Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Will American Hegemony Produce a Better World for Everybody?

Hegemony is defined as leadership, predominance, especially of one society over another. Encarta dictionary defines it as Control or dominating influence by one person or group especially over society or one nation over others. Referring to America, Stanly D. Brunn pointed out â€Å"the world’s single remaining superpower is the accountable hegemon† (p. 36). Every one would agree that the United States maintains its status as the only remaining superpower in the world though perhaps economically Japan and the rest of the G7 member countries are at par with the US.However many would disagree if one would say, ‘the U. S. remains the world’s police,’ and much more if one would add â€Å"a good policeman indeed. † Thus the question ‘Well American Hegemony Produce a better World for Everybody poses an important analysis of the role of the United States in the global community. But in the realist perspective, they see that the American attitud es towards international order is unstable not because of any special malign characteristic but because of the inherent insecurity that unequal power confers on weaker states.Michael Cox, Timothy Dunne, and Ken Booth pointed out their argument, â€Å"In anarchic orders, weaker states are threatened by extreme concentrations of power and will seek protection in counter-hegemonic groupings† (p. 193). But this has been debated issue as some contends that the American unipolarity is a highly durable political order. Cox, Dunne, and Booth argued that the American order is built on power.They point out â€Å"the extended system of American-led security protection in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, is an essential element of this order and it can only be sustained by dominant military capabilities, which in turn depends on continuing American economic and technological strength† (p. 193). Realism like any other ism such as naturalism and liberalism is a philosophical posit ion, therefore cannot be subjected to the test of falsifibility or cannot be proved or disproved. Benjamin Frankel point out that realism viewed peace as the result of power equilibrium than a cessation of conflicting ambition (p.6). They regard society as basically conflictive and the struggle for power among rival groups is a fundamental condition of human existence (Frankel, p. 6) Frankel cited that there is a differing position within realism. He noted that realist believed that human beings were driven by lust for power, while the rest including him, regarded power as essentially instrumental to and necessary for the achievement of other goals such as security and even liberal ideals (Frankel, p. 6). The American Hegemony American hegemony has been interpreted in some ways.Demetrios Caraley quoting the words of The Economist stated, â€Å"The united states bestrides the globe like a colossus. It dominates business, commerce, and communications; its economy is the world’ s most successful, its military might second to none† (p. 105). Caraley also cited French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine arguing that the United States had gone beyond its superpower status of the twentieth. He said â€Å"U. S. supremacy today extends to the economy, currency, military areas, lifestyle, language and the products of mass culture that inundate the world, forming thought and fascinating even the enemies of the United States† (Frankel, p.105). The American hegemony was also seen in the context of globalization. Caraley noted the statements of two American triumphalists stating, â€Å"Today’s international system is built not around a balance of power but around American hegemony† (p. 105). Globalization is seen simply a disguise for American imperialism. American hegemony has been described as â€Å"hyper power† and is not comparable, in terms of power and influence, to any thing known in modern history. G. John Ikenberry point out tha t hegemony is not just material power capabilities, and hegemonic order cannot be assured simply by a preponderance of such capabilities.He emphasized that a â€Å"leader needs followers and acquiescence of these followers is only achieved if the leader is seen as legitimate† (Ikenberry, p. 18) Quoting Michael Mastanduno, Ikenberry pointed out â€Å"Mastanduno argues that the United States has succeeded in establishing at least a partial hegemonic in East Asia† (Ikenberry, p. 18). The Realist view of Hegemony Realist held that only economically and militarily powerful nation-states qualifies as a hegemon since the use of power or economic sanctions against non-cooperating parties, is regarded as part of the game.Garrit Stratmann points out that this view hold that â€Å"a hegemon has to exercise hegemony over subordinated countries within its sphere of influence† (p. 37). In other words, though hegemony still reflects the preeminent position of a hegemonic actor , but does not necessarily imply dominance rather it is referred to as leadership. Thus, according to Stratmann in the realist view of hegemony, the focus is on the hegemon’s role â€Å"in mitigating collective action problems through the provisions of leadership over other donors and the creation of positive incentives to cooperate, e.g. by assuming a larger share of the costs to set up and maintain a cooperative infrastructure† (37). The realist argues that hegemony of one state provides a benefit for all by providing collective goods to all. Realist maintains that domination is always associated with coercion, state power, and indeed force, and hegemony remains consistently identified with equilibrium, persuasion, consolidation, and consent. Stuart Croft and Phil Williams cited Antonio Gramsci’s definition of hegemony whichâ€Å"stresses the explanatory importance of ideas – that this voluntary submission by one party to another is predicated on the b elief, right or wrong, that all parties will benefit from the interaction between the weak and the strong, even though it is important to emphasize that they might not recognize this act as submissive, nor may they recognize that the outcome might indeed be a hegemonic relationship† (68). Will the American Hegemony Produce a Better World in Realist Perspective? There are many factors that lead to a yes answer to the question above.It has been partly discussed above that the United State’s hegemony has been qualified, as the U. S. has succeeded in establishing partial hegemonic in East Asia. Further more, based on the definition and explanation of what hegemony is and the role of the hegemony in the international community of nation, it appears that indeed the American hegemony meets the requirement to produce a better world for everybody. The biggest threat to humanity to be able live a better life in a better world was the threat of communism prior to the collapsed of the Soviet Union.But with fall of Communism, it is now the evil of terrorism that brought real danger and fear worldwide. The political and social condition of life is no longer threatened by oppression but by the evil of terrorism, which only America can control. Michael Byers and Georg Nolte Noted that the concept of a â€Å"community by superpower is very popular in US international relations theory† (64) which promotes relations rather than dominion. In the realist view, state values of traditional international law prevail over community values such as human rights or sustainable development.Chrystalla A. Ellina noted that the â€Å"realist view of states as autonomous entities defined by geographical boundaries and distinctly separating domestic and foreign policy is incongruent with supra national policy† Realist argues that order is a result of the concentration of material power capabilities in a single state, which uses its commanding position to create and m aintain order. In a sense, realist’s view of hegemony is somewhat apprehensive as they tend to be suspicious of the real intention of the hegemonic nation. Paul J.D’Anieri asserts that Realist contends, â€Å"Great powers pursue hegemony in order to create a world order to favorable to themselves, and often exploitative to others† (p. 218) Jonathan Joseph point out that in the realist View, hegemony can only operate under conditions of social and material causality. Joseph cited â€Å"It is necessary to examine the social whole and its different structures and mechanisms, each of which has its own dynamics† (p. 126). However they admit that only militarily and economically strong nation is capable of being a hegemon.Since the only remaining superpower militarily and economically is the United States, it follows that American hegemony is legitimate and is capable to produce a better world for every body to live. The American use of power in the war against Iraq and against the Taliban forces maybe viewed as an attempt of global domination, but it is quite clear that threat of terrorism has been the main object the war. The world will never be safe with the terrorist around. The war on terror, which the US initiated, has put the world in a better and safer condition.Further more the benefit of globalization, democracy, and continues advancement of technology being carried out by the United States continues to make life easier. What the realist wanted to see actually in the American hegemony is that it should be able to provide benefit for weaker nations by providing collective goods to all. The US assistance in rebuilding European economies during the cold war era and its commitment for peace in the Middle East proves that the United States is working towards improving the world’s political and social condition.On the other hand, the problem that could be pointed out in the American hegemony is the concepts of democracy, which is associated with liberalization. It has been viewed that the American export of democracy and economic liberalization is imperialism, Americanizing its subject nations. Nevertheless, American democracies placed more values to human lives and give more protection and respect both for life and the basic rights of the individual.Realist maybe right that the American unipolar status may not last long but it may not be based on the dominant view that it is unstable and cannot but in time produce competition for the mantle of hegemon. John A. Agnew, Stuart Cordbridge admits that â€Å"there are a number of candidates for international ‘primacy’ available to replace the United States as Number One unless it acts decisively to prevent this† (130). Realist is not at all against hegemony or the American hegemony but just believe that society is basically conflictive.It means that they also recognize American hegemony as no one can dispute that the US is the only remainin g superpower. The realist assertion that hegemony means equilibrium or the balance of power does not certainly mean equal benefit or equal strength. They perhaps simply mean equal opportunity or equal protection, which is guaranteed in the American democracy. Andreas Hasenclever, Peter Mayer, and Volker Rittberger stated, â€Å"Realist theories of regimes emphasize relative power capabilities as a central explanatory variable and stress states sensitivity to distributional aspects of cooperation and regimes† (84).Hasenclever , Mayer, and Rittberger emphasized the realist teaches that the states are the most important actors on the world scene which act out of self -interest in an anarchical environment, without needing to renounce the liberal insights that state are able to realize common interests through cooperation and use international institutions to this ends† (83) Regardless of this statement, T. V. Paul James J. Wirtz, and Michael Fortmann pointed out that †Å"all realism agree on several fundamental assumptions about the nature of international politics† (104) It means that realist recognized some action by the state as a legitimate.Paul, Wirtz, and Fortmann noted that realist also believes that international politics are state centric, because politics are about relations between organized social groups and states are the primary organized groups in the modern world. Therefore the move to rid the world of international terrorist maybe state centric as it is triggered by the 7/11 terrorist attacked but it can also be in the realm of international politics as it was later joined by many other countries in an effort to subdue the international terrorist. Furthermore, based on the realist doctrines above, the U. S.led crusade against systematic mass extinction of people under a tyrannical rule that led to war against Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein can still be viewed as part of the international politics, which aim to pro duce a better world for everybody to live. With all the effort of the United States to bring economic rehabilitation in Europe under the Truman Doctrine, the effort to bring peace in the Middle East by trying to mediate in Palestinian conflict, and the US effort to rid the world of the threat of terrorism; I can definitely say the American hegemony was able to produce a better world for everybody.Though the realist view seems to run counter on the concept of hegemony yet there are some areas that realist agrees to the hegemonic ideas. It is in this agreement therefore that the discussion in this paper was based. Realism maybe extreme in their doctrine about hegemony, power, and the community but they provided a political mirror by which the hegemonic states can be judge whether their actions are still within incongruent with hegemony. Work Cited Agnew, John and Corbridge. Mastering Space: Hegemony, Territory and International Political Economy.London: Routledge, 1995. Brunn, Stanley D. 11 September and Its Aftermath: The Geopolitics of Terror. London: Routledge, 2004 Byers, Michael and Nolte, Georg. United States Hegemony and the Foundations of International Law. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Caraley, Demetrios. American Hegemony: Preventive War, Iraq, and Imposing Democracy. New York: Academy of Political Science, 2004. Cox, Michael, et. al. Empires, Systems and States: Great Transformations in International Politics.UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Croft, Stuart and Williams, Phil. European Security Without the Soviet Union. Great Britain: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. , 1992. D’Anieri, Paul J. Economic Interdependence in Ukrainian – Russian Relations. New York: State University of New York Press, 1999. Ellina, Chystalla. Promoting Women’s Rights:The Politics of Gender in the European Union. London: Routledge, 2003 Frankel, Benjamin. Realism: Restatement and Renewal. Great Britain: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. , 1996. Hasenclever, Andres, et.al. Theoris of International Regimes. UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Ikenberry, John. American Unrivaled: The Future of the Balance of Power. USA: Cornell University Press, 2002. Joseph, Jonathan. Hegemony a Realist Analysis. London: Routledge, 2003. Paul, T. V. , et. al. Balance of Power: Theory and Practice in the 21st Century. California, USA: Stanford University Press, 2004. Stratmann, Gerrit. Donor Coordination of Economic Assistance to Eastern Europe. London: Transaction Publishers, 2000.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Donnie Darko †Detailed Summary Essay

