Importance of Education in Human Development

Importance of Education in Human Development Education is one of the main crucial aspects towards human development. This means, it is important in shaping human life and development. There are several types of education namely formal, informal and non formal education. These types of education are normally given since childhood to adulthood and they vary from society to society. Childhood is a critical stage in human development so education provided during that period needs to be a special one. Several authors have done some works to show weaknesses in childhood education systems and pedagogies and they have identified some measures to improve. Those authors include Maria Montessori and Margaret Mead. They show the need for educational reform in order to bring peoples socio-economic development. The main purpose of this paper is therefore to identify some problems and weaknesses in educating children and to provide suggested measures for improvement. It will focus on the work of Maria Montessori which was based in Italy exper ience and Margaret Mead basing in America and Samoa  [1]  experience. The paper will focus on formal education in schools and informal education in the homes. Maria Montessori (1912) in her work, the Montessori method, argues that through different ways, the existed education system is not proper to children. She shows weakness of the old scientific pedagogy and proposing new kind of scientific pedagogy. She says, the principle of slavery pervades pedagogy and therefore the same principle pervades school. She argues for reform and transformation of the whole school environment including the roles of educators, school buildings, sitting arrangement, lessons to be taught as well as the teachings methods. She is proposing the Montessori Method as a critical consideration of the new pedagogy in its relation to modern science. She shows the need to move away from a false and narrow way of educating children to a more free system in order to have a true and proper system for training the future generation. Starting with the role of teachers or educators, she says they should be very well prepared on how to deal and interact with children. That preparation should be based on the spirit rather than on the mechanism in order to awaken their mind and hearts. To her, the teachers tend to pour certain knowledge and facts into the heads of the pupils and in order to succeed in that they need to discipline the pupils into immobility and force their attention through systems of prizes and punishments. She argues that prizes and punishments are instrument of slavery of the spirit and they are incentives toward unnatural or forced effort and that cannot be considered as natural development of the child. Even if nowadays there are no whippings or other forms of punishments in schools, even scolding of teachers or giving a pupil bad mark is not encouraged by the author. This system of prizes may turn an individual aside from true choices and make him/her choose a false one and forced to follow it. Prizes and punishments may have various negative consequences for the children because even in future, at work the children will tend to work for prizes and rewards instead of professional motivation. However, the system is still very common and continues today in many parts of the world and people are so rigid to change it. It is argued that education should guide childrens learning but it represses instead. According to Montessori, the teachers task should be to nourish, assist, watch, encourage, guide, induce, rather than to interfere, restrict or prescribe. In case of school buildings, class rooms and sitting arrangement, she says they are structured in such way that they prevent and repress children mobility and behaviours. They also make the children to study in unhygienic conditions which endanger even their physical development. She argues that it is not good for children to grow up in an artificial environment so she proposes pupils liberty, auto education, establishment of harmony between the work and activities of home life and school tasks so as to improve the children education. She says the scientific pedagogy in the school should permit free and natural manifestations of the child. It is true that free children can learn best than those tied to false and fake environment which does not portray their real life. Restricting children mobility in schools has similar consequences like rewards and punishments. It degrades their bodies and spirits and can lead to forced discipline and lack of confidence. The Montessori Method consists of various lessons including intellectual education, muscular education and education of the senses to name a few. She believes that education of the senses is very important for guiding practical life. At the same time, Montessori drives our attention to the role of religious education as being important to guide children moral life. In this case, the education system needs to be comprehensive and it should not just focus on teaching children reading, writing and arithmetic. However, in our contemporary society this may not be very practical because of the declining role of religion in peoples life. There are people who do not practice any religion anymore. It is argued that, the Montessori system is not yet complete but it comprises a system well enough established to be practical in all child care institutions and in the first elementary classes. The system originated from the preceding pedagogical experiences with abnormal children when it was discovered that abnormal children when taught in a different and special way and if helped in their psychic development they can be able to learn and compete with normal children. This fact proved that the normal children are being suffocated and repressed hence they do not reach their full development. This derived the need to apply similar methods to normal children so as to develop and set free their personality. It is believed that these methods will guard a persons natural life and free him or her from the so called