Is Globalization A New Phenomenon?

Is Globalization A New Phenomenon? Globalization is a very complex subject matter that ignites many heated debates among geographers, researchers and the general public alike. Although it may be interlinked with many phrases such as global interconnectedness an attempt to define this in one sentence would be futile, as even with much discussion; the diversity of aspects that this term encompasses is too wide of a spectrum for anyone to come to a single conclusion. There are many concepts of globalization and as Aart-Scholte (2005) has clearly attested most existing analysis of globalization is flawed due to redundant concepts interlinked to the idea. Universalization represents the most general outlook of globalization, where the exposure of foreign ideals and cultures worldwide blur the boundaries separating nations and diminishes a nations very uniqueness. Internationalization, liberalization and westernization are also concepts commonly linked to globalization, which deal with the more social, economical and polit ical impacts of this process. As the subject matter in question revolves more around the economic and political power of globalization much more emphasis will be nucleated within these boundaries. The age-old question many authors seem to dispute about is the history of globalization. Is globalization a new phenomenon? Authors who affiliate globalization to internationalization and liberalization find this process to be one that had lingered since the early colonialist eras. Zevin (1992), Wade (1996), Hirst Thompson (1999), ORourke Williamson (1999) through research have obtained circumstantial evidence that levels of trade, migration and investment between countries were already prominent in the late 19th century. Hence making their point that there is nothing new in contemporary globalism much more convincing. On the contrary other authors find that global relations only bloomed after advances in technology that simplifies the accessibility of people and the media across great distances with technological innovations such as the invention of the jet aeroplane and computer network, with what has been deemed the first global revolution and new realities by authors such as Dr ucker (1989) and King Schneider (1991). More realistically, I find the points brought up by authors like Roland Roberts (1994) to be much more compelling as the idea that globalization begun with what has been said to be a germination phase in the 15th to the mid 18th century and inevitably take off within the period of the mid 19th century makes perfect sense. At this point in time the globalization rate is astounding, where branches such as Walmart, Sony and even Tesco are branching out from their mother countries to nation states. As these massive corporations are starting to dominate the more politically and socially submissive smaller areas the economic control lays in the hand of these multi national corporations. Further debate can bring the conclusion either way, whether it may benefit the nation states with job opportunities and exposure to modern technology, yet the idea of exploitation must always weigh heavily in the back of ones mind. As economic benefit will undoubted ly seep from the nation states to where the main branch may be located. The statist mode of governance was greatly practiced before the boom of globalization. When globalization began to broaden its scale this diminished what used to be a more independent form of governance. As not only were most nation states dominated by polycentric regulations they were also given the opportunity to engage overseas, countries they may not have been able to connect with before. The suprastates and global law may have a certain amount of control over the smaller areas however with the development of global currencies, even the most powerful state has no authority over money supplies and exchange rates. International relations theorists discuss what was called the Westphalian mould, brought about in the 1600s. The peace of Westphalia formalized the modern concept of a system of sovereign states. With this sovereignty, much like colonialism, each state would exercise and dominate their territorial jurisdiction. Due to accelerated globalization the Westphalian practices had fallen into disuse. Large-scale globality made it impossible for statist constructions of sovereignity to keep its governance over the designated territorial space. Again as mentioned before, the government is unable to keep track with the electronic money transfers and documented workers in a world of rapidly developing technology. One of many problems afflicting the world today is poverty. World Bank figures (2001) regarding the population that live on less than the equivalent of $1 per day dropped from 1.4 billion persons in 1980 to 1.2 billion in 2001. Critics though have argued that the methodologies used in these calculations have changed over this period, so the figures cannot be safely compared (Wade, 2002). Global trade better the situation of poverty as NICs increase exports of global goods and services. For instance China tripled between the years of 1978 and 1993 with the opening up of global commerce. This is not always the case as very few countries reach NIC status and global trade rules as well as global financial crises bring dreadful impacts to the poor people. According to Coote (1996) primary commodities have poorer countries relying on exports yet even with an increase in globalization there was a steady decrease in profit from trade in the 1970s. World prices of primary commodities in mid 1 990s stood at its lowest level since 1930s (ul Haq et al. 1995:29). It is clear that the problem of poverty even with the promises that come with globalization, for instance job employment and the growth of industry, has not been completely been eradicated. There are many concerns that globalization has made its impact upon. One of which being crime. Globalization creates more opportunities to combat crime. Advanced technology increases the efficiency of surveillance and counter terror units hence theoretically making the crime rate decrease. However, looking at it in a different perspective globalization provide criminals with important tools to commit unlawful acts as does networking, introduced with globalization, strengthen the bond of powerful criminal organizations. Money laundering now stands at levels equivalent to 2-5 per cent of the world GDP per annum (FATF, 2004) Peace on the opposite end of the spectrum is also heavily affected by globalization. Global connectivity introduces disincentives for war among OEDC states. The signing of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty regime, established in 1968 through the IAEA, discouraged the spread of nuclear weapons to more state arsenals. This treaty, however unsuccessful, was an attempt to control the arms rate of which global governance makes more manageable. Global reach, however, can send military interventions from north to south with ease. The advances in technology also help raise the destructive capacities of war. As mentioned before having media so easily accessible the profile of terrorist politics will be greatly highlighted hence leading to feelings of uncertainty and insecurity amongst the general public. Social cohesion is an important point of interest within the field of globalization. Neoliberalism exploits the social relation and looks at it as a competition for a