Events That Made an Impact: United States in the 1950s to 1990s Essay

After the World War II fizzled out, people around the world had no choice but to pick up the pieces of what has been left of the unrelenting devastation that the global was has brought to them. However, the lofty triumphs achieved during the war were pointless because numerous challenges had sprouted because countries realized the inevitability of the Nuclear Age, which triggered fear amongst the people as they realized a grim scenario that a single bomb could decimate cities in seconds. What have transpired beyond the events between the World War II to the 1990s are essential elements that made up what society has become in our present. Naturally, it paved the way for a future society that could learn from all the mistakes made and use it to settle all inequities that could mold conflict among nations and people. In the United States, the time from 1950s to the 1990s has been crucial in shaping democracy, equality and technology that all Americans enjoy today. From the economic boom that sparked the rise of new markets in the 1950s, to the rise of civil rights movement in the 1960s, to the concern about the Vietnam War in 1970s, to the end of the Cold War in the 1980s and the emergence of globalization in 1990s, all of these major events have etched their mark in each decade that brandished the saga of what modern American civilization has become. And despite all challenges that abound, what is important is that Americans have become more tolerant and the government has understood from heeding the call of times during these unforgettable events. The events from the 1950s to the 1990s honed a society that put the people at the forefront of all priorities, as defense policies were institutionalized to protect them from the harsh realities of war while humanitarian causes are still considered appropriately to bring benefit to the greater good of Americans and to other people from the rest of the world. Clearly, the fast-changing times at present can be daunting, but the events that happened in the 1950s to the 1990s had prepared us to be stronger in facing all the odds that lie beneath. Through breaking barriers among nations around the world, people can make things possible and could definitely make our lives better in the future ahead. 1950s – The Emergence of a Post-industrial Society   After the white flags has been raised during the conclusion of World War II, nations around the world dusted off the embers of war and began working on to build nations that would benefit people (Gaddis, 1997). Despite the unwarranted fears that the Cold War between the United States (US) and the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR) could trigger another war in the future, it is believed that what brought the greatest impact during this decade is the renaissance of the post-industrial economy that led to the emergence of the suburban culture Davidson et al. (2002) observed that during this period, suburban growth accelerated sharply and the suburbs grew 40 times faster than cities, so that by 1960 half of the American people lived in them. The return of prosperity brought a â€Å"baby boom† and a need for new housing. Davidson et al. (2002) indicated that birth rates in the United States in 1952 had spiked to 25 per thousand to reach one of the highest fertility rates in the world. New brides were also younger, which translated into unusual fertility. Americans chose to have larger families, as the number with three children tripled and those with four or more quadrupled. Because of the economic growth, automobiles made the suburbs accessible. But the spurt in suburban growth took its toll on the cities, which suffered as the middle class fled urban areas. Famous sociologist Daniel Bell indicated that the rise of the so-called â€Å"post-industrial† economy can benefit American people. For Bell, this never meant the complete annihilation of American manufacturing, but it did mean that white-collar work within the sectors of finance and banking, leisure and tourism, corporate research and development in technologies, in federal and local government bureaucracies and in retail would supersede manufacturing industry as the major structural bases of the American economy (Waters 1996, p. 112). Furthermore, the development of improved computing and communications technologies facilitated suburbanization by making it easy for companies to decentralize as the managements were able to control their operations more efficiently. American culture also changed in the 1950s. American families began to take the form of the sitcom families popular during the era. Hayden (2003) indicated that American streets and families became â€Å"similar in age, race, and income to†¦ the nationally popular sitcoms of the 1950s†¦ including Leave It to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, and Father Knows Best† (p. 128). Also, many corporations advertised in the 1950s became a cultural consensus just as much as the products they sold. They praised prosperity as a reflection of an American way of life. However, not all Americans were persuaded of the virtues of consensus and business leadership. Intellectuals and artists found in corporate culture a stifling conformity that crushed individual creativity. On the fringes of society, artists flaunted traditional behavior and values. Closer to the mainstream, a new generation of musicians created rock and roll, which became the sound of youthful rebellion that sparked in the decades ahead. 1960s – Seeking Equality and the Emergence of the Civil Rights Movement As the United States enjoyed quite an improvement in economy during the 1950s, turmoil began to spread in its social arena in the 1960s. Fact is that the civil rights movement was triggered by the Montgomery bus incident in 1955. Mrs. Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man. Mrs. Parks was arrested and subsequently, she was bailed out of jail by E. D. Nixon, the Montgomery representative of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and a local leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Later that evening, Nixon was struck with the idea of having Montgomery’s black citizens boycott the city’s segregated bus system. According to Loevy (1990), the major accomplishment of the Montgomery bus boycott was that it turned a non-violent demonstration for racial integration into a national news story. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., was elected to lead the bus boycott. Montgomery’s forty thousand blacks stayed off the city buses for more than a year, vowing not to return until the buses were totally desegregated (p. 22). The emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr., in the mid-1950s was a key event in the escalating fight for civil rights. Through the experience gained during the Montgomery bus boycott, King learned that the northern and western United States were most likely to press for civil rights reform when a dramatic instance of racial segregation was presented on the news media, particularly television (Branch, 1988). Two of the massive racial protests in the 1960s brought about by the Montgomery bus incident in produced major civil rights bills. The impetus for Congress to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which banned racial discrimination in public places) occurred following brutal white suppression of racial demonstrations led by Dr. King in Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 1963. An equally brutal reaction to a voting rights march led by King in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 produced the Voting Rights Act of 1965, in which gave the U.S. Government the power to register blacks to vote in southern states (Loevy,1990). It was President Lyndon Johnson had worked assiduously for the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Only months after its adoption he added muscle to the demand for nondiscrimination by issuing Executive Order 11246. The racism that had infected federal employment (and also the work forces of private firms with which the federal government did business) was no longer to be tolerated. The words of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave specificity and concreteness to the constitutional guarantee of â€Å"the equal protection of the laws.† In employment, in education, in all spheres of public accommodation, there was to be from that time forward no official favoritism for one race or ethnic group at the expense of others. The intentions of the members of the Congress in adopting this law were clearly and emphatically expressed (Cohen & Sterba, 2003, p. 10). This is why, to this very day, that American society learned to frown upon all sorts of racial preference and discrimination. 1970s – Iniquities of the Vietnam War When more than half a million American troops were sent to intervene in Vietnam’s civil war, there was a widespread dissent in United States. Campaigns were outright to denounce the US government’s military conquests in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam.   Though war is a decision that is entered into by governments, public opinion plays a significant role in its execution. By 1971, the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam had surpassed 50,000, and antiwar sentiment became very strong. As war was occurring in Vietnam, bloody protests sparked also sparked in the United States. Vietnam War was a relatively young man’s war, with the average age of soldiers serving in Vietnam was 19 (Davidson et al., 2002). The wages of death and survival of these soldiers are also complicated. In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried (1990), he featured his experiences in the Vietnam War and how he struggled to fight the feeling of isolation after returning home from the war. Instead of forgetting the occurrences during the Vietnam War, O’Brien faced to confront the ghosts of his terrible experiences during the war. His life is caught up in the web of his past experiences as he seeks solace to get rid of his unfavorable traumas that haunt him after the extreme experiences he encountered in Vietnam. He still feels the chaos even it is thirty years later. He wanted to get rid of denial, but his memory of the terrible experiences still traumatizes him greatly. Because of the war, US also suffered poverty because war’s annual cost soared to more than $50 billion a year as it fueled a rising inflation. This is why in 1973, the Congress passed the War Powers Act, which required the president to consult with Congress about military action and prohibited spending in Southeast Asia for more U.S. military action. Coupled with congressional cuts in aid to South Vietnam, the president’s war powers were severely limited (Walsh, 2007). Many people felt that the involvement of Americans in the Vietnam War was a losing battle both in the battleground and at home. In the 11 years of the US involvement in Vietnam, it did not only bring humiliation to the US as it failed to gain control of a small nation but also it brought a tremendous detriment in social and economic costs in its very homeland. 1980s – Closure of the Cold War Fears The silent conflict of United States and Soviet Union finally ceased in the 1980s. With the democratic reform that swept across Eastern Europe, this ended the four decades of communist rule and Soviet domination of the region. Germans, divided since World War II, dismantled the Berlin Wall, which long had been the symbol of Soviet-American confrontation and reunified their country. Nationalist groups within the Soviet Union demanded greater autonomy and Premier Mikhail Gorbachev desperately worked to reform a disintegrating economy and to hold the Soviet state together. With the Soviet Union no longer a threat, Americans felt less a sense of triumph than an uncertainty about the role of the United States in a less predictable and perhaps less stable world (Hess 2001, p. 153). The United States and Russia initiated to end the Cold War and agreed to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. In 1991, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) concluded and surpassed the limits negotiated in earlier SALT talks. By June 1992 US President Bush and Russia’s Boris Yeltsin had agreed to even sharper cuts. However, American foreign policy had been defined by the Cold War with the Soviet Union and its communist allies. Not just America’s relations with the rest of the world, but also its domestic political and social life were shaped by the overriding national imperative of containing the expansion of communism. But the end of the Cold War made it more difficult to articulate what exactly constituted the American national interest. With the terrorist attacks of September 2001, Singh (2003) argued that a new era was ushered into being, although most of the contours of US policy were in fact unchanged by the tragedy. Not least, the fundamental predicament for America since 1945 – whether to accept a role as global policeman while being castigated abroad as a global bully remained inescapable (p. 263). 1990s – Breaking the Barriers Through Globalization The trend of globalization has become one of the most critical factors that determine the path for changes that occur in many economies worldwide in the 1990s. It had triggered enormous changes in various sectors in society and had pressured everyone to ride the waves of change that globalization has brought about. As a concept, McGrew (1992) captured the complexity of the current view of globalization in a concise and balanced way. He defined globalization as â€Å"the multiplicity of linkages and interconnections between the states and societies which make up the modern world system†¦ it describes the process by which events, decisions, and activities in one part of the world can come to have significant consequences for individuals and communities in quite distant parts of the globe† (p. 23). United States entered into several trade agreements to ease out doing business around the world, like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Also, US became more intertwined to a global community via the Internet. The rise of the Internet also built new economies and opportunities. The revolution in microchip technologies contributed substantially to the economic expansion of the 1990s. In 1998, e-commerce alone generated some 482,000 jobs (Davidson et al., 2002). However, globalization is not without criticism. Lobeda (2006) argued that the growth theory in globalization failed to take into account distribution of wealth and income. For instance, economists point to a 22.2 percent growth in average household worth in the United States from 1983 to 1998. Yet the number of homeless people increased, more and more people were unable to obtain healthcare, and many citizens experienced severe economic insecurity and job loss. The growth indicators don’t spell out that the wealthiest one percent experienced skyrocketing increases in income, while middle- and lower-income families saw their incomes shrink. So while the average household wealth increased, the median household net worth decreased by 10 percent in the same period. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What we could deem from the era of post World War II to the 1990s are essential events that shaped our history. These are events are very colored with numerous triumphs and some failures in different aspects. Triumphs because of all the achievements gained within this period that led to improve American society as a whole. Failures, on the other hand, will serve as lessons where we can earn our credit from learning the past mistakes so that these will be never repeated again in the future. It can, indeed be daunting that lies ahead might trigger newer challenges, like the rise of technology, terrorism and other new innovations that might have a serious impact to our future. But, with a renewed thought as one nation of multicultural origins, American people can surely take a stand in working as one nation and take advantage of what the future holds for them. References Branch, T. (1988). Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963, New York: Simon and Schuster. Cohen, C., & Sterba, J. P. (2003). Affirmative Action and Racial Preference: A Debate. New York: Oxford University Press.   Davidson, W.F., West, J., Gienapp, C.L., Heyrman, M.L., and Stoff, M.B. (2002). Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic – Vol. 2, 3rd ed. NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Gaddis, J.L. (1997). We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hayden, D. (2003). Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820-2000.   Westminster, MD: Knopf Publishing Group. Lobeda, C.M. (2006). Globalization Is Harmful to Society. In L.I. Gerdes (ed.), Globalization. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. Loevy, R.D. (1990). To End All Segregation: The Politics of the Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Lanham, Md.: University Press of America. McGrew, A.G. (1992). Conceptualizing Global Politics. In A.G. McGrew, and P.G. Lewis (eds), Global Politics: Globalization and the Nation-State. Cambridge: Polity Press, p. 1-28. O’Brien, T. (1990). The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books. Singh, R. (2003). American Government and Politics : A Concise Introduction.London: Sage Publications, Incorporated, 2003. Walsh, K.T. (2007, May 14). Echoes From an Earlier Conflict.   U.S. News & World Report. 142(17): 47-49. Waters, M. (1996). Daniel Bell, London: Routledge.

