Escapism: What Type of Psychological Issues do Vulnerable and Marginalized People Feel?

 The relationship between vulnerable and marginalized people and their attitude of escapism from daily routine can be complex and multifaceted. Vulnerable and marginalized individuals often face various forms of discrimination, social exclusion, and limited access to resources and opportunities. As a result, they may experience heightened stress, mental health challenges, and a sense of powerlessness in their daily lives.

Escapism refers to the tendency to seek relief or distraction from one's everyday reality, often through activities that provide a temporary sense of freedom, pleasure, or detachment. It can take different forms, such as engaging in hobbies, entertainment, substance use, or immersive virtual experiences. People may resort to escapism as a coping mechanism to alleviate the pressures and hardships they encounter in their marginalized or vulnerable situations.

For some individuals, escapism can be a way to temporarily detach from their daily struggles and find solace or joy in alternative realities. It may provide a sense of control, agency, and respite from the challenges they face, even if only for a short period. Escapism can serve as a means of self-care and stress reduction, allowing individuals to recharge and rejuvenate.

However, it's important to note that relying excessively on escapism can also have negative consequences. While it may provide temporary relief, it can potentially hinder individuals from addressing the underlying issues contributing to their vulnerability and marginalization. It can create a cycle of avoidance, where individuals retreat further from their daily reality, making it difficult to address systemic barriers and work towards meaningful change.

Furthermore, not all individuals within vulnerable or marginalized communities may have equal access to opportunities for escapism. Socioeconomic disparities, discrimination, and limited resources can limit the options available to different individuals. Some may lack the means to engage in activities that provide an escape, leading to a further sense of exclusion and frustration.

To address the relationship between vulnerability, marginalization, and escapism, it is crucial to adopt a comprehensive approach. This involves recognizing and addressing the systemic barriers and inequalities that contribute to vulnerability and marginalization. It also entails providing support, resources, and opportunities for individuals to address their daily challenges directly, empowering them to navigate their circumstances rather than solely seeking escape.

Promoting social inclusion, advocating for equal access to resources and opportunities, and fostering supportive communities can help create an environment where individuals have a better chance of addressing the root causes of their vulnerability and finding lasting solutions. It is important to strike a balance between acknowledging the value of escapism as a temporary relief and addressing the underlying issues that contribute to vulnerability and marginalization.

Bridging the Gap Between Vulnerable People and People of Authority: Strategies for Building Trust and Collaboration

This article addresses the issue of bridging the gap between vulnerable communities and people of authority, such as government officials, law enforcement, and healthcare professionals. It examines the challenges faced by vulnerable communities in building trust and understanding with people of authority and suggests that promoting dialogue, increasing representation of vulnerable communities in positions of authority, and promoting education and awareness are important strategies for achieving this goal. The article aims to raise awareness of this issue and provide actionable strategies for bridging the gap to create a more just and equitable society. The ultimate goal of this article is to contribute to ongoing efforts to address systemic inequalities and promote social justice.

One important aspect of bridging the gap is understanding the root causes of the divide. In many cases, vulnerable communities such as low-income individuals, minorities, and those with disabilities have experienced a history of discrimination and marginalization. This can lead to a lack of trust in people of authority such as government officials, law enforcement, and healthcare professionals. On the other hand, people of authority may lack understanding and awareness of the challenges faced by vulnerable communities, which can lead to a lack of empathy and appropriate action.

To bridge the gap, it is important to foster dialogue and understanding between vulnerable communities and people of authority. This can be achieved through community engagement initiatives, town hall meetings, and other forums where community members can share their experiences and perspectives with people of authority. These initiatives can help to build trust and understanding between different groups, and can also help to identify specific areas where action is needed.

Another important strategy is to increase the representation of vulnerable communities in positions of authority. This can help to ensure that the perspectives and needs of vulnerable communities are taken into account in decision-making processes. This can include increasing diversity in government, law enforcement, and healthcare leadership positions, as well as increasing representation in community organizations and advocacy groups.

Education and awareness-raising initiatives are also crucial in bridging the gap between vulnerable communities and people of authority. This can include targeted education programs for people of authority to increase awareness of the challenges faced by vulnerable communities and the importance of taking action to address these challenges. It can also include public education campaigns to raise awareness of the experiences of vulnerable communities and the importance of working together to create positive change.

In addition to these strategies, there are also many grassroots initiatives that can help to bridge the gap between vulnerable communities and people of authority. These can include mentorship programs, community service initiatives, and other programs that foster positive relationships and understanding between different groups. By working together and learning from each other, vulnerable communities and people of authority can create a more just and equitable society.

