Romantic Love And Consumer Culture

Romantic Love And Consumer Culture A consumerist society is one whose economy is defined by the purchasing and spending power of consumers. Even as it is similar to capitalism, it differs in that it is not as focused on monetary power as it on happiness realized through the ownership of personal property. The initiation of a mass consumerist policy, a product of the Industrial revolution, is therefore often viewed as an effective political alternative to sustain a healthy, well balanced economy (Horowitz, 2004). Ancient Rome and Egypt are examples of early consumerist societies, even as the United States of America is representative of a contemporary successful consumer economy (Horowitz, 2004). Romantic Love is often perceived to be the final repository of the genuineness and warmth lost in a progressively technocratic and legalistic age (Stearns Knapp, 1993). Whilst to some it is symptomatic of ideologies that enslave, to others it is merely a flight from social responsibility (Stearns Knapp, 1993). Romantic love, an intimate and important part of the democratic model of American affluence has concomitantly emerged with the establishment of a mass market. It has also simultaneously adopted as it were, mechanisms of economic and symbolic denominations at work in American society (Stearns Knapp, 1993). Ideologically, capitalism is notoriously Janus like with regard to the degree that it encourages the inclusion of all social classes into the market (Teo, 2009). Whilst it has ensured a common symbolic sphere wherein the twin sets of mass media and consumption are unified, it has also intensified class conflicts and divided social classes into even smaller lifestyle groups (Teo, 2009). Even as capitalism encourages the involvement of everyone in the monetary and symbolic field of consumption, it replicates and sustains itself through the division of wealth and validity of social divisions (Teo, 2009). Capitalism, as an economic system, involve(s) the production and exchange of commodities with the aim of accumulating a surplus value, that is, profit, with some part of this profit being re-invested to maintain the conditions of future accumulation. Capitalism however is also characterized by a cultural mindset whereby exchange in relationships, that of buying and selling, have permeated most of society (Illouz, 1997, p7). Capitalism ascertains the meeting of two parties primarily on the basis of economic benefit and mutual self interest, whereby transactions are justified by analyzing their benefits on the bottom-line of the balance sheet (Illouz, 1997). Romantic love, on the other hand defines relationships between two individuals who are bound together by their capacity to realize spontaneity and empathy in an emotional relationship (Illouz, 1997). In comparing romantic love and capitalism, the former is irrational rather than rational, gratuitous rather than profit oriented, organic rather that utilitarian, private rather than public (Illouz, 1997, p 11). Romantic love therefore seems to elude the regular category, wherein capitalism has been envisaged. This essay intends to understand and analyze the manner in which romantic emotions meet the economy, culture and social organization of advanced capitalism. Discussion and Analysis Sociology, anthropology and history, until the early twentieth century, categorically believed that certain emotions were derivative of subjective, physiological and psychological experiences and not to essentially be associated with study pertaining to symbolic and collective life (Illouz, 1997). Romantic love was relegated to the sociologically awkward part of social life and not discussed in terms of class conflicts, public rituals and social relationships. Recent statistics however indicate that emotions are often influenced by the norms, language, stereotype, metaphors, symbols of culture (Illouz, 1997). Even as sociologists today are keen to establish specific relationships between culture and emotion, they seem hesitant to support the concept of distinct linkages between love and economy. It is generally believed that love, like art and religion is the site par excellence of the social world, whereas culture offers artifacts, stories, symbols and images, wherein romantic ciphers can be recapitulated and exchanged (Illouz, 1997). Many sociologists have in recent years however come to recognize that culture and economy reciprocally constitute each other. Therefore, in order to discuss the relationship between romantic love and consumer culture, it is first imperative to understand the manner in which romance, culture, and economy intersect with each other (Illouz, 1997). Romantic love became a prominent cultural phenomenon in America in the early eighteenth century. Americans, more than other citizens of Western societies, began to determine their marital choices more on the basis of emotional thought than on social or economic considerations (Robbins, 2008). The choice of a life partner was left to be decided by individuals as love was considered to be of prime importance for conjugal bliss (Robbins, 2008). Couple autonomy grew over the years with increasing college attendance resulting in relaxation of family and societal control. The appearance of an alternate social sphere of youth culture validated intimacy with the opposite sex as an important characteristic of socialization into adulthood. The modification of sexual mores alternatively affected the ways in which the youth spent their leisure time, as many of the young began to engage in