Luxury Brands Essay

ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE CONCEPT OF LUXURY: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS Bernard Dubois, Groupe H. E. C. Gilles Laurent, Groupe H. E. C. Even though recent years have not been extremely favorable for the luxury industry (the ComitT Colbert which includes many prestigious French names – Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, etc†¦ – reports a 1. 5% increase in real terms for 1993), its growth rate, considered over a longer period, remains impressive. Colbert companies have more than doubled their sales over the last eight years (ComitT Colbert, 1991, 1993). In 1993, they achieved a global turnover of about USD 5. 5 billion. The Pacific Rim countries represented 28% of that amount (21. 6% in 1988), equally divided between Japan and the other Asian countries. Interestingly enough, however, such growth in demand has not been matched by an equivalent progress in consumer research and what was estimated by McKinsey (in 1990) to be a USD 60 billion market largely remains unexplored territory (McKinsey, 1991). Some studies obviously have been conducted and published in the past but they tended to focus on relatively narrow aspects. For example, the consumption habits of the affluent have been investigated regularly since Veblen’s seminal work (Veblen, 1899) and, today, anecdotal reports (Stanley, 1988, 1991) as well as in-depth monographies of specific segments such as upper class wasps (Hirschman, 1988) or nouveaux-riches (LaBarbera, 1988) are available. Limiting the investigation of the luxury market to the analysis of privileged consumers however would fail to recognize that, under the influence of diffusion strategies adopted by many luxury goods companies (for brands such as Dior or Yves Saint-Laurent, accessories may represent up to two thirds of their sales), today’s demand for luxury goods primarily consists of â€Å"ordinary† consumers who, from time to time, transform their desire to acquire a luxury item into reality. Similary, a few studies have been published on luxury brands, for instance on issues such as their relative positions in people’s mind (Dubois and Duquesne, 1993 ; Weber and Dubois, forthcoming) or their adopters’ characteristics (Andrus, Silver and Johnson, 1986) but many luxury goods (houses, diamonds, furniture, etc†¦ ) belong to product categories where branding is not a salient dimension, while, at the same time, a few brands (such as FabergT) which were in the past considered as luxury names seem to have lost their affiliation to the luxury world, usually because they have overdiffused their products. Finally, some research has also been published on the determinants of the acquisition of luxury products, emphasizing economic (Leibenstein, 1950 ; Mason, 1981) socio-demographic (Dubois and Laurent, 1993) or cultural aspects (Dubois and Duquesne, 1993 ; Mason 1993) but no overall conceptual scheme, model or theory has been developed yet. Paradoxically, one of the untapped research areas concerns the very nature of perceptions and attitudes attached to the word â€Å"luxury† itself. This is somewhat surprising because even casual conversations reveal that the word â€Å"luxury† evokes rather strong connotations among people. Some attach to it very positive feelings while others are quick to express their disdain, but few are left indifferent. The absence of research on the word â€Å"luxury† also is unfortunate because, in several product categories, the luxury adjective is used routinely to segment markets and to position products. In the car industry for example, both manufacturers and consumers clearly identify luxury models (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac, etc†¦ ) usually advertised as such. The same holds true for such services as hotels or restaurants. The objective of this paper is to report on an exploratory analysis of the perceptions and attitudes attached to the word (and underlying concept of) â€Å"luxury†. It is hoped that the results presented below will stimulate further research in the area and eventually contribute to the development of a theory of luxury acquisition and consumption behavior. METHOD In order to explore the meanings attached to the word â€Å"luxury†, a two-step survey methodology was adopted. Other approaches such as semiotics could also have been used but were left less appropriate to explore, and to some extent, quantify consumers’ attitudes towards the luxury concept (Wargnier, 1985). First, in-depth interviews were conducted by a professional psychologist with sixteen consumers selected for their widely different (and complementary) profiles. Both males and females were equally represented in the panel and age varied from 17 to 70 years. Occupations were also strongly contrasted, ranging from sales rep to student and from opera singer to mechanic. All interviews were conducted at home, on a face-to-face basis, and taped. On the basis of results obtained from such qualitative research, a battery of attitudinal items was developed and administered to a sample of 440 French consumers. Although not randomly drawn, the sample was chosen according to quotas set in terms of sex, age and geographical location. Given the nature of the topic under investigation, it was decided to overrepresent female respondents and to underrepresent lower income categories. All interviews were conducted by professional interviewers on a face to face basis. Although the questionnaire included many questions about specific product categories such as perfumes, jewelry, etc†¦ only the results connected with qualitative research and the general attitudinal statements are reported in this paper. RESULTS www. acrwebsite. org/search/view-conference-proceedings. aspx? Id=11539 1/4 3/4/13 Attitudes Towards the Concept of Luxury: an Exploratory Analysis by Bernard Dubois and Gilles Laurent From the results obtained through qualitative research, several important themes emerge in relation to the concept of luxury. First, the world â€Å"luxury† itself is spontaneously associated with other terms such as (in decreasing order of frequency) : â€Å"upscale†, â€Å"quality†, â€Å"good taste†, â€Å"class†, but also â€Å"flashiness† and â€Å"bad taste†. All of these terms overlap in meaning to a certain extent but also have distinct connotations. For example, the key perceived difference between upscale and luxury products is that the former imply a relative position on an evaluative scale while the latter correspond to a self-contained entity. Upscale products also are naturally connected with material goods while the concept of luxury encapsulates symbolic and cultural values. During interviews, many respondents referred to abstracts concepts such as space, time, or freedom to convey their perceptions of luxury. The fact that both good taste and bad taste are associated with luxury, sometimes by the same people, clearly reveal the ambivalent nature of respondents’ feelings, a theme which has been recently investigated in the context of gift giving behavior (Sherry, McGrawth and Levy, 1993). Typical contrasts emerge on dimensions such as : essential/superfluous, decent/indecent, quality/gadget†¦ Given this ambivalence, it is not surprising to find that luxury items often provoke avoidance/attraction reactions. For many respondents, luxury products are desirable when contemplated at a distance, at a day-dreaming level : when a specific purchase is considered (sometimes â€Å"ruminated†), guilt feelings arise however and the buying act is experienced by many as a transgression, a not totally excusable attempt to break off daily routine and run away, at least temporarily. TABLE 1 (/volumes/ap01/01274t01. gif) (/volumes/ap01/01274t01. gif) ATTITUDINAL STATEMENTS ABOUT LUXURY (/volumes/ap01/01274t01. gif) At the same time, the luxury transgression can also be a regression, a trip back to one’s idealized childhood, when everything was warm and smooth. This would explain why the concept of luxury was felt by many to be relative and idiosyncratic. During interviews, a number of respondents spontaneously started to describe â€Å"their† luxury, as if they were talking about a secret garden, only known to them. The dual nature of luxury-a world in itself and a world for me-certainly accounts for a large proportion of the ambivalence of feelings. Without oversimplyfing too much, one could say that many negative feelings are attached to â€Å"others’ luxury†, while the positive ones are kept for â€Å"my† luxury. On the basis of such themes, a battery of 34 attitudinal items was developed, pretested and administered. The attitudinal statements as well as the overall frequencies are presented in Table 1 and discussed in the following sections. Overall results tend to confirm conclusions obtained from qualitative research about the ambivalent nature of respondents’ feelings. As far as the concept itself is concerned for example, a majority of respondents considers that luxury is synonymous with â€Å"good taste†, is â€Å"pleasant†, â€Å"not old-fashioned† and â€Å"useful† but also â€Å"flashy† and â€Å"too expensive for what it is. † When commenting on their personal rapport to luxury, most respondents express a positive attitude (â€Å"I like luxury,† â€Å"I’m interested in luxury,† â€Å"Luxury makes me dream,† â€Å"Luxury products make life more beautiful†) but also confess their relative lack of expertise (â€Å"I don’t know much about it,† â€Å"I could not talk about it for hours†) and infrequent purchase activity (â€Å"I almost never buy luxury products†). When asked (in a projective mode) to comment on others’ behavior, a vast majority subscribes to the hedonic motive (â€Å"One buys luxury goods primarily for one’s pleasure†) and refutes the snobbish argument, but more than 50% of those who express an opinion consider that â€Å"people who buy luxury products seek to imitate the rich† and, on issues like â€Å"people who buy luxury goods try to differentiate themselves from others† or â€Å"people who buy luxury products are refined people† the sample is totally divided. Similarly, one out of two respondents does not support the idea of a heavier tax but one out of three welcomes such a proposal! In order to improve our understanding of the underlying attitudinal structure, correlation and principal component analyses were performed. Rather than displaying the full 34 x 34 correlation matrix, not easy to read (1156 coefficients), we decided to attempt to graphically represent the underlying structure, even though we recognize that it is not always possible to completely eliminate arbitrariness in positioning the items on the resulting map. Figure 1 depicts the map obtained when only intercorrelations higher than 0. 