Paper Analysis Twenty Hubs and No Hq

This article tries to propose advantages of an alternative strategy of global business management for MNCs. According to the authors the previous strategies of management from the Head Quarters (centralized) or Head Quarters for most functions with regional offices and country managers (decentralized) are not as efficient as management without any Head Quarters and twenty strategically placed hubs. There are compelling reasons to follow this strategy. Firstly developing countries account for a much larger chunk of the net revenue. Secondly there are untapped markets in the form of economically weaker sections in these countries and the full potential of these can not be exploited with the prevalent management strategies. Thirdly there is a huge cost saving advantage with manufacturing in low cost countries and outsourcing is just one way to realize it. The basic concept of this strategy as given by the authors is to have 20 hubs in 20 different countries – 10 developing and 10 developed which account for 70% of the population of the two worlds in each case and on the whole and much of the economic activity. According to the authors having hubs in these 20 countries MNCs can serve all the markets in the whole world more efficiently than using any of the previous strategies. These hubs will serve as a gateway for these MNCs in these regions. As such all management and manufacturing functions required by the region can be shifted to these gateway countries. This will allow the MNCs to serve customers on every level of the income pyramid. Also it will reduce the sourcing cost by 20% and corporate overhead cost by 2/3rd. The gateway hub structure can be flexible with new countries becoming hubs as and when they reach the requisite level of development and each hub sourcing goods manufactured in other hubs. According to the authors in the gateway hub model risk can be spread over 10 or more locations with manufacturing and R&D in multiple locations. This article augments the learning by teaching to challenge any concept even the concept that look as basic as the centralized management and Head Quarters. INNOVATIVE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES The article tries to find the most relevant dimensions to use to cluster innovative international strategies to arrive at typologies that can be interpreted and used further. GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE OF THE INDUSTRY INTERNATIONAL DEV IN THE PAST†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦YEARS INTERNATIONAL DEV IN THE NEXT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. YEARS INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY OF THE COMPETITOR IN THE INDUSTRY INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY OF YOUR FIRM In this study they find out the most relevant dimensions and cluster cases according to these dimensions and identify some empirical types. The authors found the four main dimensions as Process of internationalization Segment scope Level of coordination across borders Fragments of narratives where an Innovative International Strategy WAS DESCRIBED by respondents were collected Content of fragments in the transcripts related to a firm was analysed to find the concepts used to characterize its strategy Cases that were similar to each other were clustered and formed an empirical type of IIs Major influences Footwear Competitive action :-relocation and innovative international strategy Cables and wires Struct forces:-technological intensity; new high growth markets; government intervention;comparative advantages(in cases) Paint Structural forces:- technological and marketing intensity Chocolate sugar and confectionary Structural Forces :- Marketing intensity and diff in consumption pattern across industries Competitive action:- MAA; Innovative International Strategy The authors arrived at six innovative international strategy typologies across these four industries. The main value addition from this article is how a study can be carried out to scientifically figure out the main innovative strategies and to gauge the scope of innovation and strategic management in the industry. It also helps find out the relation between strategy and the constraints under which it is developed.

Student Protest at Gigantic State University Essay

Student Protest at Gigantic State University - Essay Example Lastly, the whole demonstration by the students was a criminal act since it was not sanctioned by the university. Furthermore, the incident also had some elements of negligence since in the first instance, there were no security officers outside the offices of the president. The university is bound by law to protect its employees against any acts that may cause bodily and psychological harm or endanger their lives. As such, by not providing security to these offices, the university failed to protect Prudence and the president of the university. Additionally, the university security took a total of ten minutes before responding to Prudence’s call during which she underwent a horrifying experience. These instances show that the university was negligent in ensuring security for its employees, within its compound. Furthermore, Mr. Chandler could be held accountable for negligence seeing as he was asleep during the entire incident, whereby had he been awake at the time, then the ev ents herein would not have escalated the way they did. From the beginning the students abused their right to freedom of expression by engaging in violent conduct during the protests. Moreover, they did not use the legal channels in which to air their grievances. The students also broke the law through forced entry as well as trespassing in the offices of the president of the university. The students also violated the rights of Prudence and the university president by unlawfully detaining them in the offices. Furthermore, the university also broke the law in that it failed to protect Prudence; hence, it was in breach of their contract agreement. In terms of liability for the damages caused during the protest, the university should be held responsible for the mental damage on Prudence since the University, according to the law of liability, is responsible for any torts committed by its students in case of student protests which in this incident are classified under intentional torts a nd unintentional torts, in reference to negligence by the university. The university may also hold the student body liable for all the physical damages that resulted from their actions on that day. This incidence incurs several counts of both intentional torts and unintentional torts. The university is tortuously liable in the category of intentional torts, specifically assault and battery where the student leader knocks the phone and threatens to shoot her head off. Additionally, the university is also liable under the intentional torts for infliction of emotional distress which resulted in Prudence being unable to return to work for a week and is now dependent on tranquilizers. The president of the university could also sue the institution and the students for unlawful imprisonment. In the category of unintentional torts, the university is liable for negligence since it failed to provide security for both Prudence and the university president while the security officers did not re spond on time after Prudence’s distress call. Moreover, both Mr. Chandler and the University are liable under the unintentional torts with reference to negligence arising out of the fact that Mr. Chandler was asleep during the entire incident. Court Brief Facts Students held an illegal demonstration in President Chandler’

Zionism and the Negation of the Diaspora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Zionism and the Negation of the Diaspora - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the concept of the negation of the Diaspora was a slogan that showed a negative attitude toward the Diaspora. It was commonly supported by the Zionists who suggested that solutions to the national problem can be found beyond the Diaspora. This position of the Zionists reflected a negative attitude towards Diaspora or exile, which is an objective attitude because it relates to the issue itself rather than the reactions of the Zionists. This paper argues that the negation of the Diaspora demonstrates an objective negative attitude that the Zionist Jews had towards Diaspora, and the Zionists demonstrated this slogan by opposing dispersion and advocating for the establishment of Jewish State in the historic homeland of the Jews. This slogan was demonstrated through the acts and thoughts of Zionists. Zionism rose as a movement of the Jews in the western world that fought for the Jewish rights and unity after being dispersed and alienated in foreign lands for a long time. Zionism considered religious mechanisms essential to revive and foster a national consciousness of Jews. They were concerned with the establishment of the Jewish solution to the Jewish problem. Zionism is also considered as a movement that supported the establishment of a Jewish state in the Jewish historic homeland in early 20th century. Zionists existed in different groups, but they all had common thoughts for the Jews.

