Love in the Time of Cholera Essay - 1296 Words

Love is a powerful emotion that can cause people to act in abnormal ways. In the novel, Love in the Time of Cholera, the main character Florentino Ariza falls passionately in love with Fermina Daza. He immediately spends hours composing poetic love letters to Fermina as his entire life becomes dedicated to loving her. Fermina’s father, who greatly disapproves of the relationship between the two, decides to take his daughter to travel throughout the Caribbean. After many years of separation, when Fermina finally sees Florentino for the first time since she had been back in Hispaniola, all of her love immediately disappears after realizing she does not actually love Florentio. From that day on, Florentino would live for over a century in†¦show more content†¦Devastated by the loss of Fermina, Florentino spends months sick and unable to go on with his life. As the years go by since his rejection by Fermina, he finds himself in a web of love affairs with women from all w alks of life. Although he goes against his rule that he must remain a virgin until he can finally be with Fermina, he never marries or has children. The scars of losing his first and only love makes it impossible for Florentino to ever settle down, get married, have a family, or even a stable job. In comparison, David Lambert, the main character of the novel A Scientific Romance , also fails to progress in life after the loss of his true love. David’s life seems to deteriorate when he loses his lover Anita. He later spends years searching for her around the globe. It becomes clear that David has never moved on from loving Anita as he says, â€Å"†¦ sail back to Anita, to my parents; restore truncated lives, rebuild my own.† (Wright 62). His only hope to ever return to being happy will only happen if he can go to the past and be with Anita and his family. David, much like Florentino, spends his life consumed with thoughts of Anita. He never marries or has childre n and lives life lonely and miserable. The loss of both Florentino and David’s only true loves prevent them from developing as individuals. Secondly, the authors of these novels use the motif of misery caused by lost love. After Florentino is rejected by Fermina and then later finds out she is soonShow MoreRelatedLove in the Time of Cholera Essay651 Words   |  3 PagesGabriel Garcia Marquez, the novel Love in the Time of Cholera deals with a passionate mans unfulfilled love and his quest of more than 50 years to win the heart of his true love. Its without question one of the most emotional depictions of love, but what separates it from similar novels is its suggestion that lovesickness is a literal disease, a plague comparable to cholera. The novels main character is Florentino Ariza, an obsessive young man who falls madly in love with a young girl named FerminaRead MoreEssay about Love in the Time of Cholera855 Words   |  4 Pagessuggests, the novel Love in the Time of Cholera by Garcia Marquez deals with practical and nostalgic love. The author has the ability of portraying excellent determination in his eagerness to develop his stylistic range. Supporting almost a mythical quality grounded with an air of daily gossip, the novel includes descriptions of love which drift between unearthly beauty and terror. Love in the Time of Cholera is a mixture of two contrasting factors: the purity of love, and the way love is personifiedRead MoreLoyalty in Love in The Time of Cholera Essay806 Words   |  4 PagesWhen one thinks of loyalty, they usually conjure up an image of a dog and his master; the dog, following and doting on its master, willing to give up its life to protect him. In the book, â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera† written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, many examples of Loyalty are shown. The book starts out with the character Dr. Juvenal Urbino finds out that his friend, Jeremiah de Saint- Amour has committed suicide and left Dr. Urbino a letter with his final instructions. Dr. Urbino dutifullyRead MoreThe Painted Veil: a Contextual Analysis884 Words   |  4 Pageswho live call life.† †¢ Lifting of illusions and revealing truths â€Å"We often fall in love with the illusions we have of about a person rather than who they really are. That is the ‘painted veil’ that is in front of our vision of the truth and when those illusions get torn away it can be process of disenchantment and pain.† Edward Norton †¢ Romantic tales set in 1920s China †¢ Cholera epidemic + civil uprising against British colonization (tensions running high) †¢ ForgoingRead MoreEssay about Loves Knowledge by Martha Nussbaum1325 Words   |  6 PagesLove as an impairer or love as an enhancer. As I went along reading these literary pieces, such as Proust’s Swann In Love, and Marquez’s Love In The Time Of Cholera, I couldn’t help but continuously see love being implicitly depicted as an impairer. I did manage to find a great example of love as an enhancer in Nussbaum’s Loves Knowledge. Love impairs our judgments and makes us do ridiculous things that we only do whilst in love. The impaired nature of our minds can be both beautifully displayedRead MoreLove and Death in Love in the Time of Cholera1767 Words   |  8 PagesFor readers familiar with Love in the Time of Cholera, the themes of love and death would be constantly visited and revisited again by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his novel, with a tad of heavy reliance on the cholera pandemic (as the title suggests not so subtly) and going so far as to intertwine them into a single notion (more often than not) throughout. Such a combination (and comparison) is most visible in Florentino, and helps shapes our emotions and thoughts about him as a character. Yet, inRead More Essay on One Hundred Years of solitude869 Words   |  4 Pagesmysteries of the human heart. In Gabo’s world, where flowers rain from the sky and dictators sell the very ocean, reality is subject to emotional truths as well as physical boundaries. It is a world of great beauty and great cruelty; a world where love brings both redemption and enslavement; and a world where the lines between objective reality and dreams are hopelessly blurred. It is a world very much like our own. On Translation and Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez – A speech delivered by Edith Grossman at theRead MoreEssay on One Hundred Years of Solitude858 Words   |  4 Pagesmysteries of the human heart. In Gabos world, where flowers rain from the sky and dictators sell the very ocean, reality is subject to emotional truths as well as physical boundaries. It is a world of great beauty and great cruelty; a world where love brings both redemption and enslavement; and a world where the lines between objective reality and dreams are hopelessly blurred. It is a world very much like our own. On Translation and Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez Ââ€" A speech delivered by Edith GrossmanRead MoreSymbolism in Thomas Manns Story \1621 Words   |  7 Pageswriter who follows his wanderlust to Venice in search of spiritual fulfillment. When he arrives in Venice, Aschenbach becomes obsessed with a fourteen year old boy named Tadzio. Aschenbachs mind becomes increasingly unbalanced. Despite an outbreak of cholera, he refuses to leave Venice in order to indulge his desires. As a result, his passion leads him to his erotic doom. Among a number of themes of the novella, the most prominent one is obviously death, which is both - physical and moralRead MoreEnglish Chapter 3 Essay1213 Words   |  5 PagesMovie Wisdom strikes me as inaccurate. Its because most of his examples were all on point and he explained how movies are predictable once you have a little in following the plots of different types of movies. 2.) He includes an anecdote, in an essay that shows how movies get it wrong, because he wants to tell the readers that people believe what they see and hear. Its just like how Pauline Kael said that the behavior of boys were transformed by the performances of Cary Grant. 3.) Fulford says

Levering Business to Customer Business Value through Internet Research Proposal

Essays on Levering Business to Customer Business Value through Internet Marketing Research Proposal The paper "Levering Business to Customer Business Value through Internet Marketing" is an excellent example of a research proposal on e-commerce. This report proposes research to assess the levering of B2C business models through internet marketing. The proposed research strategy is a case study of Tesco. The choice of this firm is justified by indications of its business model and its marketing and advertising strategies. Past studies have shown how e-marketing adds business levers to businesses. The literature review will guide this study through the identification of variables, parameters, scope and data sets. Primary data shall be collected via emailed questionnaires. The data obtained will be tabulated and analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. Grounded theory or analytic approach will be used to analyze the data through the former option is more preferable. The data shall then be used to test the hypothesis. The findings of the research will be important to Tesco and other B2C firms as it will inform them about the effectiveness of internet marketing.IntroductionE-commerce has grown tremendously in the past few years in the UK and globally more so in the developed world. This has been facilitated by increased access to internet connection especially broadband, technology growth, increased awareness of the benefits of e-commerce and a change in lifestyles. The e-commerce industry has been segmented into a number of sections with the main ones being groceries, clothing and apparel, electronics and hospitality and travel. The grocery segment, dominated by supermarkets, faces numerous challenges as opposed to the other segments due to the short shelf life of the majority of the items on offer. For this reason, online groceries shoppers account for only 6% of total grocery sales in the UK (Online grocery shopping 2011). However, the industry is expected to grow further to 5.4% of the retail market by 2015.A report carried out by the Guardian in O ctober last year put the UK’s internet industry at  £100 billion worth accounting for over 7% of the GDP. This growth of the internet is powered by growth in online shopping. In fact, the UK has the biggest e-commerce market globally by the amount spent per capita. This has also fueled online marketing and advertising. The online advertising industry generates  £3.5bn per year. Projections indicate that the industry is poised for greater growth spurred by increased online retailing and online marketing.Business BackgroundTesco is a brand name for one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK that is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Established in 1919, the supermarket introduced online retailing in December 2009 on some of its items. As of May 2011, it was the third biggest online retailer in the country after only a brief presence (Tesco, 2012). Online shopping has grown in popularity as it allows more convenience especially for working mothers who have li ttle time to go shopping. Thus the creation of an online store was a response to a market need.

English schools free essay sample

English kids must travel to school when they are five. First they go to infant schools, where they learn the first stairss in reading, composing and utilizing Numberss. When kids leave the infant school, at the age of seven, they go to junior schools until they are about 11 old ages of age. Their school topics are English, arithmetic, history, geographics, nature survey, swimming, music, art, spiritual direction and organized games. Towards the terminal of their 4th twelvemonth in the junior school English schoolchildren have to compose their Eleven Plus Examinations, on the consequence of which they will travel the undermentioned September to a secondary school of a certain type. About 40 % of simple school departers in Britain go to secondary modem schools. Modem schools are the most popular secondary schools, but they do non supply complete secondary instruction, because survey programmes are instead limited in comparing with other secondary schools. The secondary proficient school, in malice of its name, is non a specialized school. We will write a custom essay sample on English schools or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It teaches many general topics. The gm mar school is a secondary school which offers a full theoretical secondary education including foreign languages, and students can choose which subjects and languages they wish to study. They leave the school after taking a five-year course. Then they may take the General Certificate of Education at the ordinary level. The others continue their studies for another two or three years to obtain the General Certificate of Education at the advanced level, which allows them to enter university. The comprehensive school combines in one school the courses of all types of secondary schools. There are many schools in Britain which are not controlled financially by the state. They are private schools, separate for boys and girls, and the biggest and the most important of them are public schools. They charge high fees and train young people for political, diplomatic, military and religious service. Other non-state schools which charge fees are independent and preparatory schools. Many of the independent schools belong to the churches. Schools of this type prepare their pupils for public schools.

