Methods Of Data Gathering Social Work Essay Example

Methods Of Data Gathering Social Work Essay Understanding how the construct of adult females s authorization is interpreted and implemented on the land in Burundi nowadayss many challenges, in portion because the construct is so wide. There are a figure of organisations in Burundi that claim to advance adult females s empowerment including: Action Aid, CAFOB ( Collectif des Associations et ONGs Feminines du Burundi ) , ADDF ( Association pour La Defense des Droits de la Femme ) , CDF ( Centre de Developpement Familial ) and Dushirehamwe. Given my reappraisal of the literature on gender and development, adult females s authorization and micro-finance, I was interested in happening out how environmental, agricultural and micro-finance concerns were combined in specific undertakings, and the peculiar challenges that such undertakings present for adult females in Burundi, NGO staff, authorities functionaries and for current theories of gender and development. In footings of methodological analysis, I adopted a instance survey attack. Due to both limited clip in the field and my positionality as an employee of one NGO -Floresta in Rutana, Burundi working on adult females s authorization. This has contributed to my cognition of these issues by covering with those challenges. The instance survey is a relevant method as it allows research workers to retain the holistic and meaningful features of the real-life events ( Yin 2009:4 ) . However, trusting on instance surveies for research still remains a challenge in the societal scientific disciplines because the instance surveies use multiple beginnings of grounds. My focal point on Floresta helped me understand how adult females s authorization is understood and practiced in Rutana Province, replying the first of my research inquiries. The sub-questions chiefly concentrate on how Floresta defines the construct of adult females s authorization and what are the factors associated with adult femal es s authorization in the rural Burundi country ( Rutana ) . The sub-questions are linked to my chief inquiry because adult females ( donees of Floresta Project ) and the organisation s ain readings of adult females s authorization were used to specify the construct. I was able to talk with the caput of gender plans in authorities to better understand how the Ministry of Gender Promotion defined the construct of adult females s authorization. Interestingly, the authorities s definition of empowerment relates extremely to political engagement, nevertheless, many adult females have non even been able to go to school and are husbandmans ( 70 % ) . 4.2 Choice of Floresta as a instance survey We will write a custom essay sample on Methods Of Data Gathering Social Work specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Methods Of Data Gathering Social Work specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Methods Of Data Gathering Social Work specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As a citizen of Burundi, this subject is of peculiar importance to me, and presents an chance for me to portion with the reader the rural twenty-four hours life of adult females in Rutana. When I finish my university surveies, I will return to full-time work with Floresta ; as I worked at that place antecedently. The advantages of working with this organisation for my research are many, including easy entree to paperss and studies and my acquaintance with the staff for beging interviews. The disadvantage of choosing Floresta as a instance survey include issues of being excessively influenced by the organisation s position of development because of holding worked there and the job of rural adult females respondents cognizing that I work with Floresta and therefore supplying responses that they think will delight the organisation. Other challenges include the inaccessibility of some adult females because of their busy agendas. I reported twice a meeting with one of the associations. My interviews with rural adult females were conducted in Kirundi and my interviews with NGO/associations, Floresta staff and others were in French. Translation from Kirundi to English and from French to English was disputing. 4.3. Background of Floresta Floresta is the lone NGO in Rutana that uses an incorporate activities attack ( uniting agribusiness with a microcredit plan ) . Floresta has been at the service of communities since 1984 in the Dominican Republic and extended its services to other states including Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, Thailand, and Burundi. The mission of Floresta, as a Christian non-profit organisation, is to change by reversal deforestation and poorness in the universe, by transforming the lives of the rural hapless. Through instruction, Floresta develops communities by promoting hapless husbandmans to take ownership of their ain jobs, and gives them the assurance to use solutions. Advanced agribusiness and forestry systems enable rural husbandmans to do the best possible usage of the resources that they already possess . ( Floresta Burundi, Annual Rapport 2009 ) . Floresta Teachs and promotes agro forestry, re-afforestation, dirt preservation, and a host of other sustainable techniques. Furthermore, through community loans, Floresta helps people to come on beyond bare subsistence, every bit good as to diversify small town economic systems as the most effectual manner to contend poorness. In October 2008, Floresta Burundi was officially registered in Burundi as a national NGO under no. 530/1076 of 22nd October 2008. The Board of Directors, made up of 7 members ( 3 adult females and 4 work forces ) was formed. Staff enlisting and an office were officially opened in Rutana in November 2008. Floresta was registered with the Ministry of Finance for Professional Income revenue enhancement ( IPR ) under no. 2636164022 and with National Social Security ( INSS ) under no 100861. Floresta intervened in five states ( Rutana, Bururi, Makamba, Bujumbura rural and Bubanza ) out of 17 in Rutana, in five out of six communes ( Rutana, Giharo, Bukemba, Gitanga and Musongati ) . ( Ibid.2009:3 ) Second, I focus my research on rural adult females in the Floresta s associations in Rutana Province ( South of Burundi ) because most of the members are returnees and refugees coming from Tanzania and the bulk were adult females. Conflict related force affected physical, psychological, economic, societal, and cultural conditions of both work forces and adult females. Womans were peculiarly affected by sexual force, the loss of their kids and hubbies, supplanting into cantonments for refugees, and displaced individuals, and sometimes forced into armed forces. The direct and indirect force led to a broad array of negative effects such as stigmatisation of victims of colza, who contracted sexual transmitted diseases ( HIV/AIDS ) , suffered unwanted gestations. These jobs are aggravated by the patriarchal system of Burundian society and the absence of equal province and actions to turn to them. A widow can non have belongings that originally belonged to the household of her asleep hubby . This is exacerbated by Torahs, peculiarly refering land ownership, disfavoring adult females in respect to inheritance rights. Map 1.1 Map of Burundi turn uping states where Floresta is being implemented Beginning: Adapted by the research worker 4.4 Methods of informations assemblage The information for this survey was collected during a seven-week field visit to Burundi that took topographic point from the 14th of July to the 27th of August in 2012. My analysis focuses on four communes: Giharo and Gitanga ( old partnerships with Floresta ) , Musongati and Bukemba ( recent partnerships with Floresta ) . These communes portion similar issues of economic exposure, nutrient insecurity, and the stigmatisation of adult females, force, and gender inequality. I interviewed 29 cardinal donees involved in adult females s authorization. In add-on to taking a instance survey attack, I employed qualitative methods to obtain information from a scope of beginnings. 4.4.1. Data aggregation techniques This research employed a qualitative attack, utilizing semi-structured interviews, focal point groups, and observation. I used a qualitative attack to analyze the links between rural adult females s position and Floresta s activities. Secondary stuffs Secondary informations such as newspapers and internal memos in Floresta were helpful for this undertaking because they allowed the research worker an insider s position in the organisation. Primary research with people: The class of respondents that were relevant to my research includes: Other NGOs that promote adult females s authorization Staff from the Ministry of Gender Promotion Floresta staff Womans donees Representatives from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Livestock Representatives of the micro-credit strategy Primary information was collected in two stages ; the first visit was used to reach and form cardinal sources for the interviews and concentrate group. In footings of research topics, I divided them harmonizing to their functions and the sorts of inquiries that I hoped that they would reply. While each group of histrions helps inform the constructs, schemes, and patterns of adult females s authorization, their actions, demands, and involvements differ from each other. Specifically, I interviewed 12 adult females, including NGO members ( 5 ) , authorities ( 1 ) , agribusiness and Microfinance sectors representatives ( 2 ) , Floresta staff ( 6 ) , the Governor of Rutana Province ( 1 ) and the staff in the Provincial section of agribusiness and farm animal in the state to understand and turn up their positions and patterns around the construct of adult females s authorization. Interviews The research interview is based on a conversation about day-to-day life ( Kvale and Brinkmann 2009 ) . Much of the qualitative work in this paper was collected through targeted interviews with open-ended inquiries. As stated above, a assortment of cardinal histrions included authorities establishments, different mediators, and private sector organisations, both involved and non involved with Floresta Burundi. In entire, 27 interviews were conducted ( for a complete list see Appendix 2 ) . By questioning cardinal histrions in adult females s authorization, I compared the constructs, definitions, and patterns of adult females s authorization in relation to development. I interviewed a mix of six associations ( twelve members ) to look into the construct of adult females s authorization in Rutana Province. My inquiries focused on bing associations environing adult females s authorization, its germinating definition over clip, and what it might look like in the rural context. Focus Groups A focal point group is a type of interview with about 4 to 12 people ( O Leary, 2010 ) . The primary end of focal point treatment is to travel in deepness of sentiments that will originate in the direct inquiring. For my instance, my focal point group was composed by adult females ( 4 ) and work forces ( 6 ) . It was enlightening acquiring to cognize the work forces s sentiments environing adult females s authorization, and farther edifying analyzing how focus group responses differed from one on one interviews. What I found, was that the disagreements in replies could be attributed to donees non desiring to belie the dominant patriarchal system in forepart of others. Observation In order to guarantee triangulation, I used a direct observation that ranged from formal to insouciant informations aggregation activities ( yin, 2009: 199 ) . As those sorts of studies have neer been done before by Floresta, I used this method in meetings and field visits. Observation is frequently utile in supplying extra information about the subject being studied. I agree with O Leary, that the observation allows you to acquire a sense of world and work through the complexnesss of societal interaction. 4.5 Ethical motives While there is no institutional reappraisal procedure here at ISS, I guarantee that the findings are existent and do be in the field every bit good as the beginnings ( secondary and primary informations used ) . The ethical guidelines of ISS have been followed in my research. Anonymity was ensured, so that this papers can be used by Floresta in the hereafter for other intents. In respects to carry oning the study, I ensured informed consent was received from the host staff of NGOs and community members. In the focal point group, ethical issues were respected such as gender equilibrium and hierarchal power dealingss. I was guaranting that adult females were allowed to talk every bit much as work forces. Harmonizing to OLearly ( 2010 ) , confidentiality involves protecting the individuality of those who provide to the researcher their informations. For my instance, the adult females I interviewed wanted to keep privateness because there exists a possibility that the paper can be used in the hereafter by Floresta. 4.6 Restrictions of the research I did non acquire the chance to speak to some other International Organizations such as UN Women ( United Nations Women ) which claim to advance adult females s authorization. However, I spoke to one International ONG in Burundi.

