Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Dove and Axe Campaigns Controversy
Dove and Axe Campaigns Controversy Unilever: Axe / Dove Controversy Unilever is a leading multinational corporation which was formed by Anglo-Dutch cooperation in 1930 as a result of merging the Soap maker Lever brother and Dutch company Margarine Unie. The merger resulted to a large export of palm oil product which promoted the growth of the company. The Company has expanded since then opening branches all over the world. It has so many outlets in the world and has a large share of het world consumer product market with several brands in the catalog. The company also owns foods and beverage brands, cleaning brands and other personal care brands. The company has a large work force of more than 180,000 people in the world with revenue of more that US$58 billion. The company was established from Roternd and London companies which also act as the mother companies for all other branches in the world. (Unilever, 2008b) Recently the company has been engulfed in one of the most heated controversy in the history of business world arising from its advertisement. The company has been engaged in a various criticisms before but the recent one seems to have attracted the attention of unlikely quarters from politicians to the human reign activists. It has become a subject to social conversation all over the world due to its mode of advertisement. There have been many blogs in the internet that have been used against the company and its advertisement strategy especially the recent one Axe/dove advertisement which has attracted most criticism even before they make their impact on the market. The market of the two brands Axe and Dove have attracted the advocacy groups who have been campaigning for the need to have commercial-free childhood advertisements. The campaign has in form of writing several letters to the company in order to force it to withdraw the advertisement from the market. What is in the controversy about these products? The dove product advertisement has been used as a marketing strategy that is said to be promoting real beauty. In the advertisement there is a dove that is promising the girls a good care if they use the products. In this regard no one can understand how a dove can promise the girl a good care. The company has however described the advertisement as showing the need to have real beauty rather than acting as an advisement to encourage girls to use the products and has therefore started a campaign that is aimed at funning projects for girl child. But this is contradicted by another advertisement of its products Axe deodorant which has been described as having an effect of ââ¬Ëepitomizing the sexist and degrading making that has been undermining girlsââ¬â¢. This has been shone to be a potential harm to the health development of grid as contradicted to the other advertisement of the Dove which promotes health self-image for all women. (Newman, 2007) The company has been on the defense saying that the Dove brand is meant to show women the need of feel beautiful always which has been expressed by wide way in the todayââ¬â¢s stereotyping of beauty and it is meant to inspire women to be taking car of them. For this reason the company has created Dove Self-Esteem Fund that is meant to educate and act as inspiration to girls. On the other hand the Axe campaign shows ââ¬Ëthe mating gameââ¬â¢ and expressed the desire of men to get noticed by women. (High, 2007) The above advertisement has been causign a lot of criticisms for the company not only from the civil activists but also from political arena. It has been descried as the higher hypocrisy in marketing and there have been threat of taking of civil action by not allowing the Dove Fund to take seminars to school unless the Axe advertisement is changed. Let us analyze the effect of the advertisement and the impact they may have on the company and its businesses. SWOT analysis of the advertisement Being a large multinational company, there are several advantages that the company can enjoy amid such a criticism of the advertisement. At the same time there are some weakness in the controversy that may make the company lose its credibility in the market and therefore loss of sales. Let us look closely at the SWOT analyze of ht advertisement and their implications. Strengths Unilever is a large multinational company that has been in the market for along time now. In this regard, the company has been able to establish its operation in all the markets ands therefore it has a world wide appeal. Due to the fact that is has been able to operate in many countries, the controversy may not cause any effect on it sales. This is due to the fact that the company is known for famous brands that have been satisfying the needs of the consumers. Therefore there may not be many customers who will be affected by the controversy and who are likely to change their preference of its brands due to the controversy. Therefore the current controversy may not affect its international market though it may affect some of the regions where this campaign is concentrated. Those who are involved in the criticism may not be able to reach all the regions of the world. With such wide of brands in the market, the company sales may not be affected