Cat Food Industry In The UK

Cat Food Industry In The UK By using environmental analysis, it is possible for organizations to recognize existing opportunities and threats for companies, define strategies to best utilizing opportunities and also to minimize the bad consequences of threats (Arabi Parsaeian, 2001). And the most important, the analysis can provide a rational future prediction as a base for future strategy adjustment. The company can forecast the consumer tends in next decade and rearrange its products in order to capture the volatile market share in a long-term perspective. The remote environment has the origin of factors that influencing operating environment. In industry-level analysis, it is necessary to analyze a macro environment of a company and access its performance of competitors responding to external elements. The object of this paper is to analyze remote environment and operating environment of cat food industry at United Kingdom. Part Two will be industry definitions. The industry background will be introduced in Part three at three levels, global market, Western Europe market and UK market. Part Four will be remote environment analysis by using PEST model, followed by operating environment analysis in Part Five by using Porters Five Forces Model. 2. Industry and Product definition200 211 Wikipedia defines Pet food as plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_food) Mintel defines pet food as any foods that are specifically formulated and marketed for pets, including treats (Mintel, 2009). In legislation, pet food means a feeding stuff for pet animals. To achieve the appropriate balance of nutrients pet food, manufacturers blend mixtures of ingredients including meat and fish, with vegetables, cereals, vitamins and minerals to produce foods that will satisfy the nutritional requirements of a pet(PFMA). It is typically sold in pet stores or supermarkets. And pet food is divided into three categories (Figure 2): dog food, cat food and other pet food (i.e. fish food, bird food). Pet Food sells in the form that either prepared or non-prepared. Figure 2 Pet Food Segment In this paper, cat food intends to be defined as food product specifically formulated for feeding of cats. For the purposes of this paper, some further definitions used by Mintel reports are as follows: Wet cat food C including wet canned cat food with a moisture content of 60-85% and semi-moist food with a moisture content of 25-30% and includes complete foods. Dry cat food C has a moisture content of around 10% and includes complete foods Treats and MixersC food supplement for cat. 3. Cat food industry Background 200 475 3.1 Global Cat Food Market Figure 3 (Source: Euromonitor International) According to data from Euromonitor, in 2009, the Global retail value sales of cat food reach US19.6 billion dollars, at a growth rate of 4%. Although Dog food continues to occupy nearly half of pet food and pet care market, cat food market posted a comparable CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 5 % during the period 2004-2008. This indicates that the economic downturn had slight impact on this industry. However, the rising rates of house repossessions contribute to the decline in the pet populations, especially in western economies. The recession caused the lack of consumer confidence which lead to backward sales of the whole cat food market at 2008, but the global market is still growing in 2009 as the ongoing trend of pet humanization that consumers want value-added products that extend both the quality and length of the pets life. 3.2 Western European Cat food Market Figure 4 The Western European market is the biggest in cat food consumption. In this region, there has been seen a strong tend towards polarisation between premium and economy cat food brands, with mid-priced products increasingly being squeezed between them. (Euromonitor) However, as shown in Figure 4, the trend of polarization eased during 2007 and 2009. Although premium cat food still bear a large portion, Consumers tend to be prices-sensitive that economy cat food ranges grow rapidly. Figure 5 Wet products remain dominant in Western Europe but dry products sales are growing. According to data from Euromonitor, the gap between wet and dry cat food continues to narrow. In 2005, wet food accounted for 55.5% of all cat food retail sales, but this figure is predicted to decline to 51.1% in 2009. 3.2 UK Cat food Market In 2009, the value sales of the whole cat food market reach ?996 million In the UK (Euromonitor). It is the largest market of Europe in the cat food sector. The consumer base for cat food is significant with 9.7 million cat owners. And cat population rose up to 10.5 million in 2009, from 10.2 million in 2008. The growth rate is mere 0.4% largely due to the real estate crisis in 2008. A large number of homeowners opt to give up houses that they can no longer pay off the mortgage, and some of them have to give up their pets since they have no ability to take care of them. This is also the case happened in dog food market. As a result, UK suffered great in dog and cat population (Figure 6), while Germany take the advantage and grow rapidly in this segment. Figure 6 However, the volume of product sold was flat, because consumers preferred smaller portion sizes as pouches to cans. Premium and super premium foods took increasing shares of the market, causing the general increase in the unit price. 