Marketing - 730 Words

Explain why the market oriented philosophy is so important. The phrase market-oriented is used in marketing conversations as an adjective describing a company with a marketing orientation. Market orientation more describes the companys approach to doing business. Market-oriented defines the company itself. If a company is market-oriented, its board and executive leadership believe that the best way to succeed is to prioritize the marketplace above products. This usually goes over well with customers, but the company also must have adequate research and development to provide what the market wants. Hence, a market-oriented organization is one whose actions are consistent with the marketing concept. Difference Between Marketing†¦show more content†¦According to the American Marketing Association definition, Marketing is â€Å"an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders Studies show that the marketing planning process is a logical process consisting of analyzing marketing opportunities, selecting target markets, designing marketing strategies, developing marketing programs, and managing the marketing effort. Hence, the market oriented philosophy is so important because it shed more lights on the importance of the marketing role instead of other philosophies roles such as in product, selling, and production concepts. The marketing concept specifies that the main task of the company is to determine the needs, wants, and preferences of a target group of customers and deliver customers’ satisfactions to generate customer satisfaction and long-run customers’ relationship and gain more profits to the organization. Now, more organizations and firms domestically and globaly started to recognize how marketing contributes to improved performance in the marketplace. References: 1- Kotler, P., amp; Keller, K, L. R., (2008). A Framework forShow MoreRelatedMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing966 Words   |  4 Pagesreflect back over these last five weeks I now have a clearer view of marketing and how it affects not just the consumers of the world and the companies with their marketing managers, but how it affects me. Yes, I am a consumer who clips coupons, budgets my finances, and looks for sale items and this marketing class has taught me that marketing is more than selling or advertising. Marketing managers have a difficult job, as marketing involves identifying, meeting and satisfying the needs of customersRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1486 Words   |  6 Pagesthis day and age, marketing plays a pivotal role in the business environment. Marketing is dynamic, complicated and challenging. The basic concept of marketing is to identify the need of human and society, and research how to satisfy and create those need. According to American Marketing Association (AMA), defining that marketing is the processed activity which communicate and exchange valuable offerings to customers (AMA, 2013). To be more precise, the main mission of marketing is choosing targetRead MoreMarketing Concept Of Marketing : Marketing1651 Words   |  7 PagesMarketing concept Marketing plays a major function in any business organisation. The essence of marketing is about designing and managing a product and generating exchanges of value from where both the customer and the organisation can attain benefits. Marketing is the activity, set of institutions and processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society at large (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2009, p.13). MarketersRead MoreMarketing Functions Of Marketing And Marketing1229 Words   |  5 Pagestrends, the marketing function is used as a measure in the business-to-business practice, to capture and place varied products in a market place (Kono, 2004). A typical market function provides details regarding the planning, information, product distribution, consumer support, risk taking, financing, and standardization and grading amongst other things (Makloof and Sundberg, 2006). In business a market function acts in respect to the corporate marketing, strategic marketing, field marketing and analysisRead MoreMarketing Concept Of Marketing And Marketing1413 Words   |  6 PagesMARKETING CONCEPT Marketing is an act of promoting and selling products or a service, this also includes marketing research and advertising. The marketing concept is the philosophy used by companies to analyse the needs of their customers so they can be better than the competition. As well as this they must also take into consideration the companies capabilities and the environment it is working in, as they can face the pressures of environmental changes. By using the marketing concept companiesRead MoreMarketing Orientation : Marketing And Marketing1450 Words   |  6 Pages A wide range of companies today prefer to adopt the marketing orientated approach to sell their new products rather than using product orientation before.In fact,marketing orientation also helps such companies to earn more profits in the long time.According to Jobber and Ellis Chadwick (2013),marketing orientation focuses on customers need as the primary drivers of organizational performance.However,this is not always the case. Product orientation still be used by some senior executives and thisRead MoreMarketing : Marketing And Relationship Marketing Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrating Marketing With the shift in the external marketing environments, Apple has also shifted its marketing strategy. It personalizes marketing through experiential marketing and relationship marketing. â€Å"Experiential marketing promotes a product by not only communicating a product’s features and benefits but also connecting it with unique and interesting consumer experiences† (Strategic Brand Management, P. 181). Customers can easily experience a sense of community every time they walk in intoRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1770 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is Marketing? A plethora of individuals seem to be misinformed about marketing. Several of these individuals believe that marketing is just advertising. Others will tell you that marketing is all about sales, insinuating that all marketers are just salesmen. Now these beliefs are both right and wrong. â€Å"How can they both be right and wrong at the same time?