Strategy Positioning Paper Essay Example for Free

Strategy Positioning Paper Essay Apple is one of the most innovative companies that were ever created to surface our technology world. Founder created it Steve Jobs and two others in 1976. Apple is an â€Å"American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers† (Apple Inc., 2014).Apple is most known for its hardware products such as the Mac computer, IPod, IPad, and the infamous IPhone smart phones, just to name a few. The sleek design of all these products mentioned, is one of the major components that separates this line from its competitors. Having a collection of Apple products is in very high demand across the globe, due to its popularity, speed, and overall technology performance. It has over 400 retail stores across fourteen countries. It does not surprise Apple customers when they develop something great and market it to the world seeing that Apple has estimated revenue of $170 billion. Most Apple consumers are ready for something new to be launched, just so they can get their fingers on it. Apple, Inc. is introducing a new product called the iFlash. It is a portable flash drive combined with a charger, having a flash drive on one end and a charger on the other end. The iFlash comes in varies GB of 8, 16, and 32, with its compatibility with all Apple products. It also comes with a docking station that it connects to so that it can charge itself. It gives you the luxury of being able to charge your phone on the go without worry about finding an outlet to plug it into. The iFlash lets you have the freedom to charge your phone, without being connected to a power source, which is great for this â€Å"on the go generation†. The iFlash is also Wi-Fi capable which means that whenever you have Wi-Fi capability you can upload and sync your phone with iTunes and iCloud as well as perform any  updates that are needed to any applications or to your operating system. The built in flash drive allows you to save information from your phone to the flash drive if needed or you can use it as a portable flash drive on its own. A SWOT analysis of the organization and offering Recognition of Brand Many people are around one area, could leave the Wi-Fi in slow connection Opens opportunities to downloading to a computer without the use of a cord attached to it Workers being exposed to Benzene and N-Hexane The table shows that iFlash could be an advantage or disadvantage with the company. IFlash gives this now on the go generation the opportunity to get things done and stay updated without the fear of finding an outlet to plug into. Many companies that work with electronics have to worry about workers being exposed to Benzene and N-Hexane. Both of them could be critical, however, Apple practices going green. Apple likes to use some of their older projects to help advance the company and gain additional knowledge about the iFlash. The iFlash is yet another fantastic technological creation from  Apple that will give its users the benefit of saving data, including pictures and videos without having to plug into or log onto a computer at all. At the same time, the iFlash will allow the charging of any Apple device without having to plug into an electrical outlet. Both of these functions are wonderful alone but together they make for an extremely useful device. According to Porter’ s five competitive forces, however there may be a significant amount of competition almost immediately. Because of the fact that mobile device industry is so profitable there will surely be a number of threats of new entrants as has been the case for almost all advancements in the industry. One thing that Apple does have however is an extremely loyal customer base, which will certainly help with the success of the launch of the product. Apple customers are so loyal in fact, that some actually camp out in front of stores in anticipation of the release of a new product, in particular the iPhone. The threat of substitute products or services is also very prevalent and in fact to some degree already available. There are both portable chargers and flash drives already available however not as a combination, which is where our product is different from any other. There is also the factor of bargaining powers, both of the customers as well as the suppliers. Apple has a substantial production and distribution operation however, whenever a new device is introduced there is inevitably a backlog because of the popularity of the product. This in essence would create a bargaining power for the customer however since Apple is so popular and established it does not. This might however create a bargaining power for the suppliers because they know that the demand for the product is huge and they could possibly play on that to charge more to produce the device. The competitive rivalry is alive and well in this industry perhaps more than any other industry today. Market Segmentation Base Apple should segment the market on the following basis. Accessible: The selected segments should be reachable in terms of communication or distribution channels. Identifiable: The market segments should have differentiable measures that are easy to identify while segmenting them. Durable: The segments should be stable enough to manage changes in the cost of product offerings (McDonald, 2012). Substantial: The market segments  should be large enough to justify the use of resources for targeting them. Unique Needs: The segments should be able to respond to marketing mix differences to justify separate offerings. By using all these variables, demographic segmentation strategy will be used to segment the target market. It will also cover age, occupation, income, attitude, buying pattern etc. Target Market Because our product will be used with Apple computer, iPad, iPod, and iPhone and is sold in our Apple store, our market can potentially be anyone with an Apple computer, iPod touch or an iPhone. Apple has sold an estimated 33 million total iPhones and 13 million iPod touches, and 14.1 million IPad. This means the market consists potentially of about 60 million Apple. Specifically, we are going after two target markets. The first market will be teenager/college students, ages 16 and above. This market is interested in socializing, music, gaming, recording school notes, and being able to have them at any time. What we can offer them is a device that will be convenient in use and allow quick availability of content for the student. We are providing them the flexibility to have their products and apps available at all time. The other market we are going after is the business peoples. This person is primarily male or female from the age of21-55. This market is interested in being able to transfer their apps, music, or reports from one device to the next. This device allows business people to finish work efficiently and securely on multiple devices. In addition, the businessperson can upload or download material at will. Carrying these small devices make moving data, software and material from one device to next much easier. This product provides the average consumer the resources to move, data, software music, and apps from one product to the next. The reality of the target market is going to be anyone with an apple iPhone or iPod or those who are thinking of getting an apple product. The main audience is going to be teens, young adults, college age, and adults because they are the main audience for the apple products. â€Å"Apple products are also useful to young children and kids. The reason for this is that devices such as iPods and iPads are easy to use due to their touch screen quality, which is good for children. Parents can download learning game apps on Apple devices to teach young children and kids.† This product is can be used to charge two to  four apple products at the same time so it will save ample time in charging products. Emotional and Logical Driver The popularity of our devices link to a device that allow them all to talk and interlink will be quickly becomes a great seller for Apple. We will also target the need for a device that allows business people and student to have accessibility to their data at any location and at any time. Logically, this device will make business and studying much easier. The driving force for this product will be need, available, and convenient. â€Å"Adults are also one of Apple Inc.s target markets. IPhone’s are useful to adults for their everyday needs such as phone calls, map directions, internet connection, documents, and cameras. Carrying these small devices makes adults lives much easier for communicating daily.† Apple products are used by people of all ages for just about anything you can think of from watching a moving to doing business. Many students use their iPhone to do homework (myself included) because it is much easier then carrying around a laptop all day. The tablet i s a common item among students of all ages because it is smaller than a laptop but is capable of doing the same thing a computer can. â€Å"Teenagers are considered one of Apple Inc.s target markets. Teenagers use iPods for many reasons. Some of these reasons are to socialize with friends, listen to music, and go on Facebook, MSN, twitter etc. There are also many gaming apps that appeal to them. IPods have become quite a trend with teenagers† (Apple Inc.’s Target Market). Teenagers live on their apple products, without them they would not know what to do with themselves. Apple has the appeal to the teenage population with all their products. Adults are also one of Apple’s target markets due to the convenience of using it helpful tools such as map direction, internet connection, receiving and sending documents, and the camera. Carrying these small devices makes adults lives much easier for communicating daily.† â€Å"Business People are very intrigued by Apple products. All Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, MacBooks etc.) have a business quality that is very useful. These devices are used to finish work efficiently and to communicate with clients easily. In addition, sending documents is easy and organized† (Apple Inc.’s Target Market). Apple products are used by people of all ages for just about anything you can think of from watching a moving to  doing business. Many students use their iPhone to do homework (myself included) because it is much easier then carrying around a laptop all day. The tablet is a common item among students of all ages because it is smaller than a laptop but is capable of doing the same thing a computer can. Apple has implemented the strategies of push and pull in order to reach their target market. Because of push strategy, the product was placed in front of the consumer. By means of advertising as well as making sure, the customer is mindful of their new product the iFlash, which are a charger on one side and a flash drive on other. However, this approach works extremely well for low price product and drive investment product. There are several ways Apple Inc. can implement the push strategy in order to enhance knowledge of their new product the iFlash. Operating the market to reassure the request of the retailer, promoting the iFlash face-to-face or display area, Apple Inc. can reassure other retailers to stock their product. Although, at times companies must cooperate with retailer to stock an individual product since retailers does not have much space. Nevertheless, want to stock products that will sell, well-organized supply chain allowing retailer supply, packaging design to encourage the purchase, and point of sale displays (Marketing Made Simple.Com). In