even if it withdraws just one brand in the market. (Pandya, 2001) The company has been able to cut a niche in the market and therefore no any amount of criticism that may destroy its images. There has been a new trend in the market where the value of a product is not evaluated by the level of criticism on the level of support that the products receive but by the level of individual satisfaction on the brand. For this reason a lot of people may not be looking at the controversy that has been created around the brands but they would rather focus on the effect fullness for the brands. Since there has not been any criticism about the product to the consumers, there is likelihood that it will not have effect on the marketing of the product. All the consumers of the brands have not presented any complain to the company about the effectfulnes of the brand and therefore they are likely to ignore any call not to use the brand. There could have been a negative effect on the marketing of the brand if there have been reported physical effects on the users. But the controversy is surrounding the advertisements and therefore it is not likely to have any effect on the marketing. In most cases the marketing of a product is affected by the effects of the particular product to the consumers. If the criticism is based on the health effect of the brands, it may have raised serious concerns about the marketing of the product but the controversy is centered about ââ¬Ëhypocrisyââ¬â¢ which does not attract the attention for the uses of the products. Another strength that the company has on the position of the brand is in the target consumers. The company is targeting the young people who are likely to be influenced most by the advertisement. The specific target of ââ¬Ëthe mating gameââ¬â¢ is one of the most influential things that are likely to attract many young people to the product. It should be understood that these young people do not understand the effects of what you can argue all day on ethics in advisement. They are simply attracted to what they can relate with and what makes them feel like others. Therefore they are not likely to change their perception about the product based on the criticism on the advertisement. (Georges, 1999) Most of those how are involved in the criticism are not within age bracket of the target customers of the products. Most of those who are involve in the criticism of the product are not young and even if they coordinate comparing to send letters to the company not many young people are likely to send their letters. Therefore the strength that the company has on this advertisement is that the target customers are not the one who are involved in the criticism and are not likely to change their perception of the products. This is not likely to have a negative effect on marketing of both brands to the target customers. (Unilever, 2007a) It has also been observed that not all people are in crisis of the campaign. Some have descried it as a genius market strategic that is likely to lead to high sales for the product. Therefore the company is likely to get positive support from those how do not see it in negative view. Weaknesses At the same time that are some weakness that are linked to the criticism that the company has been receiving. There is likelihood that the conflict will affect the image of the product in the market. The strength of the brand in the market depends on the positive notes that it receives from thee market. Positive notes are likely to affect the perception for the brand in the market by all consumers. It has been shown that bad perception on products is likely to have a negative impact on the sales. Therefore the more positive comment that a products receives from the market, the more positive impact it is likely to get from the market. In this regard, the criticism is likely to have negative impacts on the perception of the company in the market. In this sense the customers are likely to change their perception about the products of the company in the market. The company has been enjoying a good perception in the market based on the quality of products that it has been offering to the consumer. However this is changing with time as the consumer become more aware of their rights. one of the characteristic of modern consumers is that they have become more powerful in the market and are likely to have an impact on the way a company makes its sales. Therefore the current criticism of the company may impose a consumer led campaign that is likely to tarnish the name of the company. In this regard, the company is likely to lose a lot in case the consumers change their perception. (Golin, 2007) There is also a likelihood that the current controversy is likely to affect the sales of the product due to the influence the civil activists may have on the company. Most of those who are criticizing the company are parents who have a lot of influence on their children. As such they are likely to influence their children depending on the comments that they make about the products. In this regard they are likely to influence their children not to buy the products with the fact that most of them especially the females are unlikely to buy it. In this regard the brands are unlikely to acquire new customers. The survival of brand in the