Freud on Civilization and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Freud on Civilization and Religion - Essay Example Naturally, civilization and religion have held the interest of many philosophers and sociologists alike. The well-known Austrian psycho-analyst and neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) was one of them, who held the view that mankind would be better off without belief in God - "It would be an undoubted advantage if we were to leave God out altogether and admit the purely human origins of all the precepts and regulations of civilization." (PBS 2). This essay shall briefly discuss the basis on which Freud places his argument to denounce civilization and religion, in the book â€Å"The Future of an Illusion† (1928). Freud scorns at any attempt to differentiate between culture and civilization; they provide on with two aspects of the same thing – the mastering of natural forces by collectively acquired knowledge and power to satisfy man’s individual needs and, in order to facilitate and distribute/regulate â€Å"attainable riches† (Freud 8-9). And cul ture or civilization selectively permits certain actions and condemns some others which lead to â€Å"privations† – in other words they are the frustrations caused by unfulfilled instincts, like incest, cannibalism etc (Freud 17). These â€Å"external compulsions† become â€Å"internalized† in the process of forma â€Å"super-ego† (Freud 18) which then judges within a wide range of such acquired information as to what is permissible and what isn’t permissible. This then becomes the greatest tool in the hands of culture or civilization.... Religion, Civilization and Freud According to Freud, man has devised the concept of God - a father-figure whom he dreads and always reveres, seeks to propitiate, and looks to for constant protection as the consequence of his own human limitations and weaknesses. Religion, therefore is born out of culture, primarily due to "the necessity for defending itself against the crushing supremacy of nature;" secondly, there was a pressing need to correct the perceived "imperfections of culture" (Freud 37). His perception of religion and its origins thus explained, he gradually builds his arguments against religion and civilization, stating that despite having had thousands of years to show what it can achieve, it has hardly done enough for mankind (Freud 60); and unlike scientific theories and laws, the dogmas or religion discourage testing and probe for proof, on grounds that they deserve to be believed, and they have been already tested and handed down since times of yore, and they were unquestionable (Freud 45). He deno unces these arguments stating for example, while the scientific theory that the earth is globe can be proved and its accuracy ascertained, religious dogmas were full of "contradictions, revisions, and interpolations; where they speak of actual authentic proofs they are themselves of doubtful authenticity" (Freud 46). Freud questions that if religious truths solely depended "on an inner experience" for proof, "what is one to make of the many people who do not have that rare experience" (Freud 49) He concludes of religions that they are "illusions, they do not admit of proof, and no one can be compelled to consider them as true or to believe in them." (Freud 55). Freud states

