Tuesday, March 17, 2020

A Review of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Criminals essays

A Review of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Criminals essays A Review of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Criminals The Antisocial Personality is (APD) is a serious disorder that affects many males and cause a great threat to families, friends, and even complete strangers. Most personality disorders may cause an inconvenience to a persons family and friends, but usually harm themselves more than others. Antisocial Personality Disorder contrasts from other personality disorders because the defining trait is a predatory attitude toward other people (Smith, 1999). They have a chronic indifference to and violation of the rights of ones fellow human beings. (Alterman; Cacciola; McDermott; Mulholland; Newman; actions. These actions can range from stealing of everyday items to rate to murder. It is obvious that APD is a serious disorder with serious consequences. Criminologists need to have an understanding of APD as evidenced in the male offender. Antisocial Personality Disorder affects less than one percent of females and about three percent of males and usually occurs before age 15 (Smith, 1999). Most of these men are involved in some sort of criminal behavior. One heartwrenching characteristic of men with this disorder is that they show no remorse for their victims or anyone involved. Interpersonally, those with APD are gradoise, arrogant, callous, superficial, and manipulative (Alterman et al. 2000). Affectively, those with APD are short-tempered, unable to form strong emotional bonds with others, lacking empathy, guilt, or remorse (Smith 1999). Behaviorally, those with APD are irresponsive, impulsive, and prone to violate social and legal norms and expectations (Smith 1999). DSM III gives a list of criteria for the diagnosis of APD. These five points are as follows: 1. A history of illegal or socially disapproved activity beginning b...

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Analysis of the diaper market

Analysis of the diaper market Baby diaper market has been growing at a nominal rate for some time now. Declining birth rates in the developed world has adversely affected the diaper manufacturers’ ability to expand their businesses. As per data provided by Euromonitor International, birth rates among the developed nations have declined by almost 20% during the last 30 years and are now only half the global average. The global market for diapers was worth $22.2 billion, a 2.9% increase YOY. However, the major markets of Western Europe, the U.S. and Japan posted nominal decline. As a result, companies like Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark are relying more on innovation to their rescue. This has also been a major contributor of success for P&G in the past few years. The new found focus is the developing country markets, from which 40% of global diaper revenue is derived. Markets such as China and Russia are providing brands with excellent opportunities for longer term growth. It is also worthwhile to noti ce the trend in the developed markets towards greener products as shown in the chart below Diaper Market in Developing Country There is huge growth potential for these products in emerging markets such as China, Brazil and India, as these markets are still quite underdeveloped and new. For example, China is world’s most rapidly developing nation. While it has taken developed Western economies some time to realise the environmental price of their development this is not the case for today’s emerging nations. In this case even the global recession will enable China to have more time to better make arrangements for considering more sustainable and greener options for its growth. Middle-class consumers are at the forefront of environmental awareness as the environmental consequences of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in countries such as China and India are becoming increasingly apparent Also in countries such as India, the Philippines and Malaysia, levels of cons umer awareness regarding hygiene products are very still very low. Indian Diaper Market In 2009, manufacturers have been now more focused on more categories such as disposable nappies/diapers. With the increasing buying power of Indian consumers, companies are looking for options which are more convenient and safe to use for the children. Increase in awareness about hygiene is a big factor for thus development. Some of the major development last year is as follows: Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Ltd introduced Pampers Magic Nickers Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd introduced Huggies New Born, a product specifically targeting the mothers of new born babies. With increasing awareness regarding the advantages of using the use of disposable nappies/diapers over cloth substitutes, Indian parents are now spending more on purchasing such products which in turn led to an increase in sales value for the manufacturers. Convenience has been one of the driving factors in this change. Even in ti er 2 towns and cities, parents are willing to spend money on disposable nappies/diapers to use when the baby is taken out of the home, for added convenience. Also as babies get older, some young mothers look to go back to work. This encouraged the use of nappies/diapers, as they are more convenient, and they do not need to spend time washing cloth nappies. Also, as babies become more active, and nappies are a more comfortable and hygienic alternative to cloth nappies. However currently the majority of the sales is restricted to customers in urban India. So the penetration rate of disposable nappies/diapers has been increasing, as more young parents are finding it convenient to switch from cloth nappies to disposable nappies.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Finale Paper Rough Draft Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finale Paper Rough Draft - Assignment Example . and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty† (Chief Joseph, 1879). In search of new lands and natural resources, such as gold, â€Å"new† Americans invaded the territories settled by Indians which caused endless wars and isolation of the latter. Nevertheless, if in 19th century the Indian-American interaction was largely armed and conflict in nature, 20th century has brought new perspectives and possibilities to make it smoother and more legal, moving from the battles on the fields to activities in the official organizations. In this paper we aim to discuss six main events in the history of Native Americans, how they evolved since 1867 till now, and their role and impact in the US society in general. We believe that the most significant events were the Great Sioux War (1876 – 1877) as it marked the end of long-lasting military struggle between Indians and â€Å"white† Americans; 2) Dawes Severalty Act (1887) according to which it was planned to destroy the tribal system of Native Americans with its community ownership by giving every Indian a piece of private land (160 acres) and â€Å"further encourage Indians to dissociate themselves from the reservation system and to assimilate into white society (Fritz, 2005); 3) â€Å"Ghost Dance† of Wowoka (1890) who called Indian people for return to their native culture and way of life; 4) Indian Reorganization Act (1934) as it reversed Dawes Act and returned self-administration on the tribal basis to the Native Americans; 5) foundation of N ational Congress of American Indians (1944) that stood against the termination and assimilation policies pursued by the US government in reference to Indian authorities disregarding their treaty rights and sovereign status; 6) American Indian Movement (1968) which emerged to protect Native Americans indigenous rights and interests and â€Å"to free Indian people throughout the Americas from white man’s oppression and