In conclusion, bridging the gap between vulnerable communities and people of authority is an important goal that requires ongoing effort and commitment. By fostering dialogue, increasing representation, promoting education and awareness, and supporting grassroots initiatives, we can work towards creating a more just and equitable society where all individuals have the opportunity to thrive.

You can check this article too: https://sustainablityissues.blogspot.com/2023/05/history-of-marginalization-with-proper.html
This article describes History of Marginalized 

History of Marginalization with Proper References Including Types of Marginalization

Marginalization has been a persistent problem throughout history, and various groups have experienced discrimination and exclusion for different reasons. Racism, for example, has a long history that can be traced back to slavery, colonization, and segregation (Foner, 2020). People of color have been subjected to systemic racism that limits access to resources, economic opportunities, and political power, resulting in social exclusion and poverty (Nellis, 2016).
Women have also faced marginalization throughout history, including limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities (United Nations, 2015). Gender-based violence and discrimination have also contributed to social exclusion and economic disadvantage (UN Women, 2021).
Members of the LGBTQ+ community have experienced significant marginalization and discrimination throughout history (Human Rights Watch, 2021). This has resulted in social exclusion, discrimination, and violence, as well as legal barriers to equality and acceptance (Human Rights Campaign, 2021).
People with disabilities have faced significant barriers to equality, including limited access to education, healthcare, and basic services (World Health Organization, 2021). Ableism, or discrimination against people with disabilities, has led to social exclusion, discrimination, and stigmatization, leading to poverty (Pineda & Dorn, 2020).
Finally, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds have also experienced marginalization throughout history, including limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities (OECD, 2021). This has led to social exclusion and poverty, as well as political disenfranchisement.
It is important to acknowledge the historical and ongoing experiences of marginalization faced by various communities and to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all individuals, regardless of their background or identity. This includes advocating for policy changes that promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, as well as providing access to resources and support for marginalized individuals and communities.

References:

Foner, E. (2020). Give Me Liberty! An American History. WW Norton & Company.
Human Rights Campaign. (2021). Global Equality. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/explore/topic/global-equality
Human Rights Watch. (2021). LGBT Rights. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/topic/lgbt-rights
Nellis, A. (2016). The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons. The Sentencing Project.
OECD. (2021). Tackling Vulnerability in the COVID-19 Crisis: Five Priority Areas for Asia and the Pacific. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/tackling-vulnerability-in-the-covid-19-crisis-five-priority-areas-for-asia-and-the-pacific-5281c898/
Pineda, J. A., & Dorn, E. M. (2020). The Marginalization of People with Disabilities: A Social Justice Framework. Routledge.
UN Women. (2021). Facts and Figures: Economic Empowerment. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment/facts-and-figures

Amazon: An Open Business Space Due To Its Diversified Strategies And Superiority Over The Other Online Markets

How does Amazon save itself from the global economic crisis and all that naturally happens like Covid-19 Pandemic?

During the last few decades, it has been difficult for businesses to grow and maintain productivity since there had been significantly important events in known human history like wars, natural disasters, and regional conflicts. All the countries of the world are so closely in connection to each other that if any country happens to experience an unstable situation then immediately, its imports and exports are affected. Similarly, the companies get affected due to a large number of local and foreign investors' experiences and approaches. Specifically, at the time when they see a threat coming ahead. One of the significant events of the current era is the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused a great loss to the majority of companies worldwide. Even the giants have fallen off to the ground. Contrary to this situation, Amazon traveled oppositely while growing faster than ever. Its strategies not only saved the company itself but also created opportunities for locals and the foreigners alike to avoid unemployment and do business in a much-improved way. The current study focuses on how Amazon saved itself, created and maintained opportunities for sellers and buyers, its marketing strategies, and its nation’s friendly policies. The study is based on the chronological research approach, i.e. an attempt has been made to study Amazon as a business market from its origin to the day today.

Introduction to Important Terminologies 

The economic effect is a business-oriented term meaning the economic impacts on any affected business relating to its methods and strategies adopted for cost and production, marketing strategies, and adhering to the business rules. The other term pandemic is defined as a widespread ailment to a country or in the whole world. The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak begins on 31 December 2019 when it was first reported to the World Health Organization. Therefore, economic effects on the business company Amazon which is an online marketplace, are studied from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic which largely spread to 225 countries of the world. This pandemic outbreak caused major losses to the companies in terms of sales and purchases, or revenue generation. Amazon was the strategically luckiest amongst others for it has been successful during the worse pandemic situation through its proper and refined business approaches.

As a matter of fact, during the pandemic, the unemployment rate in America was the highest ever. Therefore, Amazon while centered in the United States must have also faced worse business conditions but we witnessed that Amazon not only progressed as a company but also it brought new job opportunities for the people of America. Consequently, Amazon also served as a savior of the youth of the United States.