Donnie Darko is an intelligent, yet delirious and emotionally-ill teenager, who’s idealistic fantasy of correcting the wrongs in society, finally appears possible in a ‘tangent universe’ (an imaginative reality), where he is guided by an imaginary friend Frank, who appears as a malevolent giant bunny in Donnie’s day-time hallucinations. In the early stages of the film, Frank literally lures Donnie from reality and introduces him to a tangent universe where Donnie observes what would’ve been, (yet ultimately is) his own death in reality, where he is crushed by a plummeting airliner engine that crashes through the roof of his house directly above his bedroom where he sleeps. In the tangent reality though, he is merely a bystander, bemused and frightened by the calamity of the aftermath, as he returns home the morning subsequent to the disaster. He realizes that his long sleep-walk adventure the previous night, (Summoned by Frank) had ensured the avoidance of his death. The viewer is initially under the impression that Frank is a product of Donnie’s disturbed and inventive sub-conscious, as he is but a vehicle to allow Donnie’s inhibitions to express themselves through acts of desecration. In many ways, Frank seems to take advantage of Donnie’s mental state by coercing him to perpetrate crime. Yet Donnie appears to advocate his own actions, indicating his intentions for societal change, reformation, and also for companionship – he fears the prospect of â€Å"dying alone,† in which case, Frank is an ally who can assist Donnie in coping with his emotional struggles and hardships. The fact that Donnie’s mental condition is later classified as ‘paranoid schizophrenia’ by Dr Thurman (Donnie’s psychiatrist), would appear as another viable theory or impression, for the viewer to follow. However, it proves not as strong. The reason being, is that the initial or aforementioned theory supports the film’s noteworthy theme that ‘destruction is a form of creation’ (an idea propagated by Donnie’s secondary literacy teacher, Mrs. Pomeroy), whereas the latter is a shallow, yet logical conclusion that isn’t glaringly in keeping with any underlying messages of the film itself. Later in the film, the tangent universe allows for the discovery of Frank, as an authentic person, who is murdered by Donnie as he is directly responsible for a fatal car accident involving Donnie’s much- adored ‘tangent’ girlfriend, Gretchen. This enlightens us as to the reason for Frank’s contact with Donnie. – Frank has traveled back through time, to in-turn; open a port-hole to Donnie’s future and enable Donnie to view aspects of his life ahead as a series of visual manifestations, (ie post airliner engine catastrophe). In doing this, he informs Donnie that Armageddon will arrive in twenty-eight days, which conveniently serves as a manipulative motive to aid his primary objective: – To discourage Donnie in continuing his life in reality; in the hope that Frank’s life will be spared. At this point in the film, the recurring theme of time travel claims its stronghold, regardless of previous acknowledgements and inferences. For instance, in one particular scene Frank implies he is from the future, and in numerous others, Donnie is seen eagerly researching and discussing theoretical revelations, pertaining to the philosophy of time travel. Evidently though, these scenes and others, such as the ‘Frank-influenced’ despoilment of Donnie’s school and the arson of a corrupt perverts house, illustrate critical stages of Donnie’s inner journey – that is, from a disillusioned teenager, troubled by the folly of mainstream attitudinal beliefs, to an individual who transcends reality in order to subsist in an idealistically superior society, of his own invention. After twenty-seven days of endeavor through outrageous public displays and clandestine defilement, the foretold event of Armageddon looms near. Donnie ambles through the final moments of his tangent existence (inner journey), as his character-defining tenacious dynamism begins to fade. As expected, he assumes his fatalistic mentality of â€Å"all living things have a set path,† and that humans are merely vessels traveling along â€Å"God’s channel,† gradually nearing a pre-determined destination. At this stage, Donnie’s mindset suggests a search for spiritual solace and religious meaning. Whilst denying an utterly defeatist outlook, Donnie exerts a courageous exterior by modestly welcoming his fate, in the hope that there will be â€Å"so much to look forward to.† He is of course referring to a reformed humanity that is devoid of inadequacy, corruption and suppression. It is here, that the film takes an unexpected turn, whereby Donnie’s inner journey in the tangent universe is virtually thwarted due to the sub-conscious acknowledgement of an audible phrase, originally voiced by his late girlfriend, Gretchen. It is part of her conjecture of emotional solace: â€Å"What if you could go back through time, and replace all those hours of pain and darkness with something better?† At this point, Frank uses his god-like essence to summon Donnie in reality, assuming that he’d been subjected to enough to be dissuaded, and, much to the viewer’s astonishment, Donnie awakes in bed, hysterically laughing in awe and disbelief of his ‘dream.’ Whilst conscious, he remembers the tangent visions of pain and anguish, including Gretchen’s death, and the murder of Frank, and decides that his future should be exempt from more emotional suffering. Donnie opts to conclude his inner journey heroically, by means of self-sacrifice – that is, to allow the plummeting airliner engine to destroy him, thus ensuring an extended life for his beloved female tangent counterpart, Gretchen. The film Donnie Darko is significant to the theme of ‘imaginary journey’ as it details a person’s sinister epigrammatic voyage into the future, and consequent development of emotional alteration. Director Richard Kelly uses the character Donnie as a representation of idealistic thought inherent in society. It is no undisclosed fact that society itself, is pervaded by thoughts and ideals that are in contrast with expected societal opinion. Kelly hints at the notion that we are engaged in the journey of life, yet our propulsion is suppressed somewhat, by the  undeniable need to conform to society’s bounds and restrictions – thus society would seem to preclude humans from achieving their primary goal(s) or concluding their journeys. Also intertwined with this perception, is the suggestion of the faà §ade of human nature. Kelly suggests it is unnatural for veritable human inclination to be constrained, hence the rationale of life-long journeys that are embarked upon to discover a sense of self. Donnie’s self discovery is shown through his sacrifice for Gretchen. Whilst on his imaginary journey, Donnie identifies with her troubled emotions and sinister background of family trauma. He discovers a person remarkably similar to himself, so his sacrifice in essence could be perceived as an effort of self-preservation as he was intent on ensuring continuity of his ‘spirit’ within a physical entity other than himself. This is a viable interpretation, relevant to a reflective ‘inner’ journey, as it is a primary motive for initial commitment to the journey itself. Kelly realizes that Donnie’s journey is exceedingly implausible and unrealistic. Without detracting from the intended solemnity, it seems a feat such as Donnie’s could only be surmounted by a ‘philosophical super-hero’ with ethereal powers. Kelly deliberately captures the fervent yet slightly naà ¯ve central vision of Donnie’s ideological expectations in the films title, and in Donnie’s heroic bravado. Nonetheless, he encourages provocation of thought and motivational urge on our set path in life, or inner journey. The reason being is that humans are inclined to stray from reality, if indeed; there is an absence of true accomplishment in their existence. By this, Kelly infers that an inner journey is necessary to undergo, as it induces self-gratification and contributes to the conservation and perpetuation of ones psyche. Director Richard Kelly uses the medium of time travel to symbolize the eternal human endeavor/journey in Donnie Darko. I use eternal, because we yearn for such an easy method as time travel to reveal future outcomes and destinations, yet we are simultaneously disenchanted by its obvious  impracticalities. Kelly expresses his interpretation of fatalism via ‘liquid spears,’ which consist of water and metal, and appear as a cylindrical protrusion from a human’s chest. In the scene known as the ‘liquid spear waltz,’ (tangent universe), Donnie in his hallucinatory state, sees these spears connected to the chests of his friends and family. He observes that the individual always follows the path of the spear, to their immediate destination. For example, Donnie’s spear leads him to the fridge on one occasion, whilst he was thirsting for a drink. He would’ve made that same trip even if the spear wasn’t there. Furthermore, the inclusion of mystical activity in the film, such as the liquid spear, adds to the surrealism of the tangent universe, reinforcing the ‘imaginary’ focus of Donnie’s journey. Kelly has portrayed the same dream-like atmosphere via other medium also. For example, many of the tangent universe scenes are in slow-motion, and filmed from an aerial perspective. This informs the viewer of the simulation of the tangent universe, whilst creating a mystic atmosphere and mood. Finally, Kelly’s concept of fatalism may well be perceived as a mere scapegoat for human failure, yet such a perception would be grossly incorrect. He emphasizes that; we shouldn’t knowingly inhibit ourselves because we travel on a set path in life. If anything, a pre-determined future should provide motivation, and encourage one take advantage of daily opportunities and prospects. After all, we are oblivious as to when exactly, our journey of life shall ultimately cease.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 12. TIME