A True Story of Crime and Punishment Essay Example for Free

A True Story of Crime and Punishment Essay A true story of how a man was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death, May God Have Mercy exposes the imperfections in the criminal justice system and how it led to the death of an innocent man. Roger Colemans case became the main story on nightly newscasts and prominent television shows such as Larry King Live, Nightline, Good Morning America, and the Today Show. Many crucial, yet harmful decisions were made that ultimately resulted in an innocent mans execution at the death house in Greensville, Virginia. The police, the prosecutor, and the Judge can all be held responsible for Colemans death. However, the reason Roger Coleman was not acquitted of the murder of Wanda McCoy in the first place and thus in a position to be executed was because his original lawyers, Steve Arey and Terry Jordan, did not provide him with adequate representation, as required by the Constitution of the United States of America. Steve Arey and Terry Jordan were young, inexperienced lawyers who should have never even been considered for a capital case. Judge Persin, the presiding Judge in the case, however, decided on these two gentlemen because other more experienced lawyers refused to take the case because of the huge financial sacrifice it would require. Albeit public speculation that Judge Persins previous profession as a prosecutor had led him to heavily favor the prosecution, his decision stood. The two prosecutors who Arey and Jordan would be opposed by were Mickey McGlothlin and Tom Scott. Both prosecutors had far more experience than the defense lawyers, but that didnt stop Judge Persin from appointing Arey and Jordan to the case. It was an obvious mismatch, intentional or not, and was just the beginning of many problems that would arise for the defendants case. The murder of Wanda McCoy took place in Grundy, a small town in Virginia. The year was 1981, and Brad McCoy, Wandas husband, arrived home from work to find his wife dead, the apparent victim of a brutal rape and murder. The police investigated the crime scene, recorded witness reports, and searched for suspects. When they identified their prime suspect, Roger Coleman, the police made the arrest. Due to the negative public opinion that had generated following the arrest, Coleman demanded that his lawyers file for a change of venue with the court. Since Grundy was such a small town, it would  be very difficult to pick an impartial jury to give Coleman a fair trial. Every person in the town had to have read or seen something on the murder. The fact that the police provided supposed conclusive evidence against Roger Coleman and made it public, many of Grundys residents wanted to see Coleman sentenced to death. Steve Arey had been preparing the case to present to Judge Persin, but at the last minute, he notified Terry Jordan that he would not be able to attend due to a prior engagement. Areys lack of respect for Coleman and the case in general left Terry Jordan with a crucial decisionwhether to seek a continuance or to argue the motion himself. He chose to present the case himself. The defenses decision to argue the motion was a terrible decision. Not only should Jordan have sought a continuance because he was not prepared to argue the case, but neither of the defense lawyers had done any research or made any effort to obtain evidence to support their case for a change of venue, except for a couple of newspaper clippings and a picture of the hanging-tree sign. The prosecution, on the other hand, had gotten approximately fifty affidavits from members of the town claiming that they did not have any biased feelings about the case. As expected, Judge Persin denied the change of venue request, a nd effectively set the tone for Roger Colemans trial. The beginning of every trial begins with opening statements, which provide the jury with a preview of the evidence they will provide and what it will effectively show. A lawyers opening statement is probably the most important part of the entire trial, and usually puts the jurors leaning favorably towards the side with the more convincing performance. Like any other criminal case, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. They are required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. Mickey McGlothlin presented an organized and persuasive opening statement that gave the jury the impression that Roger Coleman was guilty based on the significant amount of evidence against him. The defenses opening statement should have attacked the evidence that the state provided, and also attacked McGlothlins credibility. The defenses  opening statement should have consisted of a description of the friendly relationship that existed between Roger Coleman and the McCoys. It also should have also included Colemans alibiPhilip VanDykeand the fact that VanDykes time card reinforces the time that he said he was with Coleman and the time that he clocked into his job. Arey and Jordan also had an opportunity to smear McGlothlins credibility by referring to evidence that he failed to mention in his opening argumentthe pry mark on the door, the broken fingernails on the victim but no scratches on Coleman, and that the substance found on the victim was soil, not coal dust, which had been on Colemans clothes. The defense counsel didnt refer to any of those facts. No scientific evidence was brought up, and it failed to respond to McGlothins statement that there was evidence that Coleman had in fact admitted to committing the crime. The opening statement was a complete disappointment for Coleman. It started to raise questions inside of Coleman of whether his own defense lawyers thought he was guilty and therefore were not putting the time or effort in to prove his innocence. In either case, his defense lawyers had presented a completely inadequate opening statement, and it left the jury with the feeling that Roger Coleman was guilty. In addition to failing to present a solid and influential opening argument, another major problem with the defense counsel was their extreme lack of preparation for the trial (their own witnesses and the states witnesses). Before the Coleman case, Terry Jordan had never tried a murder case, a rape case, any case involving blood or hair analysis or a criminal case of any kind that lasted more than one day (112). Being from Grundy, Jordan should have interviewed most if not all of the local witnesses, but that did not happen. He did not interview all of police officers that were investigating the crime nor did he interview Dr. McDonald, who was the first one to examine Wanda McCoys body and who estimated her time of death. He did not interview Hezzie McCoy, Dr. Oxley (the doctor who performed the autopsy), or even Elmer Gist, who was the states blood and hair expert. In fact, Jordan cross-examination of Elmer Gist was solely based on Gists report about hair comparisons and one on blood analysis. He had not read anything about blood or hair analysis, because if he had, he would have been more capable of performing an effective cross-examination of the states most crucial  witness. Terry Jordan also failed to carefully examine the physical locations that could have led to Colemans innocence and acquittal. He never actually went inside the house where the murder took place, nor did he examine the door to see if there was any evidence of forced entry. He never examined the bathhouse where Coleman said his pants got wet from, and he did not go to the mine where Roger worked. The route that Coleman supposedly took that night was never gone over to see how long it took and to see if there was time for him to commit the crime given the stops that he made prior to the murder. Jordan did not look for other witnesses who the state had not identified, and he did not ever ask for VanDykes time card, an essential piece of evidence. No photographs were taken at any point, making everything that was presented in court non-visual. Visuals would have made the defenses case much stronger. Steve Arey had interviewed most of the same witnesses that Jordan interviewed, along with a couple other defense-alibi witnesses. The state was heavily favored in the case to begin with because of their experience in criminal cases, as opposed to the defense counsels lack of experience in such cases. As expected, Judge Persin ruled in favor of the state and Roger Coleman was sentenced to death. Many criminal cases are appealed after their conclusion, and this case was no different. The defense has thirty days to file a Notice of Appeal with the Court. The defense prepared their appeal and mailed it to the Court. However, the attorney generals office told the defense that they had filed the appeal one day late and that it would not be accepted. This was another huge mistake by the defense. Although a legal technicality should not be the cause for an innocent mans evidence to be withheld, the law specifically stated that a Notice of Appeal must be filed within thirty days of the Judge signing the order that rejected all of the defenses arguments. The defense had missed a crucial deadline and Roger Coleman would b e punished because of it. The defense would not be able to get the Court to listen to their case again and this would eventually lead to Colemans death. The fact remains that neither Terry Jordan nor Steve Arey conducted a thorough enough investigation to really present a strong case to oppose the prosecution. Roger Coleman was never really given a fair trial, and it ultimately led to his conviction and death. His lawyers failed to use the evidence that was available to get their client acquitted. Their inexperience and lack of motivation resulted in an innocent mans death. There were many opportunities for the defense counsel to question witnesses, to seek experts opinions on the forensic evidence, and to insert new evidence to support Roger Colemans case, but they did not do so. Jordan and Arey should have never been appointed as Colemans counsel, and that alone made Colemans chances of acquittal slim to none. Roger Coleman was never given a fair chance, even later on in the process before he was executed, however, his defense lawyers performed well below the standards that a man on trial for his life deserves. Their terrible mista kes and decisions led to the death of an innocent man.