market depends on the way it attracts, and retains new consumers. With such criticism, the brands are not likely to attract new customers which may have an effect of reducing the overall consumption of the brand. (McManis, 2007) The criticism on the brand may extend it on other brands on the company. Once the costumers changes there perception about the company, they are likely to change their overall perception of the products of the company. In this sense the company may start recording low sales even on other brands. The increased use of information technology and the posting of the comments about the products in the internet are likely to attract the attention of more people which is likely to have damage on the reputation of the product in the market. In this regard there is likelihood of having a worldwide customer changed perception on the brands which is likely to affect their sales all over the world. The ââ¬Ëonslaughtââ¬â¢ videos that have been released on the crisis are likely to affect the operation of the company. Already there is a threat by civil groups that they will stop the Dove-Fund from holding seminars in schools and other area whether the company targets the young people. This is likely to have a negative effect on the programs of the company and in a way may lead to disruption of is normal flow of programs of a failure of the whole program all together. Opportunity There are a lot of opportunities that the company can still exploit in order to market its brand in the market. Already the company has clarified on the intention of the advertisements as being to encourage beauty and give women a reason to be more beautiful and the other being to show mating game and the desire for men to be also clean and attracted to women. In this regard the company has an opportunity to prove its critics wrong by appealing more to the target customer who may be affected by the controversy. The company has already started the Dove-Fund which is taking care of the education for girl. This is one of the opportunities which the company can use in order to clear the air about its products and the criticism that it is getting from the activists. This is because under the program the company would be making a direct appeal tot the consumer rather than the activists. The company should also start the same fund for men in order to embrace the youth. Through close interaction with the youth, the company is likely to presence the brands in the market and helps them to defy criticism of the brands. (Gillete, 2007) There is also an opportunity of the company to change the name of the brand or to change the whole advertising strategy before the brand has devastating effect in the market. In this regard the company can the name of the brand in the market or change the advertising strategies if it sees that the brands are likely to cause negative effects in the market. This will give the company a time to preserve the brands in the market and also preserve the name of the company in face of the rising criticism. The company can also produce another advertisement which contradicts the first ones and which gives a positive message as claimed by the activists. This would be in line with contradicting the issues that have been raised by the activists and to showing the genuinely of the company rather than the hypocrisy as has been expressed by the activists. This will help to save the company from the onslaught by the activists. Threats There are many threats the company may be facing as a result of the advertisements. First it is to be understood that this is no the first criticism of the company and it has been criticized on other areas of being unethical in business. For example the company has been criticized of buying palm oil from dealers who have been destructing forest cover. Therefore there is a threat of the current conflict attracting the attention of the consumer on all other conflicts that have been there about the company. This is likely to have a damaging effect on the name of the company especially at this time when the concept of ethics in business has taken root in consumers. (Moore, 2008) There is a threat of he company making loses on the brand and withdrawing them from the market which may affect the operation of the company not only in the domestic market but also in the international market.
A Tale Of Two Cities :: essays research papers
Throughout the book, A Tale of Two Cities the theme of sacrifice is used to help the reader realize the cost of life, as well as to develop the plot through the effects of those sacrifices. Through the characters of Sydney Carton, Dr. Manette, and Ms. Pross the theme of sacrifice is developed. The theme of sacrifice brings key aspects of the plot together, and Carton's sacrifice brings the novel to closer in the end. Sydney Carton paid the highest cost of sacrifice with his life, and in doing so he was very similar to Jesus Christ. Carton laid down his life for a man who had never done anything for him and who in fact had abused his relationship as demonstrated on page 191 when Carton describes himself in Darnay's view as "a dissolute dog who has never done any good, and never will." Similarly Jesus Christ let himself be beaten, abused, and killed for the same people who spit in his face. Other people in