4. Macro environment Analysis (PEST) 2500 4.1 Understanding PEST model 364 Understanding the macro environment of a certain business is vital for the reason that the managers can forecast the market tends and take advantages of the opportunities and minimize the threats by strategy adjustment. In the analysis of the macro-environment for an industry, it is of importance to identify the major factors that the companies are facing and that might influence the organizations internal operation such as supply and demand levels and its costs (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1991; Johnson and Scholes, 1993). Some models are developed to indentify the vast number of possible issues that might affect an industry. The PEST analysis is a useful tool to understand the whole trend of the environment in which the industry is operating. PEST analysis stands for factors as Political, Economic, Social-culture and Technological forces to influence the business macro environment. Sometimes two other factors (environmental and legal), can be added to form a PESTEL analysis model. In PEST analysis, Political factors include government policies and regulations to the industry, taxation, laws, trade restrictions and tariffs etc. The economic factors concerns changes in the wider economy such as economic growth or decline, interest rates, disposable income, exchange rates and inflation, etc. Social-culture factors refer to demographic, age distribution, social welfare, population growth rate, changes in lifestyle and consumer buying patterns, etc. The technological factors relate to the development in technology such as application of new inventions, RD activity, automation, etc. PEST analysis can be effective for business and strategic planning, marketing, product development and research reports. Kotler (1998) claims that PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The analysis examines the impact of these factors on the industry. Byars (1991) believes that PEST analysis results can be used to take advantage of opportunities and to make contingency plans for threats when preparing business and strategic plans. Porter (1985) also indentifies by using PEST analysis, the company can be aligned positively with the powerful factors of change and making decisions to fight against. Therefore, in this part, PEST analysis model will be used to explore the remote environment of the cat food industry at United Kingdom. 4.2 Apply PEST to Cat food Industry and Results 4.3 Understanding External Competition 4.3.1 Political 500 643 Cat food enjoys the political policies under the pet food category. Pet food industry is highly regulated and follows a number of industry codes and guidance to help manufacturers fulfill their obligations to manufacture safe pet food. (PFMA) There are more than 50 pieces of legislation governing the manufacture of pet food. As pet food is manufactured and distributed in the same way as human food, some legislation governing human food is equally applicable to pet food. Manufactures must ensure products are safe for cats, required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). All legislation applicable to pet food originates from the EU in the form of Regulations, Directives and Decisions which are subsequently implemented into UK national law. (PFMA) It is indicated that Pet foods are subject to stricte legislation in the UK. It is able to ensure the safety and quality of products. For example, The Feeding Stuffs Regulations 2005 and The Animal By-Products Regulations 2005. A nd the legislation covering pet food ingredients requires that pet food involving meat based ingredients from animals should take veterinary inspections to make sure that it is qualified for pet consumption. The cat food market has been benefit for those regulations and the market predicts to be stable under political environment. Therefore, it will add confidence for consumers when purchasing these products for their cats. There are also a number of codes of practice to be followed by some association (FEDIAF, The European Pet Food Manufacturers Association) members in this industry which in some cases exceed legislative requirements. For example, since 2005, the EU Feed Hygiene Regulation believes that feed safety is considered at all stages of the production for pet food. The rules cover all processes relating to the manufacturing of the pet food, such as hygiene requirement, record-keeping, etc. The EU Feed Hygiene Regulation Commission recognized the FEDIAF Guide to Good Practice for the Manufacture of Safe Pet Foods and implemented the rules in 2010. These guides should be followed by all members of the community. It covers the detailed requirement of the nutritional needs for cats and dogs at different life stages. Members of the PFMA (UK Pet Food Manufacturers Association) follow the FEDIAF (The European Pet Food Manufacturers Association) Nutritional Guidelines when making pet foods. The guidel ines are updated at a regular frequency to include the latest nutritional research and are peer reviewed by independent nutrition experts throughout Europe. (PFMA) The new Animal Welfare Act came into effect in 2007 and was the first overhaul of pet law during the last 94 years. It sounds a piece of new to the cat food industry that pet welfare are becoming more and more important in the view of pet owners. BBC news broadcasted, The Act raises penalties for cruelty from the previous maximum of six months in prison or a ?5,000 fine, is the most significant new law on animal welfare for 94 years. For the first time, it legally reinforces the duty of care for pet animals. The duty of care includes that animals have a proper diet, are housed with or apart from other animals according to their need, have the ability to express normal behavior and are protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. This rule is in accordance with the recent trend of pet Humanization that people tend to treat their pets as members of family. It indicates that cat food manufacturers are facing challenging that they need to forecast the trend of consumer consumption and make innovations. For example, it is the recent trend that consumers prefer organic food for pets. The new act also increases age from 12 to 16 for buying a pet. The cat food market sales will be suffered under this regulation; although no evidence has been released that to what extent it would be impact on the cat food sales. 