Origins of the Korean War free essay sample

This essay puts forth the argument that the USSR encouraged the Korean War to benefit itself politically. This paper examines the theory that the Korean conflict was purposely started by Joseph Stalin in order to drive the United States and China apart and to bring Mao Zedong and Communist China under Soviet influence. The author also discusses how the wars origins were primarily domestic, yet global superpowers provided quicker means to escalation. From the paper: On December 16, 1949, Mao Zedong arrived in Moscow to begin discussions with Joseph Stalin. Mao hoped to acquire from the Soviets ships and aircraft to use in his planned invasion of Taiwan. Mao also wanted to renegotiate the treaty previously agreed to by Stalin and the Kuomintang government. Stalin, however, stonewalled Mao, refusing to relinquish the access to Manchuria that the treaty granted him. On December 19, realizing that Stalin was reading his messages, Mao cabled Zhou Enlai in Beijing, informing him that the Chinese Communists should soon attempt to open relations with the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Origins of the Korean War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Free Essays on Betrayal And Revenge In The Plays Medea And The Libation Bearers

also can be thought of as betrayal and revenge. The Oresteia originally consisted of four plays-Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Euminides and Proteus. Proteus did not survive, though the three tragedies form a unity in themselves as the only Greek trilogy we have. In this essay I will only focus on one of the three plays, called â€Å"The Libation Bearers†. The other play I will be looking at is â€Å"Medea†. Medea is the earliest tragedy of Euripides and in it we see a classic moral pattern. Aspects such as betrayal and revenge are explored in this play, such as also in The Libation Bearers, which can also be recognized in many modern plays today. It shows how strong feeling from one person to another can make you do things that are reactions of love and hate. The first play I will look at is The Libation Bearers, and how already from the start Tantalus of Lydia betrays himself by killing his own flesh and blood. Although the actual â€Å"blood curse† first starts later (between two brothers named Atreus and Thyestes) with betrayal and revenge all amongst family members, I believe that it all started with Tantalus, a barbarian whose spirits haunt the Oresteia. Tantalus is the starter of it all; he feeds his son Pelops to the gods for no apparent reason that then gets condemned to starve in Hades. Already here we see how Tantalus is betraying himself by killing his own son and gets his justice from the gods who let him starve. This play runs on an act of recognition, were betrayal and revenge is taken from one generation to the next. The actual blood curse in the house of Atreus, which I mentioned earlier, was started by the a feud between two brothers, Atreus and Thyestes.Thyestes betrays his brothe... Free Essays on Betrayal And Revenge In The Plays Medea And The Libation Bearers Free Essays on Betrayal And Revenge In The Plays Medea And The Libation Bearers Betrayal and Revenge in the plays â€Å"Medea† and â€Å"The Libation Bearers† In 458 B.C. Aeschylus produced his great trilogy, â€Å"The Oresteia†. The Oresteia was said to perfect the vision of warning and reward, which in other words also can be thought of as betrayal and revenge. The Oresteia originally consisted of four plays-Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Euminides and Proteus. Proteus did not survive, though the three tragedies form a unity in themselves as the only Greek trilogy we have. In this essay I will only focus on one of the three plays, called â€Å"The Libation Bearers†. The other play I will be looking at is â€Å"Medea†. Medea is the earliest tragedy of Euripides and in it we see a classic moral pattern. Aspects such as betrayal and revenge are explored in this play, such as also in The Libation Bearers, which can also be recognized in many modern plays today. It shows how strong feeling from one person to another can make you do things that are reactions of love and hate. The first play I will look at is The Libation Bearers, and how already from the start Tantalus of Lydia betrays himself by killing his own flesh and blood. Although the actual â€Å"blood curse† first starts later (between two brothers named Atreus and Thyestes) with betrayal and revenge all amongst family members, I believe that it all started with Tantalus, a barbarian whose spirits haunt the Oresteia. Tantalus is the starter of it all; he feeds his son Pelops to the gods for no apparent reason that then gets condemned to starve in Hades. Already here we see how Tantalus is betraying himself by killing his own son and gets his justice from the gods who let him starve. This play runs on an act of recognition, were betrayal and revenge is taken from one generation to the next. The actual blood curse in the house of Atreus, which I mentioned earlier, was started by the a feud between two brothers, Atreus and Thyestes.Thyestes betrays his brothe...

Top 10 Excuses You use to Put Off Writing That Paper - EssaySupply.com

Top 10 Excuses You use to Put Off Writing That Paper Top 10 Excuses You use to Put Off Writing That Paper One of the most difficult parts of writing a paper is getting started. There's something about taking that first step and sitting down to research and right that is so challenging to students. It is for this reason that you and other students often come up with excuses to put off the writing you should be doing right now. In fact, we've discovered that some excuses are really popular among students. Check out our top ten list of excuses that students like you use to put off writing that paper. Then, read our suggestions for getting past each excuse so that you can begin writing.         1. The Dorm Room is too Hectic Right Now First, take a minute to consider what you can do to make your place less hectic. Can you ask visitors to come back later? Can you turn down the volume on the tv? Can you close your bedroom door? If these steps don't solve your problem, there are plenty of quiet places to write on campus.          2. I am too Stressed Out From my Busy Day to Think Straight This is a valid reason to give yourself a thirty minute break. Take that time to watch an episode   of a television show, to check your Facebook, or to take a nice hot shower. Then, start writing.  There's no need to waste an entire evening without being at least a little productive.          3. I May not be Writing But I am Thinking About the Assignment If you do this, you are probably coming up with some very good ideas. Unfortunately, if you aren't writing them down, you won't recall most of these ideas later on. At the very least, you should be typing your thoughts into Evernote.          4. I Do My Best Work During the Day/Night Everybody has times when they are more productive than others. If you are truly better off with research paper writing during another time of day, that is fine. This is when you should be working on the more intense portions of your paper. However, you can still do a bit of note taking or light editing right now.          5. There are New Episodes of Orange is the New Black on Netflix This is totally understandable. Go ahead and watch one episode, but then write for at least thirty  minutes before watching another.          6. I Haven't Gone Out With Friends in Over a Week Unfortunately, you may have to make it another day without your friends. If you really want to  see your friends, invite them over for a homework session.                        7. I'll Do it Right After I Clean my Room This is fine if your room is truly so messy that it is distracting. Just make sure that you aren't rearranging your CD collection two hours later instead of writing your paper.          8. I Need to Get Some Sleep. I Will Start in the Morning If you are truly sleep deprived, you are making a good decision. If your version of sleep is  scrolling through Tumblr while laying in bed,   you can probably at least get out a paragraph or    two.          9. I Cannot Think of a Topic Good news! There is a solution to this. It involves sitting down and brainstorming topic ideas. If  you are truly stuck, try hitting the internet for some inspiration.         10. I Just Don't Understand the Subject Focus on what you do know. If you aren't able to get any writing done, you can try spending  some time writing out some questions for your instructor. This way you can get a bit of clarification.

GFP Mutants with Altered Mass Spectra Research Proposal - 1

GFP Mutants with Altered Mass Spectra - Research Proposal Example The green fluorescent protein (GFP), was discovered and isolated from the from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria (1). The native protein contains 238 amino acids which fold into six alpha helices and eleven beta strands forming a classical cylindrical beta sheet with anti-parallel strands. The GFP protein owes its fluorescence to the derived chromophore that is buried deep in the beta-barrel which protects interactions with the solvent. Due to its stable fluorescence, GFP has been used in biological studies as an important marker for processes like protein trafficking. Sequence data for GFP has led to the development of recombinant GFP proteins with modifications to increase the fluorescence intensity and longevity. There are many mutant GFPs with differences in absorption and emission spectra. There are enhanced GFP (EGFP) that has higher-intensity emission after blue-light excitation compared to wild-type GFP (4) (3). Another is GFPuv, a recombinant GFP with maximum emission spectra is 509nm, similar to that of wild-type GFP. GFPuv has a molecular weight of 29 kDa with three amino acid substitutions (Phe-99 to Ser, Met-153 to Thr, and Val-163 to Ala resulting in 18 times more brightness under ultra-violet (UV) light at 395nm. GFPuv is 18 times brighter than wild-type GFP. The large fluorescence of GFPuv making it suitable for experiments that require detection of changes in fluorescence. GFPuv expressed in highly expressed in E. coli is a soluble, fluorescent protein in contrast to wild-type GFP, which may be expressed in inclusion bodies as a nonfluorescent protein.