the meantime push strategy also work best for wholesalers, suppliers inventors and others that by this time has already established a connection with operators. Then there is pull strategy, which Apple Inc. can use to increase demand that encourages customers to pursue an individual product aggressively the iFlash. However, it is intended mainly for the end customers. Nevertheless, a well built and able to be seen brand is required to make certain that the pull strategy is a success. Although, there are many ways a company can apply pull strategy to endorse their brand such as creating advertising strategies that involve the mass media promotion of a product. Customer relationship management that ensures current consumers is mindful of an innovative product that will fill an individual requirement, referral, and sale promotions and discounts. By exercising, those policies drive the demand for the iFlash product. However, because of the demand retailer are pushed to pursue the product as well as to stock on the shelves in their stores. Meanwhile, Apple productively implements the pull strategies to  introduce their products such as iPhone, iPads, iPods and their newest product the iFlash. However, several companies are willing to apply a mixture of push and pull strategies in order to have a productively market product. The strategies that were provided above explain the needs that drive purchase in our current company, which is Apple Inc. It also explains how to encourage retailers to promote its product within their stores. However, it also shows the drive to get customer to purchase iFlash, which is a useful product, it help if your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Apple laptop has to be charge. For an instant, let us say that one has a meeting and the information that is require located on that hard drive, which can be helpful within that section. However, push and pull strategy help companies to push its product such as place, price, and promote to have a successful product as well as loyal customers. The industry category that Apple falls under would be that of the technological device and applications. This is one of, if not the fastest growing and most competitive industry categories today. Technology is advancing at such a staggering rate that it is often said that once one purchases a new device suc h as an iPhone or iPad it will soon be out of date because the next model will be available in the near future. That should not detour a person from purchasing the product however, just know that if you want the newest and best model you will have to continuously upgrade, which is quickly becoming the norm. This is also in fact how Apple solves the target’s needs, because the reason the advancements and next generation models are developed so rapidly is because both the developers and consumers recognize new options that could be made available or improved. Even when only minimal improvements or new options are recognized, a new model with those options included is developed and distributed virtually always with extremely successful sales. IFlash’s main competition would be Samsung being that they would try to duplicate the same technology as iFlash. Another competitor would be Energizer or any other type of battery maker. However, they would be unsuccessful in the industry because constantly buying batteries to maintain a charge on the devices can be expensive and inconvenient. IFlash would be different from other competitors because while they still struggle with wires bending, breaking  and being lost, the iFlash USB is a portable device that is conveniently stored with a person’s portable device for protection. What makes your organization different from its competition? When it comes to competition, Apple Inc. is truly in its own category. Apple does not just sell devices; it sells online services as well. You have the online Apple store to purchase the latest products, ITunes for media browsing, Safari web browser, and IOS operating system. Apple also has its own retail store that touches 14 countries. This store is not your average retail store, its high tech design and Genius bar to help customer with any technical support. This store also provides presentations and workshops to train the public on new products. Having something so beneficial for the public to utilize definitely sets them apart from its competition. Apple as a company has proven its relevancy in today’s market. Its products are in very high demand, being the largest â€Å"Apple is the largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, with an estimated market capitalization of $446 billion by January 2014† (Apple Inc., 2014). Product, Pricing, and Channels Introduction Apple Inc. incorporated in 1977. Their business model has been design, production, and promotion of personal computers, messaging and communication devices, mobile media, laptops and other portable digital equipment. The company also produces a wide range of associated software applications, secondary merchandise, and services, the most well-known among these: iPhone, IPod, iPad, Mac Book, IOS and OSX systems. Apple recently purchased a seed company from Silicon Valley that focuses on I-Flash Charger. A detailed description of the features of your product or service including how it solves the needs of your target market Apple, Inc. has introduced a new product called the iFlash. It is a portable flash drive combined with a charger, designed for people who need to multi task on a daily basis. Having a flash drive on one end and a charger on the other end, has its simplicity and over all convenience. . The iFlash comes in varies GB of 8, 16, and 32, with its compatibility with all App le products. It also comes with a docking station that it connects to so that it can charge itself. It gives the average person on the go, the luxury of being able to charge your phone  without worrying about finding an outlet to plug it into. This iFlash lets you have the freedom to charge your phone, without being connected to a power source, which is great for this fast-paced generation. The iFlash is also Wi-Fi capable which means that whenever you have Wi-Fi capability you can upload and sync your phone with iTunes and iCloud as well as perform any updates that are needed to any applications or to your operating system. The built in flash drive allows you to save information from your phone to the flash drive if needed or you can use it as a portable flash drive on its own, and save work from a desktop computer or laptop. This new product was created with much thought to make your everyday task that much easier. A description of how marketing efforts will change with each phase in the product life cycle Since a very well established firm such as Apple is introducing the iFlash, it will have a great chance for very successful profit margins. The introduction itself is expected to be very successful as with many other Apple products introduction where in many cases people actually camp out hours, even days before the release. The lines at Apple stores when a new product or new version of a popular is being released are always extremely long but the consumers do not care, or rather, they do not let that stop them from wanting to be one of the first to own the hot new Apple product. That being the case, during the marketing introduction phase of the iFlash’s life cycle the marketing strategy will be to have ads on T.V. during popular shows, as well as in printed publications that appeal to a tech savvy and in that case maybe younger consumer group. During the market growth phase we believe the iFlash will have shown how wonderfully convenient it is and is necessary have. Therefore the product will then be market to a much wider range of a consumer group and ads will be place in other types of publications, and ads on T.V. and radio will be during different times of the day as well as during different programs and on different stations to appeal to that wider demographic. â€Å"In the market growth stage, industry sales grow fast—but industry profits rise and then start falling. The innovator begins to make big profits as more and more customers buy. Nevertheless, competitors see the opportunity and enter the market (Perreault, Cannon, McCarthy, 2014). That being the case we expect there to be copycat products as there usually are so prices will have to be  adjusted accordingly because some customers will not care if the product is of the same quality as the iFlash if it is half the price. During the life cycle phases of market maturity and especially the sales decline phase, we will begin to develop a new generation of the iFlash with new capabilities and perhaps at a better initial market price. The packaging you will use for your product or service and how it will add value When it comes to packaging, it may appear as less important to some customer electronics companies. Meanwhile, Apple impressions on their packaging design are taken very seriously. The way Apple package its iFlash and other products, everyone who has opened an Apple product of any kind know that Apple’s packaging is well designed. It reflects a consideration in which many companies do not take the time distribute. Therefore, packaging for Apple is more than how products are placed securely inside its package. Apple’s packaging always looks clean and simple, and the iFlash packaging will be true for the brand. However, the art of the cover of the box is a small size box for the produ ct, which would be inside. In other word, it would be the perfect marketing message, building expectation and making the product the center of attention. Meanwhile, the only other graphic arts on the package are the Apple logo, and the name of the product would locate in the side of the box. Therefore, with the iFlash, being a flash drive on one side, however, the space on the iFlash runs from 8GB to 32GB, which is good for storing pictures and another source of information. The packaging Apple created for the iFlash is unique and made exactly to fit the iFlash, which is stored safely in its box. The appropriate pricing strategy for your product or service and the price you will set at launch The appropriate pricing strategy that will be used upon initial launch of the iFlash would be premium pricing. â€Å"Premium pricing strategy establishes a price higher than the competitors. It’s a strategy that can be effectively used when there is something unique about the product or when the product is first to market and the business has a distinct competitive advantage† (Richards, 2014). Since the iFlash will be the first to m arket, the competitive advantage would be at 100%. Until competition and knock-offs hit the market Apple can continue to charge premium pricing on the product. The iFlash will be offered at four different price points based upon the USB flash drive memory capability. The 2GB will be launched at $19.99 and will be  available in the same colors that are available for iPhones. The 8GB will be launched at $29.99, 16GB launched at $39.99, and the 32GB iFlash will be launched at $49.99. By offering these products at the available pricing, the consumer will notice that the prices are not that much different, and in some cases cheaper than just purchasing a USB flash drive it, and the iFlash performs an additional function! Even if competition comes into play, the iFlash is reasonably priced for an Apple product, and as with all other Apple products, customers have proven willing to pay for quality over price preference. Since the iFlash will be the only product of its type available as a dual feature product, the hype will be instant and hope that the buzz will remain as people flock to purchase the product. The ability to carry around your data and charge your phone at the same time without being tied to a wall outlet allows an iPhone user to be more on the go than before and have more capability to share information, save information, and transport their information. The ability to take the iFlash anywhere and charge your phone from a portable location is a feature that has not yet been offered from any phone competitor to date. By setting, the pricing amounts at the above points Apple can decide to lower them if needed once competitors enter the market, however, based upon the features and quality of the product Apple believes this is a valid and acceptable pricing strategy, which has been set for initial launch. The channels of distribution you will use to sell your product along with a description of how each channel partner will add value â€Å"Apple’s stores are among the most successful brick-and-mortar shops around, generating more revenue per square foot than any other retailer in the United States, including Tiffany.