Foundation of Amazon as a Marketplace

Amazon, as its name suggests, is the largest of the online marketplaces that provide multiservice like selling e-books, toys, music, movies, electronic goods, housewares, and the list goes on. It was incorporated by Jeff Bezos in 1994 (Krishnamurthy, 2005). Bezos did not play blindly rather he conducted research in a quest to find out which product could be possibly the best-selling product, initially. He concluded that e-books may be the best option to be launched as a product. The idea was not new since Silicon Valley launched the same idea in 1991 (Hall, 2022). However, Bezos got the better idea in the sense that Amazon promised its customers the delivery of the book without bothering about the location of its customers. Nevertheless, Bezos claimed that the company is not a bookstore for it is a technology that is aimed at providing its customers the opportunity of receiving simplified transactions. Bezos’ idea was to grow faster and he introduced the company’s slogan “Get Big Fast” (History.com Editors, 2015). He intentionally printed the slogan on the uniform of the company’s employees. Though enthusiastic; the company got severe criticism from critics who were claiming that the company’s failure will be immediate and earlier.

Criticism on; and Competitors of Amazon

It was in 1997 when Barnes & Noble filed a lawsuit against Amazon for making the claim of being “The World’s Largest Bookstore”. Barnes and Noble argued that Amazon was falsely advertising the claim in advertisements and on its website. However, both parties settled the matter collaboratively outside of judicial functioning (Patrick M. Reilly, 1997). Along with Barnes and Noble, Amazon had to compete with local booksellers. Despite facing the lawsuit as a newbie, Amazon had also to beat the local sellers of its early regime. Amazon grew rapidly and was able to deliver and distribute books to its buyers in the 50 states of the United States and to the 45 countries of the world. Businessinsider.com published an interesting article claiming that in the early days of Amazon’s birth when the office bell rang the whole staff used to gather around to see if they knew the customer. Luckily, soon after, the bell was turned off since the calling and purchasing were becoming frequent (Hartmans, 2021).

Some of the other major issues that Amazon had to face were the allegations of product shortage or unavailability issues while other serious allegations included anti-competitive attitude—a business term used to define the attitude of any corporation to remove or avoid the competition from the market American Booksellers Association, 2020). The difficulties were not limited to Amazon since other problems like logistic issues, etc. also troubled Amazon in its early days. Emergence as a Huge Market

 Amazon faced issues like any other small or large business startup may have faced during its initiation. Initially, it did not earn much profit to prove itself a business giant or tycoon. However, in 1999, soon after Amazon’s launching just after almost 5 years, the company was considered to be the “World’s Biggest Online Selling Platform” (Palumbo, 2021). The hurdles could not stop the company from its consistent growth. However, its first handsome profit-making days came in the fourth quarter of 2001 (Spector, 2009).

Number of Employees and Employment Structure of Amazon

Amazon works in two ways. It hires its workers for the physical offices, and also it hires sellers, managers, and other staff remotely. According to Statista.com, Amazon has currently 16, 08,000 employees all over the world. Additionally, it has to hire an additional number of employees to its staff every year to fill up the space that holidays may create. These workers work in warehouses and some work as delivery drivers but the list does not end here, Amazon also has corporate employees. According to businessinsider.com, Amazon’s median employees earn a handsome average amount of dollar 29,007 per year (Dailey).

Working Conditions at Amazon

The working conditions at Amazon are a bit controversial. Some authors claim that the working conditions at Amazon are pathetic, unfriendly, and unjust since workers have to work 12-hour shifts (Aditya, 2021). Similarly, some claim that working at Amazon is difficult since the work is fast-paced, and the company is constantly in demand of perfect output from its employees. It has also been noted that Amazon has faced the events of employee injuries and has been on the hit list of critics for unsafe and insecure workplaces. However, Amazon has a plan that is aimed at ensuring the safety and security of its employees by 2025(Wasserman, 2021). There are some interesting facts related to working conditions. It has been reported on truthout.com that the state of California passed a bill that ensures and directs Amazon to give its employees a bathroom break. This bill came into existence since a survey report revealed that 74% of Amazon warehouse workers avoided bathroom breaks concerning the fear of not being capable of meeting the quota of packing if they went to the bathroom.

Personal Reflection on Working Conditions

Although all seems good when we talk about Amazon as an open opportunity for business ideas; however, when it comes to its working conditions then we see that Amazon will have to work hard to make the working environment labor-friendly and sustainable. During my research, I came across some hard and fast facts about working conditions that are objectionable. I cross-checked the reports that talked about Amazon’s warehouse and the issues that the workers and delivery drivers face. I believe that Amazon should work closely to resolve the issues. Human beings are the best part of any business since they have the capacity to create, develop, change what already exists, and bring in new ideas which can prove to be a pathway to success for any business. If workers are not satisfied then the best part of the business is missed.

