The lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture Essay Example for Free

The lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture Essay This essay will be looking at the Shariah and how it is applied and how it affects the lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture. In Islam Shariah is the name for the Islamic law, which applies to all aspects of the life of a Muslim. The Shariah includes all aspects of life from the daily activities, worship, criminal law and everything else. It is compulsory by every Muslim and by all Muslim nations to put into practice the Islamic Shariah and make it the source of all law and legislation. In Arabic, Shariah means the clear, well-trodden path to water. (www.bbc.co.uk). In Islam is it used to refer to the matters of religion that Allah has passed down for His servants, water is vital to all human life so the clarity and uprightness of Shariah is the means of life for the soul and the mind. (www.ourisalmonline.com) Over one and half million people living in Britain are Muslims. The Muslim community in Britain is mostly Asian, people who have immigrated are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and East Africa; also there is a minority of Muslims from Cyprus, Turkey, the Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia who are also permanently settled here in Britain for employment and business. Psychologically a person would judge her/himself by her/his ideals whereas one tends to judge others by their practices and this is also true of interaction between cultural groups. Muslims living in Britain, for example would judge the majority group, the British as a homogeneous group referring to it as the other. This emphasises the characteristics and behaviour, which are most different from their own, they will tend to judge more in their view of the Islamic ideal. It is the same for the British who will judge the characteristics of Muslims in view of their own ideal based upon a conception of what is typically British. (Roald 2001, 119) The family is the central to the whole scheme of social life as seen by Islam; therefore it must be preserved and strengthened at all costs. This concern is due to a number of laws laid down by Islam, for example like those regarding the relationship between the sexes and their intermingling, punishments for extra-marital sex, dress and many other related things. Unlike the structure of English families, the family structure of the Muslim family is very different, it includes well defined rights and obligations and the Muslim parents are enjoined in the Quran to meet their family obligations with kindness and justice. The Quran asks the children to love and respect their parents; mothers in particular as the most worthy of respect, help and love. Due to this particular nature of Islam as a total way of life and the role of the family life, the younger generation of Muslims in Britain are often in a state of confusion and conflict in meeting the religious and the family duty on one hand and on the other trying to gain total acceptance within the English communities in which they study, work in which they are surrounded in. Some British cultures believe that Islam is a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him). They say that He was the Founder of Islam and that at times it is referred to as Mohammadanism. Islam stresses upon the fact that it is not a new religion and that Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) did not bring a new faith. Islam says that he was the last of the Prophets, which included Abraham, Moses and Jesus and that He only renewed what they had preached. He cannot be called the Founder of Islam and Islam can defiantly not be called Mohammadanism. (Al-Attas 1978, 21) Islamic life is based on two foundations, which is belief and action. The fundamental beliefs that Islam teaches are the belief in One God (Allah), in all the Prophets of Allah last of all was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the belief in the Quran; and in the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgement and the life after death. Muslims also must believe in the angels, as the servants of Allah who bring His message to the Prophets and obey and implement His commands. Belief in the Oneness of Allah is the foundation of Islam; Allah is One, Unique, the All Powerful, the Sustainer and Nourisher of the entire world; in Whose hands are the life and death of all creatures. Every Muslim is required as an important part of his faith is to believe and respect all the Prophets of Allah. Denial of one is the denial of all. Islam is based on five pillars; these are the basic and formal structure of worship, which enables a Muslim to transform his entire life into an act of worship. The first pillar is the declaration of faith, which is known as the Shahadah, the second pillar is prayer, to pray five times a day (this is known as Salah). The third pillar is the welfare due to the needy (Zakah), the fourth is to fast during the month of Ramadan (Sawm) and the final pillar is to go at least once in a life time on the pilgrimage to Makka (Hajj) if one can afford to and is fit in health wise. (Basic Principals of Islam, 5) The Shariah is in the Holy Quran and the life example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is embodied in the Sunnah and this is where the law is revealed by Allah for the Muslims. The Islamic Law is not made by Muslims. The law is interpreted by Muslim scholars but once it is derived from the Quran or the