† (Paczkowski) Apple has over three hundred and seventy two store in the United States but the retail outlets sold 40% of the merchandise from Apple. Apple deals with all the phone outlets plus Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Amazon. The main revenue the company makes are from the channels distribution centers, Amazon is a big seller because of the Internet availability, and they deliver quickly. The phone centers such as Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, ATT, and Best Buy are hands on type of distribution center where you can look at the product in real time make it easy for Apple consumers to buy or look at the Apple product. â€Å"Apple is using two major distribution channels to reach the end-user. Direct distribution: Apple established the retail stores in different regional location; it displays the product and provides the information and support to the end-user directly. Indirect distribution: Apple used the intermediary organization to Fragmenting bulk supplies of inventory, provides the financial services to retailers and Increase ease of customer purchase, beside, Apple minimize the transport costs by monitoring and operating a warehouse close to the intermediaries.† The supply chain for Apple products are a vast majority because Apple knows how and what the consumers want and the suppliers are more than happy to get the product for them. Apple products are a worldwide enterprise and the consumer continues to want more so Apple produces more and supplies the chain. With the Apple Standard being adopted as the Industry standard and Apple becoming the major supplier of digital software to the Consumer Electronics industry Apple is in a unique position to leverage its design and innovation capabilities to make high quality digital products for this market. Apple can then use the differentiation strategy to command premium for its products based on the quality and features. They would then become a niche player in the upper and premium end of the digital products market. Conclusion The Apple iFlash has the potential to change the mobile device market. The method of presentation is going to determine how quickly this will happen. The competition will follow the product through its distribution channels, but this product will lead the market exclusively for a significant period. It is during this time that Apple will focus most on developing and perfect the unique functions of the product. The pricing strategy and distribution phases will extract maximum profitability. In the current world, everything has turned digital. Today, the use of iFlash has influenced considerable factors that have effectively enhanced storage and mobility. This has influenced a great challenge to the upcoming generation because of the new devices and the course outline they cover in their institutions. However, Apple Inc. created a suitable device that can meet all the need of the current generation. In general, the target market of the iFlash is the  current and the upcoming generati on. Research shows that most youths are attracted to Apple products because their brains are intelligent, and they believe that this is the right device. The device can store information and link Apps to multiple devices. In addition, the iFlash has suitable features compared to other storage devices. This iFlash will be widely used because of its speed, compatibility and efficiency compared to other storage devices. Your promotional strategy for your product or service, including how you may use the following; Advertising, Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Sales Promotion, Direct Marketing, Event Marketing, Outdoor The promotional strategy for the iFlash would be what is typical from Apple. Advertising is a key so there would be numerous clever televisions, radio and printed advertisements to inform the public of Apples new product the iFlash. Because of the fact that Apple already has very loyal following the advertisements would primarily focus on bringing new customers over to the Apple line of products but also to inform those that already own Apple products how beneficial it would be to own an iFlash. Public relations would be handled in all Apple store locations as well as all other subcontractors that have agreements to sell Apple products. Obviously, Apple stores would have great promotional deals on the iFlash as well as all other Apple service providers that sell Apple products and services and we would offer promotional discounts all around for the purchase of an iFlash. Apple plan to take full advantage of social media to advertise the great benefits of owning an iFlash and will send digital messages to current customers. That already own an iPhone or iPad so they may see firsthand what a great product the iFlash is. The iFlash will also be marketed at popular events such as sporting events and music concerts to allow the public to see how wonderful a product is and how it could help them. Both save the images and videos that they have taken on their iPhones as well as to insure that they have a full charge to take as many pictures and videos as they want without worrying about storage capacity. As we, all know our hand held devices are fantastic for capturing important or fun times in our lives but often times the capacity is limited  because we have done so many times. without saving our images or videos to an external drive and when another moment that we want to capture occurs our device is unable to because the memory is full or your device has used its charge and not only can you not capture the occasion but you may not be able to call someone in case of an emergency. With an iFlash in your pocket, this will never happen again. The effect professional selling may have on your offering

Polyesters: Characteristics and Applications

Polyesters: Characteristics and Applications Scrunch it, wash it without any wear and wrinkles. Thats what polyester became famous for. Polyester was the fabric of choice in a changing economy of speed, efficiency and convenience. If the food industry produced fries and coke, the textile industry supplemented it with Polyester quick, cheap and easy. It was W.H. Carothers who discovered that alcohols and carboxyl acids could be successfully mixed to create fibers. Carothers was working for duPont at the time and unfortunately when he discovered Nylon, polyester took a back seat. PET Terylene Carothers incomplete research had not advanced to investigating the polyester formed from mixing ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. It was British scientists Whinfield and Dickson who patented PET or PETE in 1941. Polyethylene terephthalate forms the basis for synthetic fibers like Dacron, Terylene and polyester. Later that year, the first polyester fiber Terylene was created by Whinfield and Dickson along with Birtwhistle and Ritchiethey. Terylene was first manufactured by Imperial Chemical Industries or ICI. DuPonts Role It was in 1946 that duPont bought all legal rights from ICI. In 1950, the Dealware property of duPont manufactured another polyester fiber, which they named Dacron. Mylar was introduced in 1952. Polyester was first introduced to the American public in 1951 as the magical fabric that needed no ironing! PET and PEN are duPont trademarks that have turned the use and consumption of Polyester around. Polyester Becomes Popular Subsequent to the development of Terylene and Dacron, Kodel was developed by Eastman Chemical Products, Inc in 1958. The polyester market underwent rapid expansion and textile mills emerged everywhere. Many of the mills were located at small gas stations and produced cheap polyester apparel. The inexpensive and durable fiber became very popular and the industry expanded rapidly till the 1970s. Unfortunately, the infamous double-knit polyester image hit the industry and polyester soon came to be known as the uncomfortable fabric. The Phoenix Rises Today, polyester is largely regarded as a cheap fabric that is rather uncomfortable for sensitive human skin to wear. However, the emergence of luxury fibers like polyester microfiber and various polyester blends the industry is experiencing resurgence. The Tennessee Eastman Company and the Man-Made Fiber Producers Associations (MMFPA) Polyester Fashion Council played a significant role in the revival of polyester. The Tennessee Eastman Company started a YES campaign for polYESter and popularized it via radio and television. The idea was to focus on the wash and go properties of polyester rather than sell it as a cheap fabric. Hoechst Fibers Industries also played a part. They conducted various studies from 1981 to 1983 and found that 89% of people could not distinguish between polyester and other natural fibers like cotton, wool and silk. Also, it was found that people were more interested in the appearance of the apparel than the fabric it was made of. Today, the biggest contributor to the appeal of polyester is the discovery of microfibers. Microfibers give polyester the feel of silk and are rapidly becoming the choice of fabric. With an expensive tag to match, the cheap image of polyester seems to be on its way out. Heres to heralding a new era in the history of polyester! Polyester is a term often defined as long-chain polymers chemically composed of at least 85% by weight of an ester and a dihydric alcohol and a terephthalic acid. In other words, it means the linking of several esters within the fibers. Reaction of alcohol with carboxylic acid results in the formation of esters. Polyester also refers to the various polymers in which the backbones are formed by the esterification condensation of polyfunctional alcohols and acids. Polyester can also be classified as saturated and unsaturated polyesters. Saturated polyesters refer to that family of polyesters in which the polyester backbones are saturated. They are thus not as reactive as unsaturated polyesters. They consist of low molecular weight liquids used as plasticizers and as reactants in forming urethane polymers, and linear, high molecular weight thermoplastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron and Mylar). Usual reactants for the saturated polyesters are a glycol and an acid or anhydride. Unsaturated polyesters refer to that family of polyesters in which the backbone consists of alkyl thermosetting resins characterized by vinyl unsaturation. They are mostly used in reinforced plastics. These are the most widely used and economical family