Literature Review on Amazon

Amazon is just not a market place but it is the outcome of the great idea that Bezos brought into practice. He was a computer and electrical graduate who formerly worked in an investment bank ("Jeff Bezos"). He resigned from the bank and then worked on his idea of creating an online store. He did not know much about the field of the internet; however, he conducted research and found that the internet was growing at an extremely fast pace approximately at the rate of 2300%. Therefore, he concluded that bookselling is an implementable idea, and Seattle is the best place to launch such an online marketplace owing to the reason that Seattle at that time was considered to be a more technologically grown area. The realistic and traditional approach that Bezos took to enhance his business and make Amazon a perfect marketplace is the idea of being customer-centric (Majed, et al.2018). Presently, Amazon is providing multifaceted business opportunities (MOHAN, 2021). It is not like it was in its early days. Amazon provides its sellers an opportunity of opening their own accounts and set up their own businesses; businesses should meet the guidelines of Amazon ("Amazon.com: Sell Products Online with Selling on Amazon"). Subsequently, Amazon is not only the sole property of Bezos in the sense that millions of online sellers are registered on Amazon with their products. They are free to market their product. Actually, Amazon is like a Bazar where different sellers are selling different products and goods (Pereira, 2020). Anyone can log in to Amazon and then place his/her order with a simple payment method. Fortunately, Amazon does not scam but its customer-centric approach is helpful in building trust and value. Sellers are presented in a number of ways. A buyer can choose his/her buying section. It means that one can search for the desired product. Then, he/she can filter his/her search values by selecting the “best sellers” option. A seller is trusted and considered to be an authentic and reliable storekeeper on Amazon by the number of positive reviews. For sellers, it provides them the opportunity of doing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) within Amazon in a number of ways. They can rank their product by doing its proper SEO by using the users’ friendly keywords, i.e. Sellers use software that helps them to analyze the keywords that their potential customers use while searching for their desired product (Connolly, 2022). Subsequently, Amazon is a giant that develops, deals with and maintains up-to-date software technologies for its users ("8 Innovative Ways Amazon Has Changed the World"). Above all, it is a platform that enables its sellers and buyers to give feedback so that Amazon could know the needs of both the sellers and buyers (Williams, 2021). Additionally, Amazon is using a refined set of business strategies that provide a wonderful opportunity for internet users to use affiliate marketing. For instance, any blogger or brand, or website can create an Amazon affiliate account and market the products of Amazon. Once a potential buyer clicks through Amazon’s affiliate link from any external page and lands on Amazon and ultimately orders that product then the provider of that link gets a handsome amount of commission from the revenue generated by that product (Prater, 2021). Amazon is not only a marketplace to buy and sell products but provides an open opportunity to skillful people. For instance, a person opens a store on Amazon then hires another expert in the field and pays him/her to maintain the store. The hired person is named the Virtual Assistant. Amazon is a big, great, and friendly marketplace for sellers, buyers, and the people that provide their services related to Amazon-like store maintenance, etc (Palanica and Fossat, 2021). Amazon is different from the traditional marketplaces that only provide the service of selling and delivering products. It’s a storehouse that is huge and provides endless services. There are an estimated 9.5 million users of Amazon (Dave,2022). Its Kindle books section is still considered the best part of Amazon. There are success stories of Amazon sellers that were not capitalists formerly but now they are million and billionaires. The best part about the marketplace is that it is unbiased. Unbiased in the sense that it provides equal and open opportunities for people throughout the world without bothering about their political, religious, and racial origins and affiliations. However, some critic Amazon for setting search priorities in terms of making a huge amount of profit (Fussell, 2021) It is fairly a marketplace that saved America in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic by creating numerous opportunities for the American youth (Palmer,2020).

Methodology and Research Design

Since the current study is an approach towards finding the facts and success strategies of Amazon in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic; therefore, a case study approach is being adopted that will base on an extensive literature review comprised of the stats and other facts related to Amazon. One of the benefits of selecting the case study method is that it allows researchers to focus on one research area and conduct thorough and deep research (Ebneyamini and Sadeghi Moghadam, 2018). Similarly, the literature review method is the right approach in the sense that Amazon is a company, and facts about Amazon can only be best understood through the research that has been already conducted on Amazon. Secondly, the available surveys and online published data can also provide a sound basis for a better understanding of the company. Thirdly, the company’s fast success can be recorded and interpreted only by peeping into the historical development of Amazon and its strategies or business policies. Therefore, the review approach for online published data is being adopted.