Racial and Ethnic Identity Essay -- How it Feels to be Colored Me 2014

The African, Mexican, and Native persons have all interacted with the Dominant American culture in some magnitude; consequently altering each different group’s racial and ethnic Identity. Throughout the semester, I have discovered that in much literature writers had an ideal perspective on their own identity as well as the identity that the dominant culture influenced them to have. While doing some research I wanted to see what would be a transitional time frame for a person to be un-conditioned of many negative symbolic meanings in regard to minorities and immigrants. My research has shown that there was a hierarchical scheme where an individual can monitor his/her identity progression from one level to the next. This â€Å"Developmental Model of Ethnic and Racial Identity† was created during the black consciousness movement. It involves discovering true ethnic Identity and racial identity. Ethnic identity is defined as defining oneself the personal and social meaning of belonging to one particular ethnic group (Cushner, McClelland and Safford). Racial identity is similar in theory, but only differs in physical appearance. This model describes the five stage process of moving from a low racial consciousness, through a period of active examination of what it means to be black, [Mexican, or Native] and internalize a positive identity (Cushner, McClelland and Safford). These five stages are pre-encounter, encounter, immersion-emersion, immersion, and internalization. This model was then applies to all minority and immigrant groups in the country. The first stage of pre-encounter, people have self-hatred about their culture and self. They believe in most stereotypes that are shown through the ... ...ed by the writers of all of these poems and novels, and it represents the struggle of many people who have assimilated to the dominant culture or who are trying. I will continue to study this concept and extend my research even further to understand the entire minority and immigrant experience. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. BLESS ME ULTIMA. New York, Boston: Grand Central Publishing, 1994. Print. Cushner, Kenneth, Averil McClelland and Philip Safford. Human Diversity in Education. 7th. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print. Hughes, Langston. Literature 4332: American Minority Literature. n.d. Web. 3 May 2013. Hurston, Zora Neale. Literature 4332: American Minority Literature. n.d. Web. 4 May 2013. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: The Penguin Group, 1970. Print. Zitkala-Sa. Literature: 4332 American Minority Literature. n.d. Web. 5 May 2013.

Shakespeare – Do you Agree?

Shakespeare Is considered to have made more contributions to the English language more than any other source. He used 17 677 words of which he created 1 700 words. Assignation Amazement Bloody Bump Critic Eventful Generous Invulnerable Laughable Majestic Road Spark Submerge Suspicious Once more into the breach Break the Ice Clothes make the man Every dog will have his day Fair play Heart of gold Mind's eye The course of true love never did run smooth Wear one's heart on one's sleeve Do You Agree?Has human nature remained the same? What 20th century situations and problems could not be presented in Shakespeare? I believe there are many reasons to believe that Shakespeare is still relevant today, UT that doesn't necessary mean that human nature has remained the same. Today, we are much more accepting of one another than back in the Elizabethan Era. When one does one not socially acceptable in public, we do not banish them or send them to their death.If one does not please us, we do thr ough away their hopes and dreams, and end their career. What we do do is care for one another and give them respect. Sure, our nature for feeling emotions and how they might make us react have remained the same, but that is a natural aspect of being human; we have motions and emotions take effect on us, though how we deal with those emotions and how we treat the others that influence us have changed.There are many 20th century situations and problems that could not be presented in Shakespeare, but not so much as a situation, but how the situation flows out and takes place. We have a more modern way of dealing with conflicts, rather than sending one another to their death. We use our technology and knowledge and our modern laws. I believe that humans are still the same, but in a very different way.

Feasibility Study Apartment Essay

In our everyday life, we use Real Estate in some manner; we make use of Real Estate resources to provide shelter, comfort, convenience, and privacy, a place of work, recreational facilities and related services. In an estimate Real Estate represent more than 40% of the national wealth. The basic component of realty is not only the surface of the earth but also the property rights and interest that attach to ownership of realty. Thus the Real Estate means acquire of land and building which called inherent right. The men who are owner, user, maker, financer or marketer of the property have some rights to the property. Nowadays, the demand for apartment/boarding houses has increased because of population growth. To assemble the needs and wants of every individual and family, therefore, Blue Sky Townhouse the need to put up additional units that provides the desired amenities and facilities for prospective tenants. When the demand is met owner can gain profit. Project Long Range Objectives Blue Sky Townhouse is innovation to pursue customer’s reliance and relevant service in order to achieve customer satisfaction. The objectives of the business are the following: 1)To gain profit. 2)To secure and provide high quality service. 3)To sustain the needs of the clients by affordable living. 4)Offers maximize occupancy of available units. Organizational Chart Officers of the business and their qualification: The owners will finance the business and also they perform the strategic planning, marketing, selling, and decision making process for the business to achieve the objectives. The manager decides what can be possible to make the business profitable and responsible for controlling the business. He must be a graduate of any four (4) years business course. Secretary or Accounting Clerk is responsible in the financial activities of the business. He must be a graduate of any business course and has an experience in recording, bookkeeping and must be computer literate. Maintenance will be responsible in maintaining the environment of the business. He should have good records and must be friendly.