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Mistakes in Business Start-Up Research Proposal

Mistakes in Business Start-Up - Research Proposal Example   In my case, I shunned the idea of daily record keeping, and at times I found myself having put no record of a day’s job. According to Pinson & Jinnet (2006), record keeping can be described as the backbone of the operation of any kind of business, no matter how minute the profits may seem. At one moment in my business, I found myself keeping substandard records that at times were recorded at the back of several exercise books in my office. In the long run, I could barely make out what records were of what date and which attendant did what. During the Christmas season when the sales were too high, it became exceedingly overwhelming for me to deal with the numerous clients getting into the store for new bicycles or even spare parts. It is almost obvious to indicate that my store incurred huge losses which took place as a result of double sales, and improper calculations whilst making sales. Pinson & Jinnet (2006) indicate that with proper record keeping, the entrepreneurs are able to develop a sense of accomplishment in their work, unlike entrepreneurs who do not keep records. With the feeling of having let things run on their own, has been recorded to be suicidal for businesses. In the case of businesses selling products of high demand like in the case of my business during the Christmas period, with many caregivers in need of presents for the festivity, I held the opinion that I did not manage the business right from the onset.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Communism: America Denies Freedoms to its Citizens :: American America History

Communism: America Denies Freedoms to its Citizens We fight for freedom abroad, but deny it to those at home.   The 1920s presents a perfect example -- the U.S. was just finishing WWI in which they fought for freedom in a foreign country, but right after the war they denied freedom to those on their home front.   Our Constitution should protect its citizen’s rights and freedoms, and then it can stop when we all realize that the Constitution is just a piece of paper.   It has no bearing unless it is written upon the hearts of government officials and they choose to follow these laws.   And from the past one should realize that this is not always possible.   As for the 1920s, the U.S. government became tyrannical over its people denying them such freedoms as speech and the right to a lawyer.   This leads to the question â€Å"Was the U.S. justified to infringe on the freedoms of others?† The Palmer Raids happened in direct correlation to events that occurred on the first of May 1919.   On May 1, several packages were delivered by the United States Postal Service to several prominent figures including judges, senators and businessmen.   One such package was delivered to Senator Thomas Hardwick of Georgia.   Ethel Williams his personal secretary went outside and received the package.   As she proceeded to open the packages, the package exploded, blowing off her two arms and nearly killing her (Hoyt 4). While this bomb did incite some government officials to fear Communists, the bombing that put them over the top happened to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer.   Palmer and other politicians were sitting in the library of Palmer’s house when they heard an explosion.   All the members of this gathering exited outside and discovered it had been a bomb; only this time the person did not set the fuse correctly and died when the bomb went off.   They found the victim’s body with literature that read, â€Å"There will be bloodshed; we will not dodge; there will have to be murder; we will kill, because it is necessary; we will destroy to rid the world of your tyrannical institutions†Ã‚   (Hoyt 31). Instead of Palmer going after the person or persons whom directly planned the bombing, he went after everyone who had any association with the organizations the person or persons were part of.   He blamed a whole group for the action of one.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

