Latino Civil Rights in School

Latino Civil Rights in Schools One area in American society in which racial groups were separated was in school. Segregation of races and schools were common through the late 1940’s, until a Puerto-Rican Mexican family took action. Through this area the common race that known during this time where you were both classified as white or black and therefore left Hispanics unclassified. Depending where you lived according to McCormick, J. and Ayala, C. 2007) describes Felicita Mendez a Puerto Rican woman’s experience, â€Å"she belonged to a group that was racialized in Arizona as black, in California as Mexican, and now in court, her children figured as white. † In this situation her children not allowed to enter a white school called Westminster Elementary. Felicita did not want to enroll her children into a Mexican school because they lack resources and only did vocational training as she wanted a better future for her children, because she knew that education wil l give her children opportunities. She and her husband decided to take action so they followed lawsuit, along with four other Mexican families against Westminster County. During their struggle the law was against them saying that their reasons for segregation of Mexicans school were due to language. â€Å"The ruling was sustained at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on April 14, 1947, in a unanimous 7–0 decision. † (McCormick, J. and Ayala, C. , 2007). This was a tremendous decision that had great impact towards creating integration for Mexicans as well as Indians, and Asians in schools. Shortly after the victory, the legislation passed the Assembly Bill of 1375 in California which eliminates segregation of these races. The bill was signed into law on June 14, 1947. Other states such as Arizona then followed, and it led to other cases which completely terminated legal segregation in schools in the United States in 1954. It took some effort and some years to finally integrate whites with other races in schools. Such effort had its accomplishments, however it took various years for the majority of people to get used the fact that we are human beings and therefore all created equal. We still encounter racism unfortunately but not in the same fashion or numbers as we encountered 50 years ago. As the future approaches us in many years to come we are all going to be integrated as one race of a human being, hopefully making this world a much better place. References McCormick, J. and Ayala, C. (2007). Felicita â€Å"La Prieta† Mendez (1916–1998) and the end of Latino school segregation in California. Retrieved from http://content. ebscohost. com. wf2dnvr2. webfeat. org/pdf19_22/pdf/2007/GWW/01Oct07/28320951. pdf? T=P&P=AN&K=28320951&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50SeqK44y9f3OLCmr0mep7ZSs6q4TbSWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGvtEyvrbVLuePfgeyx44Hy7fEA