Evidenced Based Research Activity Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidenced Based Research Activity - Case Study Example From this study it is clear that  sensory domain data showed no overall statistical differences between the two groups, and children in both the treatment and control group, had no dissimilar variation in sensory impairment during the pre-assessment. Secondly, the paired t-test revealed positive, though statistically insignificant enhancements for those children under the treatment group, in terms of sensory impairment, as well as stationery body control. However, there were indications of affirmative and remarkable improvements for children in the treatment group in terms of their locomotion and object manipulation. Nevertheless, children in the control group had minimal and non-statistically significant changes.This paper discusses that  using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, the study revealed that children with down syndrome experienced positive but statistically significant improvements, in terms of their sensory impairment and locomotion domains. On the other hand, children w ith cerebral palsy experienced positive and statistically significant enhancements, in all of the three motor domains. This included stationery body control, movement or locomotion, and object manipulation. Therefore, outcomes improved significantly from pre-intervention, follow-up and then to post intervention, that is why there were no dissimilarities in longitudinal outcomes between children with CP and those with DS.

Population policy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Population policy - Article Example Further, the article shows (Table 2) the effects of the policy change. With the prior 1979 priority on increasing birth defects, the resulting 2011 population census shows 71 percent of the 2011 Iraq population belongs to 15 years to 64 years age group. In the 2006 census, 70 percent of the population similarly belonging to the same 15 years to 64 years age group. When the 1980s change to the birth control population program was implemented, the birth rate consequently decreased. The population reduction effects can be seen in the 2011 and 2006 population. The resulting 2011 population census shows a smaller 23percent of the 2011 Iraq population belongs to 0 years to 14 years age group. In the 2006 census, a similarly smaller 25 percent of the population similarly belonging to the same 0 years to 14 years age group. Further, societal factors triggered the Iranian population policy change. In 1986, Iran unfavorably became overpopulated, 74 million people. More women shifted from child bearing to work and school priorities. The shift triggered the lower birth rates (Groth, 2012). With lesser population, food supply increases. There are lesser hungry individuals. Prices of food decline. Government can allocate lesser amounts to feeding a smaller population. Hunger being resolved, the people are better contributors to the society’s betterment. More well-fed people produce more quality outputs. Food supply affects Iraq’s population growth. Famine crops up when the food supplies are not enough to feed the population. With famine, some people die of hunger. Lack of food discourages many reasonable families from procreating. Consequently, the scarce food supply normally triggers a reduction in Iraq’s population growth rate (Murray, 2013). I can improve the current policy. I require a portion of the Iraq government’s funds detoured to the production of more agricultural food products. Government hires more

Persuasive Custom Speech on Legalization of Marijuana in California or Presentation

Persuasive Custom on Legalization of Marijuana in California - Speech or Presentation Example Today's marijuana users are not Otto the bus driver, smoking a joint while driving past imaginary purple elephants. They are not deadbeats hanging onto the fringe of society. They are average men and women, many of them diligent students, community business owners, and even civic leaders (NORML). Are these people criminals? No! They are simply good people caught on the bad side of a poorly-written, poorly-planned, and poorly-executed public policy. California is known as the cutting edge of social change. The state is already at the forefront of the drug legalization debate, having legalized marijuana for medical use in 1996 (Secretary of State). This means the state already has experience in the regulation and distribution of marijuana legally, and makes it the perfect testing ground for the legalization of recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana has been found to be more effective on a wider variety of symptoms and to be safer, with fewer side effects, than Marinol, an artificial cannaboid medication (Joy, Watson, & Benson, p 203). There has been no evidence that the legalization of medical marijuana in the state has increased recreational usage, and the passage of this law saved thousands of legitimate disease sufferers from being banded as criminals.

Impact of New Technology and Internet Influencing Marketing Mix. LEGO Assignment

Impact of New Technology and Internet Influencing Marketing Mix. LEGO Company - Assignment Example Lack of innovation and advancement of technology would engender stagnation of the organisation. Without an innovative approach and technological progress an organisation would not be able to prolong in the extremely aggressive and competitive era. Thus, an organisation has to be innovative in every aspect. Considering LEGO Group, it splits its eminent innovative efforts into eight divergent parts from development of the products to model innovation. It gives principal recognition to technology and in recent times the prominence of intellect and behaviour had been acknowledged and through a partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Robot technology had been pooled with LEGO construction system ensuing in LEGO Mindstorms which allows its prospect customers to construct and design a robot within 30 minutes. LEGO has also a mission with regard to quality assured products. Mindstorm was an outcome of partnership amongst LEGO and MIT. The key idea behind it is to make th e children assess the toy. Another remarkable innovative product launched by LEGO is the movie maker which uses the similar proposal which allows the kids to make their own movies through the access to the computers. Marketing Mix Marketing procedures always require necessary attention on part of the management as production of goods would not have any intent unless products are sold in the market. Marketing mix signifies the assimilation of various marketing elements in an efficient way that would lead to the accomplishment of the organisational target in the best probable and desirable way. It is the strategy framework implemented by the marketer to achieve sensation in the marketing field. For being a thriving marketer one should always take into severe consideration the customer satisfaction as it is known that it is not the products that are sold in the market it is the satisfaction in terms of the product that is sold. The four heads under which the marketing elements are cate gorised are the product, price, promotion and place. Thus, a marketing mix is regarded as the unification of the four chief elements known as the 4P’s. Product refers to a physical and tangible characteristic allied with it for which the consumers are ready to pay for to derive satisfaction whereas services are intangible in nature which is purchased by the customers. Product is considered to be a key constituent for any marketing mix. The various decisions with respect to the product may be regarding the branding, product attributes product service support, product mix, product standardizing, colouring, packaging, product innovation, product modification and development of the accurate product among others (Russell Smith & Taylor, 2004). Price is the second constituent of the marketing mix affecting the sales. It comprises of determination of a pricing object and procedures, profit margins, price fixation, discounting policy, credit policy and concession policy among others. Promotion being the third constituent deals with influencing and drawing the attention of the customers. Promotion implies to the swaying communication about the vivid aspects of the product such as advertising, public relation, personal selling, sales promotional activities, displays and demonstrations among others (Russell Smith & Taylor, 2004). Place, also referred as distribution mix, is blend of decision making with context to location,

Pop culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pop culture - Essay Example Video games has opened a new culture in the world of entertainment leading to the emergence of a new form of popular culture. It is recorded that the initial games used interactive electronic devices with various display formats. Some of the earliest examples of video games the Cathode ray tube Amusement Device that was filed for a patent on 25 January 1947 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann. The two designers were deeply inspired by radar display tech that was made up of an analog device that allowed a user to control a vector-drawn dot on the screen to simulate a missile being fired at targets, which were drawings fixed to the screen. While there has been a great element of changes leading to ink split on video game culture, the actual definition of the term is often treated as common sense to many people. The unraveling of the discourses surrounding video game culture offers room for people to envisioned in the power dynamics involved in attributing certain characteristics to it, as well as naming it. This approach has implications for how video games are studied as well as how they are interlinked with how culture is studied more broadly. By critically examining how video game culture has been defined in both press and academic articles, this paper seeks to elaborate how this cultural aspect has emerged to be considered on the most advanced forms of the popular culture. According to Tom Bissell in Extra Lives: Why video games matter, the rise of video in the current generation has resulted to the emergence of a new form of popular culture. He admits his great love and passion for the games. It is recorded that millions of adults all over the world, spend several hours every week playing video games leading to the growth of the industry. It is estimated that the industry is likely to outdo the film industry in Hollywood. However, the

Christianity and Islam Essay Example for Free

Christianity and Islam Essay Christianity and Islam are two very significant Religions in the world today. Although they celebrate very different things, some of the things they celebrate are very similar. There are many differences between both religions predominantly with the way they celebrate festivals. On the other hand the rules that both religions follow are quite similar. Christianity stands as the most widespread religion with over 2 billion followers. Christians believe that there has only been one God and he is the one who created everything on the earth today. The main festivals that Catholics celebrate are Lent, Easter and Christmas. In Christianity these festivals are very momentous and are always celebrated. The reason behind why Christians celebrate these festivals is because it reminds Christians the way Jesus lived his life up to when he passed away. In the Christian Religion there are different spiritual leaders starting with the Pope, Priests, Bishops and Jesus. Christians attend Churches to pray to God and ask him for certain things but most importantly to celebrate significant days on the Catholic calendar. Islam began around 600AD in the Arabian Peninsula. The Islam community believes in one God called Allah. Islam was revealed to the prophet Mohammad in Mecca which is now modern-day Saudi Arabia. The key festivals that the Islamic community celebrate are called Ramadan which celebrates the gift of the Koran, Eid-al-Fitr which celebrates the first day after Ramadan has been completed, Dhu Al-Hijia and lastly the Eid-al-adha which is the festival of Sacrifice which occurs 70 day after the ending of Ramadan. Mohammad is an important individual when it comes to the history of Islam. He was the first person to ever be revealed to Islam and after his death many people began to follow Islam. His death gathered more people together and a wider community began to believe in the Religion of Islam. The Islamic community practices the five pillars of Islam which are Shahadah, Salaah, Zakat, Saum and Hajj. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a 40 period which is called Lent. It is important because we follow Jesus’ journey in the desert where he was forced to fast for 40 days. The time of Ash Wednesday becomes somewhat flexible as the date changes in the Liturgical Calendar. Sundays are not counted during the time of Lent which honours the Resurrection. Lent is a time of soul-searching and repentance. Traditionally on Ash Wednesday, Christians attend a mass where ashes are placed on their forehead as a sign or remorse and mourning. They are also the symbol of willingness to prepare themselves for the events which lead Easter. During Lent, Christians abstain from eating certain foods which they desire on a daily basis. In the Western Church, Christians have a tendency to to give up meat. The term ‘fasting’ is a personal act of devotion to God. It also helps us remember God. Abstaining from something that you enjoy is designed to bring you closer to God and helps you be come a better Christian. Also during Lent, the Catholic Church encourages Christians to give back to the community or all across the world by giving loose change or clothing to help the less fortunate. Ramadan is a period of time to abstain from eating during daylight hours of the day; this is only for people with a Muslim background. It is important to the Muslim community because it was the time where God declared the Koran to the prophet Mohammed. Ramadan occurs during the Ninth month of the lunar calendar when a new moon is occurring. The fasting period of Ramadan is quite different compared to the fasting period of Lent. In Ramadan, the Muslim community it is only permitted for people to eat and drink during Sunrise and then break their fast by eating dates only again at sunset. Not only do they abstain from eating during certain times of the day, they do not smoke, they abstain from sexual intercourse, and devote a whole month to their Religion. Muslims find it very difficult to not eat during the day, especially mothers with younger children. These difficulties arise when you are hungry and preparing food for younger children as you become tempted into eating. Not everybody in the Muslim community need to refrain from eating, children that have not hit puberty, pregnant women or breastfeeding women, people who are sick or people who are on a journey. Ramadan is designed to bring them closer to Allah, strengthen their willpower and self-control and is a test of self-discipline and faith. Christianity, Lent, Islam and Ramadan are very similar because their beliefs and festivals are very similar to each other although their Religions are very different. The things which the Muslim community believe in are surprisingly similar to what Christians believe in also.