â€Å"I HAVE FORESEEN . . . ,† ALICE BEGAN IN AN OMINOUS tone. Edward threw an elbow toward her ribs, which she neatly dodged. â€Å"Fine,† she grumbled. â€Å"Edward is making me do this. But I did foresee that you would be more difficult if I surprised you.† We were walking to the car after school, and I was completely clueless as to what she was talking about. â€Å"In English?† I requested. â€Å"Don't be a baby about this. No tantrums.† â€Å"Now I'm scared.† â€Å"So you're – I mean we're – having a graduation party. It's no big thing. Nothing to freak out over. But I saw that you would freak out if I tried to make it a surprise party† – she danced out of the way as Edward reached over to muss her hair – â€Å"and Edward said I had to tell you. But it's nothing. Promise.† I sighed heavily. â€Å"Is there any point in arguing?† â€Å"None at all.† â€Å"Okay, Alice. I'll be there. And I'll hate every minute of it. Promise.† â€Å"That's the spirit! By the way, I love my gift. You shouldn't have.† â€Å"Alice, I didn't!† â€Å"Oh, I know that. But you will.† I racked my brains in panic, trying to remember what I'd ever decided to get her for graduation that she might have seen. â€Å"Amazing,† Edward muttered. â€Å"How can someone so tiny be so annoying?† Alice laughed. â€Å"It's a talent.† â€Å"Couldn't you have waited a few weeks to tell me about this?† I asked petulantly. â€Å"Now I'll just be stressed that much longer.† Alice frowned at me. â€Å"Bella,† she said slowly. â€Å"Do you know what day it is?† â€Å"Monday?† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Yes. It is Monday . . . the fourth.† She grabbed my elbow, spun me halfway around, and pointed toward a big yellow poster taped to the gym door. There, in sharp black letters, was the date of graduation. Exactly one week from today. â€Å"It's the fourth? Of June? Are you sure?† Neither one answered. Alice just shook her head sadly, feigning disappointment, and Edward's eyebrows lifted. â€Å"It can't be! How did that happen?† I tried to count backwards in my head, but I couldn't figure out where the days had gone. I felt like someone had kicked my legs out from under me. The weeks of stress, of worry . . . somehow in the middle of all my obsessing over the time, my time had disappeared. My space for sorting through it all, for making plans, had vanished. I was out of time. And I wasn't ready. I didn't know how to do this. How to say goodbye to Charlie and Rene . . . to Jacob . . . to being human. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I was suddenly terrified of getting it. In theory, I was anxious, even eager to trade mortality for immortality. After all, it was the key to staying with Edward forever. And then there was the fact that I was being hunted by known and unknown parties. I'd rather not sit around, helpless and delicious, waiting for one of them to catch up with me. In theory, that all made sense. In practice . . . being human was all I knew. The future beyond that was a big, dark abyss that I couldn't know until I leaped into it. This simple knowledge, today's date – which was so obvious that I must have been subconsciously repressing it – made the deadline I'd been impatiently counting down toward feel like a date with the firing squad. In a vague way, I was aware of Edward holding the car door for me, of Alice chattering from the backseat, of the rain hammering against the windshield. Edward seemed to realize I was only there in body; he didn't try to pull me out of my abstraction. Or maybe he did, and I was past noticing. We ended up at my house, where Edward led me to the sofa and pulled me down next to him. I stared out the window, into the liquid gray haze, and tried to find where my resolve had gone. Why was I panicking now? I'd known the deadline was coming. Why should it frighten me that it was here? I don't know how long he let me stare out the window in silence. But the rain was disappearing into darkness when it was finally too much for him. He put his cold hands on either side of my face and fixed his golden eyes on mine. â€Å"Would you please tell me what you are thinking? Before I go mad?† What could I say to him? That I was a coward? I searched for words. â€Å"Your lips are white. Talk, Bella.† I exhaled in a big gust. How long had I been holding my breath? â€Å"The date took me off guard,† I whispered. â€Å"That's all.† He waited, his face full of worry and skepticism. I tried to explain. â€Å"I'm not sure what to do . . . what to tell Charlie . . . what to say . . . how to . . .† My voice trailed off. â€Å"This isn't about the party?† I frowned. â€Å"No. But thanks for reminding me.† The rain was louder as he read my face. â€Å"You're not ready,† he whispered. â€Å"I am,† I lied immediately, a reflex reaction. I could tell he saw through it, so I took a deep breath, and told the truth. â€Å"I have to be.† â€Å"You don't have to be anything.† I could feel the panic surfacing in my eyes as I mouthed the reasons. â€Å"Victoria, Jane, Caius, whoever was in my room . . . !† â€Å"All the more reason to wait.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense, Edward!† He pressed his hands more tightly to my face and spoke with slow deliberation. â€Å"Bella. Not one of us had a choice. You've seen what it's done . . . to Rosalie especially. We've all struggled, trying to reconcile ourselves with something we had no control over. I won't let it be that way for you. You will have a choice.† â€Å"I've already made my choice.† â€Å"You aren't going through with this because a sword is hanging over your head. We will take care of the problems, and I will take care of you,† he vowed. â€Å"When we're through it, and there is nothing forcing your hand, then you can decide to join me, if you still want to. But not because you're afraid. You won't be forced into this.† â€Å"Carlisle promised,† I mumbled, contrary out of habit. â€Å"After graduation.† â€Å"Not until you're ready,† he said in a sure voice. â€Å"And definitely not while you feel threatened.† I didn't answer. I didn't have it in me to argue; I couldn't seem to find my commitment at the moment. â€Å"There.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"Nothing to worry about.† I laughed a shaky laugh. â€Å"Nothing but impending doom.† â€Å"Trust me.† â€Å"I do.† He was still watching my face, waiting for me to relax. â€Å"Can I ask you something?† I said. â€Å"Anything.† I hesitated, biting my lip, and then asked a different question than the one I was worried about. â€Å"What am I getting Alice for graduation?† He snickered. â€Å"It looked like you were getting us both concert tickets -â€Å" â€Å"That's right!† I was so relieved, I almost smiled. â€Å"The concert in Tacoma. I saw an ad in the paper last week, and I thought it would be something you'd like, since you said it was a good CD.† â€Å"It's a great idea. Thank you.† â€Å"I hope it's not sold out.† â€Å"It's the thought that counts. I ought to know.† I sighed. â€Å"There's something else you meant to ask,† he said. I frowned. â€Å"You're good.† â€Å"I have lots of practice reading your face. Ask me.† I closed my eyes and leaned into him, hiding my face against his chest. â€Å"You don't want me to be a vampire.† â€Å"No, I don't,† he said softly, and then he waited for more. â€Å"That's not a question,† he prompted after a moment. â€Å"Well . . . I was worrying about . . . why you feel that way.† â€Å"Worrying?† He picked out the word with surprise. â€Å"Would you tell me why? The whole truth, not sparing my feelings?† He hesitated for a minute. â€Å"If I answer your question, will you then explain your question?† I nodded, my face still hidden. He took a deep breath before he answered. â€Å"You could do so much better, Bella. I know that you believe I have a soul, but I'm not entirely convinced on that point, and to risk yours . . .† He shook his head slowly. â€Å"For me to allow this – to let you become what I am just so that I'll never have to lose you – is the most selfish act I can imagine. I want it more than anything, for myself. But for you, I want so much more. Giving in – it feels criminal. It's the most selfish thing I'll ever do, even if I live forever. â€Å"If there were any way for me to become human for you – no matter what the price was, I would pay it.† I sat very still, absorbing this. Edward thought he was being selfish. I felt the smile slowly spread across my face. â€Å"So . . . it's not that you're afraid you won't . . . like me as much when I'm different – when I'm not soft and warm and I don't smell the same? You really do want to keep me, no matter how I turn out?† He exhaled sharply. â€Å"You were worried I wouldn't like you?† he demanded. Then, before I could answer, he was laughing. â€Å"Bella, for a fairly intuitive person, you can be so obtuse!† I knew he would think it silly, but I was relieved. If he really wanted me, I could get through the rest . . . somehow. Selfish suddenly seemed like a beautiful word. â€Å"I don't think you realize how much easier it will be for me, Bella,† he said, the echo of his humor still there in his voice, â€Å"when I don't have to concentrate all the time on not killing you. Certainly, there are things I'll miss. This for one . . .† He stared into my eyes as he stroked my cheek, and I felt the blood rush up to color my skin. He laughed gently. â€Å"And the sound of your heart,† he continued, more serious but still smiling a little. â€Å"It's the most significant sound in my world. I'm so attuned to it now, I swear I could pick it out from miles away. But neither of these things matter. This,† he said, taking my face in his hands. â€Å"You. That's what I'm keeping. You'll always be my Bella, you'll just be a little more durable.† I sighed and let my eyes close in contentment, resting there in his hands. â€Å"Now will you answer a question for me? The whole truth, not sparing my feelings?† he asked. â€Å"Of course,† I answered at once, my eyes opening wide with surprise. What would he want to know? He spoke the words slowly. â€Å"You don't want to be my wife.† My heart stopped, and then broke into a sprint. A cold sweat dewed on the back of my neck and my hands turned to ice. He waited, watching and listening to my reaction. â€Å"That's not a question,† I finally whispered. He looked down, his lashes casting long shadows across his cheekbones, and dropped his hands from my face to pick up my frozen left hand. He played with my fingers while he spoke. â€Å"I was worrying about why you felt that way.† I tried to swallow. â€Å"That's not a question, either,† I whispered. â€Å"Please, Bella?† â€Å"The truth?† I asked, only mouthing the words. â€Å"Of course. I can take it, whatever it is.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"You're going to laugh at me.† His eyes flashed up to mine, shocked. â€Å"Laugh? I cannot imagine that.† â€Å"You'll see,† I muttered, and then I sighed. My face went from white to scarlet in a sudden blaze of chagrin. â€Å"Okay, fine! I'm sure this will sound like some big joke to you, but really! It's just so . . . so . . . so embarrassing!† I confessed, and I hid my face against his chest again. There was a brief pause. â€Å"I'm not following you.† I tilted my head back and glared at him, embarrassment making me lash out, belligerent. â€Å"I'm not that girl, Edward. The one who gets married right out of high school like some small-town hick who got knocked up by her boyfriend! Do you know what people would think? Do you realize what century this is? People don't just get married at eighteen! Not smart people, not responsible, mature people! I wasn't going to be that girl! That's not who I am. . . .† I trailed off, losing steam. Edward's face was impossible to read as he thought through my answer. â€Å"That's all?† he finally asked. I blinked. â€Å"Isn't that enough?† â€Å"It's not that you were . . . more eager for immortality itself than for just me?† And then, though I'd predicted that he would laugh, I was suddenly the one having hysterics. â€Å"Edward!† I gasped out between the paroxysms of giggles. â€Å"And here . . . I always . . . thought that . . . you were . . . so much . . . smarter than me!† He took me in his arms, and I could feel that he was laughing with me. â€Å"Edward,† I said, managing to speak more clearly with a little effort, â€Å"there's no point to forever without you. I wouldn't want one day without you.† â€Å"Well, that's a relief,† he said. â€Å"Still . . . it doesn't change anything.† â€Å"It's nice to understand, though. And I do understand your perspective, Bella, truly I do. But I'd like it very much if you'd try to consider mine.† I'd sobered up by then, so I nodded and struggled to keep the frown off my face. His liquid gold eyes turned hypnotic as they held mine. â€Å"You see, Bella, I was always that boy. In my world, I was already a man. I wasn't looking for love – no, I was far too eager to be a soldier for that; I thought of nothing but the idealized glory of the war that they were selling prospective draftees then – but if I had found . . .† He paused, cocking his head to the side. â€Å"I was going to say if I had found someone, but that won't do. If I had found you, there isn't a doubt in my mind how I would have proceeded. I was that boy, who would have – as soon as I discovered that you were what I was looking for – gotten down on one knee and endeavored to secure your hand. I would have wanted you for eternity, even when the word didn't have quite the same connotations.† He smiled his crooked smile at me. I stared at him with my eyes frozen wide. â€Å"Breathe, Bella,† he reminded me, smiling. I breathed. â€Å"Can you see my side, Bella, even a little bit?