novel leisure practices of the hetero-social world (Robbins, 2008). The nineteenth century saw the development of dance halls, amusement parks and movie theatres (Robbins, 2008). However, it was only after 1910 that leisure industries began to strengthen their economic power and began implementing monopolistic practices. The cultural landscape was eventually significantly restructured in the early twentieth century as inventions like the high speed printing press, telephone, phonograph, radio and photography expanded access of members of the public to mass culture. The social, cultural and economic changes altered the meaning of love, even as it became an important part of mass media and culture (Robbins, 2008). The nascent national advertising system related romance to a host of attendant values, in addition to leisure, physical attractiveness and consumption (Teo, 2009). This can be observed by the evolution of the image of the couple in the already developed industry of advertising before World War II. An assessment of advertisements depicting couples exhibits how the values associated with love have changed over time (Teo, 2009). Advertising initially depicted the image of the couple, first, with domestic products associated with the comfort of the home and second with ego expressive products associated with self enhancement and expression (Teo, 2009). Additionally, almost invariably and irrespective of the product being advertised, be it soap, shampoo, clothes, or perfume, advertisements carried illustrations of couples in close embrace and in stylish apparel. Opulence and soft eroticism were part of the new model of hot romance exploited by advertisements in their efforts to promote ma ss produced consumer goods( Teo, 2009, p 4). The commoditization of romance during this period therefore began to ambiguously incorporate romantic love into the culture of consumer capitalism. Sternberg, (1998) suggests that our lives consist in battling for legitimacy to purchase commodities. We live in an excessively commodified world with requirements that are created in the interests of the market and that can be met primarily through the market (Robbins, 2008). Illouz (1997), proposes that although the market does not control the entire spectrum of romantic relationships, most romantic practices depend on consumption, directly or indirectly, and consumerist activities have thoroughly permeated our romantic imagination(Robbins, 2008). Today, it is important to spend money to be loveable, to sport the right apparel, perfumes and hairstyles (Robbins, 2008). It is also important to have money to define romantic moments. Romantic moments are in effect similar to religious rituals, processes wherein we reiterate that the world exists essentially in the way in which we perceive it. In commodifying romance, most of these moments have come to be governed by food, drink and travel. Eva Illouz, (1997), observed that even children, who have had no prior romantic experience, mention restaurants when asked to define their concept of the constitution of romantic moments. The commodification of romance has transformed it into a ritualistic process, wherein time and space are self contained. For one to act in love, one should be able to finance and implement the rituals of love; those activities that convey the appropriate meaning to the actors, activities often labeled as romantic moments. At restaurants, The meal, unlike eating at home or at a fast food establishment, is separate from the schedules and constraints of the outside world. An intimate dinner at home becomes special only if it is aided by ritualistic attributes of a restaurant dinner, like candlelight and wine (Teo, 2009, p 4). Another commodity often associated with romantic moments is travel (Teo, 2009). Travel, akin to restaurants, requires freedom and separation from a world guided by effort, work, profit and self interest (Robbins, 2008). Travel entails travel expenses, accommodation expenses and significant contribution to the tourist trade, with the pursuit of the romantic moment thus being elaborated and defined by consumer culture. Travel, in numerous ways involves the commodification of landscape to generate ritual settings to enact the creation and development of romantic relationships (Robbins, 2008). Illouz (1997, p 34), states that Capitalist society has appropriated and destroyed both the natural landscape uncontaminated by the visible hand of capital common to tourist resorts. Travel advertising, with its consistent portrayal of pristine landscapes ironically depicts what has been ruined and made more expensive, all the while denying the presence of money and other commodities. Romantic land scapes are typically the most luxurious and pricey, primarily wild, uncontaminated, isolated and far removed from the industrial world and middle class vacationers. When people recall romantic moments, they however fail to recognize them for what they actually were, namely the commoditization of romance (Robbins, 2008) The culture of Romantic love in Australia, in the early nineteenth century, was similar to that of the United States, Britain and Canada (Teo, 2009). Love was a moral, emotional and spiritual attraction that was deemed to be an important prerequisite to courtship, with companionship and marriage as its ideal goal (Teo, 2009). Romantic Love was believed to have a morally, spiritually and ennobling uplifting effect, especially on men. It was bound up in class consciousness and the demonstration of gentlemanly or ladylike behavior. (Teo, 2009) This was a