† you may be asking yourself. Well they are right, because marketing encompasses both advertising and sales. They are both wrong by assumingRead MoreMarketing Mix Of Marketing And Marketing1001 Words   |  5 PagesIn The cutting edge world of marketing dated back in the late 1950s, the four Ps were called the marketing mix, meaning that a marketing plan is a mix of four components. A company who has adopted 4P approach focuses on product, whereas company who has adopted the value approach focuses on value to the consumer. One of other marketing mix is the Value approach. This approach concentrates on delivering value to the consumers or customers, the 4Ps approach is evidently concentrated not on customersRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1878 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Marketing research is the process that associates the consumers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information — information used to classify and describe marketing prospects and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and development understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research identifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements

Critical Thinking Assignment On Buddhism - 777 Words

Spencer Zindel 11/23/14 APOL 104 Professor Ross Critical Thinking Assignment Part One: Buddhism †¢ The Question of Origin- For Buddhist, the question of Origin is one that cannot be answered. Buddhist believe that there is no beginning or end of the world. Buddhist do not have an answer for the question of Origin. They simply accept that everything came to be just because. †¢ The Question of Identity- One big belief in Buddhism is reincarnation, which is the idea that you are given new life after you pass away. With reincarnation, you may be reborn many times. Buddhist believe that life cycle to be birth, living, death, and rebirth. Buddhist also believe in the concept of Nirvana, which is a state of freedom and liberation from suffering. †¢ The Question of Meaning/ Purpose- The main purpose in life for Buddhist is to end all suffering. The Buddha was said to have taught that humans suffer. The reason for humans suffering is because we continue to pursue things that will not have lasting happiness. A few of the things that humans continually try to pursue that do not give lasting happiness are material items, health, and friends. The Buddha did say that these things will give some happiness, but will eventually end and cause more sorrow. Buddha also had Four Truth’s: Suffering is life, desire causes suffering, to stop suffering you must first stop desire, stop desire with the Eightfold Path. †¢ The Question of Morality- Buddhist follow the Five Precepts for morality. The firstShow MoreRelatedApol 104 Critical Thinking Assignment Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Thinking Assignment APOL-104 June 25, 2012 Critical Thinking Assignment PART ONE: The Question of Origin In Buddhism, they do not teach nor do they believe that there is an all-powerful God that created the universe. They look to Buddha, the religion’s founder, for a model of how to behave. In the Buddhist view, the universe is infinite in both time and space and the universe is created and destroyed over and over again in a process we call natural evolution. The Question ofRead MoreEssay Apol 104 Critical Thinking602 Words   |  3 PagesJesus Lopez Apol 104 Week 6 June 25th, 2012    Critical Thinking Assignment A prince named Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) founded â€Å"Buddhism† in the sixth century before the birth of Christ. Buddhism is better understood as philosophy rather than a religion and follows the concept of the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Noble path. Part I   - Analysis of Buddhism 1. Origin – In the Buddhist Worldview, life and the world have no beginning or end. â€Å"There is no reason to suppose thatRead MoreThe Principles of Buddhism1261 Words   |  5 Pagescondition is met. In addition, many of us are constantly thinking about our future dilemmas or past experiences, making it difficult to focus on actually living and enjoying the present moment. These constant thoughts of suffering and worry are all created by the egotistical mind, one that is never conform and filled with greed and selfishness. Self-hood, or always thinking about I and me is the leading cause to our suffering. Our thinking brain, which is the source of our self, is the organ of theRead MoreMy Conversation With Yen Mai896 Words   |  4 PagesMy conversation with Yen Mai provided further evidence for influence of Christianity on Midwestern culture and how Chinese culture lacks this influence. In China, the religions of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are most common and are philosophical in nature. From these religions, it can be argued