Educatinal Views And Ideas Essays - Philippine Culture,

Educatinal Views And Ideas INTRODUCTION Philippines, republic in the western Pacific Ocean, made up of the Philippine Islands and forming in physical geography a part of the Malay Archipelago. Situated about 1210 km (about 750 mi.) east of the coast of Vietnam, the Philippines is separated from Taiwan on the north by the Bashi Channel. The republic is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea, on the south by the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the South China Sea. The country comprises about 7100 islands, of which only about 460 are more than 2.6 sq. km (more than 1 sq. mi.) in area. Eleven islands have an area of more than 2590 sq. km (more than 1000 sq. mi.) each and contain the bulk of the population. These islands are Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Masbate. The total area of the Philippines is about 300,000 sq. km (about 115,830 sq. mi.). Manila is the capital and largest city of the Philippines. This geographical condition of the Philippines made it very accessible and very easy to penetrate by foreign people. THE FILIPINO CHARACTER It may be said that the Filipinos are intelligent, with retentive memory, quick perception, and talents for art and science. They also are gentle, friend] y, and cheerful people, noted for their courtesy and hospitality. Filipinos are famous not only for their warm hospitality, but also for their close family ties. The parents work hard and sacrifice much for their children; in return, the children love and respect them and take good care of them in their old age. Filipinos owing to their beautiful country are passionately romantic. They are ardent in love, as they are fierce in battle. They are born poets, musicians and artists. Filipinos are a liberty-loving and brave people. They valiantly resisted the Spanish, American and Japanese invaders of their native land. They rank among the bravest people of the world. Filipino courage has been proven in the Battle of Mactan (1521), in the Battle of Tirad Pass (1899), in the battle of Bataan, Corregidor, Bessang Pass during World War II, and in many other battlefields. Gratitude is another sterling trait of the Filipinos. They are grateful to those who have granted them favors of who are good to them. Their high sense of gratitude is expressed in the phrase Utang na loob (debt of honor). Filipinos are cooperative. They value the virtue of helping each other and other people. They cherish the ancestral trait of bayanihan, which means cooperation. In rural areas, when a man is building, repairing or transferring a house to another place, the neighbors come to help him. Foreign writers assert that the Filipinos are indolent. In reality they work hard in the face of very adverse conditions. They work on the farms from sunrise to sunset, though not from noon to 3 p.m. due to the scorching heat. They work hard in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations in Hawaii, the fruit orchards of California, the fish canneries of Alaska, and in the oil wells of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Arab countries of the Middle East. Finally, the Filipinos are noted for their durability and resiliency. Through the ages they have met all kinds of calamities--revolts, revolutions, wars, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and epidemics. Unlike the Polynesians of Oceania and the Indians of North Central and South Americas, they did not vanish by contact with the white race. They can assimilate any civilization and thrive in any climate. Against the adversities of life or nature, they merely bend, but never break. They possess the formidable durability of the narra tree and the resiliency of the bamboo. BODY TEXT FILIPINO HISTORY, CULTURE AND HERITAGE EMERGENCE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE: Philippine history has often been described as an amalgam of regional developments and outside influences. Excavations in archeological sites have proven that during prehistoric times, the native Negritos came in contact with Malays and Indonesians who left their ancestral home in Southeast Asia by crossing the seas in their sailboats (balangay), and settled the Philippine archipelago. Inter-racial marriages took place among them and out of these racial mixtures emerged the Filipino people. The early Filipino Malay ancestors brought with them their culture--food and drinks, community life, government and

Gun Control Essays (436 words) - Gun Politics, Firearms, Gun Control

Gun Control Essays (436 words) - Gun Politics, Firearms, Gun Control Gun Control Guns don't kill people; people kill people is more true than gun control advocates admit. Look at the number of murders committed each year without guns. Stabbing deaths occur as often as gun deaths in this area and elsewhere. Would those who favor gun control also call for knife control? Do you think persons intent on murder are not imaginative enough to kill without guns or knives? I recall the 1982 murder of a woman with a sledgehammer by her estranged husband at a nearby shopping center. Watch how quickly the art of poisoning returns should other weapons be outlawed. Prejudice Against Guns Face it: People who want government enforced gun control are prejudiced against guns and gun owners. Having already made up their minds that guns are inherently evil, they reject facts to the contrary. They forget that ordinary citizens own guns primarily for hunting, target shooting, and as collectibles, as well as for self-defense. Worse than being prejudiced, those wanting laws to control gun ownership are dangerous! For the doubtful possibility of saving some innocent lives, they would deny ordinary citizens their right to keep and bear arms. These are the same people who would use the force of government to deny you other human rights as well, which do not fit their ideas about society. That is anti-liberal! Guns for Self-Defense When it comes to self-defense, guns are important to some people, especially women, the poor, and the elderly. Consider how many rapes, muggings, and burglaries are prevented by a potential victim flashing a gun. Even so-called Saturday night specials will frighten criminals away. In fact, these cheap guns are the choice of poor people, who are most likely to be victimized and least able to afford expensive guns for self-defense. The show of any gun can be a deterrent to crime. A recent attempted robbery in a nearby town was foiled when the victim stabbed and shot one of his assailants, scaring off the other two. We can only guess what would have happened to the victim if defense with weapons were not possiblebut he would have been robbed for certain. A Protection from Government Those lobbying for laws to control guns assume the government police will always be benign. There are many formerly free countries that are now dictatorships where citizens made that mistake. Just imagine what government officials would do with records of gun ownership if our government became totalitarian. Not all that many years ago, a gun might have been the only thing that saved some blacks in this country. Even government police posed a danger to you if you were black and became uppity. How easy it is for those who would have the government control guns to forget!