4 are considered. To make it easier to read and to interpret, all items which imply a favorable predisposition towards luxury are positioned on the left side of the figure while â€Å"negative† statements appear on the right side. Coefficients between 0. 40 and 0. 50 are indicated by dotted lines while solid lines correspond to correlations above 0. 50. Obviously, all coefficients are statistically significant. It appears that the backbone of perceptions and attitudes evolves around the attraction-avoidance dimension mentioned previously. The two attitudinal statements â€Å"I like luxury† and â€Å"I’m not interested in luxury† exhibit a strong (negative) correlation, with an absolute value which is the highest one in the whole matrix. From such a map, a number of conclusions can be drawn : 1. – There are two basic reasons underlying the lack of interest in luxury. The first one is a negative perception of the luxury world, considered in an absolute, general and abstract sense. Those who adopt this perspective tend to describe luxury goods as useless, old-fashioned, too expensive and flashy. Since they fail to see much value in luxury items, they do not develop an appetite for them. 2. – The second reason is more linked to a perceived lack of fit between the individual and luxury. Those who feel this absence of connivence tend to explain it in terms of their own inexpertise, their uneasiness with luxury environments and an impression of artificiality when they wear their luxury items (in case they own some). All those factors logically result in a minimal involvement in both interest for luxury goods and acquisition behavior. 3. – Although not reported on the map, the correlations between, on the one hand, those two sets of items and, on the other hand, the group of three statements related to the perceived reasons why others buy luxury goods (located at the extreme right of the figure) are statistically significant, typically in the 0. 20 – 0. 40 range. Those who don’t feel at ease with luxury goods and admit their incompetence also tend to believe that â€Å"others† buy luxury items to imitate the rich or to differentiate themselves from the rest of the population. www. acrwebsite. org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx? Id=11539 2/4 3/4/13 Attitudes Towards the Concept of Luxury: an Exploratory Analysis by Bernard Dubois and Gilles Laurent Those who believe that luxury goods are too expensive and flashy have a similar perception of the behavior of â€Å"others. † But the factors underlying such perceptions are not the same for both groups. While the former find one more reason to deepen the gap which separates them from the world of luxury, it looks as if the latter have one more justification in support of their disdain of an environment perceived as sterile and futile. 4. – The two mechanisms underlying disinterest have their counterparts on the positive (left hand) side. Although not shown on the map, the correlation between â€Å"I like luxury† and â€Å"I could talk about it for hours† is highly significant (0. 32). People who like luxury also are people who feel knowledgeable about it, both in terms of expertise and familiarity (Alba and Hutchinson, 1987). The luxury world is â€Å"their† world and they move in it like a fish in water, as revealed by their strong opposition to the statement â€Å"I almost never buy luxury goods†. 5. – But the appetite for luxury goods can be also developed on a more abstract and symbolic dimension (upper left corner). Those who adopt this viewpoint see the luxury word as a source of fascination and enlightment. Luxury products make them dream and contribute, in their opinion, to a more beautiful life. This ethereal perception of luxury is also the most hedonic of all in nature, as revealed by the strong correlations obtained with the items related to pleasure. Luxury becomes a permanent source of inspiration and happiness, almost a goal for life, far beyond transient fads and fashions. All these facets of luxury are easily confirmed by the rotated factor structure. Applying the varimax procedure to the table of intercorrelations yields the matrix reproduced in Table 2. Ten factors were extracted explaining about 60% of the variance. While the last six correspond to specific items (or pairs of items) not directly linked with the core attitudinal structure but useful to illustrate such topics as price perceptions and their consequences (Factor 5), or the scarcity issue (Factor 6), the first four correspond rather closely to the structure discussed previously. Factor 1 expresses the lack of interest due to limited expertise and familiarity, while Factor 2 corresponds to the positive evaluation of luxury goods fostered by hedonistic motives. Factor 3 summarizes the negative perceptions attached to the behavior of others and Factor 4 corresponds to the mythical and symbolic values attached to the luxury â€Å"fairy tale†. Taken together, these four factors contribute to a better understanding of the underlying structure and can be helpful for someone interested in developing a short scale intended to measure attitudes toward the concept of luxury. As an illustration, the factorial structure of a subset of twelve items appears on Table 3 and is rather straightforward in its interpretation : While the first factor corresponds to perceptions related to the concept of â€Å"Luxury in general†, factor 2 expresses a more personal rapport to luxury, and the remaining two factors describe attitudes towards those who consume luxury items. CONCLUSIONS Despite the importance and growth of the luxury sector, the determinants of luxury acquisition and consumption have received very little attention in the consumer research literature. There is a distinct lack of systematic studies to model and test the processes whereby individuals develop an appetite for the world of luxury (or fail to do so). FIGURE 1 (/volumes/ap01/01276f01. gif) TABLE 2 (/volumes/ap01/01277t02. gif) (/volumes/ap01/01277t02. gif) FACTOR STRUCTURE (/volumes/ap01/01277t02. gif) Given its exploratory nature, the present research only represents a first step in the development of a model of luxury acquisition and consumption. Only the attitudes towards the concept in general have been investigated here. The dual nature of those attitudes has emerged as a major conclusion of both qualitative and quantitative data: The structure of people’s predispositions towards luxury, as a concept, are affected both by their perception of the luxury world in general and their perceived personal fit with such a world. Future studies could investigate: 1) the socio-demographic and psychographic elements associated with such predispositions; 2) the role of specific product categories in the development of attitudes towards luxury and 3) the evolution of these predispositions over time. A program of research on each of these topics is being conducted by the authors and its results will be reported in future contributions. TABLE 3 (/volumes/ap01/01278t03. gif) (/volumes/ap01/01278t03. gif) A TWELVE ITEM ATTITUDINAL SCALE ON THE CONCEPT OF LUXURY (/volumes/ap01/01278t03. gif) REFERENCES Alba, Joseph, W. and J. Wesley Hutchinson (1987), â€Å"Dimension of Consumer Expertise†, Journal of Consumer Research, 13, March, pp. 411-454. Andrus, David M. , Edward Silver and Dallas E. Johnson (1986), â€Å"Status Brand Management and Gift Purchase: A Discriminant Analysis†, The Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 3, Winter, pp. 5-13. ComitT Colbert (1993), Rapport 1992 – Perspective 1993, Paris : ComitT Colbert, and (1991), Rapport 1990 – Perspective 1991 – Paris : ComitT Colbert. Dubois, Bernard and Patrick Duquesne (1993), â€Å"Polarization Maps: A New Approach to Identifying and Assessing Competitive Position: The Case of Luxury Brands, Marketing and Research Today, vol. 21, n ¦ 2 (May), pp. 115-123 Dubois, Bernard and Patrick Duquesne (1993), â€Å"The Market For Luxury Goods: Income vs Culture†, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 23, n ¦1, pp. 35-44. www. acrwebsite. org/search/view-conference-proceedings. aspx? Id=11539 3/4 3/4/13 Attitudes Towards the Concept of Luxury: an Exploratory Analysis by Bernard Dubois and Gilles Laurent Dubois, Bernard and Gilles Laurent (1993), â€Å"Is There a Euro-Consummer For Luxury Goods? â€Å", in Fred Van Raaij and Gary Bamossy (Eds), European Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 1, Provo, UT, Association For Consumer Research, pp. 58-69. Hirschman Elizabeth (1988), â€Å"Upper Class Wasps as Consumers: A Humanistic Inquiry†, in Elizabeth Hirschmann (Ed), Research in Marketing, vol.3, pp. 115-147, JAI Press Inc. LaBarbera, Priscilla A. (1988), â€Å"The Nouveaux Riches: Conspicuous Consumption and the Issue of Self Fulfillment†, in Elizabeth Hirschman (Ed), Research in Marketing, vol. 3, pp. 179-210, JAI Press Inc. Leibenstein, H. (1950), â€Å"Bandwagon, Snob and Veblen Effects in the Theory of Consumers’ Demand†, Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 64, n ¦2, pp. 183-207 McKinsey Corp. (1990), The Luxury Industry: An Asset for France, Paris: McKinsey Mason,Roger (1981), Conspicuous Consumption, New-York, N. Y. : St Martin’s Press Mason, Roger (1993), â€Å"Cross Cultural Influences on the Demand for Status Goods† in Fred Van Raaij and Gary Bamossy (Eds), European Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 1, Provo, U. T. , Association for Consumer Research, pp. 46-51 Sherry, John, Jr. , Mary-Ann McGrath and Sidney Levy (1993), â€Å"The Dark Side of the Gift†, Journal of Business Research Stanley, Thomas J. (1988), Marketing to the Affluent, Homewood, Ill. :Irwin Stanley Thomas J. (1989), Selling to the Affluent, Homewood, Ill. : Irwin Veblen, Thorstein (1899), The Theory of the Leisure Class, New-York: McMillan Wargnier, StTphane (1985), â€Å"Analyse STmiologique des Produits de Luxe†, MTmoire de DEA en STmiotique – Paris : E. H. E. S. S.. Weber, Daniel and Bernard Dubois (forthcoming), â€Å"The Edge of Dream: Managing the Brand Equity in the European Luxury Market† in Lynn Kahle and M. Chiagouris (Eds), Values, Lifestyles and Psychographics, Hillsdale, N. J. : Lawrence Elbaum Associates.. —————————————- www. acrwebsite. org/search/view-conference-proceedings. aspx? Id=11539.