result of the wider spiritualization of love in addition to partaking in the nineteenth-century belief in evolution and idealism in all aspects of society, most importantly love and morality. Whilst physical attraction was crucial and lovers wrote of their desire for contact, the heart of courtship rested on the exclusive and mutual disclosure of the self (Teo, 2009). In sharing their essence with each other, it was expected that romantic love might produce great unhappiness, bitterness and despair, as well as ecstasy and a feeling of empathy and completeness. (Spurlock, 1998, p 2) Since marriage was often taken for granted and often considered the chief aim and accomplishment of romantic love, almost everything that was a part of married life could probably be understood as a characteristic of romantic love(Spurlock, 1998, ). Some lovers therefore felt that they did not essentially expect love to produce consistent happiness after getting married as they differentiated between the emotional fulfillment and physical thrill of infatuation while courting, and the steadier, more mundane serenity of married love in which bouts of boredom or apathy might well be expected in the cycles of domestic life (Teo, 2009) Whilst certain features in the conventional idea of romantic love still exist, most nations have begun to develop an increasingly American and ritualistic understanding of romantic consumerism as an important expression of love (Robbins, 2008). As exhibited in the article, Money Can Buy You Love, in the Sydney Morning Herald on 14 February 2005, Con Stavros observed that Valentines Day has become less about intimacy than the grand, expensive gesture: the jewelry, the mink coat, the impromptu hot air balloon ride Marketing has transformed Valentines Day into a festive enterprise, If you go back even a decade, people used to just exchange private cards and have some kind of romantic [dinner]. These days the gift has to be public, conspicuous people [at work] ask each other: What did you get? (Robbins, 2008, p 61) Although the process of romantic consumerism may have become more excessive in prominent ways at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the development of this occurred in unequally gendered ways in the first half of twentieth century as consumer culture across the world became Americanized (Robbins, 2008). Whilst evaluating the consumerist quotient of romantic love in the twenty first century, it is important to observe its role in the functioning of society (Zax, 2009). Romantic love, in addition to establishing basis for marriage and reproduction, contributes to feelings of solidarity and social order. Since it involves the use of commodities, Romantic love encourages people to acquire an income. It is however important to realize the commodification of romantic love has aided in debasing or trivializing the romantic bond (Zax, 2009). The need for money has reduced spontaneity and naturalness in love and inhibited those with without money to act in love. (Zax, 2009) Whilst people do feel empowered with the experience of romance, it is important to realize that commodities primarily serve as potent aids for merely the dramatization of expression and should therefore be regarded as such. Conclusions This essay aims to discuss the relationship between romantic love and consumer culture. A consumerist society is defined by the purchasing and spending power of consumers, but differs from capitalism in that it is not as focused on monetary power as it on happiness that can be achieved through ownership of personal property. Romantic Love, perceived to be a repository of genuineness, is an intimate component of modern American affluence. It has now become inextricably linked to the mass market and adopted the economic mechanisms of American society. Sociology previously advanced the theory that that certain emotions were derivative of subjective experiences and not to be associated with study of symbolic and collective life. Romantic love was thus not discussed in terms of class conflicts, public rituals and social relationships. It however became an important cultural phenomenon in the early eighteenth century, with people, especially Americans determining their marital choices on the basis of emotions than on social or economic considerations. The advertising systems also started relating romance to numerous values, in addition to leisure, physical attractiveness and consumption. Advertisement, irrespective of advertised products, started carrying illustrations of couples in close embrace. The commoditization of romance has incorporated romantic love into the culture of consumer capitalism. Romantic moments are now strongly associated with food, drink and travel and have become intensely commoditized. Whilst certain features of conventional romantic love still exist, most nations have developed an American and ritualistic understanding of romantic consumerism as an expression of love. The need for money has reduced naturalness in love and inhibited those without it to act in love. Whilst the experience of romance does empower people, it is important to understand that commodities serve mainly as aids for dramatization of expression and should be regarded as such. Romantic love certainly contributes to feelings of solidarity, involves the use of commodities, and encourages people to acquire incomes. It is however also important to realize that commoditization of romantic love debases and trivializes romantic bonding and be able to sift genuine emotion from its consumeri st manifestation.