that Chinese culture adopted the values to honor family and treat elders with respect and obedience above everything. As a result, Chinese students treat their family and the elderly with more respectRead MoreElements of Religious Traditions1308 Words   |  6 Pagessome do not. Religion varies from culture to culture. Certain religions worship a divine being, have a sacred book, or commandments which they follow. â€Å"Shinto, for example, does not have a set of commandments, nor does it preach a moral code; Zen Buddhism does not worship a divine being; and many tribal religions have no written sacred scripture† (Molloy, 2010). There are three main religions that believe in a divine being (God), have a sacred book, and follow certain commandments. The first religionRead MoreOutline Of A Comprehensive Reflective Assessment Essay2510 Words   |  11 Pagesmyself from the others. Vietnamese culture is rich in the teaching of being kind to one another and being true to one self. Hence the reason for the teaching of Buddhism is very popular amongst Vietnamese people. From the philosophy of Buddhism, we believe in doing good deed will bring you eternal happiness and serenity within one self. Buddhism also worship spirits and natural forces and practice ancestor worship. We believe that only their physical appearances are vaguing but their soul still lingersRead MoreGender Roles And Gender Norms Essay1774 Words   |  8 Pageschose to wear slacks, and a white collared shirt similarly to what every man in the gathering wore. I also did not blow out my hair, and had decided not to wear makeup, or even thread my ey ebrows or mustache. Those that were at the potluck were very critical of my appearance. Also, when other women were in the kitchen cleaning, and putting things away, I sat around with a group of men. Instead of actually lending a hand, and asking these women if they needed help, I declined. A woman had turned to myRead MoreThe Culture Of Thai Culture1901 Words   |  8 Pagesgreater impact over the day to day activities of the Thai people. Some of the major values and practice of Thai people include the self-control, the non-confrontational attitude, and respect, etc. A second religion that has considered for this assignment is the Omani culture that has based on various subsect believes or groups of Islam that can know as the Ibadhism,Suni and the Shia, etc. thus, the Islamic festivals and traditions and values are very much important to the Omani culture. At lastRead MoreA Critical Thinking Exercise : The Role Of Religion During World Civilizations3861 Words   |  16 Pages Critical Thinking Exercise: The Role of Religion in Early World Civilizations Name Stephanie Trent_________ Students will complete this critical thinking exercise in history as a â€Å"thought paper,† but will identify sources for their answers. Students can use the textbook and class notes for sources, but can use other sources. This exercise is in the form of a â€Å"short answer format.† This must at least be six full pages, but can be longer if needed. Students are expectedRead MoreAnthropology : Cultural And Social Formation Of Gender And Ideas About Gender2379 Words   |  10 Pagesthe belief that there is two separate worlds for each gender. a. The assignment of this dichotomy and the understanding of prestige, status, and the meaning of power between women and men may simply be skewed. i. This occurs by the definitions of these concepts utilized by ethnographies compiled by Western observers’ interpretations. ii. This assertion presents a need to shift focus away from shared experience of women to a critical analysis of differences among them. III. Chapter 4. (229 words)

Online Higher Education Universities in the United States

Questions: (a) Provide a descriptive analysis of the two variables (e.g., mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum). (b) Develop a scatter diagram with retention rate as the independent variable. What does the scatter diagram indicate about the relationship between the two variables? (c) Develop and estimate a regression equation that can be used to predict the graduation rate (%) given the retention rate (%). (d) State the estimated regression equation and interpret the meaning of the slope coefficient. (e) Is there a statistically significant association between graduation rate (%) and retention rate (%). What is your conclusion? (f) Did the regression equation provide a good fit? Explain. (g) Suppose you were the president of South University. After reviewing the results, would you have any concerns about the performance of your university compared to other online universities? (h) Suppose you were the president of the University of Phoenix. After reviewing the results, would you have any concerns about the performance of your university compared to other online universities? Your report need to be structured as follows: 1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Method 4. Result 5. Discussion 6. Recommendation Answers: 1. Purpose of the study: It has been pointed out that during the last few years, the higher education sector in the USA has undergone through a significant alteration in its market place due to the momentous growth rate of online universities (Bekker and Kleibergen, 2001). Though certain growth is there, in terms of proportion of graduation rate as well as the proportion of retention rate has significantly fluctuated during this time frame. It is generally considered that higher the retention rate means the university will evidence higher graduation rate. Under such circumstances, any fluctuation in terms of graduation rate as