Control room, summary Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control room, summary - Movie Review Example The movie begins with a western music which signifies that when two different cultured music can co exist in movies, then both the societies can live together in harmony. When the war begins, the film is taken in the place where all the major news sources work out like CNN, Fox etc. The movie initially begins in an orthodox way at the headquarters in Qatar which shows Muslim men with their headgear watching the television monitor where President Bush gives final warnings to Saddam Hussein for a war which gives us the perfect images of the Arabian culture. The movie features many staff from Al Jazeera but the two most compelling staff is Samir Khader, the general manager running al Jazeera, and Hassan Ibrahim, a reporter for al Jazeera.  This image of Arabian culture begins to crumble when Hassan Ibrahim tells that he has tremendous faith in the American institution. Blood, images of Dead bodies, wounded people and bullets everywhere is one of the different perspectives of war which Control room brings to the viewers. Such images are usually not present in a documentary and encourage negative thoughts in the viewers. Wars are always a negative effect on the people. Showing live images of dead people depicts negative images of the countries to the viewers. It has also been termed as the â€Å"Osama bin laden’s mouthpiece†. However though, Al Jazeera does not show all the information. It does not report and focus on the dead American civilians or American coffins. However, it is not just Al Jazeera broadcasting one type of images, Fox news also display one sided images. Control room tells us how difficult it is to provide unbiased images when working in media. Everyone wants their nation to win in moral values and that is what the news networks broadcast. This is one place where the movie gives a bad impression of how wars are covere d by the media. War is hell and media plays a major role in the success or loss of that war. Since people sitting at home can

Economics in an International Context Assignment - 1

Economics in an International Context - Assignment Example Similarly, the policies of the central government and the central bank are aimed at improving international trade and they have an impact on country’s economy and its international trade. Corporate social responsibility calls for balancing positive and negative externalities in businesses for sustainable growth and development in the long run. 1. International trade International trade is an important component in GDP of several nations. ‘The World Trade Organization (WTO) deals with the global rules of trade between nations.’ (World Trade Organization, 2013) Trade between nations has the potential to benefit all participating countries due to several reasons like import of technologically advanced machineries, materials for manufacturing products for exports and export of surplus agricultural produce. Reuvid & Sherlock (2011, p. 23) stated, ‘Between 2001 and 2008, world merchandise trade exports increased steadily from $4.7 trillion to $12.1 trillion, while trade in commercial services rose from 1.5 trillion to 3.8 trillion.’ Market structure and economic systems: According to Rivera-Batiz & Oliva (2003, p. 392) ‘Differences in market structure create different incentives affecting production decisions and trade behavior.’ Monopoly in various countries has given way to monopolistic structure or oligopoly with the smaller number of firms controlling the markets indirectly, circumventing the regulations on restrictive trade practices. The structure of markets in any country is influenced by the economic system adopted in the countries like the capitalist, socialist or communist. Traditionally, the imposition of tariffs and quota system in closed economies increased the prices that affected imports negatively. Under the free trade regime, the complexities have considerably increased. However, new trade models are not in a position to dispense with the subsidies and tariff, since various countries have various economic agenda that may not be consistent with free trade policy. Restrictive trade practices: In the international trade, import controls are the important tools adopted by governments to regulate the countries’ foreign trade. ‘The main objectives of import controls have been to protect domestic industry, raise revenue, and improve the balance of payments.’ (Thomas, V. & Nash, J. 1991, p.5) Though the objectives are reasonable, under globalization drive pursued by the countries in the recent years their economies cannot be kept insulated from the developments in the international economy. Krishna (1985, p. 1) stated ‘Voluntary export restraints (VER's) have been increasingly used to restrict imports recently’ and the malady still persists. Such problems mainly arise due to worsening balance of payments position in developing and underdeveloped countries. The impact of regional trade agreements on international trade cannot be underestimated. Kurihara (2011 , p.846) argues ‘RTAs are not an efficient way to promote international trade.’ Restrictive trade practices in the international trade will be detrimental to the development of global competitiveness in the industries. Collusion among the producers could lead to the formation of cartels and differential pricing.