4.3.2 Economic 500 378 (EURO) Strong economic growth drove surge in dog and cat populations in some markets According to Euromonitor International research, the cat populations have been rising steadily during the year from 2004 to 2009(Figure 7). The annual growth rate is 4% from 2004 to 2008. It is partly the result of strong growth in disposable income, and in large part as a result of rising residential property values. The real GDP growth averaged 2.7% in the UK between 2003 and 2007. There is a merely 1% growth from 2008 to 2009 as a consequence of real estate crisis. In the pet ownership, dog is the dominant pet in the percentage of owning households. But cat ownership has been increased from 21% to 25% of the total. However, the growth is not the possible future trend, for there is only 0.4% growth from 2008 to 2009. Figure7 Cat Population in the UK from 2004 to 2009 Figure 8 Cat Owning Households: % Analysis 2004-2009 During the latter part of 2008, economic plunged as the effects of steep decline in residential property values. Huge numbers of consumers who purchase houses at inflated prices found themselves unable to maintain the mortgages during 2007 and 2008. It caused the bankrupt of many financial services, and lead to economic recession. Millions of people lose their homes, and unemployment is rising rapidly in UK. This leads to the significant problem of pet abandonment in the UK. According to the reports of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the number of abandoned animals rose by 57% in 2008. The number of abandoned cats rose by 50% and has remained elevated during early 2009. This has impact on the cat population and forms the reason for the slow rate of growth of cat food sales during this period. Trends towards Premiumisation were apparent in the cat food market. Cat owners prefer to single serve pouches to feed their cats. This format gets popular due to its convenience through single-use disposable style. It can ease of storage and serving. It is reported to be more gently cooked in these products than canned food. They perceive these as offering better quality food. Consumers are becoming more concerned with value for money. Many manufacturers are adding value to their mid-range brands by introducing new gourmet recipes and revamping packaging. 4.3.3 Social-culture500 650 Figure ? UK Household size, 2003-2013 From 2003, one-person household grow rapidly. Although two person household have been the major style, there is a sharp increase in one person household at the average growth rate of 5.12 from 2003 to 2008. People keep pets in the feeling of loneliness and Pets are increasingly considered a valued member of the family. Owners tend to have stronger bonds with their cats and often more of a sense of guilt at leaving their pets alone for long periods of time. According to the research of PFMA, 31% people keep pets for love, and 27% for companionship. (Euromonotor)Therefore, the trend to humanize the pets has emerged. The increasing rise of humanization promotes sales in the cat food sector, either in treats or gourmet foods. And it continues to be a driving force in sales of pet food and product development. Owners are caring pet health and chose organic, natural healthy cat food. Premium and super premium foods continue to represent larger portions of the cat food market. The trend of Premiumization cause general increase in unit prices per kilogram. But the volume growth has been flat as consumers switched from canned products to pouches with smaller portion sized. As their emotional attachments with their cats, owners want to care for the health and longevity of their cats by turning to this healthy recipe. In the UK this overall performance was largely driven by the wet category while the dry format is not popular and facing heavy discounting activity within supermarkets. In contrast with the global trend, wet cat food performs better than dry, with the wet cat food representing 74% of the overall cat food market. Its dry offering just has 22% in comparison. The popularity of wet cat food may relay on the different eating habits between cats and dogs. Similarly, the different eating preference lead to the popularity of single serve pouches that in line with the preference of cat food by cats. However, this single-use disposable format is providing the convenience to cat owners. It also offers the owners with a wider range of flavors to select for their small cat. But due to overfeeding and under-exercising, Pet obesity is rising with an estimated one in three household pets now overweight. The changing busy lifestyle of people causes the pets to be confined within home for long periods, and without enough exercise. Pet obesity is rather serious in cat for the gentle nature of cats than dog. In this case, Low-fat versions of products emerged such as specialized calorie controlled foods, foods according to levels of activity, and dietary supplements. (Mintel) Furthermore, prepared cat food sales remain high at 88%, even outperforming the sales in dog food market. The eating of cat is not easy to catch that the cat owners seek to convenient options to satisfy the cats. The prepared gap1 ratio in the UK is very high compared with other market, that it indicates a mature cat food market with less space for potential growth than that in developing market. According to Euromonitor, the high purchase of prepared products suggests little room for renewed growth in economy and mid-priced categories, since it is hard to develop new owners left to promote the sales. Convenience is a major driver for many owners in busy lifestyle. In terms of distribution within cat food market, the vast majority of pet foods continue to be distributed by large supermarkets as consumers seek convenience in one-stop shopping venues. Grocery retailers dominate the channels with 75% of value sales in 2008.People can select all arranged cat food in supermarkets, either premium or economy offerings. However, the sales of premium cat food is largely due to pet superstores and veterinary clinics, for the reason that the face-to-face recommendation of a pet expert is a key factor in encouraging pet owners to trade up to more premium products for their cats.