Data Collection

Data about Amazon is collected through reliable sources and from the company’s website. Currently, Amazon is number 5 amongst 6027 companies in the world having a total amount of share price of 3,352$ as of today, March 30, 2022. And, the market cap. Is 1719.8B ("Amazon Market Cap 2006-2021 | AMZN").

Here is the list of Amazon profit earning data with a change in average scale, from the year 2015 to 2021.

Amazon’s Revenue Per Year

Year	Profit	Change%
2015	$107.00 B	20.25%
2016	$135.98 B	27.08%
2017	$177.86 B	30.8%
2018	$232.88 B	30.93%
2019	$280.52 B	20.45%
2020	$386.06 B	37.62%
2021	$469.82 B	21.7%

Table: 1.1 Data Source: ("Amazon (AMZN) - Revenue") https://companiesmarketcap.com/amazon/revenue/

Compotators to Amazon

It is evident that Amazon has a fair number of competitors. For instance, on the side of technology, Amazon has to compete with Google for AWS. Also, Amazon has to compete with the home products of Google. Similarly, it has to compete with Netflix. The list does not end here; there are other B2B and B2C e-commerce stores that are directly competing with Amazon. Simply, any online business has to face Amazon as a competitor, and it is also true for Amazon.

Nowadays, Amazon is often compared with Alibaba which is a similar platform to Amazon. However, the facts show that Amazon is one step ahead of Alibaba since Amazon is ranked at 9th most visited website in the world and Alibaba is ranked 10th ("Difference Between Amazon and Alibaba | Difference Between", 2019).

Discussion

The results shown in Table 1.1 reveal that Amazon has massively grown contrary to the situations that all the best and the largest companies in the world faced in the pandemic era. The successful strategies of Amazon became the reason for Amazon to not only survive when most of the businesses and corporations collapsed but also moved forward on the track to success by increasing its workforce for delivery and other business-related affairs (Harty and Rapp, 2021). Other successful reasons include charging third-party sellers a reasonable fee that adds to the revenue of Amazon. Additionally, Amazon gets its share when a registered seller sells any item on Amazon. The sellers are comfortable with this double charging since they are able to grow their business and get huge revenue for their online stores. Amazon’s sellers' and buyers’ interface is amazingly simple. A seller needs not to highly technology graduate but with a simple knowledge of computers, a seller can run and manage his/her store. Similarly, a buyer on Amazon is not worried about being scammed by the sellers or he is not worried about making online transactions for Amazon provides them a secure environment for selling and purchasing goods and items. Additionally, Amazon has also a fair policy of copywriting. Sellers are not worried about online theft or violation of their brand or product copyrights. These features enable Amazon to get trusted worldwide. Above all, shipping to different countries also broadens the scope of Amazon as a marketplace.

Conclusion

Amazon has proved that business needs a strong foundation of trust and customer facilitation. Amazon’s policy of getting feedback from its customers, creating business strategies, adding more products to the selling list, and enabling sellers to look for their competitors and adopt the legal and authorized steps and research to get on the top of the list, has enabled Amazon to run a sustainable business. These reasons helped Amazon refrain from a potential decline in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Contrarily, by adopting these successful strategies, Amazon kept on growing in the stressful pandemic regime. Currently, Amazon is becoming an uncontrollable successful business tycoon.

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Aditya, Abhishek. "Unsafe Working Conditions at Amazon Warehouse and Its Impact on Employees: an Insight." IPleaders, 26 July 2021, blog.ipleaders.in/unsafe-working-conditions-amazon-warehouse-impact-employees-insight/#:~:text=Workers%20are%20required%20to%20work,they%20have%20not%20reduced%20injuries. Accessed  2022

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Dailey, Natasha. "Amazon Reveals How Much It Paid Its Median Employee Last Year: $29,007." Business Insider, 15 Apr. 2021, www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employee-salary-pay-median-worker-compensation-compared-jeff-bezos-2021-4#:~:text=The%20median%20Amazon%20worker%20made,%2415%20per%20hour%20in%202018.

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Fussell, Sidney. "Algorithms Are People." The Atlantic, 19 Sept. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/09/is-amazons-search-algorithm-biased-its-hard-to-prove/598264/.

Harty, and Rapp. "How Massive Amazon Grew During the Pandemic, in 8 Charts." Fortune, 18 Oct. 2021, fortune.com/2021/10/18/amazon-massive-growth-covid-pandemic-8-charts/.

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MOHAN, MAHESH. "Over 81 Amazon Products & Services You Probably Don’t Know." Minterest, 10 Jan. 2021, www.matrics360.com/amazon-products-and-services/.

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Palumbo, Daniele. "Amazon: The Unstoppable Rise of the Internet Giant." BBC News, 7 Feb. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/business-55927979#:~:text=1999%20%2D%20Amazon%20becomes%20the%20biggest%20online%20sales%20platform%20in%20the%20world.