VIP remains a leader ‘Kal Bhi, Aaj Bhi, Kal Bhi’ with Strategic Changes

Established in 1971, VIP Industries Limited is the flagship company of the 200 million dollar DG Piramal Group. Its longstanding familiar Indian brand VIP is the largest luggage brand in Asia and the second largest producer of moulded luggage in the world after Samsonite. The first VIP suitcase was rolled out in 1971, and since then over 60 million pieces of VIP luggage have been sold around the world. In the organized Indian luggage market, VIP leads with a 60% market share, followed by Samsonite at 40%. In the international market Samsonite leads with 20% market share where as VIP follows at 6% with operations spread across 5 continents and in 27 countries. VIP’s product range includes a variety of hard and soft luggage – strolleys, suitcases, duffle bags, overnight travel solutions, executive cases, backpacks, and even school bags. Apart from the mother VIP brand, the company also owns other reputed brands such as Alfa, Footloose, Elanza, Buddy, etc. It also markets under license Delsey products in India. Moreover, it has acquitted the UK-based Carlton brand in a bid to penetrate the European market. VIP’s products reach over 8000 retail outlets across the country and over 1300 outlets across 27 countries globally. Ever since its launch, VIP has been an epic brand synonymous with luggage in India. Its products priced for masses, enjoyed a near monopoly till the mid’90s, and its sentimental, powerful, and long-playing advertising campaign ‘Kal bhi, aaj bhi, kal bhi†¦. ’ remained etched in public memory for years to come. However, the scenario started changing with the international leader Samsonite’s entry into the India market in 1997. After a few initial setbacks, Samsonite started cracking the Indian market and posing a challenge for VIP. Along with tha t, a gabble of unorganized players also started confronting VIP at the lower end. This propelled VIP to take stock of the situation and realign its strategies with the changing market situation. VIP discovered that while competition was heating up, the Indian luggage industry had also been growing owing to a number of favorable factors. Most importantly, steady economic growth had ed to an increase in people’s disposable incomes, thereby propelling the travel sector, which in turn had boosted the luggage industry. Frequent travel for business was also on the rise with organizations going global. This was also redefining people’s need for luggage. Convenience and variety in luggage based on specific travel occasions had started assuming prime importance. People no longer looked at suitcases as just a means of safeguarding and securing their belongings , but also cared for aesthetics, which increased the importance of soft luggage. Design, style, and attractive colors also guided people’s purchase decisions. Hence, luggage had transformed from being merely a functional product to a fashion or lifestyle statement. And people were no longer using the same suitcase for all travel requirements, but purchase had become more need-based with consumers buying luggage according to a particular type of holiday, trek excursion or business travel. Further, luggage in the premium segment had been growing the most. In the wake of these changes, the age-old leader in luggage segment, VIP realized that youngsters perceived VIP as a brand belonging to parents’ and grandparents’ era. In order to be in sync with the times, VIP decided to change this perception and reposition itself as a contemporary lifestyle brand, which catered to people who traveled widely and followed a particular lifestyle. On the product front, it rehashed its soft luggage portfolio since that was the category driving sales. Besides it also allowed the company to play around with styles, which were becoming a major criterion in luggage selection. In addition, VIP also started adding more variety, designs and colors to its traditional category of hard luggage. However, it reserved the hard luggage segment primarily for exports since VIP and Samsonite were the only two hard luggage brands in the world. In order to address varied traveler segments, VIP designed products for all travel needs, durations, and prices, be it a long haul journey, short weekend or daily travel, leisurely holiday or business travel. Its mother brand VIP was developed as a slick lifestyle brand that focused on comfort nd convenience for long-duration travels. Alfa provided reliable, good quality luggage for price-conscious consumers who otherwise had to make do with low-quality local luggage. Footloose focused on the daily or longer duration travel needs of the youth, while Buddy was a school bag brand focusing on providing fun, innovative and quality products in a segment that was dominated by cheap, local products. In order to reinstate its lifestyle p roposition, it also launched a collection for women called Aura and a business collection called Matrix in Nov’05. At the premium designer end, it offered ranges like Elanza and also marketed high-priced products costing Rs. 12,000 under its Delsey range. Thus with its extensive product portfolio with over 250 products matching different prices, VIP covered the entire luggage segment and has been constantly innovating keeping in mind travelers’ requirements. Following on VIP’s footsteps, Samsonite, which initially offered only high-end collections, also launched the American Tourister range for the mid-price segment in the range of Rs. 800 – Rs. 2,000 in 2002. VIP also aggressively promoted its prominent ranges to establish its new image. For example, the Alfa campaign conveyed both the importance of a better quality luggage as well as the affordable price points of Alfa. However, maximum promotional attention was showered on to the power brand VIP to position it as an all-encompassing, contemporary lifestyle travel companion. In 2002, its advertising campaign ‘Looking at me? ’ introduced some new lifestyle products as travel companions. The campaign informed consumers of the contemporized brand’s styles and colors, features, prices, VIP lounges where the brand was available etc. Then in 2003, VIP felt it needed to recreate the magic of its yesteryears with a more