of resins. Characteristics of polyester Polyester fabrics and fibers are extremely strong. Polyester is very durable: resistant to most chemicals, stretching and shrinking, wrinkle resistant, mildew and abrasion resistant. Polyester is hydrophobic in nature and quick drying. It can be used for insulation by manufacturing hollow fibers. Polyester retains its shape and hence is good for making outdoor clothing for harsh climates. It is easily washed and dried. Uses of Polyester The most popular and one of the earliest uses of polyester was to make polyester suits all the rage in the 70s. Polyester clothes were very popular. Due to its strength and tenacity polyester was also used to make ropes in industries. PET bottles are today one of the most popular uses of polyester. Polyester care tips Taking care of polyester clothing is really easy and very time efficient. Polyester clothing can be machine washed and dried. Adding a fabric softener generally helps. Dry the fabric at low temperatures to get maximum usage from the clothing. Though polyester does not require much ironing, if you must then iron warm. Polyester can be dry-cleaned with no hassles. Polyester is the choice of fiber and fabric for many industries. It can be applied to a wide variety of useful purposes. Use of polyester in garments Polyester is used in the manufacturing of all kinds of clothes and home furnishings like bedspreads, sheets, pillows, furniture, carpets and even curtains. The disco clothing of the 70s with all its jazz and flash was made of polyester. Hydrophobic nature: High tenacity and good durability makes polyester the choice of fabric for high stress outdoors use. Polyester is also a strong fiber that is hydrophobic in nature. It is thus ideal for clothing to be used in wet and damp environments. The fabric is also coated with a water-resistant finish and further intensifies the hydrophobic nature. Being the most heavily recycled polymer worldwide, it is also used by climbers. Climbing suits, parkas, sleeping bags and other outdoor gear are using the new insulating polyester fiberfill products. One can also do winter windsurfing wearing dry suits lined with polyester fleece. Creating insulation: By creating hollow fibers it is also possible to build insulation into the polyester fiber. Air is trapped inside the fiber, which is then warmed by the heat of the body. This keeps the body warm in cold weather. Another method to build insulation is to use crimped polyester in a fiberfill. The crimp helps keep the warm air in. Polyester is an ideal fabric for this kind of insulation because it retains its shape. Cotton and wool tend to flatten over a period of time and loose the warming effect. Wrinkle resistant: Polyester is also wrinkle resistant and is used very often in everyday clothing like pants, shirts, tops, skirts and suits. Used either by itself or as a blend, it is also stain resistant and hence very popular. Industrial uses of polyester While clothing used to be the most popular use of polyester and which made it a household name worldwide, there are many other uses polyester is put to. PET: The most common use of polyester today is to make the plastic bottles that store our much beloved beverages. Shatterproof and cheap these bottles are an absolute boon to the beverages industry. Mylar: An unusual and little known use of polyester is in the manufacturing of balloons. Not the rubber kind that you use for water balloons but the really pretty decorated ones that are gifted on special occasions. These are made of Mylar a kind of polyester film manufactured by DuPont. The balloons are made of a composite of Mylar and aluminum foil. Miscellaneous: Polyester is also used to manufacture high strength ropes, thread, hoses, sails, floppy disk liners, power belting and much more in industries. Thus, polyester has many uses for homes and industries as well. The process of manufacturing polyester is fascinating. It is an artificial man-made fiber. Polyesters are generally manufactured from petroleum from which the constituent acids and alcohols are derived. There are three steps in the synthesizing of polyester. Condensation Polymerization: When acid and alcohol are reacted in a vacuum at high temperatures it results in condensation polymerization. Once the polymerization has occurred the material is extruded onto a casting trough in the form of a ribbon. Once cool, the ribbon hardens and is cut into chips. Melt-spun Fiber: The chips are dried completely. Hopper reservoirs are then used to melt the chips. A unique feature of polyester is that it is melt-spun fiber. The chips are heated, extruded through spinnerets and cools upon hitting the air. It is then loosely wound around cylinders. Drawing: The fibers consequently formed are hot stretched to about five times their original length. This helps to reduce the fiber width. This fiber is now ready and would into cones as filaments. It can also be crimped and cut into staple lengths as per requirements. Different Types Of Polyester There are several processes that can be carried out on the base polyester fiber. These processes add dimension to the polyester fiber as required for various end uses. Polyester is a bright fiber by nature. However, it can be made dull or semi-dull by adding a delusterant. By changing the shape of the spinneret also, the hand and the strength of the fiber can be changed. Most spinnerets are circular. However, square, oval and bean-shaped fibers are also produced sometimes. Hollow fibers can also be created. Polyester fiber is generally drawn to about five times its original length. However, drawing it out further makes it thinner. This is how the latest microfibers are being manufactured. Dyeing can give desired colors of polyester fiber. Normal polyester fiber is long and smooth. Crimping it can give the fiber more bulk and texture and increase its insulation capabilities. Using Polyester Once the polyester fiber is ready it is used to make filament and spun yarns. The yarns can be blended with other fibers to make various blended fabrics. Polyester and cotton are a popular combination. Wool and rayon are also blended with polyester to make fabrics. Polyesters are long chain synthetic polymers that have ester linkages. Polyester materials are used as fibers, plastics, and films; in composites and elastomers; and as coatings. They are truly versatile materials. In the late 1920s American chemist Wallace Carothers and his research group at DuPont began to investigate the formation of polymers from the reaction of aliphatic di acids (having two acid groups) with diols (having two alcohol groups), in search of materials that would give them fibers. At first they were able to form only syrupy mixtures. But the Carothers group did make polyester fibers. They investigated a wide array of dialcohols, diacids, and w-hydroxy acids for use as starting points. Some of the polyesters that they achieved were solids, but they had rather low melting points and thus were not useful as fiber materials. The lack of success was due to the fact that the researchers had used only aliphatic diacids. In order to form long polymer chains, the reactive groups of the reactants must be present in approximately equal amounts. This is easily achieved via the use of amines and the subsequent formation of amine salts. (Diols do not easily form salts.) Carotherss group un derstood the principle of driving an equilibrium reaction and so sought to remove water from their amine salt mixtures, thus forcing the reaction toward ester formation. For this they developed a so-called molecular still, which involved heating the mixture and applying a vacuum coupled with a cold-finger that allowed evacuated water to condense and be removed from the reaction system. Even with this understanding and lots of hard work, they achieved polymer chains with fewer than 100 repeat units. (See Figure 2.) The DuPont research team turned from the synthesis of polyesters to tackle, more successfully, the synthesis of polyamides. The experience with polyesters was put to use in the making of polyamides. Initial polyester formation actually occurred much earlier and is attributed to Gay Lussac and Thà ©ophile-Jules Pelouze in 1833 and Jà ¶ns Jakob Berzelius in 1847. They did not realize what they had discovered, however, and so moved on to other work. Glyptal polyesters were first produced in 1901 by heating glycerol and phthalic anhydride. (See Figure 3.) Because the secondary hydroxyl is less active than the terminal, primary hydroxyl in glycerol, the initial product formed is a linear polyester. A cross-linked product is produced by further heating through reaction the third alcohol. Related compounds, alkyds, were synthesized by Kienle in the 1920s from trifunctional alcohols and dicarboxylic acids. Unsaturated oils (alcohols and anhydrides containing double bonds) were also reacted with phthalic anhydride, yielding polyesters that contained a double bond, which could be further reacted to produce cross-linked products. The extent of cross-linking or drying depends on the amount of unsaturated oil present. Today, the term alkyd is often used to describe all polyesters produced from the reaction of a diacid or anhydride and a diol or triol resulting in a product that contains a double bond that can be further reacted, giving a cross-linked product. (See Figure 4.) These polyesters are called unsaturated polyesters. They are mainly used in the production of reinforced plastics (composites) and nonreinforced filled products for the marine, automotive, and other industries. These glyptal and alkyd polyesters are useful as coating materials but not for fiber or plastic production. The first commercially available polyesters were made by GE in the 1920s. Called Glyptals à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ , they were used as sealing waxes. Out of the Glyptalà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ research came alkyd paints. Although these reactions had low fractional conversions, they formed high molecular weight materials because they had functionalities (i.e., a number of reactive groups on a single reactant) greater than 2, resulting in cross-linking. The heat resistance of Carotherss polyesters was not sufficient to withstand the temperature of the hot ironing process. Expanding on the work of Carothers and his coworkers on polyesters, Whinfield and Dickson, in England, overcame the problems of the Carothers group by using aromatic acids, especially terephthalic. This classic reaction, which produces plastics and fibers that are sold under a variety of tradenames, including Dacron, Fortrel, Trevira, and Terylene, and films sold under a variety of trade names that includes Mylar, is shown in Figure 5. All new plants now use pure acid for this reaction. Methyl alcohol, or methanol, is lower boiling than water (65  ° C compared with 100  ° C) and is thus more easily removed, allowing the reaction to be forced toward polymer formation more easily. Although this poly(aryl ester), produced by Whinfield and Dickson, poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET, met the specifications for a useful synthetic fiber, because of inferior molding machines and inadequate plastic technology, it was not possible to use it in injection molds. Until more recently PET was not a widely used plastic or film material. Although aromatic polyesters had been successfully synthesized from the reaction of ethylene glycol with various aromatic diacids (almost always terephthalic acid or its ester), commercialization of polyester synthesis awaited an inexpensive source of aromatic