Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Financial Management - Essay Example The deal was not an easy one for Google considering that the company had to put in a lot of effort for obtaining the regulatory approvals for the same (Reuters, 2012). The deal was announced at $40 per share which added up to a total of $12.5 Billion which was at a premium of 63% to the price of Motorola shares at the end of August 12, 2011. The acquisition of Motorola was aimed at protecting the viability of Google android considering the fact that Google was recently facing a threat due to patent war existing throughout the industry, due to which the major android manufacturers like HTC and Samsung were being sued by giants like Microsoft and Apple for the infringement of patents (Gaughan, 2011, p.5). Google announced that it will run Motorola as an independent business. The deal received approval from the shareholders as well as from the United States Department of Justice and the EU in early 2012. The approval from Chinese authorities followed and the deal was completed on May 22 , 2012. The deal represented Google Inc.’s biggest challenge to Apple Inc., which was the leading player in the market of mobile phones and tablets. Economies of scale A vertical merger generally has a lower potential for economies of scale than a horizontal merger but the merger of Google and Motorola saw the achievement of economies of scale in both financial and risk bearing economies (The Economist, 2008). Technical, organizational, bulks buying as well as financial economies of scale were achieved from the merger (Thompson, 2012). Coordination improved in terms of cost fit, timing fit, size and communication fit within the business (Arnold, 2005, p.45). The merger immediately showed a success effect by increasing the market share in the world market for smartphones from 46.9% in the first quarter of 2012 to 68.1% in the last quarter of 2012. Economies of scale was achieved by getting other byproduct benefits such as the development of the next generation device for mobil e computing, extra services, for example, advertising to living rooms through Motorola'scable TV boxes which helped in boosting the staggering set top box business, in smartphone designs aimed to fulfil the government regulations and competing with Microsoft’s new release of Windows phones. The company achieved a higher output with lowering the average cost, thus increasing the profitability and ensuring lower price for the customers (Rosenbaum, 2012). Economies of vertical integration The move to buy Motorola had a positive impact on the margins. Major phone manufacturers show a trend of having slim margins (Neale, 2004). But market leaders like Apple and Samsung have been known to maintain a margin of 40-50%. Google maintained net profit margin of 25% without having to subsidize the cost of manufacture in order to attract new clients. The merger showed a 100 to 150 basis points positive impact on the profitability. The merger enabled Google Inc. to supercharge the Android e cosystem and enhanced it competitive features in the mobile computing sector. The merger also opened up new opportunities for cross licencing. Combining complementary resources One of the main motives behind the merger was Google’s intention to accelerate innovation by combining the technical resources of Motorola Mobility. Another primary reason was that Google wanted to acquire the huge number of patents that Motorola had. The acquisition of these patents was likely to give the company a high competitive strength against its

To Build a Fire Essay Example for Free

To Build a Fire Essay Part 2 After you have read the original version of To Build a Fire, answer the following questions: 1.What is the setting of the story? It was on the Yukon Territory on a very cold day. 2.What is the central conflict of the story? What is the source of the struggle? The real conflict is Tom versus Hypothermia, but does to the lack of experience he has trouble. 3.What happens to Tom Vincent at the end of the story? What does he learn? He learns pride is really a man’s worst enemy, and he dies. Part 3 After reading the last three paragraphs of the second version of the story, answer the following questions: 1.What happens to the central character at the end of the second version? He builds a fire and limps off to safety. 2.Which one of these endings do you think more clearly meets the conventions of naturalism? Be sure to consider the concept of determinism as you list your reasons. I think that the version where he dies does, simply because it is survival of the fittest, and if he were to win that would be showing the wrong idea, prideful people get cut down, they do not succeed you must be humble to prosper. Part 4Â  For homework, write an essay addressing the Focus Question: How does To Build a Fire illustrate the elements of naturalistic literature? As you write, consider the story as a whole, the conventions of naturalism, and the philosophies that influenced Jack London. As I see it this novel is a piece of naturalistic literature because it shows man’s pride, his struggle to prove it and how he plans to survive. It breaks humanity down to a basic level, male dominance and basic survival instinct. Nothing is more natural than a man and his dog in the wilderness fighting to live. The outcome is also naturalistic because it shows how man’s pride can get him cut down; in his case he lost his life, that’s why I think this book shows naturalism.