Mazda Case, Advertisment And Promotion

1. Analyze the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protà ©gà © and MAZDA6. How is each IMC element used to market automobiles? The role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protà ©gà © and MAZDA6 had a major impact of Mazda as a company. For each car (model), they made an exhaustive market research, they studied what were the best channels to deliver a message and what was the market looking for.Establishing market objectives that Mazda wanted was to increase their sales by repositioning the Protà ©gà © model and the brand as a whole, giving it a new younger look. Mazda targeted people around 20-30, who wanted something hip, fun and new but at the same time reliable and affordable. When they launch the Mazda6 the campaign targeted a different market because it was a new model. They wanted people that were different from the other car models that they had in the market, a person that was looking for luxury and comfort.The Integrated Marketing Communications plan for the protà ©gà © tried to position it as a car for the youth, playful and hip, something different for the market, the other brands were not considering the needs of young women. Mazda tried to market the Mazda6 as a refined, sporty car, for a more mature audience who were looking for luxury. The marketing mix was strategy, which promoted the car in all the channels the target market most likely visit.Evaluation of the campaign: after proving the campaign of the protà ©gà © they made some adjustments to the IMC plan, developing a stronger campaign and finding in the way the motto of the whole brand, Zoom-Zoom. 2. Evaluate Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get in. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protà ©gà © and adopt the ‘Zoom-Zoom† theme for its advertising. Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get In. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protegà © and adop t the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† theme for its advertising was a great idea. It made it easier to identify with the brand. Customers could not identify with the â€Å"Get In.Be Moved† when Mazda rolled out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† them. They could not use both ads because it was sending two different messages to their customers. When Mazda first came out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† ad it was just for one car model. We think it was a great idea that they made it unison across the line for all their car brands. Once someone here the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† they could identify with the brand. 3. Evaluate the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan. Do you agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6?MAZDA6 was thought as one of the most important launches in Mazda’s history. It competes the mid-size segment of automobile market where most cars sell for around $25,000. MAZDA6’s target custom er in this segment is a mid-30s car enthusiast, although not to the extreme, who lives an active lifestyle. The advertising strategy used by Mazda Company should focus on those target customers. From the positive side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that it departed from the approach used for the Protà ©gà ©, as it involved what the company describes as a â€Å"more mature† effort.The strategy used by Mazda for the MAZDA6 utilized a heavily integrated communications program. Print advertising accounted for 12 percent of the overall budget with ads being run in â€Å"enthusiast† magazines as well as in lifestyle magazines and newspapers. However, from the negative side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that the advertising failed to highlight the difference between MAZDA6 and the sedans under other brand such as Honda. Customers may have knowledge about the MAZDA6 are less mature than the Protà ©gà ©.From their advertising, it will let customer s feel unsure about both the Protà ©gà © and MAZDA6, if the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† line showed up in the campaigns. Also, the advertising has broadly printed. The advertising is not precise enough on MAZDA6’s target customers, if the advertising was used on ESPN. The target customer of ESPN may conflict with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. In all, the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan was unable to fully satisfy with its mission. I do not agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6.First of all, the new MAZDA6 is sports sedan. Both MAZDA6 and Protà ©gà © are highly similar to each other in performance. Meanwhile, compared with MAZDA6’s competitors, the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6 is almost the same to others. The MAZDA6 is difficult to be recognized by customers. Also, the MAZDA6’s target customers a re the mid-30s. This mid-30s generally consists of mature and playful. If the decision is about using a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6, its target customers  may be mid-40s instead of mid-30s.Therefore, I do not agree with the current decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. 4. What recommendations would you make to Mazda regarding its integrated marketing communications strategy as the company moves forward? If I had to give some recommendations at Mazda’s people about the marketing communication strategy they need to follow, I could given to them the below suggestions: Mazda needs to be focused individual to everyone target group that they want to be addressed.Every car is not for everyone, so they need to use different ways to attract different group of people. Mazda need to separate the marketing plans, depending the average wage of the consumers, the age, the sex, the lifestyle, and the country that they want to sell a model or the season. Mazda needs to be part of the people’s life. The only way to achieve that is to try hard to promote its product as much they can with no stop for long time. Mazda’s people need to use the TV commercial and the ads to play in the screen hours that the consumers are home and can watch them.They need to use social media via Internet and â€Å"share† their products online. In our days the majority of the people, it doesn’t matter the age use the Internet and they affected from that. Also, they can use blogs online to express new ideas about their models or to ask about people opinion. Furthermore, Mazda can inform the old customers or people who haven’t tried yet the experience of this brand with newsletters at their homes, about news from the car market and specific for the Mazda Company.To continue with, Mazda can try to â€Å"invite† people who used in the past Mazda or new customers for seminars and talk to them about new models and new technology. Also, they can give them the chance for test drive in new cars with no any cost. The secret of the successful marketing communication strategy is the motivation and the trust that you can transfer to the consumers inside your promotion and your advertisement. That is not easy and takes time and need a lot of patient from Mazda to