place in the global marketplace. Which leads to a lack of cooperation and no collective interest. However a guaranteed state-nation-country-society-unit built up with large-scale growth of global spaces makes this very cohesion unfeasible. Globalization though maybe advantageous to the uprising of social cohesion may cause the complete opposite. As brought up by Scholte (2004) of how the global civil society has often undermined rather than forward social integration. Global relations may lead to a lack of intimacy as technological advances would promote web conferences and personal meetings would but be a thing of the past. Companies hold on to limited long-term commitments and workers have restricted opportunities locally before the labor market calls them. Ecology plays a major role in the topic of globalization as the relationship between humans and the environment is just as important as the relationship between nations. Nature is highly unpredictable and with technology linked to globalization prediction of natural disasters is possible with satellite surveillance and digital processing. Having advanced media coverage can reduce the disastrous outcome of a natural disaster and also raise awareness for aid across nations. Take Haiti for example, a highly telecasted disaster of which media is playing a large role for relief, the Hope for Haiti benefit. There is also a downfall to the advancements of technology as pollution is generally the outcome of new innovations. For instance, aeroplanes and motorships pose great threats to the sea and air with the amount of waste it produces. Also as globalization has successfully made the world smaller with advancements in the transport system, some companies; mainly those that produce highly to xic waste products, have gone global in part to relocate at sites where environmental regulations are less stringent (Heerings and Zeldenrust, 1995). Hence foreshadowing a slowly deteriorating environment. As globalization is a particularly broad subject matter it is difficult to restrain myself into a certain parameter. The process of globalization touches on most aspects of human geography, as it affects not only the social and political aspects of a country and its relationship with the world, but also environmental issues. There is no way in halting this process, as it is one for inevitable development hence supervision is key to determine positive results. Total: 1521 words

A Nation of Murderers or a Nation of Freedom: Abortion in 2003 Essay

A Nation of Murderers or a Nation of Freedom: Abortion in 2003 On January 22, 1973, in addition to disease, murders, and other tragedies, the probability of every person’s existence in America became even more jeopardized. That winter day was the date that abortion became legal by the Supreme Court in the case â€Å"Roe vs. Wade.† Since then, a decision had to be made during each pregnancy whether or not to terminate the growing fetus, resulting in the possibility of someone’s life never existing. One of the main problems today is determining at what point during the pregnancy constitutes a living being and not just a fetus inside the womb. During the first trimester there are too many aspects interpreted as religious, political, and medical opinions rather than scientific facts to determine whether or not the fetus is a living being. Consequently, the argument with the most substance is whether or not a woman should have the right to choose a termination of pregnancy during the second and third trimester and should it be legal. One of the standpoints of defense for abortion is that if medical abortions were outlawed, women would seek illegal, more dangerous methods of terminating a pregnancy. As a website on Planned Parenthood describes, â€Å"In the two decades before abortion was legal in the U.S., it's been estimated that nearly a million women per year sought illegal abortions. Thousands died. Tens of thousands were mutilated† (Abortion 2). The demand for abortions even under these extreme circumstances is because of the threat of injury to the woman if the baby is born, as well as inability to provide the baby a healthy and financially stable childhood. For tens of thousands of women with heart disease, kidney disea... ...over the exact point during the pregnancy a fetus is alive and laws can be made accordingly. Until then we remain a society of diverse opinions. Works Cited - â€Å"Abortion.† Planned Parenthood Organization. 26 October 2003. - Hymowitz, Kay S. â€Å"Who Decides?† Commentary October 2003: p82-86. - â€Å"NARAL.† National Abortion and Reproduction Rights Action League. 26 October 2003. - Nash, Madeline. â€Å"Inside the Womb.† Time 11 November 2002: p34-36. - Ranalli, Paul. â€Å"Knowledge of Fetal Development and Fetal Pain Grows Over Last 10 Years†. Helping to Change the Climate of Opinion. 26 October 2003. . - Taillion, Marcel. â€Å"Abortion.† 26 October 2003 .

Philosophy :: social issues

Philosophy â€Å"Theories of Connectivity† paints a picture of our tomorrow. It names some of the advancements that we have made in technological areas. Everyday computer companies and universities are devising ways to insert computer systems into every facet of our lives. They have made GPS systems for our cars, palm pilots for easy Internet access, and digital jewelery for easy communication and information storage. We are in an age of network. â€Å"The average American house already contains more than 40 computers. Last year alone, eight billion new microprocessors came into the world.† Gleick traces our path of the present and future of technology. He simply lays out our undeniable urge to invent. When we were children, we played with our toys and loved to explore. Now that child-like motivation has evolved to a greater maturity, and toys are becoming our future. These devices may be complex, but it seems that the goal of electronic companies is to shrink the product in order to make it simpler to handle. Our technology, pervasive computing, seems to be taking over our world today. It seems that we are trying to eliminate human thought and, replace it with computers made by limited human minds. I will focus on Heidegger’s, Habermas’, and Marcuse’s philosophy and their response to today’s technology. Each philosopher has their own philosophy on technological advancements. They do not have the advantage of witnessing some of these new advancements and innovations, but their writing will shed some light on their thoughts. Heidegger believes that technology could be our greatest danger. It has caused such problems as ecological destruction, nuclear danger, and consumerism, and it is using technology to solve these problems, which is even worse. Our society seems to be taking away ration thought and diving deeper into technology to fix our problems. Heidegger will present a possible solution called the saving power. Habermas asks the question, â€Å"How is it possible to translate technically exploitable knowledge into the practical consciousness of a social life-world? He explains where technology should evolve and the power that it holds. He sees technology as a whole new way of life, but it must be applied to the life-world. He will present the knowledge –constitutive interest theory, which will better describe his stance on modern technology. Marcuse follows a thinking that â€Å"the machine†, industry, becomes the center of society. He is an instrumentalist, a view in which technology is neutral and it adds nothing to the ends it serves.