Production History of Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

Production History—Hamlet William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most produced plays of all time. Written during the height of Shakespeare’s fame—1600—Hamlet has been read, produced, and researched by more individuals now than during Shakespeare’s own lifetime. It is has very few stage directions, because Shakespeare served as the director, even though no such official position existed at the time. Throughout its over 400 years of production history, Hamlet has seen several changes. Several textual cuts have been made, in addition to the liberties taken through each production. In recent years, Hamlet has seen character changes, plot changes, gender role reversals, alternate endings, time period shifts, and thematic alternations, to name only a few creative liberties modern productions of Hamlet have taken. The story is brilliant. A brooding young prince, scorned by those he loves, betrayed by his Uncle, and yet â€Å"too much in the Sun† to accept defeat. Revenge, sexual tension, bloodshed, and tears—Hamlet has it all. Hamlet is a relatable character to an audience on a multitude of levels. Whether one is coming into their own, accepting major changes in their lives, feeling betrayed by loved ones, or merely experiencing a lover’s quarrel, they can certainly relate to Hamlet. Above all, Hamlet exudes the one element inherent to all human beings—a strong sense of pride, perhaps excessively so. Hamlet begins on a dark night in Denmark’s Elsinore Castle. The ghost of recently deceased king, Hamlet’s father, is discovered by a pair of watchmen, followed by Horatio, and eventually Hamlet. The ghost informs Hamlet that he has been wronged by his brother Claudius, who coveting the throne, and after successfully plotting and murdering... ..., Kean made no such revolutionary changes. He is credited with being the first to break from the psychological consistency the Hamlet character always seems to have. Kean’s Hamlet reacted calmly, with affection and eagerness upon seeing his father’s ghost. Also, Kean is the first to depict Hamlet as treating Ophelia lovingly, rather than somewhat brutally. Ophelia was portrayed as a significant character in this production, which was a first. In later productions, Ophelia’s character gains incredibly prominence, as women’s rights progress. In the early 1900s, Hamlet was â€Å"rediscovered.† A resurgence of productions came about, and with the creation of a modern director now in place, several alternations were made. Hamlet was converted into movies, opera, condensed plays, parodies, and even later offshoots were created, such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

International Politics :: essays research papers

Political Science to me is something of a cycle, which is attached to the world’s history and is an ever-changing science of communication at a state and national level. This cyclical process is also attached to my personal adoption of political ideologies, i.e., as times change, as well as my surrounding environment, as an individual, I am forced to adapt to my surroundings, rather than a rock smashing through stubbornly regardless of the damage it may cause to all parties. I am not talking of conformism, rather the adoption to my political and social surroundings that would best serve in the interests and security of the community at large. To provide the reader of a greater understanding to this ideology perhaps entails that I give a small personal example. I come from a diverse background that allows me to understand history and politics from many perspectives and which has made me less biased than the average man. Born in England, to a Turkish Father and a British Mother, and having lived in England, Turkey, as well as Canada has broadened my vision of the world to a great extent. This is of course excluding the many political conferences that I have attended and the many countries I have visited around the world. An example of an assignment which required the utmost patience and the most open of minds was at a Model UN conference in Philadelphia I was assigned to represent Greece on the issue of Cyprus, being part Turkish one can understand what open mindedness that took. To do such a thing required the total adoption of what is the opposite of my historical perspective. However in doing so, this has brought me an understanding of international relations, conflict and interests. This brings me to the ideology that I believe is most prevalent in the worlds state system of today’s Realism. Many people view this ideology as a somewhat pessimistic view of the world and tend to believe in greater harmony and cooperation. These tend to be the idealists known to us as the Social Democrats of Europe, the Liberals in Canada, and the Democrats in the United States. Realism at this time and point of history seems to be the actual way that things are going amongst states. Alliances (rather than friendships) are formed and balances are created. These Alliances are not there for anything more than security and self-benefit, of course the other half of an alliance definitely must fulfill its interests as well or else no alliance would be possible.