Living in a multicultural society takes time Essay

‘Living in a multicultural society takes time.’ To what extend is this illustrated by the challenge of multicultural societies in the UK? (40) A multicultural society is the status of several different ethnic, racial, religious or cultural groups coexisting in harmony in the same society. From the early 19th century people have immigrated to England, developing its diversity. During World War 2 polish and Jewish people immigrated to the UK to escape fascism. Also as the UK is part of the European Union, free and fair movement between the 28 member states means that there are no limits on immigration between these countries. This has seen it compulsory for the UK to adapt and change in order to accommodate for these individuals. For different ethnic minorities to coexist in harmony time is imperative, groups of different people will never coexist harmoniously over night. This is evidenced by holiday and school timetables being altered for ethnic minority groups, opportuni ties for people to learn English for free and websites being available in other languages. The vast majority of immigrants to the UK have settled in the industrial cities and towns as there is a demand for workers. Consequently, councils then have to work to help integrate these ethnic minorities into the communities, limiting tensions that may occur as a result of groups of people lacking understanding of each other. For example, Birmingham city council has created a festival to promote and express culture within Birmingham. Using twitter and other social media they have emphasised ‘your postracial is a myth #itooambirmingham’ this is the idea that no matter what ethnic group you originate from are equal and almost labelling Birmingham as an ethnic group with no specific image. This integrates ethnic minorities in to society and creates a sense of community by almost blurring the lines between people differences. The process of integration takes time, therefore supporting the statement. However, some council’s are better than others at creating a sense of community and educating their population about different cultures; moreover councils are not literally able to force peo ple to be accepting of change. This issue can create racial tensions. In 2005 Riots started in Birmingham initially due to the alleged rape of a Jamaican girl. Violence erupted between gangs of Black and Asians; Isiah Young-Sam was stabbed and later died as a result. Even though Birmingham council have worked to create a sense of community between ethnic minorities, it did not stop gangs fighting for revenge. This  may suggest that council’s efforts are rendered ineffective and ethnic groups in society will never coexist harmoniously, because these groups still see themselves as different and don’t completely understand each other which consequently cause tensions. This racial violence can then cause other ethnic groups to resent the groups that were involved because they are seen as unpleasant trouble makers causing more of a divide. Furthermore, political parties like UKIP and the BNP feed off this negative image created and demonstrate intolerance towards others. In times of crisis people may lo ok to more extreme parties and favour them as they believe government is ineffective. Another issue that the UK faces due to the development of multicultural societies is in education. Holiday patterns, school meals and school timetable may need to be altered for ethnic minorities groups. Religious holidays may demand time off school, the English school holiday is based on the Christian calendar, but people of different religions such as Islam celebrate at different times. For example schools in Tower Hamlet are now allowed two days off to celebrate Eid. School meals have to be altered for Muslims as they can only eat Halah meat and no pork so an alternative needs to be given. Furthermore, prayers occur on Friday afternoons, in Oxford Spire Academy in Oxfordshire pupils are allowed to travel to the mosque on Cowley road during lunch to attend prayers, if they are too young to travel alone there is a prayer room located onsite. The school adapting to changes in requirements shows they are accepting of a multicultural society, it has taken time to cater for these differing ethnic minorities. On the other hand, faith schools have developed in some areas to teach children according to a particular religion. Faith schools make up around a third of the education system. This limits choice for parents who do not want a religious education for their children, or do not share the faith of their local school. For example, in hackney Lubavitch Senior Girls’ School is a strictly orthodox, small secondary school for girls only. Liberal secularists argue that faith schools have no place in a growing diverse population as they promote segregation. Children should be educated around others from all religions and cultures as it is a truer representation of society. Moreover, enclaves of ethnic minorities are likely to locate near a school of their own faith this demotes integration and interaction within the community, resulting in a lack of understanding of others which consequently can cause racial tensions. Conservative people would argue that parents should have the right to bring a child according to religion and they should be able to continue to practise the religion at school. Faith schools demote integration with others who do not share the same beliefs; this is evidence to show that as long as there is faith schools in the UK ethnic minorities will never coexist in harmony. In the 1970’s and 80’s ethnic minorities were subject to racial discrimination in the workplace. Racial discrimination is still present today but it is declining slowly, Of the Civil Service employees in March 2014 who declared their ethnicity, 10.1% were from an ethnic minority, an increase of 0.5 percentage points on March 2013. 7.5% of these people are of senior civil service. This suggests that the UK has changed and become more accepting of other ethnic minorities, giving them access to promotions and roles with more power. Some people would argue work places reflect society and there is still more work to do to protect ethnic minorities’ from discrimination and enable them to progress in their jobs. This slow change in decreasing racial discrimination has taken time and will continue to need help to completely abolish racial discrimination. Although, there are still incidents of worker exploitation and discrimination in the UK. A poultry farmer had to pay over  £5,000 in compensation to a Polish worker who also won a case of racial discrimination. The worker, who had not been paid the same as his British co-workers, was unreasonably criticised over his work and was not allowed to attend English classes. The Polish Embassy stated that number of Polish workers in Britain was between 500,000-600,000. The amount of polish migrants who have settled in the UK increased after Poland joined the European Union, as the minimum wage in Poland is half of the UK meaning workers are prepared to work for less and longer than a native British worker. This is appealing to an employer’s as low skilled jobs become cheap labour as the migrants are prepared to work for less, some companies then take advantage of this and there have been examples were breaks are not given or employees are being paid less than the minimum wage. This suggests that immigrants can be vulnerable and some don’t even realise that how they are being treated is wrong. It could be argued that ethnic groups will never live harmoniously as there will always be a way to exploit immigrants. On the other hand, if all immigrants were educated of their rights it would  make it a lot harder for employer’s to take advantage of them as the person would know right from wrong. Some UK-born people may completely disagree with the statement. This is because some unemployed may feel that the immigrants are ‘taking their jobs’ as they are prepared to work for less than them and an employer favours this and not investing in our country as they may be sending money back to their families. However others may argue that they are just benefit tourists and they have only come to live off the state as the welfare system in their country is not as generous. In times of crisis (housing, economic) anti-immigration parties feed of the negative image painted for immigrants and the people which have these crisis’s hit them the hardest may decide to support them. Parties like UKIP and the English Defence league promote intolerance towards others this can influence people to stop trying to accept other ethnic minorities. In conclusion, I think there are many challenges of multicultural societies in the UK and some are easier to overcome than others. I strongly believe that living in a multicultural society harmoniously does and will still take time. People need time to accept change and some people will never accept it but as time goes on generations are taught to be tolerant of others. Councils holding events to educate everyone about the different religions, cultures and ethnicity can bring a sense of community and help ethnic groups understand each other. However, I feel as if there will always be obstacles such as faith schools and scapegoating different groups of people but it is the attitudes of society towards these obstacles that will allow for everyone to coexist harmoniously.

Littlefield Simulation Essay

Littlefield Technologies (LT) is a producer of newly developed Digital Satellite System (DSS) receivers. One contingency LT relies heavily on is their promise to ship a receiver with 24 hours of receiving the order. If they are late to this, the customer will receive a rebate based on the delay. As the simulation ran for 268 days there were various methods and decisions we made in the process. We knew in the initial months, demand was expected to grow at a linear rate, with stabilization in about five months (~180 days). After this, demand was said to be declined at a linear rate (remaining 88 days). Even with random orders here and there, demand followed the trends that were given. Future demand for forecast was based on the information given. We looked at the first 50 days of raw data and made a linear regression with assumed values. Those values were calculated using a moving average model. Below is a plot of the data over the 268-day period, which shows the patterns stated above. The main concern for LT management was the capacity in order to respond to the demand. If there was insufficient capacity LT would not be able to fulfill given lead times and would have to turn away orders. In order for capacity to be maximized, our group would ideally have had to have machines run at maximum utilization. Looking at the first 50 days of data we were able to see where more machines were needed in order to produce that 24-hour turnaround time. The original setup included one board stuffing machine (station 1), one tester (station 2) and one tuning machine (station 3). The way testing was scheduled was First-In-First-Out (FIFO). In our simulation, we were able to control the amount of machines and the way testing was scheduled in order to maximize the factory’s overall cash position. Below is a graph showing the utilization of the machines at station 1. Based on graph we were instantly able to see that at station 1 there was a massive bottleneck because utilization was over 100%. This made us decide to purchase an additional 3 machines to help reduce that. As shown, utilization was brought down and become helpful during the five-month demand hike. The mistake our group made was not selling off the machines when we noticed that the demand dropped. It is evident that during the last 88 days, the machines at station 1 were heavily underutilized. The purchasing decision was based off assumptions. We knew that demand would rise for another 130 days (since the simulation already ran for 50 days), so we decided to buy at day 51. We added three machines to station 1 and one machine to stations 2 and 3. Another key thing we changed instantly was the queue sequencing. We sold a total of one machine from station 1. The decision was based upon our demand. We saw demand decrease dramatically, which led to us selling the machine. Although it was made late, and we should have sold two machines from station 1 at day 180, we were keeping one in case demand suddenly changed. With these changes and decisions, our team (team 8) was able to be very successful. We presented growth within our company and increased capacity by adding and subtracting machines and changing the queue sequencing. We ended with more capital than we began with and finished third overall in the standings, as shown below.