well as retention rate turns out to be a major concern for the online universities (Kamath, 2009). Now, if the recent economic trend has been considered here, then it can be found out that the organizations are experiencing cut-throat rivalry, whether they are belonging in a specified industry or stayed in different industry. The revelry exists here mainly because of the fact that they intended to go ahead in order to gain the competitive advantage (Kim and Chambers, 2011). Under such circumstances, an in depth economic analysis is required by the online education providing universities so that they will able to comprehend the recent market trend with considering the two major factors graduation rate and the retention rate. 2. Background of the study: Over the time frame as the online universities in the USA are experiencing significant fluctuation in terms of retention rate as well as gradation rate. Since, the retention rate significantly influence the proportion of graduation rate in each universities, it is become essential to understand such fluctuation in the both variables have any significant impact on overall performance of the online universities or not. Under such circumstances, this study is aimed to assess this particular scenario based on these to variables and for that a sample of 29 online universities in the United States were considered here. Data related to these two variables are assorted in terms of percentage. Here, particularly it is intended to assess whether the influence of the retention rate over the graduation rate for selected universities in against the target population has been changed or not. 3. Method followed: Since, the objective of the study is to measure the effect of retention rate over graduation rate for the selected online universities; it is become apparent that analysis through statistical tool will be appropriate here (HaÃÅ'ˆrdle and Simar, 2012). So, it can be said that basically this study followed a descriptive research design, where mainly secondary data related to both the variables will be assessed here using statistical apparatus. Now, it is also the fact that execution of any statistical study primarily necessitates a descriptive analysis for the reason that it will help to employ inferential statistical tool in more effective manner. Under such circumstances, a brief descriptive statistical analysis has been executed here using statistical parameters like mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum (Gionis, 2013). Next, the study followed in depth inferential analysis using multiple regression models. In this context, it is noted that executing any statistical analysis both in terms of descriptive study or inferential study, various instruments like SPSS, Excel, etc were employed by the researcher. Here, the study mainly utilized the Microsoft Excel to do every calculation. Thus, it can be said that the study follows the below mentioned steps: Step 1: Descriptive analysis of graduation rate and retention rate; Step 2: Scatter diagram of graduation rate and retention rate; Step 3: Multiple regression as inferential study; The below mentioned section provides details of the results found following the above mentioned three steps. 4. Results: Calculation of descriptive statistics: Retention Rate (%) Graduation Rate (%) Mean 57.41379 Mean 41.75862 Standard Deviation 23.24023 Standard Deviation 9.865724 Minimum 4 Minimum 25 Maximum 100 Maximum 61 Count 29 Count 29 Table 1: Descriptive statistics Scatter diagram of graduation rate and retention rate with retention rate as the independent variable: Figure 1: Scatter diagram of retention rate and graduation rate Multiple regression analysis: Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.670 R Square 0.449 Adjusted R Square 0.429 Standard Error 7.456 Observations 29 Table 2: Regression statistics table ANOVA df SS MS F Significance F Regression 1 1224.286 1224.286 22.022 0.000 Residual 27 1501.024 55.593 Total 28 2725.310 Table 3: ANOVA table Coefficients Standard Error t Stat P-value Lower 95% Upper 95% Intercept 25.423 3.7463 6.7862 0.0000 17.7362 33.1096 X Variable 1 0.2845 0.0606 4.6928 0.0001 0.1601 0.4089 Table 4: Summary table 5. Discussion Here, the researcher provides detailed discussion of the results founds from the analysis. Description of all the aspects was mentioned below in a sequence manner. Referred to the table 1 as mentioned above in the result section, it can be said that the table provides brief of the descriptive statistics related to both the variables. From this table, the mean of retention rate is found as 57.41% and the mean of graduation rate is found as 41.76%. Since, the mean is the measure of central tendency; it can be concluded that all the selected 29 universities experienced more than 50 percent retention rate, which means over and above half of the student who got admission in the respective universities in several courses, are staying with the universities till end of their study. Again, the results mentioned in the table 1 also indicates that the average graduation rate of these selected university remain below the 50 percent, which means each year, the number of students who graduated from their respective universities are lower than half of its student got admission in various curses (Kobayashi, Mark and Turin, 2012). If the standard deviation is being considered as here, then it can be said that the standard deviation mainly explores the deviation of data from its average value (Montgomery, Peck and Vining, 2012). So, if the current context is taken into account, then the results shows in table 1 indicates