Semantic Deviation In Pride And Prejudice English Language Essay

Semantic Deviation In Pride And Prejudice English Language Essay Jane Austin was an English novelist. Her books are notable for the wit, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women. She was born in 1775 in Hampshire. She began to write when she was a teenager. Her first novel was Sense and Sensibility which was published in 1811.The second novel she wrote was Pride and Prejudice. This novel became very famous and was appreciated. Her next novel Mansfield Park was published in 1814, and then Emma in 1816.In 1816 Jane became ill due to Addisons disease. She died in Winchester on 18 July 1817. The two novels Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published after her death. And a final novel was left incomplete. Pride and Prejudice was the most popular novel of Jane Austin. The story of the novel takes place in early nineteenth century. Critics praised Jane Austens characterization and portrayal of everyday life. Human weakness is a prominent element in this novel. Austin made use of irony to expose foolishness and hypocrisy. Dialogue plays an important role in Pride and Prejudice. Each characters speech is appropriate. From the speech it is revealed that what they are like. Elizabeths talk is direct and outspoken, Mr. Bennetts speech is sarcastic, Mr. Collins speeches are very long and boring, Lydias speeches are carefree and not serious. The incidences in Pride and Prejudice can be related to every day life i.e. embarrassments, foolishness, falling in love, realizing own mistakes, etc. Austens works possess a timeless quality, which makes her stories and themes as relevant today as they were two hundred years ago. Deviation means depart from an established course or normal standards. There are many types of deviation like syntactic or grammatical deviation, lexical deviation, graphological deviation, phonological deviation, and semantic deviation. In this research the main focus is on Semantic deviation. Semantic deviation shows that a word or phrase can have many different meanings. A word can be taken in different contexts. The real meaning can be different from apparent meaning. Semantic deviation includes irony, paradox, metaphor, simile, pun, style. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW Dr.Sarala Krishnamurthy examined the lexis of Selman Rushdies Midnight Childrens.The method she applied was both qualitative and quantitative. In this research she worked on the use of neologism, compound words, and borrowing in the novel. According to her examination the most important feature in Rushdies work is the use of neologism. The neologism is identified in two ways : morphological and borrowing. In the novel the Indian words are given affixation, such as Pajamas, phirangis. With these words affixation s is used to convert them into plural form. The second type of neologism used is the Indian suffix are attached to English words, such as cousin ji and sister ji. The suffix ji in Urdu and Hindi is attached to any noun. The third type is when with English root morpheme, Hindi root morpheme is attached, such as: Paan shop, hot channa, Indian fauj. In these words Paan, channa and fauj are Hindi morphemes which are attached to English morphemes. Compound words are also formed by taking words from both the languages. The example of compound words is: dia lamp, where dia is the equivalent of the word lamp. The suffix y is also used with words, such as: shivery, glass cloudy, house wifery. The affixation ed is also used to create neologisms. Rushdie creates many adjectival forms by adding affix ed. The examples are: One eye browed, many headed, etc. The affixation ing is also used, which leads to the formation of compound words, such as: lip jutting, crazy sounding. The notable point is that all the examples given are used for the first time in Midnights Children and this extend the resources of English language. In this novel the compound words are formed in different ways. The ways are unusual collocation, co-joined words, word clusters, and noun phrases. The example of the each way is given below: Unusual collocation: 1. Biriyanis of determination 2. Carrot and stick affair Co-joined words: 1. whatsitsname what is its name 2. Godknowswhat God knows what 3. Talldarkhandsome tall dark handsome Word clusters: 1. they we should 2. patience wait Noun Phrases: 1. two day long procession 2. losing national dice game 3. Going to pot The last thing to be noted in the novel is borrowing. The words are borrowed from Urdu, such as: khansamaa, maulvi saab. The names of Hindu gods are also used, such as: ganesh, hanuman. The names of Hindi dishes, such as: lassi, khichri, ladoo are used in the novel. The names of Indian clothing: dupatta, kurtaa, pajama, are also made part of the novel. Indian expressions and the words of other languages that are spoken in India are also used in the novel. In the end Sarala concludes that these lexis are important because it is lexical deviation and the other reason she gives is that the usage of these words tell the world about the Indian word expressions. Agemo, Oluwatosin Stella examined The stylistic analysis of some selected poems of Wole Soyinka. He mentioned that the writer makes use of unusual word order in the form of Anastrophe and parenthesis. Examples are: In vain your bangles cast charmed circles at my feet (Abiku). Caught I was, foully (Telephone Conversation). This word order interrupts the normal syntactical flow of the sentence, to create emphasis and to capture the attention of the reader. The writer has also made use of word omission, i.e. ellipsis and asyndeton. Examples are: Must I weep for goats and cowries. For palm oil and sprinkled ask? (Abiku) I saw your jealous eye quench the Seas Flourescence, dance on the pulie incessant (Night) This creates shortness of time, emphasis or ambiguity. The scheme of repetition is also used in the poems. Repetition is used deliberately for the sake of emphasis. It helps to grasp the attention of the reader. The lexico-syntactic choices i.e. similie and metaphor are also used in abundance in the poem. These are used to give clearness and liveliness to words. Examples are: Similie: I bear no bear no heart mercuric like the clouds (Night). As lightning shrink to ants antenna (To my first white hairs). Metaphor: Ill be the suppliant snake coiled on the doorstep (Abiku). The comparison is made between two words that are different from each other and they are bond together to create similarity between them. Instances of hyperbole, hypernyms, onomatopoeia, synecdoche, pun, assonance, consonance are also present in the poem. The usage of these schemes and tropes provide musical effect and color to the poems. Graphological deviation is also present in the poem like capitalization, bold print, and spacing. All of these things found out together give effective meaning. To convey the meaning to the reader and to grasp their attention the language used should be meaningful. Soyinka use of language conveys the meaning to the reader that what the poet wants to convey. The stylistical devices help the poet to beautify and give rhythm to the text. By this analysis it is shown that there is a difference between poetic and non-poetic language. Bahaa-Eddin M. Mazid examined A stylistic analysis of Larkins Talking in Bed. According to his analysis the lexical items, with different connotations and denotations, grammatical structures, categories all combine together to produce three main isotopies of the poem i.e. language, love and nature. These items also establish the cohesive chains and the three sub-worlds of the poem- the tenseless, present and past. In the poem an emotional linguistic predicament of a couple is encountered, who cannot communicate and who used to be honest. Now they are unable to speak the truth and to be nice. The thing which is more problematic is that there is no one to help and conjure them. This is the context of the poem, it tells about the interpersonal relation ships. The poem consists of twelve lines. The first stanza consists of two clauses. And the second stanza starts with adverbial clause Lying together. The qualities and attributes associated with human beings are lasting only for a short time than those associated with natural objects and other phenomenon.Talking in bed is a metalinguitic poem. The poem is about the use, misuse and abuse of language. One isotopy that cross cuts the nature and the love isotopies is that of night. Thus, in bed, lying together, dark towns and isolation finds their ideal environment in the night. Night, sex and love are closely related with each other. The intimate style is filled with ellipsis, nonverbal communication and private code characteristics. Human involvement is more obvious in the last two clauses in the poem. In the whole poem the theme is dark, tone is bleak with disappointment. Irony is also the dominant feature of the poem. There is a mismatch between imagination and reality.Talking in bed is as modern as The Wasteland. It is about the agony of alienation, the irony of senseless sex-pillow-talk that cannot be easy and bed partnership that can no longer be honest the loss of faith in communion and the death of true or kind language. The poem is true to its own genre and author. In this the writer does The brief stylistic analysis of The Great Gatsby. The play describes the hollowness of the upper class. It also tells us about that what happened to the American dream. In the play Fitgerald made use of imagination and symbolism to present the moral history of his time.The use of symbolism made his work to connect the objective with the subjective. He starts the novel in the present, narrates the important events of the story. In chapter 4,6 and 7 the writer gradually reveals the story of Gatsbys past. In chapter 9 the past and the present come together. The key to the structure of the novel is the combination of the first person narrative and the revelation of the past gradually. The two devices worked together perfectly. If anyone of these was not used than the meaning will not be delivered clearly. In section 1 of the play abstract nouns and many multi-syllable adjectives are used, such as: riotous (adj.)  ¼Ã…’ excursion (n.) ¼Ã…’privileged (adj.) g limpse (n).The formal words are also used,such as exempt, register. The psychology of Nick is revealed by the use of multi-syllable adjectives. The sentence structure is complex. The internal complex and feelings of Nick are described in three sentences only in the first section of the play. Long but simple sentences are used in the section 2.there is one subjective clause and several coordinate sentences. For example, Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The simile is also used in the Great Gatsby. The sentence Her voice is full of money is a metaphor. The purpose of using metaphor is to give readers aesthetic sense. In the end the analyst concludes that the language used in the play is formal. And it appeals to the reader. Dan McIntyre examined The stylistic analysis of E.E.Cummings poem.The title of the poem is listen. The poem is basically about the arrival of the spring and the happiness and joys it brings. On the other hand the poem also seems to be an address to the lover; the poet wants his lover to enjoy with him, the arrival of spring. The themes of spring, nature, sex and man are interred related with each other. The subject matter of the poem is not complex. There are many stylistic features present in the poem. The lexical features of the poem are examined. The poem mostly consists of nouns and verbs. Most of the nouns are concrete and only two are abstract .i.e. dream and miracle. The verbs used create a sense of immediacy. All the verbs which are marked for tense are in the present tense. We have present simple verbs .i.e. barks, present progressive forms .i.e. are [eagerly], tumb/ling, and o-p-e-n-i-n-g/are. The poet also made use of adverb of manner, which conveys a sense of speed. The adverbs used are: (quickly), excitement (crazily, eagerly) and inevitability (irrevocably).Directive verbs are used to address to the other person .i.e. (listen, look, come  (x2),  run  (x2),  jump, shout, laugh, dance, cry, sing). These are used to request the addressee to enjoy the coming of the spring with the poet. For example, in the lines run run/with me now and sing)for its Spring. There is no neologism in the poem but some words are arranged in the poem in strange way. For example the word wonderful is divided in two lines, dividing it into two morphemes .i.e. wonder  and  ful. First the word gives the expression of noun wonder and if it is read again it seems to be the adjective wonderful. The most striking effect in {listen} is the use of deviations. Throughout the poem graphological deviation is present. The poet has deliberately capitalized the words in the middle of the sentence. The last line of the poem is highly fore grounded because all the letters are capitalized. Grammatical deviation is also used in the poem. Punctuations are applied where they are not required. An example would be in lines 12 and 13 o-p-e-n-i-n-g/are(leaves;flowers)dreams. Cummings has break grammatical conventions to convey the simultaneously coming thoughts. Due to which the groups of nouns run together without any punctuation. (E.g. lines 3 to 6 and line 22).the definite and indefinite references are within the same clause. i.e. this a  dog barks. The possible explanation could be that the poet uses this to refer that he is talking about the particular dog and on the other hand he uses a to refer that he is not familiar with the dog. Graphological parallelism is also used by the poet. All the first lines of the next stanza are separated by the above lines by double space. The poem has no rhyme scheme of regularity. There is no strict pattern adopted by the poet. In conclusion Cummings deliberately chooses to use such seemingly odd stylistic techniques in (listen). Stylistic helps the reader to understand the things in the text which are otherwise not understandable easily. Dominique Costa examined A stylistical analysis of Thomas Hardys: The Ruined maid. In the poem the lexical items used belong to variety of languages. The geographical, temporal, social dialects clearly appear in the poem. Terms such as thee, thou used belong to regional dialect. There occurrence is purposeful. Hardy used this device to draw the attention of the reader towards the characteristics of the country people. Expressions like digging potatoes, spudding up docks and barton belong to rural lexis. This enhances the young women social origin. The words like bracelets, dress, gloves which are associated with women are used frequently. Hardy uses expression related to feminity such as my dear, delicate cheek, delicate face. From this it is shown that the theme of woman hood is prevalent in the poem. Conjunctions are also used frequently. The conjunctions such as and, but are significant. The poem is built in parallel structures; two types of parallelism within the sentences are also used. The examples of parallelism are: In The Ruined Maid lexis, cohesion, syntax, sound plays a dominant role. References to the past and present are also constant ion the poem. The setting of the play is temporal. Metin TÄ °MUÇÄ °N examined A stylistic study to explore the language of poems. The goal was to perceive the meaning and understanding the language of the text. The text which is taken into consideration is the poem of Siegfried Sassoon`s The Rear-Guard and Wilfred Owenss Anthem for Doomed Youth. The paper not only focuses on analyzing the text but also argues in favor of exploiting language based approaches in literature. In Sassoons The Rear-Guard the poet uses the poetic language of violence. The poet has himself experienced the violence as a soldier in world war 2.the themes of the poem are violence, and the trenches of the war. On the other hand in the poem of Wilfred Owenss Anthem for Doomed Youth the relations with family, army, poetry and Church are depicted. Sassoon and Owen both deal with the atrocities of the war. In Anthem for Doomed Youth in order to reveal the agonies, violence, silence of a family in mourning, sorrows of the people, Owen makes use of bot h the terms of army and church. In both the poems the words related with war are present i.e. guns, rapid rattle, stuttering rifles. Owen also uses the discourse of the church like: bells, prayers, mourning, choirs, candles, holly glimmers. In Owens poem we have lexical groupings of war and church. The main focus of the analysis was that how the words used convey the meaning to the reader. In The Rear Guard the feelings of a person are described who has himself faced the atrocities of war and he thinks that war is evil and unjust. It destroys the lives of people. In Owens poem Anthem for Doomed Youth the poet by using linguistic devices gives the message and lesson to the world that war should be prohibited. The war is not an enjoyable thing; it destroys the lives of people, homes and countries. Masanori Miyata examined Types of linguistic devices in Oliver Twist. The six types of deviation present in Oliver twist are taken under consideration. The phonological deviation is present in the dialogue of Gamfield, which shows typically substandard or vulgar language. The words of his speech are: acause(because),afore(before),nothink(nothing),etc. Graphological deviation is also part of the novel. The author uses parenthesis within the dialogue to reveal the inner thoughts of the character. For example: Have the goodness to look at me, said Mr.bumble, fixing his eyes upon her. (If she stands such an eye as that, said Mr. Bumble to himself. She can stand anythingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Mr. Bumble, XXXVII, 268) Capital letters and dashes are also used within the dialogue. In the dialogue by Fagin, Fagin retorted Nancy with rage in capital letters. WILL. Neologisms are also invented in the play. i.e. Greenland, merry-go-rounder. Dicken invented special terms like: beadlehood, henpeckery, half-baptized. New compound words are formed by combining two lexical items with hyphens; like: psalm-singers, concept-making, surgeons-friend, and orange-peel. Mr. Bumble add suffixes -er and -est. with adjectives in his dialogues, which normally proceed more and most in Standard English. Examples are: obstinater, ungratefullest, He also uses double superlatives i.e. most bare-facedest. Dickens also uses vague phrase; like: certain soft nothings. Oxymorons are also evident. For example: good unhealthy port, logically contradict but contextually consistent. Paradox like: night so long, and yet so short, are also applied by Dickens. Synecdoche, metaphor, simile all are the part of the play. Dickens ion his novel has used approximately all types of deviations, schemes, tropes and lexical features. Irony is prevalent throughout the novel. In conclusion Dickens creates new words and skillfully manipulates it in his novel. . .. CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1. Research Question: To analyze the semantic deviation in Jane Austins novel Pride and Prejudice 3.2. Delimitation: The text which is to be analyzed is Pride and Prejudice. It consists of 61 chapters, but the focus will be on first 25 chapters of the novel. The text will be analyzed semantically. The focus will be on semantic deviations used by the writer. The real meaning inherent in the apparent meaning will be focused. 3.3. Theoretical Framework: Stylistics is the study of style of language. It describes the usage of language in speech, written works and public affairs. Deviations are a part of stylistic analysis. Deviation means depart from an established course or normal standards. There are many types of deviation, like semantic, syntactic, graphological, register and grammatical deviation. But the focus in this research is only on semantic deviation. The main points which would be under consideration during semantic analysis of the novel will be irony, metaphor, paradox, pun, style.