Progressive Era Through the Great Depression Essay

Progressive Era Through the Great Depression - Essay Example During the above period, some historical turning points were felt by the Americans. Progressivism came about in the early 20th century as a varied inclination, different in various parts of the State and including all members from political parties. The period became the country’s first leading mindset to support state intervention in free market and in individual liberty in every sphere and at all levels (Perry & Manners, 2006). Moreover, the period made a history in a quick expansion for American capitalism, while at the same time the ruling class soared confidence. Leading economists declared that the era of slumps and booms was a past, and it was time for the US economy to experience permanent prosperity. All these proclamations were made during the 1920s, but before the progressive era was over, the worst depression had hit the US economy. The 1929 stock market collapse which manifested the start of the great depression brought in a period of submersion for almost the ent ire working class. As a result of government intervention in free market, major businesses made more profits while wages continued to be low and workers failed to buy the goods they contributed in production. The banking and financial systems were not regulated and some banks had crashed during the 1920s. Automotive and construction industries, whose business had boomed during the progressive era slowed down at the great depression (Hofstadter, 2011). By the year 1919, when the United States’ congress approved the 19th amendment to grant full voting rights to women, 13 out of 16 states in the west had already granted full suffrage to women. Wyoming was the first state to grant suffrage to women in 1869. In contrast, Eastern and southern states, suffragists had the ability to win the voting right before the federal amendment only in two states that is in Michigan in 1918 and New York in 1917. One of the key reasons for the women’s right was the idiosyncratic circumstanc es in all the suffrage states. The fact that the West was the forerunner in granting the rights suggests a number of common social conditions at work in the Western region, contrary to the other regions (Perry & Manners, 2006). Presidents Roosevelt, Wilson, and Taft all adopted the progressive reform spirit in the legislation that they campaigned for, and in their view of the federal regime’s role in the life of the state. Despite attempting to continue with Roosevelt’s basic directions and policies, Taft’s presidency was not smooth, and a sour rift developed between them and within their party, paving way for Democrat Woodrow Wilson. One of the legislation was the spirit of progressivism. Regardless of divergent concerns and philosophical differences, progressives held to many basic doctrines. They were hopeful about human nature as they tried to humanize and adjust to big politics and businesses. They believed in the significance of direct intervention in citi zens’ lives and wanted the government by all means to actively participate in manifesting reform. All these presidents were driven by their protestant ethics to reform the state using science techniques (Hofstadter, 2011). The Underwood tariff reduced the levy charged on imports and included a new income tax. Thus, the lost revenue was replaced by the tax, authorized by the 16th constitutional amendment. On the other hand, Wilson reforms were not just targeted at Wall Street, but he

How to Improve Competitiveness of Cashmere Industry

How to Improve Competitiveness of Cashmere Industry 1. INTRODUCTION China is the largest cashmere producer in the all over the world, with the sum total output approximately accounting for over 75% of global production, followed by Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, and South Africa. Meanwhile, China is the top cashmere exporter with about 80% of global exportsnearly 75% of cashmere products in global cashmere consumption market are produced in China. (Report on the first Asian conference on cashmere 2007; China International Cashmere Forum 2005) Additionally, China has the unique geographical advantage which is beneficial for raising cashmere goats, among which numerous and fine varieties are herded due to the continuous and complicated ecological environment and long-term artificial selection. Furthermore, the cashmere fibre which exhibits good property in fineness, strength, elongation, is of best quality, and thus is called as gold soft or fibre diamond. Although Chinese cashmere industry owns unique resource competitive advantages, however, with the d evelopment of economic globalization, the industrial competition among countries is intensified and the dimensions of Chinese cashmere industry dilate rapidly, due to which a great number of serious problems have been exposed to the Chinese cashmere industry, These problems have become the restricting factors of favourable development of the industry, and the industry is inevitably faced with enormous challenges. Therefore, how to enhance the overall competitiveness and gain competitive advantage is of great importance to Chinese cashmere industry, which is the major content of this paper. This paper begins with the description of the theories on competitiveness, in particular the competitive advantage and Porters National Diamond Model. Then the paper analyzes the current situation of cashmere industry in China by means of Porters National Diamond Model, along with the case study of successful cashmere industries in other countries and some successful Chinese cashmere companies, to identify the key lessons that could be learned by Chinese cashmere industry and thus win the industrial competitive advantages and improve the sustainable development of the industry. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW For each country, industrial competitiveness is of great importance because it determines the industrial development level and status in the global market competition, and thus it is one of subjects of wide concern from nations to firms. 