Micro Finance and Women Empowerment

‘Micro Finance and Women Empowerment ’ By Ms. Varsha Parikh Lecturer Department of Extension and Communication Faculty of Family and Community Sciences The M. S. University of Baroda Vadodara 390002,Gujarat, India E-mail : [email  protected] com Micro Finance and Women Empowerment By Ms. Varsha Parikh ABSTRACT Self-help groups intermediated by microcredit have been shown to have positive effects on women. Micro finance refers to small savings, credit and insurance services extended to socially and economically disadvantaged segments of society. At present one of the successful ways through which microfinance services are being provided to poor people is through Self-Help Groups. The performance of different states SHGs data presented by different authors in different states shows new direction where microfinance is helping poor women coping with vulnerable situations building of assets, new livelihoods and accumulated savings help the coping strategies of the poor. Thus, present paper focus on the concept of SHGs and Micro Finance in India, Performance of SHGs and Microfinance scenario in different states of India, SHGs and Bank linkages in India and impact of microfinance on empowering women along with suggestions. Key Words : SHGs, Micro Finance, Statewise performance of SHGs & Microfinance, SHGs and Bank linkage, suggestions Micro Finance and Women Empowerment By Ms. Varsha Parikh Empowerment is defined as the processes by which women take control and ownership of their lives through expansion of their choices. Thus, it is the rocess of acquiring the ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability has previously been denied. The core elements of empowerment have been defined as agency (the ability to define one’s goals and act upon them), awareness of gendered power structures, self-esteem and self-confidence (Kabeer 2001). Empowerment can take place at a hierarchy of different levels – individual, househ old, community and societal – and is facilitated by providing encouraging factors (e. g. , exposure to new activities, which can build capacities) and removing inhibiting factors (e. . , lack of resources and skills). â€Å"The status of women is a barometer of the democratization of any state, an indicator of how human rights are respected in it† (Mikhail Gorbachev). The root cause of women’s oppression in India is patriarchy which has snatched off their legitimate powers leaving them completely defenseless and weak. Despite more than five decades of interventions to raise the status of women since independences, women in rural areas continue to be overwhelmed by social and economic bosses. Rural women throughout India, irrespective of caste and religion, continue to have a subordinate status both within home and outside. Extent of awareness and access to credit, higher level of education and training are prime determinants of women’s status and role in the process of development. Thus for women, two vital processes have been identified as important for empowerment. The first is social mobilization and collective agency, as poor women often lack the basic capabilities and self-confidence to counter and challenge existing disparities and barriers against them. Often, change agents are needed to catalyse social mobilization consciously. Second, the process of social mobilization needs to be accompanied and complemented by economic security. As long as the disadvantaged suffer from economic deprivation and livelihood insecurity, they will not be in a position to mobilize (UNDP 2001). Concept of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in India In India, Self – Help Group (SHG) is a small voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socioeconomic background. They come together for the purpose of solving their common problems through self-help and mutual help. The SHG promotes small savings among its members. The savings are kept with a bank. This common fund is in the name of the SHG. The term Self Help Groups (SHGs) is generally used in India to refer to unregistered groups of 10 to 20 members involved primarily in savings and credit activities. Over 90 percent of these groups have only women members. The concept of SHG is based on the following principles: ? Self-help supplemented with mutual help can be a powerful vehicle for the ? poor in their socioeconomic development; ? Participative financial services management is more responsive and efficient; ? Poor need not only credit support, but also savings and other services; ? Poor can save and are bankable and SHGs as clients, result in wider out reach, lower transaction cost and much lower risk costs for the banks; ? Creation of a common fund by contributing small savings on a regular basis; ? Flexible democratic system of working; ? Loaning is done mainly on trust with a bare documentation and without any security; ? Amounts loaned are small, frequent and for short duration; ? Defaults are rare mainly due to group pressure; and Periodic meetings non-traditional savings. Concept of Micro-Credit Micro credit refers to a programme that provides credit for self employment & other financial and business services (including savings and technological assistance micro). Credit refers to small amounts of Credit both for production and consumption to poor households who remain or choose to remain outside the reach of formal credit system and have demonstrated their credit worthiness Why Mic ro Credit – Because it is a powerful tool for sustainable development of the poor and removal of poverty on a term basis. Micro Credit – A Pathway to Empowering SHGs women The lack of access to credit for the poor particularly women is attributable to practical difficulties arising from the discrepancy between the mode of operation followed by financial institutions and the economic characteristics and financing needs of low-income households. For example, commercial lending institutions require that borrowers have a stable source of income out of which principal and interest can be paid back according to he agreed terms. However, the income of many self employed households is not stable, regardless of its size. A large number of small loans are needed to serve the poor, but lenders prefer dealing with large loans in small numbers to minimize administration costs. They also look for collateral with a clear title – which many low-income households do not have. In addition bankers tend to consider low income households a bad risk imposing exceedingly high information monitoring costs on oper ation. Over the last ten years, however, successful experiences in providing finance to small entrepreneur and producers demonstrate that poor people, when given access to responsive and timely financial services at market rates, repay their loans and use the proceeds to increase their income and assets. This is not surprising since the only realistic alternative for them is to borrow from informal market at an interest much higher than market rates. Community banks, NGOs and grassroot savings and credit groups around the world have shown that these microenterprise loans can be profitable for borrowers and for the lenders, making microfinance one of the most effective strategy of empowerment. Empowering women socio-economically through increased awareness of their right and duties as well as access to resources is a decisive step towards greater security for them. Women are in for a new deal today as they are the focus of economic development. SHGs are considered as one of the significant tools to adopt participatory approach for the economic development of women. It is an important institution for improving the life of women on various social components. It plays an important role in differentiating between consumption credit and production credit. Self help group disburses of making them enterprising women and encouraging them to enter entrepreneurial activities. Credit needs of the rural women are fulfilled through the SHGs. Thus SHG is considered as a variable organization of the rural poor particularly of the women for delivering micro credit in order to undertake entrepreneurial activities. Some of the studies on SHGs of the rural poor particularly those managed by women, successfully demonstrated how to mobilize and manage thrift activities, maintain credit linkages with banks and effectively undertake some income generating activities etc. Micro finance programmes are currently being promoted as a key strategy for simultaneously addressing both poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment. Before 1990s, credit schemes for women were almost negligible. There were certain misconception about the poor people that they need loan at subsidized rates of interest on soft terms, they lack skills, capacity to save, credit worthiness and therefore are not bankable. Nevertheless, the experiences of several and SHGs reveal that rural poor are actually efficient managers of credit and finance. Availability of timely and adequate credit is essential for them in their enterprises rather than subsidies. Earlier government efforts through various poverty alleviation schemes for self-employment by providing credit and subsidy received little success. Since most of them were target based involving various government agencies and banks. During the economic crisis, self-help microcredit groups served as important cushions and