encompassing campaign that would reposition itself as a fresh, young, smart, and exciting brand. Thus, VIP launched a television ad campaign entitled ‘bye-bye’ emphasizing a major shift in its marketing communication strategy. The campaign, designed by Lowe, began by airing a montage film that showed people bidding bye-bye to their kith and kin at the start of their journeys – an elderly lady waving to a car making its way out of the gate; a doorman at a hotel waving to departing guest; a mother idding goodbye to her children; etc. A peppy ‘bye-bye, goodbye’ track played in the background and the film ended with the tagline, ‘Happy journeys began with VIP. ’ Other ads in the campaign presented more ‘bye-bye’ situations – people bidding bye-bye to Monday mornings, women bidding bye-bye to men and coolies since new VIP bags were light, etc. Given VIP’s heritage and iconic status, the underlying objective of the new campaign was to get VIP to own the travel space, rather than just the luggage space that it occupied earlier. The company hoped that this would increase consumers’ involvement with VIP during their travel planning process, rather than the brand featuring only at the far end of the process. The time of departure was chosen for portrayal in the ads since the agency felt that this was the time that caught a range of emotions – people bidding farewell to their dear ones, looking forward to the journey and to returning home, and being most closely involved with luggage. By depicting the happiness associated with the start of the journey; and through more vibrant, smart and youthful imagery such as a contemporary metro train in place of a workmanlike diesel train used in the ‘Kal bhiE’ campaign, or the bubbly bye-bye tune and situations; VIP tried to make itself relevant to a new generation of consumers, without alienating its traditional base of loyalists. VIP also has plans for a series of communications to the ‘bye-bye’ campaign that will portray its contemporary product range and strengthen its new stance as a travel companion. The ‘bye-bye’ television campaign was supported by an outdoor campaign as well, but the company refrained from any sales promotion activities in order to reinforce the new exclusive positioning. Below-the-line activities were only used to complement above-the-line communication in supporting new launches, addressing niche audiences or audiences difficult to reach by mass media, motivating trade force etc. For example, VIP ran an exclusive ‘Mystery Shopper’ program, which encouraged the shop salesmen to better demonstrate its product features. It also designed interactive games to convey the superior features of its Alfa brand. Media relation activities were also conducted, albeit in a limited manner, to break the news of product launches or new stores. On the other hand, competitor Samsonite’s campaigns are carried out by its global agency and it doesn’t have any India-specific campaigns, since it mostly caters to business travelers whose needs are the same the world over. For instance, in one print ad, Richard Bronson of Virgin Airlines testifies, â€Å"To me, business isn’t about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. It is about being true to yourself, your idea and focusing on the essentials. Further, in order to retain its premium image, Samsonite too does not indulge in any sales promotion activities. Its distribution strategy is also selective with the company retailing only out of high-profile stores such as Shoppers’ Stop, LifeStyle and Witco. VIP’s distribution strategy also complements with its varied product range and new positioning strategy with the right products available at relevant outlets throughout the country. VIP suitcases are made available at convenient retail locations with a self-select approach and appropriate display showcasing the large range of VIP products in an in-store ambience set to attract. The company also has forayed into retailing by opening exclusive stores that showcase all its product ranges. It has opened stores called ‘VIP Lounges,’ which compete with the franchised ‘Samsonite Travel World. ’ Its ranges with products below Rs. 1,500 are also distributed through hypermarkets and malls. It also has an on-line store although online sales haven’t really picked up in India. Also, VIP’s distribution in the European market is primarily done for its premium Delsey and Carlton brands. The brand’s repositioning efforts have paid off by helping it retain its leadership position. Even today, the VIP brand enjoys 97% unaided brand awareness, one of the highest in the world and has over 65 million customers. Questions: 1. Can you identify VIP’s prime source of competitive advantage from this case? If yes, what do you think it is? 2. What strategy of segmenting and targeting the market has VIP followed? What segment(s) is the mother brand targeting? In what alternative ways can luggage market be segmented? 3. Identify the points of differentiation of the VIP brand from its prime competitor Samsonite. How sustainable do you think the differentiation is? . How was VIP positioned earlier in the minds of consumers? Why did it decide to reposition its image? Briefly state what steps it took to reposition itself and whether the attempt was successful. 5. What was the objective of VIP’s new communication strategy? Did the product, price and distribution changes complement this strategy? How cohesive do you think VIP’s new marketing mix is? 6. What was the difference between the ‘looking at me? ’ and ‘bye-bye’ campaigns? What objectives did they both serve? How did they complement VIP’s product-related decisions? . Comment on VIP’s distribution strategy. What message does it convey? Visit two-three outlets or exclusive stores selling VIP brands. Do you think they convey a message similar to the communication message delivered by the brand? Preethi Meets Venkat Through Shaadi. Com â€Å"I didn’t want to fall into the traps of a typical Indian arranged marriage; I believe it doesn’t give you the required time and opportunity to know and understand your would-be partner, especially with families breathing down your necks while calling for a decision,† said Preethi. And I always wanted to choose my partner