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Wasserman, Todd. "Amazon's Biggest, Hardest-to-solve ESG Issue May Be Its Own Workers." CNBC, www.cnbc.com/2021/08/29/amazons-biggest-hardest-to-solve-esg-issue-may-be-its-own-workers.html.

 @Amazon #onlinemarkets #online stores #businessmodels

 

Sustainable Relationships: How to Build a Strong Foundation of Trust and Avoid Betrayal in Your Romantic Relationship? 2023

When I was a child, I fell in love with everything which was supposed to please me either way; however, when I reflect upon my past life, I can remember that I was more than curious to defend my interest in romantic relationships but later on, I became aware that often compromise pays back better. In relationships, betrayal can come from either side; if so, then what can be the potential steps to avoid betrayal in romantic relationships?

Here are 10 relationship tips that can help you avoid betrayal from your partner:

1-Communication is key

Make sure to communicate openly and honestly with your partner about your feelings, needs, and expectations. This will help build trust and prevent misunderstandings. Communication should always be in a way that both partners should have time to make catharsis of their feelings.

2-Be loyal

Stay loyal to your partner and avoid any behavior that may be perceived as disloyal or unfaithful. This includes avoiding flirting with others or hiding things from your partner.

3-Practice forgiveness

 Forgiveness is an essential aspect of any healthy relationship. Learn to forgive your partner for their mistakes, and be willing to apologize and make amends when you make mistakes.

4-Set boundaries

Establish clear boundaries in your relationship and respect each other's boundaries. This will help prevent any misunderstandings or hurt feelings.

5-Trust your instincts

If something feels off in your relationship, trust your instincts and address it with your partner. Ignoring your instincts can lead to further problems down the road.

6-Be supportive

Support your partner through good times and bad, and be there for them when they need you. This will help build a strong foundation of trust and loyalty.

7-Stay committed

Make a commitment to your partner and your relationship, and take your vows seriously. This will help ensure that you both stay focused on your relationship and prevent any betrayals from occurring.

8-Keep the romance alive

Make an effort to keep the romance alive in your relationship, and regularly express your love and affection for your partner.

9-Don't take each other for granted

Show appreciation for your partner and the things they do for you. Taking each other for granted can lead to feelings of resentment and mistrust.

10-Seek professional help if needed

If you're struggling in your relationship, don't hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist or counselor can provide valuable guidance and support to help you navigate any challenges.

By following these tips, you can build a healthy, strong relationship and prevent betrayal from occurring.

 

Critique: Analysis and evaluation of the article "Supermarkets as Libraries of postmodern mythology. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), pp.748–753. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.05.012."

Summary

The article titled “Supermarkets as libraries of postmodern mythology” written by Kniazeva and Belk is qualitative research written in the descriptive form in layman's language, focusing on the relational side of brand stories written and reflected through the product storyline or slogan. The fundamental research question raised in this study addresses the cause and effect of brand stories for how people relate these stories to their personal choice while making a connection with the product while buying. It observes the attitude in terms of taking an interpretive approach concerning brand stories. The authors collected the data through semi-structured interviews with the consumers for the selected products without setting any fixed number of participants. The research hypothesis gets approved in the conclusion that people relate brand stories to their lives while purchasing and consuming such products which hint towards a story. Psychologically, the authors claim on the basis of data collected through interviews that people do have a tendency to relate their own stories or reflections when they chose some product for utilization. The authors of this study claim that this study provides a conceptual framework for the researchers to understand and investigate further consumers’ behavior of making product myths based on product or brand stories. Basically, the results of the study have two dimensions. Firstly, the research confirms the previous findings that there are two major participants. The producers/brands and the consumers; both have significant roles in co-creating the story myths. Secondly, there is no single interpretation of these stories but the consumers relate and interpret these stories concerning their own reflections and experiences. The authors interpret consumers’ responses on the basis of psychological concepts like symbolically associating things with the consumers’ lives.

Personal Critique

Cross-checking the hypothesis, I found that the authors' point of discussion is acceptable in the context that brand stories are interpreted by consumers on the basis of relevancy. For instance, people relate things to their interests, experiences, and events that may have an impact or had an impact on their lives. Since the products selected by the authors do not completely fall into the category of essentials and are choice or interest-based foods; therefore, reasons for choosing a particular brand while purchasing such things can be taken into consideration for understanding brand stories. Through the impact of storytelling through brand voice and stories, consumers can be impacted and in most cases, the consumers set a unique relationship with the brands they use. I agree with the point because the argument is rational and approved. Some of the other studies also confirm this hypothesis. For example,  In a similar research, Lundqvist et al., also conclude that stories are easily remembered; therefore, stories usually fascinate consumers; however, what authors conclude is not justifiable to all the population since more research is needed to understand the impact of stories and how consumer interpret these stories (2012).