safety nets. A high proportion of the funds made available for self-help microcredit schemes were utilized by women, enabling them to meet the subsistence needs of their families during those difficult economic times (ESCAP 2002). Many self-help programmes have also incorporated elements of savings, which can be used for purposes such as health insurance and emergency loans, thereby serving as private safety nets. In all, one of the successful ways through which microfinance services are being provided to poor people in India is through Self-Help Groups. It all started with experiments of some non-government organizations (NGOs) working in south India during early 80s and has now come to be known as Self-Help Group approach to microfinance. With intervention of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) and other organisations, So, in this manner in contrast to the Grameen model of Bangladesh, the SHG based microfinance in India encourages SHG members to manage group’s financial affairs like savings and loan recovery and funds are deposited in a local commercial bank in the name of the SHG. Members’ savings are initially used to issue small loans to needy members. Self Help Group bank linkage has become a supplementary channel for providing financial services from formal financial institutions to poor people. Under this linkage arrangement, SHGs are assessed by bank for bank credit after about 6 months of their functioning. If SHGs are found functioning well, then, bank credit is sanctioned up to four times the savings of the SHG. After gaining some experience of credit handling, SHG is issued bigger amount of loan by a ommercial bank and members are free to decide the end use of this loan, its purpose, repayment instalment, etc. without any interference of the promoting NGO or the bank since SHG is responsible to the bank for repayment of the loan. Women managed self-help groups have shown remarkable growth during the last decade in India. SHGs have proved to be very versatile and their members have successfully taken up both economic and community related inter ventions. SHGs provide poor women an opportunity to take decisions involving themselves, their groups and their lives. Savings and credit is normally used as an entry point for formation of SHGs since it gives the members a chance to participate in decision-making and satisfies their short-term credit needs. Realising that they can be a promising tool in capacity building of rural poor especially women, central and state governments have vigorously supported the SHG-centric models of development in India. Sarojini Ganju Thakur and Anand Mohan Tiwari in their article reports ‘Whether SHG-based Micro-credit Programmes can Remove Poverty? A case study of SHG-based programmes in Patan District of Gujarat, reported that, besides Swa-Shakti Project of Department of Women & Child Development (DWCD) which was launched in 1998, many other agencies have taken up programmes for supporting women’s SHG movement. NABARD has launched a major initiative for accelerating credit linkage to SHGs and over 3,25,000 SHGs are now accessing bank credit. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK, an autonomous organisation promoted by DWCD), Swarnjayanti Gram Swa-rozgar Yojana (SGSY) and Watershed Development Projects of Ministry of Rural Development, Mahila Samakhya of Department of Education, Women in Agriculture, Swayamsiddha of DWCD, Jeevika Project of Government of Gujarat, Stree Shakti, Mission Shakti, SHG Missions in some other states are supporting formation and strengthening of SHGs in a big way. After success of the initial pilot, this strategy was extended to every commercial and Regional Rural Bank. Some second-tier micro-finance institutions (MFIs) like RMK, Friends of Women World Banking (FWWB), Basix, Sanghmitra Rural Financial Services and SIDBI Micro-credit Foundation, etc. have emerged in the last decade. It is estimated that around 2. 5 to 3 million borrowers, mostly women, are linked with this mechanism in India. Status of SHGs and Microfinance in different states of India The regional development of micro credit programmes under self help groups has wide variations in terms of growth and performance among the states in India. Das, Nanda and Rath reported about the performance of southern region, especially Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and states that it has been the best in the promotion of Self Help groups in India. According to them these two states account for more than 66 percent of Self-help groups receiving loans through bank linkage. Andhra Pradesh has 53 percent of total SHFs due to more women enterprises, higher level of literacy and strong co-operative institutions. They also reveals that the southern region has the best performance where Rs. 5242. 42 million are distributed among the self help groups. The eastern region has second best performance where cumulative number of SHGs bank loan up to 2005 is Rs. 123256 million and per capita credit per SHG is Rs. 20428. 5 million. Sarojini Ganju Thakur and Anand Mohan Tiwari in their article reports ‘Whether SHG-based Micro-credit Programmes can Remove Poverty? A case study of SHG-based programmes in Patan District of Gujarat, mentioned that the SHG-driven micro-finance movement has flourished in Gujarat. Besides the State Government which is promoting these institutions in a big way, many NGOs are actively involved in formation and nurturing of SHGs. Although the overall focus of individual interventions vary, development of micro-finance and micro-enterprise appears to be a common theme in majority of these programmes. Besides the Government and other Public sector organizations like NABARD, a large number of NGOs, including few nationally recognized ones like Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Agha Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Sadguru and many other NGOs have formed women’s SHGs with the support from various government programmes. The recent earthquake in Kutch and neighbouring districts motivated many NGOs from outside to start work in these areas and they also formed some women’s SHGs. At a conservative estimate, more than 200,000 SHGs are functioning in the State, with Rural Development Department alone supporting over 100,000 SHGs. Of these, close to 60,000 SHGs have been linked with commercial banks that have extended credit of approximately Rs. 200 million. SGSY claims to have formed 23,000 in the State of Gujarat. The role of Micro Finance Institutions on Socio-Economic Development Rural Poor in Orissa described by Das, Nanda and Rath. They reported that; – Costly loans from informal sources have been significantly reduced as a proportion of a household’s debt portfolio. – The interest rates have come down drastically. – It has helped the poor to diversify livelihood options. – It has helped in generating incremental employment. – It also has helped in reducing poverty. Debadutta Kumar Panda added that, through the microfinance revolution, rural villagers of Orissa, the most backward state of India, have undergone a remarkable social upliftment. The value and acceptance of women has also increased substantially and is analyzed through a series of case study. Table : Inter-state performance of SHGs up to March, 2005 (Rs. In million) |S. N. |Region and State |Cumulative No. of SHGs Bank Loan |Per Capita Credit per SHG | |Northern region | |1 |Himachal Pradesh |17798 |31746. | |2 |Rajasthan |60006 |23564. 9 | |3 |Haryana |3351 |59871. 6 | |4 |Punjab |3091 |47156. 2 | |5 |Jammu & Kashmir |1647 |34353. 8 | |6 |New Delhi |125 |10512 | | | |7 |Orissa |123256 |20428. 5 | |8 |Bihar |28015 |24339. | |9 |Jharkhand |21531 |33195. 3 | |10 |West Bengal |92698 |13622. 4 | | | |11 |Madhya Pradesh |45105 |2462603 | |12 |Chhatisgarh |18596 |92605. | |13 |Uttar Pradesh |119648 |26375. 6 | |14 |Uttranchal |14043 |41020. 4 | | | |15 |Gujarat |24712 |2777. | |16 |Maharashtra |71146 |31401. 7 | |17 |Goa |408 |74068. 6 | | | |18 |Andhra Pradesh |492927 |55709. | |19 |Karnataka |163198 |33710. 7 | |20 |Kerala |60809 |41038. 8 | |21 |Tami lnNadu |22698 |76026. 9 | (Source: As quoted in Das, Nanda and Rath, â€Å"Micro Finance and Rural development in India’(Ed. ),2008. Such instances have shown that microfinance has proved very relevant and effective in India and offers the rural and urban poor the possibility of gradually breaking away from exploitation and isolation. Over the years, the provision of microfinance has brought significant increased productivity among the rural poor. Self reliance and sustainability of income generating and micro enterprise development programmes of self help groups have been successfully achieved with effective linkage and networking. The interplay between the two sub systems of socio-economic development, i. . , micro enterprise development and the micro credit and saving mechanism has been quite smooth and effective in the case of SHGs linkage to mainstream institutions. On the other hand the progress of the SHG-bank linkage programme is also rapidly taking stride. Since inc eption as shown below the programme took off with a humble beginning of linking 255 groups in the first year i. e. 1992-93 with a loan disbursement of Rs 2. 9 million only. Average loan per SHG was about Rs 11. 37 thousand in 1992-93 whereas it has grown to Rs 61. 68 thousand in the year 2006-07. There has been a tremendous growth in the number of groups over time. More than 29. 