oppressive and degrading society. Montessori now saw the need to apply her methods and to develop didactic materials  [2]  which could effectively be used in the so called Children Houses  [3]  . It is also important to mention that the Montessori system represents the successive work of other three physicians namely Itard, Seguin and Kant. The system had been widely accepted and it is applied in many countries including the developed and developing countries. However, it needs special skills, knowledge and materials so it can be argued that it is expensive to run. It is applied in some private schools but it is a challenge in public schools. Also it application can conflict with the home environment of the child when there are two different systems at home and school. It can function well if parents are also aware of it. Mead (1928), in her work on Coming of Age in Samoa, also analyses gaps and weaknesses in the education system in America by comparing it with Samoa experience. Mead focuses more on the childs home environment but also she analyzes the childs school environment. When analysing education of the Samoan child, she explains how children from infant stage are raised and different roles of family members in raising children. She also shows how children are handled and educated before and after puberty until they get married. Here, she has analysed an African society of Samoa which has not yet received external contacts from other countries especially the developed countries. The society she also describes as a primitive society. She analyses this society by showing how a child learns from his or her surrounding environment. However, she does not argue that it is perfect way of raising and educating children but she points out that there are crucial things which a developed society such as A merica can learn from it. Like Montessori, she acknowledges the importance of a childs home and natural environment for learning. In Samoa, from birth until the age of four of five a childs education is simple, focussing on physical development such as learning how to sit and crawl. Young girl and boys of six or seven years are the ones responsible for caring, socializing and disciplining the small children. However, there is unequal treatment for boys and girls because girls are more burned with child caring responsibility and they have little opportunity to learn some other forms of work and play compared to the boys. However, it is noted that with the introduction of formal schooling by the government, the children are now being removed from home and they stay in school for many hours. This will in turn bring disorganization and change of the traditional system. Mead sees several problems in the American education system in comparing it with Samoa. In Samoa, children are not forced to learn or punished harshly for slowness of development as in America. She argues that punishments such as whippings in schools can make a child able to make mathematical calculations but she/he wont be able to interpret or make sense of it. Like Montessori she criticizes punishments in schools but she doesnt identify rewards as a problem. She also argues that, the American education system tends to confuse pupils because it fails to make important connection between the school and the home environment. There are cases where by things allowed at home are not allowed at school. American children spend many hours in school learning tasks which do not have visible connections with what their parents are doing as opposed to Samoan children. They are also encouraged and left to play with toys and dolls which are meaningless. The education system fails to include children participation and integrating school life with the surrounding community like what Samoa does to its children. American boys and girls finish school at the age of 14 and 18 and are ready to work but they have few choices to make because the education and the skills they get influence which work they should do. Here, she calls for an education system which will prepare and train the children the choices which confront them. She suggests education in the home even more than at school. Like Montessori, Mead also stresses the need for practical education. For Montessori, a good way for solving this problem had been to establish children houses. Mead adds that, education system in America had the problem of handling children of different endowment and different rates of development. There had been a tendency of keeping children in one educational step for a long time in order to give time to the mentally defective children to catch up. This has many disadvantages to the children and to Montessori also, this is a way of repressing and degrading childs full development. Generally, Mead sees problems in educating and treating children at home and in schools. She urges for education reform which will enable children to make important choices for their life. Education should also give more attention to mental and physical hygiene and in this way like Montessori, she argues that a child needs to be health in mind and body and she or he should learn freely without being tied to some systems or to one regime. America has a heterogeneous culture and various philosophies so children should be taught how to think instead of not to think. They need to be taught how to make individual choices and to tolerate the heterogeneous culture. In conclusion, the two authors have identified how education of children is structured and they have identified errors gaps and weaknesses which need to be worked on. Although the authors come from two different societies they have been able to identify some common problems and in one way or another some similar measures on educational reform. This might be due to the fact that they have some similar background as developed countries. It is surprisingly true that the problems identified persist in many other countries including the developing countries till today. In that case, it can be argued that the developing countries might have adopted similar educational schemes through colonialism.