† And for one second, I could. I saw myself in a long skirt and a high-necked lace blouse with my hair piled up on my head. I saw Edward looking dashing in a light suit with a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand, sitting beside me on a porch swing. I shook my head and swallowed. I was just having Anne of Green Gables flashbacks. â€Å"The thing is, Edward,† I said in a shaky voice, avoiding the question, â€Å"in my mind, marriage and eternity are not mutually exclusive or mutually inclusive concepts. And since we're living in my world for the moment, maybe we should go with the times, if you know what I mean.† â€Å"But on the other hand,† he countered, â€Å"you will soon be leaving time behind you altogether. So why should the transitory customs of one local culture affect the decision so much?† I pursed my lips. â€Å"When in Rome?† He laughed at me. â€Å"You don't have to say yes or no today, Bella. It's good to understand both sides, though, don't you think?† â€Å"So your condition . . . ?† â€Å"Is still in effect. I do see your point, Bella, but if you want me to change you myself. . . .† â€Å"Dum, dum, dah-dum,† I hummed under my breath. I was going for the wedding march, but it sort of sounded like a dirge. Time continued to move too fast. That night flew by dreamlessly, and then it was morning and graduation was staring me in the face. I had a pile of studying to do for my finals that I knew I wouldn't get halfway through in the few days I had left. When I came down for breakfast, Charlie was already gone. He'd left the paper on the table, and that reminded me that I had some shopping to do. I hoped the ad for the concert was still running; I needed the phone number to get the stupid tickets. It didn't seem like much of a gift now that all the surprise was gone. Of course, trying to surprise Alice wasn't the brightest plan to begin with. I meant to flip right back to the entertainment section, but the thick black headline caught my attention. I felt a thrill of fear as I leaned closer to read the front-page story. SEATTLE TERRORIZED BY SLAYINGS It's been less than a decade since the city of Seattle was the hunting ground for the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was convicted of the murders of 48 women. And now a beleaguered Seattle must face the possibility that it could be harboring an even more horrifying monster at this very moment. The police are not calling the recent rash of homicides and disappearances the work of a serial killer. Not yet, at least. They are reluctant to believe so much carnage could be the work of one individual. This killer – if, in fact, it is one person – would then be responsible for 39 linked homicides and disappearances within the last three months alone. In comparison, Ridgway's 48- count murder spree was scattered over a 21-year period. If these deaths can be linked to one man, then this is the most violent rampage of serial murder in American history. The police are leaning instead toward the theory that gang activity is involved. This theory is supported by the sheer number of victims, and by the fact that there seems to be no pattern in the choice of victims. From Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy, the targets of serial killings are usually connected by similarities in age, gender, race, or a combination of the three. The victims of this crime wave range in age from 15-year-old honor student Amanda Reed, to 67-year-old retired postman Omar Jenks. The linked deaths include a nearly even 18 women and 21 men. The victims are racially diverse: Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. The selection appears random. The motive seems to be killing for no other reason than to kill. So why even consider the idea of a serial killer? There are enough similarities in the modus operandi to rule out unrelated crimes. Every victim discovered has been burned to the extent that dental records were necessary for identification. The use of some kind of accelerant, like gasoline or alcohol, seems to be indicated in the conflagrations; however, no traces of any accelerant have yet been found. All of the bodies have been carelessly dumped with no attempt at concealment. More gruesome yet, most of the remains show evidence of brutal violence – bones crushed and snapped by some kind of tremendous pressure – which medical examiners believe occurred before the time of death, though these conclusions are difficult to be sure of, considering the state of the evidence. Another similarity that points to the possibility of a serial: every crime is perfectly clean of evidence, aside from the remains themselves. Not a fingerprint, not a tire tread mark nor a foreign hair is left behind. There have been no sightings of any suspect in the disappearances. Then there are the disappearances themselves – hardly low profile by any means. None of the victims are what could be viewed as easy targets. None are runaways or the homeless, who vanish so easily and are seldom reported missing. Victims have vanished from their homes, from a fourth- story apartment, from a health club, from a wedding reception. Perhaps the most astounding: 30- year-old amateur boxer Robert Walsh entered a movie theater with a date; a few minutes into the movie, the woman realized that he was not in his seat. His body was found only three hours later when fire fighters were called to the scene of a burning trash Dumpster, twenty miles away. Another pattern is present in the slayings: all of the victims disappeared at night. And the most alarming pattern? Acceleration. Six of the homicides were committed in the first month, 11 in the second. Twenty-two have occurred in the last 10 days alone. And the police are no closer to finding the responsible party than they were after the first charred body was discovered. The evidence is conflicting, the pieces horrifying. A vicious new gang or a wildly active serial killer? Or something else the police haven't yet conceived of? Only one conclusion is indisputable: something hideous is stalking Seattle. It took me three tries to read the last sentence, and I realized the problem was my shaking hands. â€Å"Bella?† Focused as I was, Edward's voice, though quiet and not totally unexpected, made me gasp and whirl. He was leaning in the doorway, his eyebrows pulled together. Then he was suddenly at my side, taking my hand. â€Å"Did I startle you? I'm sorry. I did knock. . . .† â€Å"No, no,† I said quickly. â€Å"Have you seen this?† I pointed to the paper. A frown creased his forehead. â€Å"I hadn't seen today's news yet. But I knew it was getting worse. We're going to have to do something . . . quickly.† I didn't like that. I hated any of them taking chances, and whatever or whoever was in Seattle was truly beginning to frighten me. But the idea of the Volturi coming was just as scary. â€Å"What does Alice say?† â€Å"That's the problem.† His frown hardened. â€Å"She can't see anything . . . though we've made up our minds half a dozen times to check it out. She's starting to lose confidence. She feels like she's missing too much these days, that something's wrong. That maybe her vision is slipping away.† My eyes were wide. â€Å"Can that happen?† â€Å"Who knows? No one's ever done a study . . . but I really doubt it. These things tend to intensify over time. Look at Aro and Jane.† â€Å"Then what's wrong?† â€Å"Self-fulfilling prophecy, I think. We keep waiting for Alice to see something so we can go . . . and she doesn't see anything because we won't really go until she does. So she can't see us there. Maybe we'll have to do it blind.† I shuddered. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Did you have a strong desire to attend class today? We're only a couple of days from finals; they won't be giving us anything new.† â€Å"I think I can live without school for a day. What are we doing?† â€Å"I want to talk to Jasper.† Jasper, again. It was strange. In the Cullen family, Jasper was always a little on the fringe, part of things but never the center of them. It was my unspoken assumption that he was only there for Alice. I had the sense that he would follow Alice anywhere, but that this lifestyle was not his first choice. The fact that he was less committed to it than the others was probably why he had more difficulty keeping it up. At any rate, I'd never seen Edward feel dependent on Jasper. I wondered again what he'd meant about Jasper's expertise. I really didn't know much about Jasper's history, just that he had come from somewhere in the south before Alice found him. For some reason, Edward had always shied away from any questions about his newest brother. And I'd always been too intimidated by the tall, blond vampire who looked like a brooding movie star to ask him outright. When we got to the house, we found Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper watching the news intently, though the sound was so low that it was unintelligible to me. Alice was perched on the bottom step of the grand staircase, her face in her hands and her expression discouraged. As we walked in, Emmett ambled through the kitchen door, seeming perfectly at ease. Nothing ever bothered Emmett. â€Å"Hey, Edward. Ditching, Bella?† He grinned at me. â€Å"We both are,† Edward reminded him. Emmett laughed. â€Å"Yes, but it's her first time through high school. She might miss something.† Edward rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his favorite brother. He tossed the paper to Carlisle. â€Å"Did you see that they're considering a serial killer now?† he asked. Carlisle sighed. â€Å"They've had two specialists debating that possibility on CNN all morning.† â€Å"We can't let this go on.† â€Å"Let's go now,† Emmett said with sudden enthusiasm. â€Å"I'm dead bored.† A hiss echoed down the stairway from upstairs. â€Å"She's such a pessimist,† Emmett muttered to himself. Edward agreed with Emmett. â€Å"We'll have to go sometime.† Rosalie appeared at the top of the stairs and descended slowly. Her face was smooth, expressionless. Carlisle was shaking his head. â€Å"I'm concerned. We've never involved ourselves in this kind of thing before. It's not our business. We aren't the Volturi.† â€Å"I don't want the Volturi to have to come here,† Edward said. â€Å"It gives us so much less reaction time.† â€Å"And all those innocent humans in Seattle,† Esme murmured. â€Å"It's not right to let them die this way.† â€Å"I know,† Carlisle sighed. â€Å"Oh,† Edward said sharply, turning his head slightly to look at Jasper. â€Å"I didn't think of that. I see. You're right, that has to be it. Well, that changes everything.† I wasn't the only one who stared at him in confusion, but I might have been the only one who didn't look slightly annoyed. â€Å"I think you'd better explain to the others,† Edward said to Jasper. â€Å"What could be the purpose of this?† Edward started to pace, staring at the floor, lost in thought. I hadn't seen her get up, but Alice was there beside me. â€Å"What is he rambling about?† she asked Jasper. â€Å"What are you thinking?† Jasper didn't seem to enjoy the spotlight. He hesitated, reading every face in the circle – for everyone had moved in to hear what he would say – and then his eyes paused on my face. â€Å"You're confused,† he said to me, his deep voice very quiet. There was no question in his assumption. Jasper knew what I was feeling, what everyone was feeling. â€Å"We're all confused,† Emmett grumbled. â€Å"You can afford the time to be patient,† Jasper told him. â€Å"Bella should understand this, too. She's one of us now.† His words took me by surprise. As little as I'd had to do with Jasper, especially since my last birthday when he'd tried to kill me, I hadn't realize that he thought of me that way. â€Å"How much do you know about me, Bella?† Jasper asked. Emmett sighed theatrically, and plopped down on the couch to wait with exaggerated impatience. â€Å"Not much,† I admitted. Jasper stared at Edward, who looked up to meet his gaze. â€Å"No,† Edward answered his thought. â€Å"I'm sure you can understand why I haven't told her that story. But I suppose she needs to hear it now.† Jasper nodded thoughtfully, and then started to roll up the arm of his ivory sweater. I watched, curious and confused, trying to figure out what he was doing. He held his wrist under the edge of the lampshade beside him, close to the light of the naked bulb, and traced his finger across a raised crescent mark on the pale skin. It took me a minute to understand why the shape looked strangely familiar. â€Å"Oh,† I breathed as realization hit. â€Å"Jasper, you have a scar exactly like mine.† I held out my hand, the silvery crescent more prominent against my cream skin than against his alabaster. Jasper smiled faintly. â€Å"I have a lot of scars like yours, Bella.† Jasper's face was unreadable as he pushed the sleeve of his thin sweater higher up his arm. At first my eyes could not make sense of the texture that was layered thickly across the skin. Curved half-moons crisscrossed in a feathery pattern that was only visible, white on white as it was, because the bright glow of the lamp beside him threw the slightly raised design into relief, with shallow shadows outlining the shapes. And then I grasped that the pattern was made of individual crescents like the one on his wrist . . . the one on my hand. I looked back at my own small, solitary scar – and remembered how I'd received it. I stared at the shape of James's teeth, embossed forever on my skin. And then I gasped, staring up at him. â€Å"Jasper, what happened to you?†