diacids. In 1953 an inexpensive process for the separation of the various xylene isomers by crystallization was discovered. The availability of inexpensive xylene isomers enabled the formation of terephthalic acid through the air oxidation of the p-xylene isomer. Du Pont, in 1953, produced polyester fibers from melt spinning, but it was not until the 1970s that these polyester fibers became commercially available. John Travolta and Karen Lynn Gorney in the 1970s hit film Saturday Night Fever. Polyester was a popular fabric used in clothing in the 1970s. In 2000 about 3,900 million pounds of polyester fiber were used in the United States, making it the largest single fiber group material. As with nylon, polyester fibers are comparable to and/or surpass common natural fibers such as cotton and wool in heat stability, wash-and-wear properties, and wrinkle resistance. Textiles blended from polyester, cotton, and wool (in varying combinations) can also be made to be permanent press and wrinkle resistant. The fibers are typically formed from melt or solvent spinning. Chemical and physical modification can generate fibers of differing fiber appearances from the same basic fiber material. Self-crimping textiles are made by combining materials that have differing shrinkage properties. Different shaped dyes produce materials with varying contours and properties, including hollow fibers. Along with the famous polyester suits and slacks, polyester fibers are widely used in undergarments, permanent press shirts, tire cord, and felts. Because the ease of processing and fabricating polyesters is related to the number of methylene groups (-CH 2 -) in the repeat units, scientists turned to the use of diols with additional methylene units. Whereas PET is difficult to mold because of its high melting point, Tm 240 ° C, poly(butylene terephthalate), or PBT, because of its two additional methylene units in the diol-derived portion, is lower melting with a Tg of about 170 ° C. PET also crystallizes relatively slowly, so extra care must be exercised to insure that PET molded products become fully crystallized. Otherwise, the partially crystallized portions will be preferred sites for cracking, crazing, shrinkage, and so on. By comparison, PBT melts at a lower temperature (as noted above), crystallizes more rapidly, and is often employed as a molding compound. PBT has properties that represent a balance between those of nylons and acetals. It is characterized by low moisture absorption, good fatigue resistance, good solvent resistance, extremely good self-lubrication, and good maintenance of its physical properties even at relatively high use temperatures. Fiber-reinforced PBT molding compound is sold under the trade-name Celanex. Another PBT molding compound was first sold under the trade name Valox. Today, there are many PBT molding compounds available. In 2000 worldwide production of PET was 30 million tons. The manufacture of PET textiles is increasing at 5 percent a year, of PET bottles at 10 percent a year. China produces the most polyesters. PET is now used extensively as bottling material for soft drinks instead of glass because it is shatterproof and lightweight. Carbon dioxide permeability decreases with increasing film thickness and crystalline. Glass has better CO 2 impermeability than PET in these respects. Therefore, to achieve optimal crystalline, partially crystalline PET is employed in the stretch blow molding process, carried out to promote further crystalline formation. It is also used for molded automobile parts. Over 500,000 tons of polyester engineering plastics are produced annually in the United States. Polymers are the origin of polyesters Classification of polymers:- Based on characterstics ,intended use and performances of the finished product, polyesters are divided into three main categories:- Plastics, fibres, elastomers. Plastics are widely variety of polymers-based composite materials which possess appreciable me chanical strength (they have stiff chains at room temperature) and are characterised by plasticity,they can be formed or moulded into useful shapes by application of heat andpressure. Materials which possess plasticity at some stage during their formation are also included in this category. Based on their thermal behaviour, plastics have been subdivided into thermoplatics (that soften and flow on heating) and thermosetting or thermohardening plastics (that set or harden on heating) A fibre is any material whose minimum length is 100 times its average diameter which should be less then .25 mm. fibres are natural (cotton, silk, wool) or artficially prepared long chain polymers with average molecular weight of 15000 or more. Fibre forming materials are characterised by high softening or melting points, a high degree of resistence to chemicals and solvents, high tensile strength and very hight rigidity They however undergo irreversible deformation. Elastomers or rubbrs are polyesters characterised by a very high degree of reversible or elastic deformation. They can be stretched to several times their original length but regain their previous shape or dimensions when the streching force is removed. The molecular chains of elastomers can exist in randomly coiled state and their elastic behaviour can be can be compared to that of the spring of a chest expander which uncoils and recoils on application and removal respectively, of an elongated force. The glass-transition temperatures of elastomers are very much below their use temperature. Preparation of polymers:- Bulk polymerization:- a free radical catalyst or initiator is dissolved in the monomer which is then heated and stirred in a suitable vessel. The polymerization n is exothermic and dissipation of heat through cooling ma y be required. As the reaction progresses, the suystem becomes vicious making stirring difficult. The method is economical and the product is of high purity. The technique is used for preapring polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polystyrene (PS) polymethymethacrylate (PMMA). Solution polymerization:- the monomer and catalyst (free radical, cationic and anionic) are dissolved in a suitable inert solvent.  The resulting solution is heated and stirred.  The presence of solvent helps in heat dissipation and in controlling viscosity. The solvent may interact and reduce the molecular wieght of the product whose isolation from the solution is uneconomical unles it is insoluble. The technique is employes where the polymer is to be used in solution form such that as in case of adhesives and surface coatings. Polyacrylonitrile, polyisobutylene and certain block copolymers are produced by this method. Suspension polymerization:- a solution of the catalyst in the monomer is disperse as fine droplets in a n inertsolvent,usually water. To stabilize the suspension, water soluble protective colloids such as polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose or scratch are added and the mixture is kept stirring continuously. The problems of heat dissipation and viscosity increase are absent. The method gives a fairly high molecular weight product in the form of easily separable beads that can be filtered or centrifuged and water washed to remove the protective colloids. The technique is employed for the production of pvc,ps and styrene divinylbenzene copolymer(used for making ion-exchange resins)Emulsion polymerisation:- the particle size of the monomer is reduced to colloidal dimensions by more vigrous stirring and use of synthetic surfactants(aninoic,cationic or non-ionic)in place of protective colloids used in suspension polymerisation.usually water soluble catalysts such as persulphate, hydrogen p eroxide are used.thermal dissipaton and viscosity problems are absent. Both the rate of polymerisation and the molecular weight of the product formed are very high. The product which is in the form of fine particles dispersed in water (called latex) can be used directly as adhesive or an emulsion paint, or it can be isolated by coagulating with an electrolyte. The technique is employed for the industrial production of PVC, PCP, polybutadiene, polyacrylates, polymetyl methacrylate. Melt polycondensation:- The reactants are heated together in exact stochiometry above the melting point of the product, at which temperature the starting materials and product must be thermally stable. Oxygen has to be excluded form the reaction chamber to avoid oxidation at high temperature. Increase in viscosity makes removal of the by-product extremely difficult towards the end (unless high vacuum is applied) which may prevent formation of high molecular weight product. The molten polymer is usually sent directly forspinning, extrision etc. The technique is usually applied for the preparation of polyesters and polyamides. Interfacial polymerization:- The reaction takes place at the interface of between solutions of the recatants in immiscible solvents. increasing the interface by thorough agitation of two solutions substantially the rate of polymerisation. Exact stochiometry is not necessary and a high molecular weight product can be easily formed. Being very simple the method is widely used for the production of polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polysulphonamides. Difference in the reactivity of materials can be utilized to prepare ordered copolymers which otherwise are very difficult to produce. The technique is however limited to reactants having highly reactive functional groups that can readily react at the ambient temperatures. Testing and characterization of polymers:- Testing and characterization of polymeric materials is essential for determining their suitability for a Particular application. The manufactures and processors and need it for quality control such as maintaining product uniformity and for accessing the performance of new material in relation to the existing ones. processors and users wanting to better understand the polymeric behaviors. Under various conditions are naturally interested in knowing their chemical nature. Polymeric materials are very complex in nature. their high molecular weights in homogeneity and their chemical inertness often present difficulties in their identification which therefore requires specific techniques and the use of advanced methods of analysis. The problem of characterstic is further complicated by the market availability of an extermely wide range of materials and the presence of compounding materials such as plastic stablizers and filers (which change the physical propeties of the product) and thus Complete identification of polymeric materials may not always be possible. It is howevere possible to make a positive identification as to the class of polymers (polyeolefine, polyesters, polyamine) to which a given sample belongs. By carrying out some simple test and correlating their results: Application of these tests to the identification of to common polymeric materials is described as:- Physical test:- Physical examination of polymeric materials includes the observation of their color,,solubility,density etc Floatation test:- The test is based on Archimedes principal from which it follows that a material will flow in liquid of same or high density . Combustion test:-holding the pair of tweezers or tongs insert a small piece of the sample into flame of Bunsen burner and ob serve the ease of ignition, flammability of the sample in and out of flame Ph paper test:-take a small amount of powdered sample in a paralysis or ignition tube and place at its open end a piece of moist ph paper holding tube with a clip heat it with Bunsen burner at low heat.