Alcohol and Advertising Essay

â€Å"Alcohol is not often thought of as a drug – largely because its use is common for both religious and social purposes in most parts of the world. It is a drug, however, and compulsive drinking in excess has become one of modern society’s most serious problems† (ARF). This is so true because many people don’t consider alcohol a drug but the effects it has on you are so serious that it should be. â€Å"The effects of drinking do not depend on the type of alcoholic beverage – but rather on the amount of alcohol consumed on a specific occasion† (ARF). To give you a background on alcohol, here is a quick refresher on how it works and the effects it has on your body. â€Å"Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, and less rapidly from the stomach and colon. The drinker’s blood alcohol concentration depends on the amount consumed in a given time, the drinker’s size, sex, body build, and metabolism, and the type and amount of food in the stomach† (ARF). The effects of alcohol are very frightening to even consider. They depend on â€Å"the amount taken at one time, the user’s past drug experience, the manner in which the drug is taken and the circumstances under which the drug is taken† (ARF). At 50mg you experience mild intoxication which includes a â€Å"feeling of warmth, skin flushed; impaired judgment and decreased inhibitions† (ARF). From there you can go all the way down to 500mg which will more than likely cause death. It is an extremely scary thought to know that a substance that can cause death is freely advertised on television so that even our children can see it. In fact, they are the targets of some manufacturers marketing. In this paper we will show you both sides of whether alcohol companies should be allowed to advertise on television or not and then give you our conclusion. No – Alcohol Advertising Should Not Be Allowed On Television Alcohol companies should not be allowed to advertise on television. In today’s society, more and more children are spending all of their free time in front of a television. They don’t go outside and play anymore, they just come home from school and flip on Jerry Springer or a soap opera. Adults need to take the responsibility to protect children from undue influences as much as they can. Banning alcohol advertisements would be a simple way to help this process. In a recent study done by the Center for Media Education (CME), they found that many alcohol companies actually target youth even though it is illegal for them to drink. Companies use such things as â€Å"cartoons, personalities, language, music, or branded merchandise popular in youth culture or which would be particularly attractive to college or high-school-aged students† (CME). This shows a blatant attempt on their part to recruit new consumers who are underage. There have been previous attempts to stop alcohol companies from targeting youth such as the Voluntary Alcohol Advertising Standards for Children Act, but that is just the thing, it is voluntary. This is a try at making themselves look responsible but they still really aren’t. This Act pressures broadcasters to simply not run alcohol advertisements. It shouldn’t be the responsibility of the broadcasters to filter what goes on the air. Alcohol companies should not waste their money making these ads to begin with. Instead, they need to target a more mature audience who have the right to consume their products. The beer and liquor companies claim they don’t target youth but how can that be when you see the â€Å"Budweiser frogs or the Coors’ â€Å"Tap the Rockies† campaigns or Seagram’s dogs and Hiram Walker’s Kahlua Mudslide† (Hacker). Many of these companies have, in the past, even advertised on the youth-oriented MTV. Anheuser-Busch just recently pulled their ads off MTV. â€Å"Why did it take 10 years since â€Å"age-21† became the law of the land for the world’s largest brewer to stop competing for attention on MTV with ads for pimple control products and sports equipment† (Hacker)? â€Å"Indeed the evidence is that even young children are aware of alcohol advertisements and tend to remember them. Manufacturers further reduce the chances of young people failing to get the message by sponsorship of sports teams and events and music concerts having particular appeal to the young† (IAS). â€Å"Today, kids are bombarded by more than $700 million in beer, wine, and liquor ads on radio and television. Those ads encourage them to drink, and they bolster unacceptable levels of alcohol consumption among young people and the problems that go with it† (Hacker). When considering the Budweiser frogs, â€Å"a recent study by the San Francisco-based Center on Alcohol Advertising tested commercial and character recall among 9-11 year olds. The results: the children demonstrated higher recall (73%) of the Budweiser frogs’ slogan than of the slogans associated with other television animal characters, including Tony the Tiger (57%), Smokey the Bear (43%), and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (39%). Only Bugs Bunny did slightly better, at 80% recall of â€Å"Eh, what’s up doc? † Overall, 81% of the children surveyed identified beer as the product promoted by the frogs† (Hacker). This is a scary revelation, that our children know more about beer ads than the cartoon characters who promote good products. There are too many people who are hurting themselves and others as a result of alcohol abuse. In the past, there have been studies done that find there is nothing wrong with alcohol companies advertising on TV, but a study done by the Marin Institute found differently. â€Å"’Until now, most of the studies done on the subject conclude that alcohol advertising doesn’t affect drinking behavior,’ says Henry Saffer, research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, ‘The alcohol industry uses these studies to bolster its argument that advertising only induces people to switch brands. These studies keep coming and find nothing because they set themselves up to find nothing’† (Abramson). â€Å"The NIAAA estimates that 14 million Americans meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence and about 100,000 Americans die each year from alcohol-related injuries, one-fourth of them on the highways† (Abramson). Granted that these are not just children but they had to start somewhere too and more than likely they began drinking at a young age. One way to help reduce these injuries and deaths is to create counter-ads. â€Å"Consumption decreases as the level of counter-advertising rises. Counter-advertising could be funded by taxing alcohol advertising† (Abramson). The study done by Saffer at the Marin Institute was a long one, it took three years to complete. â€Å"’Most researchers have little money and use inexpensive or free data on alcohol advertising expenditures that measure advertising at the national level with little annual change’, says Saffer. ‘I was able to obtain quarterly data that cost more than $25,000 from 75 cities, and that made all the difference’† (Abramson). With all of his resources he was able to come to some concrete results using a proven theory. â€Å"Saffer used a theory known as the advertising response function, which says that consumption rises as advertising increases, bus as advertising reaches the point of saturation, consumption tapers off. To measure consumption, he used highway fatalities, more than 40 percent of which involve alcohol consumption† (Abramson). â€Å"Saffer’s statistical analyses of advertising expenditures showed that decreasing alcohol advertising reduces highway fatalities† (Abramson). Another survey done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gave remarkable results. â€Å"An overwhelming majority of Americans say they are worried about teen drinking and would support tough measures to help curb the problem† (New and Views). One particular finding was very interesting in that it said sixty-seven percent of Americans would support a ban on television advertising on liquor. If so many people want it, why isn’t on its way to becoming a law? â€Å"There are about 9 million drinkers under age 21 in the United States and half of them are binge drinkers. When they drink, teens increase their risk of violence, date rape, sexually transmitted diseases and injury or death in traffic accidents† (Health You). These kids had to learn it somewhere. Television is becoming a way of life for many teenagers and they take what is on it as the truth. For many of them, discerning between what is the truth and what is just great advertising becomes near impossible. They need help and it is our responsibility as adults to help them. There is legislation now from Representative Kennedy called the â€Å"Children’s Protection from Alcohol Advertising Act†. This â€Å"would eliminate advertising and marketing practices that have the most impact on young people. Remaining ads would, for the first time, honestly reflect that alcohol is the number-three killer in America today, taking a toll of 100,000 lives yearly. Those ads would bear a rotating series of health and safety messages, reminding all viewers and listeners of some of the major risks related to drinking. In addition, alcoholic-beverage product labels, for the first time, would be required to reveal comprehensive, useful consumer information, such as ingredients, calories, and alcohol content, expressed in unit serving terms† (Hacker). The bill would answer the concerns of many parents and adults who feel the alcohol companies go too far in targeting youths. Alcohol companies need to be more responsible for who they target and they should also be prepared to handle the consequences of their actions