Sunnah it can never not even by a simple comma be changed. The Western mass media have tended to present a distorted and biased view of the Islamic Law and have associated it with the particular Muslim countries in relation to singular dramatic events such as the event on September 11th. The Shariah is explained in K.J. Murads article the Shariah is not merely a collection of dos and donts, or just a set of criminal laws prescribing punishments for certain crimes. The Shariah literally means a clear path. It is the path that man, in Islam must walk as he toils and strives to reach his Creator. It is the yearning deep within to seek the Lord and the Master that the Shariah translates into steps, concrete and measured, on the pathways of life. The Shariah is the fulfilment of the total man inner and outer, individual and corporate as he strives to live by the will of his One and only God. (Ahsan and McDermott 1993, p29). The Shariah consists of things which are expressly prohibited (haram) for example eating any food derived from the pig, consuming alcohol, gambling, interest and adultery are specifically forbidden. There are certain Muslim practices in which people who are involved in various relationships with Muslims require a certain amount of information. These are related to various aspects such food, dress, sex, marriage, family, public worship etc. It is necessary not only to have the full information on the Islamic Law but the relations and attitudes on these matters. It is also vital to understand and respect the norms and values which belong to a culture different from the Western but in no way less civilised or inferior. Islam develops a framework of life where this world and the other world are fused together and has joined it into a whole. This world, this place is not something to be run away from, there is only a very short stay here for where the human beings placed on this earth are being examined, tested, purified and developed by the Almighty Allah. Man must stay within his or her limits and is allowed to use all the good things which are available on this earth. Nothing created can be made unlawful without authority from the Creator, there can be no ignorance, superstition, traditions and customs. In the British culture ignorance and superstition has increased a lot. There is ignorance between friends, families, business companies over authority, hierarchical needs. There is ignorance between friends over clothes, money, and fashion tastes and if they belong and are member of a social group. Various forms of supersitiions have embedded in peoples minds over time in Britain for example if you break a mirror you will have bad luck for seven years, walking underneath a ladder brings a person bad luck, Friday the 13th etc. Traditions and customs are more compulsory in the Asian community especially in places such as Pakistan but they still remain in the British culture but it is not as strong. Traditions and customs of a Pakistani family based in Pakistan tend to have more arranged marriages and allow their child only to get married to someone whom is of the same language and background. Whereas now in Britain it has become common for Muslims from different countries and backgrounds to get married and it is more of a free choice. Islam also urges that the needs and the desires of the body are not caused by evil within the person. All of them which is food, drink, sleep and sex should be satisfied only within the limitations set by Allah, once they are satisfied in violation of the limits set by the Almighty do they then become evil. (Lewis 1994, 111) According to Islam all foods are lawful and consumable unless it is stated in the Quran or the Sunnah otherwise. All varieties of fish and all kinds of vegetables are allowed in Islam, it is only the variety of meat, which Islam discriminates between certain animals. Pig in all forms and carnivorous animals whether slaughtered ritually or not is specifically forbidden. According to the Islamic law, the animal should be killed in such a way that blood flows out, usually by a very sharp knife penetrating the inner part of the animals neck and the name of Allah should be said upon it while it is being killed. Muslim communities in Britain has set up their own system of supplying halaal meat through shops run by Muslims. Nowadays supermarkets such as Safeways also supply halaal meat. The Kosher meat of the Jews is can also be eaten by Muslims, as the Jewish religion slaughter their animals in a very similar way also mentioning the name of God over them. Other foods sold in supermarkets which is either prepared or unprepared, Muslims need to read the list of ingredients very carefully whenever he or she intend to buy any food. The main problem in Britain unfortunately is giving the information about the ingredients in certain products as it is not legally binding. (www.youngmuslims.ca) In Islam it does not mention at all in the Quran or the Hadith of which dress a Muslim male or a Muslim female should wear. It has given broad outlines to all Muslims that they should cover their bodies properly and with decency.the minimum part of the body that should be covered by the man is from his navel to his knees and for a woman, she should be covered from head to toe leaving only the face and the hands. The main problem in the British culture between Muslims and non-Muslims is the competition between each other in fashion and taste to impress the opposite sex. Non-Muslims would and are able to go to extreme measures especially the female