The Oppression of Fat People in America Essay -- Obesity Weight Disord

The Oppression of Fat People in America Many people see fat activists as a bunch of whiners who can’t keep their hand out of the cookie jar." — Kimberly, fat activist Being fat is one of the most stigmatizing attributes in America. One cannot live through a single day without encountering numerous forms of fat prejudice in magazines, on television, in the streets, and even in homes. Erving Goffman’s Stigma delineates three types of stigma: abominations of the body, blemishes of individual character, and tribal stigma of race, nation and religion (4). According to Goffman’s definition, being fat is an abomination of the body. Being fat is a highly visible stigma, unlike the stigma of being queer which does not have an outward appearance. According to research in Women’s Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality, "Fat oppression, the fear and hatred of fat people, remains one of the few ‘acceptable’ prejudices still held by otherwise progressive persons" (Meadow 132). In fact, people are obsessed with noticing fat, not getting fat, and pointing out to people that they are fat without hesitation. Unlike other stigmas, fat people are blamed for their condition. Society believes that if fat people really wanted to they could just lose weight and be permanently thin. Fat is not the problem, rather fat oppression endorsed and reinforced by society is the problem. I’ve made a conscious choice to use the word fat in this paper; I’ve already used the word ‘fat’ ten times in the first paragraph. The word ‘fat’ and fat itself have negative connotations in our culture, the reasons for which I will explore in my paper, as well as the way people are instituting positive ideological changes about fat. I use to have a hard time using ‘fat’ t... ...way Books, 1999. Meadow, Rosalyn M., and Lillie Weiss. Women’s Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality: The Relationship Between Food and Sex. New York: Harrington Park Press, 1992. Muà ±oz, Josà © Esteban. Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1999. "NAAFA Online." National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. Online. Internet. 2 Dec. 2000. Available: http://www.naafa.org Orbach, Susie. Fat is a Feminist Issue†¦the Anti-Diet Guide to Permanent Weight Loss. New York: Paddington Press, 1978. Solovay, Sondra. Tipping the Scales of Justice: Fighting Weight Based Discrimination. New York: Prometheus Books, 2000. Wann, Marilyn. Fat!So?. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1998. Works Consulted Nadius, Beverly. One Size Does Not Fit All. Littleton, CO: Aigis Publications, 1993. The Oppression of Fat People in America Essay -- Obesity Weight Disord The Oppression of Fat People in America Many people see fat activists as a bunch of whiners who can’t keep their hand out of the cookie jar." — Kimberly, fat activist Being fat is one of the most stigmatizing attributes in America. One cannot live through a single day without encountering numerous forms of fat prejudice in magazines, on television, in the streets, and even in homes. Erving Goffman’s Stigma delineates three types of stigma: abominations of the body, blemishes of individual character, and tribal stigma of race, nation and religion (4). According to Goffman’s definition, being fat is an abomination of the body. Being fat is a highly visible stigma, unlike the stigma of being queer which does not have an outward appearance. According to research in Women’s Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality, "Fat oppression, the fear and hatred of fat people, remains one of the few ‘acceptable’ prejudices still held by otherwise progressive persons" (Meadow 132). In fact, people are obsessed with noticing fat, not getting fat, and pointing out to people that they are fat without hesitation. Unlike other stigmas, fat people are blamed for their condition. Society believes that if fat people really wanted to they could just lose weight and be permanently thin. Fat is not the problem, rather fat oppression endorsed and reinforced by society is the problem. I’ve made a conscious choice to use the word fat in this paper; I’ve already used the word ‘fat’ ten times in the first paragraph. The word ‘fat’ and fat itself have negative connotations in our culture, the reasons for which I will explore in my paper, as well as the way people are instituting positive ideological changes about fat. I use to have a hard time using ‘fat’ t... ...way Books, 1999. Meadow, Rosalyn M., and Lillie Weiss. Women’s Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality: The Relationship Between Food and Sex. New York: Harrington Park Press, 1992. Muà ±oz, Josà © Esteban. Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1999. "NAAFA Online." National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. Online. Internet. 2 Dec. 2000. Available: http://www.naafa.org Orbach, Susie. Fat is a Feminist Issue†¦the Anti-Diet Guide to Permanent Weight Loss. New York: Paddington Press, 1978. Solovay, Sondra. Tipping the Scales of Justice: Fighting Weight Based Discrimination. New York: Prometheus Books, 2000. Wann, Marilyn. Fat!So?. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1998. Works Consulted Nadius, Beverly. One Size Does Not Fit All. Littleton, CO: Aigis Publications, 1993.

Searching for an Inner-Self in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Nea

Searching for an Inner-Self in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston a young girl named Janie begins her life unknown to herself. She searches for the horizon as it illustrates the distance one must travel in order to distinguish between illusion and reality, dream and truth, role and self? (Hemenway 75). She is unaware of life?s two most precious gifts: love and the truth. Janie is raised by her suppressive grandmother who diminishes her view of life. Janie?s quest for true identity emerges from her paths in life and ultimatly ends when her mind is freed from mistaken reality. Failing to recognize herself as the one black child in a photograph, Janie begins her story without a name or color (Meese 62). ?Dey all uster call me Alaphabet? cause so many people had done named me different names? (Hurston 9). The revelation doesn?t devastate Janie, rather it stands as both a symbol of Nanny?s unrealistic attempts to shield the girl from life and a metaphor for Janie?s lack of self-knowledge (Williams 100). Nanny raised Janie through her own dreams ?of what a woman oughta be and do? (Hurston 100). Nanny projects a stereotypical identity and a secure future for Janie based on what she knows, which is limited by the historical constraints of what she has seen of the white man?s power over blacks (Meese 62). She tries to control Janie under her own rules and unfair authority. Nanny tells Janie, Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as far as Ah been able to find out. Maybe it?s someplace off in the ocean where the black man is in power, but we don?t know nothi?n about what we see. So de white man throw down the load and tell de nigger ... ...lating the Rage of Black Women and Narrative Self-Defense.? African American Review 26.1 1992): 147-159. Hemenway, Robert E. Crayon Enlargement of Life. Modern Critical Views: Zora Neale Hurston. Ed. Harold Bloom. Chelsea House, 1986. 72-80. Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Johnson, Barbra. ?Metaphor, Metonymy and Voice.? Hemenway 160-168. Jones, Evora. ? Scent and Immersion: Narrative Expression in Their Eyes Were Watching God.? College Language Association Journal 39 (1996): 369-379. Kaplan, Carla. ?The Oldest Human Longing.? American Literature 61.1 (1995): 115-124 Meese, Elizabeth A. ?Ortality and Texuality in Their Eyes Were Watching God? Crossing the Double Cross: The Practice of Feminist Criticism. North Carolina Press, 1986. 59-70. Williams, Shirly A. ?Janie?s Burden.? Hemenway 98-105.

Three Sociological Perspectives :: Sociology Functionalist Conflict Interactionist

Three Sociological Perspectives This paper discusses three approaches that can be taken when studying Sociology. There are many subjects to be studied and discussed in the field of Sociology, and the approach chosen to study a particular subject is called a perspective. There are three different perspectives, and they are functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives. This paper compares and contrasts these different perspectives with one another. When studying in the field of Sociology everyone is going to approach topics in a different manner. No two people are going to have the exact same view on a particular subject. There are however, three major categories in which people might choose to approach topics. The approaches are know as sociological perspectives and are the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives. These perspectives name different ways in which different people choose to analyze a subject, and how they look at a society as a whole. The following paragraphs compare and contrast the three, and identify major characteristics of each. Functionalist Perspective Definition "The functionalist perspective is a sociological approach which emphasizes the way that parts of a society are structure to maintain its stability,"(Schaefer & Lamm, 1998). This perspective looks at a society in a positive manner and sees it as stable, with all the parts working together. Under the functionalist view every social aspect of a society contributes to the society's survival, and if not, the aspect is not passed to the next generation. Founders There are two people who where mainly involved in the development of the functionalist perspective, they are Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons. Durkheim contributed to the functionalist perspective when she was studying religion, and how it was responsible for people feeling solidarity and unity in groups. Parsons was a sociologist from Harvard University who was greatly influenced by Durkheim. In return, he influenced Sociology by dominating the field, with his functionalist views, for four decades (Schaefer & Lamm, 1998). Characteristics When approaching a subject with the functionalist perspective, manifest and latent functions as well as dysfunctions are looked at and studied. A manifest function of an institution is one that is stated and expected. A latent function is one that is unexpected or can show a hidden purpose of an institution, and a dysfunction is a component of a society that can cause instability (Rothman, 1998). These functions and dysfunctions are use in analyzing a society.

Fashion Culture Essay

A person is being judged and labeled whether he or she belongs to the upper class, lower class or an ethnic group through his or her physical appearance. Any judgment that is made is anchored from his or her physical features such as skin color, clothes and personal adornments. The subsequent photos seek to respond on the theory of Entwistle, which states that: â€Å"How we perform our identity has something to do with our location in the social world as members of particular groups, classes and cultural communities. The clothes we choose to wear represent a compromise between the demands of the social world, the milieu in which we belong, and our own individual desires† (Entwistle, 114). The picture of the African herder gives an implication that he belongs to the lower class of the society, which is discerned through the worn out and ragged shirt that he wears. That reality abides with the theory of Entwistle which entails that the status of an individual does reflect in his clothes. The herder’s appearance entails, if he has to be considered as part of the group of African people, that Africans are poor. Figure 2. African People It will be a hasty generalization, however, the fact that Africa belongs to the third world countries. The idea that African’s fashion statement, considering the other pictures of African people (figure 2), mirrors their status in the society. Nevertheless, the clothes are not just mere reflections of one’s status in the society. It also reveals the culture and economic status of those particular groups. Figure 3. The Upper Class On the other hand, figure 3 represents the upper class in the society. They are Americans; definitely, they belong in the upper class of the developed country. Their fashion statement divulges those crafted verdicts. Their physical appearances support the judgments. The men are wearing coat and tie and the women possess jewelries, indications that they belong to the well-to-do class.   The featured pictures bestow the core idea of Entwistle’s theory that the way people act has something to do with their status in the social realm, that the way they wear and choose particular clothing illustrates the culture and class that they belong to. However, taken into consideration the era of the modern world, it is now hard to discern and to judge a person as to where status he or she belongs, whether he or she is from the upper, lower or working class in the society. Take a look at figure 4. Figure 4. â€Å"Poor People Modeling Obscenely Expensive Clothes† According to Jennifer Romolini, staff of Shine, â€Å"poor people [are] modeling obscenely expensive clothes!† That is the most recent Vogue India’s August issue controversy in 2008. The picture portrays a toothless, barefoot man, who is most likely living on about $1.25 a day, carrying an umbrella that is worth $200. The woman is carrying $10,000 Birkin bag and the children has $100 Fendi bibs (2008). The ordinary Indians who serve as paragons reveal â€Å"the power of fashion. It is no longer rich man’s privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful† (quoted Romolini, 2008). That very idea supports the second statement of Entwistle’s theory which states that, â€Å"The clothes we choose to wear represent a compromise between the demands of the social world, the milieu in which we belong, and our own individual desires.† Because nowadays, people, regardless if they are rich or poor, already abide with the trend so they cooperate with the demands of the social realm and they satisfy their desire by wearing and buying branded clothes, personal adornments and jewelries. Fashion statement in the course of history has helped in the identity construction, cultural representation and status depiction. Our clothes speak of who we are and what we are. It mirrors our economic conditions and personal desires and aspirations. However, status in the society does not have to be judged just by the clothes we wear because most of us go with the fad. Everything is just a matter of choice because there are also rich people who are not accustomed to buy branded clothes or what is trendy because there are some who believe that fashion is an expression of one’s self, not just a mere reflection of culture, social and economic condition that we belong. Reference Romolini, R. (2008, September 3). Poor People Modeling Obscenely Expensive Clothes: The Latest Vogue Controversy. Shine. Retrieved January 29, 2009, from http://astrology.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/poor-people-modeling-obscenely-expensive-clothes-the-latest-vogue-controversy-249716/.