Monday, July 29, 2019

Advertising effects in social network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advertising effects in social network - Essay Example Cloud Computing revolutionizes the usage of computer systems and digital infrastructure. Cloud Computing has evolved to include many industries and types of businesses within its peripheries of operation and implementation. Out of the multiple Cloud Computing Applications of few of the most popular and widely preferred are: In the earlier days of internet and web applications an organization dependent on an application would have to worry about the individual software, the hardware to install them in, the platform on which they would run the infrastructure and lastly the resources. Having so many areas to look into meant a significant investment and a recurring maintenance charge. The innovation and experimentation with the web environment lead to the birth of Cloud Computing a technology based on virtualization, hybridization, and platform/ technology independence. Cloud computing has the power to take care of all the drawbacks of traditional online applications and web based tools and technologies. Sanmina a California based Electronics Manufacturing Company was one of the first to used cloud computing based Google applications in their day to day client service delivery. Test driving the cloud computing benefits at work a handful employees started using cloud based Google applications for emails, document creation, appointment scheduling. Within a span of six months almost 1,000 employees started using the applications on the cloud framework. (King 2008) It was one of the first live evidences of the tremendous potential and processing abilities of the cloud computing technology. It was one of the first success stories of applying cloud computing environment successfully at work with clear cut evidences of computing power and financial and infrastructural flexibility that cloud computing had to offer. Cloud computing radically transforms the