2.1 Definition of Competitiveness The insights into the question what is the competitiveness can be gained from the works of Johnson (1992), Hammer Champy (1993), Murths (1998), Barney (2001) and Esty (2001). From the point of view of Johnson (1992), competitiveness is the capability of an entity to provide more value to and better satisfy the customers than its competitors. Murths (1998) identified that competitiveness is used to demonstrate the economic strength of an economic entity with regard to its rivals within the global market where goods, services, people, skills and ideas are not subject to geographical restriction and could freely displace (Murths 1998). According to Esty (2001), competitiveness is demonstrated from the aspects of assets and processes. Assets are categorized as inherited one such as natural resources and created one like structures, which are transformed into economic returns by processes. , 2.2 Theories of competitiveness The theoretical foundation of industrial competitiveness could be classified into two theories: comparative advantage theory and competitive advantage theory. Comparative Advantage Theory David Ricardo, the classical economist, put forward the comparative advantage theory as the foundation of international trade. Comparative advantage theory demonstrates that a country should focus on the industries which have relatively higher production efficiency to exchange the goods from the industries with lower production efficiency. (Chacholiades 1990). Heckscher-Ohlin modified and extended the theory, and explained that cross-country variations in relative factor endowments could also shape the pattern of trade (Gankhuyag Ser-Od 2009). Competitive Advantage Theory In his book The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Michael Porter addressed a question: Why do some social groups, economic institutions, and nations advance and prosper?'(Porter 1990). On the basis of analyzing the characteristics of national environment, Porter addressed the theory of national competitive advantage. Michael Porter pointed out that traditional economic theories including comparative advantage theory cannot explain the sources of competitiveness. Further he stated that industrial competitiveness should be analyzed with the competitive advantage theory which indicates the different competitiveness presented with respect to the same industry in different countries or areas under the same competitive environment (Porter 1990). The main difference between comparative advantage theory and competitive advantage theory is that the former one emphasizes the comparative relationship between different industries within one country; however, the competitive advantage theory is a bout the same industry within different countries. Grant (1991) assessed the book The Competitive Advantage of Nations and expressed that at all three levelsthe firm, the industry and the nation, Porter offers new insights into the determinants of competitive advantage. 2.3 Michael Porters National Diamond Michael Porter pointed out that the ability to establish or maintain competitive advantage within international market is determined by four direct variables and two indirect variables which formed the framework of National Diamond (as seen in Figure 1) The four direct determinants are factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and firm strategy, structure and rivalry, and the two indirect variables are chance and government. The six variables combined determine that whether a country could have a strong diamondthe competitive advantage. (Porter, 1990) A brief description of the six variables is as below: Factor condition is analyzed from the characteristics of factors of production, the processes by which they are created, and their relationship to firms competitiveness (Grant 1991). The factors are categorized as basic factors such as natural resources, climate, location and demographics and advanced factors such as communications infrastructure, sophisticated skills and research facilities (Porter 1990). For demand conditions, Michael Porter presented that home demand could provide driving force for enhancing competitive advantage, because customers demands could exert pressure to the firms (Porter 1990). Source: Porter M, The Competitive Advantage of Nations, The Macmillan Press LTD, London, 1990 Figure 1 Michael Porters National Diamond With respect to related and supporting industries: Porter stated that whether an industry has competitive advantages is closely associated with its related and supporting industries. Usually a successful industry would collectively develop with a cluster of related and supporting industries instead of standing alone (Porter 1990). Concern firm strategy, structure and rivalry, Porter identified that the different industrial characteristics within different countries determine the competitive advantages (Porter 1990). The characteristics include strategies, structures, goals, managerial practices, individual attitudes and intensity of rivalry within the business sector (Grant 1991). Chance plays a role in influencing the four direct variables and thus affects the competitive advantage. Additionally, government could provide chances and make challenges for industries even though it does not directly participate in industry competition (Porter 1990). 