To evaluate; however, a single product story may have several interpretations as the authors have investigated the argument through “snack masters Turkey Jerky”.  The interpretation of the interviews is acceptable on the basis of the argument that people can be emotionally attached to brands through their stories if the stories do possess some cultural values or claims, or if they purchase these products due to some kind of attachment. Therefore, storytelling can serve as a marketing strategy and communication medium for brands and their consumers owing to the reason of relating practices of the consumer. To elaborate on the point, if a person finds any similarity between his personal experience with the brand story, he may get attached to the product in that way creating an association between the product and his own life practice. This argument is also approved by (Erkas & Baron, 2007) who conclude that “people remember the story better than facts”. 

To this extent, people prefer culture and cultural values. Therefore, I agree with the authors’ claim that people can reflect on their own culture while interpreting brand stories. For an instance, the authors claim that people believe in symbols, more specifically cultural ones like Juile has reflected her cultural affiliations in her interpretation of the brand story of Grandpa Po's Nutra. It hints toward purchase decisions constructed on the foundations of individualism while not ignoring collective cultural affiliations. I believe that people buy things on the basis of their personal decisions. This personal decision is formed by their own projections of sensual knowledge and interpretation. Another similar study by Nayeem also confirms this argument that the final decision of people purchasing things is their own and that decision is formed by their own understanding of the product (2012).

Therefore, what the study suggests is more interesting to me. The study disapproves of the saying that “consumers are the best marketer” because when it comes to their behavior they are likely to present their individualistic approach toward making the product choice and the story that describes the brand or product. Thus, diversified consumers show diversified behavior. Therefore, the strategic approach of creating a communication platform through stories is derailed here and it needs a more sophisticated approach to reaching out to consumers through brand slogans and stories. I am of the opinion that the conclusion drawn out by the authors needs more confirmation through the participation of a larger group of audiences involving more demographics, and psychological frameworks should also be involved while shaping the more elaborate study. Nevertheless, the current study can be beneficial for future researchers to provide a conceptual framework.

Conclusion

To conclude, the article is a fine attempt in providing the concepts for brand stories and how consumers interpret and relate these stories. It helps to identify several aspects of consumers’ approaches in making brand story interpretations and relating to their personal life and experiences. The strength of the article is in the conclusion that it highlights the customers and their needs, their cultural identities, and their individual concepts and approaches. The study helps to identify that consumers are not mere buyers who serve a general marketing purpose but are associated with the brands due to their personal life stories and associations.

 

References:

Erkas, E., & Baron, J. (2007). Eivor Erkas (emf05ees) and Jennifer Baron (emf04jbn). http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:119742/fulltext01.pdf

Lundqvist, A., Liljander, V., Gummerus, J., & van Riel, A. (2012). The Impact of Storytelling on the Consumer Brand Experience: the Case of a firm-originated Story. Journal of Brand Management, 20(4), 283–297. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2012.15

Nayeem, T. (2012). Cultural Influences on Consumer Behaviour. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(21). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v7n21p78

Critique on "Language, Metaphors Stories: Catalysts for Meaning Making in Organizations" written by Ricketts, et.al

How do organizations exploit language-specific metaphors and stories to expand desired meanings?

Stories told and the meanings drawn through product stories and descriptions are a phenomenon in sustainable business development and this phenomenon has been discussed by the researchers. While reading Ricketts, et.al's article, I had reasons to negate the ideas presented within the article contrasting and resembling real experiences. 

Languages have the potential to affect human thoughts by defining cultures and their codes (Zlatev and Blomberg, 2015). Therefore, certain countries or organizations can exploit the languages to construct the desired worldviews (Shashkevich, 2019). This specific critique provides a critical insight into the article "Language, Metaphors Stories: Catalysts for Meaning Making in Organizations" written by Ricketts, et.al, and published in the year 2003 which discusses the role of using specific metaphors and stories to expand desired meanings. The authors discuss the use of these techniques as tools and instruments to "make sense of world experienced" by academia and business organizations. The authors claim that these tools and instruments have the potential to bring change in the long developmental process within organizations.

The abstract of the article succinctly describes the purpose of the paper and provides highlights of the research question. Also, the abstract is well aligned with the title of the article and the conclusion provided at the end. The abstract is not lengthy and explicitly supports the reader in having an initial view of what has been presented in the article.