both cases thought that Jesus and Carton were not thought to be much more that dogs, while they both sacrificed their lives so these people who treated them like dogs could live. Both Carton's and Jesus' sacrifice was inspired by a deep desperate love for which they were willing to do anything. Carton was willing to die for Lucie because of his desperate, scandalous love for her, just as Jesus showed his love for man when he was willing to give up his life for every man. This level of love makes the sacrifice even more valuable and brings things to closure. Finally, Carton and Jesus both knew that through their sacrifice, others could have life. Carton's death breathed life into Darnay just as Jesus Christ's death breathes life into those who trust in him. The importance of their death is that it brings life. The role of Carton's sacrifice in the plot is that the cost of life is sometimes high. Through his sacrifice the cost and privilege of living can be measured, just as Christians can see the true cost and privilege of life through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Dr. Manette also sacrificed much of his life by giving up his own personal goals and agenda for Lucie. On page 125 Dr. Manette says, "any fancies, any reasons, and apprehensions, anything whatsoever, new or old against the man she really lovedâ⬠¦they
Monday, August 19, 2019
foolear The Wise Fool in Shakespeares King Lear Essay -- King Lear e
The Wise Fool in King Lear à à à à Whether or not the role of the Fool is an important one within King Lear is arguable. Although he seems to have great insight into much of the plays main events, he seems not to have any real influence on both the plot as well as the outcome of the play. He remains the sole character who does not have any direct link with the events of the plot, coupled with an unusually early exit; this raises the question of his significance. However at the very least he does certainly serve as entertainment not only for Lear but the audience as well, with his honesty, wittiness, and clever speeches that not only adds to the light humour but also to show us that the Fool could indeed be perceived as being one of the wisest characters in the play. à The main roles of the Fool seem to be as Lear's conscience, as a comedian to provide light relief from the tragic play as well as a means of communicating his themes such as the idea of foolishness, self-knowledge. In addition, he is the only person with the ability to speak to Lear in the manner he does. He also serves as a reminder for Lear for his actions within the play, in particular his stupidity and mistakes. à The Fool appears in the middle of Act I Scene 4 of the play and immediately we can clearly see his integrity when talking to others. He tells Lear "thou must needs wear my coxcomb" which suggests the king to be the Fool rather then himself and that Lear was foolish to divide his kingdom as he has done. Kent before him had criticized Lear for his decision causing him to be banished from the kingdom, however the Fool receives no such punishment showing us that he can get away with actions that are far more courage... ...easons as to why he actually leaves remaining unseen again in the play. At this point in the play, Lear finally goes mad; therefore, this suggests that the Fool unneeded, as Lear no longer has the ability of reasoning. This also suggests that the Fool is indeed a metaphor for Lear's conscience. Additionally, this is also the point where Lear begins to finally learn that he has made some terrible mistakes. This could be suggesting that the more foolish we become, the wiser we are because as Lear finally loses his mind, he finally gains insight into his mistakes. à Works Consulted: à Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. R.A. Foakes. Surrey: International Thomson Publishing Company, 1997. à Willeford, William. The Fool and His Scepter: A Study in Clowns and Jesters and Their Audience. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1969. Ã
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Writing Techniques in Art Spiegelmans Maus and Kurt Vonneguts Slaught
Writing Techniques in Art Spiegelman's Maus and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five BAM! ZONK! POW! ZAP! What images do these words bring to mind? For many people, they illicit scenes of Batman and his sidekick Robin, fighting their way through a legion of bad guys while arriving only seconds after their arch-villain has escaped. From these short, succinct, nonsense words, images of battles are painted over a much larger canvas; the delicate balance and constant struggle between good and evil is illustrated in black and white terms. Unlike comics or television, life does not fit within these binary opposites. In a war there are good guys, bad guys, and everything imaginable in-between. ZONK! POW! Did a bad guy get thrown into a pile of crates or did our hero get knocked out from behind? These simple words are not enough for us to distinguish the difference between good and bad or right and wrong. At the same time, no artist or writer or illustrator could ever hope to present a situation in its entirety. How would a sentence like, ââ¬Ëthe hero, who although he treats his wife in a derogatory manner, punched a bad guy to save a damsel in distressââ¬â¢ serve as a gauge of morals or justice? It is not the creatorââ¬â¢s job to portray an entire event, but rather, to present the event in a way that the audience can understand and draw their own conclusions from. In Maus, Art Spiegelman does not make any apologies about what he includes or leaves out from his story. Maus is not meant to be a story that encompasses World War II or the Holocaust, but rather, a story about the life of his father, Vladek Spiegelman: I still want to draw the book about youâ⬠¦/The one I used to talk to you aboutâ⬠¦/About your life in Po... ... but rather, that it was humanity itself which suffered. It is interesting that we cannot definitively say that either Maus or Slaughterhouse Five was intended to be an anti-war book. For an author to have taken a side would have opened their book to more criticism and opposition than they already harbor. Instead, both Vonnegut and Spiegelman chose to mask their true meaning behind subtle hints and allusions. We cannot put either book into the black or white category of pro or anti-war. Even Vonnegut by his own admission states that, ââ¬Å"all I would have to do would be to report what I had seenâ⬠(Vonnegut 2). Maus and Slaughterhouse Five are not about proving a point or pushing an agenda. Instead, they present the absolutes of good and evil in a simple and concise way so that we may be able to distinguish all of the many gradients that lie in-between.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Syââ¬â¢s Fish Company Risk Analysis Essay
As Syââ¬â¢s business grows there are certain risks and that must be acknowledged and addressed in order to make operations run smoothly and efficiently. Below are the risks that have been identified and recommendations to mitigate them. Risk: Sending documents to Sy via mail. There is a high probability that the documents could be lost and therefore the transactions never recorded. Mail can take up to a week to receive so the timing would be affected. Transactions would be recorded in the wrong period and adjustments would have to be made to correct this. Recommendation: Sy should implement an information technology system so documents can be recorded in a timely manner and not lost in the mail. Risk: Return policy There is not a limit of days a customer has to return the fish. A customer can order fish, and if they are unhappy three months later, they can return the fish for a full refund no questions asked. This is a risk because customers can take advantage of this policy therefore affecting sales revenue. Recommendation: Sy sells only fresh fish to customers. Because of this, he needs to change his return policy to 15 days. This will ensure that customers do not wait to return fish months later after the fish has gone bad. Risk: Bookkeeping and Job Responsibility All of Syââ¬â¢s bookkeeping is done by various employees from various stores. Having employees from various locations doing different parts of bookkeeping is risky because not one person is held responsible. Transactions cannot be collaborated from beginning to end until all the paperwork is received from each individual. Recommendation: If Sy plans on growing his business he is going to have to hire more employees to help with the bookkeeping. He should have separation of duties to avoid falsifying of information. All the bookkeeping should be done in one location. Internal controls should be set up for the process of recording transactions. Risk: Accounts payable procedure Natalie holds all the miscellaneous payable documents for payment at the end of the month. She records the document being received on the same day she issues payment. This is a risk because it effects what period the documents are recorded. Natalie pays all fishers in one lump sum instead of separating each payment. This is risky because it could be recorded incorrectly and there is no way to know which order was input wrong. Recommendation: She should record each miscellaneous payable document on the date received and the date paid should be when the check was written. She should record each fisher payable document individually. Risk: Bad Debt Sy does not know how much each customer owes or when they will receive payment. This is a risk because he will not be able to account for bad debt. Recommendation: He should make an accounts receivable ledger to study which customers have not paid and how long they are past due. By keeping records it will be easier to account for bad debt. Risk: Payables checking account Money in the payables checking accounts that has not been claimed cannot be traced back to the vendor. This affects revenue recognition and is a risk because Sy does not know where this money is going. Recommendation: There should be a record of what vendors have cashed their checks. Implement a direct deposit system to pay vendors and fishers. Risk: AFS securities There is no documentation on Syââ¬â¢s AFS securities. There are no footnotes or explanations on the beginning balance sheet (Appendix 1). This is a risk because external users do not know where Syââ¬â¢s investments are going. If there are no footnotes or explanations for the security investors they might not want to invest. Reccomendations Sy needs to add additional disclosures to explain his security and what he plans on doing with it.