that the retention rate of the selected universities experience more deviation in against the graduation rate of those universities. This indicates that retention rate fluctuated more frequently than graduation rate. Finally, the results shown in table 1 in terms of minimum and maximum statistics, it can be said that the spread of data related to retention rate is more than the spread of graduation rate. In case of retention rate, the minimum value is 4 %; whereas the maximum value of this variable is 100 %. Therefore, the spread of retention rate is 96 %. On the other hand, the maximum value of the graduation rate is 61 %; whereas the minimum value is 25 %. Therefore, the spread of this variable is 36 %. Hence, it can be said that the retention rate is fluctuated almost double to graduation rate. This also supports the conclusion regarding deviation of the results drawn from standard deviations. Figure 1 mentioned in the above result section provides the scatter diagram of graduation rate and retention rate with retention rate being the independent variable. It is the fact that explanation of findings found from the scatter plot requires understanding of four important aspects such as direction, form, strength and outliers. Under such circumstances, the scatter plots as drawn in the above result section related to retention rate and graduation rate with retention rate being independent variable are discussed here in terms of these four aspects: [a] Direction: Mainly two types of directions are explained while discussing the direction of the scatter plot, such as positive direction and negative direction. Here, the positive direction indicates that larger values of the category variable will be associated with larger value of response variable. On the other hand, negative direction means larger values of the category variable will be associated with smaller value of response variable. In this context, since the larger values of the category variable [retention rate] are associated with larger value of response variable [graduation rate]; the scatter plot indicates a positive direction. [b] Form: On the basis of form, any scatter diagrams are segmented as no association, no linear association, linear association and perfect linear association. In this context, assessment of the scatter plots between retention rate and graduation rate, a linear association is found here. [c] Strength: According to strength, any scatter plot can be segmented as Zero correlation (r = 0 or near to zero); Weak correlation (-0.35 r +0.35); Moderate correlation (-0.35 r -0.55, 0.35 r 0.55); and Strong relation ( 0.55 r 1) Therefore, in this context, the scatter plots between retention rate and graduation rate shows a moderate association. Finally, the scatter plot is explained here as the moderately positive linear correlation. Here, the regression equation is as follow: Graduation rate = Intercept coefficient + coefficient of retention rate * retention rate Using the results shown in table 2, 3 and 4, the coefficient of intercept is 25.423 and coefficient of retention rate is 0.2845. So, the estimated regression equation becomes Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate The slope of a line is a dimension of how manyunitsit goes up as well as down for each unit is change to the right.Slope of any line can be zero, positive or negative (Pardoe, 2012). Here, if the slope is negative, it means the correlation between entry price and week is negative and positive means there is a positive relation between entry price and week. From the table 4, the value of the intercept is found as 25.423. It indicates that the expected mean value of graduation rate will be 25.423% if the retention rate is being changed to 0%. Again, from table 3, it is noted that the value of coefficient of determination is 0.449. This is a precise parameter which provides details about the goodness of fit of the regression model. It is noted that any value of coefficient of determination near 1 means the estimation is appropriate, whereas any value below 1 means estimation is not efficient enough to predict the graduation rate on the basis of retention rate. Under such circumstances, it can be said that there is a 44.9% chance that the estimation will be accurate. However, the model is not a good fit. Therefore, it is concluded that the provided data is not effective one to estimate the graduation rate with the help of retention rate. Therefore, more review is necessary to predict this specific case. Under such circumstances, if the case scenario of the South University is being considered here, then it can be found that here the retention rate is 51 %, however, the graduation rate reach to 25 %. This would indicate that almost 50 percent of the student, the university is being able to retain are graduated in their specified subject. Since, the overall findings obtained from the study also indicates that same association, in this specific case, it can be said that being the president of South University, no concern is there regarding the performance of this university in against the other online universities (Sprinthall, 2012). Right at the same time, if the circumstance of the University of Phoenix is being considered here, then it can be found that here the retention rate is 4 %, however, the graduation rate reach to 28 %. Though, this indicates the graduation rate is far better than the retention rate, in specific, there is no valid conclusion can be drawn from these two figures (XUE, 2010). In addition to this, it can also be concluded that such information is also largely deviated from the results obtained in the study. Hence, under such circumstances, it can be said that being the president of the University of Phoenix, a concern is there regarding the performance of this university in against the other online universities. 