as more and more people die as a result of their products. They are the ones that should be held accountable for the deaths of so many innocent people. They also should include in their advertisements the real facts. Doing this may deter people from becoming alcohol abusers. The companies do not do this though, â€Å"By definition, alcohol advertising is one-sided, avoiding any reference to the negative aspects of alcohol consumption† (IAS). They need to tell the truth and the truth is that alcohol does no good for anyone, it only hurts and destroys people and the people around them. Yes – Alcohol Advertising Should Be Allowed On Television â€Å"Advertising increases alcohol consumption, which increases alcohol abuse†¦right? WRONG. There is no solid evidence from either scientific research or practical experience that this theory of advertising is correct† (Advertising Impact). Alcohol is a legal substance so why wouldn’t it be allowed to be advertised on television? The First Amendment to the Constitution gives us the right to free speech. The American Advertising Federation opposes any effort to restrict truthful advertising about any product or service. â€Å"The U. S. Supreme Court has affirmed that truthful commercial speech enjoys the free speech protections of the First Amendment – including speech about so-called sin products. The government’s right to ban a product does not give it the right to ban speech about the product† (AAF). The AAF does not want restrictions to even begin, â€Å"bans on advertising for one product or service inevitably will lead to bans on advertising for others. Censorship is contagious† (AAF). There are some that believe that the advertising would be okay if they would agree to put warnings on the advertisements. â€Å"The alcohol industry believes that the proposed requirement of warnings in alcohol advertisements is an infringement of their First Amendment rights† (Kelly). The advertising the alcohol industry does do is simply to keep the customers they already have. â€Å"The focus of alcohol advertising is to encourage existing drinkers to maintain their brand preference, or to switch brands, and that it is not intended to attract new customers† (Kelly). â€Å"Much of the debate concerns the possible effects on children and young people. The Advertising Codes prohibit the specific targeting of minors† (IAS). Most children who watch television may like the cartoon characters but that isn’t going to make them go out and demand alcohol. They shouldn’t be allowed or able to obtain it so it shouldn’t really even matter if they see the advertisements for it. â€Å"The evidence also suggests that advertising is of less importance than other influences such as parental attitudes and example and peer group pressure† (IAS). Final Conclusions As you can see from our research, there is solid evidence that advertising alcohol on television needs to stop the way it is being done right now. There are entirely too many targets put onto young viewers. The industry may claim that it is not targeting them but there is really no explanation otherwise. Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has come up with an exceptional set of rules for advertising alcohol on television. 1. Beverage alcohol advertising should not: a. portray or encourage drinking by individuals under the age of 21; b. use celebrities, music stars, athletes, animals, cartoon characters or other language or images that have special appeal to youth; c. depict sports, rock concerts, or other events with strong appeal to youth; or d. target spring break activities or cultural, sporting, or marketing events where it can be anticipated that a majority of the audience will be made up of people under age 21. 2. Beverage alcohol advertising should not include the licensing of youth-oriented clothing or toys that feature alcohol brand names, logos, or trade characters. 2. Beverage alcohol advertising should not portray or encourage drinking by pregnant women or women who are seeking to become pregnant. 3. Beverage alcohol advertising should not model, suggest, or otherwise encourage heavy consumption. 4. Beverage alcohol advertising should not portray or encourage drinking by alcoholics or other groups particularly vulnerable to alcohol abuse. 5. Beverage alcohol advertising should not state or imply that any level of alcohol consumption is risk-free or safe. 6. Beverage alcohol advertising should not associate alcohol consumption with high-risk activities or with situations that require alertness. 7. Beverage alcohol advertising should not depict revelry or hint at the possibility of inebriation. 8. Beverage alcohol advertising should not portray drinking as a means to achieve popularity or social acceptance, sexual appeal, or social or financial status. 