5 Most Important Things You Can Do for the Environment

5 Most Important Things You Can Do for the Environment If you feel you’re not doing enough for the environment by replacing your incandescent light bulbs with LED lights and composting your kitchen scraps, maybe you’re ready to make a deeper commitment to environmental stewardship. Some of these strategies may seem a little radical, but they are among the most valuable actions you can take to protect and preserve Earth’s environment. Have Fewer Children- Or None Overpopulation is arguably the world’s most serious environmental problem because it exacerbates all of the others. The global population grew from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion in 1999, an increase of 100 percent in just 40 years. According to current projections, the world population will expand to 9 billion by 2040. This represents a slower growth rate than that of the last half of the 20th century, but it will nevertheless leave us with many more people to accommodate. Planet Earth is a closed system with limited resources- only so much fresh water and clean air and only so many acres of land for growing food. As the world population grows, our finite resources must stretch to serve more and more people. At some point, that will no longer be possible. Some scientists believe we have already passed that point. Ultimately, we need to reverse this growth trend by gradually bringing the human population of our planet back down to a more manageable size. This means more people must decide to have fewer children. This may sound pretty simple on the surface, but the drive to reproduce is fundamental in all species. The decision to limit or forgo the experience is a difficult one for many people because of emotional, cultural, and religious traditions and pressures. In many developing countries, large families can be a matter of survival. Parents often have as many children as possible to ensure that some will live to help with farming or other work and to care for the parents when they are old. For people in cultures like these, lower birth rates will only come after other serious issues such as poverty, hunger, poor sanitation, and freedom from disease have been adequately addressed. In addition to keeping your own family small, consider supporting programs that fight hunger and poverty, improve sanitation and hygiene, or promote education, family planning, and reproductive health in developing nations. Use Less Water- And Keep It Clean Fresh, clean water is essential to life- no one can live long without it- yet it is one of the scarcest and most endangered resources in our increasingly fragile biosphere. Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, but most of that is salt water. Freshwater supplies are much more limited and today a third of the world’s people lack access to clean drinking water. According to the United Nations, 95 percent of the cities worldwide still dump raw sewage into their water supplies. Not surprisingly, 80 percent of all illnesses in developing countries can be linked to unsanitary water. Especially if you live in a dry climate, you should use only as much water as you need, avoid wasting the water used, and strive to protect  water supplies. Eat Responsibly Eating locally grown food supports local farmers and merchants in your own community as well as reducing the amount of fuel, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions required to move the food you eat from the farm to your table. Eating organic meat and produce keeps pesticides and chemical fertilizers off your plate and out of rivers and streams. Eating responsibly also means eating less meat and fewer animal products such as eggs and dairy products, or perhaps none at all. Eating less meat is a matter of good stewardship of our finite resources. Farm animals emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, and raising animals for food requires many times more land and water than growing food crops. Livestock now uses 30 percent of the planet’s land surface, including 33 percent of farmland worldwide, which is used to produce animal feed. Every time you sit down to a plant-based meal instead of an animal-based meal, you save about 280 gallons of water and protect anywhere from 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution. Conserve Energy- And Switch to Renewable Energy Walk, bike, and use public transportation more. Drive less. Not only will you be healthier and help to preserve precious energy resources, but you’ll also save money. According to a study by the American Public Transportation Association, families that use public transportation can reduce their household expenses by $6,200 annually, more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year. There are dozens of other ways you can conserve energy. You can turn off lights and unplug appliances when they are not in use and substitute cold water for hot whenever practical. Other small steps you can take include weather stripping your doors and windows and not overheating or overcooling your home and office. One way to start is to get a free energy audit from your local utility. Whenever possible, choose renewable energy over fossil fuels. For example, many municipal utilities now offer green energy alternatives so that you can get some or all of your electricity from wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Many human activities- from using coal-fired power plants to generate electricity to driving gasoline-powered vehicles- cause greenhouse gas emissions that heat the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Scientists are already seeing significant climate changes that point to the likelihood of serious consequences. Some scenarios foresee increasing drought that could further reduce food and water supplies and, at the same time, rising sea levels that will submerge islands and coastal regions and create millions of environmental refugees. Online calculators can help you measure and reduce your personal carbon footprint, but climate change is a global problem that requires global solutions and, so far, the world’s nations have been slow to find common ground on this issue. In addition to lowering your own carbon footprint, let your government officials know that you expect them to take action on this issue- and keep the pressure on until they do. Edited by Frederic Beaudry

Analysing management and organisation through the medium of film. A Essay

Analysing management and organisation through the medium of film. A critical discussion of organisational culture and [motivation or power] with examples from the film - Essay Example In that scenario, the success of the organization will be minimal or even null. Thus, if a common, feasible and effective corporate working culture is ‘operationalised’ through out the organization, the organization can achieve maximum unity, productivity and success. The one person who can formulate, actualize and operationalize an effective organizational culture will have to be an effective leader. From time immemorial, the success or failure of an organization or any other human activity depends on the role, the leader plays. The leadership traits should be visible and should be put to effective use when the leader, as a ‘builder’ builds a group and as a ‘founder’ launches an organization. So, this paper will focus on how an effective leader should create an optimal organizational culture and incorporate motivation optimization strategies for the success of an organization, thus discussing the ineffective leadership role played by the Miranda character in the film The Devil Wears Prada in culture creation and motivation by following Schein’s iceberg model of culture (three levels of culture). One of the important first tasks of a leader in an organization (both in a new organization or in a existing organization) is the creation of a Culture. That is, the task of the leader is to create a working culture, embed the working culture in the working group and environment, sustain it and also rectify it, when faults occur. According to Schein (2004, p. 17) â€Å"The culture of a group can now be defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems†. Normally, Culture is created by shared experience

History of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of America - Essay Example The total population rose by 13 million within this decade to 76 million. By 1907, 1 million people were arriving from Europe every year. Industrialization came early in the United States and it forged ahead consistently. Between 1870 and 1914, industrial output trebled. The nation never looked back. Industries such as the automobiles made their way and quickly increased in value and output. The car industry was introduced into the United States by Henry Ford. Post 1945, American science and industry flourished. The U.S. economy quadrupled, and the real income of the average American family doubled. Today, the country is still a major power politically and economically, and is a world leader in technology and space research. Between 1965 and 1973, Americans fought in South Vietnam in an attempt to prevent the unification of the country under communist North Vietnam control. The war ended disastrously for the Americans under Richard Nixon. Nixon ordered the bombing of North Vietnam, but ultimately wilted under pressure at home and abroad.

Surrealism Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Surrealism Art - Essay Example The essay "Surrealism Art" states the surrealism movement and art. Artists of the 20th century that actively participated in the surrealist movement included but were not limited to Rene Magritte, Man Ray, and Giorgio de Chirico. The surrealist artists invented techniques which tended to portray the mechanisms of dreams, thus emphasizing upon the theory of liberation through their artwork. Giorgio de Chirico is known as the pioneer of surrealist aesthetic. The surrealist artists gained inspiration from his work and attempted to minimize the role of will and consciousness in the artwork. Potential examples of this include Andre Masson’s automatic drawings, Max Ernst’s use of collage and frottage techniques, and raographs made by Man Ray. Thereafter, oneiric images were made by Dali and Magritte by juxtaposing contrasting elements. The first group of the surrealist artists exhibited their artwork in 1925 in Paris. The exhibitions that were subsequently arranged in London and New York in the year 1936 led to the spread and recognition of the surrealist style of art at a larger scale. An exhibition was arranged in 1937 in Tokyo followed by another in Paris in 1938. The surrealist style of art has influenced the American art a lot. For instance, â€Å"the practice of automatism is one basis for Jackson Pollock's work and for Action Painting, while the Surrealists' interest in objects prefigures Pop Art†. Paintings contain familiar objects that are painted in such a way so as to make them appear strange and unknown.