If Japan had not launched a full scale invasion of China in 1937, Essay

If Japan had not launched a full scale invasion of China in 1937, would the Nanjing government have survived and brought its sta - Essay Example Historians have speculated how things would have been different for the Nanjing Government, had the Japanese not launched their onslaught in to the region. The substance of this prose will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Nanjing government and whether or not it would have been successful in unifying and rebuilding China. From the year 1928 till 1937, the Kuomintang (KMT) was the dominant political party, but was readily losing their popularity amongst the people. They had come to power in China during a time when the country was embroiled political and social turmoil following the success of the northern expedition in the year 1927 by the same party. They unified China under one banner but failed to hold the nation together. This unification move signified a time during which the KMT had the greatest potential to rebuild China (Cochran, 1983). The KMT party started off with the noble purpose of establishing democracy in the country and wished to educate the people in orde r to make them capable of self-governing. They started off with a profound ideology and wished to instil nationalist feelings within the masses and slowly began expanding their control, first from the north and then they worked their way down to the southern region. The ideology of the KMT was established upon the beliefs of Sun Yat-Sen, but after his demise, Chiang Kai-Shek became the leader of the KMT and his policies later on decide the course of events that took place during the Nanjing decade and also indirectly led to the Japanese invasion of Nanjing (Sun Yat-Sen, 1953). The question whether or not the Nanjing government would have been successful in integrating the nation has a very straight forward answer to it, which will be discussed in the following parts of the prose. The greatest flaw of this entire expedition was the fact that it was done primarily by military force and the party lacked a strong ideology that would draw the diverse range of people living in the country and unite them on a single platform. KMT further did not introduce the relevant land reforms that would protect the interests of the peasants and farmers, which naturally caused them to drawn in by the communist faction of the society. Reconstruction became even difficult as the schism between communism and republicanism intensified. It was not just ideology that separated them, but the weakness of their political leader was also one of the crucial reasons that hindered the State Building project. The KMT did work to improve upon the financial and education system that had severely debilitated the country and were vastly successful in doing so. However, despite their many achievements, KMT lacked a certain amount of political acumen that left them in a major predicament. They failed to launch a full-fledged democratic rule in the country and they further did not take any steps to enlighten the people about the democratic system of government. The people remained completely ignorant regarding the procedures of self-government and it was further speculated that the KMT wanted maintain their iron-clad control over the land and were not interested in democracy (Musgrove, 2000). One prime instance that supports the aforementioned statement occurred, when the KMT party established a ‘tutelage government’ and extended it indefinitely beyond the 6 years that

Effects of Online Advertisements on Newspaper Advertisements Essay Example for Free