2 million SHGs with a membership of 40. 95 million households are linked to bank credit till March 2007 as shown below. No. of   SHGs linked to Banks in India (1992-93   to 2006-2007) |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Year |Cumulative No. of   SHGs |Bank loan (Rs. Million) | |1992-93 |255 |2. 9 | |1993-94 |620 |6. | |1994-95 |2122 |24. 5 | |1995-96 |4757 |60. 6 | |1996-97 |8598 |118. 4 | |1997-98 |14317 |237. | |1998-99 |32995 |570. 7 | |1999-2000 |114775 |1929. 8 | |2000-01 |263825 |4809. 0 | |2001-02 |461478 |10263. 0 | |2002-03 |717360 20487. 0 | |2003-04 |1079091 |39042. 0 | |2004-05 |1628476 |68984. 6 | |2005-06 |2238565 |113980. 0 | |2006-07 |2924973 |180410. | (Source: Various Reports of MCID, NABARD; NABARD (2004) and NABARD website  ) The Table above shows that there has been a rapid growth of SHGs that are linked with banks i. e. Commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative banks for meeting credit requirements and other financial needs of SHG members in recent years. Particularly after 2000 the number of SHGs linked to banks has grown exponentially. In addition, there is other experience e. g. the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh model is being replicated in various parts of India. SIDBI is also promoting microfinance through NGOs who are in the business of microfinance. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is also in the business of promoting microfinance in India through NGOs. It is estimated that the total outreach of Microfinance Institutions is about 7. 5 million (Sa-Dhan website). If 40 million of SHG-bank linkages are added to this, the total outreach of microfinance in India would become truly significant keeping in mind that there are about 60 million poor households in India. Empowering SHG women through Micro Finance in India The basic objective of SHG is that it acts as the forum for members to provide space and support to each other. SHGs comprise of very poor people who don’t have access to formal financial institutions. It enables its members to learn to cooperate and work in a group environment. The essential principle of SHG is strong saving programme, which helps it to reduce dependence on financial institutions and develop self-reliance. Saving help the group members to diversify their income generating activities and imbibe financial discipline in the group. Self Help groups create confidence for the economic self-reliance of rural poor, particularly among women who are mostly invisible in the social structure. These groups enable them to come together for a common objective and gain strength from each other to deal with exploitation which they are facing in several forms. Further, micro financing i. e. provisioning of small financial services and products to poor people is contributing to the process of development by creating conditions that are conducive to human development. It has a strong gender orientation. About 90% SHGs that are linked to banks are reported to be of women as mentioned earlier. Through these groups, women empowerment is taking place. Their participation in economic activities and decision making at household and at society level is increasing. It is making the process of development participatory, democratic, independent of subsidy and sustainable. Therefore, microfinance through SHGs is contributing to poverty reduction in a sustainable manner. Studies have shown overall positive impact of SHG bank linkage programme on the socio-economic conditions of rural poor (Puhazhendi and Badatya, 2002;   MYRADA, 2002). It is reported that significant changes in the living standards of SHG members have taken place in terms of increase in income level, assets, savings, borrowing capacity and income generating activities. There are signs of empowerment taking place among women members of SHGs. An important aspect of the empowering impact of micro-credit is related to the process of organisation of women into groups. For women who have been confined to households, their mobilisation into a collective, which could be of self help groups, smaller groups, cooperatives, etc. propels them into a more community-oriented entity, which gives them the basis for negotiating, sharing and bargaining at multiple levels   – the house hold, community and government. Such groups give women the strength and self-confidence to resist the exploitation that they face within the household and community. There are innumerable examples of the nature of strength women have acquired after joining a group. At the same time there are illustrations to show that organisation without changing the resource base is not a sufficient condition of empowerment. However, many practitioners have not fully understood the approach of SHGs. Women members of the SHG have shown increased levels of socio-political awareness and empowerment in the community, raised levels of negotiating power, and changes in community norms, particularly in terms of changing attitudes to gender expectations. (Dash A. , 2003). As stated by Ghosh Rajshree in her article Women’s indicators of empowerment through icrofinance highlighted following major aspects of the empowerment. †¢ Ability to save and access loans †¢ Opportunity to undertake an economic activity †¢ Mobility-Opportunity to visit nearby towns †¢ Awareness- local issues, MFI procedures, banking transactions †¢ Skills for income generation †¢ Decision making within the household †¢ Group mobilization in support of indiv idual clients- action on †¢ social issues †¢ Role in community development activities Suggestions and Conclusion There is no doubt that micro finance can provided micro solution to poor women but it will yield moderate economic benefits. The SHG-bank linkage yet to make substantial impact in poverty belts of India. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been successful in organizing self-help groups and other states should develop the self-help groups in our country. There is an urgent need for Government initiative into the self-help groups. And also more dedication and commitment of the NGO personnel is needed to make the group members understand the concept and essence of forming the group. Unless the group is fully aware and convinced regarding the concept of self help outside push will hardly work. The dedication of the functionaries coupled with a little more professional input to the NGO would definitely lead to a self-sustainable self-help regime in the area. The members should be provided training in micro enterprises so that the credit availed by them can be used productively. The commercial banks must provide a greater linkage to self-help groups in providing them higher amount of bank loans. Further, for micro finance programme to be cost-effective in bringing about the empowerment of women, it would require, 1. providing business training, 2. investing in women’s general education and literacy, 3. roviding guidance in balancing family and work responsibilities 4. providing a forum for dialogue on social and political issues, such as, women’s rights and community problems, 5. giving women experience in decision – making promoting women’s ownership, control and participatory governance in their micro finance programmes. Micro finance programmes , thus, has been very successful in reaching women. This gives micro finance institution an extra-ordinary opportunity to act intentionally to empower poor women and to minimize the potentially negative impacts some women experienced. References : Das S. K. , Nanda B. P. and Rath J. , Micro Finance and Rural Development in India (Ed. ), New Century Publications, New Delhi, India. 2008 Karmakar K. G. , Micro Finance in India(Ed). Sage publications, New Delhi, 2008 Debadutta Kumar Panda , ‘Self Help through Microfinance: A Paradigm Shift in Orissa, India’ Ghosh Rajshree, Women’s indicators of empowerment through microfinance Sharma K. C, Microfinance through Self-Help Groups-Status and Emerging Challenges   http://www. birdindia. org. in/admin/Literacy/413. doc. Thakur S. G. and Tiwari A. , Whether SHG-based Micro-credit Programmes can Remove Poverty? A case study of SHG-based programmes in Patan District of Gujarat. http://www. wiego. org/ahmedabad/papers/Tiwari_Can_SHGs_remove_poverty. doc. http://www. edarural. com/impact/execsums. pdf. http://www. trcollege. net/articles/40-empowerment http://www. gdrc. org/icm/conceptpaper-india. html http://www. ivcs. org. uk/ijrs/April2008/Self%20Help%20through%20Microfinance%20in%20Orissa%20India. pdf. http://www. unescap. org/drpad/publication/bulletin%202002/ch6. pdf. http://unpan1. un. org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN024232. pdf. http://74. 125. 153. 132/search? q=cache:gzRW9N7hv7YJ:www. yesweb. org/2006/Publica

The Impact of Online Shopping on Consumer Behavior