Communication Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Plan - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the manufacturer is a wholly owned subsidiary with an annual turnover of averagely $1 Billion dollars. It is located in California with its presence in terms of facilities felt all over the world. A communication for change has to therefore be up to date, integrated with a touch of modern technology. A change into an integrated customer management system is quite sensitive and requires and effective communication plan for such a change to be communicated to the involved stakeholders positively (Apollo Group, 2004). Communication in any formal setting involves written, spoken or electronic interaction with the association audiences. Given the vast existence of Riordan Manufacturing, the communication plan to be used should be swift, able to reach many people at a go and with the ability to remain relevant for a long time. I would therefore suggest a combination of periodic print publications, online communication through social sites and a comprehensive company site, surveys and annual reports. This is apart from the normal communications such as those on advertisements and formal meetings of the company. This plan should be developed around the budgeting and planning period to make its implementation realizable as it will be incorporated in the company budget (Cohen, 1990). Such a plan should be detailed and comprehensive and I would suggest that the stakeholders involved seek information from varied sources such; from the Association’s Mission statement, from communication audit reports, surveys from the stakeholders, customers and employees alike as they are the ones who will use the systems on a daily basis. The plan would therefore involve a conduct of research-communication audit on the current communications with the customers using the current system (Cohen, 1990). This will involve Riordan Manufacturing finding out what each of its staff do on a daily basis in way of communicating to the customer. This is coupled with

Indigenous People of Australia. Does Australia Need a Treaty Essay

Indigenous People of Australia. Does Australia Need a Treaty - Essay Example Furthermore, the paper also describes Victorian Charter and what it means for the indigenous people. Australia lacks a formal treaty with its indigenous and non-indigenous people which have been a goal for all councils that are planning to give human rights to these people. However, little or no concerns have been shown by the governing bodies of how the treaty should be accommodated with the constitution of Australia to protect the rights of indigenous and non-indigenous people (Broome, 2010). Aborigines, Torres Strait Islanders and other indigenous groups in Australia are the original dwellers of the Australian continent that has been living since 50,000 years. Great diversity is found between different communities in Australia which have different culture altogether. They have different languages and customs and are further divided into local communities that have more diversity in its form. But when the European settlement took place, they did not consider the rights of people th at were originally the inhabitants of the country (Bartlett, 2002). Many people suggest that it would be unwise to form a treaty between aboriginal people because of their demands that would unlikely to be fulfilled. The indigenous people of Australia launched a book entitled ‘Treaty: Let’s get it right’ which was targeted at white people living in Australia and were trying to persuade them they need more than a treaty and reconciliation. The Aborigines have claimed to form a State which is ruled by their community setting up as a ‘Black State’ (Windschuttle, 2001). The book represented that they wanted to negotiate for the self government which seemed impossible for government to fulfil their demands. In Aboriginal politics, the people have always claimed for a separate nation but the main focus of their demand is the sovereignty of indigenous people. Many scholars do not agree with Aboriginal ideology because the whites have now outnumbered the ind igenous people communities and now they have the right to rule in the country. The demands have forced many legal problems in the country (Hinton et al., 2008). Australia has never had a formal agreement on the treaty of indigenous people because Aboriginal have always been portrayed in the light of having no civilized pattern of living or government. The history has shown one sided relationship without covering the story of Aboriginals. They were termed as native savages by misleading people and make bad impressions in the mind of white people which developed hatred amongst them without realizing the truth. Indigenous people were completely overlooked by Australian justice and they did not consider them as relevant parties to compete with their rights. A treaty would eventually recognize and protect their rights that would lead to prosperous Australia (Langton, 2006). A treaty would be a final settlement between indigenous and non-indigenous people of Australia which would make thi ngs calm and would not give rise to civil war. The treaty is the best way for Aboriginal people to advance their cause for their freedom but before that a preliminary policy is needed that could give basic rights to indigenous people. The treaty is the central vision of Aboriginal people and it is an opportunity for them to brighten their future. These people would very far to achieve their vision which they have written many years before. It would

Misogynistic portrayals of women in Othello Essay

Misogynistic portrayals of women in Othello - Essay Example In Shakespeares celebrated play Othello we find three women who play vital role. Towards the end of the play we find that only one woman survives. All the three women are deprived of an identity in the play. We find that all the three women are either married or maintaining relationship with a male. During the time when the play was written, women exercised no power in the society. The Venetian society maintained a hierarchy in which men possessed all powers and women were considered inferior to men. In Othello we find Bianca, Emilia, and Desdemona being in relation with the male characters Cassio, Iago and Othello. In those days women were considered as creatures with no intellectual power. However we find that the women characters of the play speak sense throughout the play. Women characters are also found trusting other characters. All the women characters of the play represent a specific social level. Desdemona represents the highest social level and Bianca represents the lowest social level. Each sexual relationship initiates some feeling of jealousy between the couple. Bianca is not frequently found in the play like other characters. However, her presence is crucial in the matter of death of Desdemona and other crucial matters. Iago considers her as a prostitute. Even though she fell in love with Cassio, we never find Cassio acknowledging her affection because of his desire for status. He knew that her social standing would highly influence this matter. She is found to be extremely jealous in this relationship. We find Iago using Bianca’s name to trigger the entire confusion in the play. This finally led to the tragedy end of the play. Regarding Emilia we find that she never questions Iago when she gives handkerchief to him. This shows the women’s ability to trust. However she is also found to be ignorant of the whole story till the end of the play. Her life comes to a sudden end, in the hands of her husband. She

Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Report - Essay Example The presentation was prepared by our group consisting of 5 people. The presentation consists of total 15 slides for which the information and data was collected and organized by all of the group members. In order to organize the work, we divided the work equally among all the members. The selection of the centre was done after visiting the centre and a detailed discussion between the group members. After deciding the centre we discussed the length and parts of the presentation and it was decided that the presentation would be around 14-16 slides and the main parts would be introduction, body, finance structure of the centre and their consultation and other services. The group members are assigned different parts of the presentation and I decided to complete the introduction part. In order to collect the information for the assigned parts, we visited the centre several time and spent time with the staff, at their library and around the centre. The staffs of the centre was very coopera tive and willing to share information with us due to which there was no major problem faced in gathering data and information. After collecting the information and data all of the group members finalize their part and then we sit together to connect all of these parts and make the final presentation. This task was also done finely and eventually we came up with the complete presentation within the given time. This preparation of the presentation was a great opportunity for me to learn about the dynamics of group work. I learnt a lot about the problems and services of the centre selected for the presentation but more worthwhile are the experiences and lessons that I learnt during the time span of making this presentation. The group also encountered some little communication and coordination problems but fortunately none of these problems lasts for long enough to affect our final work. The members of our group were from different backgrounds and problems. Two of us were part time work ers at a local enterprise and due to their bust schedule the group frequently faces problems in deciding the meeting time and place. Most of the time, we decided to meet on the weekends and the place was decided keeping in view the convenience of all the members. We also have little differences while deciding the layout of the presentation because all of the group members had different ideas in their minds and it was really difficult to incorporate the ideas and wishes of all the four students in a single presentation. We tried to cope up with this problem by compromising at several stages and giving respect to the ideas and desires of each other but it was certainly not an easy task. Our first visit to the centre was an exciting experience for us. We had already decided what sort of information is required for each of the part and this everyone was looking for the information to complete the section assigned to him. While I was looking for history and general structure of the centr e, my fellows were seeking for their financial data. I faced no problem in acquiring information about the centre due to the cooperation of the staff but a little problem was raised when the staff of the centre informed that they will not financial information and data because they keep it confidential from the general public. At first, we were disappointed because

School management Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

School management - Scholarship Essay Example The unit serves as a foundation for years 2 and 3. How a Value Added Framework can explain the UK's economic decline; Value Added: its calculation and its importance; How do markets work' Using markets for cost recovery; New technology, direct exports and Globalisation to increase cost recovery; Using annual report and accounts to analyse a business; Institutional conditions and their impact on business; Using the Value Added Framework: (a) The case of privatisation; (b) Structural factors and how they affect business. Within these themes we separate and de-contextualise the key areas of market, productive and financial performance. Later we reinstate context in order to first, investigate the institutional conditions and secondly, examine how both internal and external forces affect the firm/industry. The lectures are organised into three themes with each lecture introducing and developing a new topic/issue or debate while steadily contextualising our understanding to show inter-relations between topics/issues. Before attending each lecture you are expected to read at least one article related to the topic area in addition to the course textbook readings (see lecture programme). The worThe workshops provide the opportunity to discuss issues related to the lecture and to develop your understanding of the topic while deepening grasp of the subject. The teaching structure will vary but will include discussion of key issues and a small individual/group presentation. During most weeks you will receive a worksheet which you must complete for the following weeks' workshop as it will serve as a basis for discussion. Additionally, you must present a short case study based on a company. Key Bibliography: Individual sets of readings are indicated for each week of the course. Recommended textbook: Haslam, C. and Neale, A. (2000)

Most feminists believe that the position of women in the labour market Essay

Most feminists believe that the position of women in the labour market is an important source of disadvantage - Essay Example Workplace segregation remains prevalent as high concentrations of female employees are associated with relatively low rates of pay. And higher levels of part-time working are associated with lower rates of pay, even after other factors have been taken into account. Qualified women are characteristically denied top level jobs in corporate but instead of terming it what it is, sexism and discrimination, this form of unequal treatment is referred to as the ‘glass ceiling’ effect. ‘Most feminists believe that the position of women in the labour market is an important source of disadvantage.’ Women do indeed have to perform twice as well as a man to retain the same pay and position at similar occupational arenas. This discussion will examine barriers to equality in the workplace, the reasons for this cultural phenomenon, evidence to support this claim and some possible solutions. Women must struggle to cope with discrimination in the workplace as is evidenced by occupational segregation. This terminology refers to the reality that women tend to work in different sectors of the economy and occupy different employment standings than men within the same occupational group. Government statistics reveal that women are highly concentrated in certain jobs and that 60 per cent of working women are employed in just 10 per cent of available occupations (â€Å"What is the Pay Gap?†, 2006). While about one-half of workers are in sex-dominated employment, women are engaged in a narrower scope of occupations than men. There are seven times more male-dominated non-agricultural jobs than female. ‘Sex-dominated’ occupations are defined as when workers of one sex constitute more than 80 per cent of the labour force (Anker, 1998). In the UK, women constitute just 30 per cent of managers, 25 per cent of executives and 10 per cent of company directors (EOC, 2 002 cited in â€Å"What is the Pay Gap?†).