The Mexican Drugs Cartels

The Mexican Drugs Cartels Mexico City is well known for drug trafficking which took place smoothly without any interference. The emergence of the Mexican drug cartels was initiated by Miguel ngel Fà ©lix Gallardo, who was a Judicial Federal Police agent in Mexico in the 1980s.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mexican Drugs Cartels specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The drug trafficking was easily achieved because he developed a wells of the illegal drugs traded Mexico’s drug cartels are known to control nearly 70 percent of the total traded illegal drugs in the United States. Among the major drugs traded include, cannabis sativa and methamphetamine as well as heroin. Additionally, it is estimated that 90 percent of the total cocaine supplied to the United States come from Mexico having been produced in Columbia. This is estimated to earn them approximately $13.6 billion to $48.4 billion on yearly basis. Recent research findings revea l that the Mexican economy would drop considerably by 63 percent should drug trading be cleared completely (Randal, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mexican Drugs Cartels specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Current cartels Apparently, there are two major alliances of drug dealers in operation since February 2010; one composed of Tijuana cartel, Los Zetas, Juarez cartel and Beltrn-Leyva Cartel‎‎, and the other one made of Sinoloa cartel, Gulf and La Familia cartel (Randal, 2009). Transnational organized crime (TOC) It is also referred to as transnational crime, which is planned offense, practiced across national borders between states. Transnational organized crime is dreaded most because of its deleterious effect on national security affecting social, economic, and political development of the society. Some of the planned offences include human trafficking, trafficking of firearms, drugs trafficki ng, money laundering, trafficking of migrants where the most prevalent one is peddling of drugs which attracts huge profits. There is a dire need for the governments to cooperate with UNODC in finding a solution to the impending problem as well as prevent further development of these offences (Fukumi, 2008). The increased involvement in trade between nations because of modernization and globalization has paved way for more involvement in criminal activities. However, the ancient form of governance has ceased, replacing it with loose networks that are now dominant in the drugs trafficking. It has been observed that these organized crime â€Å"groups involved in drug trafficking are commonly engaged in smuggling of other illegal goods† (Stares, 1996). Indeed, the fight against these well-established or organized gangs is an uphill task since these groups are deeply entrenched and are hard to dislodge. Some of the recommendations to curb their operations may include use of elect ronic gadgets to fast track the criminals, carrying out impromptu inspections of people and vehicles, enacting tighter rules of disclosing criminal activities (Seelke, 2010). The effect after government interference This took effect when Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched war against drugs in an effort to combat the violent crimes that were committed by the drug traffickers. Both the military forces and the police came together to cut back the brutal murders as security was an issue all over Mexico. However, this has not borne much success as corruption of the government officers has led to the criminals being set free (Randal, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The current status of the state is that of an incompetent government which has no power over these criminals; indeed, the state is now in panic as brutal blood shedding and violence are the norm of the day as more powerful, wealthier and influential gangs of drugs have come up to bribe the police force leading to escalation of crime. However, the government has not given up; it is determined to recruit more honest and reliable police and military forces to execute justice and good governance. The government is also strategizing on setting up federal police troops who would campaign against drugs as a way of reforming the corrupt groups. The government has incurred a lot of expenses in quest for security and peace in Mexico. The war on drugs has so far adversely affected the economy of Mexico as the government tries to curb the impending crimes (Rakrf, 2008). In addition, the Mexican government faces a great challenge of gaining confidence in the state as drug trafficking is so much entrenched in the peoples’ daily life as it brings much more food on the table than any other source of income. Conclusion It is quite clear that the fight against these forms of organized crimes will never end as long as the enacted laws have been breached or are not well established. The fight against its further penetration into the less prevalent areas has not been very successful. This may partly be attributed to lack of cooperation among states to prevent consumption of hard drugs, and partly because of corruption among government officials (Seelke, 2010). More stringent laws should be enforced on the criminals and drug policies should be re-examined to ensure there is no loophole left for drug traffickers to operate. On the other hand, the government should strive to provide the necessary machinery that is lacking in the society, which makes them result to crimes, as well as try to eliminate unemployment, under-development, poverty, over-population, tribalism, environm ental deprivation and illiteracy (Stares, 1996). References Fukumi, S. (2008). Cocaine trafficking in Latin America: EU and US policy responses. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Grayson, G. (2010). Mexico: narco-violence and a failed state? Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Randal, C. A. (2009). Mexican Drug Cartel Violence Spills Over, Alarming U.S. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/us/23border.html Rakrf, J. (2008). Calderon defends war on cartels. Retrieved from https://mexicoinstitute.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/calderon-defends-war-on-cartels/ Seelke, C. R. (2010). Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U. S. Counterdrug Programs. NY: DIANE Publishing. Stares, P. B. (1996). Global habit: the drug problem in a borderless world. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Everything You Need To Know About Footnotes

Everything You Need To Know About Footnotes While the rules regarding footnotes vary according to the citation style used, there are two distinct purposes for footnotes:To provide necessary information to text in the form of a citation.To provide supplementary information to text, such as clarifying an idea or expounding on it for further inquiry.Regardless of their purpose, a footnote is usually added to text as a superscript, starting at 1, and with a corresponding number at the bottom of the page (known as the footer) where the citation or additional information is included.See the example below, which shows the superscripted footnote numbers, along with the footnotes and the way they are formatted on the paper. Keep in mind that the gray line is the bottom of the paper, so your footnotes will be printed that close to the end of the page.An example of superscripted footnote numbers.Why are footnotes used?Footnotes are the least intrusive way for an author to provide citations or supplemental information about a topic. In so me cases, such as when using Chicago Style, footnotes are often used instead of in-text citations with a bibliography at the end of the paper. Footnotes allow an author to guide his or her reader to additional information or further study, without disrupting the flow of the sentence.Another great use of footnotes is to define or explain a word or idea that might require further explanation to a general audience. A definition or explanation can be provided within the footnote without any visual or logical disruption in the text.Style guides and footnotesThe Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) requires the use of footnotes instead of in-text citations. Other styles, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) also allow the use of footnotes. However, while CMS requires footnotes for citations and supplemental information, APA and MLA suggest footnote use for supplemental information only.Modern Language Associations (MLA) rules regarding fo otnote useBelow are the rules regarding footnote use in MLA style, taken from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.MLA discourages extensive use of explanatory or digressive notes.MLA Style does, however, allow you to use endnotes or footnotes for bibliographic notes, which refer to other publications your readers may consult.Following are some examples:See Blackmur, especially chapters 3 and 4, for an insightful analysis of this trend.On the problems related to repressed memory recovery, see Wollens 120-35; for a contrasting view, see Pyle 43; Johnson, Hull, Snyder 21-35; Krieg 78-91.Several other studies point to this same conclusion. See Johnson and Hull 45-79, Kather 23-31, Krieg 50-57.Or, you can also use endnotes/footnotes for occasional explanatory notes (also known as content notes), which refers to brief additional information that might be too digressive for the main text:In a 1998 interview, she reiterated this point even more strongly: I am an artist, not a politician! (Weller 124).MLA style has a few additional rules concerning footnote use:For footnotes placed in dependent clauses, such as this one,1 add the number after the comma.Footnotes should follow the period at the end of a sentence.2The only exception to a footnote following the punctuation would be this one3- the dash. When a dash is used as punctuation following a word, the footnote connected to that word should come before it.American Psychological Associations (APA) rules regarding footnote useAPA style discourages the use of footnotes and endnotes, according to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, as detailed below.APA does not recommend the use of footnotes and endnotes because they are often expensive for publishers to reproduce. However, if explanatory notes still prove necessary to your document, APA details the use of two types of footnotes: content and copyright. When using either type of footnote, insert a number formatted in superscript following almost any punctuation mark.Footnote numbe rs should not follow dashes ( - ), and if they appear in a sentence in parentheses, the footnote number should be inserted within the parentheses.Scientists examined- over several years1- the fossilized remains of the wooly-wooly yak.2(These have now been transferred to the Chauan Museum.3).Also keep in mind, when using the footnote function in a word-processing program like Microsoft Word, place all footnotes at the bottom of the page on which they appear. Footnotes may also appear on the final page of your document (usually this is after the References page). Center the word Footnotes at the top of the page. Indent five spaces on the first line of each footnote. Then, follow normal paragraph spacing rules. Double-space throughout:1 While the method of examination for the wooly-wooly yak provides important insights to this research, this document does not focus on this particular species.Chicago Manual of Style rules regarding footnote useThe Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) uses foo tnotes as the primary way to cite sources. While in-text citations can be used, footnotes are most typical for this style. As with MLA, the footnotes should follow the punctuation unless the punctuation is a dash. There are more specific rules regarding footnote placement and numbering for this style that can be found the Purdue Online Writing Lab.Footnote examples for all style guidesScientists have discovered varied lifeforms in this habitat.6Im allergic to shellfish,7 so lets not order the shrimp.For years, scholars have studied the book carefully8- a fact that suggests there has been much effort put into understanding it.