sex to make themselves more attractive by wearing fitted and revealing outfits. This has an influence on the Muslim females as they are in conflict in meeting religious obligations on one hand and gaining total acceptance with the host community. It has been realised that there is a Muslim Community in Britain, which believes in Islam. The Muslim child in Britain is likely to speak his native language (Urdu, Pashto, Bengali, Punjabi or Gujarati in most cases) at home, Arabic in prayers and English at school. In spiritual, religious and educational matters the Islamic religion gives man and woman equal rights making no differentiation between their opportunities in education and learning. The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bring peace upon him) said Pursuit of learning is a duty for every Muslim man and women without distinction between, since learning is venerated in Islam and its pursuit obligatory. (Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools 1975, p12). Although Islam allows the equal rights to men and women but these rights are not necessarily those which will help them to follow the same roles and fulfil the same functions as society. The Holy Quran emphasises the womanly duties set upon them such the role of a wife and the motherly role. It is a lot of responsibility and it takes up a lot of the time of the women. In the hands of the women is the care of her familys social, religious and moral welfare whereas the male of the house, expectations from him are the fatherly roles and to be a husband, and also he is expected to accept the responsibility for providing the means by which the family may survive. According to Islam, there is a specific sex individuality in man and woman which they must preserve and cherish because it is this individuality which gives them honour and dignity and enables them to fulfil in an effective manner their specific role in society. In the Hadith it clearly shows that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) strongly disapproved of either sex imitating the behaviour of the other n their dress and manners. (Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools 1975, p13). Sex relationships outside marriage are clearly forbidden; an even intimate or sensual conversation between members of the opposite sex is disapproved of. This leads on to the point which is causing great concern to many Muslim parents in Britain today. These fears are similar to many of the Christian parents whom have gone through and still also do, in the face of growing permissiveness within this society. Some Muslim parents have even been prepared to keep their daughters at home in order to avoid conflict between the religious methods which confronts them when they reach secondary school age. The girls are not allowed to enter the free society of males other than close relations. This means that no Muslim girl ought to go a mixed secondary school. Also it must not be forgotten that a young unmarried Muslim male also needs a great deal of guidance. In the Times Educational Supplement there was an article saying that in and out of school life teenage girls were subjected to strong sexual pressures of various kinds. There is a constant drive towards early dating, their contemporaries expect it, commercial world exploits it. For many girls the single sex school was almost the only place where they could value others and be valued by them as persons with social intellectual and temperamental qualities to be enjoyed and fulfilled quite apart from the accident of sex'. (Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools 1975, p17). A Muslim child faces a very distressing conflict situation with respect to the many and varied roles he is required to play. For a Muslim child, the parents, with their Islamic, ethnic and village background; the family, the peer group within and outside the home, the mass media, the school environment, the teacher, the text book and society in general all combine together to put upon him very confusing and conflicting demands. What the child needs is a very high degree of sympathy and understanding from his home and his school. Given moral support from the family, guidance from the mosque and religious tolerance and respect from teachers and community workers, the young Muslim can learn to fulfil the rights and obligations upon him or her within the British society. In modern times, forces such as Western-style nationalism, tribalism and linguistic affinities, as well as the different ways in which various parts of the Islamic world have experienced the modern world and such forces as colonialism, secular nationalism, racialism and Western lay humanism have caused a significant variation in the manner and degree of attachment of many Muslims to Islam. (Nasr 1997, p78). There are Muslims in this world who never miss their daily prayers and live as much as they can by the Shariah, who consider their manner and attitude of following Islam to be the only manner. Yet again in contrast in the modern world there are also others who do not follow by the laws and still consider themselves as being defiantly Muslims. Also there are even who do not do anything specifically Islamic yet call themselves Muslims and would protest if called anything else. (Eaton 1997, 89), (www.usc.edu) Referencing Ahsan, M McDermott, M (1980) The Muslim Guide The Islamic Foundations Al-Attas, S (1978) Islam and Secularisation, Suhail Academy Lahore Pakistan Basic Principals of Islam, Albirr Foundations U.K. Eaton, G (1997) Islam and the Destiny of Man, The Islamic Text Society Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools Lewis, P (1994) Islamic Britain, I.B. Tauris Nasar, S (1987) Traditional Islam un the Modern World, Suhail Academy Lahore Pakistan Roald, A (2001) Women in Islam, London and New York www.bbc.co.uk www.usc.edu www.ourisalmonline.com)