Understanding the Meaning, Ideologies, and Contexts of the films Argo Research Paper

Understanding the Meaning, Ideologies, and Contexts of the films Argo and Babel - Research Paper Example Film context entails the setting of a film. Other scholars refer to it as the situation, circumstances in which a film is set or scripted (Coleman, 2011). Film context involves the time frame of the film, the historic background and the geographical location of the poem. According to scholars, the ideologies of any film are those values that we get from a film that enable us to be better humans. They are the socio-economic, cultural and political values or ideas that we share with the film (Lewis, 2013). These idea or values inspire us and enable us to clean the world from the moral and political decays to make it a better ground for dwelling. If you watch a film and it inspires you to act, then you have gained ideologies in a film. This paper thus seeks to analyze the ideology, context and the meaning of the movies; Babel and Argo. Babel is a three plot American film screened in Africa, Morocco, Japan and America-Mexico. The initial plot is in Mexico. However the three are well connected such that the story line flows from one country to another (Shaw, 2011). In Morocco, in the desert, we meet Abdullah. Abdullah is a farmer who keeps his herd in the desert and has two sons; Ahmed and Yussef plus a daughter. He is constantly bothered by jackals in the desert that prey after his herd. He thus buys a gun from his neighbor Hassan. The gun is high powered. He plans to drive away the jackals with the gun. He gives the gun to his boys while out in the field herding. The boys always competing aim at rocks, trees and cars then compete in shooting. Ahmed aims at a tourist bus and shoots (Shaw, 2011). The bullet hits an American, Suzan, who together with her husband, Richard are on the country for a holiday. America is quick to brand that as an act of terror and therefore asks the Moroccan government to arrest the culprits. Police officers then come after the family of Abdulla and an open fire leads to Yussef

Explain what is work force planning and what are the steps that involve in work force planning Essay Example for Free

Explain what is work force planning and what are the steps that involve in work force planning Essay Work force planning is a continuous process and one of the important activities in an organization. The work force planning process starts by analyzing the company’s strategy. The result of this analysis is then taken to forecast the required demand for labor and how this is likely to be supported. Thereafter the human resource plan would be implemented which aims to deliver the right number, the right people for the business. There are 8 steps that are followed in work force planning; 1. Work force planning- Where, when and how many people are going to be needed. A company would gain many advantages if it acts strategically, proactively, correctly and efficiently. Also by thinking how it affects the strategy of the organization. For Ex: some companies in USA do not think in strategic manner. They will just meet up in a bar and just discuss how many people are required without thinking much ahead. This would lead to failure. 2. Candidate profiling- This means who do we need, what is the profile of that person that we are looking for, what should be the competency, what are the soft skills or hard skills that the company is looking at of a person etc. This comes through the process of bench marking, profiling, work of science. The company also has to really understand the position of the company, and what advantages it gives the company. It also involves predicting the person’s success in doing the job. 3. Employ branding- It involves the organization culture, which has things like how do we speak to our candidates, how we look after them, how do we brand ourselves etc. This is part of the strategic process of the organization. It matters as to how our organization differs from other company brandings how do we compete with them by this branding etc. 4. Source the Candidate- Most companies don’t source the right candidate. They don’t use the right way, or don’t brain the right people. As a result the wrong, candidate would remain in the organization and it becomes a burden to others and the department. Sourcing means how does a company go to the market and do the sourcing of candidates and how do they define it, company’s approach of doing it. How does the company strategically go to the market, consistently over time, where when the company needs it, ensuring that all the potential candidates that has the skill background the company is looking for is been approached. 5. Screening and Assessing –screening is looking at the hard skills and assessment is looking at the soft skills. 6. Selection- This is processes of bring down the number 100,200 odd applicants to a small number by assessing through different demarcations. A methodology should be outlined in doing so. 7. Retention- after hiring them how do we keep them. The best talent acquisition strategy, the talent management strategy is to grow people. Ex: onboarding/ orientation process, 360 degree review, training initiatives, career path, career development, exit interviews, leadership development strategy, work place study strategy, are the components of what we look at after hiring somebody to keep them engaged and to make them part of the organization. 8. Technology- HRIS, time attendance, background checks etc to make that process automated. This should be given least HR time, as much attention should be given to people aspect as this can operate fully outmodedly.

Plato vs. Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Plato vs. Aristotle Essay Numerous experts in modern time regard Plato as the first genuine political philosopher and Aristotle as the first political scientist. They were both great thinkers in regards to, in part with Socrates, being the foundation of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to proceed with improving the society in which they were part of during their existence. It is necessary therefore to analyze their different theoretical approaches regarding their philosophical perspectives, such as ethics and psychology. This paper however will mainly concentrate on Aristotles views on friendship and how it impacts todays society. The main objective in Platos philosophy is a creation of a perfect society. He constructs a foundation for a utopian society in his book The Republic. The purpose of his thought process was to cleanse his society of the woes he felt plagued it and construct a new one. Plato lived during the Peloponnesian War, which consequently lead to the end of the Athenian democracy. He had eyewitness account of his mentors (Socrates) trial and execution. Bitter and angered by the political corruption that gripped the Athenian democratic government, he disengaged from participating in politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state that is rational could be established in a democratic environment. Plato felt that the common man wasnt intelligent or capable of dealing with concepts that influence the state such as economics, policy of foreign affairs and other relative matters. He viewed political incumbents in Athens government as being elected for matters that were irrelevant to main factors that affected the state. Another danger was that excessive liberty for the people of the democratic society could potentially lead to anarchy. In Platos perfect society, he forged ahead to eliminate the disease (pluralism of friendship) that plagued the human character and society (Class Notes). Essentially, Plato wanted to establish the perfect form of society, linked by one single entity. Aristotle, unlike Plato, was not focused or concerned about the idea of a perfect society, instead he wanted to improve upon the one that he was part of during his existence. Rather than develop a framework for a society that is perfect, he suggested that society should, in it self, strive to utilize the best system it can attain. He felt that utopia was abstract and superficial. It wouldnt allow for realistic problem solving solutions. He felt that Platos view of a strict overhaul of society in general wasnt necessary. He believed that society was at its optimum and you can only improve upon the existing one. Platos perfect society would consist of three basic groups, which are Guardians (Gold), Auxiliaries (Silver), and the Artisan (Bronze). The highest of these classes are the gold people, which consist of rulers and non-rulers. Those that are rulers are societys decision policy makers and non-rulers occupy levels of civil servants. The fundamental prerequisite to becoming a genuine philosopher is to have knowledge of forms, thus enabling you to know the truth. Platos theory of the forms is partly logical and part metaphysical. Armed with the truth, he believed that philosophical ruler will always make the right decision, and rule with total wisdom, justice and virtue. The rulers, he felt, wouldnt posses any money or property, they would be free of desires, excesses, and vices. The Auxiliaries (Silver) are people of strength, courage, and military capacity; they occupy a small sector of society. All auxiliaries would be subjected to a series of tests, which will check their powers of resistance to self-interest, pleasure and other temptations. The last level, Artisan (Bronze), are the workers which might be composed of farmers and artist, essentially non-skilled workers. They would produce all the consumable and non-consumable goods deemed necessary for consumption and the continued economic viability of the society. Plato whole-heartedly felt that if ever the bronze or iron people rule the state would collapse (Class Notes). He sought to establish the concept of the gold class having wisdom, thus they should be wise and good rulers. It was imperative that those who rule be philosophers and skilled in areas that pertained to the interest of the state. Aristotles disagreed with Plato in regards to allowing one particular class to govern the state politically for indefinite period of time. He felt that to not allow interaction among the various classes would inhibit those who posses the ability to engage in political life, an injustice. He feels Platos structure of classes is politically incorrect for the state. He quotes It is a further objection that he deprives his Guardians even of happiness, maintaining that happiness of the whole state which should be the object of legislation, ultimately he is stating that those who rule (Guardians), sacrifice their happiness for control and absolute power. Those who are of the gold class, lead such a rigid life, that it will become necessary to impose the same strict way of life on those being governed. He places the idea of moderation on a high pedestal. Many individuals come to favor the concept of moderation because it is flexible, part liberal and part conservative. Platos ideal society is so difficult to conceive that Aristotle believes that no human being can achieve its rudimentary requirements. He decided to express in the Republic how men should conduct it self in a perfect society and what attitude they should posses. In retrospect, Aristotle felt by using real world experience along with real people, he can see first hand how and what way can he improve society. Plato and Aristotle both agreed on justice and viewed it objectively; that is it controls the belief a life of good nature would be provided for all people no matter their ranking in society. Aristotles states In democracies, for example, justice is considered to mean equality, no oligarchies, again inequality in the distribution of office to considered just. Plato views the idea of law and justice as what sets the standard for societys behavior in a state. Aristotle puts emphasis on the institution of the polis or civilized community. The polis was structured to allow the average individual in society to participate in political matters. This institutional forum is not the city-state or the community, but merely the larger of the two entities. It is rather a partnership between households, clans, and villages for the sake of a fully developed and self-sufficient life. The polis enables those individuals who naturally posses moral intellect and wisdom an opportunity to rise to higher positions (Class Notes). Justice is the political good within the polis, and it must promote the common interest of the people of the state. What is seen as good must be distributed and regulated through out the state. The law is also the regulating factor that arises from equal and free people in civil institution. The well being of a society is solely based upon the connection between the effort in which the citizens of the state adhere to the law of the land. A good citizen of the state will posses prudence, moderation, and justice, and above all to rule and be ruled. His belief contradicts Plato theory of one controlling class, governing the political matters and decisions that effect the state. The Theory of Democracy that Aristotle states is that democracy is a perversion form of government of polity (Class Notes). He clearly states The people at large should be sovereign rather than the few best. Plato on the other hand, wouldnt permit citizens to engage in public participation concerning governmental issues, as Aristotle would have enjoyed. Plato also felt that public judgments of disapproval and approval were based on emotional belief, instead of factual knowledge. He believes that if a revolution occurred it would happened within the corridors of the palace, hence palace revolution. This type of revolution happens when there is a transmission of power from one holder of power to another. Aristotle perceives such an event occurring between the wealthy and less fortunate in society. He feels to prevent such actions, one must participate in them. Plato thinks that in a utopia a disgruntled group of Guardians will emerge and disengage themselves from the ruling law of the state. He feels that an oligarchy two things may initiate a possible revolution: the first one is the ruler and their offspring would grow to be weak, sympathetic, and second is that the number of poor individuals will grow larger and there for be taken advantage of by the ruling class. Aristotle states that to know the factors that caused the revolution, which destroys the constitution, is to also know the principal of effect, which in turn ensure its preservation. Aristotle and Plato also have contrasting views on ethics, psychology and metaphysics. In regards to ethics, Aristotle believes that virtue is necessary for happiness, while Plato says virtue is enough for happiness. The psychological difference between the two is that Plato feels the body is a prison for the soul; body and soul are two different entities, capable of maintaining independence from one another. As for Aristotle, he claims that the body and soul are two different things, one consisting of matter the other form. He sees everything in the universe being composed of matter and form, so its not surprising that he perceives human being are too. To him form is simply the way matter is arranged. For example, a cat is composed in a feline way; thats what makes a cat. Human being for that matter, have a unique method of structure, too; thats their form. In fact, Aristotle strongly feels that nothing in existence can be without form and matter. If you eliminate its structure and form you have nothing left. So for Aristotle, the concept of soul without body or body without soul is incoherent. In regards to form, Plato expressed how things should be through utilizing vague language and poetry. In respect to friendship, I firmly believe that Aristotles views on friendship holds value in todays society. First we will touch on the various points that Aristotle makes regarding friendship, then expand on his main principle in connection to modern time, if possible. Aristotle distinguishes between three types of friendship: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of virtue. The idea behind friendship of utility is that it is founded on the idea of usefulness. The interaction among friends is only valued if there is usefulness between the two individuals. An example of this would be any automobile dealer and car buyer. Factoring in that they know each other, both need what the other can provide. The bond that unites the two people is based on usefulness. As long as they each can provide what the other needs, it satisfies the friendship. The second concept would be friendship of pleasure, which is basically the amount of pleasure generated between the participants. An example of this would be two people engaging in a social event, such as an outdoor festival. Each of the participants enjoys the others company. They are friends because of the pleasure they bring to themselves. The last kind of friendship is the friendship of virtue. This friendship is special and unique, such that it can only be between two people. Rather than utility and pleasure, where it can establish a group of people, this type of friendship is connected solely between two people. This type of friendship is also unique based on the fact that it can only hold any true value if both individuals are of the same virtue. People in general might regard these definitions of friend objective. Some believe that doing something for someone is solely based on the act of self ? fulfillment. Aristotle, I believe is not incorrect in stating that the idea in friendship in utility and pleasure is for our own sake, and the concept behind friendship of virtue is for the sake of the friend. These three categories are arranged in a certain format that there are influenced by the next level. These bonds of friendship can arise from various forms of potential fraternal groupings. Present day possibilities can include: various college organizations, union members, national communities and any other form of groups that people find a common denominator. For Aristotle Aristotle is more philosophically inclined than Plato; he tends to get rid of ideas that are irrelevant, and he believes that the concept of forms existing separate from matter is somewhat superfluous. He dives right into the heart of the matter. You can see Aristotle as someone who believes the world in which he occupies very satisfying just the way it is. His main focus is always connected with things that are consistent with ideal experience, without introducing unnecessary notions of concepts that cant be proven. Platos vague, poetic language in metaphysics and physics didnt stimulate inspiration; it made him uncomfortable. Both Plato and Aristotle were two men who envisioned methods on ways to improve their existing society. Plato, the political philosopher, was basically in pursuit of philosophical truth. Aristotle was more concerned with citizenship and institutional politics. They both had developed ideas and concepts to improve society as a whole. Aristotle and Plato have had a tremendous impact on political scientists of today. In Aristotle case, he was responsible for developing various democratic ideas. Even in modern democracies like our own Aristotles ideas hold true. When we vote in the election of the ruler of our country we, theoretically, are voting for the single most excellent citizen of our nation. That is we are voting for that citizen who can do the best job of working toward our common interest. The citizen of a state who has the greatest ability to work towards the salvation of the constitution has a great gift that can benefit all citizens. It only makes sense to allow that particular individual to lead the rest of the citizens in working towards the common interests of the state. In conclusion, these men were great thinkers. Their opinions on society and its function were quite different, but they both had the same concern, to build a better way of life for their societies they in lived in and for the societies that would come to be in the future.