University of Bedfordshire-Ajman Campus BA (Hons) Project Submitted to Dr. Tariq As a Requirement Unit code: Marketing Research (Morning Class) ________________________________ Student Name:| Registration Number:| Amanullah Ashraf| 1033872| Acknowledgement First I would like to Thank Allah for giving me knowledge. I am very Thankful to our subject teacher Dr. Tariq for guiding and helping me in this Research. I gratefully thank my parents, Friends and all classmates who cooperated with me in the time when I needed them. Also I would like to thank all the Respondents who gave their time in filling the Questionnaire.Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to identify what are the factors that influence the consumer behavior while they are shopping online. Because now a day’s online shopping is increasing day by day . We collected both primary and secondary Data. The survey was conducted in Alain Mall through questionnaire and all the factors that can influence consumer beha vior or change consumer behavior because of online shopping where given in the questionnaire. So we found that the the online shopping has a big impact on consumer behavior in many different ways. Table of contentsPage No. 1.Introduction 1. 1 Company Profile1 1. 2 Statement of the problem1 1. 3 Objectives of the study1 1. 4 Scope & limitations of the study2 1. 5 Significance of the study2 1. 6 Define the terms3 2. Review of Related Literature 2. 1 Theoretical & Conceptual literature3 2. 2 Related Studies5 2. 3 Schematic Diagram6 2. 4 Synthesis7 3. Research Methodology 3. 1 Research design7 3. 2 Respondents of the study8 3. 3 Research Instrument8 3. 4 Validity of Research Instrument9 3. 5 Data gathering procedures9 3. 6 Statistical Analysis9 4.Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data 5. Summary of findings, conclusions and Recommendations 6. 1 Summary of findings22 6. 2 Conclusions23 6. 3 Recommendations24 6. References25 List of Tables & Graphs Fig 1. Gender10 Fig 2. Natio nality11 Fig 3. since when you are shopping online12 Figs 4. What are the goods that you purchase online13 Fig 5. Online shopping saves my time14 Fig 6. making payments is easy through online shopping15 Fig 7. The delivery of the product is too long16 Fig 8. I cannot bargain online17 Fig 9. In online shopping we get more discounts and offers18 Fig 10.I believe that online shopping is better than physical stores19 Fig 11. I has access to famous brands through online shopping20 Fig 12. security is major concern in shopping online21 List of Appendices Appendices 126 Appendices 229 Appendices 333 1. Introduction 1. 1 Company Profile Souq. com is one of the largest online shopping Business in UAE which is safe and secure and it was established in 2005 and through souq. com millions of people buy or sell their products Daily and from the day when this online shopping Business came in to being it is improving and providing quality service to customers and souq. om is famous for its trusted platform. Now souq. com is one of the largest ecommerce site among the Arabs it includes the countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. 1. 2 Statement of the Problem The Impact of online shopping on consumer behavior in souq. com. In this research we need to understand what are the actual factors according to which the consumers do online shopping and how their shopping behavior is affected. 1. 3 Objectives of the study To study the consumers online shopping behavior. To know the factors that influence online consumers and shoppers. To study do onsumers prefer online shopping over Physical stores. 1. 4 Scope and limitations of the study The scope of the study is to understand that the Internet is the latest medium through which consumers demand for their needs and wants that’s why the online sellers should know what are the factors that influence the online consumers and also there are some factors according to which consumers buy their products online and it is very important for the online sellers to take that factors in to action so that they can satisfy the consumers needs and wants and enter in to the online market competition Easily.There are many factors that will influence the online consumers but we in this research will select only the main factors that will influence the consumers so therefore we will limit these factors to few so that we can understand its effect on online consumers and also we will limit the consumers characteristics’ and buying process by seeing how they are dealing with the service or product they bought but not by seeing the consumer theories or models. 1. 5 Significance of the studyThis research will not only increase the impact of online shopping on consumers but it will also help the people who are too busy to do shopping online in some minutes it will save their time and will also help the disabled people more over because if they are not able to walk or had other problem they will most probably prefer the online shopping and also this research will clearly show how the people has changed from physical stores to the online shopping. 1. Definitions of the terms Trusted Platform: This means that the customers have Trust on the souq. com organization. Physical Stores: The place where we go for shopping (to buy or sell something). Impact: The affect or change that one thing bring in another thing 2. Literature review 2. 1 Theoretical conceptual framework The theoretical and conceptual framework includes all the theories and concepts related to online shopping and its impact on consumer behavior.Warner defines consumer behavior as â€Å"the study of the mental and physical activities performed by individuals or groups that result in decisions or actions associated with the purchase, use or disposal of goods and services†. The internet is now famous for its distribution channel and e-commerce transaction and the price and trust is considered as important factors that influence t he consumers.According to study â€Å"Analysis of consumer behavior online† This study will tell the main characteristics of online consumers behavior and will test how they are found and the information of the product will be evaluated and compared and the new survey conducted will be compared with the old consumer theories in order to take positive actions in the field of technology and strategies and in this study the group focus will be on people aged from 19 to 30 interested in having related products.Dejan Petrovic,(2006) According to the study of shun&Yunjiee,(2006) said that there are some products which can be sold more in online shopping such as books, software’s, music etc. Because this are the products which people will buy without any personal research and all the features and the quality can be seen from its pictures and descriptions etc.According to the research study† Motivators and decisional influencers of online shopping† Online shopping is an innovation for the marketers and now a days it is very important for retailers the online shopping because they had found more values and benefits in it, this study is made in order to find what are the factors that encourage the consumers in online shopping. Bekramjit Rishi,(2010). According to the Kamali and Loker, (2002) the online shopping has increased their revenue more than their previous revenue so this means that online shopping has increased the level of consumer behavior because it is safer nd secure then the past. According to Pehr Luedtke , (2010)â€Å"The findings of the 2010 Social Shopping Survey validate what we are hearing from retailers and brands – that customer reviews have become a critical piece of the marketing puzzle, based not only on consumer demand but also on the sales they deliver,† According to Lauren freedman, (2010) â€Å"Whereas once online product research was left to the technology savvy looking to make a major purchase, it is now part of the mainstream shopping experience for all product categories as consumers have taken control powering their own product research,† 2. 2 Related studiesStudy 1 According to the â€Å"2010 social shopping study Reveals changes in consumer’s online shopping Habits and Usage of Customer Reviews† This study tells that how online shopping has increased from the past. This research focused on two important factors such as why consumers are shopping online and when consumers are doing online research for shopping and what are the expectation of the consumers and the Result was that the online research is essential to the consumer behavior while they are shopping online and it also revealed that the consumers who want to buy products like to do research personally.This study also stated that consumers prefer online research because of time saving, confidence and satisfied information and also the survey stated that the famous site where consumers do research online are search engine, brand sites, retailers sites, Amazon. com,facebook,Twitter etc. Study 2 According to the study† Impact of demographics on online buying behavior towards different products† In this study they researched that how consumers are investing their money on online shopping by keeping the factors such as igh class, Medium class and Low class in this study the marketers came to know about the demographics of people and this lead to an increase in the financial position of the online shopping business. A. M. Sakkthivel,(2009) 2. 3 Schematic Diagram Independent variable Dependent variable Online Shopping Consumer Behavior In this research the Dependent variable is consumer behavior and Independent variable is online shopping which means that the online shopping will have impact on the consumer behavior in many important ways. . 