Data Analysis Chapter Analysis

Data Analysis Chapter Analysis Part One: Based on my NTU username (N0687816), my data set is: (0,6,8,7,8,1,6) Section A) Forming a 99% confidence interval for my data set:       Our confidence interval is: We can therefore say with 99% confidence that the mean number of tattoos per student for the population of all students at NTU is between 0.54 and 9.74 Using Minitab for a 99% confidence interval for data set (0,0,0,1,3,3,7): Section B) Looking for evidence at the 97% confidence level of a difference between the samples: Sample 1 (0,6,8,7,8,1,6) Sample 2 (0,0,0,1,3,3,7) Sample sizes Sample means Sample variances I am going to use a two-sample T test to analyse this data as there are two small samples formed from data that is not paired. We can say with 97% confidence that there is no difference between the two samples. Using Minitab: Section C) Testing data from trialing a new inhaler Person 1 Person 2 Person 3 Person 4 Person 5 Person 6 Person 7 Before 0 6 8 7 8 1 6 After 0 0 0 1 3 3 7 To analyse this data, I will use a paired T-test as there are two sets of data for the same group of people (before and after using an inhaler). It is also unknown if the data is normally distributed and the sample is small which are both other factors which suggest the use of a T test. This test could be one or two tailed depending on whether you were looking for an improvement/reduction or a general change. In this case, however, we want the inhalers to have improved the peoples lung function so we will do a one tailed test. Null hypothesis Alternative hypothesis. (The data is for recovery time in seconds so a reduction in the mean recovery time shows an improvement in lung function). Decision Rule: Performing the test: Let So There is not a specified confidence interval so I will use a 95% confidence interval so: Therefore:       We can therefore say with 95% confidence that the inhaler did improve the lung function of the people who used it. Testing the Manufacturers Claim I am going to use a one tailed hypothesis test. This is because it does not matter if the inhaler improves lung function in over 80% of cases, only if it does not reach this claim. I will take to be that and to be that . The lung function recovery time reduced in four of the seven trials so 4 events out of 7 trials, leading to and   Part Two: Section A) The Lady Tasting Tea Experiment The lady tasting tea experiment was a statistical experiment conducted by Ronald Fisher. As explained in The lady tasting tea experiment (Winkler, 2015), a lady claimed she could tell whether milk or tea was poured first in a cup of tea she tasted. Ronald Fishers book The Design of Experiments (see Winkler, 2015) outlined the ideas behind this test: [It] consists in mixing eight cups of tea, four in one way and four in the other, and presenting them to the subject for judgement in a random order. The subject has been told in advance [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] that she will be asked to taste eight cups, that these shall be four of each kind Fisher, 1935. According to Imai (2016), Fisher introduces the idea of a null hypothesis, which in this case, is the idea that the woman is guessing and cannot actually distinguish between the cups. Fisher then used the ladys answers to work out the likelihood of her getting this result whilst guessing. From this, he found that there were 70 ways to choose 4 cups out of 8 and that from these, there was 1 way of getting none and four correct, 16 ways of getting one and three correct and 36 ways of getting two correct, as shown by Inglis-Arkell (2015). Although pioneering, however, the test itself was not powerful. As explained by Stark (2010), the small sample size caused the probability of her guessing randomly only coming out less than 0.05 (the condition required to reject the null hypothesis) if she got a perfect score. This is because guessing all four correctly carried a probability of whereas guessing three out of four correctly carried a probability of . This issue would have been reduced with a much bigger sample size. For another mathematical example, we will look at the following question: Suppose the lady samples 10 cups of tea, among which 5 had the teapoured first and 5 had the milk poured first.a. What is the probability she correctly identifies all five cups which had the tea poured first? Sloughter, 2006. Following the logic displayed by Stark (2010) for the lady tasting tea problem, there would be only 1 way of choosing all five correctly. Using the formula (Simmons, 2016), we get ways of choosing five cups of tea out of the ten. This means that the probability of getting all five correct is . As stated by Inglis-Arkell (2015), the number of cups that the lady guessed correctly is unknown. Despite this, the lady tasting tea experiment is still extremely influential and led to Ronald Fisher being praised for his book The Design of Experiments due to how clearly he explained why randomisation is important and how he decided what would be acceptable evidence to accept or reject a statement. Reference List Imai, K., 2013. Statistical Hypothesis Tests [online]. Princeton University. Available at: http://imai.princeton.edu/teaching/files/tests.pdf [Accessed 9th January 2017]. Inglis-Arkell, E., 2015. How A Tea Party Turned Into A Scientific Legend [online]. Io9. Available at: http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-a-tea-party-turned-into-a-scientific-legend-1706697488 [Accessed 9th December 2016]. Simmons, B., 2016. Combination Formula [online]. Mathwords. Available at: http://www.mathwords.com/c/combination_formula.htm [Accessed 9th January 2017]. Sloughter, D., 2006. Mathematics of a Lady Tasting Tea [online]. Furman University. Available at: http://math.furman.edu/~dcs/courses/math15/lectures/lecture-19.pdf   [Accessed 9th December 2016]. Stark, P., 2010. StichiGui [online]. Available at: https://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~stark/Teach/S240/Notes/ch3.htm [Accessed 9th January 2017]. Winkler, A. 2015. The lady tasting tea experiment [online]. Brainder. Available at: https://brainder.org/2015/08/23/the-lady-tasting-tea-and-fishers-exact-test/ [Accessed 5th December 2016]. Declaration: 1. I am aware of the Universitys rules on plagiarism and collusion and I understand that, if I am found to have broken these rules, it will be treated as Academic Misconduct and dealt with accordingly. I understand that if I lend this piece of work to another student and they copy all or part of it, either with or without my knowledge or permission, I shall be guilty of collusion. 2. In submitting this work I confirm that I am aware of, and am abiding by, the Universitys expectations for proof-reading. 3. I understand that I must submit this coursework by the time and date published. I also understand that if this coursework is submitted late it will, if submitted within 5 working days of the deadline date and time, be given a pass mark as a maximum mark. If received more than 5 working days after the deadline date and time, it will receive a mark of 0%. For referred or repeat coursework, I understand that if the coursework is not submitted by the published date and time, a mark of 0% will be automatically awarded. 4. I understand that it is entirely my responsibility to ensure that I hand in my full and complete coursework and that any missing pages handed in after the deadline will be disregarded. 5. I understand that the above rules apply even in the eventuality of computer or other information technology failures. 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Essay on Dover Beach: An Analysis -- Arnold Dover Beach Essays

An Analysis of Dover Beach Dover Beach intrigued me as soon as I read the title. I have a great love of beaches, so I feel a connection with the speaker as he or she stands on the cliffs of Dover, looking out at the sea and reflecting on life. Arnold successfully captures the mystical beauty of the ocean as it echoes human existence and the struggles of life. The moods of the speaker throughout the poem change dramatically as do the moods of the sea. The irregular, unordered rhyme is representative of these inharmonious moods and struggles. In this case, the speaker seems to be struggling with the relationship with his or her partner. In the beginning, there is a peaceful, blissful atmosphere to the poem. Imagery of light amidst the darkness of the night is created by the use of words such as "gleams," "glimmering" and "moon-blanch'd". The speaker seems excited by the sweet night-air and the lively waves that fling the pebbles on the shore as we see by the exclamation marks in the sixth and ninth lines. The waves "begin, and cease, and then again begin," much as life is an ongoing process of cessation and rebirth. The first stanza is quite happy until the last two lines when the "tremulous cadence slow, and bring/ the eternal note of sadness in." This phrase causes the poem's tone to change to a more somber one This shift in tone is continued into the second stanza where Arnold makes an allusion to Sophocles, a Greek dramatist whose plays dwell on tragic ironies and on the role of fate in human existence. The speaker feels connected to Sophocles in that he, too, heard the "eternal note of sadness" on the Aegean (a sea on the east side of Greece). It is suggested that Sophocles was inspired by the ... ...ere is a resolution in the rhyming. It becomes more ordered towards the end, because the speaker's love can counteract the chaos of the world. The various moods of "Dover Beach" reflect the many feelings and struggles that life holds for us all. This is one individual's experience, but it is still true to all of us, because each of us have felt disillusioned and betrayed by the world at one time or another. We have all known beauty and joy, but also misery and sadness. Arnold expresses these experiences by relating them to the nature of the ocean. The experience that surpasses all others is that of love, which is the only true thing in a deceptive world. Everything that the speaker is trying to express is tied together by the poem's form. The uneven rhyme is a perfect method of pronouncing the confusion that the speaker is feeling about the world.