Effects of Online Advertisements on Newspaper Advertisements Essay Advertisements can either take the form of print advertising through newspapers, magazines, brochures, and fliers or in non-print form such as those found in television, radio, video, and internet. The key purpose of advertisements is to bring to the attention of potential customers the existence of a new product or service. A good advertisement should be able to persuade the potential customers to purchase and keep them motivated to do a certain action (Tolani, 2010). While the function of advertising has not changed from the act of influencing the decision of a potential customer, the form of advertisement has radually evolved with new advertisement media emerging. Radio advertisement emerged with the coming of radios in the 1920s. The number of people who owned radios increased to about 82% by 1940. However, television was introduced in the 1950s, and was soon a common appliance in almost all households. This resulted in the increase of television advertisement expenditure to nearly $1. 5 billion by 1960s. Outdoor advertisement can be traced back to the post World War era to the American Safety Razor Company in 1925 when it advertised a brushless shaving cream on a mega billboard (Tolani, 2010). The advent of video cassette recorders saw a new trend in advertisement during the period between the early 1980s and late 1990s. The video cassette recorders became very popular with viewers, but video advertisement met a major hitch as viewers easily fast-forwarded ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 11 through advertisements while watching tapes. This compelled firms to resort to product placement in which their products were used in television shows and films. The latest media development in this field is the use of internet for advertising. There has generally been an increase in computer ownership and the use of internet has rapidly grown. It might not be easy to predict the advertisement media that will be widely used in the future. However, it is an open fact that advertisements will continue to improve and strive to become more useful to businesses and to the consumer (Tolani, 2010). Entrepreneurs and business managers are faced with the challenge of making a choice for an advertising media on a daily basis. This is because the success of their establishments greatly depends on the ability of the entrepreneurs and managers to create product and service awareness, build their firm’s image and reputation, and generate sales leads and revenues. These efforts can only be realized by the use of newspaper and magazine advertisements, radio advertisements, television advertisements, outdoor advertising, web advertising, among many other advertising media. What will determine the final medium choice may vary from one business to another and the various factors that are in play toward meeting the specific business objectives (Patsula Media, 2007). Irrespective of the medium of advertisement that a business chooses to use for its products and services, it is important to note that both the print advertising and online advertising are highly necessary, given that the approaches toward both, the purposes, and even the audiences are very different. It is not very advisable to consider one of these media as more effective that the other on mere basis of seasonal variance because either may overtake the other at some give time. A good number of people also have access to both sources and this makes it ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 12 mportant for entrepreneurs and business managers to give due consideration to both (Web Windows, 2010). Thesis Statement Given the increased growth of information that is available over the internet and the subsequent increase in the number of people who tend to spend more time on the internet, companies are turning to advertise their goods and service online so as to capture this newly generated m arket. Emphasis has thus shifted to the possible effects that this emerging trend of online advertisement may have on newsprint advertisement, both in popularity and advertisement revenue. Statement of the Problem Advertisement plays a very important function in the trading processes as it is the only means through which a business can bring to the attention of the consumers about their products, introduce a new product in the market or promote the sales of an existing product or service. All these are core activities—without which, a business setup cannot effectively compete for customers in the already-crowded market. Though there are numerous media through which a business may place its advertisements, the most commonly used medium is the newspaper because of its wide readership and circulation. With the advent and advancement of technology, newspaper publishers have embraced information technology to an extent of presenting their publications both as newsprint and online versions. This advancement means that entrepreneurs have the option of choosing which version of a newspaper through which to place their advertisements. This will mainly be determined by an entrepreneur’s own evaluation of the medium that will best suit the business needs. Lately, there ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 13 as been growing debate about the popularity of online newspaper and newsprint. This debate cannot escape the attention of entrepreneurs who significantly rely on these news media for their advertisements. There is general consensus that online versions of newspapers are gaining popularity among readers worldwide. Could this increasing popularity and, to some extent, translate into increased preference by entrepreneurs to place their advertisements online instead of the newsprint version of newspapers? Background of the Problem Given the central role which newspapers play in the advertisement of goods and services by businesses, it is only important that entrepreneurs give special attention and critical evaluation on the volume of readership and scope of circulation of both the online version and newsprint version of newspapers. This would mean that new considerations are factored in when making a choice for advertisement media by business contrary to previous emphasis that focused only on readership and circulation. Ability to access n advertisement by potential customers is a major concern that attracts heated boardroom debates in companies, particularly due to intense competition for the crowded market. The significance of an advertisement media with regard to scope of outreach means that both entrepreneurs and advertisement agencies have a responsibility to adopt the use of advertisement media capable of optimizing market outreach for a product or service. Key aspects for consideration with regard to ch oice of advertisement media are mainly in areas of target audience and access. These entail considerations of readership and circulation which would ensure that an advertisement reaches the highest number of target audience within the shortest duration possible and draws attention in the most appropriate way. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 14 While many entrepreneurs are coming up with several measures of ensuring they significantly save on advertisement costs for their products and services, advertising agencies are of the opinion that optimizing market outreach can best be achieved by choosing a media with huge readership and wide circulation. Key areas suggested by advertisement experts include impact and ability to attract attention among other advertisements. When due consideration is given to these two aspects, an advertisement media will be able to achieve market outreach by approximately 70%, which is equivalent to nearly 5% of the total product market in a crowded environment. It is generally agreed that upgrading of newspapers to online versions can help to significantly improve their readership and accessibility, translating to wider market outreach for online advertisements. Such advancement in technology has for long been credited as significant part of increasing readership, expanding circulation, and making lasting impact in advertisement. The most remarkable gain for online advertisement can be attributed to the increase in number of people owning computers and therefore spending a lot of time on the internet unlike the numbers of people buying newsprint and the time they spend reading it. Justification for the Study Effects of online advertisement toward newsprint advertisement are a welcome topic at this time when there is growing concern that newsprint advertisement is becoming less and less effective in an environment where consumers are increasingly getting their information online and from other non-traditional sources. This belief has also drawn a lot of objection from newspaper advertisement sales agent who insist that newsprint advertising is more effective than online advertising. To them, newsprint advertising is tangible, making it possible for a potential ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 15 customer to clip it out, hold in the hand and carry to the store unlike online advertisements, which is only visual. Though online advertisement can cost a business slightly more, it is becoming more popular with consumers and can thus not be simply brushed off. This calls for a strategy that will ensure that this advertisement medium is embraced without jeopardizing the profits of a business. Deficiencies in the evidence The choice of an advertisement media that an entrepreneur or a business opts to use for its products or services are mainly determined by size of business and the target audience— whether they are other businesses, youth, elderly, men or women. The access to an advertisement by these groups of persons is quite varied as all of them have their own preferences of media choices. The youth may be found of internet while the elderly may be accustomed to newsprint. While online advertising may make a big impact among the youth, it may not necessarily do the same with the elderly or housewives. The size of a business will also play a big role in the choice of advertising media. For example, small businesses may not have all the money to invest in certain media which are considered expensive and are therefore a preserve for big businesses. Advertising is an expensive venture and may not be appealing or affordable to all entrepreneurs. This means that the choice of a media may not necessarily be determined by its effectiveness but rather by the investment capacity of any given entrepreneur. Evidence obtained for this study will thus be influenced to a greater extent by individual entrepreneur considerations and not necessarily by the popularity of any given media. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 16 Definition of Terms Advertising Media: refers to means by which an advertising message is carried to potential customers and includes television, radio, internet, magazines, newspaper, and signage Online Advertising: refers to advertising that is done over the internet Newsprint Advertising: refers to placing advertisements on a newspaper Purpose of the Study The purpose of studying effects of online advertisement toward newsprint advertisement is to: 1. Ensure that entrepreneurs are provided with ample information regarding the various advertisement media to enable them make informed choices 2. Ensure that myths revolving effectiveness of either newsprint advertisement or online advertisement are eliminated and substituted with live statistics 3. Ensure that advertisement agencies are able to adjust their media in a manner that will enable businesses reach their target audience in the most effective way and at the least cost possible 4. Ensure that recommendations are made that would help entrepreneurs make a choice on the most effective media for their advertisements. This study is significant because it would help in ensuring that useful information is made available to help entrepreneurs with their advertisement decisions, particularly those focusing on newsprint and online advertisements. It will also ensure that advancements in technology are ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 17 embraced and advertising services evolve to best meet the opportunities and challenges of the future with regard to market outreach. Hypotheses The following hypotheses were tested in this study: 1. H01: Advertising plays a central role in business success. HA1: Advertising does not play a central role in the success of a business. 2. H02: Most businesses advertise on newsprint media. HA2: Most businesses do not advertise on newsprint media. 3. H03: Most entrepreneurs prefer to use online advertisements for their products. HA3: Most entrepreneurs do not prefer to use online advertisement for their products. 4. H04: Newsprint advertising is more effective that online advertising. HA4: Newsprint advertising is less effective than online advertising. 5. H05: Online advertising is the future of product advertisement. HA5: Online advertising is not the future of product advertisement. Summary The shift in focus by entrepreneurs and businesses to put more attention on online advertisement instead on the traditional advertisement media is broadly seen as one of the main steps toward technological revolution of the advertising industry. This would go a long way in realizing wider market outreach and increased sales for businesses and publishers who embrace the internet for their publications. This, in essence, would mean increased readership for online version of newspapers, translating into bigger profit margins. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 18 This study has been designed to explore various modes of newspapers as major advertisement media which can be used by entrepreneurs and businesses to advertise their products and services. Special focus has been given to Star Newsprint and Star Online, which are Malaysia’s leading English publications. Chapter two of this work is an extensive literature review on matters relating to online and newsprint publications as well as online and newsprint advertisement. Chapter three is an outline of data collection and treatment while chapters four and five respectively present findings and discussions. Chapter six outlines major conclusions and recommendations. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 19 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Newspapers have conventionally played a very significant role in the advertisement of goods and services. This has been mainly attributed to their wide readership and circulation since they can be easily obtained, from the nearest street vendor to the biggest shopping mall in the biggest city. The readership of newspapers also cut across all ages, sexes, and social classes as they normally publish articles that would be useful to all these category of persons in one way or the other,. Newspapers have for long dominated the advertisement scene due to the low costs involved as compared to other advertisement media. Newspaper comes either as newsprint or online. Newspaper publishers have lately resorted to the two kinds of publication to meet the various demands of different readers (Mutter, 2010). The introduction of online version of newspaper has seen a significant drop in the readership of the print newspaper, and this trend is projected to continue into the future. This scenario which is almost inevitable and probably irreversible is generating big concern on the future of printed newspaper as well as newsprint advertisement. The printing of newspaper remains very important for publishers since it is responsible for the biggest volume of revenue for publishers, contributing nearly 90% of the total revenue for a newspaper company. Analyst are quick to point that any attempt to rid of print newspaper would simply through publication companies out of business since the advertising revenue will almost drop to 5%, if not zero (Mutter, 2010). However, the continued survival of print newspaper will to a great extent be determined by consumer demands, good state of an economy, and the interest of marketers to use newsprint ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 20 advertising. It is predicted that with the diminishing economic prospects declining advertising revenue, there is a high possibility of a major drop in consumer demand for print newspapers. This is based on the fact that close to half of print newspaper readers are aged population who are statistically likely to pass out with time. The younger population is not found of print newspapers, and this habit will probably accompany them to old age. Unless this readership habit of the younger population changes, it is quite evident that the print newspaper readership will continue to shrink as the aged population slowly makes their exit, leaving the younger population that has already formed a habit of not reading the print newspaper (Mutter, 2010). Evaluation of Print Newspaper Print newspaper has conventionally been associated with a number of advantages, which have probably made it very popular. It is generally agreed that print newspapers have loyal readership, which makes it a powerful advertising tool as compared to internet. Print newspaper is considered very effective when a particular geographic area is being targeted; for example, when you want to notify people of about a forthcoming sporting event. For those who have information to convey, print newspaper is more flexible in terms of space as one is able to determine the size that would best suit his/her needs. Certain print newspapers enjoy many loyal fans, thus increasing their readership (Lad, 2009). On the other hand, print newspapers have certain disadvantages. Print newspaper generally has limited lifespan, meaning they are only available to the public for a single day after which they are withdrawn from sale. Print newspaper may not give a wide reach as compared with internet that has a global audience. Print newspapers have the limitation in terms of the ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 21 audience who may actually read it, and certain copies may actually not be available on demand at all times (Lad, 2009). Evaluation of Online Newspaper Online newspapers tend to offer information to the reader much more quickly as compared to the print version. The online version is always available on the internet before the print version is on the streets. Online publications can normally be updated several times in a day with the latest news and happenings. Moreover, while print version is purchased, online newspapers are accessed free of charge. This makes it possible for a reader to use a wide spectrum of newspapers possible. Online versions enable users to make use of links to divide large units of information into more easily digestible portions, and to search information in the newspaper is also automated. Readers of online versions are able to archive articles on the computer, contact editors via e-mail, and use interactive games (Lad, 2009). The disadvantages attributed to online versions included the fact that they do not give detailed reports on all the subjects and tend to omit several sections found in the print version. This limits information available to the online reader. Reading from a computer does not convey the traditional experience of reading a newspaper, which is a key characteristic of print newspaper. During peak times when several users are scrambling to access news, the download times are very long. Online newspapers are characterized by so many links which are quite confusing instead of being useful, particularly the amount of research necessary and the need to constantly check the link address. One gets tired looking at the computer screen and it may take time to get used to them (Lad, 2009). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 22 Case Study: Star Online and Star Newspaper The Star is one of the leading English language newspapers in Malaysia. The statistics issued from the Audit Bureau of Circulation indicate that the print version of this newspaper has a daily circulation of nearly 950,000 copies while the Sunday Star records a readership of nearly 850,000. The publication is mainly owned by the Malaysian Chinese Association. The main competitors of this publication are The Sun and the New Straits Times, which are also published in English. The Star newspaper traces its history back in 1971, when it was first published as a regional newspaper in Georgetown. By 1976, the newspaper had gained national circulation in Malaysia, and established its headquarters at the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The growth in business saw the company relocate to Petaling Jaya, where it is currently based (Star Publication, 2009). The company’s print newspapers, The Star Daily and The Sunday Star are published in five different editions. Two of the editions cover the northern eninsular states of Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Perak. Two other editions cover the larger country. The Star Daily is divided into sections consisting of the Main Paper, StarBiz, StarTwo, Star Metro, and classified section. The features of the Main Paper are predominantly local and international news. The StarBiz is mainly concerned with trade and reports on market trends, financial reports, and stock market updates. On the other hand, Star Tw o mainly feature articles on entertainment, environment, science, lifestyle, and fashion among several others. Lastly, the content of Star Metro is varied and tends to focus more on the area of circulation (Star Publication, 2009). The continued demand by the publication’s readers saw the emergence of The Star Online, which is an internet version of The Star newspaper. This was in response to the persistent ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 23 demand for an online version of the newspaper, and it finally made entry into the market in 2005. The company prides its strengths as a newspaper on the cornerstones of internet and media ventures. The Star Online and its many components are produced, managed, developed, and contributed to by the Star Division, The Star Online and Multimedia Newsdesk teams of The Star’s Editorial Department (Star Publication, 2009). Newsprint Advertisement Advertisement can be traced to the emergence of trading activities from very early days as evidenced by archeological artifacts drawn from different parts of the world. With the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg who was a German Goldsmith, merchants were able to duplicate advertisements for their wares. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, newsprint advertising had become the primary means for companies to communicate their sales and promotions to the consumers. This was mainly through media such as newspapers, magazines, fliers, posters, and billboards (Walker, 2010). Following the invention of printing press, advertisements became a common place in weekly newspapers and periodical journals. The items, which were mainly featured in such advertisements, included new machines, other print publications or reported the discoveries and inventions of the enlightenment era. The first newsprint to offer advertising space for sale was the French publication La Presse in 1836. This saw this newsprint being sold more cheaply, hence recorded increased readership and profitability. This move inspired other newspapers and magazines across the world to follow suit in this commercial strategy. In the contemporary newsprint, advertising designers are able to visualize highly creative commercials through digital image manipulation in order to make the biggest market impact (Walker, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 24 Newsprints still remain key advertisement medium for every business to such a point that it is hard to imagine doing business without advertising in a newspaper or a magazine. This is particularly important for small businesses that can hardly afford other media of advertisement. Paid-circulation newspapers have for long dominated the mass media market for advertisement as reflected in advertisement sales volumes. Newspapers are very popular with both multinational businesses and small-scale dealers. This is probably due to the fact that businesses come in three distinct forms namely local, regional, and national newspapers each targeting different audience according to its scope of circulation (Patsula Media, 2007). Advantages There are a number of advantages that print newspaper advertisements have over online advertisements. Print newspapers have very wide circulation as almost every home in the city subscribed to daily access of a printed newspaper. Where the advertisement is intended to reach audience only in a particular geographical region, print newspaper readily permits this. The printed advertisement benefits from both permanence and desired obsolescence. This means that a reader is able to refer back or even cut out a particular advert. Print newspapers have a predictable frequency of publication, either on daily or weekly basis, making it possible for advertisers to target days of wider readership for their adverts (Brassil, 2010). The immediacy that print newspapers have makes it possible for urgent advertisements to be responded fast, thereby producing urgent results. When deadlines are short, it permits quick responses to changing market conditions. Readers are already accustomed themselves to getting advertisements on print newspapers to an extent that a good number buys print newspapers just to read advertisements. At the same time, print newspaper reading has nearly become a habit for ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 25 most people. Specific sector adverts can be very easily placed on the various sections of print newspaper such as sports, news, and classifieds to ensure the target is directly hit (Brassil, 2010). Print newspapers give advertisers a lot of flexibility both in size and placement. This means that production changes can be easily responded to whenever the need arises. Advertisements that are placed on print newspapers can be examined at leisure since the exposure is not limited, thus readers are able to take their time going through the message. Since placement on print newspaper can be tailored to a size that suits the budget of the advertiser, it is possible even for small businesses to place their small adverts at low costs. Print newspapers offer wide options to advertisers whether place their advertisements as copy only, copy with graphics, colored, or black and white. Finally, print newspapers features supplements which readers can easily pull out and save (Brassil, 2010). Disadvantages Advertising on print newspaper has not escaped its own set of shortcomings. Because of the large number of advertisements which are featured on the newspaper, any particular advertisement must compete for reader’s attention. This means that readers who only spend a few minutes reading the print newspaper may fail to capture the advertisement. At the same time, there is hardly a guarantee that everybody who reads the print newspaper will read the advertisements placed in it. This is because a print newspaper has several sections and not all readers read every section of the newspaper. The short lifespan, normally daily, that newspapers have forces advertisers to insert multiple advertisements even for a whole week so as to reach a good number of readers. This may be expensive particularly for small businesses (Brassil, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 26 Online Advertisement The revolution in information and communication technology has come with both opportunities and risks for the business community, particularly from the point of view of the traditionally-established media. Internet as a form of computer aided communication is equally unsure for the print media. The technical potential in advertisement that online newspaper offers surpasses that of the printed newspaper in several ways. Online newspaper is interactive multimedia for providing internal and external networks, while offering a selection of functions, possibility for regular updates, access to archives, rapid access to large number of newspapers, and being paperless, thus ensuring there is no problem of waste disposal (Neuberger, Tonnemacher, Bibl Duck, 1998). Advantages The economic constraints that businesses face on everyday basis often leave enterprises with very little money to spare on advertising. This is more common among the small businesses who often find themselves light in the pocket. It is therefore important to opt for an advertisement medium that give optimum output and minimal costs. Online advertisement is generally seen to be complacent in this line than the traditional newsprint advertisement. When online advertisements are on a pay-per-click basis, an entrepreneur only pays when a potential customer clicks on the advert and ends up on the entrepreneur’s website. This ensures that businesses only pay for leads that end up in their website as opposed to mass messages in the print newspaper that may or may not reach the target audience. There is therefore maximum return on investment for a business using online advertisement (Rogers, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 27 Online advertisement also works very quickly given the fact that the day that one gets started is the same day that results manifest. There is basically neither waiting period nor long startup process. Once an entrepreneur is ready to get started, he/she can very easily launch a successful advertisement promotion on a number of channels. This tends to produce quick results and the campaign can also be maintained for a longer period of time unlike print newspapers which have daily lifespan. Online advertisement enables businesses to target their markets more efficiently than print newspapers. This can be achieved through the use of social networks that an entrepreneur considers relevant to the campaign. Once these social networks are identified, a business can dig very deeply into their niche, enabling them to produce the maximum results with very little investment (Rogers, 2010). Advertising online has the advantage of giving elaborate and thorough statistics that enables a business to tweak and optimize their campaigns to the maximum. This is a total deviation from newsprint advertising when one can do very little to track the success of one campaign as compared to another. Online advertising avails quite a number of information just at a mouse click. With online advertising, an entrepreneur is able to monitor the number of people who visits the business website, where they come from, what they did once they were there, and many other details. Online advertisement also allows full control and analysis since one is able to manage how many times to show up in the search engines, thus make it possible to gain huge returns for the business (Rogers, 2010). Disadvantages One key disadvantage that is associated with online advertisement relates to advertising overload as there is incredible amount of clutter on most web pages. This arises from the fact that ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT every advertiser tries to draw the attention of web viewers, making readers have access to too much information which they can hardly digest. Under these circumstances, the web viewers normally choose to ignore the advertisements and this will lead to low rates of return. Also, online advertisement is still a new concept for many advertisement agencies, which simply cannot tell just yet which advertising method works best (Rogers, 2010). 28 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY Introduction In research undertaking, the methodology section is one of the crucial areas to be tackled in a proposal document because it forms the basis of the results of research findings. A research can be faced with big challenges due to wrong choice of method used. To avoid this, good planning of the method is essential and in order to get reliable results. The issue of reliability establishes that a research should have the ability to show consistency in the results even after a study is repeatedly done by different researchers. Reliability in research study can also be enhanced through good structure of the methodology. When the correct data collection methods are used, proportional samples are collected, and the correct method of analysis is used, a research can achieve validity. Since this thesis is inductive in nature, it prompted the application of a qualitative methodology. This means that the views of newspaper publishers and advertisement experts have been given a lot of weight. This was done by administering both physical and online questionnaires as well as conducting in-depth interviews—each lasting nearly 45 minutes. Those interviewed had to be newspaper publishers, advertisement agencies, and general newspaper readers in Malaysia who have been in the sector for the last five years. Moreover, at the time of the interview, they were actively engaged in related media and general businesses. This ensured very rich data was gathered from persons with a wealth of experience. Data Collection Methods The key purpose of data collection was to ensure that a rich set of description was obtained. To achieve this, the interviews were transcribed in real time by the interviewer. The ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 30 responses were then reduced and analyzed by adopting principles of data codification and clustering (Miles Huberman, 1994). This was supplemented by administration of questionnaires as well as comprehensive review of relevant literature. Sources The data gathered for this research is from a wide range of documentary sources relating to newspapers as advertisement medium in general as well as those specifically relating to print newspaper and online newspaper giving special emphasis to The Star Publications. These mainly included policy documents and academic and the non-academic documents. First, journals on newspaper advertisements were searched. Second, electronic databases were searched using key words like ‘newsprint advertisement’, ‘online advertisement’ ‘real The Star newspaper’ and ‘effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. ’ Literature review included both conceptual and empirical works, with about 15 articles reviewed for this study. Interviews The interviews dwelt on the following areas: ? The considerations when choosing advertisement media ? The relationship between newspaper readership and circulation and advertisement impact ? The means of promoting advertisement on both print newspaper and online newspaper so as to enable business reap maximum benefits from these advertisement media ? What the future holds for print newspapers and online newspapers, with emphasis on The Star Daily and The Star Online. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 31 Questionnaires A questionnaire survey of the newspaper publication sector was conducted to understand the aspects of print newspaper and online newspaper advertisements in Malaysia. The survey was explanatory in nature as the objective was to gain insight on the effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. The questionnaire was administered to nearly 100 Malaysia entrepreneurs, 100 Star Publication readers, and over 100 advertisement experts. The set sent to the entrepreneurs and advertisement experts included a cover letter, which explains the purpose and need for the study, the questionnaire document, and a prepaid reply envelope. Letters reminding the respondents of the questionnaires were later sent to those who had not responded within the three weeks duration. Case Study This thesis involves classical use of case studies to gain a deeper insight through the application of a set of ideas. A multiple case study approach helps in developing a theory which is better grounded, more accurate, and more generalized (Eisenhardt Graebner, 2007). Case studies are introduced to test the possible effects that advertising in online newspapers could have on advertising on print newspapers, and the users’ adoption of one over the other. The use of case study is important in practical testing of theories with practitioners in real life situation. The case study organizations are selected based on the idea of theoretical sampling. This is because when it comes to building a theory, theoretical sampling tends to be preferred as compared to generalized concept found in statistical studies. This means that the cases are chosen for theoretical and not for statistical reasons (Schroeder, Linderman, Liedtke Choo, 2008). An analysis has been developed on how the use of online advertisement is steadily gaining popularity among entrepreneurs in Malaysia, and particularly the use of The Star Online. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 32 Survey Analysis From the nearly 100 questionnaires that were mailed to entrepreneurs, 85 were returned. This represented an 85% response to the questionnaires. However, those that contained usable data were only 70, thus a satisfactory response rate can be said to have been reasonably attained. From the 100 questionnaires administered to advertisement experts, 80 were duly completed and handed over. From these about 74 contained usable data representing nearly 80% response rate which can be considered satisfactory. Ninety-five out of the 100 readers of both versions of The Star duly responded to the questionnaires and all had useful data. Chart 1 Treatment of Data In research, the data collected need to be synthesized in order to make sense with regard to what is being studied. The data from the questionnaires in this research were analyzed extensively to retrieve the information contained in them (Zikmund, 2003). The triangulation method for data analysis and interpretation was used to interpret the data collected, basing arguments on grounded theory (Dick, 2000; Knafl Breitmayer, 1991). In addition, the information obtained from the case study were analyzed individually and thereafter, a comparison was made between the different data sources. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 33 Research Limitations The main limitation that may be pointed out in this research is the use of a single case study. However, it is also true that online advertisement is still a recent concept that has not gained much popularity among entrepreneurs. At the same time, the single case approach has weight in the sense that it allows the achievement of a comprehensive analysis. Some of the information have also not been validated through multiple case analyses so as to provide a solid and practical basis for understanding the effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. Rigor, Validity, Reliability, and Ethics The four categories of quality management in research were highly considered. These include validity, reliability, ethics, and rigor (Zikmund, 2003). Reliability of a research is its ability to demonstrate consistency in results; this was achieved through the control of sample by stratifying the population to get a more representative sample. On the other hand, validity is the ability of a scale to measure what it is intended to measure but not going beyond the topic of the study. The triangulation method was used to control this aspect in the thesis. Ethics involves adherence to the norms accepted in gathering of information and this has been ensured by providing secrecy on the information collected from the entrepreneurs. Lastly, the rigor of the research was directed toward efficient sample size in a critical facet in any investigation. The main purpose that a researcher utilizes a sample is to reduce the charges and to collect important data faster (Zikmund, 2003). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT Human Rights Protection The people who were interviewed were assured of their confidentiality. In addition, the information gathered ensures the people’s privacy. The entrepreneurs and their businesses will have their rights protected. Research Schedule/Timeline This research took a period of eight weeks. This is considered an ideal timeframe given the busy schedule of some of the subjects who were to be interviewed and have granted appointments at later dates. A detailed summary of the work plan for the research has been tabulated below: Table 1: Work Plan Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Research proposal Preliminary literature review search Literature review and writing Interviews Case study collection Interview editing, coding and interpretation Report interpretation Report writing and presentation 34 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 35 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS Research findings indicate that The Star Online is not yet well explored as regularly as The Star Daily print version. According to the survey, only 41% of the users of The Star Online read it daily, as opposed to the 60% who read The Daily Star daily. Chart 2 Seventy percent read The Star Online edition several times a week, while 80% read The Star Daily several times a week. Only 5% of online users say they never read a print version. Online newspapers are read less frequently and also for shorter periods than printed newspapers. Four out of five users (81%) spend less than an hour reading The Star Online on days when they read it. Only 35% of print readers spend such a short time on it. About one-third of the readers of both The Star Online and The Star Daily were unwilling to pin themselves down to a particular time of day for reading the paper. One in four (25%) said they read The Star Daily between 5 and 9 a. m. The main time for reading The Star Online is around 6 p. m. (38%)—this is the time preferred by users of the online edition, which can be read ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 36 on the evening before the printed version appears or which are updated several times in the course of the day. In The Star Online version, the classic sections of the newspaper are the most frequently used. The section Local News is also highly popular. One in three readers of the online version uses the archive frequently (32%) and only about one-third of users did not read the small ads (37%). Items with entertainment value or with feedback possibilities were not very popular. Clear differences emerged between the different kinds of versions, and this only shows that preferences are transferred from the print media to their online equivalents. Proof of this is the strong interest in Local/Regional Affairs of Internet users of local and regional newspapers or the importance attached to up-to-date information on politics and business matters. A number of questions dealt with the comparison of the information content of The Star Online compared with The Star Daily. Compared with the print version, the online newspaper was rated 45% of the respondents as providing more expanse of information, while only 30% voted in favor of the print version on this criterion; 20% rated both versions on this count. The smaller size of The Star Online compared with The Star Daily may be the reason that the print newspaper was rated by considerably more respondents as providing greater scope of information. Chart 3 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 37 Regarding finding information in the paper, the position is more positive for The Star Online: 50% of users stated that they could find their way around just as well as in The Star Daily, while 20% were able to find their way around the online version better. With regard to entertainment value, 40% of users found The Star Online just as good as print version, 35% of users rated print version better and 27% favored online version. What about reader loyalty? About 65% would have chosen The Star Daily and just fewer than 30% would have preferred The Star Online, if only one of the versions had been available. The decision in favor of the print version was based on its portability, while the advantages of the online version were seen as being its accessibility from outside the normal circulation area and the avoidance of unwanted paper. The main advantage, however, in the eyes of the respondents was that online newspapers are normally provided free of charge. It is therefore not surprising that only 35% of users would be prepared to accept a charge. Out of these, 80% stated that they would only be willing to pay for online newspapers if they were cheaper than print newspapers. Only 1% of those users willing to accept a charge could imagine paying more for online newspapers. Apparently, then, users are not willing to pay for the advantages of online newspapers. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 38 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION The case study of Star Publications shows that online newspaper users base their activities and/or expectations on the print newspaper and use or design their product accordingly. The online user knows what to expect of a site as the online version retains the name of the printed version, use a similar layout, and similar contents. Moreover, the positive image of a paper can be transferred to the internet. On the other hand, too strong orientation toward the printed original could mean that the possibilities offered by internet technology are not fully exploited—that copy is simply lifted from the printed version. Given such trends toward the future consumption of newspapers, it is clear that online newspapers are steadily taking over the readership of print newspapers. This has the potential of influencing the choices of advertisement media, which entrepreneurs will be making regarding print newspapers or online newspapers. The concern for newspaper publishers would be about the timeframe for which their print newspaper audience would be big enough to justify such huge investment toward publication and distribution of print newspapers. Similar concern would be to entrepreneurs and businesses which still rely heavily on print newspaper for their advertisements. Are they likely to continue using print newspapers for their advertisements or the trend would most likely shift toward online newspapers? The introduction of charges for use seems scarcely possible—at least not as long as the same or similar information is available on the Internet free of charge. The doubts of the advertising industry may evaporate as the Internet becomes increasingly widespread and commonly used (Mutter, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 39 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Major Conclusions It would be quite wrong and misleading to rule out the future of print newspapers as advertising media just because of the increased use of online advertising. The reality is that paid circulation newspapers like The Star and Sunday Star still remain very popular advertising media for both local and international businesses. Print newspapers are the most aged forms of mass media, and will thus continue to be dominant in this field, recording big volumes of advertising revenue. Multinationals and local convenience store will continue to depend on print newspapers for their advertisements. Print newspapers are found in each and every community worldwide and readers are very fond of them (Brassil, 2010). Both online and newsprint advertisement have their characteristics which show strong and weak points. This explains why despite the perceived decline in readership of print newspapers, a scan through a print newspaper will reveal a number of businesses that continue to place their advertisements on daily basis. The continued presence of advertisements on newsprint clearly indicates that it still works as a very effective advertisement medium. Although printed newspaper no longer enjoys exclusive monopoly as the predominant source of news, it is clear that they still remain a strong factor in their specific sphere of influence, and online advertisement is not about to edge it out (Brassil, 2010) Recommendations 1. Entrepreneurs should highly consider using both print and online newspapers for their advertisements since both have reasonable number of loyal readers. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 2. When placing advertisements on online newspapers, designers should avoid putting a lot of emphasis on feedbacks since readers rarely give them attention. 3. Advertisements on both versions of newspapers should be critically placed on segments that are frequented by readers so as to attract their attention with ease. 4. Links placed on online newspapers should be more easy to use so that readers can easily navigate through the paper. 5. Most advertisements that target younger persons should be preferably placed on online newspapers while those targeting older people should be placed on print versions.