Case study and observation research methods

Case study and observation research methods This essay will look at difference between to research methods; Case Study and Observation. Case study is the understanding of the complex issues or can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research. It is an in-depth study of an individual, group, incident or community. Case studies emphasize on the detailed analysis of the event or conditions and their relationship. Sometimes researchers use the case study method for real life situations and use sources of evidence to prove their study. First step to take in case study is to collect all data about the case and should be organised to draw attention to important points in the case. The case studys questions are most likely to be information questions why and How therefore these questions are helpful to focus on the studys goal. In case study researchers gather facts from different sources and conclusions is made of these facts. Here is a case study of the Davids behaviour, David, 13 year old who has been admitted to a detention facility in California. Police reports indicate that he and another boy were arrested for breaking and entering into a private residence. David grew up in an upper middle class section of California. Davids father is a professor at a college, and his mother, is a dentist who works for a health care group. Even as a small child, David seemed unable to restrain himself. He would bound around the house, crashing into walls and objects, frequently breaking items or destroying house plants. David entered puberty at the age of 11, and at that time, his behaviours became more destructive. He frequently got in fights with his classmates, and would verbally assault teachers. His parents suspect that he may have tried smoking cigarettes and may have experimented with sniffing glue. After his arrest for breaking and entering, David began to cry and told his parents that he felt badly for what he had done. He added that he was unable to control himself. In Davids case study which took long time to study Davids behaviour from his childhood to his teenage and in different circumstances Davids behaviour had changed and resources have been used to prove his behaviour such as his parents or police. Another example for case study research; its Freuds little Hans case study, Freud used a case study method to investigate little Hans Phobia however the case study was actually carried out by the boys father who was a friend of Freud. Freud probably only met the boy once. The father reported to Freud via correspondence and Freud gave directions as how to deal with the situation based on his interpretations of his fathers reports. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate. The first reports of Hans are when he was 3 years old. When Hans was almost 5, Hans father wrote to Freud explaining his concerns about Hans. He described the main problem as follows: he is afraid of horse will bite him in the street, at age 19 the not so little Hans appeared at Freuds consulting room having read his case history. Freud believed that the findings from the ca se little Hans supported his theories of child development. Observation involves looking and listening to the object very carefully. Researchers in observation study an individual or group in their natural settings without being informed of the observation in advance. Observational data is usually detailed information about the particular person, groups or situations and revealing changes. In a non- participant observation researchers observe behaviour of the subject without interacting with the subject whereas in participant observation the researchers put themselves in the subjects position, so the researchers become part of the world of the subject meanwhile focusing on their study and in direct observation, people know that you are watching them, and there is concern that sometimes individuals change their actions while not showing what you are looking for or what they are really look like. A research which led by Charlton, studied the effect of television on childrens behaviour when it was introduced for the first time to an island of St Helena in mid-1990s, The researchers focused specifically on pro- and anti- social behaviour. Using video recording, they found that, compared with play ground observation on three to eight years olds made four months before television started, five year after its introduction there were 5 out of 64 measures showing a decrease in pro- social behaviour. However for boys, only there were significant increase on two pro-social measures and significant decrease on two anti-social measures. In other words, for boys at least there was almost as much positive as negative effect. The research led by Charlton was a naturalistic observation which is used to collect behavioural data in real life situations. The data gathering device in this research was video recording, which taped the childrens interaction daily. There is another example of Whyte studies about Italian gang for Observation research study, Whyte studied an Italian street gang in Chicago by joining it. It was obvious Whyte was not a normal gang member. His cover was that he was writing a book about the area. He made the famous statement that I began as a non-participating observer. As I became accepted into the community, I found myself becoming almost a non-observing participant' Whyte research study was undisclosed participant observation. Whyte as an observer kept hidden his study about the gang from gang members; Whyte aimed the understanding of the gang by putting himself in their position and observed gang members in their natural setting, as they were busy in their everyday lives. Two ethical issues Consent and Deception, both are very important issues to concentrate on before deciding for a psychological research. Consent should be obtained in an early time of research; this would involves informing the participant about the grounds for the research and their role in the research however there are some cases where this is not required if the research is something in public where they would normally expect to be observed, they would need permission to be observed on the other side in deception, participants should never be deceived about any aspect of the study they are taking part in. Same as consent participants should be provided with sufficient information at the earliest stage. Other ethical issues are, introduction where both sides confidence is needed between the researcher and the participants, and the data protection act protects participants in the research, therefore confidentiality and privacy is important to be agreed on both sides except in situation where the human life is in danger. And participants must be informed of their right to withdraw from the research at any stage of the research. After debriefing, participants have the right to ask for their details in the study to be destroyed in their presence. Participants should not be asked to risk their life in any circumstances during the study. Publication is another important part of the ethical issues, its the responsibility of the researcher to publish is his research, this is because if the research is failed which has costs lot of time and money someone else might have the same idea and might invest lots of time and money, which would be wasted. Its the researcher responsibility to monitor his colleagues in a research to ensure that code is being followed and if the researcher becomes aware of the participants problems in the study, so the researcher should refer them to someone qualified to advise them on the issue if the participants wish to. In Zimbardos Stanford prison experiment, participants were deceived and were physically harmed, they have not been informed properly about all that took place later in the research, therefore deception is not allowed in any circumstances and all that are going to take place in a research should be told to participant in a earlier stage. And the participants consent was not obtained before the research and participants have not been informed of the reason of the study This involves informing the participant of the reasons for the study and what is expected of them. There are few cases where this is not required: if someone is doing something in public where they would normally expect to be observed, they are giving permission to be observed. Bibliography http://www.holah.karoo.net/freud.htm