The Importance of Freedom Exposed in Anthem :: Anthem Essays

The Importance of Freedom Exposed in Anthem    In the novel Anthem, Ayn Rand writes about the future dark ages. Anthem takes place in city of a technologically backwards totalitarian society, where mankind is born in the home of the infants and dies in the home of the useless. Just imagine, being born in to a life of slavery having no freedom, no way of self expression, no ego. The city represented slavery. When in the city, Equality had been guilty of many transgressions. He was not like his brothers, he was different he was smarter, healthier, and stronger. At the age of five he advanced to home of the student, where he got scolded for learning faster then his brothers. Equality teachers told him that he had evil in his bones because he was taller then his brothers. Then at the age of fifteen when the house of vocations came Equality was guilty of the great transgression of preference because he wanted to be a scholar, but his selected vocation was to be a street sweeper. Every day while he swept by the fields he would watch and smile at Liberty and she would smile back. Liberty was a woman that worked in the home of the peasants. Making contact with a woman was prohibited but for when in the palace of the mating. The palace of the mating was where people were forced to breed. Equality thought touching a woman was shameful and ugly. Th! en one day while h e swept the streets he found a grate that led to underground tunnel full of things from the unmentionable times. For two years he went to the tunnel and discovered a new glowing light. Then one day while in the tunnel decided that he must share his secret with his brothers. He decided that he would bring his secret in front of the world council meeting. When Equality entered the world council meeting the scholars got frightened and angry. They demanded that he tell them why he was there. He connected the wires and they glowed, the scholars backed up against the wall as they stared in horror. They told him that he they were going to punish for breaking so many laws. Equality trembled in fright he quickly grabbed the light and ran to the uncharted forest. No man followed because they feared the unknown.

Ibm Marketing Mix (Denmark)

Marketing: Foundations and applications Course code: BMAN-20390 Marketing analysis of IBM 1. 0 Thesis statement â€Å"Evaluate the marketing strategy of a blue-chip company you are familiar with. Your evaluation should critically discuss the concept of the marketing mix as applied to your chosen organisation and at least one other academic marketing theory. † 2. 0 Limitations IBM is a very large organization so the planning process of a marketing strategy that is coherent with the corporate strategy is made complicated and difficult because IBM operates in a number of significantly different markets.I have therefore since I am an employee of IBM Denmark decided that this is the â€Å"strategic business unit† that I am going to analyze in terms of their marketing strategy. Furthermore the portfolio of products that IBM Denmark supplies ranges from everything to hardware sales, software sales and consultancy services. There might be a significant difference in the way the se products are promoted, and I have therefore narrowed it further down to focus on the tertiary activities, meaning the marketing strategy of the consultancy services (in IBM known as GBS – Global Business Services).This limitation is convenient because it allows me to properly analyze the marketing strategy in this given area – as opposed to making an analysis based upon IBM as a whole with their entire portfolio of products, as this would not be fulfilling in a 2500 word essay. 3. 0 Preface IBM mission statement: â€Å"At IBM, we strive to lead in the invention, development, and manufacture of the industry’s most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, storage systems, and microelectronics.We translate these advanced technologies into value for our customers through our professional solutions, services, and consulting businesses worldwide†. From the mission statement above we can conclude that IBM wants to be a leader o n the blue-chip market – which we in terms of their size can conclude they are close to being. In the following essay the reader will be introduced to the marketing strategy of IBM. Furthermore the reader will be introduced to a SWOT analysis, in which it will be discussed and concluded which strategic position IBM has on the current market.In regards to the limitation above this will be an analysis based upon IBMs services provision in Denmark. The reader will find out that the classical approach with the 4ps of marketing doesn’t really apply to this part of the business that IBM conducts. Instead an additional three Ps has been added, and these will be discussed as well. SWOT Analysis One of the trustiest tools in business is the SWOT analysis. Corporations takes a calm, cool look down at the organisations Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat’s.Then they seek to capitalise on the strengths, eliminate the weaknesses, seize the best opportunities and counter the threats. Figure 4. 1 is a SWOT analysis of the global business services for IBM, and the end result of this analysis should help us to give a clear view of IBM’s strategic position on the market, which we then can use to discuss their marketing strategy. Figure 4. 