6. Recommendations: The study experienced a moderate positive correlation between retention rate and graduation rate, which further explores that the regression model cannot be considered as the best fit. So, there is an indication that graduation rate might influenced by other variables associated with the online education providing universities such as quality of education, facilities etc. Therefore, to reach into a meaningful conclusion regarding both the variable, other variables also needs to be take care of while establishing the multiple regression model. References Bekker, P. and Kleibergen, F. (2001).Finite-sample instrumental variables inference using an asymptotically pivotal statistic. Amsterdam: Tinbergen Institute. Gionis, A. (2013). Data Analysis.Data Science Journal, 12(0), pp.GRDI13-GRDI18. HaÃÅ'ˆrdle, W. and Simar, L. (2012).Applied multivariate statistical analysis. Berlin: Springer. Kamath, C. (2009). Application-Driven Data Analysis.Statistical Analysis Data Mining, 1(5), pp.285-285. Kim, G. and Chambers, R. (2011). Regression Analysis under Probabilistic Multi-Linkage.Statistica Neerlandica, 66(1), pp.64-79. Kobayashi, H., Mark, B. and Turin, W. (2012).Probability, random processes, and statistical analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Montgomery, D., Peck, E. and Vining, G. (2012).Introduction to linear regression analysis. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Pardoe, I. (2012).Applied regression modeling. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Sprinthall, R. (2012).Basic statistical analysis. Boston: Pearson Allyn Bacon. XUE, L. (2010). Empirical Likelihood Local Polynomial Regression Analysis of Clustered Data.Scandinavian Journal of Statistics, 37(4), pp.644-663.

The cuban mile Essay Example For Students

The cuban mile Essay Latin American SocietiesBook reportThe Cuban MileThe Cuban Mile, written by Cuban native Alejandro Hernandez Diaz, is a story about two Cubans who set sea for Miami in hopes of finding more successful lives. The author writes as if he was one of the refugees, and we are reading his journal entries. The journey lasts seven days, with obviously many entries per day. The entries are categorized by how many miles these two men have traveled by that point. The narrator and his brother in law are on their way to meet Cynthia, who is the sister of one and the wife of the other. She was awarded the opportunity to study in America and believes her loved ones can enjoy greater success in a capitalist society. Each man has his own reason for leaving his country; the narrator, only 20, wants to be a painter and feels no ties to his family or country, while his brother in law, 28, is a sailor and wishes to reap the riches of America. It really is unclear as to why the narrator would risk his life to leave Cuba, the only apparent reasons are his isolation from his family and his desire to be with his sister, who has faith in him and believes he can be a great painter in the United States. Obviously, his brother in law wishes to be with his wife, while he has dreams of sailing yagts living in excess. Neither likes the other all too much, they seem to have sincere contempt for each other as they are actually quite opposite and dont understand one another much. The sailor is the macho, right wing type, while the painter has an effeminate, artistic flair to him. Along the trip, Commodore, as hes called by the narrator, attempts to pass the time with chatting, while the narrator prefers to read the books he brought along. Occasionally theyll interact, swaying between playful poking fun and long monologues that the other doesnt listen to. The goal of these two refugees is to be picked up by the United States Coast Guard and be brought back to American soil. On the fifth day, the s ee another ship, but its not that of the Coast Guard. Commodore paddles ferociously, so as to not be seen by what he perceives to be a Cuban vessel. To loose weight and travel faster, he instructs his partner to toss over his bag of books. The narrator, torn over whether or not to make such a sacrifice, accidentally throws over their water supply in his confusion. As they slowly dehydrate and become sicker, as storm comes through, and this is all the Commodore can take. He lets himself get thrown into the ocean, where he presumably drowns. By the next day, the narrator himself dies, and his corpse flows along in their boat. We will write a custom essay on The cuban mile specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now I personally did not find this book to be entertaining at all. Towards the end I found myself pushing along faster, but my motive was not curiosity to see what happens caused by literary suspense, it was impatience to finally get this assignment over. Im assuming that, although perhaps not entirely, the story was supposed to be somewhat humorous, because I could find little substance to it, but I found all the little rants of the narrator to be quite annoying. Speaking about the Commodore once in Miami, he says Smile, smile you bastard and enjoy the mediocre ideal of sipping Coke and Bacardi while you sit at a bar in Little Havana trading lies with Sylvester Stallone. Im sure its well within the character of a young aspiring artist, struggling and forming his thoughts and beliefs, apparently the black sheep of his family, to be bitter and ridicule or