achieve this goal. Mazda Case, Advertisment And Promotion Analyze the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protege and MAZDA6. How is each IMC element used to market automobiles? The role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protege and MAZDA6 had a major impact of Mazda as a company. For each car (model), they made an exhaustive market research, they studied what were the best channels to deliver a message and what was the market looking for.Establishing market objectives that Mazda wanted was to increase their sales by repositioning the Protege model and the brand as a whole, giving it a new younger look. Mazda targeted people around 20-30, who wanted something hip, fun and new but at the same time reliable and affordable. When they launch the Mazda6 the campaign targeted a different market because it was a new model. They wanted people that were different from the other car models that they had in the market, a person that was loo king for luxury and comfort.The Integrated Marketing Communications plan for the protege tried to position it as a car for the youth, playful and hip, something different for the market, the other brands were not considering the needs of young women. Mazda tried to market the Mazda6 as a refined, sporty car, for a more mature audience who were looking for luxury. The marketing mix was strategy, which promoted the car in all the channels the target market most likely visit.Evaluation of the campaign: after proving the campaign of the protege they made some adjustments to the IMC plan, developing a stronger campaign and finding in the way the motto of the whole brand, Zoom-Zoom. 2. Evaluate Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get in. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protege and adopt the ‘Zoom-Zoom† theme for its advertising. Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get In. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protege and adopt the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† theme for it s advertising was a great idea. It made it easier to identify with the brand.Customers could not identify with the â€Å"Get In.  Be Moved† when Mazda rolled out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† them. They could not use both ads because it was sending two different messages to their customers. When Mazda first came out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† ad it was just for one car model. We think it was a great idea that they made it unison across the line for all their car brands. Once someone here the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† they could identify with the brand. 3. Evaluate the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan. Do you agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6MAZDA6 was thought as one of the most important launches in Mazda’s history. It competes the mid-size segment of automobile market where most cars sell for around $25,000. MAZDA6’s target customer in this segment is a mid-30s car enth usiast, although not to the extreme, who lives an active lifestyle. The advertising strategy used by Mazda Company should focus on those target customers. From the positive side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that it departed from the approach used for the Protege, as it involved what the company describes as a â€Å"more mature† effort.The strategy used by Mazda for the MAZDA6 utilized a heavily integrated communications program. Print advertising accounted for 12 percent of the overall budget with ads being run in â€Å"enthusiast† magazines as well as in lifestyle magazines and newspapers. However, from the negative side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that the advertising failed to highlight the difference between MAZDA6 and the sedans under other brand such as Honda. Customers may have knowledge about the MAZDA6 are less mature than the Protege.From their advertising, it will let customers feel unsure about both the Protege and MAZDA6, if the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† line showed up in the campaigns. Also, the advertising has broadly printed. The advertising is not precise enough on MAZDA6’s target customers, if the advertising was used on ESPN. The target customer of ESPN may conflict with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. In all, the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan was unable to fully satisfy with its mission. I do not agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6.First of all, the new MAZDA6 is sports sedan. Both MAZDA6 and Protege are highly similar to each other in performance. Meanwhile, compared with MAZDA6’s competitors, the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6 is almost the same to others. The MAZDA6 is difficult to be recognized by customers. Also, the MAZDA6’s target customers are the mid-30s. This mid-30s generally consists of mature and pl ayful.If the decision is about using a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6, its target customers  may be mid-40s instead of mid-30s. Therefore, I do not agree with the current decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. 4. What recommendations would you make to Mazda regarding its integrated marketing communications strategy as the company moves forward? If I had to give some recommendations at Mazda’s people about the marketing communication strategy they need to follow, I could given to them the below suggestions: Mazda needs to be focused individual to everyone target group that they want to be addressed.Every car is not for everyone, so they need to use different ways to attract different group of people. Mazda need to separate the marketing plans, depending the average wage of the consumers, the age, the sex, the lifestyle, and the country that they want to sell a model or the season. Mazda needs to be part of the peopleâ₠¬â„¢s life. The only way to achieve that is to try hard to promote its product as much they can with no stop for long time. Mazda’s people need to use the TV commercial and the ads to play in the screen hours that the consumers are home and can watch them.They need to use social media via Internet and â€Å"share† their products online. In our days the majority of the people, it doesn’t matter the age use the Internet and they affected from that. Also, they can use blogs online to express new ideas about their models or to ask about people opinion. Furthermore, Mazda can inform the old customers or people who haven’t tried yet the experience of this brand with newsletters at their homes, about news from the car market and specific for the Mazda Company.To continue with, Mazda can try to â€Å"invite† people who used in the past Mazda or new customers for seminars and talk to them about new models and new technology. Also, they can give them the cha nce for test drive in new cars with no any cost. The secret of the successful marketing communication strategy is the motivation and the trust that you can transfer to the consumers inside your promotion and your advertisement. That is not easy and takes time and need a lot of patient from Mazda to achieve this goal.