Race and Culture in American Films :: Media Latin Americans Movies Film Essays

Race and Culture in American Films "One of the side effects of American cinema was often crushingly brutal portrayals of other races and cultures, depictions that spread to larger audiences than eve before possible around the nation and even around the globe."(Keller,5) The visual images depicted through the video montage "Gringo in Mananaland" support many of Keller's views on the harsh portrayals of Latin@s through American media. The video succeeds in emphasizing the particular roles that Latin Americans played in the early years of film. Latin@s were seen as entertainers that would "appear in a context that makes them either foils to or sex objects of Anglos."(Keller,39) This idea is particularly evident through the specific gender roles that Latin@s played throughout the video. Keller describes the three most common roles for Hispanic females in American film. The role that seemed to most often be filled by the Latinas was that of a cantina girl. Basically a dancing, singing sex object, the cantina girl is a "naughty lady of easy virtue, who is also outgoing and exhibitionistic."(Keller,40) As Keller states, "outside the parameters of romance or sex, there are virtually no roles for Hispanic females. The Latina was portrayed as a pursuer of the Anglo man, always waiting for him to enter her life, and always willing to "discard her Latin suitor in favor of the Anglo."(Keller,40) In general, the Latinas in the video montage were portrayed as sexual temptresses with little respect for themselves or their values. Hispanic males were most often portrayed either serving to the Anglo males or lusting after the Anglo women. The various roles that Hispanic men played in American films were usually limited to negative characters such as bandits or greasers. The depiction of Latin@s in early American cinema is far from accurate and rarely displays realistic living situations of Hispanics. It is evident from both the video and from Keller's descriptions in Hispanics and United States Film that the Latin@s were portrayed as ignorant, uneducated, unproductive people in American films. They were primarily entertainers, and were never placed in real life situations in the Latin American community. Keller's belief that "white Americans believed in the superiority of the white race and depicted this superiority on the silver screen"(32) was clearly evident in the video montage.

Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

The Life Cycle of Zhou-zhuang Introduction This essay aims at presenting historical information and development background of Zhou-zhuang, judging which stage of development it is at and evaluating its future development trend. We applied Butler ¡Ã‚ ¯s Model of Life Cycle to evaluate Zhou-zhuang ¡Ã‚ ¯s current stage and future development. The essay will be developed into three parts. The first part will talk about Zhou-zhuang ¡Ã‚ ¯s exploration stage, the second part will be devoted to its development stage and the third part will be contributed to an evaluation on Zhou-zhuang ¡Ã‚ ¯s current stage in the life circle and its future development trend. Exploration Thanks to a famous painter Yifei Chen ¡Ã‚ ¯s canvas, The Memory of Hometown, Zhou-zhuang ¡Ã‚ ¯s Double Bridge in Misty Rain has been a famous image of Zhou-zhuang and gradually publicized this quiet village to the outside world since 1984. Zhou-zhuang, at that time, only had a population of 2000, most of which lived a life on planting rice. Their annual incomes seldom exceeded 800 Yuan. However, the development of Zhou-zhuang seems a little bit in the nature of things, because it goes very smoothly as well as speedily. Development In 1983, Wu Guanzhong, who was a very famous painter came to sketch in Zhou-zhuang, and he expressed his emotion: ¡Ã‚ °Huangshan Mountain concentrates the beauty of Chinese mountains and streams, while Zhou-zhuang concentrates the beauty of Chinese watery regions. ¡Ã‚ ± These words put great colors to Zhou Village ¡Ã‚ ¯s fame. In 1988, the first township tourism service company was established in Jiangsu province, and 38 sceneries of humanities in about 0.47 square kilometers have undertaken restoration and reconstruction. ¡Ã‚ °The ancient town trio of Zhou-zhuang ¡Ã‚ ±became one of the 16 hot itineraries which were promoted to international market. In 1989, Shen Hall opened to public, and Zhou-zhuang Tourism Service Company issued entrance tickets for the first time with a price of 0.6RMB. In the year of 1994, Zhou-zhuang developed to a wider extend, for Zhang Hall, Chengxu Taoist Temple, and Mi Building opened respectively. In the same year, the entrance tickets with images of Shen Hall, Zhang Hall, Chengxu Taoist Temple, and Mi Building printed on were published, and the price surged to 10RMB. From the year of 1995, the number of tourists to Zhou-zhuang increased rapidly every year with an annually rate of more than 30%. Meanwhile, the incomes of residents there, which benefit from tourism, also increased at the rate of more than 30% every year. In 1999, Zhou-zhuang received visitors about 1.25million both abroad and home; in 2000, the number was 1.

A Brief Introduction to Systematic Living Essay -- Natural, Man Made,

an even larger system of systems. This is not to say that systems imply order. Nor do the terms â€Å"systemic† or â€Å"systematic†, although they are frequently used to suggest exactly that. Quite the opposite. There is an incredible amount of chaos that occurs at every scale, in both natural and man-made systems. Systems of any kind can be unpredictable, and take on a life of their own. One glimpse at the juggernaut of bureaucracy that is the U.S. federal government demonstrates this nicely without having to spend another breath proving the point†¦ I’ve been lucky enough in life to have been thrown into situations where it seemed I was always forced to reverse engineer a wide assortment of systems. Most people call these situations â€Å"problems†, and I did too for many years. My first career began during the U.S. Army’s transition into the New Army of the post-Cold War era. I served for nearly a decade, stateside and overseas, participated in the administration of multi-national task forces under U.N. control, and built and managed the deployment facility for the USARPAC power projection platform. I learned, by trial and error, the ins and outs of the personnel management bureaucracy and how to design computer-based solutions for many problems. Contrary to popular belief, the military was not at all bleeding edge in its attempts at automating even basic office documents, much less complex processes. We still used primarily tally sheets, log books, and typewriters to run Division-level operations even in the mid 1990s. The shining exception to this was Microsoft Powerpoint. Our generals lived and breathed their battle theaters through an endless barrage of Powerpoint slideshow briefings. My first Army Achievement Medal was award... ...its Own Reward Entity Relationship Mapping: What Software Teaches Us About Grammar Cooperative Evolution as a Systemic Norm Specialization vs. Generalization Design with Perpetuality Sweet Chaos Design with Intentionality This Cell Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us: The Prisoner’s Dilemma Preserving Hammurabi’s Palace KISS A LEGOâ„ ¢ in Every Pot Entropic Economics 101 Two is One, One is None Give Me My Damn Twinky! Natural Rights vs. Human Rights A Calendar for Every Season Can’t a Squirrel Get a Nut? Regulate Yourself Of Mollison and Gall, Dawkins and Waal The Lie of Dichotomy: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose When You Piss in the Global Wind, We All Get Wet Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_projection http://systemic.permacultureuniversity.net/?p=3

A.G Macdonnel’s Humorous Novel “England, their England”

It is an excerpt from A.G Macdonnel’s humorous novel ‘England, their England’. The English society has been satirized in a light hearted manner especially what is known as ‘Englishness’ , as seen from the eyes of a Scotsman. In this the author humorously describes a cricket match being played between men from England and men from Scotland in the village of Fordendan.The cricketers are petty businessmen or local shopkeepers.The story is presented in a mock epic style and ornate and bombastic language has been used to bring out this effect. The author has used humor as the main ingredient of the story. His description of the players, their style of playing, movements, and conduct is humorous. The story begins with the arrangements of Mr. Hodge who completed his tricky negotiations with the Fordendan caption. Just as the two players who were arranged to play for both sides went away in dismay, a motor car arrived containing not only Mr. Hodge’s tw o defaulters but also a third gentlemen who swore stoutly that he had been invited by Mr. Hodge to play. Negotiations therefore had to be reopened.This funny arrangement at the beginning of the story underlines the streak of humor which will run throughout the story. The method of winning of winning the toss by Mr. Hodge is described in a humorous way.’Mr.Hodge having won the toss by a system of his own founded upon the differential calculus and Copernican theory†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢.The bowling end of the ground was so steep that at the end stood a fielder who saw nothing saw nothing of the game but the blacksmith walking back or running to bowl. It was only during the last few yards of his run when the blacksmith was visible to the batsman. The blacksmith ran up to bowl climbing the slope superbly like a ‘mettlesome combination of Venus and Vulcan Anadyomene’.