othello :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women in Othello are very profound. They are very dependent on their men. During the 16th Century, women were traditional and accustomed to being submissive to their men/husband. Desdemona secretly married Othello a â€Å"Moor† (a black man). She is devoted to her husband, and respects and obeys his wishes. Even though Othello can be cruel to Desdemona, his wife Desdemona responds to her husband in a way that she gets her point across, and still respects Othello. Women during the 16th century were not highly honored by men. During that time women in Othello were very dependent on men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Desdemona father has learned that she has married Othello. Her father Senator Brabinto is very furious. Desdemona has come to confront her father: â€Å"How to respect you. You are the Lord of duty; I am hitherto your daughter. But he’s my husband, and you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess. Due to the Moor my Lord†(lit.act1sceneIII v186-91) Desdemona is saying she loves and respects her father the same as her mother did, but she also respects her husband, and will stand by Othello.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emilia’s is the wife of Iago. Emilia is cynical, and a worldly woman. She speaks as though she understands and knows men very well. To Emilia men are callous and betraying. They want whatever they can not have, and what they have they do not want. Her relationship with her husband is unworthy. Iago lies and will do anything to get what he wants. Emilia is asked by her husband to steal a handkerchief of her mistress (a maid), Desdemona. Emilia refuses to do such a thing. She love Desdemona and would never hurt her. Coincidently Emilia found the handkerchief lying on the floor. She surprised Iago with the handkerchief, and he is well pleased. Emilia’s regard for Othello is unpleasant. She realizes that Othello is very jealous towards Desdemona, his wife, and she does not like how he speaks to Desdemona.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Is he not jealous† (lit act III scene1 v 22) â€Å"‘Tis not a year or two show us a man. They are but stomach, and we all but food; they eat us hungerly; and when they are full they belch us† (act III scene4 v 99-102) Emilia is stating that when men bellies are full and they had enough to eat they move on to the next meal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bianca, a very fair looking woman, and is only mentioned in small detail.

David Brooks -One Nation Slight Divisible Essay

Brooks discussed the differences between the two groups. He described how â€Å"Red America† was made up of farmers and rural communities, while â€Å"Blue America† consisted of big cities with many stores and businesses. As Brooks looked at the red and blue sections of the electoral map, he was interested in the reasons behind the voting patterns. He chose two cities to represent these two sections: Franklin County in Pennsylvania for â€Å"Red America†, and Montgomery County in Maryland for â€Å"Blue America†. He lived in Montgomery county and spent time talking with different people in Franklin county. Brooks began to look deeper at the reasons for the differences between the two groups and wondered if America was really a united nation anymore. The first reason that Brooke considered was economics. He examined his theory that the rich and the poor have separated. The blue states had higher incomes, higher end stores, and jobs. Brooks asked people if they agreed that money was   what had divided the U.S. Although most people greed with that statement, most did not consider themselves the people with less, and it was the ones with less that seemed more content with what they had. As he spent more and more time with the people, he found that it was really not money that split the nation. . The next idea he had was religion. He found that the percentage of people involved in religion was higher in red states. There were more churches in Franklin, and more people attended a weekly religious service. Even with these statistics, Brooks again found it was not religion. He found there were still †bad people† and problems in both cities. Yes there were differences, but the differences didn’t seem to be enough to divide the nation. The final hypothesis Brooks dove into was self. Brooks saw that in â€Å"Red America† there was less striving to be unique and impress others. Humility was much more prevalent in the red states, while people in the blue states tended to place a larger focus on self. Brooke’s decided that this was a big difference, but not big enough to be the reason for division. After looking at all these thoughts, Brooks concluded that the U.S. is not divided, but instead it is a â€Å"Cafeteria Nation.† Brooks said that everyone has their own group to hang out with, just like what you would find in a school cafeteria. There may be differences between people, but in the end they all come together as a nation to help each other in times of trouble. Brooks used the example of 9/11, to demonstrate this principle and then concluded that our nation was not and is not divided after all.