Friday, August 16, 2019
History of Napkin Folding
History of Napkin Napkins have been in used from the times of ancient Roman Empire and prior to them, in ancient Greece. References to word napkinà dates back to 1384 AD. Spartans from ancient Greece (around 4th century BC)are known to have used bread slices made from a lump of dough as napkins to wipe their hands and it is possible that they ate these bread napkins after use. The ancient Romans (first to 5th century AD) are known to have used cloth napkins (called Mappa) to protect from food spill and wipe mouth. The guests brought their own napkins and carried away left-over delicacies in their Mappa.With the fall of Roman Empire, napkins disappeared from the dining table. Napkins returned to adorn the dining table many centuries later and the classic paintingà Last Supperà from 1464-1467 AD by Dieric Bouts depicts the use of Napkins on the dinner table. By 16th century, napkins were part of rich dining experience and came in many sizes, known by various names like diaper, se rviette, touaille (for towel) depending on the size and intended use. 17th century saw the use of big sized napkins measuring 35inches by 45 inches to help accommodate the needs of eating with bare hands instead of spoon/forks.The size reduced when forks and spoons were accepted as part of regular dining experience in major parts of Europe in the 18th century including Great Britain. The 17th century also saw French come up with elaborate rules for nobility class which included instructions on napkin usage, a predecessor to modern day napkin etiquette, including the one which instructs the guests to not use the napkin for wiping the face or clean teeth or worse, rub nose. Asians ââ¬â Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Indians have not been using napkins during the meal.While Indians are known to use bare hands for meal and rely on water to wash their hands before and after each meal, Chinese and Japanese use those magical chopsticks which seem to pick up everything they eat, keeping th eir hands clean and stain free. Types of Napkins Napkins are made of paper or cloth that is made of cotton or linen. Clothes are quite popular in formal dining while fast foods and certain restaurants too tend to serve paper napkins. Big occasions like weddings often go for paper napkins since sheer number of guests attending the wedding makes cloth napkins less practical.In general, cloth napkins are usually the choice for those who care for ambience and the environment. To me, cloth napkins are environment friendly while exuding a feeling of luxury. Paper Napkin with Monograms It is often possible to have paper napkins ordered for marriages (and other special meal occasions) with names or initials of the bride and bridegroom embossed on the napkin. Customers are given the option of having custom colors, custom patterns, custom monograms imprinted on the napkin. The size of napkin provided at table varies from occasion and place of dining.Smaller size napkins of about 5 inches x 5 inches are used when serving drinks or starters/appetizers or snacks. For lunch, larger sized napkins measuring about 14 inches to 20 inches square size are provided. Napkins supplied for dinner are even bigger, often of size 20 inches to 22 inches square. The idea is to increase the size of the napkin as the quantity of food/drinks served/consumed increases. This helps take care of the increased risk of spillage with increasing quantity of food and drinks. As a host, when providing napkins to your guests or customers, you need a achieve a good balance of size and utility of the napkins.Napkins which are too big in size for the purpose can only increase laundry load for little or no soil/spills on the napkins. Napkins are made of cotton or linen or linen-cotton mix, although it is possible that a few napkins are made of other materials like synthetic or silk. They come in variety of colors although white seems to be the most popular choice of color. I prefer white napkins over other s since it is easy to detect stains early with white napkins. Restaurant set with White Napkins I often see white napkins being used in restaurants.White conveys cleanliness since it is easy for guests/customers to see the care you have taken to ensure the napkin is clean, fresh and washed. Often napkins and table cloths are sold together as a set to form one matching set of clothes adorning the dining table. Napkin Folding Aside from being conscious about color, size and texture of the napkin used for dining, discerning hosts who care for ambience often go for variousà napkin foldsà that help the guests feel very welcome, convey a feeling that you value their company, that you are willing to go the extra mile to make the occasion a happy one.A great napkin fold adds to the setting. Some of the folds can be so creative and nice that it is difficult for us to make up our mind to unfold them during the start of the meal. This site has a number of napkin folds which will provide fo r a warm, friendly environment at lunch/dinner time. A few are easy yet elegant while others could require a little more time and skill. Pyramid Napkin Fold Some are more formal while others are pretty casual ones. Some of the folds