3. ANALYSIS ON CHINESE CASHEMRE INDUSTRY WITH CASE STUDY 3.1 Factor Conditions In the book of Competitive Advantage of Nations, Porter noted the variable of factor conditions could be hierarchically categorized as basic factors and advanced factors. The importance of basic factors is gradually reducing because the demands for basic factors have decreased along with the market globalization, which means multinational companies could purchase within the globalized market. Therefore, it is unstable to build competitive advantage on the basic factors (Porter 1990). From the point view of basic factors, China is preponderant in cashmere resources with the best quality of raw cashmere and strong product processing capacity. Meanwhile, China is a labour-intensive country thereby that is helpful in reducing labour cost and other integrated cost. In comparison with China, Scotland also possesses the advantaged cashmere resources, and the Scottish cashmere product is highly admired for its quality and finish. Although the labour cost in Scotland is not as low as in China, the Scottish cashmere industry performs much better than that in China. Therefore, basic factors are less important in determining the industrial competitiveness. While advanced factors are of importance to gain competitive advantage. Advanced factor require ambitious and continuous investment to sophisticated labour and technology expenditure. If a country would like to establish formidable and sustainable industrial competitive advantage through the variable of factor conditions, it must develop the advanced factors rather than basic factors. Unlike basic factors, advanced factors cannot be purchased but have to be developed through investment (Porter 1990). From the point view of advanced factors, in China the capacity of independent innovation needs improvement for cashmere firms. Because the Chinese cashmere industry has only developed for a short time, comparing with the European long-term established firms Chinese cashmere firms has large disparity in the aspects of technical innovation and product marketing. Meanwhile, the capacity of independent innovation is imbalanced across cashmere firms in Chinalarge firms put considerable investment on technical innovation whereas small and medium ones invest inadequately and lack of creativeness. Although some Chinese cashmere firms has started the research in the field of dyeing and spinning, some key technologies still have not been grasped unlike in developed countries. In contrast, Todd Duncan provide the evidence that advanced factors is significant for gaining competitive advantage. Todd Duncan was founded in 1867, and now it has become the European leading cashmere yarn knitting firm, which provide cashmere yarn with most fashionable colours to luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton , Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Herms and Christian Dior. Todd Duncan are well known for its production technologies. As far back as it was founded, Todd Duncan were in the lead in the field of cashmere blending yarn. Now it is still well known for its manufacturing technique in single strand. Collaborative with the most advanced textile technologies, it produces the finest and noblest yarns. In addition, in Todd Duncan, computer assisted programmes are used in dyeing procedure such as colour management. High-tech facilities like colour matcher are also used to check the colour accuracy, which is in the lead position of the industry (todd-duncan 2010). Review back to 1980s, it is because paying attention to the advanced factor such as processing technology, Chinese cashmere industry could take a turn. In 1980s, some cashmere firms led by Erdos Cashmere Group and Snowlotus Cashmere Group first introduced the most advanced cashmere carding machines and carding process from Japan. After learning the process and making further processing technology improvement, Chinese carding technique of goat cashmere made a qualitative leap, and the dehaired cashmere made-up rate and quality exceeded the international level. Thus, it enhanced Chinese cashmere industry into a new age (China International Cashmere Forum 2005). From the examples of Todd Duncan and Erdos Cashmere Group, it can be seen that Chinese cashmere industry should not only rely on the resources advantage. The rapid development of Chinese cashmere industry in the past 30 years mainly manifested the growth of cashmere firm numbers. When the industry enters into autumn, this kind of growth will be certainly restricted by the finiteness of the cashmere resources. The industry will be increasingly detailed classified into small sections which ask for higher production specialization degree. Therefore, Chinese cashmere firms must enhance the technology innovation capacity and improve the scientific and technological contents and added value for the cashmere products in order to gain competitive advantage in global competition. However, there are some barriers for Chinese cashmere industry enhancing the technology innovation. For small and medium cashmere firms, they have blockage in financing channels that cannot obtain adequate innovative resources. Additionally, the constructions of technology innovation infrastructure, investment policy and favourable legal environment are lagging behind. Only when a beneficial environment established, Chinese cashmere industry can develop technology innovation in order to produce high add-valued products. 3.2 Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry In terms of firm strategy, structure and rivalry, Porter identified that the competitive advantage is influencing by the different industrial characteristics which include strategies, structures, goals, managerial practices, individual attitudes and intensity of rivalry within the business sector (Grant 1991). From the point view of firm strategies, it includes competitive strategy, marketing strategy, branding strategy, etc. According to Philip Kotler, Each company must find the way that makes most sense, given its situation, opportunities, objectives and resources (Kotler 1999). At present, however, in the global market a great many cashmere products are produced in China whereas less Chinese cashmere brands could be found in the high-end market. Zhang Zhi, executive director of Erdos Cashmere Group, stated that lacking of brand building is the root cause of blocking up the development of Chinese cashmere industry (China International Cashmere Forum 