The Internationalisation Of Luxury Fashion

The Internationalisation Of Luxury Fashion Chapter 1. 1.0 Introduction Phau and Prendergast (2001) defined luxury brand has these characterises that are evoke exclusivity, have a well know brand identity, enjoy high brand awareness and perceived quality, and retain sales levels and customer loyalty. For the Chinese economy, it has been increased at an average rate of 13 percent per year (wgsn-edu.com, 2002). In 2004, a total of 236,000 Chinese became millionaires (Merrill Lynch Cap Gemini, 2005). As for luxury consumption, 37% of luxury goods are purchased in Asia (Chadha and Husband, 2006). In China Chinese luxury consumer population is 300,000 millionaires. That means Chinese consumers are playing the important role for the luxury brands as Chinese market will make or break the luxury products factors potentially (Okonkwo, 2007). Therefore, the customer usually would like to have different choices of purchasing fashion products. According to Howard and Herbig (1996) noted that People can perceive value is a major determinant of product success: qual ity images are far more important than product value; high prices portray high quality. Bake (2003) indicated that some factors could influence the retailer companies entry on the other markets, for example, legal and language. Therefore, the retailers in order to get most profit from products from foreign markets, they will use two ways that are the methods for the company of entry into foreign market and have a choice of distribution channels in each foreign market (Terpastra Sarathy, 1997). In international marketing, the entry method is very important for the fashion retailer to enter foreign markets. According to the global luxury consumption, it is indicated the luxury brands are successfully in the world and also in the global luxury market growth per year (Verdict, 2009). By using the theory of internationalisation and using the process of internaionalisation example of Burberry. It has strategically penetrated the Chinese market to comprehend the Chinese market. The market will have a great positive impact on the consumption of fashion goods and by highlighting their British origins and positioning themselves towards the aspirational consumers. Chapter 2. 2.0 Literature Review This literature review aims to address that the concept of retail internationalisation, its impact upon luxury fashion brands and the strategic operations of British luxury brands with Chinese retail market by using the examples of Burberry. Hines and Bruce (2001) noted fashion retailers were the most prolific and successful when it came to foreign market expansion. Unsurprisingly, the rise in academic interest reflects the increase of retail internationalisation activity as more companies seek to expand their operations overseas (Moore et al 2000). According to Alexander and Akehurst (1995) there are six key subject areas for researchers to thoroughly address all issues concerned with the process when discussing the internationalization of retailers; What is the internationalisation of fashion retailing? Who are the international fashion retailers? Where do fashion retailers internationalise? Why do fashion retailers internationalise? How do fashion retailers internationalise? When does fashion retailer internationalisation occur? 2.1 Definition of the luxury fashion brand Kapferer and Bastien said: Luxury is in fashion, and the fashion is for luxury. (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009) Luxury brands have the power of branding, which means they can influence cultures, societies and generations potentially. Traditionally, luxury brands have main core characteristics that are brand strength, exclusivity, creative, innovation, product craftsmanship, differentiation and precision, premium pricing and high quality (Okonkwo 2007). Furthermore, the other core characteristics for the true luxury brand are global reputation, strong brand image, emotional appeal, tightly controlled distribution and visibility (Jackson and Haid, 2006). For example, Gucci, the results of the strong brand image of Gucci are in several of brands products being back-ordered to two years. The brand value has an important relationship with consumers. 2.2 Whats internationalisation of retailing? The internationalisation of retailing is defined Treadgold (Wigley et al, 2005) as having visible and invisible dimensions. The Invisible dimension has been defined as the international sourcing of products and services and the cross-border transfer of management expertise in the form of managerial policies or technical skills (Kacker, 1997). That refers to the intangible facets as opposed to the physicality of opening overseas stores. On the other hand, for the visible dimension, the fashion retailer internationalisation is the operation of retail shops within foreign markets (Hines and Bruce, 2001). Consequently, the luxury fashion brands are visible in the market. From the report of clothing retailing UK (Mintel, 2003), there are 18 out of 20 top-selling clothing retailers have presence outside of domestic market, for instance, Burberry, it has 236 stores around world (BBC, 2010). At 30 June 2010, Burberry globally had 139 retail stores, 140 concessions (excluding Spain), 44 outlets and 97 franchise stores (Burberryplc, 2010). In China, Burberry has opened stores in 30 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan (Burberry, 2010). According to Baker (2003, p.799), he indicates that because of the legal, language and logistical problems, the most successful retail is difficult to enter other markets. Even though the retail companies could be slow and difficult entry the other countries, however overseas expansion is a significant process for development of retailers. Liu and Mcgoldrick (Bcaker, 2003) indicated that the long history of international product sourcing has facilitated foreign retailing operations because relationships have already b een construct with the foreign destinations that is easier to instigate the process of internationalisation. 2.3 Who are the international fashion retailers? According to the British fashion council, the editors of the international fashion magazines, journals and fashion experts, who define characteristic of the international fashion retailers such firms: Have an international profile in the fashion industry as evidenced in their having bi-annual fashion show in one of the international fashion capitals, e.g. Paris, Milan, London Have been established in the fashion design business for at least two years Named their own label merchandise Retail merchandise either via outlets bearing the name of designer or within other outlets with two or more countries (Moore et al, 2000) From other definition, following Hines and Bruce (2007) the international fashion retailer can be defined into the four types: The product specialist fashion retailers narrow product range, clearly defined customer base The fashion designer retailers internationally recognized brand, exclusive positioning The general merchandise retailers mix of fashion and non-fashion products and large stores The general fashion retailers- broad range of products and accessible pricing (Hines and Bruce, 2007) Moore and Doherty (2007) defined luxury fashion retailers as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ those firms that distribute clothing, accessories and other lifestyle products which are: Exclusively designed and/or manufactured by/or for the retailer; Exclusively branded with a recognised insignia, design handwriting or some other identifying device; Perceived to be of a superior design, quality and craftsmanship; Priced significantly higher than the market norm; and Sold within prestigious retail settings. Retailer that conform to this characterizes include Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Hermes, Burberry, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace and Mulberry. 2.4 Chinese retail cultures and economy For this stage, it will indicate the Chinese luxury fashion history, retailers and exporting in the world. By examining Chinese economy in the luxury fashion, China is playing an important role in the world of luxury fashion. Chinese have great history, but to date most of people have not exhume it or they reclaimed it by their own understanding. Once China has recovered its culture and confidence in itself, there is no uncertainty factor that great Chinese luxury brands will appear, recreating the link with the past such as shanghai Tan (Chadha and Husbands, 2006) $1.4 trillion economy of China is the sixth largest in the world and gross domestic product is forecast to increase 7.9% over the next five years (wgsn-edu.com, 2004). Since the 80s, Chinese economy has increased at an average rate of approx 13per cent per year. In some coastal cities growth has been as high as 35%. (Wgsn-edu.com, 2002. Sep 04). World trade in clothing and textiles is about $350 billion. In China, employment figure range from an estimated 19 million employed Textile and Clothing manufacture in 2005 up from 14 million in 1995 to 17963 in Mauritius. That is from the table, it also indicates employment in clothing manufacture in some countries from 1995 to 2005 (see figure 1) (Hines and Bruce, 2007). There is a reason for it that the Chinese textile and retail industries have cheap labour. On the other hand, China and Hong Kong China are the leading exporters which are significantly higher than others (see figure 2) (WTO, 2005) However, China and Hong Kong China are being relatively small importers in the table. Twenty years ago, there was no middle class in China but now, the middle class has been more than 100 million. Currently, China represents 12% of global luxury goods purchases and will grow 26 per cent per quarter for the next four years. The current of Chinese luxury consumer population is 300,000. The number of people who can afford the luxury products will grow up 1.3 billion in the next five years. That means the Chinese consumer is important for luxury brands as Chinese market will have make or break the luxury products factors potentially (Okonkwo, 2007). The high growth rate of the Chinese economy is an amazing market for the luxury fashion products industry. Chinese luxury market is the second largest to Japanese in the Asia-Pacific region and will grow 28 per cent annually in 2010 (Wiederhecker, 2007). Furthermore China will likely play influence role in the world of fashion. The effective of the rising Chinese designers will be increased in the next decades (Okonkwo, 2007). 2.5 Market entry Strategies Fashion retailers as the most prolific of international retailers can be are consistently recognised (Wigley and Moore, 2007). Luxury fashion brands have attracted more consistent attention and form the basis of the current work while the general fashion brands have been the focus of some academic attention (Laulajainen, 1992; Fernie et al., 1997; Moore et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2004). From Root (1987) summaries the definition of entry methods is as institutional arrangement that makes possible the entry of a companys product, technology, human skills, management or other resources into a foreign country. Traditionally, entry methods can be classified into along risk or control continuum (Teradgold and Davies, 1998; Dawson, 1994; Dotherty, 200). According to Alexander and Doherty (2009), international retailers will use more than one method to develop their markets when they face a number of methods for international expansion. There are main methods for international retailing dev eloping their markets: Flagship stores: company owned, large in scale to show case the brand Organic growth: internal expansion, likely new store develops within the existing or an integrated organization framework Merger and acquisition: the acquisition of control over a firm in the international market Joint venture: between a company in the host country and an international firm or two firms enter into a joint venture and enter the host market Franchising and licensing: a business gives the authorities to the international franchisee to operate the brand. Licensing, such like a agent Exporting/ wholesaling: products sold to an international market without really stores Concessions: a shop within a shop, usually a department store, in the host market Within each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages, which is chosen by a retailer on basis of its product portfolio, corporate confidence and has consequent set up cost and operational control, which a retailer needs to take into consideration (Burt, 1993; Dawson, 1993; Moore and Fernie, 2004; Quinn and Doherty, 2000; Sparks, 1996; Treadgold, 1991; Treadgold and Davies, 1988). Burt (1993). Following Simpson and Thorpes (1996) PLIN model the companies successful in foreign markets because their heritage provides them with niche differentials and internationally appealing brands as highlighted. This model suggests that retailers should do differential advantages via product, lifestyle, image and niche differentials from their competitors. The factors of internationalization entry methods Goodhow and Hanz (1972) indicate that companies need to consider five factors to start planning for foreign market entry: The environment of market- policy decision is affected by the environment of political and economic factors of the foreign market The competitiveness of the company- affected by the scale of company, technological level and experience of internationalisation The characteristic of the product- influenced through specialty of the production or different of production life cycle The consideration of companys capital and budget- it is affected by the limitation of companys capital. The cognition of inner company- the decision maker of company has the opinion towards the scale of risk for the demands of expansion foreign market The luxury fashion company, Burberry, says it is going to buy out its franchisees in Mainland China at beginning of September (Independent, 2010). Burberry will pay  £70 million ($108 million) to take full control of 50 stores in 30 cities in China, which include 9 stores in Beijing and 4 stores in Shanghai, from its franchisee Kwok Hang Holings of Hong Kong (BBC, 2010). The reason for Burberry to buy out its local franchise partner is that it will give more Burberry company control over the merchandise and how it is marketed. The chief financial office of Burberry said: We believe we can drive more productivity with those stores. and Burberry was looking to double the number of shops in the country. She also said the country would be a double-digit growth driver(Independent, 2010). Furthermore, for the development of retailer expansion in the foreign country, SWOT analyses can provide they with an outline of their strengths, Weakness, opportunities and threats, which can assist in direction when they entry into international markets (See figure 3). Burberry operates flagships in four markets that are London, New York, Tokyo and Barcelona (Moore and Doherty, 2007). Therefore Burberry did not use the flagships store method entry into China. However, for the one of the entry methods, concessions, nowadays, Luxury players have held out longest in Europe against locating in malls, which has been anathema to the retailers. However this has been preferred route to market in regions, such as China in Asia (Verdict, 2009). Similarly in Beijing both Shingkong Place and ST Plaza big department malls anchoring many luxury brands. Burberry operates concessions within these department stores throughout China. However, Burberry will operate the flagship store in Beijing in 16th December. That flagship store will be the most great in Asia (ELLEChina, 2010). 