myself,† concurred Venkat, adding, â€Å"That’s why Shaadi. Com worked for both of us. † Preethi and Venkat are among the 48% of Internet users who surf matrimonial sites for alliances. While traditionally the activity of matchmaking was left to the elderly aunts of the family, marriage bureaus, and newspaper matrimonials, with the advent of Internet and a change in youngsters’ preference s, online alliance search has taken off with a frenzy, especially with 60% of the online population in India being below the age of 25. With 12 million urban Indians undertaking online matchmaking, it is the 13th most popular online activity among Indian surfers. Although online dating is ahead of matrimonial searches as the 10th most popular online activity, it does not enjoy the high user loyalty and brand premium of matrimonial websites. This is because Indian culture has yet not fully accepted the concept of dating before marriage and people do not register on a dating site for finding a life partner. There is also a huge overlap between the two activities suggesting that people who date are also looking for a mate. Owing to a close-knit social structure of India, families and friends still have an important role to play in online matchmaking. Often parents are seen posting their children’s profiles, and while the final choice may be the children’s, parents extensively carry out activities like gathering information, filtering profiles, matching horoscopes, etc. Experiences of friends also guide in the decision-making. Online advertising as well as conventional television and print advertising are popular media choices for most portals. Advertising seems to be harping on factors like wide profile choices, relevant matches, and a joint selection process that satisfies the entire family (Figures 3. 23a-d). Smaller portals such as Simplymarry. com have also adopted viral tactics such as creating a website, rather a catchy microsite, for Mom-in-Law Day (Figure 3. 23e) on October 28 to promote its portal. The site has a collection of videos of interviews of people expressing their feelings and opinions about their mothers-in-law, text messages, tips, and a link to Simplymarry. com. One such communication triggered the dormant desire of finding a life partner for Venkat. While watching the film Metro, Venkat was exposed to Shaadi. com. The movie depicted Konkana Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan getting older and feeling the need to find a life partner, and then turning to Shaadi. com for help. Sen Sharma was shown logging on to the website, and there were mentions of Shaadi. com in her conversations with Khan and even comical scenes in which the protagonists viewed some funny profiles on the site and enjoyed a good laugh. The movie propelled Venkat into online matchmaking. He believed that the biggest advantage of online matrimonial sites was their massive database, which offered people a wide choice of matches across both objective and subjective evaluation criteria such as education and career, religion, family background, location, personal preferences, personality, etc. He zeroed in on Shaadi. com after a little search, most importantly because the name had created a distinct impression in his mind through the movie. One of prospects he mailed was Preethi; the two of them hit it off and decided to marry. Preethi had chosen Shaadi. com as she was particularly impressed with its strict profile screening system, and the simplified search technology that increased the relevance of the matches. She also appreciated the portal’s attention to details through features like password-protected photographs that allowed members to maintain secrecy. Their choice was much like the rest of the consumers’; Shaadi. com and Bharatmatrimony. com were the two biggest websites in the online matrimonial space, each with 33% user preference. Another study by JuxtConsult pegged the websites’ shares at 28% and 29% respectively as on April 2007. A study by AdMomentux measuring ‘audience mindshare’ for television commercials, based on parameters like top-of-the-mind recall; appeal, likeability, relevance and comprehensibility of the ad; brand differentiation and preference created by the ad; etc. also showed similar results. Bharatmatrimony. com’s television commercial depicting how a modern boy and girl followed traditional rituals when it came to marriage, was the most effective, with 43. 8% mindshare. The television commercial of Shaadi. com showing the photographs of its various members received 36. 1% audience mindshare. Jeevansathi’s commercial came in third with 18. 4% audience mindshare. Yet another study marked Shaadi. com as the leader with 987,000 unique visitors in July’07. Convinced of Shaadi. com’s effectiveness after a month-long free registration, Preethi and Venkat had signed up a 6-month premium membership. When they found each other and finally decided to marry in a year, they posted their success story like many others (Figure 3. 4) who had also found the right partners through Shaadi. com. Questions: 1. Based on the case, identify the various cultural and social factors that influence the decision of match-making through online matrimonial portals. 2. What motivated Venkat to go for online matchmaking? Identify the cues that triggered him into action. Could there be any deep-rooted motives behind the apparent one? 3. What beliefs did Venkat a nd Preethi hold regarding online matrimonial portals? What was their attitude towards Shaadi. com? Why? 4. What communication factors seem to be reinforcing purchase decision? Do you think consumers should experience cognitive dissonance after subscribing to Shaadi. com? Visit Shaadi. com’s website and identify ways in which it may trying to alleviate any possibility of cognitive dissonance. 5. Why does most communication for online matrimonial portals harp on joint family decision-making? Do you see any attitude change strategies adopted by any of the websites in their communication? Explain. 6. Map the five-stage buying decision process for Preethi and Venkat identifying the internal and external influences that could have shaped their decision on choosing Shaadi. com.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