Oedipus Trilogy Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Novel Analysis of The Oedipus Trilogy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus Tyrannus as it is in Latin, could be what we call today a Freudian work of literature. The Oedipus Trilogy was originally written by Sophocles and is meant to be told in a story-telling fashion. But this Grecian tragedy was revised and translated into English by Paul Roche and put into a novel form. The Oedipus Trilogy is a novel that deals with destiny and fate. The reader is shown a series of events plotted out from which Oedipus cannot escape. When we begin to read this story, we must remember that Greek society was based around myths and legends. They, much like today’s society, had the need to explain everything. Their myths were a way of explaining such things. They had a series of gods and muses and fates to explain why things happened the way it happened. They believed in a force greater than their own controlling their every move. Sophocles took their beliefs and used the Oedipus Trilogy to explore the irony of how the Fates work more closely. The Oedipus plays are separated into three main plays: Oedipus Rex (The King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. The story starts in Oedipus Rex, and the city of Thebes in which he is ruler is in plague. The city calls upon the ruler Oedipus to find a way to stop the plague. At this point in time, it is 15 years after the prophecy given to him by the Oracle of Delphi of his father dying and him marrying his mother. When he hears of this he promises never to return so he may outsmart the fates. He eventually ends up in Thebes through his travels and gets into an argument with an old man. He ends up killing the old man in a brawl. Little does he know that this old man is King Laius, his father. He goes to Thebes where a Sphynx is harassing it’s people for an answer to it’s riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle and the Sphynx throws itself from its perch upon a rock outside the city. Its people make Oedipus the new King. Now he is faced with another challenge, to find the killer and banish him from the city to rid them of the plague. We are faced with an interesting plot indeed. When Oedipus pledges to find the murderers, he puts himself in the ironic position of having to hunt himself down. The story shows Oedipus following his own tracks until he finds the shepherd who gave the infant Oedipu... ... this thronging round my feet- this holding out of olive branches wreathed in woe?'; (Roche 23). By this sentence Sophocles is showing that his people are crying at his feet for an answer to their sickness. Little did Oedipus know that he had his own much larger problem on his hands. The plays of Oedipus have long been some of the most enlightening and teaching of stories. This story sparked the study of much psychological debate and theories pertaining to the love of ones mother and ones own sanity. It was used in Ancient Greece to tell of the twisted ways that Fate worked and how you can do something you may not want to out of pure ignorance. This story is a truly remarkable one for those who would read it for pleasure, and yet it is a plague of its own for many a student. And it is still used today so that we may study how an ancient culture thought. Much of Greco-Roman myths are centered on the subject of Fate. Homers epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey are two such examples. We can see that their societies were greatly concerned with Fate, as much of their writing reflects that. Every society has its own needs and concerns, and literature is always the best way to reflect them.

American Literature Essay

Exploration Period, 1492-1607 Characteristics The first European writings about North America are written in this period. European writings describe the explorers’ travels and impressions of the continent and its Native people. Major Writers or Works Prose: Christopher Columbus, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Thomas Harriot, and Samuel de Champlain. Oral narratives: Seneca legend â€Å"How America was discovered. â€Å" †¢Colonial Period, 1607-c. 1765 Characteristics The Colonial period was dominated by Puritan beliefs and thus literature of this period is usually  historical, religious, or didactic. The most common genres were tracts, polemics, journals, narratives, sermons, and some poetry. The first slave narratives were written at this time. Imaginative literature was rare; in some colonies, it was banned for being immoral. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Michael Wigglesworth, Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor. Prose: John Smith, Roger Williams, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards’ Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanacks. Narratives: Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. †¢Revolutionary Period, 1765-1790 Characteristics This period begins with the passing of the Stamp Act in England and ends in 1790. The Revolutionary period usually refers to writings that are politically motivated, either in support of British rule, in support of American patriotism and independence, or relating to the Constitution. Major Writers or Works Prose: Thomas Jefferson’s Autobiography, â€Å"Declaration by the Represent-atives of the United States of America,† Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison’s Federalist Papers. Drama: Royall Tyler’s The Contrast. Verse and Ballads: â€Å"Yankee Doodle,† â€Å"The Liberty Song. † †¢Early National Period, 1775-1828 Characteristics During this period, a body of distinctly American imaginative literature began to emerge. As with the novel, poetry, essays, and sketches also began to flourish. The publishing world and readership in America also began to grow. Slave narratives were published with increasing frequency. This period is sometimes called the Federalist period after the conservative federalists in power at the time. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Phillip Freneau, William Cullen Bryant, Phillis Wheatley. Prose: Judith Sargent Murray, Mercy Otis Warren, Washington Irving, Lydia Maria Child Narratives: Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Lfe of Olaudah Equiano. Novels: Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette. †¢Romantic Period, 1828-1865 Characteristics The Romantic period covers the period between Jacksonian democracy to the end of the Civil War. This period was the first major explosion of a distinctly American body of literature; for this reason, this period is also referred to as the American Renaissance. Many of American literature’s most well-known writers emerged during this time. Readership increased significantly and the 1850s saw a number of immensely popular novels. Issues and subjects addressed in the literature of this time ranged from the American identity, to the slavery debate, to historical narratives, to poems and narratives inspired by romanticism, to prose works examining national unity. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lydia Sigourney, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, Emily Dickinson. Prose: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rebecca Harding Davis, William Lloyd Garrison. Narratives: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Novels: James Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Herman Melville, Susan Warner, Maria Susanna Cummins’ The Lamplighter, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, William Wells Brown, Harriet E. Wilson. Drama: George Aiken’s play, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, based on Stowe’s novel. †¢The Age of Transcendentalism, 1836-1860 Characteristics Transcendentalism, though varied, investigated the relationship between nature, humanity, society, and the divine. Major Writers or Works Prose: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s â€Å"Nature,† â€Å"Self-Reliance,† and â€Å"The American Scholar,† Margaret  Fuller’s â€Å"Woman in the Nineteenth Century,† Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, Bronson Alcott. †¢Realism, 1865-1900 Characteristics The post-Civil War period was an era of increased industrialization and urbanization as the nation attempted to recover emotionally, culturally, and politically from the aftermath of the war. Though there were still elements of romanticism, this period was considered realistic in its emphasis on unidealized and truthful depictions. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Walt Whitman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Emily Dickinson’s poems published posthumously. Prose: Sarah Orne Jewett, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Zitkala-Sa, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† George Washington Cable, Kate Chopin. Novels: Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, William Dean Howells, Bret Harte, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Henry James, Helen Hunt Jackson’s Ramona, Frances E. W. Harper’s Iola Leroy. †¢Naturalism, 1900-1914 Characteristics An offshoot of realism, naturalism claimed to give an even more realistic and unflinching depiction of contemporary life. Naturalism was characterized by a pessimistic view of humanity and human existence. Major Writers or Works  Prose: Frank Norris, Jack London, Stephen Crane, Hamlin Garland. Novels: Frank Norris’ McTeague, Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie, Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf, Stephen Crane’s Maggie: a Girl of the Streets. †¢Modern Period, 1914-1939 Characteristics A period in British and American literature spanning the years between WWI and WWII. Works in this period reflect the changing social, political, and cultural climate and are diverse, experimental, and nontraditional. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, T. S. Eliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay, e.  e. cummings, H. D. Novels: Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, John Dos Passos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway. Drama: Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, Susan Glaspell’s, Trifles, Clifford Odets. †¢Harlem Renaissance, 1920s and 1930s Characteristics The Harlem Renaissance was the first major burgeoning of visual, literary, and performing arts by African Americans concerned with African-American life, art, culture, and politics. The influence of the Harlem Renaissance remained strong for the remainder of the 20th century. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay. Prose: W. E. B DuBois, Jean Toomer. Novels: Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Passing, Jessie Redmon Fauset, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay. Drama: Randolph Edmonds, Langston Hughes. †¢Lost Generation, 1920s Characteristics After WWI, a group of American writers grew increasingly disillusioned by, and resistant to, what they saw as hypocrisy in dominant American ideology and culture. Many of these writers left America in search of a more artistic life in London or Paris. Major Writers or Works  Poetry: Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot. Prose: Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot. Novels: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. †¢Beat Writers, 1950s Characteristics Beat Writers’ writing was generally anti-traditional, anti-establishment, and anti-intellectual. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Prose: Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot. Novels: William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. †¢Postmodern or Contemporary, 1940-present Characteristics In British and American literature, the postmodern period refers to literature written after WWII. The postmodern period reflects anxieties concerning, and reactions to life in the 20th century. Postmodern works are often highly experimental and anti-conventional. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Sylvia Plath, Marianne Moore, Robert Penn Warren, Anne Sexton, Gwendolyn Brooks, Adrienne Rich, Philip Larkin. Prose: Eudora Welty, Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Alice Walker. Novels: Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. , Richard Wright, Thomas Pynchon, E. L Doctorow, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison. Drama: Edward Albee, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, David Mamet.