(Mintel) 4.3.4 Technological500 419 It is acknowledged that the market was driven by technological innovation. Although economic recession has impacted new product development, it also brings challenges and opportunities. The pet food market has proved to be less impact by economic downturns, as the recent report says that consumers tend to not turn to cut the budget for their pets in case of the distressing economic circumstances. Consumers will cut down the spending over holidays, travels, and luxury buying habbites other than considering the already tiny budget in cat food. Report says that those who used to purchase premium pet food will continue this buying, while those used to purchase mid-priced and economy products are likely to be suffered. They are more price-sensitive. Pet food manufacturers respond to this trend by adding value to customers and give more benefits in their cost base. Cutting price is not usually a good idea in pet food in terms of establishing brand loyalty. Manufacturers are focusing on innovation by adding more value to mid-ranged products to maintain the sales from this group. However, premium and super premium foods continue to represent larger portions of the cat food market. The trend for owners to humanize their pets shows that human food trend leads the innovation of pet food trend. New technology focused on making production more natural, with more organic ingredients, and more close to human tastes. Many pet food manufacturers are launching new products in line with this trend by adding resemble human meal ingredients to offer human grade product to pet consumption, especially in the sector of wet cat food(Euromonitor). For the customers with affluent buying power, they are willing to spend on the high qualified pet products and apply the nutritional needs in the pet diets. Manufacturers seize their attention by producing products with more organic ingredients, free of additive and ethical standardized. In 2009, the sales of cat treats have grown at a current value of 4%. The humanization trend to the pet indulgence results the pushing sale of functional treats (Euro. Mintel). It is aligned with the increasing specification of cat food in different age groups as well as the detailed categorization of pet food with different nutritional needs. Although the sales of cat treats in not a necessary product and shares only small portion of cat food industry, manufactures are extending this market by the real estimate of little future growth in the mature cat food market in the UK. Future innovations and technology are seen in this particular product range. 5. Micro Environment Analysis (Poters five forces Model) 2600 The micro environment analysis of a certain industry concerns the internal competition within the industry by evaluating the performance among competitors. The operational Environment of the companies can be analyzed through the structural analysis by using Porters five forces analysis. 5.1 Understanding Porters Five Force Model 400 There are many methods concerning the analysis of organizational economic competitive advantage. The most popular and available tool in the operating environment analysis is Porters five forces analysis. It is developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. Porters five forces analysis is a framework for the industry structural analysis and business strategy development. According to Porter (1980), the five forces are served in understanding the micro environment of industry, in which the company is influenced in its ability to serve the customers and maximize the profit. As shown in Figure ?, the model identifies five factors of pressure within an industry including intensity of rivalry, threats of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, substitute threats and bargaining power of suppliers. It uses concepts that derive the five forces to determine the competitive intensity and the possible changes among industry competitors. It will provide evidence for company to reassess the volatile marketplace. Figure? Porters Five Force Analysis Pattern As is discussed above, the competitive nature of an industry is strongly affected by suggested Porters five forces. The detailed evaluation elements of each factor are shown in Figure ?. However, it is not the five factors that determine the structure of the industry, but to indentify it and make use of the markets. The structure of the industry itself plays a vital role in the environment. By recognizing this fact, I am going to explore the operating environment of cat food industry at United Kingdom by using Porters Five Forces analysis model. The objective of this task is to present the micro environment inside the industry and competitive arena among competitors. 5.2 Applying the five forces model and Results 200 A five forces analysis allows an organisation to consider the relative attractiveness of different industry sectors when making strategic choices about exiting or entering particular sectors and markets. Close analysis of these forces can allow an organisation to find a position in the sector where it can best defend itself against them or, most effectively, influence them 5.3Understanding the internal competition 5.3.1Competitive Rivalry 400 Porter describe that competitive rivalry was to analyze the intensity of competition between existing companies within an industry. Industries with high competitive pressure will impose pressure on prices, sales margins, and even on profitability for the single unit in the industry. According to the data collected from the Euromonitor International, the UK cat food market was dominated by the two companies, Nestl Purina Ltd and Masterfoods UK Ltd, as shown in Figure?. In 2008, Nestl Purina contained about 35% value share, followed by Masterfoods with approximate 33%. They are equally balanced in the UK cat food market. Figure ? Cat Food Company Shares at UK in 2008 It means that the competition would be very high in this industry for the two giant retailers: Nestl Purina Ltd and Masterfoods UK Ltd. The entry barriers in the cat food industry are very high. As a result, the potential growth of individual company would be largely depending on the RD (PFMA 2009). The pressure coming from the market and looking for opportunities for progress is the main reason that companies in this industry initiates the competition. Nestl S.A. is a global organization with headquarters based on Switzerland. Nestl Purina Pet Care Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestl S.A.. As undoubtedly the global leader in this market, the company reported sales at US$3 billion during 2008, with 11.5% organic growth and 5% internal growth at an annual rate. (Mintel) It is largely due to the sales of resilient market for premium and super-premium Purina brands. Nestl Purina led the UK cat food market with a 35% share of cat food with the brand as Felix, Go Cat and Purina ONE. Nestl Purina attributes its success to continued innovation and new product development across a range of price brackets. This behaviour attracts those consumers who are pursuing the specialized and healthy food for cats. It is viewed as a key driver of market growth. As a family owned company, Mars Incorporated operates six business segments including Chocolate, Pet