What Are Some Examples of Polymers

A polymer is a large molecule that is made up of repeating subunits connected to each other by chemical bonds. Do you need some examples of polymers? Here is a list of materials that are natural and synthetic polymers, plus some examples of materials that are not polymers at all. Natural Polymers Polymers are both found in nature and manufactured in laboratories. Natural polymers were used for their chemical properties long before they were understood in the chemistry laboratory: Wool, leather, and flax were processed into fibers to make clothing; animal bone was boiled down to make glues. Natural polymers include: Proteins, such as hair, nails, tortoiseshellCellulose in paper and treesStarches in plants such as potatoes and maizeDNAPitch (also known as bitumen or tar)Wool (a protein made by animals)Silk (a protein made by insects)Natural rubber and lacquer (proteins from trees) Synthetic Polymers Polymers were first manufactured by people seeking substitutes for natural ones, in particular, rubber and silk. Among the earliest were semi-synthetic polymers, which are natural polymers modified in some way. By 1820, natural rubber was modified by making it more fluid; and cellulose nitrate prepared in 1846 was used first as an explosive and then as a hard moldable material used in collars, Thomas Edisons film for movies and Hilaire de Chardonnets artificial silk (called nitrocellulose). Fully synthetic polymers include: Bakelite, the first synthetic plasticNeoprene (a manufactured form of rubber)Nylon, polyester, rayon (manufactured forms of silk)Polyethylene (plastic bags and storage containers)Polystyrene (packing peanuts and Styrofoam cups)TeflonEpoxy resinsSiliconeSilly puttySlime Non-Polymers So while paper plates, styrofoam cups, plastic bottles, and a block of wood are all examples of polymers, there are some materials which are not polymers. Examples of materials which are not polymers include: ElementsMetalsIonic compounds, such as salt Usually, these materials form chemical bonds, but not the long chains that characterize polymers. There are exceptions. For example, graphene is a polymer made up of long carbon chains. Resources and Further Reading Cowie, J.M.G. and Valeria Arrighi. Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern Materials, 3rd ed. Boca Raton, LA: CRC Press, 2007.  Sperling, Leslie H. Introduction to Physical Polymer Science, 4th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, 2006.  Ã‚  Young, Robert J., and Peter A. Lovell. Introduction to Polymers, 3rd ed. Boca Raton, LA: CRC Press, Taylor Francis Group, 2011. Print.