Extended families are making a comeback in many countries around the world Essay

Family is one of the most valuable and irreplaceable things that one is blessed with in a lifetime. A family is the foundation to everyone’s life. The outcome of your life is dependent on your family. Morals and values are obtained from your family circle. There are many types of family that exists in today’s society, each important to the upbringing of children. The most common type of families found in Maldives are extended family and nuclear family. Nuclear family is a family unit consisting of a mother and father and their children. Extended family is a family group that consists of grandparents, parents, children, siblings and their immediate family, uncles and aunts living together in the same house. According to Population and Housing Census, 2006 (2007), roughly 80 percent of Maldivian households consists of a single nuclear family composed of a married couple and their children rather than an extended family. Nevertheless, Male’ city, the capital of Maldives is flourishing with more extended families living in the households. In fact, this development is due to people migrating to Male’ for better health facilities, quality education, job opportunities and many more luxurious facilities. However, extended families living together in Male’ has many benefits and drawbacks. Many people who have extended families find that due to several generations living under the same roof, there are plenty of role models for the children of the household to look up to and learn from, with many elder family members being able to pass down certain traditions to the younger members. In today’s world where people talk about equal opportunity as well as high living costs, where both parents have to work in order to provide all the necessities for the children, grandparents take care of the younger children. They see to that the child has nutritious food and keep an eye on them thus preventing them from getting into bad habits. Also they talk to the children or share stories from their past which develops a strong bond between them. Being in a bigger family with more people to talk to help a child develop quicker. For example, with more voices in the house, toddlers may start talking quicker, also this helps children their language development. According to What influences child development? (2012), the family that invests time, energy and love in raising a child will see the most positive growth. On the other hand, different experiences and beliefs each generation grew up create barriers between generations. Grandparents have difficulty enjoying grandchildren’s fashion, works situations, future plans or use of new technology. Grandchildren have difficulty in understanding their grandparents because they feel that their privacy is being invaded, and their grandparents intervene in their life by setting limits. Hence it develops conflict among the old generation and the young generations. Furthermore, living in Male’ very expensive. According to the Vulnerability and Poverty Assessment 2004, renting households across all income groups paid around 45 percent of their income on rent. Thus sharing the rent and expenses among all the members resulted in many family members living in small households congested with a lot of family members. Even though expenses of rent, utility bills and foods is shouldered by all members, misunderstanding and conflict arises on how members contribute to foot the bills and how they get to maximize the use of things which are bought to the household. For example, a computer system bought by one sibling may be used more by a child of another sibling and may not be available for use when in need. These kinds misuse of facilities available create sibling rivalry. These kinds of conflicts leads to fallout among members which take longer to forgive and arguments can reignite very easily. On the other hand in an extended family you can find a stronger feeling of security being surrounded by family and knowing that there will be someone to support you when in need. Like everyone being able to support one another through a crisis such as one of the family members losing their job. In these cases, all extended family work together to support each other until a new job can be found. Extended families also give the feeling of belonging because we see people who have a link to us through origin, making them feel something bigger than just themselves. According to Population and Housing Census 2006 (2007), the capital Male’ with an area of about 2 sq. km. accommodates 35 percent of the country’s population of 298,968. In short this means that Male’ which has always been the center of all development in the country results in overcrowded housing units. Vulnerability and Poverty Assessment 2004 explains that between 1997 and 2004, the proportion of people living in houses with 40 square feet or fewer of housing areas per person has increased from 17 to 22 percent and the percentage of houses with a compound has decreased from 57 to 39 percent hence making the capital city much more crowded. As a result members living in a household have less personal privacy and weak family relationships. Most of the time during weekends people want to be on their own, but in an extended family these types of freedom are not possible. It is certainly disturbing that somebody is playing cards or PS-3 or watching television while others are working at home or studying for exam or just relaxing. If kids are fighting and elders have a misunderstanding then in these families people will not have a peaceful environment. Parents find it difficult to spend quality time with their children on an individual basis and also find it impossible to have private time away from them. Lack of privacy is linked to depression and other negative psychological outcomes like physical health. First household crowding can produce stress that leads to illness. Second, through shared physical proximity, household congestion contributes to the spread of communicable disease. A significant body of research, conducted primarily in affluent countries, has documented the unfavorable effects of housing conditions on a range of illnesses, including various contagious diseases. On the other hand, where most of the family are working to earn a better income, household chores becomes easier as it is shared among all members. Humans are social, in terms of nature and thus they cannot live alone. Therefore, people’s character and ethics are grown and strengthened through family. It is proven that an extended family is a better economic unit because it consumes lesser resources and provides more role models for behavior of values. In conclusion living in extended family is tough because you lose a significant amount of freedom and is forced to sacrifice a lot for your family. But realize the value of having family to help and support when in need. Taking the country as a whole extended families will out win advantages over disadvantages. But regard to the capital city, Male’, disadvantages outweighs advantages of extended family.