Care, Wrigley Gum and Confections, Food, Drinks and Sym-bioscience. The company is also operating a global business, generating annual revenues of over US$28 billion. Masterfoods Pet Care followed closely to Nestl Purina at the second place with a 33% value share at UK cat food market. According to the Mintel reports, the success of Mars is supported by its key brands of Whiskas and Kitekat with brand shares of 26% and 4% respectively in 2008. Figure ? Cat Food Company Shares 2004-2008 As shown in Figure?,the seller concentration in this industry is very high. The major tow competitors are equally balanced. Mas has been performed better than Nestl Purina during the period form 2004 to the mid of 2007. There is no obvious gap between them. However, the Mars lose some shares in the market at 2008. The sales of the two companies are fairly static, giving out an impression of little space to grow. Moreover, other firms are struggling in this sector with mere share growth in the market. Fortunately, the competition in this market is stable, and the general unit price on cat food product is modest without massive fluctuations. It would be a very good aspect, since if price reduction happens in one firm, it will be rapidly followed by other competitors and consequently have impact on all companies income (Sadeghi, 2004). Given an increasing demand for more natural and convenient products in the market, the competition inside is very high. Exiting firms mainly focused on innovation to achieve expansion. Nestl Purina Ltd increased its market share by 0.7% from 2004, due to its launched premium brand Purina One. (Euromonitor 2009a) Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd, with 1.2% growth in its market value from 2004, launched series products in kitten, adult and senior range. (Euromonitor 2009a) It also had some innovation in packaging (Mintel 2006). Firms won better market position through advertising and promotion as well. Town and Country Petfoods Ltd twice its market shares since 2004, based on TV campaign and promotion. (Mintel 2006) It launched a premium brand HiLife with adverting and promotion more than ?1m in 2005. (Mintel 2006) Furthermore, incumbents worked on improving service. Oscar Pet Food UK provided face-to-face service, even home visit. (Precision 2003) In 2005, Town and Country Petfoods Ltd re-laun ched its website to delivery product information and professional advice online. (Mintel 2006) In addition, firms achieved expansion by merger and acquisition. Early 2001, Nestl bought Purina for ?10b, and then launched Purina One in the UK market.( David 2004) Six month later, Masterfood bought EUs largest nutritional pet food manufacture, Royal Canin. (David 2004) 5.3.2 Threat of substitute400 5.3.3 Buyer power400 Entrenched brand loyalty provides challenges and opportunities for retailers While tentative signs of economic stabilisation have begun to emerge during the second half of 2009, global consumer sentiment remains for the most part fragile. With unemployment continuing to rise (albeit at a slower pace than previously), household debt levels elevated and disposable household income still depressed, consumers are likely to retain a heightened sensitivity to price for some time. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for retailers, particularly in pet food, as consumers in this segment are unusually brand loyal. As a result, larger retailers, particularly pet superstores, may continue to gain market share by leveraging the economies of scale they enjoy by offering consumers their favourite pet food brands at a cheaper price, rather than attempting to market cheaper alternatives to them. 5.3.4 Supplier power400 Private label remains vulnerable to rising costs Nor has the ability to raise prices been confined to the upper end of the market. Canadian-based private label pet food manufacturer Menu Foods scraped back into profitability during the first quarter of 2009 for the first time since the March 2007 recall. It earned US$54,000 (compared with a year-earlier loss of US$2.2 million) on sales of US$84.1 million, up 51.3% year-on-year. This increase was largely due to three price increases that totalled almost 14%. However, these price increases may not be sustainable in the short term. According to the company, as a consequence of our price increases, a number of customers whose volume represented 6.7% of total volume in the first quarter advised that they will stop buying from Menu during the second quarter. This demonstrates that private label manufacturers remain at a fundamental disadvantage to manufacturers of branded products in terms of their ability to sustain higher pricing. In Europe, private label manufacturer Provimi Group is experiencing similar difficulties. Provimi, which sells pet food throughout Western and Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, reported a 9.9% year-on-year increase in pet food sales during the first quarter, attributing this increase to a growing demand for private label products. However, it stated that its profit margins on pet food were negatively impacted by a sharp increase in the cost of cans that the Group was not able to pass on to its customers. 5.3.5 Barrier of new entry/threat of entry400 A few firms achieved to enter the cat food market successfully during the last decade. They operated mainly in three ways. First, these firms expanded into this market on the base of their original business. They are enjoying the benefits of the background in the pet products industry before. For example, Butchers Pet Care Ltd originally produced dog food only. In 2000, it successfully entered the cat food market by introducing new cat food product. (Euromonitor 2009f) Second, they entered by ways of merging or acquiring incumbents. In 1999, PG entered UK pet food market through acquisition of Imas, which is a historical pet food company established in 1946. (Mintel 2006) Third, they accessed to the market using own brand and labe

A. E. Housman’s “To An Athlete Dying Young” Essay