Crime is a Social Construct Essay

Crime is the product of the social structure; it is embedded in the very fibres of society. In this essay, I aim to explore different theories as to why crime exists within society and how we as a society therefore construct it. Crime is a social construct; it is always in society and is on the increase. It is inevitable. Where does it come from? It comes from legislation, from the making of laws. Functionalists see crime deviance in society as a function, in that it serves to remind us, through public condemnation of those who have broken the rules, of our shared values and norms. Furthermore, they suggest that crime is a result of structural tensions and a lack of moral regulations within society. If the aspirations held by individuals and groups in society do not coincide with the available rewards, this disparity between desires and fulfilment will be felt in the deviant motivations of some of its members. This was the basis for Merton’s Anomie theory. (Robert Merton 1957) Emile Durkheim saw crime and deviance as social factors and believed both of them to be inevitable and necessary elements in modern society. The people in that society are less constrained than in traditional times. There is more room for the individual choice in a modern world and it is therefore inevitable that there will be some non-conformity. Durkheim recognises that no society would ever be in complete consensus about the norms and values which govern it. He also saw that it was necessary for society in that it fulfils two important functions. Firstly, deviance is an adaptable function, and by introducing new ideas and challenges in society, it brings about change. Secondly, deviance promotes boundary maintenance between good and bad behaviours. It constantly keeps us aware of what acts society deems acceptable or not. (Durkheim 1964) The Positivist approach is simply about a deviant’s reaction to external forces beyond their control. The followers of the Interactionist theory, on the other hand, reject this positivist approach and say that it is due to the internal factors of the individual. The Marxism theory however, is structured towards the accumulation of wealth rather than social need. Edwin H Sutherland was the first sociologist to study this area known as ‘White Collar Crime’ in 1949. Let us now look at crimes of the powerful and the less powerful. There are two main points; deviance is a product of unequal power relations and equality in general. Despite the fact that the law is in favour of the dominant class, some of its members do break the rules for their own gain. Power and equality affect the quality of deviant acts. Thus, people that are more powerful are more likely to engage in profitable deviant acts such as corporate crime i.e. bribery and corruption in business and politics, misconduct by professionals such as lawyers etc. On the other hand, the powerless are more likely to commit less profitable deviant deeds such as burglary, theft and armed robbery. (Ermann and Lundman 1996) Power, or rather social class, is therefore the key element which determines the type of deviance people are likely to carry out. The powerful are more likely to commit deviant acts because of something that is called ‘Relative Deprivation’. This is the feeling of being unable to achieve the high standards they set for themselves, compared with the powerless, whose standards are typically low. Their aspirations are so high that they become less achievable. The more that people experience this Relative Deprivation, the more likely they are to commit deviant acts. (Cookson and Persill 1985) Furthermore, the elite have more legitimate opportunities than the poor worker to commit crime i.e. A banker will have better opportunities to defraud customers for instance, and because of his status, the crime is less likely to be detected, whereas the poor worker would probably have to resort to robbing the bank, a much more visible crime. Furthermore, the powerful are subjected to weaker social control. They have more influence in the making and enforcement of control. The laws against higher status crime, the White Collar crime, are therefore relatively lenient and rarely enforced, but the laws against crime which is committed by those with a lower status, are harsher and more often enforced because they are so visible and detected much more easily. The activities of White Collar crime occur on a daily basis, but there is no public outcry or moral panics about it and therefore  no legislation made, whereas, ‘street’ crime attracts massive law enforcement. As Jeffr ey Reiman (2001) so aptly stated, â€Å"The rich get richer and the poor get prison†. Interactionism was quite popular from 1960s to 1970s. Max Weber and George Herbert Mead favour the Interactionist approach and suggest that crime is a social process, that crime is an interaction between the victim, the police/officials and the offender. Crime is shaped by the nature of this interaction and this selective labelling, stigmatisation, negative labelling of those without power and more vulnerable. This approach focuses upon the interaction between deviance and those who define it as such, hence the Labelling Theory. Howard F Becker, the founder of this theory, argues that society creates deviance by making rules. Rules that when broken, constitute deviance, and by labelling those particular people as deviants, they are also labelling them as outsiders. Therefore, it is not the act of the person, but rather a consequence of applying the rules by others to an offender. Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label. Becker suggests that in one sense there is no such thing as a deviant act. An act only becomes deviant when people define it as such, when they label it as such. Such labels largely override their status as workers, friends, parents etc and others see them negatively. This ‘labelling’ of people who commit crime, often results in the denial of an ordinary life to them, and because of this denial, out of necessity, they develop illegitimate routines and often resort to a life of crime. Thus, a criminal career is formed and the only way that they can be a part of society, is by grouping with likewise people, and being part of a different type of society. It may be a criminal society, but at least they fulfil that human need to belong. This process results in what is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy i.e. a person is to be known as a criminal, he/she may as they may as well act that way. The Feminist approach is critical of the mainstream approaches in that they see them as male dominated and this gender bias is part of the structure of  the Criminal Justice System, the majority of its personnel being male. Crime is specific to the gender, males being more violent and women committing softer crime such as benefit fraud, shoplifting etc. This approach sees that there is a need for more support and resources for women and that anti-sexist training is necessary in the police force. These sociological theories are intended to apply to both sexes but feminists disagree. For example, Merton’s anomie theory assumes that people are inclined to strive for material success, which is true for men but not necessarily for women, although this is on the increase. (Merton 1957) In the past women have been socialised differently to men. They are traditionally less interested in achieving material success as their place has been in the home. However, this social construct is changing, because women are being given more equal opportunities, and are more likely to strive for that material success, which would account for some increase in women’s crime rates. (Chesney-Lind 1997;Daly and Chesney-Lind1998) This may be an indication that opportunities for women are still far from equal. Anomie theory may apply if this is the case, as the opportunities available to women are lacking in relation to women’s increasing desire for independence and material success, therefore causing the disparity that Merton talks about. Furthermore, men and women calculate the risk of arrest differently. Women are more aware of that risk and that awareness becomes a disincentive. Another interesting argument would be that it is a fact that over 90% of people convicted of crime, are male. (John Hagan et al 1996) Let us now examine how time and space has affected the way that society has constructed crime and deviance. For example, is the death penalty an act of murder? It is in some countries, but not in some US states. Is abortion an act of murder? What about war? Murder exists in some contexts as a crime and not in others. Crime then is a social construct which is ever changing according to time and space. It makes no sense to say that â€Å"crime is a result of biochemistry only† because crime is the result of political decision making, and we can easily change those decisions according to different contexts, without changing our own biochemistry. In an effort to solve the ‘crime problem’ then, our task is to determine how much of ‘the crime problem’ is in fact the result of these definitions and political decisions, and what part is the result of broader sociological or biological forces. The government, in its efforts to tackle the ‘crime problem’, has little regard for the way that working class people and their environments actually work. Its new measures to be tough on the causes of crime fail to question why these things happen, and hence how they might be prevented. Creeping inequalities in education, the health services, housing and pensions, contribute to the lack of belonging that people feel. This disconnected feeling of our seemingly society-less age can only contribute to the ‘crime problem’. It is time to review other methods because the government’s endless clamping down on those who already have the least stake in ‘society’ is not the solution. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bilton T, Bonnet K, Jones P, Skinner D, Stanworth M, Webster A (1996) Introductory Sociology (Third Edition) London, Macmillan Press Ltd. ` Goode E, Ben-Yehuda N (1994) Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance USA, Blackwell. Hagan John et al 1996 The Law and Politics Book Review http://www.unt.edu.lpbr/subpages/reviews/HaganJ.htm Accessed on 28 11 2002 Haralambros and Holborn (1995) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives (Fourth Edition) London, Harper Collins. Reiman Jeffrey (2001) The Law and Politics Book Review http://Paulsjusticepage.com/reiman.htm http://Paulsjusticepage.com/RichgetRicher/fraud.htm Accessed on 28 11 2002 Taylor P, Richardson J, Yeo A, Marsh I, Trobe K, Pilkington A, Hughes G, Sharp K (1995) Sociology in Focus Ormskirk, Causeway Press Ltd. Williamson J (2000) Tough on Horridness – Guardian http://society.guardian.co.uk/crimeandpunishment/comment/0,8146,839659,00.html – accessed on 28 11 2002