Critiquing and changing the world through critical theory in traditional and critical theory an essay by max horkheimer Essay

Critical theory is directed towards both critiquing and changing the world, instead of merely explaining and interpreting it. The term critical theory  was coined by Max Horkheimer in his essay â€Å"Traditional and Critical Theory† (1937). By nature, it is radical, emancipatory and highly democratic in nature; historically specific but ever-changing. Even preceding Horkheimer, Karl Marx also contributed to critical theory affirming that â€Å"philosophers have only interpreted the world in certain ways; the point is to change it† (Theses on Feuerbach). Ontologically, the nature of the world is intrinsically one with diametrically opposed dichotomies of power and built-in disadvantaging imbalances and covert, oppressive structures. Horkeimer affirms that critical theory’s primary objective is â€Å"to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them† (Horkheimer 1982, 244). Freedom is derived at the epistemic level for knowledge is power (a rming the oppressed with weapons to conduct revolution against dominant orders of society, merging theory and action, instigating change in living conditions merges theory and action and align itself to working against diverse dominant orders of society).   It appreciates the lived experiences of people and interprets actions and symbols of society to understand social oppression. Methodologically, critical theory is pluralistic especially as a result of several socio-economic and political shifts brought about by globalisation. Consequently, several genres of critical theory have emerged, for example racial, post-colonial and feminist. Feminism is any socio-economic, political and cultural movement aimed at reforming society through equal rights and protections on behalf of the woman. Mainstream feminism embraces the legality of the woman as an independent individual, promoting full participation, inclusion and integration to enjoy its rights, responsibilities and privileges. The improvement of the woman’s social condition in civil life hinges on progressivism in where public policies are the catalysts for positive social change and where she would be emancipated and empowered. Feminism is convinced of the positive potential of woman and the benefits which would redound to the larger society through her empowerment. â€Å"Feminism is about the social transformation of gender relations† (Calas 2009). Feminism is virulently opposed to female subjugation, subservience and misogynist injustices – setting about to liberate the woman from inhibiting traditions and status quos that tend to undermine the validation of her personhood.   Generally, feminists support gender equality where both sexes can avail themselves of the same opportunities in both the domestic and public realms. No longer is a woman an inferior or weaker sex. She is an equal. Feminism also perceives the world through gendered lenses, discerns male predominance through patriarchal structures and militates against it. An inexhaustible list of variations exists within feminism, for example liberal feminism clamours for women’s equality, public rights and inclusion in decision-making and discourse. Radical feminism demands a complete and fundamental restructuring and redefining of the world’s institutions, systems and human experience to supersede the male-oriented ones. Marxist feminism concentrates on capitalism as the root cause of female oppression especially in the labour market where men possess more capital and economic privilege. Eco-feminism, Separatist feminism, Post-modern feminism, Third-world feminism, Psychoanalytic feminism, Postcolonial feminism and Amazon feminism among others constitute other types of feminism. Battle of the Sexes (Feminism vs. Machoism) The polarization of men and women forms part and parcel in the perpetual battle of the sexes – preoccupied with who should be more privileged in society’s assigned gender roles. The battle of the sexes is predicated on female identity, autonomy, oppression, disempowerment which all reflects the†¦.Feminism frames a discourse that attempts to challenge a longstanding male supremacy. In the past, man held a monopoly over discourse because of unequal structures (domestic/family, business, labour, education, religion and government) which dictated to the woman. In feminist critical theory, â€Å"universal criteria are not value-free, but (based) upon male