Mother Earth Essay

Nowadays, people struggle a lot to return back what I lost. They do fun runs to raise fund for tree planting, make placards to disseminate campaigns and fine hard headed people for loitering around. I can now hardly breathe. Greenhouses gasses inside my body gradually increases as they are being trapped due to human activities that added more and more of these gases into my atmosphere. For example, levels of carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, have risen by 35 percent since 1750, largely from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. With more greenhouse gases in the mix, my atmosphere acts like a thickening blanket and traps more heat. My insides are becoming thinner, well of course due to human doings. Erosion is supposed to be a natural phenomenon but being accelerated by human activities, like urbanizations and poor agricultural practices. Without human activities, losses of soil through erosion would in most areas probably be balanced by the formation of new soil. In my virgin land a mantle of vegetation protects the soil. When rain falls on a surface of grass or on the leaves of my trees, some of the moisture evaporates before it can reach the ground. Trees and grass serve as windbreaks, and a network of roots helps to hold the soil in place against the action of both rain and wind. Agriculture and lumbering, as well as housing, industrial development, and highway construction, however, partially or wholly destroy the protective canopy of my vegetation and greatly speed up erosion of certain kinds of soils. Erosion is less severe with crops such as wheat, which cover the ground evenly, than with crops such as corn and tobacco, grown in rows. I manifest my emotions to people through rain. It is enough to wash out humanity. Its extreme fall causes flood that destroys infrastructures built by human kind. Floods not only damage property and endanger the lives of humans and animals, but have other effects as well. Rapid runoff causes soil erosion as well as sediment deposition problems downstream. Spawning grounds  for fish and other wildlife habitat are often destroyed. High-velocity currents increase flood damage; prolonged high floods delay traffic and interfere with drainage and economic use of lands. Bridge abutments, bank lines, sewer outfalls, and other structures within floodways are damaged, and navigation and hydroelectric power are often impaired. Financial losses due to floods are commonly millions of pesos each year. There is still hope for me. All they need to do is to restore what they have taken from me. Reverse all the things that cause my trouble. From deforestation to reforestation. Forests are an important part of the global carbon cycle because trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. By removing this greenhouse gas from the air, forests function as terrestrial carbon sinks, meaning they store large amounts of carbon. At any time, forests account for as much as double the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Even as more anthropogenic carbon is produced, my forests remove around three billion tons of anthropogenic carbon every year. This amounts to about 30% of all carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Therefore, an increase in the overall forest cover around the world would tend to mitigate global warming. As students, they can do small things that can contribute to help me in my current state. You can avoid throwing candy wrappers, plastics of junk foods and anything that can cause flood when accumulated. You can join tree planting activities done by your schools. One tree equals one life when it grows. That’s a big thing for the future. People please stop what you are doing that destroys my environment especially mountains that when I cry out heavy rain it can cause floods that can destruct your shelters, works, and can also kill some of your loved ones. I would like you to care for me and help me to become stronger for you, your children and the next generations from your family. I will take care of them as long as you care for me.

Describing Gearing and Its Importance in Capital Structure of a Company

A company with low gearing is one that is mainly being funded or financed by share capital (equity) and reserves, whilst the one with a high gearing is mainly funded by loan capital. Now the question to address is which of the two (equity and debt) is cheaper to the company? The answer is that cost of debt is cheaper than cost of equity. This is because debt is less risky than equity and the tax advantage of debt over equity as discussed below: Risk: debt is less risky than equity because: the required return needed to compensate the debt investors is less than the required return needed to compensate the equity investors; †¢the payment of interest is often a fixed amount and compulsory in nature and it is paid in priority to the payment of dividends; †¢in the event of a liquidation, debt holders would receive their capital repayment before shareholders as they are higher in the creditor hierarchy (the order in which creditors get repaid), as shareholders are paid out last. Corporate tax advantage: in the income statement, interest (on debt) is subtracted before the tax is calculated; thus, companies get tax relief on interest.However, dividends (on equity) are subtracted after the tax is calculated; therefore, companies do not get any tax relief on dividends. From the above discussion, we can observe that debt is cheaper than equity when financing a company. However, there are implications of pursing high gearing rather than low gearing. Watzon and Head (2007) described the following as implications of high gearing: Increased volatility of equity returns: the higher a company’s level of gearing, the more sensitive its profitability and earnings are to changes in interest rates.The company’s profit and distributable earnings will be at risk from increases in the interest rate. This risk will be borne by shareholders as the company may have to reduce dividend payments in order to meet its interest payment as they fall due. This kind of ri sk is referred to as financial risk. The more debt the company has in its capital structure, the higher will be its financial risk. Increased possibility of bankruptcy: at very high levels of gearing, shareholders will start to face bankruptcy risk.This is defined as the risk of a company failing to meet its interest payments commitment and hence putting the company into liquidation. This is because interest payment may become unsustainable if profits decrease or interest payments on variable rate debt increase. Reduced credibility on the stock exchange: at a very high level of gearing, investors will be reluctant to buy the company’s shares or to offer further debt. The encouragement of short-termist behaviour: in order to prevent bankruptcy, managers may focus on the short-term need to meet interest payment rather than long term objective of wealth maximisation.Effects of capital gearing upon WACC, company value and shareholder wealth The capital structure of a company refe rs to the mixture of equity and debt finance used by the company to finance its assets. Some companies could be all-equity-financed and have no debt at all, whilst others could have low levels of equity and high levels of debt. The decision on what mixture of equity and debt capital to have is called the financing decision. The financing decision has a direct effect on the weighted average cost of capital (WACC).The weighted-average cost of capital (WACC) represents the overall cost of capital for a company, incorporating the costs of equity, debt and preference share capital, weighted according to the proportion of each source of finance within the business (Cornelius, 2002). The weightings are in proportion to the market values of equity and debt; therefore, as the proportions of equity and debt vary so will the WACC. Therefore the first major point to understand is that, as a company changes its capital structure (i. . varies the mixture of equity and debt finance), it will autom atically result in a change in its WACC. It is important to note that the financing decision (i. e. altering the capital structure) affects the overall objective of maximizing shareholder wealth. This is based on the ground that wealth is the present value of future cash flows discounted at the investor’s required return. The market value of a company is equal to the present value of its future cash flows discounted by its WACC.It is fundamental to note that the lower the WACC, the higher the market value of the company, and vice versa. Therefore, a change in the capital structure to lower the WACC can then increase the market value of the company and thus increase shareholder wealth. As a result, the search for optimal capital structure becomes the search for the lowest WACC, because when the WACC is minimized, the value of the company and shareholder wealth is maximized. Hence, it is the responsibility of finance managers to find the optimal capital structure that will resu lt in the lowest WACC.