Haruki Murakami’s Short Stories Essay

Haruki Murakami pens many a short story about a disenchanted character walking through life without much of a reason to be there. His protagonists share a sense of isolation from the other characters; their siblings, significant others, parents and coworkers all fail to get through to them in their different quests to find answers to life’s most important questions. Example: why did a strange man appear at the foot of my bed and lead to my eventual inability to get a good night’s sleep? The literal isolation of the characters from meaningful relationships creates an overarching sense of isolation in the mood of the stories, making the reader too feel as though no one understands them. The protagonists of each of Murakami’s stories share a sense of loneliness and disconnect with the people around them. In â€Å"Sleep,† the protagonist is a woman who has inexplicably lost her ability to sleep. This leads to her discovery of her disinterest in her life. The mundane aspects of her marriage, her relationship with her son, her duties in her everyday life, all become suddenly and horribly apparent to her. However, she does not feel propelled to tell her aforementioned husband or son about her problems with sleep. â€Å"Neither my husband nor my son has noticed that I’m not sleeping. And I haven’t mentioned it to them. I don’t want to be told to see a doctor. I know it wouldn’t do any good. I just know. Like before. This is something I have to deal with myself. So they don’t suspect a thing.† This inability to share experiences with family members illustrates the general attitude Murakami creates within his stories. Obsession with things separate from the self is very apparent in Murakami’s work. â€Å"The Kidney Shaped Stone that Moves Everyday† is a short story in which the protagonist himself is a short story author. Junpei’s own life experiences, in particular his father’s advice that only three women in a man’s life have real meaning to him, informs a story Junpei himself writes, about a doctor who finds a stone that eventually overtakes her life: â€Å"She is engaged in hurried coupling with her lover one evening in an anonymous hotel room when she stealthily reaches around to his back and feels for the shape of a kidney. She knows that her kidney-shaped stone is lurking in there. The kidney is a secret informer that she herself has buried in her lover’s body†¦ The lady doctor grows gradually more used to the existence of the heavy, kidney-shaped stone that shifts position every night. She comes to accept it as natural. She is no longer surprised when she finds that it has moved during the night†¦ After a while, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to take her eyes off the stone, as if she has been hypnotized. She gradually loses interest in anything else.† These excerpts from the story illustrate Junpei’s inability to rid himself of the advice given to him from his father, and in a way illustrate a person’s inability to let things go, how small things like stones grow to large sizes inside of us, and when we try to cast them away, it is not always easy to rid ourselves of them. â€Å"Having cast away the stone, she feels a new sense of lightness. The next day, however, when she goes to the hospital, the stone is on her desk, waiting for her.† This metaphor is a two-layer cake (excuse the metaphor to explain a metaphor!) in which the top layer is, of course, Junpei’s inability to let go of his father’s possibly misguided advice, and the bottom layer is our culture’s inability to unplug the phones, and get off the internet. Social networking digs inside of humanity to create a deep addiction that cannot simply be cast away. Nearly all of Murakami’s stories use a sort of emptiness in the life of his characters to show the effects of the narcissism of the modern age on people and their loss of faith, disconnection from family and friends and the general sense of loneliness. The isolation in Murakami’s work is an elegant metaphor for the isolation social networking creates in modern day society. The hilarious juxtaposition between being just the touch of a button away from someone, whilst being incredibly far away from them at the same time, is shown in Murakami’s character’s inability to truly connect with his or her families. This loneliness and disconnect is created by showing a deep-set misunderstanding between the characters and those around them. In â€Å"Sleep† the protagonist feels unable to share her problems with her family partly because of the fact that previously, people did not notice her going through major turmoil, â€Å"I lost fifteen pounds that month, and no one noticed. No one in my family, not one of my friends or classmates, realized that I was going through life asleep.