2.6 International expansion direction Some studies examined that the direction of expansion of specific fashion retailers is largely determined by their market position (Hind and Bruce). According to Hollander (1970) found that a focus on capital city expansion was a common trait of the internationalising luxury fashion retailers and termed the strategy the New York, London, Paris syndrome. In the 1990s, as a consequence of the hardly competitive conditions within the European Union and as a result of the opportunities afforded by the demise of the USSR. Therefore Fashion retailers have focused on their international expansion to emerging markets includes China, Russia (Fernie et al., 1998) The place of distribution refers to the areas that are make products and services available to customers. Retail channels are most effective when they meet the consumers expectations in terms of location, convenience and product assortment (Okonkwo, 2007). For luxury brands, there is the additional task of brand protection in the distribution areas choice such as licences or franchises. However, as early mention in previous chapter, in China, luxury retailers entry the market for the place of distribution via another choice. For an instant, The British luxury brand, Burberry, has 47 stores in Mainland China. In Beijing, Burberry operates eight stores. Chapter 3. 3.0 Luxury brands in the world 3.1 Global luxury consumption During the last few years, the luxury market has sustained growth. The luxury market has grown from $20 billion to $68billion from 1985 to 2000 in spite of the September 11 attacks and other events disruptive to global trade (The Economist, 2002). Even though some factors can influence the consumption of luxury brand in the market, which include image, quality, store atmosphere (Deeter-Dchmelz et al, 2000). However, Global consumers spend on luxury brands still grow 102.5% over 2003 to 2008 in $. In the euros, the global luxury market grew by 41.8% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬224.5bn over the 2003 to 2008, with a growth slowdown becoming evident in the latter half of 2008 because consumers expenditure on luxury brands slowed under the impact of the global financial crisis (see figure 4) Furthermore, the luxury goods sector has become increasingly more internationalised in recent year (see figure 5) (Verdict, 2009). 3.2 Burberry in China Thomas Burberry created Burberry in 1856 in Basingstoke, England when he opened a store to sell mens outwear, soon becoming known for the development of a fabric called gabardine. During the First World War, Burberry continued to develop the officers raincoat named the Trench coat(Moore Britwistle, 2004). Burberry is a global luxury brand with a distinctive British heritage, core outerwear base and one of the most recognized icons in the world. In China, after Burberry bought its franchisee back from Kwok Hang Holdings of Hong Kong (BBC, 2010). According to Burberry Group PLC (2010) Burberry plans to open about 10 stores in China in the current financial year when applying global marketing, retail, merchandising and IT disciplines to drive store productivity. From Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer commented: The acquisition of Burberrys store operations in mainland China will allow us to further leverage our proven brand and business strategies in this high growth luxury region. With a solid foundation of 50 stores across 30 cities, operational expertise and strong brand momentum, this is an optimal time for Burberry to integrate this business. Chinese market is an exciting market for the British luxury brand, Burberry. Furthermore, Burberry also plans to add 66 stores and 44 Chinese outlets in China by 2012 (Independent, 2010). In the other hand, According to Burberry annual report (2009) the revenues of Burberry were up 30% in Asia-Pacific and in 2009 to 2010, the retail and wholesale revenue were 24% in Asia-pacific includes China. (see Figure 6) Chapter 4. 4.0 Methodology 4.1 Introduction This chapter will definite the relevant methods of research that proceeds to give the most accurate findings for the aim and objectives of the project that have already been discussed. A vary of research methods will be examined at individually. After identify all the methods a few approaches will be selected for examining the retail internationalisation of British luxury fashion brands into Chinese market. 4.2 Research approaches According to Proctor (2000) indicated Qualitative research examines the attitudes, feelings and motivations of products users. Qualitative research is characterised by small samples and this has always focus on criticism. Qualitative research has advantages to grow in popularity. Firstly, it is much cheaper than quantities research. Secondly, an understanding of customer attitudes and motivations is produced a good mechanism by Qualitative research. Thirdly, it can improve quantitative research efficiently. Otherwise, qualitative research cannot provide samples for representative of the target population of the research. Quantitative research is focused with measuring elements of a market or the population of consumers marking up the market. This contains soft phenomena such as consumer attitude as well as market size, brand shares and purchase frequencies etc (Hague and Jackson, 1999). Quantitative research is a large sample size and it use statistical to analysis (Proctor, 2000). 4.3 Sampling The definition of sampling is from Chisnall (2001), it is concerned with the study of the relationships exiting between a population and the samples drawn from it. Proctor (2000) indicated sampling, some so-called census information is in fact obtained via sampling. That means computer assisted statistical procedures make it possible to obtain useful information about the population through questioning only a selected sample of persons. There are two main types of sampling methods according to Chisnall (2001) Probability samples- it is different between the sample value and the true value of the population surveyed. Non-probability samples- it require certain percentages of the sample to be women or men, housewives under thirty or a similar criterion. 4.4 Survey The primary data is indicated that asking people questions about their knowledge, attitudes, preferences and buying behavior (Kotler et al 2002). According to Proctor (2000) explored some of the various method of primary data through surveys: Postal surveys Personal interviews Telephone surveys Completely self-administered surveys Panels Omnibus studies 4.5 Questionnaires A Questionnaire is an important stage of the total research methods and its preparation and administration demand considerable professional expertise. It obtains specific information about a defined problem so that data result in a better appreciation of the problem after analysis and interpretation Chisnall (2001). According to Hague and Jackson (1999) noted purposes for the questionnaires. Firstly, primary role is to draw accurate date form respondents. Secondly, they provide structure to interviews. Thirdly, a questionnaire is to provide a standard form on which facts, comments and attitudes can be written down. Finally, questionnaire facilitates data processing. Question can be classified into two types that are open-ended question and closed questions. Open-ended question is also known as free answer or free response. The respondent is considerable freedom in phrasing an answer, which may be lengthy and detailed, and in his or her own words. On the other hand, closed questions are identified as calling for responses, which are strictly limited. That means he or she can choose alternative replies from they are expected to select an answer corresponding their on a particular subject (Hague and Jackson, 1999). Survey questionnaires are applied in different ways such as telephone interviews, formal structured personal interviews and self-administered studies (Proctor, 2000). 4.5 Observation According to Proctor (2000) indicated observation is a drawback of the survey method. It obtains much of the information is based on interviewees statements describing what they have done or expect to do in the future. Observation includes the personal or mechanical monitoring of selected activities. Chisnall (2001) said observation may be either participative or non-participative as indicated in the receding section. Participative observation would seem to have very limited application in marketing research. On the other hand, non-participative widely used in scientific studies and termed the classical method of investigation has several applications in marketing research. Hague and Jackson (1999) noted that observation is used in shopping studies, especially in stores. It is used to find out how things are done in practice. Observation can classified into these stages for the in-store environment: Distribution Shelf price Shelf facings -reported in number and share Shelf location Display activity Presence of point-of-purchase material (Proctor, 2000) 4.6 Focus group A focus group is a common form of a group interview. The aim of focus group is to learn and understand what people have to say about a topic and understand their arguments. The purpose is to discover how it forms part of their lives and how they feel about products, idea or organization. Focus group can be classified into three types that are exploratory groups, clinical focus group and employing focus group. Exploratory groups method is often used by focus group and helping to define the problem precisely. Clinical focus groups are used as true motivations and feelings of a person are subconscious. Employing focus groups provide information and data about problem by the mechanism of group dynamics. (Proctor, 2000) 4.7 Interviews According to Chisnall (2001) defined as a conversation directed to a definite purpose other than satisfaction in the conversation itself. An interview concerned with a purposeful exchange of meanings and interaction between the interviewer and the respondent. The quality of the interview depends on the interviewer developing a relationship with the answers, which will encourage good communication. 5.0 Conclusion Tungate (2008) indicated luxury brands have identified opportunities in Asia as a whole, everyone wants to talk about China. And also, Dickson Poon, the Hong Kong entrepreneur who owns Harvey Nichols, said: China definitely has the potential to become the largest luxury goods market in the world. Poon says that a number of Chinese with the wherewithal to buy mid-price consumer goods has reached 300 million. The Chinese is already worth an estimated US$550 billion. The people frequently travel for shopping not only to Hong Kong, they will go to further afield such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, as there place is a new wealth. Therefore, British luxury brand, Burberry successful entry into Chinese market. According to the data and information as mentioned in previous sectors indicated Burberry is good example of British luxury brand in Chinese market even though Burberry spent  £70 million ($108 million) to take full control of 50 stores in 30 cities in China. Like Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer said: Chinese market is an exciting market for the British luxury brand.(Burberry Group PLC 2010) So, Burberry is developing in Chinese market constantly, and they will open the most largest flagships store in Beijing soon as mentioned in previous sector. The aim of this project is to understand the retail internationalisation of British luxury fashion brands into the Chinese market. Therefore, objectives will be achieved by using both primary and secondary research methods to examined the retail internationalisation of British luxury fashion brands into the Chinese market. The literature review includes extensive secondary research from published authors of books, journal articles etc. to provide an examination of theoretical work. However, this project would benefit from the following methods of research have been selected as the best approaches to gain the most accurate findings. Index. Figure 1. Source from: Bruce M. and Hines, Fashion Marketing contemporary issues, pp. 3 Figure 2. Source from: Bruce M. and Hines, Fashion Marketing contemporary issues, pp. 5 Strengths Gross margin increased from 52.1% in 2008/09 to 59.7% in 2009/10 Annual sales of  £1280m Retail revenue is  £749m Authentic British heritage Its founding in 1856 by Thomas Burberry Globally recognized icon portfolio e.g. trench coat, trademark check Top 100 global brands Weaknesses Profit fell from  £62m to 25m in1998 The foreign group out of control Over-reliance on a number of key product suppliers Burberry over-relies upon licensees Opportunities Enhance consumer responsiveness Operate more efficiently and effectively Upgrading existing stores Execution of the global buy Threats Competition from other luxury global brands such as Chanel, Gucci Burberry could suffer it is supply chain is unable to produce Burberry may be unable to control its wholesale and licenseesFigure 3 Burberry SWOT analyses Figure 4. Source from: Verdict (2009), Global luxury retailing, pp.23 Figure 5 Source from: Verdict (2009), Global luxury retailing, pp.24