norms† (May 2001). Owing to male preponderance, discourse would position the male at the centre so that one sees the male â€Å"Self† as the one who prevails whereas the female â€Å"Other† is relegated to the fringes of society. In the battle, machoism seeks to continue the promulgation of a male- based perspective in ideas, structures, and institutions that cement his control in society. The masculine voice overpowers and represses the woman. Consequently, â€Å"the answer is †¦ to move away from (the) male-centred perspective and place women at its centre† (May 2001) effectively questioning the legitimacy of and ousting patriarchal tradition. A Gendered View Feminist theory concentrates on the trajectories of women growing to assert themselves and rise above male oppression, inferiority, sexual abuse and gendered stereotyping. Like men, women have the right to autonomy so she must break the yoke of oppression, repression and suppression. Critical theory is hinged on the ideals of the woman as one who has been unduly victimized and oppressed by the patriarchy. This gender-centred philosophy contends with deep-rooted, sexist prejudice against the woman. It presupposes that phallocentric sexism is still in wide currency, discriminating and denying equality to the woman. Legitimized patriarchy in a world system permitted gross inhumanities and injustices to flourish against the woman, termed misogyny. Misogynist practices and policies physically and metaphorically rape the woman of her dignity and personhood. In the face of these indignities, feminists perform critical theory by privileging and empowering the woman. Feminist critical theory pinpoints societal double standards and hypocrisy so that the woman is obliged to abide by different rules inconsistent with fairness. Mainstream critical theory inherently privileges the man while disadvantaging the woman; therefore the feminist discourse stresses the loopholes in the patriarchal discourse that tends to discriminate and disempower the woman.   The double standard code of ethics governs the behaviour of the woman. Even in social research, feminists have succeeded in permeating the topic of double standard research so that â€Å"other forms of sexism in the design of a study may also lead to a double standard in data interpretation† (Eichler1999). Critical theory oriented by feminist principles prompts the question:   is this free from male-dominated standards or double standards: Are both sexes considered and privileged? These questions shed light into the validation of the woman where formerly she has been relegated to inferiority and even anonymity in discourse. Feminism gives birth to female empowerment, yet the discourse often cloaked in anonymity, passivity, obscurity, self-effacement and subjugation Gendered Critical Theory Feminism is committed to â€Å"reducing the unequal power in†¦ relationship† (Acker 1983). It holds that equalising power â€Å"will not be found in some stable orthodoxy but in an evolving dialogue† (DeVault 1999). The â€Å"the idea of objectivity and neutrality in the social sciences (instead)†¦taking the woman’s perspective† (Acker 1983). Despising the â€Å"positivistic objectivity or the reality of the social world as a system of distinct observable variables independent of the knower† (Acker 1983) is another quality of feminist-guided research†¦solidarity with experiences germane to women. Feminism blatantly reject â€Å"such tenets of mainstream social science as the objectivity and separation of researcher from what or whom is researched, the superiority of the researcher as expert† (Small 1995). The attrition of these differences demonstrates a unique equilibrium in social research. Feminism and the Sexual Discourse in I.R. Feminism in I.R. initiates the sexual discourse, boldly tackling topics of sexuality affecting women globally. Rape as a war crime, prostitution and sex slavery, female circumcision, sexual orientation, forms part of the uninhibited dialogue. Feminists aim to uncover the impact of culture on female sexual impressions and expression. In feminist discourse, the woman’s body is not objectified as a sex symbol but is dignified and even deified as it is liberated from social restraint. The politics of sexuality encapsulates various aspects of the woman owing to the links between gender and sexuality, linguistic usage and gender research inherently leaned on cultural interpretations of sex and sexuality†¦ thus the shifts in language and gender (Bucholtz 2004).

