job that another man won’t do. Just like the slaves do these kinds of work the women in Indonesia could be compared to them because of the long working hours and the little pay with strict discipline. There is a growing problem with Third World women and how they are being used. The companies get young girls and give them work usually being blue collar work with bad working conditions and poor pay. In the article â€Å"Life on the Global Assembly Line,† it says â€Å"Older† women, aged 23 or 24, are likely to be laid off and not rehired. The lucky ones find husbands. The unlucky ones find themselves at the margins of society-as bar girls, â€Å"hostesses,† or prostitutes.†(29) This displays the women as disposable workers; once they get too old they are thrown out and out of a job. After that these women don’t have anywhere to go, some get a husband and are being taken care of and others have to resort to whatever that is needed to be done to get by. Although the problems to these blue collar workers are plain to see, the fact is that the country needs them for the economy to thrive. Even if blue collar workers are needed to have a successful economy it doesn’t change the fact that they need to be treated like people and not like dogs on the street.

Rhetoric

Scott started a seminal debate within the rhetoric community with his essay, â€Å"On Viewing Rhetoric as Epistemic. † His argument – rhetoric is epistemic – has been analyzed and/or criticized by many scholars. Scott himself followed up in 1976 with an article titled, â€Å"On Viewing Rhetoric as Epistemic: Ten Years Later† in order to address some of these concerns, and add to his original thoughts. Despite this follow-up, authors still continue criticize and defend his work.This essay will focus on three responses in particular, each focusing on a different aspect of Coot's argument, in order to prove that rhetoric is in fact epistemic. First, Brunette's, Three Meanings of Epistemic Rhetoric (1979) will examine three possible meanings and implications of Coot's claim. Second, Harping's What Do You Mean, Rhetoric is Epistemic? (2004) will hone in on the debate between Scott and Cheerier and Haskins, defining the positions of each.Finally, Banshee's The C artesian Anxiety in Epistemic Rhetoric: An Assessment of the Literature (1990) will address four key positions within the debate, and bring them together with his Bernstein term, â€Å"Cartesian Anxiety. From these responses it will become clear that while many scholars agree that rhetoric is epistemic, their definitions and viewpoints still vary. Before Jumping into the responses of other scholars, it is probably worth examining Coot's own response, especially since it predates the essays soon to be examined.In this essay, Scott attempts to address three questions: â€Å"Is there one way of knowing or many? What sort of knowing does rhetoric strive to achieve? Is rhetorical relativism vicious? † (1976, 259). He states that there are many ways of knowing, emphasizing the lyricist nature of Ways of knowing. ‘ He believes that rhetoric should strive to achieve an actuality, or an agreed social construction (later it will become apparent that this facet of his argument is the one sparking the most debate).Finally, he attempts to dispel the positivist argument against him, that rhetorical relativism is vicious. This leads to some deeper discussion on the nature of subjective knowledge, of which his defining argument seems to be: â€Å"Relativism, supposedly, means a standard-less society, or at least a maze of differing standards, and thus a cacophony f disparate, and likely selfish interests.Rather than a standard-less society, which is the same as saying no society at all, relativism indicates circumstances in which standards have to be established cooperatively and renewed repeatedly' (1976, 264) Brume seeks to offer up what he deems to be the three prevailing philosophies on epistemology. The first is what is considered the positivist view, which is essentially that there is a truth out there, and that people are either right or wrong about what they think is true. He emphasizes that rhetoric is the path to reaching that truth.The second is the classic interpretive approach, that different groups have different realities, and there knowledge within them. This means that within a group, someone can be wrong, although that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong in all groups. Finally, he addresses the view that the world is much too complicated for humans to understand, which is evidenced by our need to define and label everything. Harping focus on defining terms, as he sees this as the most critical step in defining hitherto as epistemic.Specially, he examines the nature of â€Å"certainty' and the implications of various definitions and views. Next he examines the term â€Å"rhetoric,† whose definitions has implications not Just in this debate, but for all rhetorical theory. Here he addresses the pros and cons of defining rhetoric in a broad or specific sense. Finally, Harping examines Justification, and how various scholar use justification within the realm of epistemology. Bingham compares four positions within à ¢â‚¬Ëœrhetoric as epistemic' literature.