Gulliver’s Travels and Phaedra †Passion or Reason :: Gullivers Travels Essays

Gulliver’s Travels and Phaedra – Passion or Reason Do you base your decisions on passion or reason? The way one bases his or her decisions affects the quality and happiness of his or her life. Neither passion nor reason should be the sole basis for one's philosophy or lifestyle, because passion without reason is uncontrollable, and reason without passion takes the spark out of life. Works such as Phaedra and Gulliver's Travels show that either extreme will likely result in chaos and unhappiness, teaching one to pull from both sides. In Racine's Phaedra, the characters face problems that are caused by their passions, in a society based on reason and the roles they play in it. Phaedra finds that she loves Hippolytus, who is her stepson, and she feels guilty about it, because it goes against the grain of society. She is crazed with the passion she feels, and convinces herself, for a time, that she should die without telling anyone, so that her shame is not made worse by being known to others. Phaedra says, " my frenzied love's burst forth in act and word. I've spoken what should never have been heard" (Phaedra 181). This shows how much she regrets her decision to verbalize her feelings, because she knows she spoke out of passion instead of reason. Her indignity is so strong in her heart that she cannot even let herself take the responsibility for it. Phaedra claims that, " the Gods have robbed [her] wits"(Phaedra 168) as a way of passing the blame on to someone else in an effort to remove some of the dishonor from herself and onto the Gods. Eventually, she gives into the passion she is feeling, and tells Hippolytus how she feels. Her passion horrifies Hippolytus, because of the wrongness of the situation. Phaedra is so bound to a world of reason that once she decides to explore her feelings she removes her boundaries all together, forgetting how serious the affects on other people are going to be. Meanwhile Hippolytus finds strength of will, driven by passion, to pursue the woman he loves, who was banned by his father Theseus. Hippolytus says, " my reason can't rein in my heart" (Phaedra 176) when he is thinking about the crime he is committing against his father because of his love for Aricia. Gulliver’s Travels and Phaedra – Passion or Reason :: Gulliver's Travels Essays Gulliver’s Travels and Phaedra – Passion or Reason Do you base your decisions on passion or reason? The way one bases his or her decisions affects the quality and happiness of his or her life. Neither passion nor reason should be the sole basis for one's philosophy or lifestyle, because passion without reason is uncontrollable, and reason without passion takes the spark out of life. Works such as Phaedra and Gulliver's Travels show that either extreme will likely result in chaos and unhappiness, teaching one to pull from both sides. In Racine's Phaedra, the characters face problems that are caused by their passions, in a society based on reason and the roles they play in it. Phaedra finds that she loves Hippolytus, who is her stepson, and she feels guilty about it, because it goes against the grain of society. She is crazed with the passion she feels, and convinces herself, for a time, that she should die without telling anyone, so that her shame is not made worse by being known to others. Phaedra says, " my frenzied love's burst forth in act and word. I've spoken what should never have been heard" (Phaedra 181). This shows how much she regrets her decision to verbalize her feelings, because she knows she spoke out of passion instead of reason. Her indignity is so strong in her heart that she cannot even let herself take the responsibility for it. Phaedra claims that, " the Gods have robbed [her] wits"(Phaedra 168) as a way of passing the blame on to someone else in an effort to remove some of the dishonor from herself and onto the Gods. Eventually, she gives into the passion she is feeling, and tells Hippolytus how she feels. Her passion horrifies Hippolytus, because of the wrongness of the situation. Phaedra is so bound to a world of reason that once she decides to explore her feelings she removes her boundaries all together, forgetting how serious the affects on other people are going to be. Meanwhile Hippolytus finds strength of will, driven by passion, to pursue the woman he loves, who was banned by his father Theseus. Hippolytus says, " my reason can't rein in my heart" (Phaedra 176) when he is thinking about the crime he is committing against his father because of his love for Aricia.