To evaluate, the authors have introduced the topic with evidence in practice for the metaphorical representation of the United States of America. On the basis of social constructivist theory, the authors identified that there are three dimensions that influence the learning and making of a change within an organizational setup; namely, “the choice of the content, the context in which the relational image is created, and the community that influences its ultimate proliferation or extinction.” This viewpoint is also supported by evidence from different countries. For instance, the word “extremists” have a long history but after 9/11 this word is repeatedly used to define all those who carry the acts of terrorism. Somehow, the world tried to define the Muslim community as being responsible for acts related to terrorism (Angel M et al., 2004). However, since terrorists can be of any origin and intention; therefore, we saw a shift from lifting up this label from the Muslim community (Primoratz, 2018). Similarly, the word "Fortune 500" is used to refer to the companies that earned more revenue in a fiscal year. Consequently, the argument gets approved that words have specific associations, narratives, and narrators (Planchuelo et al., 2022).

Furthermore, the author's viewpoint is confirmed through evidence that “language is the reflection of culture”. For instance, business organizations have their specific slogans and narratives that define these organizations in terms of their functioning and vision. To elaborate, Apple Inc. has the slogan “Think it”. This slogan helps the organization in preaching its role in markets as an “innovator”. Similarly, the authors maintain that “the use of language, metaphor, and stories all provide aid” in constructing new forms and meanings. This argument finds its support in the fact that organizations do have their vision and mission statements. These vision and mission statements serve to define their organizational structure and organizational culture. For instance, organizations can invent new terminology or phrase to define their need or vision. An instance can be quoted from online marketplaces like Amazon. Amazon’s slogan “Work Hard, Have Fun, Make History” became appropriate in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic when the company not only survived for itself but created work and employment opportunities for people across the globe.

To add to this, the authors argue that within the organization invention or any particular use of words is need-based. For instance, the authors write, “the organizations may use the word “member” instead of “employee”. As a result of shifting the word employee may take a new meaning”. I believe that this argument is relatively weak in its construction of logic because the term “employee” is also as consistently used as any other similar term. The use of the word “member” may be intentional for encouraging collaboration but this does not mean that the word “employee” may be taken negatively. To evaluate, the word “member” is not a substitute for the word “employee” because both words are used in their particular context. Member refers to a team while employee refers to the whole organizational structure. An individual can be a member of multiple teams within an organization (van de Brake et al., 2018). However, I agree with the authors that changing the terminology can give new meanings to the organizational structure because words have the power to create empathy (Pdxscholar and Sakai, 2019).

While talking about the metaphorical aspect of language, I believe that the claim of the authors is justified that “Metaphors allow framing existing realities into new opportunities.” Similarly, in another study, Nagy maintains, “By using analogies, metaphors create mental images that assist in interpreting the world” (2014).

To conclude, the article covers all the possible aspects of theoretical concepts associated with the main argument. The design and the methodology of the study are descriptive in construction. The arguments have been presented logically with illustratively. Most of the time, the arguments can be cross-matched with similar research in social behavioral science studies. Overall, the article has been professionally written with enough background information and deep analysis. Also, the author's credentials and associations have been mentioned at the end. Consequently, this feature adds to the credibility of the article.

 

Reference list

Angel M, Rabasa, Benard, Chailk and Thaler (2004). The Muslim World after 9/11. The RAND Corporation.

Nagy, H.I.-M. (2014). 37 37 Harold Itkin -Miklós Nagy Theoretical And Practical Use Of Metaphors In Organizational Development And Beyond Theoretical And Practical Use Of Metaphors In Organizational Development And Beyond. [online] Available at: https://pmr.uni-pannon.hu/articles/3_4_itkin_nagy.pdf.

Pdxscholar, P. and Sakai, M. (2019). Relationship Between Empathy and Language Relationship Between Empathy and Language Proficiency in Adult Language Learners Proficiency in Adult Language Learners Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, and the First and Second Language Acquisition Commons. Portland State University. [online] doi:10.15760/etd.7031.

Planchuelo, C., Buades-Sitjar, F., Hinojosa, J.A. and Duñabeitia, J.A. (2022). The Nature of Word Associations in Sentence Contexts. Experimental Psychology, 69(2), pp.104–110. doi:10.1027/1618-3169/a000547.

Primoratz, I. (2018). Terrorism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). [online] Stanford.edu. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/terrorism/ [Accessed 19 Apr. 2019].

Shashkevich, A. (2019). The power of language: How words shape people, culture. [online] Stanford News. Available at: https://news.stanford.edu/2019/08/22/the-power-of-language-how-words-shape-people-culture/.

van de Brake, H.J., Walter, F., Rink, F.A., Essens, P.J.M.D. and van der Vegt, G.S. (2018). The dynamic relationship between multiple team membership and individual job performance in knowledge-intensive work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(9), pp.1219–1231. doi:10.1002/job.2260.

Zlatev, J. and Blomberg, J. (2015). Language may indeed influence thought. Frontiers in Psychology, [online] 6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01631.

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