Equilibrium and competition in the banking sector Literature review

Equilibrium and competition in the banking sector - Literature review Example Literature speaks of limited equilibrium modelling. General equilibrium, according to researchers depends on various market conditions. Further, level of equilibrium in banking industry depends on competition and financial stability, which depends further on banks’ risk-taking initiatives. Literature review discusses the opinions of various authors on the banking products as trade off between competition and financial stability on different risk choices. Various risk-transferring models are discussed. Role played by bank supervising technologies forms part of various models. New models of bank risk-taking, named partial equilibrium models are analysed. The UK banking sector is statistically reviewed through the Panzar and Rosse model. Literature review attempts various views on banking competition and financial weaknesses through various models to know if any relationship between equilibrium and competition can be established or not. Past Research As stated by Allen and Gale (2004a), the relationship between banking competition and financial health has been majorly discussed in the discourse of limited equilibrium modelling. There are not many general equilibrium models in literature. ... Banking sector can be stated in partial equilibrium if the exchange between competition and financial stability is generally achieved via a standard risk transferring statement practiced on a bank that arranges funds from insured customers and selects the risk of its investment. In such a scenario where market indicates limited liability, sudden risk alternatives, risk-free deposit demand, and stable return to scale in checking, a high in deposit market competition heightens the deposit rate, decreases banks’ anticipated margins and inspires banks to take advances in risk-taking. This conclusion has been derived by Allen and Gale (2000) in both fixed and ordinarily changing scenarios. A number of scholars in literature have supported this predictability in their works, including Keeley (1990), Matutes and Vives (1996), Hellmann, Murdock and Stiglitz (2000), Cordella and Levi-Yeyati (2002), Repullo (2004) among many others. Nevertheless, in the case of competition among banks i n loan and deposit markets, it is loan rate that governs the degree of risk-transfer initiated by companies, as stated by Stiglitz and Weiss (1981). Boyd and De Nicolo (2005) discussed the evaporating trade-off between competition and financial stability when various risk alternatives are analysed by firms. A rise in loan market competition cuts down bank loan rates, strengthening firms’ anticipated profits and prompting them to select secure investments, which gets written into securer bank loan portfolios. Amidst this increasingly conflicted environment, the risk-transferring statement is used on two market units, firms and banks, in stead of a single entity. Latest versions of this kind of model, including bank heterogeneity (De Nicolo and Loukoianova, 2007),

Europe in crisi.Does the crisi create opportunities for the country of Research Paper

Europe in crisi.Does the crisi create opportunities for the country of Ballkan region, specially for Albania - Research Paper Example The fall in the economy of Europe has also affected the economic conditions of the countries of Baltic region especially Albania and the GDP values of these countries have decreased. This report deals with the economy crisis in Europe that is perhaps the most important issue of today’s world. As we know that crisis is an unsteady situation in which too much problem or difficulty is being faced. It is the most crucial or most vital turning point that can lead to many changes. When any crisis takes place then there are chances for the improvement as well. It cannot be said that a crisis can never get resolved. In this paper we are dealing with the economy crisis that has taken place in the European countries in the current time period. This is currently the most thrilling issue that is under discussion everywhere. This crisis has many impacts not only over the European countries but also to many other countries of the globe. This global impact is because the economy of Europe is very powerful economy and there are many countries that used to invest in European countries so these countries are definitely being affected due to this economy crisis. The main is sue that we have to discuss in this paper is the economy crisis in European countries and its affects over the countries of Balkan region. We have especially discussed the affect over Albania. This paper thoroughly discusses that does this crisis providing any opportunities to the economy of countries of Balkan region or not? As Europe is having one of the biggest economies of the world and the economy crisis in Europe is threatening the economic conditions of many other countries of the world. With the economy crisis in Europe the economy of Baltic countries has also decreased which shows that threat to the economy of Europe is also a threat to the economy of Baltic region countries. (Financial crisis