Using Google Analytics To Write Smarter Content

Using Google Analytics To Write Smarter Content Smart content is content that perfectly fits your audience. But who is your audience? Thats the BIG question, isnt it? Smart content is content that perfectly fits your audience. #ContentMarketingNearly every blog post that talks about content marketing starts with Know Your Audience and then tells you why thats important. Only if youre really lucky will they tell you how to figure out who your audience is, or how to write for multiple audiences.  But wouldnt you love it if they said click this button and were going to tell you who your audience is, what they like, and where they live? This is your lucky day. You can write smarter content thats a perfect fit for your audience using Google Analytics and their Audience data. Google Analytics has always been a great source of audience information, but these specific reports are even more helpful. To get started, youll want to log into your Google Analytics account. Find Audience in the left-hand column. Beneath that you can see the different sections and reports available. Clicking on these sections will reveal the sub-sections well be covering in this post. There are four key areas where Google Analytics can tell you specific traits about who is reading your content. #1 Demographics: Age And Gender Google Analytics can give us a good picture of what age and gender  our audience is made of. Using and the data we have as an example,  and see how this plays out. As we dug into our own data recently, we were blown away by the high Pinterest use by our users, and the pattern we saw in the topics of the blog posts in our system. 90% of social shares in came from Pinterest. The most popular topics for users on Pinterest were food and home. Heres what we know about the Pinterest network outside of users. 90% of Pinterest users are women. 52% of Pinterest pins are about food,  18% of pins are about home, 15% are about lifestyle. Does our blog attract a larger female audience or not? It would seem that that might be the case, with 90% of our social shares happening on Pinterest and with 90% of Pinterest users being women, but just because we have a high number of female users of doesnt mean thats who is reading our blog. By looking at the data Google Analytics provides, we can get a better picture. It looks like most of our audience is between the ages of 25-34, and it tips slightly toward more female readers. And that is super useful information, because: We can research to find out what topics that age group prefers. We can see that we are writing for two audiences at once, almost equally male/female. Think of it this way: If you were writing a blog that focused on fun things to do now that you are retired, you should see your readers age skew towards 55+. If you dont, something is wrong. Or, if you do see those ages topping your graph, but you decide to write about the latest technical gadgets and change directions, you will likely see your traffic take an initial hit because youll be shedding your current audience and trying to attract a new one. Knowing the age and gender of your audience helps you create content that is appropriate for them. If you want to take this even further, you can also see traffic spikes and dips on specific dates in the detailed Google Analytics report of age/gender demographics. If you dont publish more than one post a day, you can easily see which posts appealed to specific audiences the most. Youll note that this data isnt for 100% of your total sessions (upper right corner). Well talk about the missing data in a bit. Creating smarter content means knowing the demographics of your audience, and writing to fit them.#2 Interests: Affinity And Market Segment Discovering  what specific topics your audience is interested in reading about is like finding gold. According to Google, the affinity category was built for businesses interested in running a TV ad on a local station, or those currently running a TV ad who would like to extend the reach of a TV campaign to an online context for an efficient price. The In-market segment are those people  who are researching products and actively considering buying a service or product like those you offer. The Other category is for those who arent in either affinity or in-market, but are likely to visit your sites offerings based on interests theyve shown online. Google Analytics is providing this information to help you buy ads, not write content, so when it comes to the interest categories available, they are definitely ad-focused. Even though  you arent using this information to purchase ads, it can still help you see what topics your readers are interested in. For , we currently have readers that are interested in tech, entertainment, and social media. That makes sense; our content seems to be fitting the people who would be interested in our product.  Our content is  attracting the right reader. What is fascinating is the In-Market segment, which tends to resemble the kind of content users are creating. Remember how much of our user base was using Pinterest, and what the typical Pinterest content was? Home, food, and lifestyle!  Our users have distinct interests in the content they are creating, and have created an interest trail online that is reflected here. It helps to know what specific kinds of topics to write about, and to not have to worry that someone outside of your demographics might not like it. While you  dont purposefully want to alienate, you dont have to worry about making everyone happy, either. #3 4 Geography And Mobile The last two that will be useful are geography and mobile demographics. Knowing where your readers are located is helpful, not just because of language, but because it makes you aware of the different cultures you are addressing.  s readership is heavily skewed toward the United States, but we do have readers all around the world. This fits, again, with our user base. Being aware of the different cultures can help you: Know whether or not your holiday-themed posts will make sense to your audience. Avoid content that is a cultural/social faux pas in countries your audience resides. Avoid phraseology or comparisons that would confuse or offend your audience. If you have a younger, technologically skewed audience, youll probably see a similar level of mobile usage that we do. Other audiences may not be using their phones and tablets as much as they use a desktop. Knowing that your audience is skewed heavily towards mobile (as ours is)  reminds you to make sure  that your content is readable on the devices people are using to read it. Responsive web design, crisp graphics, sign-up forms that function in the mobile app–these are all things to keep in mind. At this stage in the game, most users are mobile for most sites. Using  Google Analytics Demographics  For Smarter Content Now that you know this is