4 Synthesis From the related literature we came to know that due to the latest technology applied by retailers of online shoppin g and the service they provide in an efficient way and safe way and maintain a good relationship with consumers and promote the goods in the best way which attract consumers and also online shopping save the time of consumers and also conducting survey about the value of consumers. This all above factors will have an impact on the consumers Behavior towards online shopping. So if the souk. om recommends all the above factors in their online shopping business then they will surely attract consumers towards their online shopping business and this will surely increase their reputation in the online market and also their financial position will increase. 3. Research Methodology 3. 1 Research Design Research design is to search, find, collect and investigate the information that we need to obtain for a related topic john Wiley & sons, (2004). The research design in this research is descriptive research design. A escriptive research is the type of data analysis, information and questions that is done for a selected topic it mainly talks about â€Å"what is†. Robert G. petzold, (1998). 3. 2 Respondents of the study Here we will apply our factors of the topic to the kind of consumers who use internet online for shopping. There will be specific type of people selected. Sekaran & Bougie, (2010). The following will be the methods of our sample. Our sample site: we will conduct the survey in Alain, UAE. Our sampling unit: Alain Mall sekaran & Bougie, (2010).Our sample size: 30 respondents. 3. 3 Research Instrument We have selected one of the most flexible types of research and that is questionnaire which will be used in order to collect the primary data and also we will use interview guidelines if needed. The survey will be only done in Shopping Mall in order to know the impact of online shopping on consumer behavior. Using 5-point linkert scale we measure the independent and dependent variables and we will measure consumer behavior by 12 different types of questio ns which will be more effective.This type of scale was used by Andrew martin &Stephen legg,(2002) 3. 4 Validity of Research Instrument The questionnaire is validated by three professors from the department of markrting research. 3. 5 Data collection procedures For the purpose of research we can collect data in two ways and they are primary data and secondary data Primary Data: we collected the data through observations and questionnaires and questionnaires is the most satisfactory way to collect data for our topic. We analyze our respondents and compare them with the factors. Lesley Barker,(2003).Secondary Data: This is mainly the general information about the research topic and here the data is in the form of journals such as written or non written, multiple source and surveys etc Anders haslinger et al(2007). 3. 6 Statistical Tool Analysis We will analyze the Data by Graph, Mean and standard deviation by using the frequency and percentage method. 4. Presentation, Analysis and Inte rpretation of Data 1. Gender Question| Frequency| Percentage| Male| 21| 70| Female| 9| 30| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 15| 8. 485281374| 2. Nationality Question| Frequency| Percentage| Asians| 24| 80| Arabs| 6| 20| Total| 30| 100|Mean| Standard Deviation| 15| 12. 72792206| 3. Since When you are Shopping Online Question| Frequency| Percentage| 1 month| 9| 30| 1-6 month| 0| 0| 6-12 month| 0| 0| 1 year| 8| 26. 6| 3 years| 13| 43. 3| 6 years or more| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 5| 2. 645751311| 4. What are the goods that you purchase online Question| Frequency| Percentage| Software’s| 3| 10| Tickets| 6| 20| Gifts| 0| 0| Books| 8| 26. 66667| Music| 3| 10| Electronics| 10| 33. 3333| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 5| 3. 082207001| 5. Online Shopping Saves my Time Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 23| 76. 66667|Agree| 3| 10| Neutral| 4| 13. 3333| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviat ion| 6| 11. 26942767| 6. Making payment is easy through online shopping Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 18| 60| Agree| 7| 23. 3333| Neutral| 5| 16. 66667| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 6| 7| 7. The Delivery of the Product is too long. Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 7| 23. 3333| Agree| 4| 13. 3333| Neutral| 10| 33. 3333| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 9| 30| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 6| 2. 64571311| 8.I cannot Bargain online question| Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 4| 13. 3333| Agree| 0| 0| Neutral| 12| 40| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 14| 46. 66667| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 6| 5. 291502622| 9. In online Shopping we get more discounts and offers Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 18| 60| Agree| 7| 23. 3333| Neutral| 5| 16. 66667| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 6| 7| 10. I believe that online shopping is better than shopping at physical store Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 20| 66. 66667| Agree| 7| 23. 333| Neutral| 3| 10| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 6| 8. 888194417| 11. I have Access to famous Brands through online shopping Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 22| 73. 3333| Agree| 8| 26. 66667| Neutral| 0| 0| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| 6| 9. 899494937| 12. Security is major concern in shopping online Question | Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 13| 43. 3333| Agree| 7| 23. 3333| Neutral| 10| 33. 3333| Disagree| 0| 0| Strongly Disagree| 0| 0| Total| 30| 100| Mean| Standard Deviation| | 3| 5. Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations. 5. 1 Summary of Findings In the table of â€Å"gendre†we came to know that 70% of respondents where male and 30% respondents where female. In the table of â€Å"Nati onality† we came to know that 80% of the respondents where Asians and 20% Arabs. In the table of â€Å"since when you are shopping online† we came to know that 43. 3% respondents where shopping online since 3 years and 30% since 1 month and 26. 6 since 1 year. In the table of â€Å"what are the goods you purchase online â€Å"we came to know that 33. 3 % respondents buy electronics in online shopping and 26. % Books and 20% Tickets and 10% software’s. In the table of â€Å"online shopping saves my time â€Å"we came to know that 76. 6% respondents strongly agree and 13. 3% Neutral and 10% agree. In the table of â€Å"Making payments is easy through online shopping â€Å"we came to know that 60% respondents strongly Agree and 23. 3% Agree and 16. 6 Neutral. In the table of â€Å"The Delivery of the product is too long â€Å"we came to know that 33. 3% respondents are Neutral and 30% strongly disagree and 23. 3% strongly Agree and 13. 3% agree. In the table of â€Å"I cannot bargain online† we came to know that 46. 6% respondents strongly disagree and 40% Neutral and 13. % strongly agree. In the table of â€Å"In online shopping we get more Discounts and offers† we came to know that 60% respondents Strongly Agree and 23. 3% Agree and 16. 6% Neutral. In the table of â€Å"I believe that online shopping is better than physical stores† we came to know that 66. 6% respondents Strongly Agree and 23. 3% Agree and 10% are Neutral. In the table of â€Å"I have access to famous brands through online shopping† we came to know that 73. 3% respondents Strongly Agree and 26. 6 Agree. In the table of â€Å"Security is major concern in online shopping â€Å"we came to know that 43. 3% respondents Strongly Agree and 33. % Neutral and 23. 3% Agree. 5. 2 Conclusions After finishing the Research we came to know that more of the consumers are satisfied with online shopping in many different ways and also people will prefer t he online shopping more and more in the near future but there was some limitations such as some of the respondents said that they don’t feel secure while shopping online and also some respondents where not satisfied with the delivery time. So now we should concentrate more on the Security and delivery to maintain and satisfy our consumers so that the online shopping will give 100% positive results. . 