Violence of Decolonization Essay -- European History Colonies Essays

Violence of Decolonization Frantz Fanon argues the decolonization must always be a violent phenomenon because resisting a colonizing power using only politics will not work. Europeans justified colonization by treating it as gods work. They believed that god wanted then to occupy all lands and spread the word of god to savages of darker skin color. Fanon joined the Algerian Nationalist Movement when the Algeria was being colonized be the French. Many examples of violence written of in The Wretched of the Earth were taken from the struggle for independence in Algeria. Also the writing is sympathetic towards colonized natives. Fanon claims decolonization causes violent actions from both settlers and natives and creates intolerant views toward the opposite party. Violence from Europeans during the colonization is a tactic used to keep the natives oppressed and a resistance minimal. The police officers and soldiers of the settlers used excessive force to show dominance and create an "atmosphere of submission" in native communities (Fanon, 38). European schools, churches, and economic societies were set up on colonized people's land. These acts of segregation and practices of European values were an insult to natives and helped fuel violent protests. Officers who would patrol the boarders between the two groups and political leaders would serve as a "go-between" person for negotiations (Fanon 62). Negotiations involving larger masses of bodies were feared to lead to aggression. Although the politic between these groups was a slow moving process, when native political or independence parties begin to immerge, the colonial governments will allow concede to some writes demanded by natives. Settlers did this to contr... ...ent of psychiatry and included Psychiatrist's notes about the effects the war was having on the native people. Lack of dignity, depression, inferiority complex, suicidal and homicidal tendencies were psychiatric disorders developed by colonized people resulting from the forces lifestyle change, extreme violence, raping, and murder of the native people. Decolonization causes violence and aggression form both settlers and natives. It also harvests hatred and extreme prejudice toward the opposite party. Settlers see violence as the most effective method of conquering new land where the colonized see violence as the most effective way to regain their freedom. Violence from both settlers and natives simultaneously during a period of decolonization reinforces Fanon's argument. Work Cited Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press, 1963