2005). Most of the exporting cashmere products enter international market through OEM production, however the products in own brands are less than 10% of the total exports. Chinese cashmere industry has become the processing workshop for foreign companies. Lacking of brand build-up is the most conspicuous weakness of Chinese cashmere industry. Referring to brand building, Loro Piana provides a good example. Founded in 1924 in Italy, Loro Piana now is the largest and foremost cashmere manufacturer in the western world. On the basis of sourcing finest fibre from Northern China and Mongolia and understanding customers needs and lifestyles, Loro Piana produces cashmere goods in Italian companys own mills, creating and delivering value to consumers (Loro Piana 2010). According to Luxury Institute Survey, in European high net-worth consumers rank, Loro Piana was ranked as the best of the best luxury brands in the category of mens fashion, followed by Ermenegildo and Giorgio Armani (luxury institute 2010). One Chinese cashmere brand also performs well. 1436 Erdos, a brand belongs to Erdos Cashmere Group. Although the brand of Erdos is regarded as the most well known brand in China, it cannot arouse attention in the global high-end market. Therefore, establishing a global brand is the pursuit of Erdos Group. 1436 Erdos, taking its name from the features of its prestige cashmere fibre which is ranked as highest grade, develops finest cashmere products with top quality. On the basis of drawing up the brand strategyserving high-end markets and positioning itself as the worlds leading luxury brand in China, makes other responding firm strategies such as product and marketing strategies to improve its competitiveness in the international market. Erdos cashmere products were given to Mikado, Japanese Prime Minister and other ministers as official national gift when Chinas national leaders visit to Japan in 2008 when it was only one year since the brand established (1436 Erdos 2010). In addition, according to Porter (1990), the driving power enhancing firms to participate in international competition is of significant importance. The driving power could be raised from international demand, or local competitions or market thrust. The most relevant factor in creating and maintaining industrial competitive advantage is the powerful rivalry. In the international competition, successful industries must have got through severe domestic competition, and were forced to reform or to renovate. However, in China there are over 2000 cashmere products firms, among which most of them are incapable of developing new products or exploring new techniques. Most of the firms only can process inferior quality products on the base of imitating other brands style. The competitions among most of the cashmere firms mainly are the price competition. Thus, the current situation of Chinese cashmere industry poorly performsunreasonable redundant low-level production and disorderly competition. In contrast, taking Ballantyne cashmere as example, it presents that rivalry competition could stimulate competitiveness improvement. Ballantyne Cashmere was founded in 1921 in Scotland, now it is enjoyed by increasing consumers. At present, fashionable cashmere products developed by the fashion firms such as Ralph Lauren, Channel, Christian Dior and Givenchy are increasingly widely praised by consumers. Therefore, as the traditional cashmere manufacturer, Ballantyne has begun to consider the new comp etitors. From the performance of the competitors, Alfredo Canessa, the chairman of Ballantyne has noticed consumers changing demands thus he led Ballantyne to improve the product design by means of combining cashmere with other different textiles like silk fabric (Ballantyne 2010). Likewise, Erdos Group has begun transitions. Erdos cashmere products were complained for outdated design in the past. However, now it is making efforts to rebuild product identity. Gilles Dufour, as former art director of Channel for twenty years, has been invited as the new art director of Erdos Group to develop new cashmere product collections. Gilles Dufour introduced Erdos a semi-fashion trend which advocates the beauty of simple luxury, aiming to establish a leading luxury brand in China in order to improve the competitiveness. (Erdos 2010). Through the examples of Loro Piana, Ballantyne and Erdos Group, it could be found that the firm strategy and rivalry is significantly crucial to enhance competitiveness for both firms and industries. However, cashmere firms have to consider the following barriers when make strategies. First, there is no such a strategy that could be successfully adopted by every firm, and the suitable strategy is the best one. Second, most of the Chinese cashmere firms only pay attention to rivalry competition particularly price competition which could hinder the Chinese cashmere industry form the positive competition awareness. 4. CONCLUSION The goal of this paper is to find how to improve the competitiveness of cashmere industry in China. In order to the goal, this paper adopted Michael Porters National Diamond Model to describe the determinants which influence the competitiveness of Chinese cashmere industry. The Diamond theory identifies four direct factors with two indirect factors, namely the factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting strategies and firm strategy, structure and rivalry with chance and government. This paper mainly analyzed how Chinese cashmere industry performs from the aspects of factor conditions and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. Additionally, many cases of successful cashmere firms have been studied to learn the lessons from their business operations in order to provide a reference for Chinese cashmere industry. However there are some barriers should be paid attention by Chinese cashmere firms. Chinese cashmere industry should develop in a sustainable way to improve the competitiveness in global cashmere market.