Components of Fitness Coursework

The health of someone is the state of mental, physical and social well being they are in. Most people think of health as a person who has or hasn't got a disease and illness. There are two main types of fitness that make up the way a person is, these are: physical fitness and motor fitness. Getting your fitness to its maximum and maintaining it is a very important and often difficult as it requires a lot of thought, time and effort. Athletes who over-train their bodies become weaker and are more likely to get diseases and illnesses. The components of physical fitness are reaction time, power, agility, balance, flexibility and co-ordination. The meaning of strength is â€Å"the ability to exert a force against a resistance†. An example of this is the strength needed by a weight lifter to lift a 200kg barbell. Mariusz Pudzianowski , the world's strongest man champion of 2008, has to train himself to lifting extremely heavy things such as cars, people, etc. some body builders also take steroids to improve their performance in many sports. This is considered illegal and the sports person that does this is disqualified from the sport they have taken part in. There are 3 different types of strength. The types of strength are: * Maximum strength – the greatest force that is possible in a single maximum contraction * Elastic strength – the ability to overcome a resistance with a fast contraction * Strength endurance – the ability to express force many times over Flexibility is the ability to perform a joint action through a variety of movement. The objective of flexibility training is to improve the range of movement a person can perform. In any movement there are two groups of muscles at work: * The main muscles which cause the movement to take place * opposing the movement and determining the amount of flexibility are the opposed muscles Alina Kabaeva is one of the world's most famous Russian athletes for being very flexible and is Russia's most successful gymnast. She improves her skills by training with her coach and by increasing the body joints to its full performance. Endurance is a muscle's ability to perform a maximum stamina time after time. An example of this is when somebody runs a race and is able to keep going from the start to the end. The objective of endurance is to develop stamina in a person's body for a long period of time. Speed is the quickness of movement. This is used in all types of sports in tackling and running. Speed is one of the main components of fitness. Sprinting is also included in speed. Sprinting is when a person uses all the energy they have left in them to increase their speed drastically. This is usually used at the end of a race after staying at a steady pace to save energy. Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man since the Olympics 2008 has been able to train himself to run at extreme speeds through various types of training, a healthy lifestyle and body composition In fitness, body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone and muscle in a person's body. Because muscle tissue takes up less space in our body than fat, both our body composition and our weight, determines the body composition. For example, if an obese person was to race an athlete that was in a healthy state, the person with more weight would lose because there is too much fat compared to his or her bone and muscle. Co-ordination is the ability to carry out a group of movements smoothly and efficiently. All sports need the coordination of eyes, hands and feet. Racket sports like tennis involve all coordination's of hands, eyes and feet. There are a few drills which can improve your hand-eye co-ordination like catching tennis balls in none hand for a minute and then changing hands. You can practice them on your own or with someone else but keep concentrating and you'll notice the difference. Tim Henman, Great Britain's number one tennis player has to do drills like this daily to improve his hand-eye co-ordination. Balance is the ability to control the body's position, either stationary or while moving. If this is done correctly, a person will be able to complete a series of moves without falling. Balance is usually used in sports like gymnastics or athletics. Sally Gunnell is an athlete that improves her balance by improving her motor skills. Another way to improve your balance is by improving posture. If this is done well, There could be a great improvement in balance. Agility is the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions. In various fields of sports competition, the body is constantly asked to perform movements from unfamiliar joint angles. If these are done correctly, the body is able to respond quickly to different angles that are needed in sporting events. An example for a sport that involves agility is athletics or on a trampoline. You can improve your agility by practicing the movements in training. An athlete that needs this for their profession is Dame Kelly Holmes Power is the ability to do strength performances quickly using almost all of your energy and normally with heavy things. The main parts of the body used in the process are the arm muscles as well as the legs to help the person balance themselves. Power is mainly used in sports involving lifting things that are heavy such as the hammer throw in the Olympics. An athlete that has done this in the Olympics is Alex Smith. The final component for skill related fitness is reaction time. This is the time taken to respond to a stimulus. An example would be reacting to the starting pistol at the start of a 100m race. It important