Benazir Income Support Programme Research Proposal Essay

In this ongoing research, the researcher wants to analyze the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Keeping in view the agenda of our research the researcher identify the main organizational model and implement structure, characteristics or components of Benazir income support programme and there affects in social, poverty alleviation/reduction and economy of Pakistan. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been initiated by Government of Pakistan with initial allocation of Rs.34 billion (US $ 425 million approximately) for the year 2008-09 which is the third largest allocation in the total budget and is 0.3% of the GDP for the year 2008-09. The Programme has been initiated to partially offset the impact of inflation on the purchasing power of the poorer sections of the society. In the years 2005-07, inflation stood at almost 10% with food inflation in the range of 13-15%. In the year 2007-08 sharp rise in oil prices and primary products in the international as well as domestic market resulted in double digit inflation rate, which has almost halved the purchasing power of the people. Hence there is urgent need for direct and speedy relief to the poor sections of the society and BISP is the response to the above compulsions. The Programme is aimed at covering almost 15% of the entire population, which constitutes 40% of the population below the poverty line. A monthly payment of Rs.1000/ per family would increase the income of a family earning Rs.5000 by 20%. BISP will cover all four provinces including FATA, AJK, and FANA & ICT. Husband, wife and dependent children constitute a family. There are quite a few reasons behind this perception, the leading one being that the idea is fairly new and very attractive in order to describe the role and structural factors, mechanism of Benazir income support programme. The purpose and goal behind this study is to ultimate define the pro and cons of Benazir income support programme and their effects on Pakistan economy and what impact on poverty reduction and economic factors? i. Description: The proposed research will focus on the Benazir Income Support Programme mechanism , structure and their distribution of funds, impact on poverty reduction and alleviation, empowerment of women’s and economic factors. The research will initially be carried out locally which can be expanded to other major cities as and when required according to our research prerequisites. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) working as to help the needy people of the society to a great extent and mitigate their sufferings. Some former economic experts said the programme should provide benefit as many as three million people will be implemented with complete transparency and beyond political affiliations. The special feature of the programme is to give priority to remote and backward areas where the people have fewer chances of business and employment. The government he said would provide maximum relief to 33 percent people living below the poverty line by supporting them through Benazir Income Support Programme. The main objective of the study is to determine either the BISP achieve their goals in order of poverty alleviation/reduction, empowerment of women and social and economic factors. In order to need of this research, tools like interviews and questionnaires will be used in addition to the literature available. On the basis of these findings, inference and analysis will be made to reach to the answers of our research objectives. Economic Context: 2005-2007 Inflation: over 10% Food Inflation: 13-15% 2007-2008 Oil price shock, inflation rate doubled Purchasing power since 2005 ~ halved Inflation in 2008-2009 was above 20% Urgent need for direct and speedy relief Demographic Context: All 4 provinces, including FATA, AJK, FANA & ICT Households 25 m Population 166 m Assumed Poverty Line: 33% Bottom 33% Bottom 20% Bottom 10% Household 8.2 m 5.0 m 2.5 m Population 55.0 m 33.2 m 17 m Source: Pakistan Economic Survey, 2007-08; adjusted for AJK & FANA population BISP Cash Transfer: Complements other social protection instruments and services like health, education etc. Confers dignity and choice. Lower transaction cost and higher value to beneficiaries than in-kind support. Impacts short term food security and long term alleviation of poverty. BISP can serve as a mechanism to deliver cash assistance in times of natural disasters/ crisis in affected areas. ii. Scientific Objectives: The main idea and objective behind this research is to find whether the Benazir income support programme have properly working in order to achieve their objective for ultimate reduction in poverty alleviation, empowering women and stabilize the economy and reduction in unemployment or other economic consequences. BISP is based on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the globally agreed set of social and economic targets that are supposed to be realized by 2015. The idea of BISP was to bring the women into the mainstream. Besides cash help, the programme caries other benefits like health and accident insurances as well as vocational training so that the recipients ultimately become self-sufficient. The hypothesis formulated would be: Null Hypothesis: Benazir Income Support Programme is fully geared and helping towards in order of reduction in poverty alleviation and empowerment of women in Pakistan. Alternative Hypothesis: Benazir Income Support Programme is not fully geared and helping towards in order of reduction in poverty alleviation and empowerment of women in Pakistan. The main objectives which are intended to be completed by the end of the study are: A measure to compensate low income families for reduction of purchasing power. A cash grant of Rs. 2000/ every alternate month. Only one benefit per family. Empowering Women: Only female recipients: Female head of family or adult female member of the family can be a recipient. â€Å"This is not a party specific programme, it is for the people of Pakistan, because of its transparency, the entire world, and donor agencies are cooperating and are sending their offers to us.† To helping the families of the victims of bomb blasts and those of the earthquakes as well as the displaced persons from the Swat region and bajour agency and etc. To reduction in poverty alleviation. Be timely and unbiased. Temporary so as not to create dependency. Not too large, so as not to jeopardize work incentives or have an inflationary effect. Careful attention to design and implementation. Careful monitoring and evaluation. Eligibility criteria to be predefined, transparent, easy to explain and simple to administer. Important linkages to the some studies and work accomplished by various workers in the field highlighted below: References: Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Director General (Operations) BISP. Grosh, M., Ninno, C., Tesliuc, E. & Ouerghi, A. (2008), ‘the Design and Implementation of Effective Safety Nets: For Protection & Promotion’ the World Bank, Washington, D.C. www.bisp.gov.pk www.pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=2949 iii. Methodology: The methodology involved in this research the researcher would be used content analysis both as qualitative and quantitative. Content analysis is part of the empirical, social scientific tradition and it is method which has been developed to investigate the patterns of our study. The two major techniques of content analysis, depending on the analytical methods used, which are quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis. Quantitative Analysis: The purpose of this analysis is to quantify and manifest features of a large number of media texts. Qualitative analysis is generally concerned with how often a variable is presented and the amount can communicate in numbers. Which allows great precision in reporting the results? So in quantitative research process the application of different test would be made and regression analysis would be used and run. Qualitative Content Analysis: This type of content analysis contains a minimum of quantitative measurement, standardization and mathematical techniques (opposite). Qualitative analysis of content is used to explain the quantitative data and to interpret direction of the contents. Steps of Content Analysis: Universe of the Study: To define the universe is to specify the boundaries of the body of content to be considered, which requires an appropriate operational definition of the relevant population. This research considers the main mechanism of Benazir income support programme in respect of their characteristics, objectives, components and their effects. Sample of the Study The sampling would include individuals, institutions and all the other society factors. The target will be all major sources. Questionnaires. Interviews. Emails. The information will be collected by specially designed interviews and questionnaires, keeping in mind the research objective. iv. Benefits/Usefulness: BISP Coverage: Allocation for 2008-09: Rs 34 bn (US$ 425 m) ~ 0.3% of GDP Target coverage (3.5 million families) ~ 15% of the population Allocation for 2009-10: Rs.70 bn (US$ 875 m) Target beneficiary families for 2009-10: 5 million Plans over the medium term to extend coverage to 7 million families by 2010-2011. Seperation of Function: Functional separation for transparency and efficiency. Eligibility Criteria Monthly income less than Rs. 6000. No family member in government service. Possession of no or less than 3 acres of agricultural land or up to 3 Marlas residential property. Possession of Computerized National Identity Card. Should not be beneficiary of other support programmes. Should not have an account with a foreign bank. Should not possess a passport or an Overseas Pakistani identity card. Requirements/Conditions: Identification of applicants / recipients through democratically elected Parliamentarians. Equal number of forms distributed to each Parliamentarian. Attestation by local level representatives of Parliamentarians and Union Councilors. Screening / Verification of basic criteria through checks with National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA). Cost effective & quick targeting process. Benefits Level A cash grant of Rs. 2000/ every alternate month. Rs. 1000 = 20% increase in income for family earning Rs. 5000/ pm. At prevalent prices Rs. 1000 payout is sufficient to finance 20-25 days flour needs of a family with 5-6 individuals. Rs. 1000/ pm not a labor disincentive – only women family member is recipient. Emergency relief package for IDP’s, victims of bomb blast and terrorism and earthquake affected districts of balochistan. Monitoring of Payments Internal monitoring mechanisms of Pakistan Post Department. External Monitoring through BISP Provincial and Regional Offices. Pakistan Post reports monthly (electronically) to BISP on payments, with list/addresses of houses and name of postman making the delivery. Eligibility and Payment status available on BISP. (www.bisp.gov.pk) Implementation Status Forms Processing Status by NADRA (as of 13 July 2009) Total Forms Processed: 3,736,914 Total Eligible: 2,122,038 Total Ineligible: 496,927 Total In†process: 50,600 Total Withheld: 1,067,349 2. Year wise physical and financial plan of work (Phasing): The following time line shall be observed while performing the research or study: 0-2 Literature and Data Review 2-3 Research Design will be Formulated 3-4 Theoretical Frameworks Designed 4-6 Collection of Data 6-8 Data Analysis and Discussion 8-10 Findings 10-12 Report Writing and Recommendations in the light of above analysis 3. Participating Personnel’s: Sir Sardar Zahid Sami Ullah Tahir Mukhtar 4. Infrastructure Facilities: Already Available: COMSATS facilities will be available, which includes office support, library support and research. Scientific Personnel: _____________________________________________ Proposed to be established: Fax Machine would be used. Scanner would be required. Photocopy would be required. 2 Laptops would be required. Laser printer would be required. USB Flash Drive would be required. One portable hard drive would be required. One Digital Video Cam would be required.

A Field Trip to Dell, Inc. Website

This is one business in the United States where IT is the center of commerce, and people are in constant interaction with technology.Background & PurposeThe writer has made a field trip to Dell, Inc.’s business website early at around 6 am on the 7th day of August 2007.   I chose this site because Dell, Inc. has basically been one of my favorite brands when it comes to computer hardware products like personal computers, servers, software, data storage devices, and personal digital assistants.   Dell manufactures even my PC, so instead of going to Round Rock, Texas where its headquarters are presently located, I used IT and the media to connect to the company and make a ‘virtual’ field trip.My purpose here is to evaluate five things: first, the purpose of the website; second, the assumed user profile; third, the psychological and social human habits that are reflected in their website design; fourth, the advanced technology or technologies that they use; fifth, the way media visitors interact with technology; sixth and last, whether the technology affects cultural and social interactions.   What I should be careful to observe are the physical and human environments that are good precursors of interpersonal relationship.FindingsFrom my virtual field trip on Dell, Inc., my findings can be described as follows:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of the website is multi-faceted, although the overall function of the site is to inform people about their company, their business, their products, the events that they have, and the benefits of choosing them as a computer manufacturing company.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The assumed user profile revolves around high-tech visitors of big suburban cities around the world (the Western, most especially).   It appears from its website design that the major group of people that are being invited to enter are those that are from the middle age, middle class society mainly because of the simplicity of design, some picturesque views, and a group of middle-aged, middle class people that are shown interacting.   Business investors are also included in this virtual user profile.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The psychological and social human habits that are reflected in their website design constitute the concepts of simplicity, brotherhood, purity or creed (The Soul of Dell), being environmentally friendly, and the magnitude of technology.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advanced technologies that the company use can be subdivided into the following categories: first, the high-tech marketing information systems; second, the ultra-modern system of computer product manufacturing; third, the use of digital equipment for customer and human resource management; fourth, the use of ‘virtual integration’ and ‘fast-cycle segmentation’;[1] fifth and final, the ongoing use, innovation and improvement of Dell computer and its digital technology.5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Media visitors of t he Dell, Inc. website interact with technology from the start of the virtual tour up to the end.   Each buttons that they use in their personal computers bring them to a different tab or window in their screens, and all these can be labeled as interactions with technology.6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on my virtual tour at Dell, Inc. website, it is very obvious that technology affects cultural and social interactions.   Companies have the power to reflect cultural, social, and psychological views in the designing of their websites, in the laying out of fundamental ideas and codes, and in the types of information that are being shown.ConclusionsBeforehand, it was my preconception that Dell, Inc.’s physical and human environments would only revolve around the higher-class society of the Western world.However, based on the front picture on their website, the city that is shown does not necessarily pertain to the Western world but any city around the globe that is high-tech and vi rtual.   From brown hairs to black, the only thing that is similar among the people that were shown in the web pictures was that they were all high-class and contemporary.   Human habits depict one that is globally interconnecting, with a concern for earth and brotherhood.This visit changed my views by revealing that IT does not simply interact with people as a whole but that it connects with every viewer by reflecting significant psychological and social human habits that are most appealing for a given time and environment.   As of now, the environment covers the global spectrum because we are in the digital age, and the only American emblem that we see is the small flag of the USA.   Technology has the power to affect cultural and social interactions by affecting interpersonal relationship at best.SpeculationIt is my speculation that cultural and political wars do not help virtual companies like Dell, Inc..   This is because the overall concept that is readily seen in th eir website is one on concord and brotherhood.   The company has to ignite a very positive aura in the media, yet with all these they should also be true to their country as well.   To be a virtual company is to be clever both in social and interpersonal relationships inside and outside the country.ReferencesDell, Inc.   (2007).   Company: about Dell.   Retrieved August 7, 2007, from http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/en/home?c=us&l=en&s=corp&~ck=mn.Magretta, J.   (1998).   The power of virtual integration: an interview with Dell Computer’s Michael Dell.   Harvard Business Review, March-April, 73-84.[1] This makes use of the most sensible timesaving devices, such as customer focus, supplier partnerships, mass customization, and just-in-time manufacturing.