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Ethics Dilemmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Dilemmas - Essay Example In articulating my response I have made the greatest effort to remain objective and refrain from imbuing the reasoning with personal morality or religious influence. Still, with personal reasons aside the risk associated with revising the report greatly outweighs the benefits. Recently, the risk associated with producing misguided reports was brought to light in the case of the Wakefield Paper Retraction. In this instance, â€Å"Two decades of an antivaccine movement were essentially built on this paper, creating a decrease in MMR vaccination and an increase in measles outbreaks†¦Despite countless other scientific studies†¦it’s been challenging to convince parents as to the lack of link between autism and the MMR vaccine† ("The wakefield paper," 2010). In this instance, the falsifying of the report created a paradigm shift that caused significant medical detriment to many individuals with autism. While this specific report may not have the wide-ranging implica tions of the Wakefield Paper, the potential for such a pervasive influence is an extremely viable concern. Another major reason why it will not be ethically responsible to change the contents of the report relate to the potential of such a change to detrimentally harm individuals. When considering historical instances of such medical malpractice, there are many examples wherein such practices had long-term harmful effects. From as early as 1932, with the Tuskegee Syphilis Study where, â€Å"Researchers withheld treatment even when penicillin became widely available† (Resnik, 2010), it’s clear that the nature of medical responsibility is of the utmost importance. Numerous instances in the 20th century demonstrate instances where short-term financial gain was followed, and in later years detrimental consequences followed. In these regards, if the report were revised, while it might be possible for the company to gain short-term market share and a competitive

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Master dissertation proposal (outline)of about 600 words Essay

Master dissertation proposal (outline)of about 600 words - Essay Example The purpose of introducing ICT in education is to enhance the language learning and educational activities of students and support the teaching process by means of computers, internet and the latest technologies. ICT has already become a part and parcel of young kids’ lives. The research will focus on questions like: has introducing ICT concepts at so young an age helped children discover, examine, explain and solve problems, foresee, argue and judge? For primary school children, that is, key stage 1 and 2, do teachers feel their responsibility where to make use of ICT tools to support language learning of the students? Is ICT also helping children with special needs or not? There are a lot of ICT tools available that help children with special needs adapt to their new learning environment which is more efficient and more helpful to them. Do these tools help children who find difficulties such as language hurdles, cultural hurdles, writing trouble (dysgraphia), reading difficu lties (dyslexia), math difficulties (dyscalculia), memorizing difficulties and environmental disadvantages? These issues have inspired me to conduct a research about ICT in CALL for young children. Harriet, Price. The Really Useful Book of ICT in the Early Years. United Kingdom, UK: Routledge, 2008. (This book helps explain the role of ICT in young children’s education especially their language learning process.) Siraj-Blatchford, Irum., & John Siraj-Blatchford. A Guide to Developing the ICT Curriculum for Early Childhood Education. United Kingdom, UK: Trentham Books, 2006. (This book is also a great help in understanding the importance of ICT in CALL in early childhood phases.) Questionnaires and personal interviews with teachers, parents and children will be conducted. I shall visit parents at homes and teachers and children at school. I shall conduct a comparative research based on results received from children

Friday, July 26, 2019

Write a research paper dealing with the issue of retention and the

Write a dealing with the issue of retention and the cost of education in colleges and universities in U.S.A. and try to ansver.the following question - Research Paper Example In addition the government owned universities and colleges are cheaper than the private owned. The average fees required for tuition in the private universities in a year is $20,000. In a 4 year term, that would total to $80,000. While in the private institutions is more than $40,000 per year. The wide fee difference between the two sector universities has resulted to increased undergraduate intake in the public universities. The government run colleges and universities have enrolled 70% of the total undergraduate intake a year, with the colleges enrolling half of the country’s full time undergraduates. But not all the public colleges charge minimal amount, colleges such California, fee rate is the same as top end private universities. The rate of graduation in public colleges and universities has fluctuated from 70% to 60% in the past ten years. This is due to the low availability of resources in the public universities as compared to public. The graduation rate in the privat e universities and the top universities has increased from to 50% to 80% this due to the high level of education offered as well as the selective nature of the private universities however, the number of graduates in public universities and colleges is still high when compared to the private owned. The difference in the fees rate charged in the two sectors means that some education accessories are only available in the high end universities and vice versa. In today, only time will tell whether the two education sectors will reach a point and charge tuition fee regardless of access and

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Article Abstract 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article Abstract 8 - Essay Example The empirical analysis is carried out on a racial basis. The conclusion of the research is that race has no significance whatsoever where the price of a rookie baseball card is concerned. This conclusion was reached after lack of evidence of customer discrimination on racial basis for the blacks or Hispanics research subjects (Gabriel, Curtis and Timothy 228). The estimation of the results of the research analysis has been well broken down and articulated well. This is especially so after the results being differentiated for the hitter and pitchers and the composite indexes of the prices well indicated. The estimated results also differentiate between the card price of Hispanics and that of the blacks in the descriptive statistics. The researchers did not clearly explain the sample size, population or even the sampling technique used in this particular research. The other thing that should have been present but lacked in this research is more literature review. The researchers only dwelt on literature by one group of researchers and hence making the research not

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Electrification transforms city life. (1880) Research Paper

Electrification transforms city life. (1880) - Research Paper Example Electric powered street cars became developed, and electric trolleys in the 1880’s, made it possible for the rich and those in the middle class, to move smoothly in the newly constructed rail lines and trolleys. These trolleys allowed people to move smoothly from the business districts to their residential neighborhoods. This led to expanded and increased city limits and suburbs became developed. The developed suburbs allowed the wealthy families enjoy their privacy and ownership of their homes without sacrificing the excitement of the city.2 The introduction of the modern convenience and the vast technological marvels, such as indoor plumbing, telephone and the famous Brooklyn Bridge provided an appealing aura that attracted thousands of people to the city. Cities grew upwards and outwards. The tallest building in the US was the Trinity Church in New York before the invention of electricity. This got overtaken later by the New York World building, a 26 storey building. The growing size of the office buildings showed the healthy and vibrant growing economy. All businesses, steel mills and factories experienced an increase in their profits.3 The invention of electricity in turn saw the arrival of new technologies. These technologies enabled the constructions of buildings taller and bigger than before. The newly built sky scrapers needed elevators to transport people. In 1870’s, six storey buildings used steam powered elevators that became characterized by cables that got wound around a gigantic rotating drum. These elevators were not appropriate for taller buildings, because the drums would have to be abnormally large. During the 1880’s, with the invention of electricity, the invented electric elevator provided a more practical and suitable solution.1 The built tall buildings needed ventilation systems to cool them during the summer period and heat them during the winter. The ventilation systems adopted in the 1860’s, required steam powered

Abortion - Today's Contemporary Moral Issue Essay

Abortion - Today's Contemporary Moral Issue - Essay Example To date no convincing results could be procured rather it emerged as the most contentious of all the existing contemporary societal concerns of the present century (Ethics of Abortion: Is it Moral or Immoral to Have an Abortion). Abortion poses a ethical, societal, and therapeutic predicament that blend up poignant answers among disputants of the topic. Abortion is such an issue that carries two viewpoints encompassing choice and life. Life is present in the fetus right from the moment of conception, a fetus, or human embryo, is considered to be a living individual. Due to the act of abortion, the individual is divested from the survival and therefore for some abortion is considered to be equivalent to murder. The view is supported by the Catholic Church, as it is the moral responsibility to prevent every individual (Ethics of Abortion: Is it Moral or Immoral to Have an Abortion). On the contrary, decision to give birth to the young one is the right of the mother and there should not be any interventions. Thus it is a matter of fetal life but at the same time the issue is concerned with the upbringing of the child and also the consent of the mother who has to give birth to the baby (individual). The present article considers the philosophical facet of abortion, as it encompasses the ethical assessment of the proceedings. History reveals that abortion has always been a contemporary issue, the issue was prevalent even before the birth of Christ. Some traditional methods were prevalent to kill the unwanted fetus, although it was a legal as well as political concern. It was Plato (428- 347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) who maintained the outlook of abortion (Roos). Aristotle developed the thought of "delayed ensoulment" which had far reaching implications amongst intellectuals. He very well discriminated plants animals and humans and framed the view that the soul enters the human body once the body is fully formed. and also postulated the ensoulment as- for males it is forty days and for females it is eighty days. Roman law did not provide any legal standing to the infant till the family head accepts it (Roos). Later with the advent of Christianity life in womb was also considered to be sacred and therefore contradictions started which is prevailing even in the present situation (Roos). Abortion: a Cru cial Ethical Issue Abortion has been debated over the years on the political grounds to make a law and should be regarded as a murder of an individual or it should be left as a permissible issue leaving on the choice of the women. On the other hand it is believed by some that law must not legislate transience. It is also believed that all the laws must be made for good. A breakdown or stoppage to explicitly converse those morals and ethics could incomprehensible vital planning (Fetus, Humanity, Personhood: When Does a Fetus Become a Human Person with Rights). Could fetus be considered as an individual with rights? Debates related to abortion encompass the lawful eminence related to the fetus. Considering fetus as an individual, abortion is equivalent to the murder and therefore abortion is an illegitimate act. On the other hand, it is necessary to understand that it is the part of women's body and any state cannot compel a woman to continue with the pregnancy if the woman is not wil ling to maintain it to the complete term. Thus it should be an ethical choice and should not be a considered as a murder (Fetus, Humanity, Personhood: When Does a Fetus Become a Human Person with Rights). Female does possess Moral Responsibility towards the developing Fetus! In certain cases the contraception fails or the use of contraceptive means may turn out to be improper of

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Disabled People and the Rights to Social Citizenship Essay

Disabled People and the Rights to Social Citizenship - Essay Example The British government has proffered different definitions of a citizen as components of the various solutions proposed in respect of the extent social, economic and political problems and these solutions have affected the rights of individuals (Young, 1985). The Conservative government under John Major introduced a Citizen’s Charter in order to subject public services to market forces. Accordingly, citizens obtained the right to choose. This development in conjunction with privatization was considered to be the panacea for the ills of the inefficient public services. Citizenship can be perceived either by the individualist approach in which the nature of citizenship is determined by individual choice or the structuralist approach in which the determining factors are social and economic in nature. Further, â€Å"Choice-based theories are exemplified in their purest form by economics†¦. In this world, individuals seek to maximize their utility by obtaining the highest ret urn at the minimum cost from any course of action which they undertake† (Pattie, Seyd, and Whiteley, 2004, pp 138-139).Consequently, â€Å"Citizenship is a status bestowed on those who are full members of a community. [and who] †¦are equal with respect to the rights and duties with which the status is endowed† (Marshall, 1950, p. 28). These rights are of three kinds civil, political or social. The Civil rights are, â€Å"liberty of the person, freedom of speech, thought and faith, the right to own property and to conclude valid contracts, and the right to justice† (Marshall, 1950, p. 10). Political rights comprise of â€Å"the right to participate in the exercise of political power† and social rights are â€Å"the whole range from the right to a modicum of economic welfare and security to the right to share to the full in the social heritage.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Sonalika Traktor Essay Example for Free