World Cities and Sustainable Development

World Cities and Sustainable Development Subject: Sub-divided units in Hong Kong ( 1487 words ) Hong Kong has been celebrated for its sky-high belongings monetary value which has been a concern to both the policy shapers and the populace in recent old ages. Apart from the unaffordable belongings monetary values, Hong Kong besides faces societal issues like the sub-divided units, accidents such as the 2011 Fa Yuen Street fire [ 1 ] and the prostration edifice at Ma Tau Wei Road [ 2 ] in 2010 have roused public consciousness towards the issue. In this essay, I will foremost explicate the relationship between lodging and sustainable development. Then I will present the jobs of sub-divided units in Hong Kong and its influence on residents’ quality of life. Finally, I will measure the key challenges faced by the Hong Kong Housing Authority in turn toing the lodging jobs. Sustainable lodging dramas an of import function in sustainable development. Harmonizing to theSustainable Housing Policyissued by the United Nations Human Settlements Program ( UN-Habitat ) in 2012, lodging is one of the basic standards to mensurate the quality of life of people, which besides connect to environmental, societal, cultural and economic facets in the community [ 3 ] . The construction of lodging creates a great influence on both the current and future coevalss due to the life-long lastingness of edifices. Housing besides requires a considerable sum of natural resources, such as H2O, electricity, land and edifice stuffs as input, where lodging produces sewerage, municipal solid waste and other sorts of pollution that create negative impact to the natural environment. Hence, sustainable lodging is the key to travel a measure frontward sustainable development. UN-Habitat defined sustainable lodging as ‘genuinely sustainable houses are those that are inclusive and low-cost for all†¦and yet affordability is non plenty, because the alleged low-cost place can non be considered sustainable if they create negative impacts on the environment or societal life.’ [ 4 ] Harmonizing to the US-based consultancy Demographia, Hong Kong ranks the first among 360 metropoliss for the ‘most unaffordable’ lodging for the 4th consecutive twelvemonth. Hong Kong’s one-year average family income is merely one-fifteenth of the average place monetary value, therefore being rated as ‘severely unaffordable’ . [ 5 ] In 2013 Policy Address [ 6 ] , lodging jobs ranked foremost in the government’s precedence, particularly aimed at helping the grassroots into public lodging and in-between category households to home ownership. [ 7 ] However, the job could non be solved nightlong, the increasing figure of sub-divided units suggested that the authorization failed to help the grassroots and in-between category households in run intoing their basic demands to alleviate the poorness job. After the Fa Yuen Street fire and the collapsed edifice incident at Ma Tau Wei Road, safety of sub-divided units has raised the public concern. Among all lodging jobs, the state of affairs of sub-divided units is critical. The life environment of these sub-divided units are by and large little in size, but are poplar because of their affordability. Harmonizing to a research conducted by the University of Hong Kong, about 63 % of sub-divided units occupants lived at units which country are less than 160 sq. pes, where the smallest unit is about 70 sq. pes. Respondents reviewed that they were discontented about their life environment, particularly in fire safety, air circulation and security. Over two-third of the respondents stated that there were jobs such as H2O escape, home base exposure, concrete spalling and mussy electric wires, which imposed psychological force per unit area to them as they were worried about the building’s construction of their units particularly after the incidents. [ 8 ] The study besides stated that occupants were worried about their security in the sub-divided units, approximately 44 % reviewed that stealing occurred in their unit, followed by robbery ( 33 % ) , drugs covering ( 29 % ) , incendiarism ( 25 % ) and sex discourtesies ( 22 % ) . In footings of societal life, merely 5 % of occupants were familiar with their neighbours and maintained a friendly relationship with each other, while 60 % of respondents were non familiar or did non acknowledge their neighbours. At the same clip, approximately 77 % of occupants did non fall in or affect in any community activities. [ 9 ] Over half of the sub-unit occupants reflected that their greatest want is to acquire a public lodging colony, one-third wished to better their life environment. Furthermore, the greatest concern of the occupants is the sanitation job of the life environment, followed by security and the safety of the building’s construction. In footings of psychological well-being, occupants reflected that they were worried about the lifting rent and frequently felt laden due to the narrow and bantam life status. These jobs of sub-divided units have been earnestly impacting the residents’ quality of life as they struggled hard to keep a life. [ 10 ] Furthermore, the bulk of occupants felt detached, unhappy and have low sense of properties to the society as they seldom communicate with each other and rarely involved in their community, which would impact their physiological well-being. In footings of life environment, they were discontent about the sanitation and safety jobs, and the bulk wished to travel into the public lodging every bit shortly as possible. There are three challenges faced by the Hong Kong Housing Authority in turn toing the job of sub-divided units. First, Hong Kong faces the job of limited land supply. Presently 23 % of land has been development, and 7 % is allocated for residential land usage. The deficit in land supply will further take to the lifting monetary value of belongings monetary values. [ 11 ] To turn to this job, renewal is frequently used since the 1970s. [ 12 ] In 2013, development curate Paul Chan Mo