IKEA Warehouse System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

IKEA Warehouse System - Essay Example IKEA furniture are cheap, durable and stylish. Source: The Economist, 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/18229400 From the start, IKEA was perceived as the David of furniture stores who was willing to challenge the Goliaths of furniture dealers, for which reason it concentrated on developing top-quality, low-cost furniture (Elsner, W & Hanappi, 2008). On the other hand, the challenges posed by the group of competitors was much like that of a cartel. The Swedish furniture dealers pressured suppliers not to sell to independent manufacturers to create an artificial shortage of raw materials. They also excluded unaffiliated furniture makers and dealers from their trade fairs. Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, saw social problems in the furniture industry, as well as a business opportunity. He saw that the great majority of people had needs which were not being met as far as the need for beautifully crafted but affordably priced furniture and household items were concerned. At the sam e time, he felt that this exclusion of the masses was not fair nor warranted, and that people of all walks of life are entitled to good furniture (Reichert, 1998, p. 3). ... The house is designed with architecture by IdeaBox, mostly straight lines with little detail. Source: Dornob, http://dornob.com/flat-pack-ikea-house-built-shipped-for-under-100000/?ref=search Kamprad was not a social idealist without a practical agenda. He saw a business opportunity in the fact that a huge market existed which was not being serviced by the existing manufacturers and their contract-bound suppliers and retailers. However, this market had a relatively low price target, therefore if the company intends to realize a profit out of its sales to this market segment then it should be able to maintain its production and distribution costs at a margin below the selling price (The Economist, 2011) Flat-packed IKEA furniture can be carted home at the back of a car without need for incurring delivery costs. The packaging also saved on store and warehouse space. Source: http://earth911.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IKEA-Flat-Pack-300x199.jpg?84cd58 Based on this strategic directio n, the Company developed most of its product designs, supplier relationships, and customer service practices in a way that was intended to minimize production costs and maximize value for the customer. The novel idea was to produce low-cost furniture that were easy to build, and easy for the customer to assemble by himself. The principal innovation that sets IKEA apart is its flat-pack packaging that made IKEA furniture easy and cost-effective to ship, store, sell, and later set up through self-assembly. The cost savings the company realized in terms of saved store space, delivery and labour costs were passed on to the customers in terms of lower prices. In marketing, what the company essentially pioneered in is â€Å"the self-service method of selling† which, aside

Roe v. Wade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Roe v. Wade - Essay Example To begin with, the ruling gave women the permission to have safe abortion on three grounds based on the stage of pregnancy. The ruling stated that during the first trimester of pregnancy, the decision to procure abortion remained with the pregnant woman’s doctor. On the other hand, during the second trimester, states would regulate abortion procedures by promoting their interests in the health of the mother, while during the third trimester, states would promote their interests regarding the potentiality of human life, and would thus be able to prohibit abortion, lest the mother’s life is in grave danger. The ruling had massive implication on the rights of women in the United States. As Nation Unies (2001) observes on their article on Abortion Policies, the right-to-life movement which initially was dormant, got an immediate rejuvenation with the ruling. The movement thereafter began a campaign that whose aim was to create as many legal barriers to abortion as possible. On the other hand, the abortion rights movement mounted a massive campaign for safe and legal abortion. Unah (2010) notes that the Roe v Wade ruling did actually empower the American women. In addition, he notes that it helped fuel feminist movements across the country and significantly helped solidify the social standing of women across America. Furthermore, a number of scholars are of the agreement that banning of abortion would be contradicting the Thirteenth Amendment, and that this would subject women to involuntary pregnancies. The ruling also stirred controversies between those who were pro-abortion and those who were against it. Faux (2001) notes that questions arose regarding the actual intention of the ruling, on why fetus at 28 weeks were considered more valuable than at 10 weeks, if the sole intention was to protect potential life. With the issue of viability still raging, feminists have