Marx Philosophy and the End of History

Karl Marx is, without a doubt one of the most influential thinkers to emerge in the nineteenth century, and the theories he proposed, have influenced various regimes in different parts of the world. His success is the result of the flexibility present in his theories to adapt themselves to the times. In his mid twenties Marx, turned away from philosophy and concentrated his attention more towards the economic and political aspects of the society. It was in the light of economics that he viewed the problems in society and sought to provide a remedy to it. He viewed society not as an independent entity. Contrarily, he saw, society as a reflection of the progress made by History. The progress made by history always left behind a legacy in its trail. This legacy had a profound impact in the shaping of society. The validity of this statement can be proven, by citing the example of the poverty in the Africa Americans as the legacy of their history as slave labourers. However the direction of History was uncertain and could not be predicted. It was dictated by the economic factors present in society. The only certainty was that an, ‘end of history’ was inevitable. In his theory on Historical Materialism, Marx carefully analyses the various factors influencing the different stages in the growth of society from slavery to modern day capitalism. Thus the views of Marx can be summed up under, four basic principles. Firstly, he believed that society followed a straight law of motion and underwent various phases in order to get to the final stage of Communism. Secondly, the laws governing the society were purely economic in nature, for the only thing that shapes society are the ‘material tools of production. Thirdly, he believed that these laws would continue to be in force until the end of History. Fourthly, the classes and the State would perish with the end of History. However this end would be brought about by a bitter struggle of one class against another. It must be mentioned in this context, that Marx borrowed the concept of a dialectical history, with a cognate beginning, middle and end from Hegel. Marx’s main concern was the ‘State’, which he viewed as the main tool of exploitation. It is the State and its various institutions that are utilised by the dominant class to wield their power. He advocated that the State was the most powerful tool of exploitation, whose sole purpose was to represent the interests of the ruling class. He chose to study the State through the annals of History. To him only ‘History’, could reveal the secrets at work behind the evolution of the state and determine its future shape. However, Marx did not consider History to be an open-ended process. Instead he saw a definite ‘end in history’. This end would result in the downfall of Capitalism and ensue the coming of a new era of Communism. An end in History did not signify an end to human life, it simply meant that there would no longer be any changes in the underlying principles or institutions for all the major problems had been solved and man’s major needs fulfilled. Before we can elaborate on the ‘end of history’, as predicted by Marx, it is essential that we know what history is all about. Marx claims that History has not progressed in a straight line. The coherent development of human societies through the ages has been a result of the various regimes that it has undergone. Marx thus traces the evolutionary process from, tribal based societies which were dependant on slavery and agriculture for subsistence, to theocracies, monarchies, feudal aristocracies, modern liberal democracies and finally to the technologically driven Capitalism. In his study Marx points out that the fundamental element present in all these different societies is the ‘class’ system and the ‘means of production,’ which determined which class would be dominant in the society. The ‘Class’ and the subsequent ‘class struggle’ were the sine qua non of Marx’s theory. History showed that the class who controlled the means of production was the dominant class in society. It is the tools of ruthless dominance and exploitation used by the dominant class to maintain their authority that would one day turn against them and spearhead the inevitable revolutions. History has shown that every revolution brought about a change in the social structure. This change did not bring about an egalitarian order it simply replaced the old dominant class with a new one. The unequal social structure continued to exist. Every revolution just changed the composition of the oppressor and the oppressed. The day that the society became classless would be the day that History came to an end. This end was possible with the rise of Communalism. While proclaiming the advent of Communalism, Marx refused to give a cognate shape to his ideal society. He claimed that the final shape of Communism would be the result of the different historical processes that society underwent. It was not a realisation of a predetermined moral idea. When it came to classes, Marx outlined two major segments into which society was divided. They were the oppressed or the ‘Proletariat’ as he called them and the oppressor or the ‘Bourgeoisie’. When the levels of oppression reached its penultimate point the oppressed class rose in rebellion and the outcome of this rebellion was a new society. Thus Marx stated, â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing societies has been the history of class struggle.† The day history ceases to exist; classes shall also cease to exist. Marx in his theories always stressed on the Historical aspect and asserted that every society contained within itself the forces of contradiction, known as the ‘Thesis’ and ‘Anti Thesis’. When these two contradictory forces clashed against one another, a class struggle emerged that sought to change the shape of society and replace the existing dominant class with a new one. This change was not permanent but would cease with the end of history, and there would finally emerge a classless society where each person enjoyed the fruits of his own labour. In his theory on History Marx, points out that in a divided society the tools of production are owned by the dominant section of society who exploit the weaker classes in order to amass more wealth and gain strength. But, there would come a time, when the levels of consciousness would rise among the oppressed class and they would unite in a struggle against the oppressors. History is replete with such examples. The slave society was replaced by the feudal society and the feudal society by the Industrialists or the Bourgeoisie. The coming of the Industrialist Revolution brought a boom in the industry and a new class emerged as the dominant section. They were the Capitalist class who owned the means of production. Like its predecessors the Capitalist society also contained within itself the seeds of dissent. The Capitalists became the dominant class who usurped the means of production and relentlessly exploited the working class or the proletariat. It resulted in the alienation of the worker. The working class was denied of the fruits of its labour and while the rich grew richer the poor grew poorer. The chasm continued to widen with the increase in wealth in the hands of the Capitalists. Despite the contradictions in the Capitalist regime, the ‘Communist Manifesto’ begins by praising the Capitalist system. It says that the Capitalist system has played a revolutionary role in History. It has shown what man’s endeavours can achieve. It has accomplished wonders, which surpasses the wonders of the world. It has conducted exoduses, which have overshadowed all past crusades in the world. Having praised the Capitalist system they go on to say that Capitalism by nature is based on ‘competition’ and the ‘market’. The same dynamics that propel capitalism will also be the reason of its downfall. When there are no more markets left to explore and exploit, the entire buying and selling cycle would collapse. Capitalism would  Ã‚   suffer from the phenomenon of ‘overproduction’ and   would be brought down to its knees. Harping on the ills of Capitalism, the Marxian philosophy, states that the Capitalist system would soon displace the smaller and individual producers. Marx went to the extent of saying that History would witness the replacement of indigenous farming with industrial and mechanised farming. Once this level of exploitation was reached the end of history would not be far away. This exploitation would unleash an era of unemployment and misery among the working class. When living under such miserable conditions became unbearable, history would witness a revolution spearheaded by the working class. Thus what Capitalism produces above all is its own ‘gravediggers’. It is the working class that would lead the final revolution to successfully remove the yoke of Capitalism. But the end of History or Communism as Marx viewed it was not to be achieved easily. The intermediate stage between Capitalism and Communism was the ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’. It was in this stage that the proletariat had complete control over the means of production as well as over the various institutions. The downfall of Capitalism, Marx claimed, would bring about the end of History. The phrase ‘end of history’ indicates a society based on Communism. It is a classless and egalitarian society where every man has full right over the fruits of his labour. From the ‘end of history’ there would emerge the final shape of the society. It would no longer undergo any more transformations, since all the major ills plaguing its predecessors had been removed. It was a society where man attained true economic freedom. Keeping in mind the fact that Marxism has a great deal of supporters it cannot be overlooked that the society Marx depicted in the end was more of a utopia rather than a reality. Though Marx’s philosophy has stood the test of times his views on the ‘end of History’ is yet to materialise. If we study the history of the world carefully we can see instances when the Marxian theory has borne fruit, but there have also been instances when the theory failed miserably. The theory of Marx was put to the test with the Russian Revolution. The theory defended itself by proclaiming that Russian society had not passed through the necessary stages in order to qualify as a successful communist society. Though the country was growing rapidly the society was predominantly feudal in nature. It had not been through the phase of Capitalism. The Soviet Union that was the glowing example of the success of Communism also faced failure. The downfall of the Soviet Union exposed the inherent corruption, inefficiency and irrationality present in the society. This picture of a communist society seemed to be absolutely contradictory to the egalitarian and classless society in a Communist Regime envisaged by Marx. The most important fact is that the ‘end of history’ is yet to manifest itself. With the ongoing scenario in the world Capitalism seems to have gained an even stronger foothold. Rather than an impending doom, capitalism is on a rise. The State that was supposed to wither away with the end of history is a far cry away. The State seems to be playing an even more important role today. It is far more intervening in the ways of man than predicted by man. Instead of being a tool of oppression the State has helped in maintaining stability, law and order in society. The end of history as envisaged by Marx is not easy to implement in practice. While envisaging an equal society Marx placed complete faith on the just and truthful nature of man. But man is by nature greedy. His wants keep increasing and to meet these wants he needs to amass resources. Thus, to think that man would be happy in his own little share would be a folly. It is inevitable that a man or a group of men would want to take over the reigns of power. Such a situation would lead to nothing but anarchy and chaos. It is because of the above reasons that the end of history seems such a far-fetched thought. The Marxian theory was not about right or wrong it was simply a theory of history. It followed the trends that had occurred in the past and on the basis of those sought to predict the future trends that would ensue. In so far that the theory acknowledged the presence of exploitation and domination in history it stands fully justified. It is only when it comes to predicting an end to Capitalism that the theory seems to falter. It seeks to attain the unattainable. In view of the above mentioned arguments, and in the light of the real world scenario, we can safely say, that, even though the political, economic and social institutions proposed By Marx are dead or dying away, his theory and influence on the world continue to exist. Works Cited Marx, . Karl,   Fredrick   Engels   and   David   Mclellan   ed,   The   Communist   Manifesto,   Oxford   World's   Classics   1848