Po even suggested constructing estate by uncluttering an country in the state park [ 13 ] or construct places on the golf nine site, [ 14 ] these steps and suggestions faced strong expostulation in the society. Second, the authorities failed to command the belongings monetary values. Under the sky-high belongings monetary values, the authorities eventually attempted to interfere the market by presenting the dual cast responsibilities to relieve the state of affairs. [ 15 ] However, the program failed to command the belongings monetary values and the belongings monetary values in Hong Kong reached new highs in August 2014, entering the highest belongings monetary value in Hong Kong’s history. [ 16 ] Third, the job of ‘sub-divided units’ jobs involved the work of different governments and the division of duties is non clearly defined. Therefore, different sections may decline to take the duties. The job non merely related to edifice and fire safety, but besides other issues such as edifice direction job, urban reclamation job and lodging job. [ 17 ] Sustainable lodging should non be measured merely in footings of affordability, and should means more than a roof over one’s caput. A sustainable lodging system should be able to supply abode with: equal basic substructure, privateness, infinite, handiness, safety, security, dependability, sanitation and waste-management installations, suited environmental quality, accessible location to make basic installations and work topographic point, accessible and equity transit system, while all these standards should be brought with low-cost monetary value. [ 18 ] These factors are what Hong Kong presently lack and should be taking into history in doing lodging policies and determinations. Mention â€Å" 2011-12 Policy Address – Policy Address. †2011-12 Policy Address – Policy Address. 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.policyaddress.gov.hk/11-12/eng/p190.html & gt ; . â€Å" 2013 Policy Address by Chief Executive ( 3 ) . †2013 Policy Address by Chief Executive ( 3 ). Hong Kong Government Press Release. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201301/16/P201301160282.htm & gt ; . â€Å" State Park Carve-up the Worst of All Land Options. †South China Morning Post. 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1311176/country-park-carve-worst-all-land-options & gt ; . â€Å" Easing of Double Stamp Duty Another Example of Leung ‘s Failed Housing Policy. †South China Morning Post. 16 May 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1512772/easing-double-stamp-duty-another-example-leungs-failed & gt ; . â€Å" Land Utilization in Hong Kong. †Land Utilization in Hong Kong. Planning Department, 16 July 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/info_serv/statistic/landu.html & gt ; . Li, Yiu-wa. â€Å" Public Rental Housing for Young People. † ( 2012 ) .HKU Scholars Hub. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //hdl.handle.net/10722/174578 & gt ; . Li, Yvonne. â€Å" Hong Kong Ranks World ‘s No 1 for ‘most Unaffordable ‘ Housing. †Property. South China Morning Post, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1410730/hong-kong-ranks-worlds-no-1-most-unaffordable-housing? page=all & gt ; . Mok, Siu-fan. â€Å" Searching for Improvements: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Public Rental Housing Policy in Hong Kong since 1998. †HKU Scholars Hub. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //hdl.handle.net/10722/131428 & gt ; . Ngai, Edward. â€Å" Defying Gravity: Hong Kong Property Prices Reach New Highs. †The Wall Street Jorunal. China Real Time Report RSS, 8 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/08/08/defying-gravity-hong-kong-property-prices-reach-new-highs/ & gt ; . â€Å" Paul Chan Should Revive His Plan for Homes on Golf Club Site. †South China Morning Post. 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1308854/paul-chan-should-revive-his-plan-homes-golf-club-site & gt ; . â€Å" Reclamation Is One Option. †South China Morning Post. 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1221671/reclamation-one-option & gt ; . South China Morning Post. Police release more images of fire suspects. 5 December 2011. Print Sustainable Housing for Sustainable Cities. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Human Settlements Programme ( UN-Habitat ) , 2012. Print. Wong, Man-kin, James. â€Å" Domestic Sub-divided Unit of measurements in Urban Areas in Hong Kong: A Study of Policy Problems and Solutions. † ( 2012 ) .HKU Scholars Hub. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //hdl.handle.net/10722/184387 & gt ; . Youth Hong Kong Editorial Team. â€Å" Housing Dilemmas – Give the Young a Future. †Education Post. 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.educationpost.com.hk/resources/youth/140117-housing-dilemmas- give-the-young-a-future & gt ; . Yuen, Ming, and Joy Lu. â€Å" HK Building Collapse Kills Three ; Two Missing. †HK Building Collapse Kills Three ; Two Missing. China Daily, 30 Jan. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-01/30/content_9401882.htm & gt ; . â€Å" ? ·Ã‚ ±? °?aY-a?ˆe?Sâ€Å"a?-a °?ec †c ©Ã‚ ¶ . † a? ¤eˆsa?Sa ±Ã¢â‚¬ ¹a?†¹a†¹Ã¢â€ž ¢a §Ã¢â‚¬ aâ€Å" e?„a?†¹c §?aâ€Å"a ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¡a ·?aa °?c µÃ¢â‚¬Å¾ . e ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢ a ¤Ã‚ §a ­?c §Ã‹â€ aeˆ?ac †c ©Ã‚ ¶a? ­aa?S ?†?c ­-aaa?ˆâ€ °eâ„ ¢?a†¦Ã‚ ¬a , 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cityu.edu.hk/hkhousing/r & A ; c/ssp_last.pdf & gt ; . 1

Forest life changes the characters Essay