available, how can you put it to work for your own content? Learn About Demographics Knowing that most of your readers are female and around age 25 wont help you much if you dont know what kind of things interest the average 25-year-old female. There is plenty of research and information online, but you have to know how to find it. Here are a few sites that specialize in demographics: Pew Research Center Market Research Demographic Research As always, data is only as valuable as your ability to interpret it into something usable for you. Create Reader Personas This data that Google Analytics is providing you tells you who is reading your content now. It doesnt mean you cant change your content, but it does give you an idea of what to change it to if you want to keep your current audience. You can use the information Google Provides to  create a kind of reader persona that helps you stay focused on what you write. With a user persona in mind, you can write conversationally as if you were speaking directly to them. You know better what to write when you know who you are writing it for. The Missing Audience Data In Google Analytics Remember that 25% of total sessions issue I pointed out? The data that Google uses to compile these reports isnt the whole picture; it isnt 100% of your total sessions.  Google gathers this data using third-party DoubleClick cookie and device identifiers. That means that when a cookie isnt associated with a specific user, Google cant come up with demographics and interests for you. In other words, the data you have is only partial. Its a subset of your users, and doesnt match your overall traffic that you see elsewhere in Google Analytics.  Additionally, Google doesnt want you to be able to identify specific users, and so some data is removed if that data hits a threshold where an identity might be determined. Still, even with those two gaps in place, you are being given a wonderful amount of specific data about your current audience.  It is a significant tool for guiding you, and you wont find this level of information elsewhere.  Remember, Google Analytics audience reports are  not the end-all method of determining who your audience is, but they are  certainly another tool for your content marketing toolbox. Enable Google Analytics Demographics Before you can use Google Analytics demographics and accessing this information, you will need to enable it in your Google Analytics account. Google provides a step-by-step walk-through to help you do this. You may need to update your analytics tracking code to make demographics work, and adjust your privacy policy as well. Once you have everything in place, you can access data about your site visitors and create content better suited to them. Get This Free Audience Demographics Dashboard To make all of this easier to track in Google Analytics, I created a custom dashboard for us in our Google Analytics account. If youd like to use the same dashboard in your own Google Analytics, you can easily install our custom dashboard here. Each visual widget is linked to the report supplying the data, so its easy to dig into more detail if you want to just by clicking the title of the widget. Our custom Google Analytics audience demographics dashboard makes all of this easy. Feel free to customize this dashboard any way youd like for your own use.

Business in Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business in Action - Essay Example Another purpose of this report is to urge other companies to emulate the nine building blocks in their business model in order to ensure that they attain a competitive edge in the local and international markets. Business in Action (Student’s Name) (Instructor’s Name) (Course Name) (Date) Executive summary One of the major aspects that have made Coca-Cola a successful company is the use of value proposition that entails quality brands that meets the needs of is consumers. Through production of quality brands that are non-carbonated in nature such as Minute Maid, Dasani and Fruitopia, the company recognizes the needs of its market segments. In its customer segmentation, Coca-Cola adopts two major aspects that include mass marketing and niche marketing. Similarly, the company has embarked on creating a strong customer relationship through the use of personal assistance as well as communities. Key activities that are utilized by Coca-Cola in its business model include prod uction and problem solving. To ensure continuity in its production, Coca-Cola has assets that were valued at 86.17 US$ as at 2012. Additionally, through its large number of employees, the company is in a position to effectively distribute its brands in the local and international markets. Major partnerships that are adopted by Coca-Cola in its operations include strategic alliances and coopetition. Key companies that Coca-Cola has formed partnership with include Minute Maid, Odwalla, Fuze beverage and Barq’s. To ensure effective distribution of its products, Coca-Cola has employed wholesalers and retailers as well as a strong sales team. In this way, the company is able to effectively penetrate new markets. Through transaction revenue as the major source of revenue streams, Coca-Cola has continued to increase its annual revenue an aspect is significant in its expansion strategies. In its cost structure, Coca-Cola adopts two techniques that includes cost-driven and outsourcing of its distribution system. Table of Contents Executive summary 3 Table of Contents 4 1. Introduction 5 1.1.The offer/ value propositions 5 1.2.Customer segments 6 1.3.Customer relationships 6 1.4.Key activities 7 1.5.Key resources 8 1.6.Key partners 8 1.7.Channels 9 1.8.Revenue streams 9 1.9.Cost structure 9 2. Conclusion 10 References 11 1. Introduction Based on the stiff competition in the current business atmosphere, local and international companies have adopted various strategies to face off their competitors. Besides putting in place appropriate marketing strategies, firms that are focused at retaining their customers and attracting new clients should emulate an effective business model. One of the major companies that have come up with appropriate business model is Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola Company is the world leader in the soft drink industry. Being headquartered in Atlanta US, Coca-Cola operates in more than 200 countries. With more than 500 brands, Coca-Cola has atta ined a competitive advantage over its rivals such as Pepsi and Starbucks. Some of the major brands that have made the company benefit from strong customer awareness and loyalty include Coke, Caffeine Free New Coke, Minute Maid Soft Drink, Alhambra, E2, Sprite, and Georgia among others. Through the diversified product line, the company has effectively met the needs of its consumers an aspect that has not only resulted to increased revenue for the company but also a strong positive customer-product