1 – IBM DK GBS SWOT Strengths: IBM Denmark has been on the Danish market since 1950 – which leaves them with a significant amount of experience of the market.The wide range of their strategic competencies runs from everything from hardware-sales to business consultancy, the latter being one of their profitable areas of expertise. Furthermore IBM DK has a leading position on the Danish services market, being one of the biggest consultancy houses in the country. It is the combination of its size and experience on the market that leaves them to be one of the preferred business partners in Denmark and in the rest of the world. IBM Denmark like most companies believes it is necessary to have a t alented workforce.IBM is present at local universities promoting themselves with the purpose of future recruitment. Through this initiative they attract the students they believe is prospects as future IBM leaders, and sign them off before their competitors. Furthermore IBM is extremely flexible, meaning that leaders across country borders are stationed in different parts of the world. A lot of IBM DKs top leaders are individuals who have a history with IBM, but only in a different SBU. Weaknesses: Being located in Denmark one is urged to believe that it is inevitable to have high operating costs, especially labour cost.Denmark does have one of the highest salary rates in the world. And with a personnel count of nearly 5. 000 people this results in big money. Opportunities: With the increased focus on the environment in recent years – IBM must be innovative and continue to lead the market by supplying greener solutions to their customers. A growing body of evidence asserts th at corporations can do well, by doing good. IBM must differentiate their brand and reputation as well as their products and services, by taking responsibility for the wellbeing of the societies and environments in which they operate.Practicing corporate social responsibility can generate significant returns to their business. Furthermore if IBM could reduce their operating costs, then it would also be possible to reduce their prices, without compromising with the quality of their products. IBM has already taken initiatives to reduce their labour costs. Danish consultants requires a high salary rate, which is why IBM DK wherever possible tries to limit the amount of these consultants. Instead they will bring consultants from India and other low cost countries to Denmark and assign them to the project that is to be executed.This allows them to sell the service for a more competitive price. It has been discussed if IBM should completely shut down its locations in the EU, and outsource the entire European operations to low cost countries – however I personally believe that this would be compromising the quality of the service provided as it surely must be necessary to have people with local market knowledge assisting on the projects. Threats: As the world continues to get smaller, IBM like other big corporations faces the challenge of outsourcing.Especially IBM Denmark is threatened by outsourcing, as Denmark has the highest tax rate in the world, which will force IBM to have higher prices, than what is offered abroad – leaving them more vulnerable to the threat of outsourcing. Furthermore the introduction of changes in various services are not patentable (reference: http://www. mgutheses. org/page/? q=T%200984&search=&page=&rad=#43, page 32), meaning that the innovativeness of a company like IBM can easily be adopted by newcomers to the market.Also, as a service is not a manufactured product, but really a transaction of knowledge  œ it is hard to imagine that it is capital intensive to enter the service industry. Marketing mix â€Å"The marketing mix is an imperative concept in modern marketing and academically it is referred to as a set of controllable tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market, so it consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its products† (Kotler and Armstrong 2004).The easiest way to understand the main aspects of marketing is through the famous 4P’s marketing, which was introduced and suggested by McCarthy in 1960 (reference: http://university-essays. tripod. com/marketing_mix. html). It includes marketing strategies of product, price, placement and promotion. It is however interesting if this also applies to a company that sells services and not a material product. Given the unique and distinguishing features of the service industry, researchers have offered different models and approaches to the marketing of se rvices.It is suggested that services marketing does not only include external marketing reaching the customers, but also an internal marketing strategy to motivate the employees (reference: A service quality model and its implications, Christian Gronross, vol 18, No. 4, 1984, pp. 36-44). Figure 2 – The triangle model of services marketing Company Internal MarketingExternal Marketing Employees Customers Interactive Marketing As stated above the internal marketing is for the company to motivate their employees to serve its customers in the best possible way.External marketing is when the company makes its service available to its customers to increase the demand. The interactive marketing involves to the effort of employees to win customers loyalty in the process of their interaction with the customers in delivering the services. This must be closely related to internal marketing. In IBM DK, the consultants and salespeople are paid partly in a fixed salary scheme and a variable scheme depending on their results. Furthermore these same IBM representatives will receive an annual bonus, if IBM on the given project has reached a certain percentage of profit.These incentives through salaries and bonuses can be associated to what we clarify as internal marketing. For the external marketing side – the traditional marketing mix as we know them through the 4p’s can also be applied on services marketing as they are applied on tangible goods. But it is discussed to be difficult. Which is why for services marketing, a modified marketing mix has been developed. The services marketing mix comprises 7p’s and these include the following: * Product * Price * Place * Promotion * People * Process * Physical evidenceIt is important to look closer at some of these P’s, which will be done in the following. Product: The most important question to be asked here is â€Å"are these the right products or services for our customers today†? IBM cont inues to be the leading innovator on the market, spending billions of dollars every year in their research centers providing their customers with the newest technologies and always making sure that the quality of the products is of IBM’s usual reputed quality. Price: As anyone can imagine the price of the service provided is essential for whether or not IBM wins the customer over.As soon as the appropriate experts has analyzed the pre project resources that is to be needed for the project he informs the pricing department. The pricer then based on these assumptions, inflation, currency differences, management desired PTI % (pre tax income), and our cost case calculated a price that is then been presented to the customer. Promotion: When promoting their services IBM first make rational decions on which businesses to approach. Then they divide their promotion into how big the markets are, e. g a segment could be small and medium business†. Within a specific constituency m arket, IBM first identifies which businesses make the most sense to connect with. Then, the IBM determines the most efficient way to reach each of them. whether through individualized marketing or a creative combination of IBM's go-to-market strategies† IBM also enters the business community through professional associations and organizations. Such groups generate interest in IBM and may even help IBM identify new business partners. By sponsoring and participating with them, IBM is able to communicate its message of value to the member businesses.Furthermore IBM through their marketing incentives has adopted a more emotional approach in the way they promote themselves. Rai Cockfield VP Market development states that all people prior to purchase asks the following â€Å"Does this product or service meet my need? Is the company reputable? And is the price reasonable? † Today, he adds a more pressing question, â€Å"Are you reaching me in the way that I see myself? Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ â€Å"That's what endears a person to a company and a product,† he says. (reference: http://www-03. ibm. com/employment/us/diverse/50/ads. html. ) People: An important ingredient to any service provision, is as we have discussed above having qualified personnel. Recruiting the right staff and people and training them appropriately in the delivery of services is essential if IBM wants to continue having their competitive advantage. Providing a service is partly the quality of the service and the quality of the people that delivers it, as these are in constant contact with the customer. As mentioned above, IBM has had university partnerships in order to recruit students. Process:When selling their services IBM has two processes. Either the customer comes to IBM looking for an offer on a service they need provided. IBM then sends the appropriate people to analyse the resources that are needed to provide this service. An offer is then presented to the customer. A different proc ess is when we have existing customers, the client manager is responsible for looking for new business services that we can provide them. And then the process starts over, in regards to presenting an offer after calculating the resources we need for the project.Conclusion IBM wants to be the leader on the Danish market. And in terms of their size we can conclude that they are close to being just that. From the SWOT analysis above we saw that IBM has the needed experience and size to be one of the biggest consultancy houses in the country and in the world. Furthermore with the increasing focus on the environment IBM has the possibility to be the leading innovator for greener solutions – an opportunity that they have successfully capitalized on through their continued research for more environmental solutions.However despite IBM being a big player on the Danish services market, it is important that they reduce their high operating costs. By bringing Indian and other low cost co nsultants into the game, they have somewhat succeeded in doing this as these have lower salary rates. In the marketing of services we have concluded that an external marketing effort is not enough for successfully promoting itself. An internal marketing strategy is also essential for obtaining success. IBM must motivate its employees as these are the focalpoint to customer, in which case it is important that they are motivated and happy.In promoting and marketing themselves IBM has also realised that they in today’s world they must reach their customers on a more personal level, and not merely connect through reputation and price. Connecting with its customers on a personal level and delivering top quality services is what keeps IBM on top of their game and in even in rough financial times they have succeeded in being one of the top choices as business partner.References Websites:http://www. entrepreneur. om/marketing/article70824. htmlhttp://www. scribd. com/doc/10999474/IBM -Strategic-Analysishttp://www. simplemarketingblog. com/2009/06/sandy-carter-integrates-social-media. htmlhttp://www. itsma. com/ezine/analytics-optimize-marketing-mix/http://university-essays. tripod. com/marketing_mix. html

Essay on Rape A Living Nightmare - 3131 Words