Sonalika Traktor Essay Established in 1969, Sonalika group from the very beginninghastried to understand customer need so that they get better value for their money, hard earned.Sonalika has stateof manufacturing, spread in acres, located at Hoshiarpur and tax free zone at AMBin Himachal Pradesh.Sonalika is the one of the top 3 tractor manufacturing companies in India, other products include of,Multi utility vehicles, engines and various farm equipments. Today the group stands tall with anapproximate turnover of 3200 Core INR. An average growth of 30% makes it one of the fastestgrowing corporate in India. Its is also one of the few debt free companies.Group has strength of about 2000 employee technocrats. History reveals that innovation is the keyto continued progress and when applied to technology that touches human life, it can unfold a wholenew economic phenomenon that has the power to change the world.With unique initiatives like the Thought leadership Forum, Leadership Forum, sonalika have beenable to create a unique platform for learning through success stories of industry leaders. â€Å"No, doubt that the sonalika products has created a niche for themselves not only in India but also in foreign market. To maintain quality have any defect even at micro level is been takencare of and rectified. The technology for which they use, is of the high quality and world-class quality standards.† The industry has gradually transformed itself into a world-class player involved in building state-of-the-art products, solutions and technologies. As an industry, they are very conscious of responsibilityto society.Sonalika Foundation intends to become a catalyst, encouraging our members to do more, capturingbest practices for quality and harnessing a greater range of resources, from the industry and beyond,to make a major impact on the development.It has been their vision to cater to the needful agriculture and auto industry with quality productsthrough untiring dedication and activities. As they step in to their fifth decade of existence, it continueto lead the development.Tractor and car plants work in 2 to 3 shifts depending upon volume of work for maximum production.It Continue to march ahead on road to success and glory driven by the force of initiative  anddetermination to have a leading position in the tractor industry in the days to come . They haveventured in to automobi le sector also with the launching of Rhino – MUV- to write another successstory. PROJECT HEADING The Study of tractors in and around Ghaziabad specially their buying practices,specific needs, model / hp / make preferences and opinion about Sonalika tractorfor this particular segment / their specific need . INTRODUCTION OF TRACTOR INDUSTRY International Tractors Limited was incorporate on October 17, 1995 for the manufacture of Tractors and has since then built a distinct position for itself in the Tractor industry. ITL ismanufacturing various Tractors of Sonalika brand between 30 H.P to 90 H.P, and CLASS brandbetween 70 hp to 90hp. The tractors manufactured by company have secured a reputation of performance, quality and reliability in the market because of their maximum pulling power, minimumfuel consumption and low emission. All this makes ITL one of the top three tractor selling companiesin India. These tractors are also exported to various countries including South Africa, Australia,Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Canada, Bangladesh, Algeria, Zambia, Senegal, Ghana etcITL has entered into strategic alliance with YANMAR of Japan for joint manufacturing tractors inIndia. ITL has a marketing arrangement with TATA International for development of selected South American and African market. The company’s marketing efforts are promoted by dealer network of 600, and 450 subdealers. Such a networking has enabled the company to grow like a well-knit familywhose roots lie in its customers, who have providing constant feedback and support to allow thecompany to turn their dreams into products. â€Å"Our Manufacturing Process, Quality Control systems and Research Developmentfacilities are ISO-2000 certified,  by the joint Accreditation system Of Australia and NewZealand. We are the first Tractor manufacturing company in the country to beaccredited with ISO-14001. It bears testimony to fact that company is having world-classRD facilities, maintaining controls and systems of international Standard and Environment norms.† They are also manufacturing tractors, meeting norms of Smoke Mass Emission, Tested andcertified by ARAI, Pune. United States Environmental Norms Agency, Washington DC has alsocertified our Engines. These certifications enabled SONALIKA Tractors to enter into world Market.All the Models of Tractors and Combines Harvesters manufactured by us are tested approved bycentral Farm Machinery and Tractors Training Testing Institute, Bundi (MP) India, (theGovernment of India Institute authorized for issuing test reports). WELCOME TO KEY SURVEY AND STUDY A.  WHAT IS TRACTOR A  tractor  is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds,for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction. Mostcommonly, the term is used to describe the distinctive farm vehicle: agricultural implements may betowed behind or mounted on the tractor, and the tractor may also provide a source of power if theimplement is mechanised.The word tractor was taken from Latin, being the agent noun of trahere to pull. The first recordeduse of the word meaning an engine or vehicle for pulling wagons or ploughs occurred in 1901,displacing the earlier term traction engine (1859).Tractors are used extensively in mowing and land-clearing applications. In fact, the commonsuburban riding mower is basically a scaled-down tractor. Theyre also used in construction,landscaping, livestock operations, and industrial settings. B.  BASIC OF CHOOSING A TRACTOR Getting the right tractor is important: its an expensive purchase and one that you can easily last 10,20, or 30 years or more. This Buyer Zone Tractors Buyers Guide will help you through the process,answering questions such as: How much horsepower do you need? What features are most important? Which attachments are the most useful? How can you choose the right dealer? How much you can expect to pay?Start choosing a tractor by determining if one is actually right piece for you. There are three mainpoints to consider when choosing which type of equipment is right for you: FLEXIBILITY Skid steer loaders and tractors are designed to power many kinds of attachments,while excavators and loader/backhoes are dedicated to the specific tasks of digging and loading. As aresult, the specialized machines are more efficient at their specific jobs, but the generalists are usefulin more ways. SURFACE IMPACT Skid steers and excavator tracks can wreak havoc on grass or loose surfaces.In contrast, even fairly substantial tractors equipped with the right tires can work on these types of surfaces without doing noticeable damage. OVERAGE AREA Since they can move at faster speeds, tractors are more appropriate than skidsteers for work that involves covering a lot of ground: mowing or plowing large fields. Hydrostatic transmissions are the best choice if the primary operators of the tractor arent familiarwith using manual transmissions. However, theyre more expensive, and they reduce the availablehorsepower slightly when compared to manual transmissions.If your operators are comfortable with using a clutch, you can save some money and get a little morepower out of your tractor by choosing a manual transmission. SAFETY (ROPS) All new tractors are required to come with rollover protection structures (ROPS) that greatly improvesafety. When used in conjunction with a seatbelt, ROPS prevent the tractor from crushing theoperator in a rollover accident.Another safety feature to look for is an operator presence switch. These systems can detect theoperators weight in the drivers seat –  and if theres no one in the seat, they automatically shut off theengine.Most tractors will have basic lights and flashers for road operation, but you should check localregulations for any rules about driving tractors on public roads to see if there are more specificrequirements. TIRES Your application will also determine what type of tires you should choose. Tractors can use manytypes of pneumatic tires: agricultural tires for working in loose dirt; industrial tires for heavy mowingand loader work, or turf tires that reduce damage when mowing finished lawns. Your dealer shouldshow you several types of tires that appropriate for your use. F.  TRACTOR ATTACHMENTS While the tractor itself provides the power to get your job done, the attachments are what actually dothe work. As one dealer told us, a tractor without attachments is basically a slow ride to the mailbox.Buying the right  attachments for the job you need to do is an essential part of a tractor purchase. Themost common type of application is moving materials around, and for that job, a front-end loader isa great choice. A simple scoop on two arms, a loader can be used for carrying dirt, rocks, mulch, orother loose materials; for leveling and landscaping work; and for carrying heavy items. Unlike mostattachments, this popular tool connects to the front of the tractor, instead of the back, meaning it canbe left on while using the back end for other attachments.Some popular attachments: Box blades  are used to scrape or push earth, for grading, leveling, or bulldozing applications. Mowers  come in many types: rough cut and brush mowers for cutting through heavy growthand finish mowers for more detailed work.  In agricultural use,  tillers,  plows, and  disk harrows  are excellent tools for preparing fields. If snow is an issue in your location, front-end  plows  and  blowers  turn your tractor into asnow-removal machine. Backhoes provide serious digging power  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   but at a high cost: theyre among the mostexpensive attachments you can buy. Not all tractors can support backhoes,either. Other attachments include  landscape rakes,  spreaders,  forks,  grapples, and  hay bailers. CONNECTING TRACTORS ATTACHMENTS Most attachments connect using a three-point hitch at the back of the tractor. This lets them use thepower take-off unit (PTO) as a power source. Almost all tractors use a standard 540 RPM PTO andthree-point hitch, which means attachments are generally interchangeable between different tractors.Verify that the horsepower rating of your PTO is enough to run the attachments you plan on using.1000 and 2000 RPM PTOs are also available, but unless you need a specialized attachment that onlyworks at those speeds, theyre not important. Some tractors have a PTO located in the middle of thetractor, beneath the operator. This can be helpful for precise mowing, but its not very common. G. CHOOSING A TRACTOR DEALER Buying a tractor involves more than just choosing the right model and the  right attachments: you haveto choose a tractor dealer you can work with for the long term. Like any piece of heavy equipment,your tractor will wear and eventually break, making your relationship with the dealer important.Having warranty coverage on your tractor isnt worth much if the dealership cant do the work youneed. Ask potential tractor dealers about their service policies: What kind of parts inventory do you keep on hand? How many technicians do you have? What is their training and experience like? Do you do on-site service if my tractor needs repairs? What about scheduled maintenance? Do you have guaranteed response times? Do you provide loaners if my tractor needs to be taken in for service? Will you pick my tractorup if it needs to go in for extensive work? You should visit the dealer’s facility. Simply seeing the parts warehouse and service areas can give you a good sense of their capabilities. REGULAR MAINTAINENCE Relatively simple tasks like changing the oil, replacing filters, and lubricating joints are an essentialpart of extending your tractors lifespan, and many tractor owners choose to take care of routinemaintenance on their own. But in addition to repairing breakdowns, your dealer should also help withthis type of preventative maintenance.They should provide you with a detailed maintenance manual, and walk you through the basicmaintenance procedures if necessary. They can also be your source for the parts and supplies youneed to keep the tractor running smoothly. Handling this routine maintenance isnt difficult, but it does require that you stick to a schedule.Because regularly scheduled maintenance is so important, it can make sense to purchase amaintenance contract. For a small yearly fee, the dealer will make sure all required maintenance isdone right and on time, either at your location or theirs. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Many tractor manufactures have been around for decades. While newer or lesser-known brands maybe cheaper, choosing a brand with longevity helps unsure that youll be able to find parts when youneed them.Better dealers will let you take a tractor for a demo at your own site. This is a great way to evaluatedifferent models: youll be able to get a feel for how well each performs in your specific applications.Youll also be able to directly evaluate subjective issues like visibility and ease of use. Lastly, don’t underestimate your personal reactions. Choose a dealer you feel is honest with yo u andeasy to work with: those impressions are often good indicators of how the dealer will treat you in thelong run. If the dealer aggressively starts selling you on a tractor without trying to determine yourneeds, you may want to keep moving. Quality dealers want to put you in the right tractor, knowingthat if youre satisfied with your purchase, youll eventually come back. softening of commodity prices preparing the ground for the industry to earn higher profitabilitymargins. The pickup in volumes also lowered the overhead expenses for the tractor manufacturers,boosting their profitability. While the OEMs did not lower the listed sales price of tractors, the benefitof lower steel prices was passed on to the end customers via discounts. This is an accepted practice inthe industry; given that once prices are lowered it is difficult to raise them subsequently. However,during H2 2009-10, the tractor majors increased the prices with the reversal of commodity prices andthe discounts have also come down INDUSTRY TREND BY REGION The biggest markets for the tractor industry include States like Uttar Pradesh (UP), Andhra Pradesh(AP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajasthan, and  Maharashtra, which together accounted for around 50%of the total tractor sales in India during 2009-10. The tractor industry witnessed a strong y-o-y growthof 28.3% during 2009-10, with most of the States reporting positive growth during the year. The  northern region  remains the largest tractor market in India with sales of around 1,67,000 unitsas of 2009-10. This region reported a growth rate of 35.7% in volume sales in 2009-10 over theprevious fiscal, with the key contributors including UP, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The northernregion benefited from higher MSPs (for crops), limited availability of labour (forcing highermechanisation), and increasing non-agricultural use of tractors. Additionally, increased infrastructuredevelopment activities (especially highways) led to appreciation in land values and use of tractors fornon- agricultural purposes. In some cases, farmers also received compensation for the Government’s acquisition of select land patches (adjoining highways), which increased the availability of cash withthem. Feedback from industry players  suggests cash purchases (including purchases using KisanCredit Card) in some northern States increased to 35-40% of the total tractor volumes in 2009-10 from 10-15% in the past.Tractor volumes in UP grew by 42.7% during 2009-10, with H2, 2009-10 reporting particularlystrong growth (around 51% y-o-y) mainly on the back of high sugarcane prices for the kharif  cropand improved irrigation facilities. In the case of Punjab, tractor volumes remained strong for the fifthstraight year in 2009-10 (y-o-y growth of 42%). In Rajasthan however, growth in tractor volumes wasrelatively subdued in 2009-10 (around 24% y-o-y) as compared with the figure for the northernregion as a whole. Tractor sales in Rajasthan were especially low in H2, 2009-10 versus H1, 2009-10,due to lower kharif output on account of deficient rains and inadequate financing availability.In the eastern region, tractor volumes continued to report strong growth in 2009-10, albeit on a smallbase, and went up by 53.8% over 2008-09, being driven mainly by the higher MSPs announced forpaddy. Within the region however, many financiers remained reluctant to finance tractor purchases insome States like Bihar. Nevertheless, in Bihar, tractor volumes grew 66% over 2008-09 to around29,000 units in 2009-10, thereby accounting for over 50% of the total sales in the eastern region. TheBihar market, where tractor penetration had been lo w historically, has shown sustained growth overthe last few years and become one of the important markets for the tractor industry. Overall, in theeastern region, growth in tractor volumes is expected to moderate, going forward, as the benefit of alow base get diluted gradually.The western region  reported sales of around 92,000 tractor units during 2009-10 —   a growth rate of 35.7% over the previous fiscal  Ã¢â‚¬â€   benefiting particularly from the strong performance thatMaharashtra, Gujarat and MP posted during H2, 2009-10 (55% y-o-y growth over H2, 2008-09). Thefactors contributing to the strong growth in the region during H2, 2009-10 included a benign baseeffect, higher crop prices (of sugarcane and cotton in Maharashtra, and of cereals and soyabean inMP), and greater availability of retail finance.The performance of the southern region  in terms of tractor sales was relatively modest during 2009-10, with the growth rate being around 11.9% over the previous fiscal. While most States in the regionreported healthy growth, AP, which is the largest tractor market in the south, de-grew by 10.4% in2009-10. The AP market has been undergoing a volume correction since 2007-08, with the precedingfour to five years having witnessed a large and sustained volume growth; this factor apart, the de-growth of 2009-10 was also aided by irregular monsoons. The other big market in the southernregion, Karnataka, reported growth of 74% in tractor volumes in 2009-10 mainly on the strength of higher MSPs for rice; however, volume growth is expected to modera te in 2010-11 because of thebase effect. In Tamil Nadu, tractor sales were flat during H1, 2009-10, but the performance improvedin H2, 2009-10 mainly because of improved retail  financing by the PSBs. INDUSTRY TRENDS BY TRACTOR HORSE POWER(HP SEGMENT) The Indian tractor market has traditionally been a medium HP market, with 31-40 HP tractorsaccounting for around 47% of the total industry volumes. In 2008-09, the 31-40 HP category hadreported sales of 157,602 tractor units, which was about the same as the previous year’s figure but  lower than the 2006-07 statistic by 7%. In 2009-10 however, this category reported a strong revival,with the volume growing by 22%2 over 2008-09; the revival was led by UP, Karnataka and MadhyaPradesh.The other major segment in the Indian tractor market is the 41-50 HP range, which accounts foraround 23% of the total industry volumes. This segment grew by around 10% during 2009-10,thereby underperforming the growth in overall tractor volumes (around 19%) that year. The mainreason for this underperformance was the low growth that the southern region, the biggest market forthis segment, reported in 2009-10. The 51 HP segment of the Indian tractor market alsounderperformed the industry growth rate in 2009-10 mainly because of the de-growth in the exportswhich is a key demand area for these high HP tractors. SOME LONG TERM DEMAND DRIVERS (TRACTOR INDUSTRY) Low penetration of tractors in Indian agriculture: Indian agriculture is characterised by low farmmechanisation, fragmented land holdings, and high dependence on monsoon rains (in the absence of adequate irrigation facilities). Tractor penetration in India is low at around 13 tractors per 1,000hectares as against the global average of 19 and the US average of 29. While this does indicate therelative backwardness of Indian agriculture, it also points to the significant scope that exists forraising tractor penetration, which bodes well for tractor demand over the long term. Government support for the agricultural sector: Although agriculture contributes just around 20%  to India’s GDP, it provides employment to a large rural population, which is why the sector remains a strong focus area for the Government. The tractor industry benefits significantly from theGovernmental focus on agriculture, with measures such as nil excise duty on tractors (even the exciseduty on tractor parts has been lowered from 16% to 8%) and inclusion of tractor financing underpriority sector lending (by PSBs) serving as long-term demand drivers. Financing of tractor purchaseis of great significance for the industry, it being a key demand facilitator. Export of tractors: Indian tractor manufacturers have been increasingly targeting the internationalmarkets over the last few years. The industry exported a total of around 37,900 tractors during 2009-10, with the USA, Africa, South America, and some Asian countries being the top destinations. Theindustry leader, Mahindra and Mahindra (MM), has acquired Yancheng Tractors, the fourth largesttractor manufacturer in China (in terms of FY2008 volumes), to improve its presence in the country.In the developed markets, Indian tractors have a relatively marginal presence, with sales being largelyrestricted to the hobby farming segment.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