E. Housman’s â€Å"To An Athlete Dying Young† is part of his series of poems collected in his book, A Shropshire Lad. It is set during the funeral march of a young and victorious runner who died at the height of his career. The speaker is one of the pallbearers, who recounts the athlete’s victory and philosophizes on the timeliness of his death. As with the rest of the book, this poem resounds with the melancholic themes of death and dying in youth. To be more specific, this poem describes how it is best to die young and at the peak of one’s career in order for one’s memory and legacy to be forever etched in the minds of the people. Though Housman’s exhortation might seem to be bordering on the macabre, it rings true: glory, fortune, and fame are all fleeting. The poem starts by depicting the victory of the runner and how he became the source of pride in his town: â€Å"The time you won your town the race  / We chaired you through the market-place.† The image of chairing shows how the townspeople carried the runner on their shoulders and paraded him in the market-place. The market setting is important, as it depicts a place where people of all ages and social status converge. It is a testament to the runner’s achievement and how it was able to bring together different people together in his victory. As they were carrying him on his shoulder, â€Å"Man and boy stood cheering by, / And home we brought [him] shoulder-high.† The last line of the first stanza foreshadows what would happen as the poem progressed. Carrying him shoulder-high not only indicates how he was chaired by the townspeople but also foreshadows how his coffin would be carried at the same shoulder-high level as he is brought to his tomb. Also, home could be read two ways given the foreshadowing: home as in his physical house and home as in his final resting place. In this manner, the speaker draws a connection between his victory and his death, and how, in both instances, he would be carried by the shoulders to be brought â€Å"home.† In the second stanza, the procession takes a sudden turn from one of gaiety and victory to one of sadness and melancholy, as this time, they are no longer celebrating but sending the athlete to his grave. â€Å"Shoulders† and â€Å"house† again are mentioned, paralleling that of the first stanza albeit taken on a somber tone. The procession takes place on the â€Å"the road all runners come,† a metaphor for the road of life that everyone travels. Another metaphor makes an appearance to further the sober theme: once the athlete has been brought â€Å"home,† he becomes a â€Å"townsman of a stiller town.† The â€Å"stiller town† here refers not only to the cemetery at which he is buried but to the idea that he is resting in peace, that he has accepted his death. Again, this idea of peaceful death corresponds well to the theme. When young people die, people always assume that it is â€Å"untimely,† hence, they cannot rest in peace. However, for the athlete, his death is timely as he is at the peak of his career, ensuring that he will remain a glorious image in the minds of the townspeople for generations to come. The third stanza presents the main theme of the poem by saying that the runner was a â€Å"smart lad, to slip betimes away / From fields where glory does not stay.† The speaker also presents here the laurel as a symbol for glory and the rose as a symbol for the life of non-victors. He compares that lifespan of the laurel to the rose, indicating that the laurel easily withers, while the rose, slow to bloom, lives much longer. The fourth and fifth stanza both expound on the third, as it gives evidence of how death is indeed a blessing for the young athlete, for in death, he is able to preserve his victory. In death, he â€Å"cannot see the record cut,† indicating that he will not have to deal with younger and better runners eventually overtaking him, as they will inevitably do. In dying, too, he will not become like any run-of-the-mill athlete, who did not quit while they were ahead. As such, he is a privileged position, as he will not live to be disgraced, for his body died before his name. In the third stanza, death is represented by the metaphor â€Å"shady night,† which works on an age-old technique of associating death with night. An oxymoron is also used in the third stanza – silence sounds. It marries together two contradictory terms, which furthers the image of death, for in death, the only â€Å"sound† to be heard is â€Å"silence.† The main point of these two stanzas is that the brief life that he had is esteemed, for he did not have to suffer the loss of fame and glory. In the fifth stanza, the athlete is about to be laid in his tomb, and the speaker is exhorting his companions to recount once more the victory. He rationalizes that in doing such an act the memory of the runner’s victory is immortalized, preserving it in the minds of the people. The symbol of the challenge-cup is also used as a testament to the glory of the athlete. Once again, the metaphor of the death as shade is used, indicating that death is not the loss of the light of life but merely the blocking of light. The importance of this metaphor to the poem is that death cannot extinguish the light of the runner’s glory. At most, it can only dim it to a more subtle shadow. Finally, the last stanza elevates the theme of the poem – as well as the glorious athlete – towards another, spiritual level. In a way, the last stanza encapsulates the promise of dying young and at the height of fame, and that despite the seeming â€Å"untimeliness† of his demise, much more is to be gained through death. As the athlete passes on to the next life, the â€Å"strengthless dead† will â€Å"flock to gaze† at his â€Å"early-laurelled head.† The image of the dead surrounding the young athlete (implied by the phrase early-laurelled) is a very powerful one, as it indicates how the glory of the athlete transcends the mortal plane, which makes it an even more laudable success. Furthermore, in this spiritual state, his laurel crowns will not wither. What this means is that his success has finally become immortal, and his glory will no longer fade, preserved as it is, ironically, through death. Death as a way to preserve glory and success may seem to be too vain and too gruesome. However, it is important to go beyond this theme and instead, reach beyond the heart of the poem. For, at its heart and driving spirit is a reminder to people to remember that worldly glory and success are but transitory. Works Cited Housman, A. E. â€Å"To An Athlete Dying Young.† Ed., Untermeyer, Louis. Modern British Poetry. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, 1920; Bartleby.com, 1999. . 12 April 2007.