Tribulations Of The Self (sociology) Essay -- Sociology Essays

What constitutes the 'tribulations of the self' in contemporary society, according to Anthony Giddens? Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.This essay will seek an explanation of what constitutes the 'tribulations of the self' according to Anthony Giddens (1991). In the first part of this paper, I discuss some central ways language has been viewed focusing the review on social constructivist writings as well as those stemming from the study of human development. In the second part of this paper, I discuss data that leads to the reconsideration of aspects of the language - selfhood interface. I conclude by suggesting some future avenues of research.First the essay will outline the various tribulations that Giddens describes in 'Modernity and Self-identity' (1991).A tribulation of the self is a test or trial for the self, that involves some degree of severity. Many of these tribulations that Giddens outlines are to do with the anxieties brought about by different aspects of life and how the individual deals with them.The first tribulation that Giddens examines is the influence of risk and doubt. Feelings of anxiety arise when the individual doubts or takes risks. Such anxieties may be reduced by adhering to a faith or religion. Often these will dictate a certain lifestyle that either reduces doubt and risk or allows the individual to think about them less (Giddens, 1991). This was certainly the case in pre-modernity. Today more anxiety arises with the awareness that there are several possibilities and choices to do with decisions about life. Anxieties caused by risk may be more often caused by the risk calculations than the risks them selves (Giddens, 1991). Risk taking is an important part of life, people take risks every day and some become so much part of a routine that they appear no longer to be a risk. There are certain risks that are beyond our immediate control. Such as 'ecological disaster, nuclear war or the ravaging of humainity by as yet unanticipated scourges' (Giddens, 1991. p 183). Those who spend all their time worrying about such things are not considered normal yet they are sources of anxiety (Giddens, 1991). Among other things there is awarness of high consequence risks and the notion that 'things go wrong' (Giddens, 1991. P182) are going to cause anxiety in every day life. The next tribulation Giddens examines is 'ontological... ...or town. Through mediation we are informed of day to day events across the other side of the globe. According to Giddens (1991, p 188):'the appropriation of mediated information follows pre-established habits and obeys the principle of the avoidance of cognitive dissonance.' Most of the mediated information is accepted without question. In avoiding this questioning of the information one is remaining protected from the outside world and thus maintaining ontological security (Giddens, 1991). In this world we live in Giddens makes some direct comaprisons which are the root of tensions. The first dilemna is 'unification versus fragmentation'. Modernity fragments as well as unifying. In traditional society fragemntation was not seen as such a problem. Fragmentation of the self is the division of the self into several selves. This may come from different presentations of the self that may be used upon meeting with different people. Part of the problem that causes tension and anxiety is that a person maybe more aware of 'the debate over global warming that with why the tap in the kitchen leaks.' (Giddens, 1991, p189). Tasks at hand may be more obscure than large scale global events.

Bee Season

The story of â€Å"Bee Season† is focused on an apparently warm home which will prove to be in fact a mere holding pen for four individuals spinning in completely separate universes. It is the kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family whose picture-perfect surface conceals an underlying world of secret turmoil.The focal center of the novel is Eliza Naumann, the nine-year-old student who discovers that she has a talent for competitive spelling. Although the book is set in the competitive world of spelling bees, the contest is just one of the many plot devices in this family drama.On the surface, the Naumann family appears to be ideal – upper middle-class, highly accomplished, deeply spiritual, and seemingly tightly knit. But it will gradually reveal that the picture-perfect family is, in fact, comprised of individuals on disparate (and often desperate) paths toward their own notions of transcendence – quests that lead them to pursue intense and even dange rous spiritual experiences. Eliza's unlikely emergence has the effect of tearing the fragile fabric that has thus far held them together. The plot examines faith, spirituality and what happens to a family's own belief system when changes occur.Eliza was â€Å"a student from whom great things should not be expected†; thus when Eliza is forced to compete in her first spelling bee, she is certain that this event, like so many others, exists only to â€Å"confirm, display or amplify her mediocrity. † Yet when the words start coming, she realizes she can not only spell the words directed at her but, as if by magic, everyone else's words as well. She wins the school's contest, and then a few district and regional ones, before heading to Washington for the national bee.Her father Saul, the cantor at Beth Simcha synagogue, sees Eliza's skills and begins training her for spelling competitions and for greater, more spiritual challenges ahead. Saul's obsessive attention to Eliza comes at the expense of her older brother Aaron, who is being bullied at school and who feels his own religious aspirations, closely modeled on his father's, unfulfilled. Miriam is the Naumann wife and mother, who’s already pronounced remoteness from her husband and children, grows apace while Eliza and Saul are sequestered in his study, poring over dictionaries.Apparently, like most families, the Naumanns seem to have settled comfortably into a routine, each member playing an accepted role in the day-to-day family drama. Saul is the family anchor, preparing the meals, running the household, and nurturing his son Aaron's interest in Judaism. Miriam, a brilliant high-powered lawyer, with a voracious intellect and a compulsion toward order slips easily into the role of wage-earner, happy to leave the emotional demands of family life and parenting to her husband. Aaron is the smart, socially isolated, and physically awkward teenager who thrives under his father's attention.Amid this dazzling display of intellectual power and intensity, Eliza, an unremarkable student, is resigned to remaining in the shadows. She's among those sad-sack C students who â€Å"never get picked for Student of the Week† and â€Å"never get chased by boys at recess. † While other kids are singled out for gifted-and-talented programs, Eliza is shuffled off into classrooms where the walls are covered with posters of kittens dangling from ropes above slogans like â€Å"Hang in there† and â€Å"If at first you don't succeed. . . .