take just a few minutes of your time and even those who have never folded before can do them relatively quickly.Start with the easy ones and then move on to more difficult folds. Some of these folds require stiff clothing or starching while ironing or washing. Try out multiple folds to see which ones you like or prefer. Apart from the many popular napkin folds listed here, you may find it useful to visit a resource dedicated to paper folding Origami for more ideas on how to fold napkins. If you plan to try out complicated Origami folds, be mindful of the fact that an elegant napkin fold on a lunch/dinner table is less about demonstrating your mind skills than it is about setting the mood for a hearty meal.In other words, do not overdo napkin folding. His tory * Creative napkin folding may have started during the reign of Louis XIV, when people decided to present napkins as an art form. However, napkin folding really took off around the turn of the last century. Function * A creatively folded napkin can make the simplest meal classier, and dinner guests are always impressed by an artfully folded napkin resting at their table setting. * Straight Vinyl SkirtingVinyl with velcro hook designed to drape over the foam edge to floor. www. tiffinmats. com Significance * The art of napery folding has been compared to origami, and many different types of three-dimensional figures may be produced. Types * You can learn to fold napkins into pyramids, pockets for flatware, flowers, hats, fans, slippers and various animals. Considerations * The best type of cloth napkin to use for napkin folding is crisp linen, as it holds its shape better than other types of cloth
Thursday, August 15, 2019
John Wesleyââ¬â¢s Thoughts on Slavery Essay
Introduction John Wesley was an ordained minister of the Anglican Church in England in the eighteenth century. He is considered as the founder of the Methodist movement. The Methodist movement started out at Oxford University where John Wesley, his brother Charles and other like-minded individuals began gathering together for prayer and for religious purposes through what they called the ââ¬Å"Holy Clubâ⬠. They practiced discipline in observing the sacraments of the church; they conducted regular outreach programs designed for the elderly, the prisoners, the sick and other disenfranchised members of the society (Pollock, 1989). Although the Methodist movement floundered in England during the time spent by John Wesley in Georgia in America, it gained new strength upon his return in the 1740s. Because of his new found fervor upon hearing Martin Lutherââ¬â¢s preface to the Book of Romans, he began his itinerant preaching and traveled extensively throughout England preaching about the Christian faith (Pollock, 1989). John Wesley and Slavery John Wesley was opposed to debauchery and the drinking of wine. In addition, his sermons and his writings were also opposed to slavery. When Wesley was in the British colony of Georgia, he saw the way that masters treat their slaves as well as the way in which these slaves were sold as cattle. In 1774, John Wesley published one of his reflections entitled Thoughts on Slavery. On this pamphlet, he expounded on the slave tradeââ¬âhow the slaves were taken from their native lands and transported to the New World to provide important workforce for the plantations. He condemned slavery as an act which cannot be reconciled with Justice and Mercy (Brycchan Carey, 2002). In the said pamphlet, John Wesley appealed to both slave-traders and slave owners to stop the practice and he closed with a written prayer for their soul. In this address to the slave-traders, Wesleyââ¬â¢s accusations and dispensations were impassioned and unrelenting. He lamented the lack of compassion in the slave traders because of the way that they treat the slaves (Brycchan Carey, 2002). Wesleyââ¬â¢s opposition to slavery even led him to commit his support to the Abolitionist movement. The abolitionist movement grew in power and magnitude towards the end of the 1780s. At this time, John Wesley risked his personal safety by preaching on the matter of slavery and condemning such practice in Bristol, which was then a trading port for slaves. During this sermon, there was uproar among the people, which Wesley described in supernatural terms as the way that Satan fights for his kingdom. This uproar, however, could have been caused by the slave-traders whose operations were just around the area where John Wesley was preaching (Brycchan Carey, 2002). Conclusion Until the end of his life, John Wesley fervently condemned and opposed slavery. The pamphlet he wrote about his Thoughts on Slavery was published once more before he died. His anti-slavery stance was carried on by the followers of the movement he foundedââ¬âMethodism. As the Methodists continue to gain strength and following all throughout England, and later in the United States, Wesleyââ¬â¢s thoughts on slavery became even more popular and added momentum to the move to abolish slavery. Reference Brycchan Carey (2002). John Wesley: Biography. Retrieved 17 Sept 2007 from http://www. brycchancarey. com/abolition/wesley. htm. Pollock, J. (1989). Wesley the Preacher. London: Lion.
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