Apa Article Review Features

Apa Article Review Features There has to be a central concept which entitles your entire work, make an effort to give it meaning. Nevertheless, there's a controversy that the authors unintentionally hold in the content regarding the chance of solving the worldwide issues within the nation. The principal strength of the guide concerns the unbiased perspective on the present state of the events. Regardless of what, however, you're likely going to gain from seeing an illustration of one done properly. The One Thing to Do for Apa Article Review You will only have to wait a little and your article review is going to be finished! In here, you've got to criticize the article on several questions. Late journal article submissions are going to result in a 25% deduction. Example of journal article review is devoted to rate the principal strengths and weaknesses of a particular article. Rumors, Lies and Apa Article Review The only means to begin a review is to compose an introduc tion. It should be built by certain criteria. Your review should always start with a concise overview of the item you're reviewing. It should always start with a brief overview of the product you are reviewing. The perfect solution is to look for a trustworthy custom writing company that supplies a myriad of custom papers for sale. You don't need to go into a great deal of detail here. There are a few particular specifications that should be followed in order to follow APA formatting. Furthermore, there are 3 key sorts of restart templates. Together with the UK Essay Help undergraduates find it impossible to be concerned about the time but delight in a complete life. Article reviews play an essential role in scholarship. You may read about the rest of the part of the group on their website here. If you don't feel just like you have enough time to compose essays by yourself, we will give you a hand, any instance of the day, seven days weekly. Understanding Apa Article R eview Don't trust therapists who won't condemn the APA statement. The APA Style Blog is a great resource for citation information created by the APA experts. A literature review APA is never simple to write, and that means you should always do it with the correct mindset and observing the ideal formatting and total structure to make it seem good enough. The idea of review article'' is distinct from the idea of peer-reviewed literature. The Importance of Apa Article Review Writing an article review has over time was proven to be a challenging assignment for many of the students. Most rejected articles do find a home in various journals. Literature review outline what you have to get started. Generally, if you're just starting to read scientific papers, reviews are a fantastic place to start. Things You Won't Like About Apa Article Review and Things You Will The general question is additionally an extremely very good strategy. The kind of information you choose to mention should relate right to the review's focus, while it's thematic, methodological, or chronological. Your review will be much more credible if you admit there are a couple flaws or downsides to the item. When you're finished preparing your review, ask the following questions in order to rate your workmanship. Life, Death and Apa Article Review Some literature reviews also have an abstract, here you won't need to do a great deal more than simply using the essential quotes and citations, following the identical format of the remaining part of the pages and that's it. Each one ought to be indicated with Titles. Most commonly accustomed to the article title page. Sometimes your teacher might ask you to bring a page with the title of the article you're reviewing along with referencing info. For busy individuals, going to the gym takes a lot of time and energy. Doctor reviews have a good deal of value because many times potential patients don't have the chance to consult with vari ous doctors in a try to find the best one. For instance, an article about school uniforms could be written for the interest of persuading policy-makers, or it might be written in a manner that addresses teenagers about the ways school uniforms can benefit them. For busy individuals, visiting the gym takes a great deal of time and energy. Things You Should Know About Apa Article Review In the same way, in case the writing is devoid of mistakes, we've got a propensity to create an extremely great impression about the writer. The very first step in writing an article critique is to discover what the writer is saying. Just compose a small summary for the reader would understand what the book is about. The authors provide readers with seven fundamental defects that need to be emphasized to be able to perfect the worldwide image of the nation. It's possible for you to learn what the writer is saying in the event you read the article's introduction and its conclusion. Write a few sentences to provide the name of the write-up, the author, and the most important message the author is attempting to send. You should likewise be able to tell who the author is attempting to persuade or inform. For example, the author may have used foreshadowing in order to give you insight along the way the book would end. It would also be beneficial to be given data concerning the validity of the RLSS. You have to offer some precise information concerning the write-up. The ability of the study should be increased by obtaining a bigger sample size. A surplus element to get in your review is a succession of ideas for using the merchandise.