Letter to the Taliban essays

Letter to the Taliban essays The people of the world and I have recently been troubled by a problem, and this problem has been caused by you. The evil word for our difficulties is called terrorism, and we will no longer tolerate such barbaric acts. Solutions are available to put an end to such atrocities, and ultimately put an end to you and any other groups or countries that aid you in your attempts to destroy our people or our way of life. In the past our country has been threatened by other incidents of terrorism; some were minor, but others were much worse. Some of the perpetrators of these crimes were apprehended and imprisoned, and others were never caught. Therefore, in retrospect, and with the present circumstances as they are, it seems that our earlier reactions to these terroristic acts and our punishment for them were never quite as severe as they possibly needed to be. However, now the times and circumstances are different. On September 11, 2001, you performed one of the most horrific and cowardly acts the world has ever known. By hi-jacking four of our commercial airliners, you broke international laws and committed acts of terrorism that cannot be dealt with so easily. By crashing two of these planes into the World Trade Center, and two others into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, you have sealed your own fate. Early on an ordinary Tuesday morning, your dastardly operation killed thousands of freedom-loving Americans, people who were only undertaking their daily responsibilities at their work- places, others who were traveling to various destinations across the country, and even tourists who were visiting that world-famous location in lower Manhattan. Your insane purpose drove you to kill more than just any average citizen; you annihilated sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, aunts and uncles, and t ...

Biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria Empress Elisabeth (born Elisabeth of Bavaria; December 24, 1837 – September 10, 1898) was one of the most famous royal women in European history. Famed for her great beauty, she was also a diplomat who oversaw the unification of Austria and Hungary. She holds the title of the longest-serving Empress of Austria in history. Fast Facts: Empress Elisabeth of Austria Full Name:  Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, Duchess in Bavaria, later Empress of Austria and Queen of HungaryOccupation: Empress of Austria and Queen of HungaryBorn: December 24, 1837 in Munich, BavariaDied: September 10, 1898 in Geneva, SwitzerlandKey Accomplishments: Elisabeth was Austria’s longest-serving empress. Although she was often at odds with her own court, she had a special relationship with the Hungarian people and was instrumental in bringing about the uniting of Austria and Hungary in an equal, dual monarchy.Quote: â€Å"Oer thee, like thine own sea birds  / Ill circle without rest / For me earth holds no corner  /  To build a lasting nest.† – from a poem written by Elisabeth Early Life: The Young Duchess Elisabeth was the fourth child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. Duke Maximilian was a bit eccentric and decidedly more progressive in his ideals than his fellow European aristocrats, which heavily influenced Elisabeths beliefs and upbringing. Elisabeth’s childhood was much less structured than many of her royal and aristocratic counterparts. She and her siblings spent much of their time riding in the Bavarian countryside, rather than in formal lessons. As a result, Elisabeth (fondly known as â€Å"Sisi† to her family and closest confidantes) grew to prefer a more private, less structured lifestyle. Throughout her childhood, Elisabeth was particularly close to her older sister Helene. In 1853, the sisters traveled with their mother to Austria in hopes of an extraordinary match for Helene. Ludovikas sister Sophie, mother of Emperor Franz Joseph, had tried and failed to secure a match for her son among major European royalty and instead turned to her own family. Privately, Ludovika also hoped the trip might secure a second marriage in the family: between Franz Joseph’s younger brother, Karl Ludwig, and Elisabeth. A Whirlwind Romance and the Aftermath Serious and pious, Helene did not appeal to the 23-year-old emperor, although his mother expected he would obey her wishes and propose to his cousin. Instead, Franz Joseph fell madly in love with Elisabeth. He insisted to his mother that he would not propose to Helene, only to Elisabeth; if he could not marry her, he swore he would never marry. Sophie was deeply displeased, but she eventually acquiesced. Franz Joseph and Elisabeth married on April 24, 1854. The period of their engagement had been a strange one: Franz Joseph was reported by all to be full of joy, but Elisabeth was quiet, nervous, and often found crying. Some of this could certainly be attributed to the overwhelming nature of the Austrian court, as well as the reportedly overbearing attitude of her aunt-turned-mother-in-law. The Austrian court was intensely strict, with rules and etiquette that frustrated the progressive-minded Sisi. Even worse was her relationship with her mother-in-law, who refused to cede power to Elisabeth, who she viewed as a silly girl incapable of being an empress or mother. When Elisabeth and Franz Joseph had their first child in 1855, the Archduchess Sophie, Sophie refused to allow Elisabeth to care for her own child or even name her. She did the same to the next daughter, Archduchess Gisela, born in 1856. Following Gisela’s birth, the pressure increased even further on Elisabeth to produce a male heir. A cruel pamphlet was anonymously left in her private chambers that suggested the role of a queen or empress was only to bear sons, not to have political opinions, and that a consort who did not bear a male heir would be a scheming danger to the country. It is widely believed that Sophie was the source. Elisabeth suffered another blow in 1857, when she and the archduchesses accompanied the emperor to Hungary for the first time. Although Elisabeth discovered a deep kinship with the more informal and straightforward Hungarian people, it was also the site of great tragedy. Both her daughters fell ill, and the Archduchess Sophie died, only two years old. An Active Empress Following Sophie’s death, Elisabeth retreated from Gisela as well. She began the obsessive beauty and physical regimens that would grow into the stuff of legend: fasting, rigorous exercise, an elaborate routine for her ankle-length hair, and stiff, tightly-laced corsets. During the long hours required to maintain all of this, Elisabeth was not inactive: she used this time to learn several languages, study literature and poetry, and more. In 1858, Elisabeth finally fulfilled her expected role by becoming the mother of an heir: the Crown Prince Rudolf. His birth helped her gain a larger foothold of power at court, which she used to speak on behalf of her beloved Hungarians. In particular, Elisabeth grew close to Hungarian diplomat Count Gyula Andrassy. Their relationship was a close alliance and friendship and was also rumored to be a love affair – so much so that, when Elisabeth had a fourth child in 1868, rumors swirled that Andrassy was the father. Elisabeth was forced away from politics around 1860, when several bouts of ill health caught up with her, along with stress brought on by the rumors of her husband’s affair with an actress. She used this as an excuse to withdraw from court life for some time; her symptoms often returned when she returned to the Viennese court. It was around this time that she began standing her ground with her husband and mother-in-law, especially when they wanted another pregnancy – which Elisabeth did not want. Her marriage with Franz Joseph, already distant, became even more so. She relented, however, in 1867, as a strategic move: by returning to her marriage, she increased her influence in time to push for the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which created a dual monarchy in which Hungary and Austria would be equal partners. Elisabeth and Franz Joseph became King and Queen of Hungary, and Elisabeth’s friend Andrassy became the prime minister. Her daughter, Valerie, was born in 1868, and became the object of all her mother’s pent-up maternal affection, sometimes to an extreme extent. The Hungarian Queen With her new official role as queen, Elisabeth had more excuse than ever to spend time in Hungary, which she gladly took. Even though her mother-in-law and rival Sophie died in 1872, Elisabeth often remained away from court, choosing instead to travel and to raise Valerie in Hungary. She dearly loved the Magyar people, as they loved her, and gained a reputation for her preference for â€Å"common† people over mannered aristocrats and courtiers. Elisabeth was shattered with yet another tragedy in 1889 when her son Rudolf died in a suicide pact with his mistress Mary Vetsera. This left Franz Josephs brother Karl Ludwig (and, upon Karl Ludwigs death, his son Archduke Franz Ferdinand) as the heir. Rudolf had been an emotional boy, like his mother, who was forced into a military upbringing that did not suit him at all. Death seemed everywhere for Elisabeth: her father had died in 1888, her sister Helene died in 1890, and her mother in 1892. Even her steadfast friend Andrassy passed in 1890. Her fame continued to increase, as did her desire for privacy. Over time, she repaired her relationship with Franz Joseph, and the two became good friends. Distance seemed to help the relationship: Elisabeth was traveling extensively, but she and her husband corresponded often. Assassination and Legacy Elisabeth was traveling incognito in Geneva, Switzerland in 1898 when news of her presence leaked. On September 10, she and a lady-in-waiting were walking to board a steamer when she was attacked by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni, who wanted to kill a monarch, any monarch. The wound was not evident at first, but Elisabeth collapsed soon after boarding, and it was discovered that Lucheni had stabbed her in the chest with a thin blade. She died almost immediately. Her body was returned to Vienna for a state funeral, and she was buried in the Capuchin Church. Her killer was apprehended, tried, and convicted, then committed suicide in 1910 while in prison. Elisabeth’s legacy – or legend, depending on who you ask – carried on in several ways. Her widower founded the Order of Elizabeth in her honor, and many monuments and buildings in Austria and Hungary bear her name. In earlier stories, Elisabeth was portrayed as a fairy-tale princess, likely because of her whirlwind courtship and because of the most famous portrait of her: a painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter that depicted her with diamond stars in her floor-length hair. Later biographies attempted to uncover the depth of Elisabeth’s life and inner conflict. Her story has captivated writers, musicians, filmmakers, and more, with dozens of works based on her life finding success. Instead of an untouchable, ethereal princess, she was often depicted as a complex, often unhappy woman – much closer to reality. Sources Hamann, Brigitte. The Reluctant Empress: A Biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Knopf, 1986.Haslip, Joan, The Lonely Empress: Elisabeth of Austria. Phoenix Press, 2000.Meares, Hadley. The Tragic Austrian Empress Who Was Murdered By Anarchists. History.