† She believes that her family truly will not notice, or understand her predicament. She does not want to go to a doctor, because she believes her problem to be something she must go through alone. While this belief that she should not see a doctor could arguably be seen as misguided, it stems from the sense of isolation she already feels from the world. In a certain way this character is invisible to her family. They see her everyday, they quietly appreciate the meals she prepares for them, how she keeps the house for them, but they do not understand the deeper aspects of her personality, or so she feels. The protagonists in Murakami’s stories often feel as though no one in their lives truly knows them, or understands the way that they are feeling. The elegant metaphors in Murakami’s stories hit readers where we least like to be hit. They outline the aspects of our culture’s narcissistic obsessions with the self. Self help books, carefully, obsessively groomed profile pages, meticulously managed comments, and continuously growing corporations all geared towards making a better ‘you.’ For this essay I specifically addressed two of Murakami’s stories, â€Å"Sleep† and â€Å"The Kidney Shaped Stone that Moves Everyday.† These two stories exemplify the aspects of isolation in Murakami’s work, and how that isolation bakes the double layer cake, with the top layer the general goings on in the stories, and the bottom layer the overarching themes of narcissism, and cultural collapse. Pessimistic viewpoint and objectifying attitude towards women aside, Murakami weaves a tight tapestry that is certainly beautiful to look at.

Develop marketing strategies Essay

The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor. Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details. Performance objective In this assessment task you are required to review and evaluate marketing opportunities for an organisation and develop marketing activities that reflect the strategic directions of the organisation. Assessment description For the organisation outlined in the case study provided, identify two marketing opportunities and evaluate each opportunity for risks, strengths, weaknesses and alignment with organisational objectives. After you have reviewed the opportunities, select the best fitting opportunity for the organisation and develop marketing strategies, approaches and activities to take advantage of the opportunity. Procedure You are required to submit a report that addresses all of the elements listed in the procedure. The report should be structured using the headings below. Organisational overview 1. Develop an organisational overview that: a. outlines the strategic direction and organisational objectives b. outlines the current size, capabilities and resources of the organisation, including any notable strengths and weaknesses c. identifies any gaps between the objectives, and the current capabilities and resources. Opportunities 1. Identify two marketing opportunities that meet the objectives and evaluate the risks and benefits of each opportunity. 2. Recommend the opportunity that best addresses organisational objectives and: a. develop a marketing mix strategy that fits within the capabilities and resources of the organisation b. describe how your strategies align with the strategic direction of the organisation, and give justifications for your selection c. detail a marketing performance review strategy using an appropriate tool (competitive analysis, life cycle model, value chain analysis, etc.) to review the performance of the organisation against marketing objectives d. include the metrics to be used in measuring marketing performance. Tactics 1. Detail the tactics necessary to implement the strategy you have outlined, including: a. scheduling of activities to enact the strategy b. costing c. accountabilities and responsibilities d. a plan for coordinating and monitoring scheduled activities including KPIs. 2. Outline any legal and ethical requirements that impact on the selected tactics. 3. Describe how the tactics fit within identified organisational resources and capabilities. Specifications This assessment can be completed in your own time, as you work through the related topics in either the Student Workbook, or under the guidance of your assessor. The assessment is due for completion at the completion of Section 2 of the Student Workbook unless another submission time/method is suggested by your assessor. Check with your assessor whether it is appropriate to use a computer for the submission of the report (electronic), or if the assessor requires a hardcopy (printed) version. You must provide: a report containing documents that support all of the instructions outlined in t he procedure above. Your assessor will be looking for whether you have: identified a suitable marketing opportunity conducted research to assess and analyse the market prepared a report outlining your marketing strategies to best take advantage of the identified market opportunities organised your report under the headings suggested in the procedure. Adjustment for distance-based learners: No variation of