Oedipus Rex Essays - Greek Mythology, Literature, Vocal Music

Oedipus Rex Essays - Greek Mythology, Literature, Vocal Music Oedipus Rex The great tragedy Oedipus Rex by Greek tragedian Sophocles centers on the protagonist Oedipus, king of Thebes, and his quest t o save the town from the plague that is crippling the city. The oracle from the gods states that the town is suffering because the murderer of the previous king, Laiis has not been punished for his crime, and in order for the town to enjoy peace again the murderer must be killed. King Oedipus who is unaware of his role in the murder of Laiis begins a relentless campaign to find the killer and bring him to justice. From his argument with Tiresias at the end of scene one to his conversations with Jocasta in scene two, Oedipus's approach changes from one that is confrontational to one that is doubtful. Towards the end of Act one Oedipus suspects that his brother-in-law Creon, who was also the brother-in-law to the former king killed Laiis out of greed and jealous y and becomes angry. Filled with feelings of betrayal he confronts Creon. Oe dipus is convinced that Creon will not stop his quest for power at Laiis rather he has "plotted to steal [Oedipus] throne" as well. Oedipus fears that his power and life are at stake because of Creon. At this moment Oedipus' feeling of paranoia begin to become visible and is directly accusing Creon for the murder of King Laiis. Additionally, Oedipus sees Creon as a threat that must be permanently disposed of. While Oedipus considered exile for the punishment of Creon, he realizes that his punishment will "not [be] exile. It is your death I want." Creon was once Oedipus' closest companions, but now may face the maximum punishment, death. The feelings of betrayal Oedipus is experiencing forces the king to act out of rage and raw emotion toward his brother-in-law, rather than contemplate and investigate the accusations. In scene two, Oedipus' demeanor goes through a major shift, his forceful and angry attitude seen in scene one, is replaced with one of doubt and confusion. When Oedipus shares his concerns with his wife Jocasta who is also the widow of Laiis, he is told the story of Laiis' murder in greater depth. After hearing Jocasta's recount of Laiis' death Oedipus begins to see possible connections between the murder he committed before coming to Thebes and the murder of the King. Oedipus now begins to question his innocence and believes than he "must be accurst/by my own ignorant edict." Oedipus no longer blames Creon for the crime that has brought upon the plague; rather he blames Thebes' suffering on his own foolishness. As more details regarding Laiis' life surface, Oedipus' doubts are only solidified. "Think of it: I have touched you with the same hands, / these hands that killed you husband. What defilement!" Once Oedipus is properly briefed on the facts of the crime he begi ns to understand the truth, that he is in fact not only the sun of Laiis, but also his murderer. In his writings Sophocles meant to imitate the real behaviors and tendencies of humans. The play Oedipus Rex address several the most prominent being, human arrogance; had Oedipus been able to control his anger and not act to preserve his ego, King Laiis may have not been killed. However, in the eyes of Sophocles most men act similar to Oedipus and allow their own pride to cloud their judgment. Similarly had the people of Thebes investigated the murder of their King, the gods would not have sent the plague, and ju stice would have been delivered long before.

Comparative Criminal Justice Essays (Varied)

Comparative Criminal Justice Essays (Varied) Free Online Research Papers Our world is no longer defined by its borders; financial transactions, business meetings, and personal communications between people half the globe away can all be done within milliseconds thanks to the technology we have, literally, at our fingertips. The advent of this technology has also yielded another by-product, other than the ability to communicate at speeds Edison and Einstein only theorized about: the need to study and understand the systems of justice that exist in the many corners of our world. Since modern technology allows for nations to interact considerably more freely than they did even 10 years ago, the ability to understand and compare the many justice systems of the world is paramount. One reason why the need to study the various justice systems of the world is paramount to students, is that the status quo should never be allowed to exist unchecked. For example, a student of the American criminal justice systems does themselves a disservice if the only system of law they study and find acceptable is their own criminal justice system. â€Å"A comparative view of legal systems allows us to understand better the dimensions of our own system† (Reichel, 2008, p.4-5). Another reason to study the justice system of other countries is that it allows the student the benefit of understanding how other societies deal with various crimes and social ills. For instance, a student who only has been exposed to a legal system who imprisons those found guilty of drug offenses, should not believe themselves to be well-rounded on the subject if they do not expose themselves to other legal systems where these types of crimes are handled differently, and include alternate forms of punishment outside of their own model of criminal justice. Lastly, by studying the justice systems of other countries allows for a student to create ways in which the legal system of their own country may possibly be modified to function more effectively and efficiently. â€Å"A technique used in one country to combat crime might be successfully adapted for use in another country† (Reichel, 2008, p.5). For example, can the conflict resolution techniques for the crime of theft by the Aboriginal people of Australia be adapted into the restorative justice practices used in Houston, Chicago, or Seattle (Reichel, 2008)? It seems our world becomes smaller and smaller each passing day. However, as much as modern technology has allowed us to communicate and execute business transactions between countries as never before, it has yet to familiarize the various criminal justice systems of the world in quite the same manner as technology has allowed people in California to share computer files with people in Finland. 2. The legal traditions recognized throughout the modern world are mostly creatures of the alpha-male societies of the ancient world. As the ancient world was claimed and re-claimed by various civilizations, one lasting impression that was left, even after some civilizations changed roles from conquerors to those who became conquered, was their respective system of law. Although the maps of the world have changed, scholars recognize that four legal traditions exist in our world today. One of these traditions is the common legal tradition. Rooted in ancient Roman society, the common legal tradition is centered on three tenets: feudal practices, customs, and equity. Even after the Romans hold over the ancient world became untenable, this one facet of their legal system remained, especially in the lands of their northwest conquests, such as present day England and Wales. During the Middle Ages in Western Europe, society was clearly demarcated into three realms: the king, nobles, and peasants. The king ruled supreme over a designated country or large geographical area, the nobles were charged with ensuring that the king’s lands were governed as the king saw fit, and that taxes were also collected. The peasants’ role was that of laborers and to maintain the king’s lands. As time progressed, this class system came to include more and more layers. â€Å"By the 1200s, when feudalism was on decline, several layers of feudal relations existed, f or example, the vassals of an important baron (the vassals’ lord) were in turn the lord of their own vassals† (Reichel, 2008, p. 107.) Since the crops and the land still had to be maintained, peasants remained a constant. However, as disagreements between lords and lords, and lords and their underlings began to occur, some measure had to be in place so that each layer of the feudal world had a form of legal remedy. Borrowing from Anglo-Saxon customs, William the Conqueror (1066-1087) introduced a system by which royal courts were created where barons presided over disputes between lesser nobles, and disputes among peasants were heard by the lord of their manor rather than in a royal court (Reichel, 2008). The use of custom is also rooted in the Anglo-Saxon and English feudal epochs. During these periods there emerged a reliance on the previous decisions a court had made in deciding a case that was presently before a court. This became a practice that was more frequently used and accepted, and laid the groundwork for the current practice of allowing precedent to govern how a court decides a case, or stare decisis. Lastly, the use of equity (or fairness) also defines common law. For too long those at the bottom of the social strata, seeking a legal remedy, found that those in power either provided too little punishment or an excessive amount of it. This became most prevalent during the mid-1350s, when â€Å"the people turned to the king and asked him to add fairness to the law† (Reichel, 2008, p. 110.) With the addition of equity as a free standing and permanent facet of the common law, this legal tradition has remained viable to the present day in such countries as the United States and Australia. Another legal tradition is called the civil legal tradition. Historically, this tradition is attributed most to the ancient Romans. The Romans delineated their justice system into three bodies. These legislative bodies enacted statutes for the nobility, senators, and the common people to follow. â€Å"The earliest form of written Roman law dates to 451 and 450 BCE, when a council of 10 men inscribed 12 bronze tablets with specifics concerning the rights of Roman citizens† (Reichel, 2008, p. 112). Another ingredient of civil law is canon law. Roman civil law was the universal law of the worldly empire, and canon law was the universal law of the spiritual realm (Merryman, 1985). Whereas civil courts administered Roman civil law, ecclesiastical courts managed the canon law (Reichel, 2008). Since Roman civil law and canon law were centered on existing via statutes, the codification of each provided for the final ingredient to this type of legal tradition. â€Å"Roman law and canon law provided a tradition of codification that, in turn, emphasized a revolutionary nature of law and stressed its written form† (Reichel, 2008, p. 114-115). The polar opposite of law driven by custom, codification gives civil law a revolutionary character and written format that adds to its separate identity among legal families (Reichel, 2008). Today, civil law is used by such countries as Italy, Colombia, and Holland. A third type of legal tradition is the socialist legal tradition. This legal tradition, created by the Roman Empire being split into an Eastern and Western Empire, distinguished itself from the Roman civil legal tradition in the west mainly because of geography. â€Å"Russian legal history borrows from the Eastern or Byzantine Empire, primarily because Russia’s contact with the eastern Romans did not occur until the 10th century† (Reichel, 2008, p. 117). Prior to Russia falling under Mongol rule in the 13th century, the main source of law came from the Russian Code of Laws which was written by Grand Prince Iaroslav the Wise (Reichel, 2008). During the Mongol control of Russia, Russian princes still retained their positions as judges, since keeping them in such positions allowed the Mongols to keep control and maintain law and order of a very vast and diverse country. â€Å"Control by Mongols essentially ended by 1490, and in 1497 the Grand Prince of Moscow issued a new Code of Laws for all territories subject to Moscow† (Reichel, 2008, p. 118). These laws echoed those of the Russian Code of Laws, but they also formed the foundation of Russia’s monarchical regime, which gave the power of interpreting the law to the grand prince who, in time, became known as the czar. Another hallmark of the socialist legal tradition is the belief of law as being artificial. This mindset was cultivated by many years of the common people witnessing the law benefitting the Bourgeoisie (the nobility) while alienating the Proletariat (common people). This manner of thinking existed for a long time, so long that by the time Marxism-Leninism took over Russian society one of its main teachings was that the need for law, any law, would cease to exist. After Marxism-Leninism became the focal point of post-revolution Russia, â€Å"the primary principle directing the new Soviet law was the idea that law is subordinate to policy† (Reichel, 2008, p. 120). The thought process here was that if the concept of law is artificial, it can be applied or disregarded as policy dictates. ‘The policy to which law is subordinate places the rights of the collectivized economy and the socialist state above the idea of law or the rights of an individual† (Reichel, 2008, p.120). With the demise of the Soviet Union and the independence of many former Soviet controlled countries, the socialist legal tradition appears to be the one tradition most likely to fade away. Today, this legal tradition is used only by a few of countries (Cuba, North Korea, China, and Vietnam). The final legal tradition centers on religion, more specifically the Islamic religion. Although this tradition can encompass other religions, such as Hinduism and Judism, with more than 1.3 billion followers Muslims represent about 20% of the world’s population, and as such deserve to be selected over other religions (Reichel, 2008). Islam is based on the teachings of their recognized god Allah and his messenger named Muhammad. Whereas Catholics, Protestants, Christians, and Lutherans are all religions that in some form govern the way a person should act towards themselves and others, none of these religions are as all encompassing of a person’s life the way Islam is. â€Å"Islam recognizes no distinction between a legal system and other controls on a person’s behavior, in fact Islam is said to provide all answers to questions about appropriate behavior in any sphere of life† (Reichel, 2008, p. 123). The Islamic faith has two sources of Islamic law (referred to as Shari’a). The primary source is the Qur’an. According to Reichel (2008), â€Å"The Qur’an contains rules for the religious, personal, social, economic, and all other aspects of Muslims’ lives†. The second source is called the Sunna. It is from this source that Muslims learn of the teachings of Muhammad. This is done via statements (or hadith) Muhammad made that have been handed down through the millennia from one trusted source to another. â€Å"A hadith contains three important parts: the statement itself; an indication of its authority by reference to the chain of reporters (i.e., A heard it from B who heard it from C who heard it from a companion of Muhammad); and a comment regarding the report as being something Muhammad did, said, or approved â€Å" (Reichel, 2008, p. 125). Islamic law is divided into five schools (or madhahib) of law: the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’I, Hanbali, and Fa’afari. Each of these schools of Islamic law recognizes the four basic sources of Islamic law (the Qur’an, the Sunna, qiyas, and ijma). â€Å"Cases not seemingly answered by the Qur’an or Sunna were to be handled through a consensus of legal authorities (the ijma) and by a process of reasoning by analogy, or qiyas† (Reichel, 2008, p. 126). However, the five schools are differentiated in the manner in which they interpret the teachings of Muhammad. Today, only Afghanistan and the Maldives practice strict Islamic law, while countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, India, and Saudi Arabia practice a combination of Islamic law and other traditions. Research Papers on Comparative Criminal Justice Essays (Varied)Capital PunishmentThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionOpen Architechture a white paper