Feminist Research - 2521 Words

MSc Marketing Strategy IB9X30 Research Methods for Marketing Strategy Individual assignment Option B- Critical Analysis of: Martin, D.M, Schouten, J.W, McAlexander, J.H. 2006. Claiming The Throttle: Multiple femininities in a hyper-masculine subculture, Consumption, Markets Culture, 9:3, 171-205. Title: Grasping the nature of Feminist Ethnography. Submission date: December 4,2010 Warwick ID: 1058761 Word count: 1960 Words â€Å"All the work contained in this work is my own, original unaided effort. I have read and understand, and the work conforms to, the University’s guidelines on plagiarism† 1 ABSTRACT Feminist research holds a lot of value in today’s society where equality between female and†¦show more content†¦Feminist research is an anti positivist approach, thus it discards the value†free nature of research (Haig, 1997;Punch, 2000 as cited in Sarantakos, Sept 2004:54). Feminist researchers generally employ a qualitative research method design in order to meet the objectives of their study. Reinharz (1992) sees feminist research as more of a â€Å"perspective† rather than a method (Wilkinson and Morton, 2007). Typically society’s viewpoint is generally a male dominated one, thus there is the need for equality between men and female perspectives. Feminist research aspires to achieve this by gathering data and pointing out different perspectives relevant to today’s world. This article is an excellent example of a feminist research as it incorporates all the principles of a feminis t research paper. It includes an emotional perspective involving all experiences and events witnessed, thus gaining an inside experience. It aims to create a social change and bring frontward the unheard voices of women by representing their standpoint. Gender is given central importance in the domain of social inquiry; research is carried out surrounding that aspect (Sarantakos, Sept 2004:56). The article has employed a variety of qualitative methods and frameworks and thus described howShow MoreRelatedResearch Paper on Black Feminists1307 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper: Black Feminist Movement Different movements went on through segregation days where blacks and whites were separated. Some movements led to another. Such movements became very popular, and were moving fast towards freedom. However, some movements were not taking as serious as others. Such movements like the Black Feminist Movement, was not looked at as a major aspect to their black nation. Many had fail to realize that even women have strong voices to be heard in social, politicalRead MoreI Propose We Do Something About The Underlying Problems1246 Words   |  5 Pagestwisted. Many women who are in fact feminists are clouded on what an actual feminism is. Many scholars and writers have written on certain issues on â€Å"What is wrong with feminism† or even how bad one side of other feminist are. Some feminist/scholars have said that the racism, sexism, and gender hate discrimination is hugely impacted the way feminists view each other. Although some of these accusations are true, most of them stereo type a huge number of feminists. I propose that feminism will improveRead MorePatriarchy And The Challenge Of Feminism Essay894 Words   |  4 PagesJudith Bennett is a Medievalist Historian who has focused much of her research on English/European women and feminist history (1-2). In her book History Matters: Patriarchy and the Challenge of Feminism, she argues that feminism and history, specifically women’s, need to be more closely linked. This link, she argues, comes from taking theories and methods from one field and applying them to the other in order to create a more indepth analysis of both. 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The ‘Silueta Series’ which incorporated earth works, naturalRead MoreApplying The Woman Question : The Case Of An African Nigerian Woman1152 Words   |  5 PagesAPPLYING â€Å"THE WOMAN QUESTION† TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS: THE CASE OF AN AFRICAN NIGERIAN WOMAN (Short Presentation and Summary)  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬BY: UCHENNA IJOMA This brief paper examines my application of the feminist research methodology to my future research. My research topic is centred on what role law has to play to balance the interest between the environmental hazards affecting the Climate and satisfying the basic energy need of poor women living in the rural area of Nigeria who depends solelyRead MoreConflicting Paradigms On Gender And Sexuality1453 Words   |  6 Pagesthe feminism theory, along with culture studies and relations. This review shows that conflicting paradigms, come together in this literature and that very few studies are both strong and rich, these paradigms including misogyny or sexual agency . 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Perhaps the most acknowledged cause of feminism’s inability to create equality is the diversityRead MoreFeminism : A Feminist Perspective1168 Words   |  5 Pageseye-opening articles, groundbreaking books, and activism has influenced my intellectual journal through feminist theory. Feminism is a contentious topic with matters that pertain to contemporary feminism, including the following: reproductive rights; equal access to education and employment; marriage equality; violence against women; and the sex trade. While these are only a few of the issues faced by feminists, it is evident that feminism has great value in today’s society. My journey with feminism began