the task is required. A follow-up interview may be required (at the discretion of the assessor). Documentation can be submitted electronically or posted in the mail. Case study Houzit is a chain of homewares stores in Sydney that specialise in bathroom fittings, bedroom fittings, mirrors and decorative items. They currently have 15 stores spread across the greater Sydney area, with all stores being managed and coordinated from their head office in Milton. You have recently been appointed as the marketing manager and must now review the organisation and devise marketing strategies that will move Houzit towards its strategic goals. The CEO has also asked you to consider some marketing opportunities that may assist Houzit in reaching its goals, and provide him with brief summary evaluating two alternatives, including the benefits and risks associated with each option, and making a recommendation for the opportunity most likely to produce results. You have gleaned the following information about Houzit: Houzit is close to entering its fifth year of operation; offering a wide range of home-ware items on easy-to-manage payment terms and supplies a three year guarantee on every item sold. The typical target customers have the following characteristics: sophisticated people who are house proud shoppers who will drive to an easy-to-access store customers who require payment plans to spread their commitment over an extended period renovators and new home builders 20–50 year olds. Houzit recognises the following trends and focuses its efforts on them. Quality – Preference for high quality items is increasing as customers are learning to appreciate differences in quality. Unique items – Customers want homewares that stand out from mass-produced, low quality items. Selection – People are demanding a larger selection of choices, they are no longer accepting a limited selection of homewares. The typical Houzit store has the following characteristics: Location – A commercial, suburban neighbourhood, or urban retail district. Design – Bright and functional. Size – 1,000–1,500 m2. Employees – 15–20 full time, plus several casuals Types of transactions – 60% cash, 40% on long-term repayment plan. Sales break-ups between the existing Sydney stores reveal: 30% bathroom fittings 35% bedroom furnishings 20% mirrors and decorative items 15% lighting fixtures (recent addition). A new customer’s first purchase is generally of mirrors and decorative items and this gives us the opportunity to sign them up to our loyalty program. In a brief discussion with the CEO, you asked about the changes taking place in legislation that could impact on Houzit’s operation. The CEO explained: ‘There is a big push by governments on the issue of sustainability. This focuses mostly on environmental issues of waste management and energy conservation. Houzit stores have been deliberately designed in the past to be bright and comfortable places to shop. This means a significant cost in electricity usage to run the lights and the air-conditioners. With the new regulations we are going to have to find ways to still provide customers with what they want without the high electricity usage.’ Strategic plan (extract) Vision Houzit will be a national retail brand, catering to the needs of home makers with a range of unique, high quality homewares made accessible to all through our easy to manage payment plan. Mission By 2020, Houzit will have a significant retail presence in homewares in every Australian capital city, starting with 15 stores in the greater Sydney area and growing to 100 Australia wide. Objectives 1. Increase sales from $15million per year to $20million per year in the next three years. 2. Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 15,000. 3. Establish brand recognition in Sydney so that at least 1 in 3 people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months time. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Excellent staff who are highly skilled and knowledgeable about homewares. Great retail space that is bright, functional and efficient for a commercial urban district. High customer loyalty among repeat customers. Assortment of offerings that exceed competitors’ offerings in quality, range and accessibility. Weaknesses: A limited marketing budget to develop brand awareness due to the lack of critical mass and store cover. The struggle to continually fund the growing long-term repayment plans taken out by our customers. Opportunities: A growing market in a high growth area with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of Houzit’s offer. Increasing sales opportunities outside of our target area – greater Sydney. Threats: Competition from local independent retailers can drive down prices, as owner operators have lover overhead costs than our staff-run stores. Competition from national chains moving into the Sydney market. A slump in the economy reducing customer’s disposable income spent on homewares.