9. Beverage alcohol advertising should not portray drinking in association with sexual passion, promiscuity, or any other amorous activity as a consequence of or in association with alcohol consumption. These rules would be wonderful if the alcohol companies would follow them. But, with the First Amendment backing them up, they are not going to change the way they market without a fight. The cartoons are working for them, so why should they change? There is a growing problem in this country with underage and binge drinking and these advertisements are only adding to the problem. We need to stop the problem at its root, which would mean taking the Budweiser frogs off the air. This is a great step toward reducing alcohol related deaths and injuries and it isn’t like the industry would be losing any money. They may even retain more profit because their advertising expense would be dramatically cut. We need to regulate these advertisements now! Bibliography American Advertising Federation (AAF). â€Å"AAF Position Statement: Alcohol Advertising Bans†. Available: http://www. aaf. org/bans. html Abramson, Hillary. The Marin Institute. â€Å"Alcohol Ads Increase Drinking†. Available: http://www. marininstitute. org/saffer. html Addiction Research Foundation (ARF). â€Å"Facts about Alcohol†. Available: http://www. arf. org/isd/pim/alcohol. html â€Å"Advertising Impact on Alcohol Abuse†. Available: wysiwig://9/http://www2. potsdam. ed†¦-info/Advertising/Advertising. html Center for Media Education (CME). â€Å"Alcohol Advertising Targeted at Youth on the Internet: An Update†. Available: http://tap. epn. org/cme/981218/alcrep. html Hacker, George. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Available: http://www. cspinet. org/booze/hacker. html Hacker, George. Press Conference on Alcohol Advertising Reforms. May 16, 1997. Available: http://www. cspinet. org/booze/516state. html Health You. May/June 1998. â€Å"Proms, Parents and Alcohol†. Available: http://www. lvhhn. org/healthy_you/magazine/proms_alcohol/ IAS. Available: http://www. ias. org. uk/factsheets/advertising. htm Kelly, Kathleen and Ruth Edwards. â€Å"Image Advertisements for Alcohol Products: Is There Appeal Associated with Adolescents’ Intention to Consume Alcohol? † Adolescence. Spring 1998. V33 n129 p47(13).

Free Essays on The Symbolism In “To His Coy Mistress“

The Symbolism in â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† We all have the choice either to take advantage of time or allow time to take advantage of us. This choice has been a struggle for everyone in some point in their lifetime. It has also been a topic in many literary pieces, for example this idea is presented in â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†, a poem by Andrew Marvell. In this poem, the opportunity of living life to the fullest or choosing to waste your time is supplied through symbolism. According to Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus symbolism is, â€Å"conveying impressions by suggestion rather than by direct statements†(â€Å"symbolism†). Using symbolism to express ideas makes it possible to visualize things that are not usually perceived, and in this case it makes time seem almost visible. Time is symbolized through a lover attempting to seduce a mistress, â€Å"a lady to whom courtesy and courtly convention and erotic longing attribute a superordinate status, a power to command†(Atlantic), into having a sexual relationship with him. The idea that time is running out is expressed throughout the poem, as the lover uses this excuse for wanting that sort of relationship so urgently. The very first line, â€Å"Had we but world enough, and time†(1) brings out the focus of time directly. It is then reinforced through hyperbole in the following phrases such as â€Å"A hundred years should go to praise / Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; / Two hundred to adore each breast, / But thirty thousand to the rest; / An age at least to every part†(13-17). These lines symbolize the lack of time the lover has to show his mistress the love she is worthy of, â€Å"For, Lady, you deserve this state†(19). He tries to make her feel exceptional, so that he can seduce her into making love with him. Marvell then continues on to symbolize the lack of time using other literary devices. Running out of time is shown in several descriptive ways. For example, the pe... Free Essays on The Symbolism In â€Å"To His Coy Mistressâ€Å" Free Essays on The Symbolism In â€Å"To His Coy Mistressâ€Å" The Symbolism in â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† We all have the choice either to take advantage of time or allow time to take advantage of us. This choice has been a struggle for everyone in some point in their lifetime. It has also been a topic in many literary pieces, for example this idea is presented in â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†, a poem by Andrew