IKEA: The Worlds Largest Furniture Retailer

IKEA: The Worlds Largest Furniture Retailer Introduction According to KeyNote, 2008, IKEA is the worlds largest furniture retailer. IKEA sells a lifestyle to its middle-class global consumers through cheap contemporary flat-packed designs. The Swedish based company has 237 stores around the world and it is the world leader in home furnishings (Mintel, 2006). IKEA is responsible for a global strategy that concentrates on cost management, efficiency and quality. However, there is much more to IKEA than just its cheap stylish furniture. As Eberhard-Harribey (2006) states, regardless of its openly aggressive focus on cutting costs, IKEA is a leading company when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) matters (see more on Appendix 1). IKEA has managed to combine a cost focus strategy with CSR issues as opposed to companies such as Starbucks and The Body Shop, which is considered to be high CSR-oriented but that charge a premium-price for its sustainable products. IKEA has respectable policies on child labour and has strong partnerships with UNICEF, and the WWF. Moreover, IKEA has a transnational strategy. The business maximise its global strategy of product standardisation whilst responding to, consumer local needs. Globalisation, factors like economic growth, deregulation, more disposable income and rising housing market have created many opportunities for growth in which IKEA have continuously taken advantage of in many countries. In spite of its global presence, it is worthy to point out two facts. First fact is that Europe accounts for 82% of IKEAs total revenues and North America accounts for 15% (Datamonitor, 2009). Second fact is that in both Europe and North America regions, as a result of the economic downturn the furniture retail industry is under a lot of competition. In order to reduce the political-economical and social-demographical risks inherent with such regions, IKEA needs to concentrate on diversifying its operations into other markets promptly and efficiently. Moreover, by expanding into other markets, IKEA can also take advantages of opportunities that these new markets offer that current markets no longer do. For example, in the past when China opened-up its policy to FDI, it eventually led to the Chinese economic improvement, the rise in the housing market and subsequently the demand for home furnishings in China. These events have unmistakable allowed IKEA to successfully enter this market. The current strategy mode that IKEA undertakes when entering a new market is International Franchising whereby products, limited rights, operating systems and the use of IKEAs brand name are sold to the foreign franchisee for a sum fee and share in the profits. It seems sensible therefore that IKEA continue on expanding into new markets. Nevertheless, before IKEA chooses another market to enter, IKEA needs to follow some steps: (1) Assess potential markets, (20 Evaluate the respective risks and benefits, (3) Choose the most appropriate market that not only match the Furniture Industry but ultimately complement IKEAs vision and Corporate Social Responsibility. In this work IKEAs plan will be to further its global expansion into the South American Market, having Brazil as a target. Brazil is the largest country in South America and according to Datamonitor (2009), it is characterises the most attractive country for the Furnishing Industry. The following analyses have as an aim to critically determine whether or not IKEA can successfully enter the Brazilian Market and how it should best endeavour such move Industry Overview: Global Home Furnishing Retail The home furnishings retail sector includes furniture, floor coverings and household textiles. Furniture sales dominate the global home furnishing retail sector, with 63.9% of the sectors value. IKEA has the largest share in the global home furnishing market. Its share accounts for 2.3% (MarketLine, 2009). Europe accounts for 43.1% of the retail sectors value and the compound annual growth rate of the sector in the period 2004-2008 was 2.6%. Moreover, according to Datamonitor, 2009, sectors value reached a value of $663.4 billion in 2008 and it is forecasted to grow by 24.9% in 2013 (MarketLine, 2009). Moreover, according to Mintel (2008) the UK is IKEAs most successful market. However is being held back by the difficulty of getting new stores, low consumer confidence due to the economic slowdown. The UK housing market has slowed dramatically and with house prices and the number of transactions forecast to fall this year, this must be bad news for furniture retailers. Already in 2008 there have been a number of casualties, including Sleep Depot and New Heights, and most recently Ilva and ScS. At the same time furniture retailers are facing unprecedented levels of competition from outside of the specialist market from the likes of Tesco, Asda, Woolworths, Argos, Homebase, BQ, and even Next and MS. Is it all doom and gloom for the furniture specialist? more  » The UK housing market has slowed dramatically and with house prices and the number of transactions forecast to fall, furniture retailers are facing exceptional amount of competition from outside of the specialist market from the likes of Asda, Argos, not to mention MS and Next. Five Forces Analysis Retailers of furniture, floor coverings and household textiles are the players of the home furnishing retail sector and the main buyers are taken as end-users, and manufacturers of furniture, floor coverings and household textiles as the key suppliers. (Table bellow adapted from Datamonitor, 2009) IKEA Swot Analysis IKEAs Corporate Social Responsibility According to Maon, Swaen and Lindgreen (2007) IKEA receives pressure from various external stakeholders. This pressure mainly exists because IKEAs business is modeled on cost leadership the majority of its raw materials are originated from developing countries. Since the end of the 1980s, IKEAs policies have been under constant scrutiny, particularly from NGOs. For example, IKEA was under the public eye over child labour in Asia, working conditions in Eastern Europe and Asia, and wood from questionable forests in Indonesia and Russia. Some critics argue that IKEAs sustainable practices took too long to be implemented and others question why the company do not place social and environmental labels on its products, even though the products meet criteria for products made of tropical wood materials. However, for IKEA, the brand itself should be a guarantee of environmental consideration and social responsibility Moreover, as a result of such pressures, the company is more actively involved in its CSR than ever. See next for examples of IKEAs current practices: (Source: IKEA Group, Panda.org, UNICEF and SaveTheChildren.com, 2009). Identification of a New Market Whereas the North American furniture and floor coverings market is currently going through difficult times, South American has kept strong growth in value, a trend that according to Marketline, 2009 is meant to carry on rising. As for 2010 IKEA will enter the South American market. The first IKEA store will be allocated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Reference?). However, as it is shown bellow there are other countries within South America in which IKEA could be successful. Furniture Floor Coverings in South America Industry Profile The South American furniture floor coverings market generated total revenues of $19,801.3 million in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (Datamonitor, 2009) of 7.5% for the period 2004-2008. Market Segmentation Living room furniture sales has proved the most lucrative for the South American furniture floor coverings market in 2008, generating total revenues of $7,420.1 million, equivalent to 37.5% of the markets overall value. Brazil (Marketline, 2009) however, Brazil leads the South American furniture and floor coverings market, accounting for 63.3% of the markets value. Factors Influencing the Likelihood of New Entrants and New Entrants in the Furniture Market in South America As shown above, there is a lack of brand strength in the Latin American furnishing market. This is turn shows that somewhat easy for new businesses to enter the market. Examples of such business however, are those well established diversified retailers, such as supermarkets and department stores entering the market. Advantages for retailers occur within the market on a small scale with either one or several outlets, for which fixed costs and entrance barriers are fairly low. However, the impact of the current global economic recession on the retail environment can discourage the entrance of new furniture businesses into the high-street in the medium term. There is however little government regulation which only concentrates on health and safety of the products. Overall, Datamonitor (2009) sees that the threat of new entrants to the furniture market in South America is considered to be strong. It is therefore important that establishes its presence in the region before other multinational companies decide to enter the South American. By being a entering such region, IKEA can be as successful as Telefonica has been since 1990 (Griffin and Pustay, 2009). It can generate more sources of revenue as well as establishing new customer base before competitors. There are a large number of different retailers of different sizes from small independent retailers to large chain-stores operating within the furniture and floor coverings retail market. Many players within the market are diversified retailers, such as department stores, supermarkets and DIY stores, which are not critically reliant upon furniture sales, which in turn ease rivalry. However, there are many small specialist stores, where the sale of furniture and floor coverings products is critical to success. These companies need to compete intensely with the supermarkets, which is becoming increasingly difficult in terms of price without compromising product quality; as the supermarkets can afford to make smaller margins over a wide range of products. The current economic downturn is adversely affecting retail sales, reducing growth potential and increasing exit barriers, which enhances rivalry. Overall, rivalry with respect to the furniture and floor coverings retail market is moderate. (Please refer to Appendix 2 for further analyses). Brazil The Brazilian economy was not affected by the global financial crisis as the countrys economy is tightly regulated with orthodox macroeconomic policies. The countrys growth rate increased in 2008 to reach 5.9%. Moreover, Brazil is the founder member of Mercosul regional integration which for instance, are responsible for 75% of South Americas GDP and it is the worlds fourth-biggest integrated market. The economic reforms, liberalized foreign investment to most sectors have been considered to be responsible for the current economic. The market of furniture in Brazil has three main segments: home (60%), office (25%) and institutional organisations (15%). Analyses show that (reference) this last segment is on the growth and imports should increase. This change in demand for foreign designs can certainly benefit IKEA in Brazil. The market is also restrained by high interest rates (18.3% per year in 2001) which prevent people from demanding bank loans, and thus maintain their purchasing power at lower levels than if they could borrow money easier. It then has a bad impact on house purchasing and in series, lowers the buying of house furnishings too. However, despite its high profile, Brazil still suffers from corruption. According to Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index for 2008, Brazil is ranked in the 80th place out of 179 countries. Because corruption is perceived to be very strong in Brazil, the majority of businesses are expected to encounter corruption when proposing contracts to governments. Moreover, deforestation caused by multi-nationals is making serious harms to the Brazilian rainforests. As the demand for environmentally friendly companies in Brazil and around the world continues to rise, companies such as IKEA can certainly expect to have its CSR scrutinised before receiving any license for operation. PESTLE Analysis of IKEA in Brazil Brazil has come out to be of the best market to invest (Griffin and Pustay, 2009) the economic reforms implemented after 2003 led to increases in real per capita income, and an improved income distribution. Real per capita income increased 14% from 2004 to 2007 and the inequality in the distribution of income, measured by the Gini coefficient (which ranges from 0, which reflects equality, to 1, which indicates inequality), diminished from 0.6 in 2000 to 0.5 in 2007. Although the political stability in Brazil does not have the same standard of security as other OECDs, the political stability in Brazil is improving steadily. Brazils president is considered to be more sensible than other South American leftist leaders. And Although Lula obviously seeks to protect national companies, He is also aware that many Brazilian businesses are not very efficient. After being re-elected, Lula has welcomed FDI in Brazil with open arms (Reference) Additionally, as the poverty situation in Brazil is still high, the Brazilian government and its population are in turn very active when it comes to social programs. There are major government programs that aim to tackle the problems of income inequality and access to credit. Programmes such as Zero Hunger (Projeto Fome Zero) provides low-income families conditional cash transfer bases reach nearly one quarter of Brazils population (MDS). Such programs can be seen as an opportunity for IKEA. Since IKEA has such renounced CSR programs in place, it can certainly work with partnership with the Brazilian government. Also, as more people are acquiring houses, the demand for furniture will eventually increase. With emerging markets capturing investors attention, many are turning their focus towards South American markets. Strong exports, high commodity prices and increased investments have been contributing factors to growth within many of the Latin American markets (Fleming, 2007). Amongst its neighbours, Brazil is the country that provides its population the highest average purchasing power (IMF, 2006) Thus, Brazil seem a very attractive market for IKEA, especially since the its furniture imports have experienced a growth of 16.27% during the third quarter of 2006. The imports of furniture in Brazil are controlled by the United States with 39% of the share, followed by Germany with 36% and Italy with 10% (ABIMOVEL, 2008). Because Brazils income gap between the rich people and the poor people is very high, The 10% richest people earn 50% of the totally income and the 10% poorest people only get less than 1% (source?) social status are very meaningful, especial for the middle-classes. As IKEA has been very proficient in selling lifestyles to its customers (KeyNote, 2008) the status importance amongst Brazilians could turn out to be advantageous for IKEA. Nevertheless, credit option is extremely limited among most consumers who are expected to pay for their goods in instalments. Very ofte, consumers opt for a certain product not because if its quality, but because of the payment facilities. Consumers can pay for a TV of the equivalent of  £300 in 10 instalments and without any added interest. IKEA should certainly be aware of consumers buying behaviour in order of to have problems with its liquidity ratios. As the telecommunication penetration rate in Brazil remains low, IKEA would not be able to rely in online sales in Brazil in the middle future and its online advertising should be very efficient . Laws requiring pre-sale disclosure by a franchisor are in place in Brazil Brazil shelters dense forests in northern regions including Amazon Basin that can be use for wooden furniture: half of the country is covered by forests. However, over the past couple of years, the government has been very cautious about global warming caused by MNCs deforestation. So IKEA would need to ensure the Brazilian government that its practices are very sustainable to be able to use Brazils endowments. IKEA in Brazil From the analysed above, it can be deducted that there are several attractive aspects for IKEA to invest in the area of furniture industry in the Brazilian market. First of all, the furniture market in Brazil is attractive due to a big value of imported furniture. Additionally, the labour cost is cheaper compared to Europe and America. Mode of Entry All IKEAs stores in foreign countries are managed under international franchising (IKEA, 2009). Franchising is a special form of licensing where the licensor authorises the licensee to utilize its operating systems, logos, brand names and trademarks in return for a loyalty payment (Griffin and Pustay, 2009). The franchisee needs also to supply capital, personnel, personal involvement and local market knowledge (Jeannet Hennessy, 2004, pp.296). As IKEA has so much experience in setting up franchise contracts, it seems sensible to apply the same when coming to Brazil for the following reasons: However, International Franchising has its drawbacks as well: Although the drawbacks of setting up Franchising in Brazil are not too high and IKEA could still be very successful in such a market. Based on the information gathered in this work, a relatively more complex but even more successful mode of entry can be recommended. Due to Brazils endowment factors and government economic stimulus package to attract new investments, IKEA can greater benefit from entering the market through Foreign Direct Investment via than from International Franchising. Moreover, by using FDI as a Strategy, IKEA can acquire national resources and access other South American markets. According to Dunnings Ecletic Theory (Griffin and Pustay, 2009), FDI will occur when three conditions Ownership, Location and Internalisation are satisfied. By matching IKEAs Swot analysis and all the other information gathered in this work, it is possible to observe that IKEA enjoys all three advantages in competing in Brazil against local firms. 1. Ownership: Whereas most of Brazilian furniture retails hold low brand image and average technology systems, IKEA has unique competitive advantages such as strong brand name globally, advanced technology and the benefits of economies of scale in other markets. 2. Location Advantage: IKEA can enjoy lower labour costs, avoid tariff walls on goods exported from Brazil to other South American countries and save money on product transportation instead of importing products from China, Russia and India, the majority of products can be manufactured in Brazil due to its vast resource endowments. 3. Internalisation Advantage: Because of growing concerns related to management of intellectual property rights, deforestation and corruption in Brazil, IKEA will benefit more from controlling its operations in Brazil than from hiring independent local companies to provide such services. FDI via Greenfield Strategy and Strategic Alliance As Brazilian Furniture Retailers are relatively small, the possibility to acquire an existing company with the intention of obtaining control over employees, technology and stores is very low. Therefore, IKEA would have to start its operations from scratch. According to Griffin and Pustay, 2010, when companies buy or build new facilities, hires in managers and employees to launch its brand new operations, they do so through Greenfield Strategy. Given all the facts that influence FDI in Brazil, the Greenfield Strategy can certainly benefit IKEAs entry to the Brazilian Market for the following reasons: IKEA can the location that best meets its needs It can build up-to-date facilities Brazils local and national government gives economic development incentives to attract companies facilities IKEA would not have to adapt its production systems to any Joint-ventures IKEA would not have to deal with problems associates with Property Rights that could arise from potential Franchisees/Licensees/ or Joint Venture partners. However, the Greenfield Strategy also has its disadvantages: The process of building a new site, hiring new staff and negotiating with government is relatively long and expensive In order to promote certain regions development, Brazilian government might require IKEA to build its site in a determined place that is not IKEAs desired location. Grant to use natural resources might be given under very restrict regulations due to global and national demand for sustainable products Furthermore, by using Brazils endowment resources, particularly in the Forestry sector, IKEAs CSR would be put under further scrutiny. However, as IKEA has so many projects that have been benefiting the forestry and the cotton sector (refer to IKEAs CSR) in so many countries IKEA can combine its current CSR practice and form a strategic alliance with the Brazilian government involving the production aspect of the business. According to Griffin and Pustay 2010, a strategic alliance involving public and private partners can benefit a company if negotiation is handled properly and if the government is relatively stable, by easing market entry, reducing risks, enhancing knowledge and expertise and giving competitive advantage. Appendix 1 Detailed Five Forces Analysis for the Global Retail Furniture Market (Adapted from Datamonitor, 2009). Appendix 2 Continuation of Five Forces Analysis on the South American Retail Furniture (Source: Datamonitor, 2009) Appendix 3