3 Recommendations As i said in the above paragraph that there are some respondents which are not feeling secure while shopping online and also the late Delivery of products. So I recommend that the souk. com should take certain steps such as when a consumer select and want to buy a product and make payments the souk. com should give the insurance of that product so that if the products is lost or does not reach the consumer he will be provided other same product and also the souk. com should fix best security programs so that no information of the consumers will be licked or Hack ed.For the late Delivery of the products I recommend that the souk. com should concentrate more on Transportation and increase their transportation such as they should buy new cars, scooters and ships so that they can make the products available for consumers on time. References Warner. Malcolm, 2002, â€Å"International Encyclopaedia of Business & Management†, Volume 2, page 1034. Petrovic Dejan, 2007 http://analogik. com/articles/227/analysis-of-consumer-behaviour-online Rishi Bekramjit, 2010, â€Å"Motivators and decisional influencers of online shopping†, International Journal of Business Innovation and Research 2010 – Vol. , No. 3   pp. 195 – 209 Loker and kamali, (2002) â€Å"E-Commerce & Security & Consumer Behavior† http://www. lotsofessays. com/viewpaper/1693412. html Sakkthivel. A. M,(2009), â€Å"Impact of demographics on online buying behavior towards different products†, International Journal of Electronic Finance 2009  œ Vol. 3, No. 3   pp. 284 – 296 Freedman Lauren, 2010, â€Å"2010 Social Shopping Study Reveals Changes in Consumers’ Online Shopping Habits and Usage of Customer Reviews† http://www. e-tailing. com/content/? p=1193. Sons & Wiley john(2004),†Asking Questions† http://books. google. ae/books? d=YXKbTx2j9i4C&q=Quantitative+researchers+have+openly+discussed+how+people+think+for+some+time#v=onepage& Petzold G. Robert â€Å"Writing a Critical Review of Descriptive or Experimental Research†http://www. jstor. org/stable/40318228 Bougie roger & sekaran uma (2010), â€Å"Research methods for business† http://www. oppapers. com/essays/What-Is-Scientific-Research-Process/660594. Stephen legg &Andrew martin (2002), â€Å"Investigating the inward sounds of Outward Bound†http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_6931/is_2_6/ai_n28132634/? tag=content;col1 Barker Lesley (2003), http://www. ehow. om/about_4685513_primary-data_. html Haslinger Ande rs et al(2007), PdF file Company profile (www. souq. com) Appendices 1 Questionnaire In this survey we are going to collect data on the impact of online shopping on consumer behavior and the information collected will be used for the Marketing Research Project and strictly the information collected will be kept confidential. Respondents no 1. Gender Male Female 2. Nationality 3. since when you are Shopping Online? 1 Month 1-6 Month 6-12 Month 1 Year 3 Years 6 Years or more . What are the goods that you purchase online? Software’s Tickets Gifts Books Music Electronics If Other Specify The following questions will be rated according to a 5 point scale such as 5 – Strongly Agree 4 – Agree 3 – Neutral 2 – Disagree 1 – Strongly Disagree | | Strongly Disagree| Disagree| Neutral| Agree| Strongly Agree| 5| Online Shopping saves my time. | | | | | | 6| Making payment is easy Through online shopping. | | | | | | 7| The Delivery of the product is too l ong. | | | | | | 8| I cannot

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There are so many things that the testing of animals can help to improve. Some things, such as the development of insulin, antibiotics, vaccines, and drugs with high mortality rates, are all because of high contribution from animal testing (Murnaghan). On the flip side though, Alison Abbott points out, â€Å"Every time you reach for an eye drop or reapply a lip salve, you do so confident that the chemicals they contain are safe to use. But the toxicology test on which regulators rely to gather this information are stuck in a time warp, and are largely based on wasteful and often poorly predictive animal experiments† (Abbott). Abbott talks about a legislation called REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) and how it planned to â€Å"make registration mandatory for both future and existing chemicals – even those that have been on the market for decades† (Abbott). As a result of reach, it was expected that millions more animals would be used in order to meet the necessary requirements. 5,000 animals – that is up to how many test subjects could be used for each chemical; if it is a pesticide that number jumps to 12,000. The estimated cost of running these tests on the unregistered (approximately 30,000) chemicals is between â‚ ¬5 billion (US$6 billion) and â‚ ¬10 billion (US$13 billion) (Abbott). In order to test one single chemical for cancer causing potential, it takes five years, involves 400 rats (each of which is treated with the maximum tolerated dose), and more than 50% of the results are positive, even worse, of that 50%, 90% are false positives (Abbott). In looking more at the argumentative side, there are two general views: in favor of animal testing or against animal testing. Many people lean towards being against animal testing because they feel it is cruel, inhumane, and unfair to the animals. Now on the other hand, a lot of people are in favor of animal testing because it helps to test medicines, medical procedures and other necessities. Animals do not have a voice of their own; they need people to speak for them, to fight for them, and to protect them. Many companies, while attempting to verify their products are safe for humans, will perform various tests on animals. Animals are used for testing a wide variety of chemicals and products such as drugs, vaccines, cosmetics, household cleaners, and pesticides. As written by Delmas Luedke, â€Å"Animals are exposed to too much suffering; especially when there are many alternatives to testing on animals† (Animals and Research). If there are alternatives for research, why test on animals? There are new alternatives being created, such as realistic software models. The first realistic software models of human and animal organs are starting to emerge – potentially replacing some of the 50 to 100 million animals used each year for scientific research† (Biever). With different types of software emerging, it is very possible for other software to be produced in future years and animal tests could be completely replaced. When doing medical, cosmetic, or any other type of re search, animals should not be used or abused because it is cruel and harmful to the animals being used for testing. On the opposing side, some people believe that it is okay to harm animals in order to discover cures and generate medicines, although animal testing can lead to antibiotics, vaccines, and other treatments being produced, there are other ways that those same products could be produced – without harming animals. According to Cynthia Pekow, â€Å"Although polls say that most Americans accept that research animals are needed to advance medical science, many people feel squeamish thinking about animals used in experimentation†(â€Å"Animals in Research†). People do not feel squeamish because their medicines are being tested on animals; they are squeamish because animals are being harmed in the process. While good things have come from testing on animals, it is just not worth the pain and torture that they are put through. One reason why testing on animals should be illegal is because it is a cruel and inhumane way to do research, and it is unfair because animals have no voice of their own. Jackie Powder states that, â€Å"It was a furor over the alleged mistreatment of rabbits by a cosmetics giant that set the stage for the creation of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing† (Powder). CAAT works with scientists, government regulators, and other advocates to identify alternatives to the use of animals in testing thousands of chemicals. Humans are capable of giving their consent in order to be tested on, while animals are not. Animals have no voice of their own to speak with. They cannot tell anyone when something hurts; they cannot tell anyone when something does not feel right; they cannot tell anyone if they do not want to participate in the testing anymore. A second reason for not testing on animals is because there is no moral reason to test on animals when the results may not even be accurate. There have also been many alternatives that have proven to be more accurate than using animals. â€Å"Using animals is unreliable and inaccurate because of great differences between animals and humans. Non-animal tests take less time to complete, cost only a fraction of what the animal experiments the non-animal tests replace costs, and are not overwhelmed with species diversity that make inferring results difficult or impossible† (Stop the use, ). Virtual models, such as the ones at Insilicomed in Lo Jolla, California, are being created. At Insilicomed they are using a virtual heart to simulate the interaction between the organ and a pacemaker, on behalf of a manufacturer. The device is initially tested in both animals and software to ensure that the models accurately replicating what happens in real life, but subsequent test to refine the properties the pacemaker’s leads are done in software alone† (Biever). With these models being produced, fewer animals will b e used in experiments. Whenever there is a chance to replace animal tests, those chances should be pursued so that fewer animals will be used. On the alternative side of the argument, there are multiple reasons why animal testing is a good thing. For starters, animal testing has helped to create many of the medicines in our world. The kinds of benefits from animal research that researchers have made in understanding and treating diseases would not have been possible without animal research. Many people argue about how it is cruel and inhumane to animals; well would they rather it was humans being tested? Maybe they would like to send their brother or sister in for experimental testing? While animal testing may seem cruel, the hypothetical alternative is even worse. Scientists are attempting to develop worthy alternatives to testing on animals, but some things are not quite as easy to come up with an alternative. Both sides of the argument have very good points, however, despite the fact that it can be seen as cruel and inhumane to the animals (from a person’s perspective), animal testing is, at this point in time, a necessity. There are many drugs and medical procedures that may not be here today if it were not for animal testing. Testing on animals may be inhumane to them, but it is better to be inhumane to an animal than to a human.