Rock-n-roll and the use of drugs in the period between 1955 and 1966 Essay

Rock-n-roll and the use of drugs in the period between 1955 and 1966 - Essay Example As the counterculture began to emerge, however, an associated interest with mind altering drugs began to be a part of the experience. While the era of drug use and free thinking is often thought of as the 1960s, the counterculture began much earlier, stemming from the gravitation of certain individuals to jazz and folk music which was often expressed by those who were calling themselves beatniks and bohemians. The period of time between 1955 and 1966 were pivotal, however, as the course of social change also saw changes in the way in which intellectualism was pursued, leading to the heavier use of drugs during that time period. In 1966, Grace Slick wrote one of the more iconic songs that projected the connection between literacy, rock and roll, and the drug culture. Referencing Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland she wrote â€Å"One pill makes you larger/One pill makes you small/ And the ones that mother gives you/Don’t do anything at all/Go ask Alice/When she’s ten feet tall† (Farber, 2007, p. 62). At the same time, there has been a struggle between embracing the effects of drug use and the consequences of indulging in drugs with too much intensity. Rock and roll lifestyles are both filled with the hedonism of sex and drugs and written to reflect the spiral downward that is taken through the ’looking glass’ when drug abuse takes over one’s life. One of the more famous quotes about drug use and the early years of rock and roll came from David Crosby who said â€Å"if you can remember the 60s, you weren’t there†, intimating the close connection between the use of drugs, forgetfulness during use and the revolutions of the 1960s which included a high level of drug use (Farber, 2007, p. 63). ... 63). Drug abuse and alcoholism as it was connected to musicians did not begin in the 1960s. Where there are high levels of artistic emotions combined with the pressures of success, drug use and alcohol abuse were often involved. However, cultural groups that specifically aligned themselves with the use of drugs was a relatively new phenomenon in the 1950s. The type of groups that were defined by a sort of intellectualism that was following some of the great writers of the time, as well as following paths towards hedonism and self indulgences were ’beatniks’ and ’bohemians’ of the 1950s. The music of jazz and folk music, two genres that helped to form the structures of rock and roll, were a type of music that drew people towards it that often indulged in drug use. According to Weinstein (1999), â€Å"the initial sparks were struck in the 1940s that set the counterculture ablaze with drugs in the 1960s† (p. 169). When Ardous Huxley wrote Doors of Perc eption in 1954, the counterculture was motivated to seek the perfect high, that state in which transcendence had occurred in which the promise of drug use was finally fulfilled. Seeking to fulfill some sort of intellectual imperative, the book written by Huxley gave a framework of understanding about the nature of mind altering drug use and the advantages of what one can learn from having taken mind altering drugs. Huxley (2009) describes what Spanish conquerors saw when they encountered Native Americans. He states â€Å"they eat a root which they call peyote, and which they venerate as though tit was a deity†(p. 9). The book became centering piece of pop culture from which the pursuit of the ultimate spiritual experience was sought after which included high

The Implications of Reconstruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Implications of Reconstruction - Essay Example 562). Reconstruction's biggest failure was the backlash that was created when Northern Republicans attempted to rule the South. The backlash resulted in violent hate groups that disrupted the political system, and the lives of African-Americans for the next 100 years. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were all passed during the era of reconstruction. These important amendments prohibited slavery, guaranteed the freed slaves citizenship, and granted them the right to vote, but were largely unenforceable in the South. However, these amendments would form the foundation for the Civil Rights movement 100 years later. Reconstruction ended when the disputed election of 1876 saw the Republican Rutherford B Hayes gain the presidency, even though the electoral votes were in dispute. In return, Hayes agreed to remove the federal troops from the South and not oppose the newly formed Democratic governments there (Zuczek 171). This spelled an end to Reconstruction and another 100 years of racial violence, segregation, and discrimination. By the late 19th century, African-Americans had still not realized the American dream of liberty and the right to vote, or the constitutional guarantees that came with the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.