Identifying and Explaining Physical skills and Physical techniques Essay

Physical Skills * Arm height * Head position * Speed of arm rotations during delivery * Ability to bowl for extended periods of time * Speed of the run up Arm Height Effects of High Actions: * Extra bounce than usual * Extra pace and sometimes bowlers are able to skid the ball too * Extra Balance in the delivery stride * Extra accuracy, if the bowler has a side on action notably. Head Position This shows a delivery side on. The head position of this player is kept facing the target, straight and steady at all times. Focusing on the target will provide the following things: * The delivery will ultimately go where targeted at * No possible injuries to the neck; any sudden jerks will stretch the neck muscles and sometimes will result in strains and tears * It will help in the momentum and balance in the delivery stride Speed of Shoulder Rotations If a player wants to bowl quickly, the main aspects of bowling quickly is 1. The speed of which the shoulder rotates and 2. An explosive action. Shoaib Ahktar, for example, has both of these and bowls with tremendous pace, the rotations of his shoulder allow him to exceed speeds of over 9Omph each delivery. Ability to bowl for extended periods of time In this scorecard of a 1938 Test Match, M G Waite, a single bowler bowls 72 overs. In doing this requires massive Cardiovascular Endurance, Stamina and Motivation. Two other bowlers bowled over 😠¯ between them, but these bowlers were spinners. M G Waite was most likely to be a seam bowler so this type of bowler must be prepared for extensive bowling, including breaks at intervals though. Speed of the run up Fast bowlers such as Dennis Lillie and Michael Holding all ball with outstanding pace and to do this they must have a source: The Run Up. Both these bowlers have unusually long run ups, Dennis Lillie’s at 47 paces and Michael Holding’s at 5O. Cardiovascular Endurance and Stamina play a big part in maintaining there pace and consistency The run up of these bowlers should be Smooth, Balanced, Economical, Rhythmic and Consistent. * Small steps initially; led to larger strides * The body ‘leans’ forward * The arms stay close to the body * The hands remain in motion, carried above the waistband and the within the width of the trunk * The head remains steady, with the eyes fixed on the target.

Michael Pintard

Michael C. Pintard distinctively writes his poems in an interpretive style. His style affects his readers by allowing them to contemplate on the true reason and meaning of the words, phrases and or expressions used in his poems. An example of his interpretive style is seen in one of his poems titled ? Steel Boot Action Whup?! , where as he uses his poetry skills and diction to generate phrases and made up vocabulary to emphasize his point on the matter. The tone detected in the poem ?Steel Boot Action Whup?! is an irated tone because the overview of the poem is that Michael Pintard is in an unhappy mood and wants to take physical action against whomever he sees a problem with. For example in lines 6 through 10 it is determined that he want to seek revenge on rapists who caused harm to others by kicking them in both of their heads. The action of kicking someone is repeated throughout the poem also to emphasize the title of the poem that relates to a steel boot that is a type of footwe ar.The irated tone of the poem creates a tense mood for the readers because Michael Pintard bluntly expresses his idea of taking physical actions against people or type of people mentioned in the poem. The way the sentences are structured in the poem also gives us an idea that Michael Pintard likes to emphasize his trains of thought, that can be seen in lines 4,5,39 and 40 where he detaches words such as ? senseless? and? into?. Overall, the message of the poem, seeking revenge is well received because of the choice of style and tone Mr. Pintard wrote the poem in and expressed his ideas.

Metin

ZEE: She’s a 19 year-old girl, suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. She is a quick-tempered, disorganized, untidy but clean girl. Although she tries to make others believe that she is a   liberal, in fact she is traditional. She has a strong sense of personal ethics. She can’t keep abreast of all innovations immediately. She suffers from insomnia at nights so she watches films when she can’t sleep. She’s addicted to cigarettes, but doesn’t drink alcohol. She’s passionately fond of her father and she has a tattoo showing her father’s date of birth on her leg. But she doesn’t show this to her father. She doesn’t answer telephone calls. Most of the time she rings it off before the other person speaks. HALUK: He is Zee’s 78 year-old father. He lives in Turkey. He is a childish man. He still watches the cartoon Tom & Jerry every morning. He’s trying to keep up with technology in order to prove that he isn’t old. He’s not a narrow minded man; on the contrary, he’s innovative in the same way as young people and thinks in the same way with them. The fact that he   ZEE was born to him in his old age makes him care for her very much. Though he knows that his daughter loves him, he also wants affection from her. He calls her daughter at least ten times a day. HILARY ZANETICH: She is the closest friend of ZEE. She was born in New Jersey. She is blond, tall and plump. She doesn’t mind her physical appearance, except at nights when she goes out. She wears the same clothes at school everyday. She’s quite a flexible and a positive person. Although she believes that ZEE is a hypochondriac and crazy, she loves her very much. All the time she says that their friendship has improved her character in many ways. Her flexibility makes HILARY extremely funny. The fact that she never minds anything sometimes gets her into trouble. The first person that ZEE asks about America is HILARY. However, as Hilary’s general knowledge is not sufficient, she calls her mother each time after Hilary’s answers. YAMAN GAZIOGLU: He is the closest Turkish boy friend of ZEE. He is very keen on girls, especially American blond girls. His most noticeable feature is that while he is speaking English, he applies direct translations from Turkish. For that reason, he usually talks about what ZEE can understand. (He translates Turkish idioms into English, but they make sense to no one except for ZEE.) Turkey is against America. As images of Turkey come from the international map, ZEE explains about Turkish people and the general features of Turkey   that have been left behind. When the camera-shot moves away from Turkey and starts to approach America, we see luxury shops, automobiles, and elite people shopping and having dinner in Merrick Park, where Zee lives. Following these images, the camera is slowly directed to Zee’s bedroom. Meanwhile, we grasp from Zee’s words that she wants to be far away from her American life style even for only one day. Starting the day. The first place we meet Zee is her bedroom. Cigarette ends at the bedside of Zee, burying her head in her pillow, a great many dresses on the floor and DVDs draw our attention. A film is already on the TV with low volume. There are pictures of her father and his letters to her on the walls. Her father’s call wakes Zee up. Her father, whose computer has already been locked, calls Zee to ask for her help. However, he doesn’t listen to what ZEE says and does what he wants. Zee, fed up with her father’s advice and warnings, hangs the phone up. Meanwhile she is called again by Blockbuster so that she will return the DVDs she rented from them. As she can’t go on sleeping, she calls the hairdresser to have her hair done. But she can’t have an appointment since a customer has sued   the hairdresser. Extremely disappointed Zee deals with her hair by herself, gets dressed and goes out. Traffic monster. While she is driving slowly towards school   listening to music at the highest volume, she almost runs into an car trying to overtake a slower vehicle. She has to swerve to the right and runs into the garden of a house. She immediately looks at the number plate of the automobile and,   shaking   all over,   calls the police.   But the police cannot help Zee as neither she nor her car is injured. They say to her, that’s life. 4) Accusation Zee goes to her French lesson with a Turkish friend and her teacher makes them get out of the class. The teacher tells Zee that she will punish her and expel her from school as Zee helped a friend with his homework. Zee explains to her teacher that she’s still trying to get used to American school system, adding that in Turkey helping one’s friends with their homework is not considered such a bad thing. After that, the teacher excuses Zee by pointing out that she mustn’t do it again. 5) For those buying one, the second is free of charge. Zee goes shopping with her American friend Hilary in their one and a half hour break. The salesman tries to persuade her by saying that if she buys two more underclothes from Victoria Secret shopping center, a freezer will be given to her free of charge. The attitude of the salesman makes Zee angry. 6) Post- it When Zee comes back to school, she can’t find a parking place in the enclosed car-park of the school, so she has no chance out of parking on the meters. But she has no coins at that moment and she knows that her automobile will be towed away if she parks there as she hasn’t paid the fines she already has. She first hesitates but decides to park her car there as soon as she realizes that she’ll be late for her class. She gets out of   her car and   writes the following note on a post-it, putting it on the parking meter; â€Å"I’m sorry, but I have no coins. PLEASE DO NOT PULL MY AUTO AWAY, I WILL BE BACK WITHIN TWO HOURS.†Ã‚   She then sticks it on the windshield.   

Path to 270 by Ruy Texeira and John Halpin of the pro-Democratic Party Essay

Path to 270 by Ruy Texeira and John Halpin of the pro-Democratic Party organization Center for American Progress - Essay Example Texeria and Haplin conclude that the two forces that are most likely to determine the direction of the 2012 election would be the changing population balance of the U.S electorate, and the objective reality and the voter perception of the economy. The democrats have a constant support from the communities of colour, single, highly educated women, millennial generation voters, secular voters and educated white voters. With this support, the party has grown in strength; however, the republican comprises of the older whiter more rural and evangelical voters. The republicans face a shrinking electorate creating a less serious political landscape of the country (2). Although the democrats have a demographic strength, they still have democratic weaknesses (3). The economic distress facing a larger area of America and the inability of the Obama administration to provide a lasting solution to this predicament have led a large population of the Americans to doubt the leadership of the Obama administration. The Obama administration faces the issue of unemployment, which decreases their chance of getting hold of the presidency for a second term. The opposition party: the republicans have the upper hand in having an electorate that is older conservative and less diverse. The republican vote portrays an even distribution that explains the victory attained in the Rust Belt states and the contested southern states such as Virginia and Florida. The republicans gather support from the white working class voters, the independent voters and men who are against the democrats due to the economy (Texeria & Haplin 4). Obamas’ re-election depends on two strategies: holding onto his 2008 white college graduate support, which could translate to a landslide defeat due to the high proportions of white working class voters. His second option would be to holding his slippage between the two groups, which would give a possible victory