in many sports and activities and depends on the nervous system mostly. This can be improved through practice or training. Different people have different reaction times because of the nervous system. A person with good reaction time is Usain Bolt. Alcohol, smoking and drugs all affect a sports performer's lifestyle in negative ways. George Best died of liver failure because of his drinking problems and this ruined his life before as well. It earlier stopped him from playing football before he had a transplant. Some people use steroid pills, gels, creams, or injections because they think steroids can improve their sports performance or the way they look. Nathan Allen was banned from the Olympic gamed this year because of the steroid pills she took to enhance her performance. She has been banned for two years. This type of drug abuse can get a person banned from any sport there if it is found out. There have been many top athletes who smoke. Zinedine Zidane, a famous French football player caused a small gossip when he was photographed before an important 2006 World Cup game smoking a cigarette. Smoking can wreck your lungs and reduce oxygen available for muscles used during sports. They also run slower and can't run as far, affecting overall athletic performance. This affects people's performance in a negative way as it could possibly end their career. Despite all the tobacco use on TV and in different types of media, no athlete does smoke as it could change their lives completely by making them lose all fame and fortune! Many athletes sleep poorly during the night before a major competition or after crossing several time zones to compete, but most athletes aren't sure exactly how this loss of sleep will affect their performances. One problem in figuring out how no sleep influences exercise ability and scientists or doctors don't completely understand sleep itself. Too much sleep is not good for you but neither is no sleep is worse. If a performer doesn't sleep, his performance in a game will be poor and can be removed from the team.

Price discrimination and monopolistic competition

Price discrimination and monopolistic competition Introduction Consumers engage in a comprehensive decision making process in their consumption processes. Some of the elements that consumers are concerned with relate to product quality and price. Consumers have limited income, and thus they select what to purchase and at what price. Boyes (2011) posits, â€Å"Consumers are heterogeneous in their preferences between price and quality† (p.29).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Price discrimination and monopolistic competition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The consumers’ decision to purchase a particular product is motivated by the desire to attain a certain desired level of utility. On the other hand, firms provide consumers with a wide range of products and services, which are offered at different prices. Product pricing is subject to different factors; for example, the cost of production, product quality, and the firm’s profit maximisation obje ctive. According to Hirschey (2009), businesses have an obligation to set optimal product prices failure to which they will not be in a position to achieve their profit maximisation objectives. Despite this aspect, the ability of an organisation to set optimal price is subject to the prevailing level of competition. According to Varian (2010), the competitive market is characterised by a large number of firms that deal identical products and this aspect limits a firm’s ability to exploit the consumers by selling the product at a high price. Varian (2010) asserts, â€Å"Any attempt by one of the firms to sell its products at a higher price than the market price leads consumers to desert the high of third-degree discrimination occurs in learning institutions whereby students are offered products and services at a discount at the University Union shops. The shops command a certain degree of monopoly. Moreover, it is possible for the union shops to identify the students as the t argeted consumer group. Consequently, they are in a position to offer products at discounted prices. Publishing companies such as The Wall Street Journal, Barrons, the Economist, and Forbes offer students huge price discount. Other areas in which third degree price discrimination is applied includes movie theatres whereby the price of movie tickets for adults and children differ. Third-degree price discrimination is also applied in drugstores that provide senior citizens with drugs. Rationale for the third-degree price discrimination; student discounts Most publishing companies are committed in attracting and retaining a large number of students to purchase their academic journals and other publications. Consequently, such companies are forced to adopt effective marketing strategies in order to penetrate the learning institutions. One of the strategies adopted relates to price discrimination. The publishing houses are forced to offer students the publication at a relatively low pric e. The firms are motivated by the view that offering their publications at a discounted price to students will lead to the creation of future loyal customers. Students and senior citizens are considered as very sensitive to price. Therefore, in order to attract a large number of students to consume their products, the firms are forced to price-discriminate by integrating a price discount. Therefore, the publishing firms are in a position to maximise their level of profit by marketing to students as one of their essential sub-markets (Varian 