question everything around him. My problem is, I couldnt figure out what the point was- if I or anyone else wanted to the rants of a co nfused mind, all we have to do is think back to the weird, misunderstood kid in high school. If we do that, we remember why not many people liked him. Its one thing to be or relate to that kid, we all have a little of that in us, but its another to take his diary and publish it, thinking it would make a good book, whether hes on an adventurous journey or not. If there were other insights in the book, at least one other voice, or even a purpose, then Alejandro Hernandez Diaz would have the makings of a possibly good book, at least unique and hopefully interesting. I think what left such a sour taste in my mouth was that occasionally it would seem like he was on the track to making some kind of point, or even simply giving me a meaningless chuckle, but every time he would cut short and move on to a completely different idea. If the book was to be just a typical drama, then the characters would have to be developed much more for the reader to care about their fate or their ideas and op inions. Im really just lost as to what the authors agenda was. On the back it talks about the study of the psychology of risk and desire. All I got out of it along these lines was how the pain was so unbearable (the tens of pages of sheer whining might have been my biggest pet peeve) that he had to resort to sleeping pills as an escape from his hyper imaginative mind. While the risk is obvious, due to poor character development Im not sure what their desires even were. There is very little background given on these two, life in Cuba remains a mystery, and what they wish to get out of America is so simple and basic it becomes unclear. Its like listening to a press conference of a bad politician, when they say things like I want better schools for our children. There are different ideas of what a better school consists of, or how to achieve even that same idea. Its just a blanket, watered down statement that says absolutely nothing, and that simply was my take on this book. .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 , .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .postImageUrl , .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 , .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:hover , .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:visited , .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:active { border:0!important; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:active , .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759 .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3d5c83a774432493d310886a3ae04759:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Information Technology EssayNow, given the fact that I almost feel like I read nothing, Im not quite sure how to relate this book to a social theory discussed in class. In going through my notes, I see that in many ways bits and pieces of this book contradict Modernization Theory, so I will attempt to show in what ways. First of all, the most glaring aspect is that Emile Durkheim thought that people in underdeveloped nations needed to change their values and beliefs to fit those of the United States in order to develop or modernize. In my view, especially in the case of Cuba, it seems most people do share many of our cultural beliefs, otherwise there wouldnt be thousands w ho risk their lives to come ashore, or a book written with really only two characters, both of which attempt to reach the U.S. Thats two out of two, 100%, and this won the National Young Cuban Writers award for best novel. Demand for American products such as Coke would not be so high if not for the Cubans desire to be more American. So, assuming as I do that the beliefs are there, then Durkheim is wrong in at least this aspect of his thoughts that contributed to Modernization Theory. This also goes against Max Webers idea about the Protestant ethic. Assuming that Cubans do have adequate beliefs to develop in place and that the vast majority are not Protestant in faith, then one would not need to be Protestant or believe in predestination in order to obtain the necessary values to develop their country. Salvation Panic isnt the only reason for one to work hard to succeed. Also, Webers assumption that third world countries (although I guess technically Cuba would fall in the second w orld) have a fatalistic attitude must also be false. I dont think someone considered to be fatalistic would risk their life to better themselves. They wouldnt consciously decide that there is a better life for them and take control of their lives and risk everything in the hope of affording themselves better opportunities. Things like hope and a desire to risk ones life dont seem like characteristics of a fatalist, in fact these two ideas are in direct contradiction. If you want to talk about a dichotomy, I would say right there is one; at least a concrete one, not the construct of someones mind like Durkheims comparison of traditional and modern societies.Although this wasnt nearly as complete a rebuttal against Modernization Theory as Dependency Theory is, and even though I wouldnt recommend reading this book to anybody, in many ways The Cuban Mile did have shades of contradictions to this theory present within its cover. In a few instances the narrator will take you back to the i sland and give a few insights into their way of life, and in a few other instances he will show a glimpse of what might be going through the mind of a normal Cuban and what kinds of beWords/ Pages : 1,590 / 24