Understanding The Act Of Heroism Philosophy Essay

Understanding The Act Of Heroism Philosophy Essay Heroism consists of actions that must help others, even if it is a possibility and risk of the helpers injury or even death. Some people consider heroism to be very close to altruism, but it is different. Where altruism emphasizes self-denying acts that help others, heroism means a personal sacrifice. The kernel of heroism rotates around of the obligation of the person to a noble goal and readiness to accept a consequence of fighting for this goal. Heroism is old as humanity itself. The human bent fort commemorating heroes is a universal quality of human culture. Heroes are honored in ancient paintings, folklore and myth. Societies dispatched such stories in oral traditions and legends, and myths into epic poems and eddas. Modern societies uphold the tradition of honoring heroes not only in literally masterpieces but also in movies and journalism. Some of heroic ideas are becoming lost or changed by general culture. Being a hero is not just being an outstanding figure. We believe it has become needful to revise the historical senses of the word, and to force it to arrive in modern timeframes. Historically, heroism has been closely connected with military service, although social heroism also deserves close research. For instance, Achilles is the archetypal war hero, whose values were so strong, that Socrates willingness to die for it was also a heroic exploit. Heroism that consist a notable idea is usually not so dramatic like heroism that entails direct physical risk. These different ways of exhorting with the heroic ideal mean a deeper, more tangled definition of heroism. Actions considered as heroic are ordinarily made voluntarily in the sense that they are not compelled by external pressures or at least go out the bounds of the behavior ordinarily prompted by external pressures. By understanding of heroism as a universal characteristic of human nature, not as an unusual feature, heroism becomes something that stands in the line of possibilities for everyone , possibly inspiring us to answer that call.  The thought about the banality of heroism disrobes the myth of the heroic elect. It is a myth that strengthens two fundamental human tendencies: to attribute very rare personal feature to special people who do special feats to see them as superhuman, comparing to the rest of us and the trap of inertial some people call it as the bystander effect. Investigation has shown that this effect is often motivated by scattering of responsibility. In their article The Banality of Heroism, Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo tell that heroism is made up of four autonomous measurements at least (based on authors analysis of many acts that they consider heroic).  First, heroism involves some type of quest, which may range from the preservation of life to the preservation of an ideal (Franco, Zimbardo). Second, heroism should have some form of sacrifice (risk). This can be some form of physical danger or a strong social sacrifice. The physical risks in this case are clearly heroic in nature. For instance, Tom Cahill, a researcher from the University of California, called a press conference where defined the EPAs findings that in the after-grass of the September 11 events the air nearby Ground Zero was safe for breathing. With this action he risked his confidence as a scientist. Third, the heroic feat may be active or passive. Often we think of heroism as a courageous activity, something that is clearly perceptible. But some forms of heroism involve passive opposition or reluctance to be moved. And finally, heroism may be an unexpected, one time action, or something that continues over a longer time period. This may have a meaning that heroism may be a nearly immediate reaction to a situation. Or it may be a well considered series of actions endure over days, months, or a lifetime. Franco and Zimbardo give such an example: in 1940, a Japanese consul official in Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, signed more than 2,000 visas for Jews hoping to escape the Nazi invasion, despite his governments direct orders not to do so. Every morning when Sugihara got up and made the same decision to help, every time he signed a visa, he acted heroically and increased the likelihood of dire consequences for himself and his family. At the end of the war he was unceremoniously fired from the Japanese civil service (Franco and Zimbardo). The scientists stress that even people who have led less than remarkable lives can be heroic in a sing le moment. For instance, during Hurricane Katrina, a man whose name is Jabar Gibson, who was previously arrested in the past, took a bus, freighted it with citizens of his poor New Orleans environs, and delivered them to safety Houston. This feat people of Louisiana considered as heroism, because is that concrete situation Jabar helped desperate people simply to survive. The really interesting investigation which called The heroism of women and men was done by Selwyn W. Becker (University of Chicago) and Alice H. Eagly (Northwestern University). They research heroism of both sexes in dangerous settings. Their study allows examining the ideas that heroism is performed by women as well as men. It is well-known that mostly men were portrayed as heroes in legends, poems and eddas. It is understandable, because of their strength, greater size and physical skills. It is also well-known that since pristine times men considered to be hunters. But we should not forget that women in their tur n always considered to be clever, somewhat cunning and undoubtedly, very skilful. The women may find the right decision more often because of their well-known sixth sense, so it is quite probably that they may take a risk with the same responsibility as men. Moreover, the women more often trust their feelings and inner senses, their intuition and sometimes it helps in those situations when it needs to sacrifice. Then, who says that women are more afraid of sacrificing? There are a lot of examples in the world literature when they made such really brave decisions showing in such a way their true feelings. Becker and Eagly write: Womens risk takingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is assumed to derive at least in part from their traditional family role as main nurturer (Becker and Eagly). The authors are sure that nonetheless, it is possible that womens psychological answers to stress prime their helpful acts. Besides, many of womens heroic actions are hidden. But we forgot about another important ques tion: What makes a hero? Franco and Zimbardo convinced that  actually, the first answer of many people who are called heroes is to disown their originality. They say: I just did what I had to do or I am not a hero! Anyone in the same position would have done what I did (Franco and Zimbardo). Sudden life and death situations are distinct examples of situations that excite people into heroic act. The investigators were convinced that these positions create a bright-line ethical inspection that drives some individuals to act in an attempt to stop the evil. Many people in common positions identify the ethical problems connected with the situation and are deeply upset, but decide to ignore it. Franco and Zimbardo believe that a significant factor that may cheer heroic act is the incentive of heroic kind of imagination. It is the capacity to imagine facing risky situations, to fight the hypothetical problems these situations cause, and to consider ones actions and the results. By this, the individual becomes more prepared to act if a moment that calls for heroism comes. Seeing oneself capable of heroism may be the first step towards a heroic consequence.  There are several steps we can take to nurture the heroic type of imagination. We can start by remaining aware; critically evaluating each situation we meet so that we do not gloss over an emergency demanding our action. We must withstand the impulse to improve inaction and to develop exculpations that recast evil acts.   Also we must try to exceed anticipating negative result connected with some forms of heroism, being socially ostracized as an example. We must trust that others will identify the value of our heroic feats.  We should try to develop a capacity of things that do not fit, or do not make sense in a current situation. This means that we must ask questions to get the proper information for us to take action.  Besides, it is important not to fear conflict, and to develop the personal courage ne cessary to stand firm for principles we value. Actually, we should not think of hard conflicts but rather as attempts to force the other people to support their own ideology and principles.  We should be engaged in the current position, to imagine alternative future scenarios. But outside of these fundamental points, our society needs to encourage heroic imagination in all of its citizens, especially in young ones. The ancient Greeks and Anglo Saxon tribes revered their poem heroes in Beowulf and Iliad. These stories are antiquated, but their descriptions of the hero still make sense.  In these tales, the protagonist often meets a mystical figure who attempts to tempt the hero away from his track. We must also avoid the temptation of evil in our life, and we must recognize that perhaps the temptation will be quite ordinary: for example, an unethical friend, neighbor or coworker. By passing a series of smaller examinations of our stamina, we can refine a personal habit of heroism.  Very often epic poems tell about the hero visiting the underworld. This metaphorical facing death depicts transcendence an acceptance of mortality. Arthur Margon in his work Urbanization in fiction. Changing models of heroism in popular American novels 1880-1920 writes that i n a wide line of popular literature works written between the end of Reconstruction and The First World War, prominent American novelists depicted the decline of usual heroism in an urbanized society. In an urban society, goodness and social responsibility could be guaranteed only through the institutions peculiarity of that society. Individualism did not lead to heroism in the materialistic cities. Urban writers dismissed the individualistic hero to either boundary of the junk heap. Some of the authors replaced him with an institutional structure which nurtured self-identification in the community. But American novelists increasingly reflected, through the demise of the hero, the understanding that in the urban age individualism was incompatible with public welfare (Margon) underlines Margon. Till this day, some types of heroism demand paying the final price. But we can also realize this as a heros desire to face any of the results of heroic action whether the sacrifices are social of physical.  The hero often follows a set of rules. It is obviously, that if we will stop imagining ourselves as real heroes, and to realize the real sense of heroism, our society will be more indignant. But if we can rejoin these ancient ideals, refresh them again; we can create a union with the hero in our souls. It is this urgent, internal connection between the modern world and the ancient world that can show to a simple person how to become an everyday hero. As about my opinion. It seems to me, that we often afraid to make such actions, because we live in a world where everyone cares about himself. But if each of us will make one good feat everyday, our life may change completely. Now to my mind comes a movie that is called Pay it forward where the teacher gave pupils the task to think how to change this world. The slogan was Think of an idea how to change this world and put it into action!. And one boy named Trevor found the way: each person should make three good actions and then those people whom he helped must do the same in their turn. Well, is not is a heroism I would like to ask? In such a special and very remarkable way this boy forced us to believe in goodness. Exactly such kind of actions may teach everyone to become a hero. We just have to learn how to be more patient, kinder, thankful, attentively, and more helpful but what is most important to help others not by words but by real actions. I think everyone must watch this film and think about his actions and thoughts. It would be great if we will find a possibility and place for good feats in our life. And it does not matter what it will be saving a cat from the transport movement or helping our friend with his tasks. All these details draw one colorful portrait of the modern hero! Work citied Becker W, Selwyn, Eagly H, Alice The Heroizm of Women and Men. Zero, Franco, Zimbardo, Philip The Banality of Heroism. Greater Good Megazine. 2006-2007. Margon, Artur Changing models of heroism in popular American novels 1880-1920.