Develop marketing strategies Essay

The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor. Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details. Performance objective In this assessment task you are required to review and evaluate marketing opportunities for an organisation and develop marketing activities that reflect the strategic directions of the organisation. Assessment description For the organisation outlined in the case study provided, identify two marketing opportunities and evaluate each opportunity for risks, strengths, weaknesses and alignment with organisational objectives. After you have reviewed the opportunities, select the best fitting opportunity for the organisation and develop marketing strategies, approaches and activities to take advantage of the opportunity. Procedure You are required to submit a report that addresses all of the elements listed in the procedure. The report should be structured using the headings below. Organisational overview 1. Develop an organisational overview that: a. outlines the strategic direction and organisational objectives b. outlines the current size, capabilities and resources of the organisation, including any notable strengths and weaknesses c. identifies any gaps between the objectives, and the current capabilities and resources. Opportunities 1. Identify two marketing opportunities that meet the objectives and evaluate the risks and benefits of each opportunity. 2. Recommend the opportunity that best addresses organisational objectives and: a. develop a marketing mix strategy that fits within the capabilities and resources of the organisation b. describe how your strategies align with the strategic direction of the organisation, and give justifications for your selection c. detail a marketing performance review strategy using an appropriate tool (competitive analysis, life cycle model, value chain analysis, etc.) to review the performance of the organisation against marketing objectives d. include the metrics to be used in measuring marketing performance. Tactics 1. Detail the tactics necessary to implement the strategy you have outlined, including: a. scheduling of activities to enact the strategy b. costing c. accountabilities and responsibilities d. a plan for coordinating and monitoring scheduled activities including KPIs. 2. Outline any legal and ethical requirements that impact on the selected tactics. 3. Describe how the tactics fit within identified organisational resources and capabilities. Specifications This assessment can be completed in your own time, as you work through the related topics in either the Student Workbook, or under the guidance of your assessor. The assessment is due for completion at the completion of Section 2 of the Student Workbook unless another submission time/method is suggested by your assessor. Check with your assessor whether it is appropriate to use a computer for the submission of the report (electronic), or if the assessor requires a hardcopy (printed) version. You must provide: a report containing documents that support all of the instructions outlined in t he procedure above. Your assessor will be looking for whether you have: identified a suitable marketing opportunity conducted research to assess and analyse the market prepared a report outlining your marketing strategies to best take advantage of the identified market opportunities organised your report under the headings suggested in the procedure. Adjustment for distance-based learners: No variation of the task is required. A follow-up interview may be required (at the discretion of the assessor). Documentation can be submitted electronically or posted in the mail. Case study Houzit is a chain of homewares stores in Sydney that specialise in bathroom fittings, bedroom fittings, mirrors and decorative items. They currently have 15 stores spread across the greater Sydney area, with all stores being managed and coordinated from their head office in Milton. You have recently been appointed as the marketing manager and must now review the organisation and devise marketing strategies that will move Houzit towards its strategic goals. The CEO has also asked you to consider some marketing opportunities that may assist Houzit in reaching its goals, and provide him with brief summary evaluating two alternatives, including the benefits and risks associated with each option, and making a recommendation for the opportunity most likely to produce results. You have gleaned the following information about Houzit: Houzit is close to entering its fifth year of operation; offering a wide range of home-ware items on easy-to-manage payment terms and supplies a three year guarantee on every item sold. The typical target customers have the following characteristics: sophisticated people who are house proud shoppers who will drive to an easy-to-access store customers who require payment plans to spread their commitment over an extended period renovators and new home builders 20–50 year olds. Houzit recognises the following trends and focuses its efforts on them. Quality – Preference for high quality items is increasing as customers are learning to appreciate differences in quality. Unique items – Customers want homewares that stand out from mass-produced, low quality items. Selection – People are demanding a larger selection of choices, they are no longer accepting a limited selection of homewares. The typical Houzit store has the following characteristics: Location – A commercial, suburban neighbourhood, or urban retail district. Design – Bright and functional. Size – 1,000–1,500 m2. Employees – 15–20 full time, plus several casuals Types of transactions – 60% cash, 40% on long-term repayment plan. Sales break-ups between the existing Sydney stores reveal: 30% bathroom fittings 35% bedroom furnishings 20% mirrors and decorative items 15% lighting fixtures (recent addition). A new customer’s first purchase is generally of mirrors and decorative items and this gives us the opportunity to sign them up to our loyalty program. In a brief discussion with the CEO, you asked about the changes taking place in legislation that could impact on Houzit’s operation. The CEO explained: ‘There is a big push by governments on the issue of sustainability. This focuses mostly on environmental issues of waste management and energy conservation. Houzit stores have been deliberately designed in the past to be bright and comfortable places to shop. This means a significant cost in electricity usage to run the lights and the air-conditioners. With the new regulations we are going to have to find ways to still provide customers with what they want without the high electricity usage.’ Strategic plan (extract) Vision Houzit will be a national retail brand, catering to the needs of home makers with a range of unique, high quality homewares made accessible to all through our easy to manage payment plan. Mission By 2020, Houzit will have a significant retail presence in homewares in every Australian capital city, starting with 15 stores in the greater Sydney area and growing to 100 Australia wide. Objectives 1. Increase sales from $15million per year to $20million per year in the next three years. 2. Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 15,000. 3. Establish brand recognition in Sydney so that at least 1 in 3 people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months time. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Excellent staff who are highly skilled and knowledgeable about homewares. Great retail space that is bright, functional and efficient for a commercial urban district. High customer loyalty among repeat customers. Assortment of offerings that exceed competitors’ offerings in quality, range and accessibility. Weaknesses: A limited marketing budget to develop brand awareness due to the lack of critical mass and store cover. The struggle to continually fund the growing long-term repayment plans taken out by our customers. Opportunities: A growing market in a high growth area with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of Houzit’s offer. Increasing sales opportunities outside of our target area – greater Sydney. Threats: Competition from local independent retailers can drive down prices, as owner operators have lover overhead costs than our staff-run stores. Competition from national chains moving into the Sydney market. A slump in the economy reducing customer’s disposable income spent on homewares.

Effects Of American Dream In The Great Gatsby - 711 Words

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, â€Å"There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.† Any American, no matter their background or characteristics, strives to attain one thing: the American Dream. It is planted in each citizen’s brain to never stop reaching toward their goals of success. However, the American Dream is either given or earned, which leaves a dilemma in society pertaining to who may and may not have it. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of a concept such as the American Dream within The Great Gatsby emphasizes the problems facing any individual’s rigorous work without reward. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald comments on the flaws of American ideals through allegorical characters. Tom Buchanan accurately portrays†¦show more content†¦Her promiscuous ways give her a fraudulent character. Jordan, â€Å"...was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (58). Her dishonesty and refusal to be lower than others shows what can result from having everything one may want. When Jordan cheated in golf, she cheated in life; her constant privilege stemming from her wealth causes her to deceive others to get her way. While a professional golfer like herself should be a role model, she conveys the impression that unfair behavior will result in a positive outcome. Jordan’s dishonest ways plague her character with the idea that lying is the only pathway to success, even if one may already have everything. Daisy Buchanan illustrates the greed within the American Dream. She is obsessed with consistently maintaining her old money, and refuses to ever have less than others. Daisy craves financial stability, and will jeopardize anything she has just to reassure herself of a secure position. â€Å"‘She’s got an indiscreet voice,’ I remarked. ‘It’s full of-’ I hesitated. ‘Her voice is full of money,’ he said sud denly† (120). Daisy’s obsession with money has lead her to not only physically have it, but being consumed by it. Her prioritization of wealth is evident in her actions and decisions. Daisy carelessly risks love just to ensure her social class and wealth, leading to Gatsby’s ultimate downfall. She greedily risks other’s feelings and well beingsShow MoreRelatedEffects Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1598 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream is defined as: the belief that through hard work and thrift, all Americans can improve their social status and achieve success. The Great Gatsby is full of the loss and hope of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby is living in his own dream while reality is right around the corner. In the book The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is trying to live his â€Å"American Dream† but really he is not living for himself. Gatsby’s American Dream consists of; buying rich things, makingRead More Effects Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1306 Words   |  6 Pagesliving the American dream of success, freedom, and happiness if they work hard enough. However, the way to obtain such dream is different for every person. Each individuals social class, beliefs, and views in life determine the way they will achieve the American dream. Sometimes the way a person goes about obtaining their dream does more harm than good. The Great Gatsby is a novel that shows what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s, which is a day and age when the dream wound up corruptedRead MoreThe Effect Parallelism Has on the American Dream in The Great Gatsby1811 Words   |  8 PagesThe Effect Parallelism Has on the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Throughout the years, many historical references have been made with regards to the ‘American Dream’. Students have been bombarded with this concept from teacher after teacher and almost every history textbook holds at least one excerpt on this topic. But who is to say what the true definition of the American Dream is and what it has come to be? The American dream has been interpreted by people throughout history asRead MoreThe Ending of the American Dream1200 Words   |  5 PagesThe Ending of the American Dream Since the early colonization of America, the American dream has been the ultimate symbol for success. In retrospect, the dreamer desires to become wealthy, while also attaining love and high class. Though the dream has had different meanings in time, it is still based on individual freedom, and a desire for greatness. During the 19th century, the typical goal was to settle in the West and raise a family. However, the dream progressively transformed into greedinessRead MoreEssay about Great Gatsby862 Words   |  4 PagesScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby / Gatsbys Desire for Daisy exploring why Gatsby had such an obsessive desire for Daisy. The writer purports that Gatsby began by pursuing an ideal, not the real woman. In fact, he could not recognize the type of person she had become since they last saw each other. Gatsby lives in a dream world and Daisy is part of that dream. As the novel progresses, however, Gatsbys feelings change. Bibliography lists Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby : The Role of NickRead MoreThe Decay of American Dream in The Great Gatsby1289 Words   |  6 Pagesof American Dream in The Great Gatsby The American Dream is a worldwide known idiom and it emphasizes an ideal of a successful and happy lifestyle which is oftentimes symbolized by the phrase â€Å"from rags-to-riches†. It originated out of the ideal of equality, freedom and opportunity that is held to every American. In the last couple of decades the main idea of the American Dream has shifted to becoming a dream in which materialistic values are of a higher importance and status. The Great GatsbyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald915 Words   |  4 PagesScott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, there was a common belief that anyone could achieve wealth no matter their past or current social status. This idea has come to be known as The American Dream. The Great Gatsby revolves around Gatsby and his love for Daisy. Gatsby falls for Daisy because she is his ticket to the wealth and success that The American Dream foretells. He ignores all her flaws and is willing to do anything for her just because she is wealthy. The Great Gatsby’s focus seems to beRead MoreAmerican Dream In The Great Gatsby Essay921 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Great Gatsby† by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that holds values and inspirations to the ideology, the â€Å"American dream†. Characters within the story revolve around social class, presenting uniquity amongst the high-society. Within these ranks of economy, however, lies a deeper meaning within the story. As characters such as Meyer Wolfsheim interact with Jay Gatsby, a mystified millionaire, the reader begins to question the trustworthiness in his word. Gatsby could be considered a main characterRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s were a time in American history that profoundly depicted social inequality, immorality, superficiality, and unrest. During this time period, the iconic story of F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, was written and published. In this revolutionary novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald revisits his fascinating childhood in a more fictitious manner. The Great Gatsby describes and details the life of a young man from Minnesota, known as Nick Carraway, who moves to New York after World War 1 during theRead MoreCorruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald855 Words   |  4 Pages In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the high class during the 1920’s through the eyes of a man named Nick Carraway. Through the narrators dealings with high society, Fitzgerald demonstrates how modern values have transformed the American dreams ideas into a scheme for materialistic power and he reveals how the world of high society lacks any sense of morals or consequence. In order to support his message, Fitzgerald presents the original