Resource Based View Essay

The mid-eighties witnessed the emergence of a growing body of work collectively labelled the resource and capability-based view of the firm (RBV). In reality, Resource Competence View (RCV) first adopted an â€Å"economic† orientation. Pioneer studies (Wernerfelt, 1984) , Barney, 1986, 1991, Dierickx and Cool, 1989, Peteraf, 1993) focused on the type of resources and competencies that could offer to its owner a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, resources and competencies approach first appeared as a theory of competitive advantage or a theory of â€Å"performance of the firm† (Argyres & Zenger, 2007). It is only recently, in the last 20 years that organizations have started using the resource based view approach on strategy. Nowadays, they view it as the most important key development in international business research and strategic management, an approach that gives a coherent vision based on a firm’s capabilities to help determine the strategic reso urces necessary for the firm’s survival and growth within a particular market place. As Hitt et al (2001) stated, â€Å"the resource based model assumes that each organization is a collection of unique resources and capabilities that provides the basis for its strategy and that is the primary source of return.†. It suggests that in order for a firm to sustain competitive advantage, it must not only have resources and capabilities but also have a firm control over it and they must meet certain basic criteria such as being: valuable, rare, inimitable and non substitutable such that it is impossible to be copied or replicated (VRIN). Although a resource based view strategy sounds like the better way to go, others have wondered if this approach is at all necessary or bring any more insight than the traditional understandings into a successful strategy to survive and thrive into a competitive market, strategy that will allow the firm to have a good competitive advantage. In this review, we aim to elucidate the concepts behind the resource based view strategy and its use by managers. Furthermore, we aim to elaborate on its advantages but also disadvantages moving on to a critical analysis of this emerging approach to strategy and competitive advantage from the point of view of well known authors such as M. Porter (1980,1985) who believes that external factors mainly contribute to a firm’s competitive advantage and Jay Barney (1991)  who criticizes the narrow approach of a resource based view on competitive advantage, mainly the homogeneity it gives to firms resources. RESOURCE BASED VIEW : A CRITIQUE The RBV has emerged after the industrial work of Michael Porter and Rick Perry , who stated that companies must achieve a competitive advantage based on external factors. In fact, the RBV suggests that differences in profitability between firms in the same sector are much more important than inter sector profitability differences which was its founding idea. The resource-based view (RBV) has become one of the most influential and cited theories in the history of management theorizing. It aspires to explain the internal sources of a firm’s sustained competitive advantage (SCA). Its central proposition is that if a firm is to achieve a state of SCA, it must acquire and control valuable, rare, inimitable, and non substitutable (VRIN) resources and capabilities, plus have the organization (O) in a place that can absorb and apply them (Barney, 1991a, 1994, 2002). This proposition is shared by several related analyses: core competences (Hamel & Prahalad, 1994), dynamic capabilities (Helfat & Peteraf, 2003; Teece, Pisano, & Shuen, 1997), and the knowledge-based view (Grant, 1996b). Given its elegant simplicity and its immediate face validity, the RBV’s core message is appealing, easily grasped, and easily taught. 1 FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW :Models based on resources and skills, Resource Based View and Competence Based View The resources and competences are expressed through certain knowledge (know-how , know-machine ,distribute knowledge) Resources are defines as assets owned or controlled permanently by the firm to develop and implement its strategy. There are six types: Financial Resources : CAF, debt ratio, volume TR ; Human Resources : number of employees, qualification, experience,intelligence ; Physical resources : production sites and their geographical location, land,stocks ; Organizational Resources : information systems, ISO standards,  procedures,coordination mechanisms ; Technological resources : know-how, patents ; Reputational Resources : brand, reputation ; The approach based on the resources considers that the company more than the industry, constitutes the relevant level of analysis to explain the performance (Barney, 1991; Rumelt, 1984; Wernerfelt, 1984). The organization is rehabilitated as an actor ; the firms are able to accumulate resources and competences which are transformed into advantage on the competitors if they are rare, creative of value, non-substitutable and difficult to imitate (Barney, 1991; Dierickx and Cool, 1989) see figure 1. 5 tests to assess the strategic value of competencies: Figure 1. Barney J.B. (1991), Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management, vol. 17, pp.99-120 The firm is not designed any more like a wallet of products or markets, but like a wallet of resources. It is not the customer requirements who determines the strategy, but the resources and competencies which the company possess : the competing advantage is to be sought in-house (See Table 1). Competencies indicate the organizational capacity to deploy the resources in the form of combination to achieve a goal, which implies the idea of a training by combining several resources. 2 A CRITIQUE OF THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW APPROACH The Resource based view approach has been subject to several critiques ,some of which suggest that it is a very limited model , very hard to apply and its variables cannot be clarified. All of these critiques could be faced with more explanations of the (RBV)’s variables,boundaries,and applicability. On the other hand, some critiques are threatening the (RBV) model, these critiques are concerned with the limitations of the defining two concepts of the (RBV) model which are : resources and value which entail some problems and affecting the explanations of a firm’s competitive advantage. These critiques could be categorized as follow : Studies argue that (VRIN) criteria is not essential to the understanding of SCA as (Kraaijenbrink et al) (2010) mention (Foss and Knudsin) (2003) arguing that it’s mainly uncertainty is one of the basics to achieve SCA , Furthermore, stating that other conditions simply additional . These comments suggest ‘ fundamental disagreement about the nature of markets , individuals , and resources and the roles these play in generating SCA (Kraaijenbrink et al, 2010). Individual’s, entrepreneurs, and manager’s judgement and models are not sufficiently recognized by the (RBV) to the critique which argues that the (RBV) limits the entrepreneurial and managerial skills. This critique outlines the importance of a firm’s environment whilst arguing that (RBV) is mostly focused inward and dismisses the external environment which is important for assessing the main strength and weaknesses of an organization , which essentially leads to achieving competitive advantage ; it also leads to the issue of value creation , and environmental assessment , internally and externally , are essential to value creation and strategic positioning. Connor (2002) argues that the (RBV) is limited to large firms (with significant market power) , furthermore, SME’s cannot be sometimes assessed by their resources when it comes to SCA resulting in their fallout of the (RBV) . Finally , adding that (RBV) applicability can , in most cases, relate to firms pursuing SCA. 1 PORTER’S FIVE FORCES (P5F) AND RBV On one hand, the RBV model supports the idea that a firm can sustain competitive advantage by having highly superior resources and these  resources are represented in the VRIN criteria . In other words, sustaining a competitive advantage depends on the ability to integrate a group of extreme resources to provide the firm with its leading position . According to Barney (1991,1994,2002) â€Å"RBV central proposition is that a firm is to achieve a state of SCA , it must acquire and control valuable, rare, inimitable,and non-substitutable (VRIN) resources and capabilities , plus have the organization (O) in place that can absorb and apply them† , which would lead the firm to earn a massive surplus. On the other hand, Micheal Porter believes that for a firm to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage it has to focus on its external environments, have a strategic positioning in its industry or intended industry and this strategic positioning is guided by five industry-level for ces namely; Entry barriers, Buyers bargaining power, Suppliers bargaining power, Threats of substitutes and Rivalry among existing industry. He specifies that finding a strategic fit within an industry gives a firm an edge over its rivals and can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage. A company can outperform rivals only if it can establish a difference that it can preserve (Porter, 2000) and how can you establish this difference? By deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value e.g. Southwest Airlines, IKEA. However, It is clearly noticed that one of the big differences between both models (Resource based view and Porter’s five forces) is that they differ in the approach used. The RBV focus only on the firm’s resources but the P5F model is based on the industry itself. Another similarity between both views are the description of resources in the RBV that it’s inimitable matching the concept of threat of new entrants in P5F . Also the threat of substitute in the P5F model sounds similar to the attributive of resources that it is non-substitutable in the RBV. Both models put the concept of earning superior profits as an objective of any firm, similarly both agree that the way to achieve that surplus is by sustaining competitive advantage , but when it comes to how to sustain this competitive advantage they differ ; P5F SCA by gaining a high profit on the long-term , contrarily the RBV considers SCA by preventing rivals or competitors to acquire the same advantage . At some point, both RBV and P5F may look contradictory , in reality both complement each other when integrated . 2 JAY BARNEY AND RBV According to Barney,Mcwilliams & Turk (1989) it is stated that a sustained competitive advantage has been defined as to be an advantage obtained as a result of a firm’s strategy not being implemented by other firms as well but that cannot be replicated but point out the fact that it does not refer to â€Å"how long† that advantage is in fact sustained. Porter (1985) and Rumelt (1984) said that the basis for sustaining a competitive advantage in the market is to understand its sources. Porter mostly believes that focusing solely on external factors (opportunities, threats of new intrants,etc†¦) gives a firm better chances of reaching a sustained competitive advantage. For Barney (1991), the basis to sustaining a competitve advantage is by formulating a strategy that is based on internal strenghts but acquired through responding to external factors such that there is synergy between internal and external factors and thus heterogeinity and immobility to the firmâ€⠄¢s resources (Barney & Hoskisson, 1989). He argues that a firm simply cannot rely on the even distribution of its resources (same strategic capabilities, human and organizational capital (Barney,1991)) throughout the organization (focus that gives homogeinity and mobility of resources) to achieve a sustained competitive advantage as any other firm with the same resources can have the same competitive advantage in the market. Also, efficiency and effectiveness can be improved to the same extend and therefore the competitive advantage cannot be described as â€Å"sustained† (Barney,1991). However, it can be argued that an homogenous and mobile set of resources can also lead a sustained competitive advantage on a â€Å"first come, first served† basis where the firm that has access to distribution channels, develop good will customers and a positive reputation first gains a sustained competitive advantage as they would have established themselves before other firms had a chance to do so. Barney (1986) also highlights the concept of â€Å"Strategic Factor Market.† He explained that according to the strategy, strategic factor market in which the company must draw differ. For example, for an innovation strategy, the factor to consider may be the competence in research and development. He added that if the strategic factor market is not perfect, it will not be possible for a firm to extract superior economic performance. Barney is therefore concerned with allowing  the firm to distinguish themselves from others, and it sets up the theory of competitive advantage â€Å"sustainable†. This type of benefit resulting resources respecting the criterion called â€Å"VRIN† (resources must be: valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and imperfectly substitutable to provide the firm a sustainable competitive advantage). 3 ISSUES FOR PRACTICING MANAGERS IN ADOPTING THE RBV APPROACH Having looked at the critique of the RBV one can undoubtedly say that practicing managers may encounter some issues in adopting this approach. The RBV is a very complex approach. Thus to attain or maintain a competitive advantage managers must often and extensively simplify (Russo & Schoemake, 1989). Managers are often faced with the challenges of identifying, developing, protecting and deploying of firm’s resources and capabilities such that they can gain a sustainable competitive advantage over rivals. What are the criteria for identifying? Often times they ask what resources or capabilities do we have that rivals do not have or cannot immediately imitate and how can we achieve a sustainable competitive advantage with it. They run the risk of retaliation from rival firms which can render their competitive advantage static or useless as it is sometimes impossible for them to know the level or worth of their rivals resources or capabilities. What capabilities to develop, what resources to deploy are issues which can result to intra organizational conflicts among various departments in the firm. In adopting the RBV approach managers are likely to face a considerable uncertainty and ambiguity arising from shifts in buyers’ preference or taste, social values, economic and political trends, recent/ upcoming technologies, rivalry in the industry (competitive actions) etc†¦ (strategic management Journal Vol 14,1993). CONCLUSION REFERENCES Barney, J.B. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, journal of management 17:99-120. Barney, J.B. McWilliams,A. , Turk,T. 1989. On the relevance of the concept of entry barriers in the theory of competitive strategy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the strategic managemt society, San Francisco. Lieberman,M.B, & Montgomery, D.B. 1998. First mover advantages, Strategic management journal, 9:41-58. Porter,M. 1980. Competitive strategy. New York. Free Press. Porter, M. 1985. Competitive advantage. New York. Free Press. Porter,M. 2000. What is Strategy? Harvard Business Review. Rumelt,R. 1984. Towards a strategic theory of the firm. In R. Lamb (Ed.), Competitive strategic management: 556-570. Englewoods Cliffs, NJ : Prentice-Hall. Wernerfelt, B. 1984. A resource based view of the firm. Strategic management Journal. 5:171-180.