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Research - Essay Example Research based solutions are beneficial because they take into account the most recent advancements in the medical field in question while also coming up with practical solutions on how to confront the existing problem. A good example of this is the use of virtual doctor’s assistants in order to leave more registered nurses free to perform the existing duties. Virtual assistants will not just be helpful in ensuring that a lot of medical personnel are liberated to fulfill other duties, but will also contribute towards the streamlining of the use of information technology in various respects by medical organizations. Many hospitals still struggle to implement electronic records that function well. Virtual assistants will help in ensuring that there is better tracking of the records of patients’ health every day. This will in turn reduce the number of doctor visits on a daily basis, empower the patients in terms of their healthcare, and reduce the incidence of serious medi cal problems. The use of virtual assistants is not a reality in many parts of the world and its practicality is still doubted by many healthcare experts (LittleJohn, Campbell, Collins-McNeil, & Khayile, 2012). In addition, there is not much research that has been conducted to substantiate the claims that this is one subject that can help in dealing with staff shortages among other problems. However, it is evident that the use of virtual assistants has more potential benefits than any other solution to date. A virtual assistant will even be able to monitor doctor prescriptions, reducing the incidence of visits to the doctor and thus saving costs. In recent times, health-related developments such as health-monitoring and data tracking have began to be accepted in the mainstream as viable health care solutions. Virtual assistants also need to begin being seriously considered as a serious answer to the majority

Womans Suffrage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Womans Suffrage - Essay Example In America both groups originated in the ideals of American democracy and Protestant individualism. But these ideals when applied to women were everywhere met with contradictory economic and social institutions which subjected women to traditional male authority or questioned their capacity for independence and initiative. â€Å"With the flood of post-civil war suffragist rhetoric came an equally full and passionate cry from the anti-suffragists, or antis as the suffragists called them. Threatened by the suffragists new conception of modern government†(Oates 1991) Religion profoundly helped to legitimize woman’s quest for equality. Of the five women who planned the Seneca Falls convention in the summer of 1848, four were Quakers. Historian Margaret Bacon has asked why the tiny Religious Society of Friends contributed such a disproportionate number of leaders to the feminist cause. It turns out that Quakerism was a veritable seedbed for the new feminism. As early as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Quaker women had served as traveling ministers, on occasion leaving behind husbands and children, so strongly did they feel called to the Lord’s work. Well before the Revolution the American Friends had also established a tradition of separate women’s business meetings of the monthly meeting. In addition, Quaker women who felt moved by the Holy Spirit to speak in meetings were expected to do so.

ECN 302 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECN 302 - Essay Example Over half of the Americans have a contrary view and claim that all the government intervention achieves is causing more damage than benefits, while six percent believe that it had no effect and 17% were found to be unsure (Fox, 2012). In a contemporary era, whereby auto bailouts, maximum debt and Dodd-Frank reform, interventions by the government, seem to be the Obama administration’s solution option, according to the article. The article claims that this stand has created a deep partisan gap between supporters and the opposition of the viewpoint. It highlights that the proposition is gains support mostly from democrats while most republicans and independents oppose the approach. It further explains that more divisions resulted due to class differences, as the wealth class claimed that economy management by the government was helpful while the middle class respondents believed that government control destroyed the economy (Fox, 2012). The model states that the economy will be boosted when the governments spends enormous sums of borrowed funds. The article highlights these as it highlights how the $787 stimulus package involves federal tax reductions and expenditures on infrastructure and other government projects. These will help to address the recession crisis. The model is used to address the sluggish US economy more with the current

Anti Heros Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Anti Heros - Essay Example The Maltese Falcon is a film that has a hero as well as an antihero; the film stars Humphrey Bogart as the director / private investigator Sam Spade who has been regarded as the antihero and not the hero, for reasons discussed within the purview of this paper. Sam Spade has a very tough exterior as he lives life by his own rules and rarely listens to anyone else. When his partner in crime dies, he does not even seem to bother or care, displaying an aura of someone that does not have any emotions. He tries to put forth a very strong and non caring attitude towards the audience. He does not possess any scrupulousness; this is clear when the audience finds out that he had been having an affair with the wife of his partner. Furthermore, he plays along with Brigid within the movie, not letting people know for sure whether or not he actually had feelings for her. This makes a number of people averse to his entire character because he does not come off as a man who would listen to anyone or be liked by most people. He says, â€Å"When a mans partner is killed, hes supposed to do something about it. It doesnt make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and youre supposed to do something about it. And it happens were in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, its bad business to let the killer get away with it. Bad all around. Bad for every detective, everywhere.† (The Maltese Falcon) Spade’s rugged aura puts off a number of people and his smooth mannerisms help to provide a very hard twist to the entire story. Spade is truly an antihero with a penchant for women. A number of people have maimed the movie to be exactly like its contemporary, Citizen Kane. Spade does not carry a gun throughout the movie; however he shows people that he is not afraid to use one. He will do anything in order to make some money and is not attached to many things, probably because of his prior life