Rape: A Living Nightmare Is anyone truly a stranger to nightmares? Has anyone not woken up in a feverish sweat with a racing pulse or pounding heart? Whose eyes have never wildly searched their room for the phantoms of a dream? Now, what if the familiar consolation of learning it was all in your head never came? How do you wake up from a nightmare that is, in fact, a reality? I think I’m getting ahead of myself. What I mean to say is, I was raped, and rape is a nightmare. I am a 19-year-old girl, far too old to think I know everything. I don’t pretend to be an expert on rape. Having known the feel of a cold blade pressed to my side gave me no superior understanding of the crime, only a small scar to remember it by. Thus I†¦show more content†¦From consulting the Oxford English Dictionary it can be ascertained that, in layman’s terms, rape is the act of taking anything by force. Legally, it is carnal knowledge of a person by force and against that person’s will. For hundreds of thousands of women each year, it is a guilt-inducing, fear-instilling, and life-altering experience. To me, it was a loss of control, identity, and worth. In the moment that was that night, and in the night that devoured a thousand moments, I felt myself turn into a statistic. I was part of the grand 25 percent of women who didn’t make it past their teens before crying out for someone to please stop having sex with them. â€Å"It was her first fraternity party. The beer flowed freely and she had much more to drink than she had planned. It was hot and crowded and the party spread out all over the house, so that when three men asked her to go upstairs, she went with them. They took her into a bedroom, locked the door and began to undress her. Groggy with alcohol, her feeble protests were ignored as the three men raped her. When they finished, they put her in the hallway, naked, locking her clothes in the bedroom† (Ehrhart 1). â€Å"This guy I’m friends with basically dragged me up to the attic, threw me down, and wouldn’t get off of me. Eventually, when he realized how much I was crying and begging him to stop, he stopped† (Bode 26). â€Å"He then made me lay on myShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book After Silence 1614 Words   |  7 PagesVenable Raine. The author suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder because she was raped. She was living on her own in Boston because she had taken a new job (Raine, 1999, pg. 7). And this is her only qualification when it comes to writing about PTSD. Some of the stressors she would have would just be sleeping or little noises that she would here around her. Her PTSD were mainly her nightmares, which caused her lack of sleep. 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Many people like Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen believe that you can not be raped while you are married. However, according to the US definition (that seems to vary) of marital rape it means any unwanted intercourse or penetration (vaginal, anal, or oral) obtainedRead MoreThe Social Context Of Academia1459 Words   |  6 Pageswonderful experience never happens. Instead, it turns out to be a nightmare that haunts them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, this nightmare is not an isolated event that happens rarely as research claims that the college women of today are five times more likely than other women to be sexually assaulted. (Martin, 2015) Yes! The focus of this paper is one of the most sensitive but urgent issues that needs to be address- campus rape. 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Fuseli pushed many boundaries and artistic expectations set in this period with sexually charged compositions and dark tones in narrative. Contentious for its time, The Nightmare is a classical painting whichRead MoreEssay on Genocide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo882 Words   |  4 PagesThe Democratic Republic of the Congo, a.k.a. the DRC, or more commonly †Å"the Congo†, has experienced an endless nightmare of violence, poverty, famine, sickness, and murder for the past 16 years. The constant bloodshed between the national and armed forces has led to countless civilian deaths, or the genocide in the Congo. Before I go on any further, I must explain what a genocide is. A genocide is the attempted destruction of an entire group of people. The most famous example is the Holocaust inRead MoreRape And Sexual Assault Of The United States1453 Words   |  6 Pagespeople have different definitions of rape as well as sexual assault over the years there Have been many definitions floating around. The most recent and most accurate definition For the two are very in depth for instance sexual assault id defined as any type of sexual contact Or a certain behavior that occurs without blatant consent. Crimes such as this involve (Forced Intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape). Rape is defined as unlawful intercourseRead MoreHorror : How A Nightmare On Elm Street Reflects The Sexual Revolution1523 Words   |  7 PagesFeminism In Horror: How A Nightmare on Elm Street reflects the Sexual Revolution Horror has long been about tales of heroic men fighting monsters (whether it be human or inhuman) and saving damsels in distress. Women were mostly used as eye candy, victims of violence or only to further the plight of the leading man. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that women in horror movies started to have more power in horror movies. This was majorly due to the rise of feminism, the female protagonists were fightingRead MoreThe Effects Of Ptsd On The Body1112 Words   |  5 Pagesform of anxiety that affects a person so deeply that they cannot overcome the memories of the events that caused the distress to live a healthy life. These people are tormented by the circumstances they occurred that they are woken from sleep by nightmares, years later. PTSD can force a person to re-live the experience years later as if it were just happening that very moment. Are under the impression that this is another synonym for Shell shocked or any other slang term for combat-related from