In Shakespeare’s As you like it, we find the characters attempting to escape the court. What they specifically are escaping from are the ‘briars’ of the ‘working day world’. The imagery of briar bushes specifically enacts a form of entanglement; that the world of the court is entrapping and the people in it are reflected as such. What is ‘comely envenoms him that bears it’, highlighting a reverse polarisation of morality, that what is good is a hindrance in the world of the court. This is paralleled by what Touchstone (who represents the court as a jester, whom were always in the service of the court) says; ‘The sweetest nut hath the sourest rind’. Indeed, the usurper is viewed as the rightful ruler of the court whereas the rightful ruler is branded an outlaw. So the characters escape to the forest in order to cleanse themselves of ‘th’infected world’ (Playing upon the previous mention of ‘envenoms’ as a form of physical affliction that requires cathartic release). One can argue that the characters do respond to the forest, and their characters change as such. One particularly significant example is how Shakespeare constructs the forest as a place of alternative knowledge; Duke Senior finds that the ‘winds are his councillors’ and that the ‘trees shall be my (his) books’, that they find ‘sermons in stones’. This highlights the homiletic edification that occurs when one engages with nature, and indeed, this is paralleled by the discourse expressed between Rosalind and Celia in Act I, where they comment on how fortune (A product of the court) and nature (Of the forest) are at odds with one another; ‘Fortune reigns in gifts of the world/not in the lineaments of nature’. The escapism of the forest is further expressed when the gentlemen become ‘merry men’ and ‘brothers in exile’ highlighting how they are able to ‘fleet time as they did in the golden age’, with the ‘merry men’ alluding exclusively to the notion of ‘Robin hood’, who represents an active rebellion against the court, suggesting an underlying romanticisation of what it is to be an outlaw. Indeed, defying social norms appears to be what the forest epitomises, and as such, Rosalind even changes all perception of her by becoming ‘Ganymede’, she essentially dresses up to become someone different. Finally, we find the two main ‘villains’ of the story; Duke Frederick and Oliver have a very quick change of heart from the forest, which in both cases turn out to be spectacular examples of Deus Ex Machina, both being equally contrived but portrayed as legitimately woven into the story. So in that sense, the forest is a healing force. However, there is an argument for the opposite; that the forest is exactly the same as the court and no significant change occurs. One of the biggest examples of this lies in the speech of Lord 1 regarding the murder of a deer. The deer are portrayed as ‘native burghers’ in their own ‘desert city’, who retreat ‘from the hunters aim’ into a ‘sequestered’ ‘languish’. Jaques remarks then about how the foresters are the ‘mere usurpers’ who ‘kill them up/in their assign’d and native dwelling place’. This is particularly significant because a parallel is drawn between the deer and the foresters, the deer is escaping usurpation in much the same way the foresters are, this is further enhanced by the fact that the deer has a ‘leathern coat’, a deliberate wording by Shakespeare to highlight the parallels it has with its human usurpers. This usurpation is shown elsewhere in the book, Rosalind who buys the shepherds ‘passion’ (Livelihood) because it is ‘much upon her fashion’, suggesting a transitory or arbitrary desire, devoid of consideration for the fact that the shepherd derives his survival from his flock. Indeed, she wishes to ‘waste her time’ here, rather than use it for any meaningful purpose. Other aspects of the court are also filtered into the forest to enact a distinct lack of change. The notion of the ‘merry men’ and ‘brothers in exile’ is immediately undermined by the fact that the duke is referred to as ‘your grace’, implying that the hierarchy of society is still in place, despite their attempts to gloss over it. Indeed, the very nature of them dressing up as foresters when they are in fact ‘gentlemen’ enacts the nature of the ‘painted pomp’ that is alluded to when referring to the court. The word ‘pompous’ implies a level of self-importance and unnecessary grandiose, which is ever present in the forest; ‘to blow on whom I please’ (IE, to do as I wish). Conventionally in the pastoral, the return to ‘reality’ (In this instance, the court) is forced due to the ephemeral nature of Arcadia. However, at the end of the play here, we find that the characters easily cast off their ‘disguises’ as if they had never left, willingly returning to the court, signifying that there must have been little difference between the two worlds, and emphasising the fact that the court has been a constant throughout the play. One of the most famous quotes of the play, ‘All the world is a stage’ is particularly significant here also. Throughout the story, the ‘motley coat’ (Emblematic of the fool) has been alluded to, and it represents the ‘players’ and by extension, the audience as a whole. If we are all ‘players’ as in a play, with ‘their exists and entrances/and many parts’, then we are all fundamentally acting like the foresters all the time, we all are part of the same outcome. Indeed, at the very end, we all are ‘sans teeth, sans taste, sans everything’, emphasising the fact we all end up subjected to time and age, no better for our experiences in life. This is particularly ironic of course, because earlier on in the story, the forest is described as having ‘no clock’, but it is infact time that undoes all as expressed in this passage, enacting the futility of escape and the absence of any change in outcome from action. Finally, we have the ephemeral nature of the escape for the audience. As alluded to in the preceding paragraph, the audience are ‘players’ and actors in the play to, but do they change? At the very end, within the epilogue, Rosalind breaks the fourth wall, essentially undermining the experience of the play, returning the audience from the ‘forest’ (The imaginative space of the play) to the ‘court’ (Reality). She directly remarks upon the fact that it is a play, that it is a constructed narration and further commends it to be watched by the friends of the audience (Cementing the notion of ‘realism’ in the fact that the play is a commercial enterprise at heart, not a creative escape).