Consumer Behaviour in Malaysia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Behaviour in Malaysia - Essay Example (Ndubisi 2006, p17) In order to be able to take advantage of opportunities and establish strong chance at competition in Malaysia, Australian exporters should be able to understand the dynamics of the country’s consumer market because Malaysian consumers differ significantly from those in Australia. An understanding of consumer behavior, particularly, can make a difference since it impacts purchasing behavior and, therefore, marketing decisions as well. In addition, the diffusion of trends such as technological and economic is also crucial to penetrate the Malaysian market. Culture and Consumer Behavior The relationship between consumers and consumer goods is driven by several variables. Culture is one of the most important of such. McCracken’s model, which explained the movement of cultural meaning, identify possession ritual, exchange ritual, grooming ritual and divestment ritual as what dictates individual consumer behavior in the process wherein meaning is construct ed, structured and transferred in the flow of consumer goods. (Schiffman et al 2009) Ritual is the key concept at work here. Consumption becomes a symbolic activity typified by steps, behaviors and actions that became constant, occurring repeatedly over time. This underscores how culture impacts consumers. Consumer products are symbols that represent what the consumers value in products and services or what the marketers communicate as value for the buyers. Karahana, Evaristo and Strite also explained how culture impacts behavior through their own theoretical model of culture’s influence on behavior. Here, behavior is driven by attitude and social norms, variables that are produced by cognitive beliefs, cultural practices and values. (p8) Pecotich and Schultz conducted a review of studies on consumer perception on brands in Malaysia. It was found that Malaysians display specific characteristics in their attitude towards products. Specific examples were provided. For instance, in brand selection on electrical products, Malaysians were found to be motivated by the perceived best brand, favoring prestige over a product that is simply thought of as efficient or works well. (p426) This is also congruent to the tendency of Malaysian consumers to patronize celebrity-endorsed products and their loyalty to brands. According to Kacen and Lee (2002), impulse consumer buying behavior now accounts for up to 80% of all purchases in some countries and that culture plays a part as consumers engage in sudden, compelling, hedonically complex purchase decision process that precludes thoughtful, deliberate consideration of all information and choice alternatives. (p163) The argument is that culture tempers impulsive buying. This is highlighted in Malaysia by the Islamic subculture, which in turn can best be depicted through the concept of halal. In Malaysia, halal, which means what is permitted, is the norm in Islamic consumption. Consumers and their consumption are subjec t to institutionalization regulated by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. Fischer (2008) explained that halal informs and controls ideas and practices such as wearing of gold and ornaments, wigs and hairpieces; paintings; photographs, keeping of dogs; cleanliness;

Nonhuman Primate Sign Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nonhuman Primate Sign Language - Essay Example The present research has identified that human and nonhuman primates such as chimpanzees have commonalities in brain features in high-level communicative and cognitive functions. Brains of both human and nonhuman primate show some degree of asymmetry. Both halves of the human brain are not symmetrical they are lopsidedness that arise at the development stage of brain. Brains of humans show a greater variance of asymmetry than that of chimpanzees, but brains of both species are asymmetrical in structures. Brain asymmetry gives a room for flexibility and enables the brain to adapt easily to different conditions and situations. Human and primates share 99% of their genetic makeup. However, their main difference between the two is the capability of communicating in a language that is defined. Chimps do not can speak human language, but they have a way of communicating to each other. One of the ways they communicate to each other is through different types of vocal calls. If the chimps fi nd food, they start making different types of grunts, pant hoots and barks to let others know the source of food. Chimpanzees have different pant hoots that distinguish each from one another. It helps others to identify individuals who are making the call. When chimps get back from a successful hunt, they make calls in an exciting way to alert others about a successful mission. When they come across a dangerous situation, they produce a savage-sounding to alert others on the potential danger. Chimps also communicate with each other by making use of bodily gestures and postures. Some communities such as that of a monkey make use of physical contact to express anger, happiness, fear and aggressiveness. When chimps get angry, they express anger by standing upright using their hind legs, wave their arms and sometimes they can throw rocks and branches. The behavior alerts other chimps that are near and steer clear of this particular monkey.