The Benefits of Playing Sports Essay -- Benefits of Sports

In everyone’s life there is always a thing or moment that reveals something new about you that you never noticed was there, Now the question is what did sports reveal to me? Since the very beginning, I had the will of giving it my all when I had a goal ahead of me, and always took the big steps to accomplish it. All of my experiences have led me to become what I am today, What is it that reveals who we are as a person? Is it the way we act? or just our life experiences? I believe that the significant events, actions, and accomplishments in the end define who you are in life. Something that has been so important and meaningful that happened to me was getting involved in sports. I have played sports from soccer to basketball, I know that if I had not been involved in sports, I would not be the person I am today. From the first day I started to play sports, I learned about responsibility, integrity, the importance of doing hard work, and much more. Taking the chance to play sports has definitely been life changing. Something that sports made me realize is that even though I can be the most dedicated person when working on a task, I still have the greatest aptitude to procrastinate on some things that is brought to me; most of the time it’s almost like a second nature to me to puts things aside. However, when I have an important task ahead of me, it’s always done right. I am dependable; one of my first big accomplishments would be when I first got into County Middle School soccer team, and from that day on, I have made it my aspiration to continue playing. Two years later when it was time for me to initiate high school I was told doing getting into the team would be extremely difficult, and it would be an immense ... ...hat clearly in mathematics, Getting excellent grades all the way through high school. I kept thinking about my future, and I decided to choose a major in which my skills would be of great use and then I thought why not business, and it was not a poor choice because I soon realized that economics came easy to me. Although the experience I got from high school was well by itself, it was not enough to prepare me. I truly want to increase my knowledge. I know that if I had never played sports, I would not have the drive nor the self-confidence I have today. It is extremely important to me to receive a good education beyond high school. Soccer was the force that kept me going; it showed me that there is no good lesson learned without any torment, only if you can bear through it and keep moving forward will you realize that you are strong enough prevail over any obstacle.

The Facts About Food Preservatives Essay -- Health, Food Preservatives

There is something that has been around for thousands of years, makes your trips to the grocery store cheaper and prevents people from dying of starvation every winter. This invention that helps us in many ways is food preservatives. Most people associate food preservatives with terrible chemicals that should be avoided, and while many that are used today have been known to cause health problems, there are many benefits that some people may not be aware of that food preservatives offer us. Before there were so many food preservatives, things were different in the traditional house. People didn’t have enough food in the winter because crops and meat that were unpreserved went bad. When people expected the food was about to go bad they would eat all of it so that nothing would be wasted. Also, as winter was approaching, many farmers would kill all of their animals because it was not economically wise to keep them through the winter. The animals would have to be fed and kept warm but grass wouldn’t be available for them to eat, water sources where they normally drink would be frozen over and they wouldn’t be producing as much food as they normally produce, such as milk or eggs. Also, animals that moved heavy farm equipment, like horses or oxen were not needed as much when there was no farming to do. People first figured out how to make food last longer a very long time ago. In as early as 1000 BCE, the Chinese had figured out how to use salt, spices and smoking. The Incas figured out how to freeze-dry things by around the 15th century. This helped them to always have 3-7 years of food available for their warriors. Nicolas Appert (pictured) was a French chef who figured out in January of 1810 how to store food in airtigh... ...urger-looks-almost-new/>. "Early methods of food preservation." Early methods of food preservation. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. . "Food Additives." Food Additives. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. . French, Alicia. "The top 10 scariest food facts." Food Recipes RSS. N.p., 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. . "Middle Ages Food Preservation." Middle Ages Food Preservation. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. . Pancholi, Rahul. "Join Academia.edu & Share your research with the world." Food preservatives. N.p., 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. .

“to the Reader” Analysis

â€Å"To The Reader† Analysis The never-ending circle of continuous sin and fallacious repentance envelops the poem â€Å"To the Reader† by Baudelaire. The beginning of this poem discusses the incessant dark vices of mankind which eclipse any attempt at true redemption. As the poem progresses, the dreariness becomes heavier by mentioning the Devil and demons, and how Hell is the final stop of everyone’s journey. The ending stanza says the most dangerous of all actions is boredom.This proposition that boredom is the most unruly thing one can do insinuates that Baudelaire views boredom as a gate way to all horrible things a person can do. The first thing one reads is the title, â€Å"To the Reader. † With this, Baudelaire is not just singling out any individuals or a certain group of people. â€Å"Folly, error, sin and parsimony,† (1) everyone possesses these vices, and that is who Baudelaire is addressing. A religious aspect is introduced in lines 5 through 7 stating that although we repent and confess, our sins are obstinate and our repentance feeble because soon after we are back to our wicked ways.Many religions, such as Christianity and Islam, believe that there is a joyous afterlife for those who have led a righteous lifestyle and have atoned for their sins. However, Baudelaire dismantles this comfort by implying that we repent because we â€Å"Believ[e] our base tears can wash away the stains [our sins]† (8). Even with the hint of a religious tone, Baudelaire is still talking to those without a religious affiliation, for no one is perfect and has not apologized for an act they were not sorry they committed.In class, it was argued that this poem is not actually a religious work because it has no hope and that it is, in fact, just about human nature; I believe it is about both. It is human nature to express regret towards those we have wronged, whether Christian, Muslim, Atheist, or any other denomination. However, t hose with a religious affiliation are hypocrites; preaching that we must all be without sin and have faith in and obey their respected deity. They, such as Christians, demonstrate hypocrisy through participating in sins themselves.They think ill thoughts against those who believe something else – judging; speak poorly of others to their friends – gossiping; confess that they did not mean what they said or did – lying. Although we may try to live better with each passing day, our evilness has a stronger resolve. Baudelaire writes â€Å"On the pillow of evil Satan Trismegistus / Cradles at length our enchanted soul† (9 & 10) â€Å"It is in hateful objects that we find peace / Each day, one step further towards Hell† (14 & 15).In these four lines, Baudelaire is suggesting that we do unholy or immoral things without noticing; continuing to entertain Gluttony, Pride, or Lust without a second thought, and that our souls are the Devil’s price. Ther e are different levels of intensity to all sins; telling a white lie every now and again is far better than taking another’s life every now and again. For some, the thought of murdering or raping someone is atrocious, nevertheless Baudelaire believes that If rape and poison, arson and the knife Have not yet women their pleasant designsOn the dull canvas of our lowly destinies It is because our soul, alas, is not yet bold enough. (25-28) The Christian religion is hinted here again by the use of women; it was Eve that introduced sin to mankind by eating the forbidden fruit, the pleasant design of sin. These lines are suggesting that appalling crimes are thought about and can be conducted by all, but only the strong willed are able to carry them out. Of all the horrible acts one can commit, Baudelaire suggests that there is one that is most heinous above all the rest, and that is boredom.Baudelaire states that Boredom is â€Å"more ugly, evil, [and] fouler than the rest† (33). Being in a state of boredom can lead to all types of malice and immoral thoughts. When you have time to think, memories of how someone wronged you may appear and you may decide to do wrong back unto him, or perhaps going to the club may seem like a nice way to meet with someone to relieve you of your boredom, etc. Boredom is not just failing to find something to do, but that you are tired of doing the same stuff over and over again.If one is bored of going to church and hearing the gospel, they could always decide to follow a different religion or drop it altogether. Who can say they are without sin, completely wholly, and truly deserving of a divine afterlife? As previously stated, some believers can be considered hypocrites. People are always preaching that one must practice a better way of living, yet they are deaf to their own sermon. Sin is practiced by all, even those who believe themselves to be above it. Unfortunately, to cast away sin is to cast away human nature, whi ch cannot be done, and as long as boredom lingers around, sin will always follow.