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thirds of the competing firms include the Wall Street Journal, Barrons, the Economist, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes amongst others. Most of these companies target students in different learning institutions as their potential customers. Moreover, there is no law that bars the publishing companies from offering students their products through the union shops. Consequently, the degree of rivalry in such as submarket is likely to be high (Sexton 2008). In order to attract students, the firms are required to adopt effective market penetration strategies such as providing students with different academic publications through their libraries. However, a large number of sellers limit the firms’ ability to control the market. Despite this aspect, the firms are committed towards improving their competitiveness. Therefore, the firms are forced to adopt effective competitive strategies, for example by incorporating a price discount or improving their service delivery. For instanc e, the firms may provide students with an opportunity to subscribe for library services at a reduced price (Sexton 2008). If a particular firm in such a market increases the price of its products, customers have an option to purchase from its competitors. Another major characteristic of a monopolistically competitive market is that entry to the market is free. Therefore, competing firms can freely enter the market and provide consumers with substitute products. The threat of new entrants tends to reduce the level of economic profit. However, considering the view that the publishing firms are profit-oriented, they are forced to formulate effective strategies in order to survive. According to Hall and Lieberman (2013), monopolistic competitors are motivated by the need to maximise profit. Therefore, they tend to move along the demand curve up to a point that will lead to profit maximisation. Furthermore, monopolistic competitors have the option of shifting their demand curves rightwar ds. This goal is achievable via developing products that are more appealing and adopting strategic locations hence attracting consumers. Other forms of non-price competition include offering product guarantees, better services, advertising to inform the consumers, and free home deliveries. Adopting non-price competition improves an organisation’s ability to maximise profit. Despite their effectiveness in influencing the consumers’ purchase decision, monopolistic competitors do not have extensive market powers due to the existence of a large number of rival firms, which offer close substitutes. Most plausible explanation for the pricing strategy This analysis shows that the aforementioned behaviour by publishing companies such as the Economist and the Financial Times can be explained based on two main frameworks, which include price discrimination and monopolistic competition. However, a number of conditions must be satisfied in order for a firm to adopt any of the two strategies. For price discrimination to occur, the market must be characterised by some degree of imperfection. Secondly, a firm must be in a position to split the total market into a number of submarkets. Thirdly, the consumers must be characterised by different price elasticity of demand. These conditions provide the suppliers with an opportunity to set different prices for the same product. Therefore, the firm is in a position to maximise its profit by attracting a large number of customers. In most cases, price discrimination is incorporated with the objective of creating welfare effect on the part of the consumer. The publishing companies are established with the objective of maximising profit. Consequently, they have an obligation to adopt effective pricing strategies. Moreover, the publishing companies operate in an industry that is characterised by intense competition sue to the many firms in the industry. In order to survive in such an industry, the publishing companies are forced to offer their products to students at highly discounted prices. This aspect leads to the development of a high level of customer loyalty. The firms are in a position to attract and retain a large number of customers. Therefore, the monopolistic competition framework can best explain the behaviour of the publishing companies. Conclusion Price is a critical component in the survival of businesses. Moreover, most markets are experiencing an increment in the intensity of competition. Therefore, in order to survive in the long term, it is imperative for businesses to adopt effective pricing strategies in order to maximise their profit, which can be achieved by adopting the concepts of price discrimination. Furthermore, firms can also adopt strategies that will set them as effective monopolistic competitors. Reference List Boyes, W 2011, Managerial economics, Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Cowan, S 2007, ‘The welfare effect of the third degree price discrimination with non-linea r demand functions’, Journal of Economics, vol. 38 no. 2, pp. 419-428. Hall, R Lieberman, M 2013, Economics; principles and applications, Cengage Learning, Mason. Hirschey, M 2009, Managerial economics, Cengage Learning, Mason. Muller-Langer, F 2008, Creating RD incentives for medicines for neglected diseases: An economic analysis of parallel imports, patents and alternative mechanisms to stimulate pharmaceutical research, Gabler, Wiesbaden. Sexton, R 2008, Exploring economics, Thomson, Mason. Varian, H 2010, Intermediate microeconomics, University of California, Berkeley.

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