Marvell. In this poem, the opportunity of living life to the fullest or choosing to waste your time is supplied through symbolism. According to Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus symbolism is, â€Å"conveying impressions by suggestion rather than by direct statements†(â€Å"symbolism†). Using symbolism to express ideas makes it possible to visualize things that are not usually perceived, and in this case it makes time seem almost visible. Time is symbolized through a lover attempting to seduce a mistress, â€Å"a lady to whom courtesy and courtly convention and erotic longing attribute a superordinate status, a power to command†(Atlantic), into having a sexual relationship with him. The idea that time is running out is expressed throughout the poem, as the lover uses this excuse for wanting that sort of relationship so urgently. The very first line, â€Å"Had we but world enough, and time†(1) brings out the focus of time directly. It is then reinforced through hyperbole in the following phrases such as â€Å"A hundred years should go to praise / Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; / Two hundred to adore each breast, / But thirty thousand to the rest; / An age at least to every part†(13-17). These lines symbolize the lack of time the lover has to show his mistress the love she is worthy of, â€Å"For, Lady, you deserve this state†(19). He tries to make her feel exceptional, so that he can seduce her into making love with him. Marvell then continues on to symbolize the lack of time using other literary devices. Running out of time is shown in several descriptive ways. For example, the pe...

A Definition of Speech Community in Sociolinguistics

A Definition of Speech Community in Sociolinguistics Speech community is a term in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology used to describe a group of people who share the same language,  speech  characteristics, and ways of interpreting communication. Speech communities may be large regions like an urban area with a common, distinct accent (think of Boston with its dropped rs) or small units like families and friends (think of a nickname for a sibling). They help people define themselves as individuals and community members and identify (or misidentify) others. Speech and Identity The concept of speech as a means of identifying with a community first emerged in 1960s  academia alongside other new fields of research like ethnic and gender studies. Linguists like John Gumperz pioneered research in how personal interaction can influence ways of speaking and interpreting, while Noam Chomsky studied how people interpret language and derive meaning from what they see and hear. Types of Communities Speech communities can be large or small, although linguists dont agree on how theyre defined. Some, like linguist  Muriel Saville-Troike, argue that its logical to assume that a shared language like English, which is spoken throughout the world, is a speech community.  But she differentiates between hard-shelled communities, which tend to be insular and intimate, like a family or religious sect, and soft-shelled communities where there is a lot of interaction. But other linguists say a common language is too vague to be considered a true speech community. The linguistic anthropologist  Zdenek Salzmann describes it this way: [P]eople who speak the same language are not always members of the same  speech community. On the one hand, speakers of South Asian English in India and Pakistan share a language with citizens of the U.S., but the respective varieties of English and the rules for speaking them are sufficiently distinct to assign the two populations to different speech communities... Instead, Salzman and others say, speech communities should be more narrowly defined based on characteristics such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and manner of speaking. Study and Research The concept of speech community plays a role in a number of social science, namely sociology, anthropology, linguists, even psychology. People who study issues of migration and ethnic identity use social community theory to study things like how immigrants assimilate into larger societies, for instance. Academics who focus on racial, ethnic, sexual​ or gender issues apply social community theory when they study issues of personal identity and politics. It also plays a role in data collection. By being aware of how communities are defined, researchers can adjust their subject pools in order to obtain representative sample populations. Sources Morgan,  Marcyliena H. What Are Speech Communities? Cambridge University Press, 2014.Salzmann,  Zdenek. Language, Culture, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. Westview, 2004Saville-Troike, Muriel. The Ethnography of Communication: An Introduction, 3rd ed. Blackwell, 2003.