Nike Marketing Essay

Introduction Former University of Oregon track coach and co-founder of Nike Bill Bowerman once said: â€Å"If you have a body, you are an athlete!† (Nike Inc., n.d.) It is this way of thinking that describes the root of Nike’s approach to marketing. Every person is a potential athlete or â€Å"consumer†. This is a common thinking in the realm of athletics but when Bill Bowerman said this, it was in direct reference to the shoe industry. From their marketing strategies to their selling philosophies, Nike has developed one of the most recognizable and demanded names and logo ever. Nike, which is the name of the Greek Goddess of Victory, was born in 1972 when Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) launched its first branded shoe at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. A former University of Oregon track team member Phil Knight created Blue Ribbon Sports. At Oregon, Knight was coached by the legendary Bill Bowerman and then went on to become alumnus of the Stanford School of Business. BRS was crafted in 1962 when Knight made a deal with Onitsuka Tiger Company, a Japanese shoe company, to import their shoes to the United States. Knight had the idea to sell a low cost shoe with a very high quality, with high aspirations of taking Adidas out of the top spot in the athletic shoe market. In 1964, Bill Bowerman decided to join Knight as a partner at BRS to create a joint quest to be number one. Bowerman redesigned the Tiger shoes while Knight acted as the accountant/personal seller and the two went on the road to sell their newly crafted sneakers at track meets and local shoe stores. By 1966, Blue Ribbon Sports opened its first store in Oregon, which is where Nike is still currently headquartered. Knight and Bowerman managed the store with the only one employee, Jeff Johnson. By 1972 BRS was able to subcontract its own shoe line and began selling Nike Brand shoes. Over the next decade Nike expanded almost double its size each year from the previous year. BRS officially became Nike in 1978 and opened manufacturing plants all over the U.S. Nike was a household name for most athletes by early 1980’s. Today, Nike is the world’s leading designer, maker and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a series activities, as well as sports-inspired civic shoes. The company’s target market is in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, with its headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Nike employs around 38,000 people to produce footwear for running, training, basketball and  soccer use. The company also sells tennis, golf, baseball, football, bicycling, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, aquatic activities, hiking, outdoor activities and other athletic shoes. The company provides these products for men, women and children. As the leading global footwear brand, Nike reported revenues of $7.0 billion for first quarter, 2014. Identification of Target Market(s) In its beginning Nike’s focus was primarily on track and field, and for the most part track athletes were their target market. One of the first individuals to endorse a Nike product was a man who exemplified their style and way of conducting business, Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine was a household name in the late seventies and has gone down in history as one of the best American track and field athletes ever. Prefontaine was a friend of Knight and had been coached by Bowerman at the University of Oregon. Prefontaine embodied what Nike wanted as its differential advantage of other companies, due to his brash attitude, high talent level, and cavalier mentality. This is why Steve Prefontaine and Nike were a tremendous tandem in the early years of Nike’s existence. Athletes are still currently the majority consumers of Nike’s products. This is because of the usefulness that goes along with the items. Nike focuses on these consumers by means of agreements with sports team, college sponsorships, and endorsement with individual athletes. Through this, Nike is able to reach an extensive number of consumers and clients who are likely to purchase their products. Nike pays particular focus on the athlete more than other individual consumers. However, a secondary market came to light in the 1980s. During the period from 1985-1987, Nike dropped back down to number two in the running of the shoe market. Sales had dropped off because the running boom of the late 70’s and 80’s had begun to diminish, the NBA was becoming increasingly marketable, and consumers tended to wear their court shoes on the street. (Katz, 1993) Nike began to notice an entire market that the company had been avoiding, everyday athletic activities. These activities were things done by everyday people and not just the serious athlete. Fortunately for Nike, in 1985 their star was brought to light by a rookie basketball player with amazing talent and a nice smile, his name is Michael Jordan. Jordan came to Nike at a time when the marketability of the NBA was increasing. NBA games  were being nationally televised during prime time television hours and weekends. This gave Nike the perfect platform to develop and market their new star and the products that he endorsed. During the first few years Nike introduced Jordan to the public and Jordan familiarized himself with the American public. Nike ran a series of ads with Jordan and film director Spike Lee. These ads were aired during prime time television hours and were solely targeted for pre-teen school students. These ads displayed an expressed message to â€Å"Stay in School.† The ads presented kids with a national figure that was selling both school and Nike’s products, how could parents deny their children the shoes of such a virtuous spokesman? Jordan was a figure that children adored, looked up to and tried to the best of their ability to copy. Nike used this to display a positive image for their company and to sell their products. Consumer Decision Making Process â€Å"Consumers believe that the firm makes better shoes. Whether or not that is true, Nike has been a magician as a marketer.