ECN 302 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECN 302 - Essay Example Over half of the Americans have a contrary view and claim that all the government intervention achieves is causing more damage than benefits, while six percent believe that it had no effect and 17% were found to be unsure (Fox, 2012). In a contemporary era, whereby auto bailouts, maximum debt and Dodd-Frank reform, interventions by the government, seem to be the Obama administration’s solution option, according to the article. The article claims that this stand has created a deep partisan gap between supporters and the opposition of the viewpoint. It highlights that the proposition is gains support mostly from democrats while most republicans and independents oppose the approach. It further explains that more divisions resulted due to class differences, as the wealth class claimed that economy management by the government was helpful while the middle class respondents believed that government control destroyed the economy (Fox, 2012). The model states that the economy will be boosted when the governments spends enormous sums of borrowed funds. The article highlights these as it highlights how the $787 stimulus package involves federal tax reductions and expenditures on infrastructure and other government projects. These will help to address the recession crisis. The model is used to address the sluggish US economy more with the current

Explain the main determinants of exchange rate behavior in the long Essay

Explain the main determinants of exchange rate behavior in the long run and in the short run. In the context of your analysis di - Essay Example The speculation concept in this market has made it hard for achievement of stability. Gains and losses can be made in the same breath in this market. This presents a challenge in both the macro and micro economics world. The factors that influence this behaviour in the foreign exchange market has been a topic of concern to many scholars and economists the world over. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the main determinants of exchange rate behaviour both in the short-run and long-run by illuminating a number of theories and explain why exchange rates tend to be volatile and notoriously hard to predict. To better understand the exchange rates, the paper will first discuss the foreign exchange market and then it will look at the exchange rate regimes. The The Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and the asset market approach through the Uncovered Interest Rate Parity (UIRP) will also be analyzed here.   Overview of the Foreign Exchange Market As the name suggests, a foreign exchange marke t is a market where currencies are traded. Foreign exchange market is also known as forex market. In this market, money is traded for other money. This is the basic definition of the foreign exchange market but in broader terms, the foreign exchange market is not restricted to the exchange of currencies. ... Gains are made in the same breath as losses in this market. This is so because the price of the currency in the market is determined by forces of demand and supply (Carbaugh, 2011). The financial market like goods market obeys the laws of demand and supply; the demand for currency varies inversely with price (Williamson, 2009). If demand for a currency increases its price increases (appreciates) making it unattractive in the market. Buyers thus switch to buying products where value of currency is low leading to depreciation of the currency until equilibrium is reached. For example, in a market involving dollars and pounds whereby the dollar is the domestic currency and the pound is the foreign currency, an increase in demand for foreign currency (pound) results in depreciation of the domestic currency (dollar) while an increase in supply of foreign currency leads to appreciation of the dollar until equilibrium is reached (Sercu and Uppal, 1995). The demand and supply concept As shown in figure 1, Do represents the demand curve for pounds while So represents the supply curve. Equilibrium exchange rate is obtained at the point where demand curve intersects with supply curve (point E). At this point, the exchange rate of dollars per pound is stable hence the market is efficient (Carbaugh, 2011 p. 399). The demand curve in this case represents the desire of the Americans to purchase British goods, services and assets and by observing the law of demand; the US demand for pound varies inversely with price. If price increases, the demand for pounds decreases and if price decreases the demand for pound increases. This means that if the dollar price of pound increases, exports from

Sample Media Interview Q&a Essay Example for Free

Sample Media Interview Qa Essay Sample Media Interview QA Internal Question Answer (QA) documents are often developed to prepare media spokespersons for interviews and include tougher questions than FAQs. Internal QAs also include areas of vulnerability (e. g. who is to blame and could the medical response have been quicker? ) Use the sample QAs below as a guide to create your own during a crisis event. Q: What happened? (Examples: How many people were injured or killed? How much property damage occurred? ) A: At approximately XX:XX, an incident was reported at (location). The details at this point are unknown, however we are working very closely with local emergency response agencies to ensure that the safety of the surrounding community remains the number one priority. Q: Was this a terrorist incident? A: An investigation is taking place and we will update you with details from that investigation as we receive them. Right now, however, our greatest concern is for the welfare of the victims and their families. Q: When did it happen? A: Early reports indicate that the incident happened at approximately XX:XX. Q: Who is to blame? A: The details at this point are unknown. An investigation is taking place and we will update you with details from that investigation as we receive them. Right now, our main focus is on rescue efforts and on the well-being of the victims and their families. Q: Has this ever happened before? A: I will be happy to research that and get back to you, right now we are focused on the incident at hand, and on making sure that members of the surrounding community are safe. Q: Who was involved? A: In order to protect the privacy of those involved, we are withholding the release of victims’ names pending notification of family members. Q: Why did it happen? What was the cause? A: Those details will be investigated. Right now our primary concern is for the welfare of the victims and their families. Q: Will there be inconvenience to the public? A: That information will become available once the damage is assessed by local emergency response agencies. If we gather future information, we will be sure to pass it along. Q: When will we find out more? A: Our company, along with our local emergency response agencies, will be providing updates throughout the day. We encourage you to check our website at www. xxxxxx. com for up-to-the-minute information.