† (McIntyre, 2011) When a consumer purchases a product, usually there is a five step process in making a decision. The steps are need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and post purchase behavior. (Perreau, 2013) Nike tries to make this decision process easier with their advertisements. For example, the Nike fuel band is one of Nike’s newest products and people didn’t know much about it when it came out so Nike used an ad that caught ones attention, but that’s not all. Nike’s commercial explained what this product is in great detail. Just by watching the commercial, Nike completed the first three steps for you, making your life a bit easier. In many cases consumers skip steps one through three and buy products on impulse, as Nike would put, they â€Å"just do it†, but in this case Nike does the â€Å"leg† work for you. This is an example of the magic in Nike marketing. However, it’s obvious that Nike hasn’t actually used a wand on its customers and there is no proof which can measure that a Nike pair of shoes is better than an Adidas pair of shoes or another brand, so it must be magic, right? The answer is â€Å"No†, it’s the brand image and product position that is the driving force being Nike sales. The two concepts are why we buy Nike rather than another brand. Brand image refers to the schematic memory of a brand. (Hawkins, 2012, p. 335) Simply, it is what people think of and feel when  they hear or see a brand name and is the set of associations consumers have learned about a brand. (Hawkins, 2012, p. 335) Product positioning is a decision by a marketer to try to achieve a defined brand image relative to competition within a market segment. (Hawkins, 2012, p. 335) Lastly, the ability to benefit from a brand image is called brand equity. (Hawkins, 2012, p. 335) According to Aaker (2013) â€Å"brand equity has four dimensions – brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand associations, and perceived quality, each providing value to a firm in numerous ways.† The core of building the equity for Nike is brand association. Nike associates its brand with famous athletic celebrities that exemplify the personality of the brand; they are achievers, winners, determined, accomplishment oriented, and nontraditional. The most famous example for brand association ever was the collaboration between Nike and Jordan. This association personified Nike as a superior top performing brand. The depth of this personification became permanent, even after Jordan was no longer there. Also, Nike associates with top sport events by sponsoring many major league sports, including the National Basketball Association. Through its brand association, Nike increased its brand awareness. Nike communicated its celebrity associations through TV ads, which increased their sales dramatically. In addition, one of the most important sources of Nike brand equity is the high perceived quality. Although, in today’s market, most of Nike’s consumers are the public that use their shoes just for walking, Nike is committed to design their shoes according to the high standards of professional competition. Seeing a winning athlete wearing a Nike shoe in a professional competition authenticated the quality perception in the minds of the customers. Lastly, Nike has a good relationship with its customer, which creates s ome sort of brand loyalty. Recommendations Nike’s ideals and goals remain the same as those of the days of Steve Prefontaine and Bill Bowerman. Nike’s Phil Knight is not slowing down as he continually signs new colleges on as Nike endorsed schools, even purchasing a portion of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Nike has reached a point where they can count on the Nike name promoting itself, and yet they continue to produce innovative ideas. These ideas have been productive and entertaining promotional tools. In the case of Nike, it should continue to market itself  towards people of all ages who wish to be active and still comfortable. This marketing strategy has been particularly successful as its capability to reach many athletes, and according to Nike that is anyone with a body. Nike focuses on the consumers who embrace product understanding and closeness, which allows the company to set a higher cost than its competitors. This is a marketing strategy of Nike which calls for superior pricing points in order to push the supposed value of the product. This strategy has also proven successful for the company. Lastly, the more reliable the distribution of the product is improves the sales and results in more profits. Product delivery at the required time to the consumer not only affects usefulness it also results in a high level of customer’s satisfaction as well as loyalty. It goes without saying that Nike’s customers are satisfied and loyal. References Aaker, D. (2013, September 13). What Is Brand Equity and Why is it Valuable? | Aaker on Brands | Prophet. Retrieved from http://www.prophet.com/blog/aakeronbrands/156-what-is-brand-equity-and-why-is-it-valuable Hawkins, D. (2012). Mp Consumer Behavior With Ddb Data Disk (12th ed.). Irwin Professional Pub. Katz, D. (1993, August 16). Triumph of the Swoosh. Sports Illustrated, 53-73. McIntyre, D. A. (2011, March 18). Nike’s Brand Strength: A Round Of Prices Increases – MarketWatch. Retrieved from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikes-brand-strength-a-round-of-prices-increases-2011-03-18 Nike Inc. (n.d.). NIKE, Inc. – About NIKE, Inc. Retrieved from http://nikeinc.com/pages/about-nike-inc Nike Inc. (n.d.). NIKE, Inc. – History & Heritage. Retrieved from http://nikeinc.com/pages/history-heritage Perreau, F. (2013, October 25). The 5 stages of Consumer Buying Decision Process. Retrieved from http://theconsumerfactor.com/en/5-stages-consumer-buying-decision-pro cess/