† Even her mother considers her â€Å"a gosling born into a family of ducks.† But her surprising triumph launches Eliza into the spotlight, radically altering the family dynamics. Through her success in the contest she becomes her father’s protege, thus taking the place of her brother, in which point the fragile equilibrium of forces in the family is shattered. The image of perfect consensus is changed as Eliza’ s new discovered talent places her in the center of her father’s preoccupations. It propels her from the ignominy of being an ordinary pupil to the triumph of shining in local, state, and national spelling competitions.Because she can spell — intuitively, hypnotized by the combining and recombining letters — she replaces her older brother Aaron in the attentions of their cantor. In considering the composition of the action, which for much of its part takes place inside the characters' hearts and minds, winning the contest represents the crucial element that triggered the demise of the equilibrium that was apparent in the Naumanns house. By shattering the image of harmony and consensus the proof of parallel existences emerged for each member of the family.Eliza, when replacing her brother in her father’s perception, destroyed the silent consensus that ordered their lives up until then. From that moment, her family would grow apart. Thus, more realities sur face in perceiving her family. The myth of the perfect family falls to pieces. Faced with a sudden change and forced by the circumstances to adapt to the new situation, each of the characters would show that their personality has a three dimensional development. Therefore, each of them is portrayed in three circumstances: in relation with his own self, with his family and in connection to the outside world.In dealing with the new reality, the characters receive a multiple perspective for analysis. On the one hand, there is Miriam, Eliza’s mother. Her character, defined by the three dimensions of her life, seems quite contradictory. In relation to the outside world, she is a brilliant, long hours working lawyer. In a slightly opposing image is her attitude which unfolds in relation with the other members of her family. It is obvious that her children baffle her; she is so uncomfortable with them that when one of them asks her about the boyfriends she'd had before marriage, she blushes.â€Å"She wishes there were a book on the subject, slim as it would be, a ‘Mother's Dating Life' she could substitute for conversation in the tidy manner of ‘Where Do Babies Come From? † In the relationship with Saul she is a complex yet mysteriously troubled wife. She always saw him as the man who talked about fixing the world, â€Å"restore what had been shattered† and she thought he could heal her. Social exchange theory explains the relationship with another person as depending on the perception of the balance between giving and receiving.The fact that Miriam never felt saved by her husband, that her expectations were unanswered and somewhat betrayed can explained the estranged connection and the unspoken sadness between them. She finds Eliza and Saul's shared focus on studying with their father a painful reminder of the connection she once had with her husband and her own parents, who died tragically when she was a young girl. The sudden disco very of her daughter's ability to apply the concentration and the desire for perfection that define her own self-image triggers a flood of contradictory emotions and sends her life spiraling out of control.Always emotionally absent, she falls deeper into her secret life of petty theft, thus revealing her most hidden side. Therefore, a central theme for Miriam becomes the kaleidoscope from her childhood that she brings to Eliza. The kaleidoscope is important to Miriam because it is a device that gathers shards together and no matter their movement, they stay together. When Miriam gives the kaleidoscope to Eliza after the spelling bee she wants to share an important and precious secret of how to survive.Secondly, there is Aaron who is defined through the social relationship as facing typical teenager problems; inside the family his father’s attention is a guiding light in his pursuit of becoming an eminent rabbi. When this place is taken by Eliza and he is exiled from his fathe r's inner sanctum of Jewish music and Hebrew learning, he seeks out other forms of spirituality than the Naumanns' Judaism. Formerly his father's assistant at the synagogue, he comes to see the family as an encumbrance for reaching perfection.Exploring his spiritual needs he hungers for his own means of transcendence and he finds a community of Hare Krishnas, who’s chanting, rituals, and self-abnegation appeal to his need for a warm community, near to God and thus detaching himself from the family. Yet, the center element of the novel is the developing relation between Elisa and her father. At a first glace, Saul is the distracted father, who spends most of his time in his study, researching forms of Jewish mysticism and worrying about the transcendence he'll never achieve.His relationship with his daughter was mostly based on her achievements at school and the image depicted by those, therefore he could not have taken her into consideration, as â€Å"he only learns of his d aughter's exclusion through one of his congregants who, after Shabbat services, announces loudly enough for the people on the other side of the cookie table to overhear that her son has been identified as Talented and Gifted†. Thus, his attention was focused on Aaron because â€Å"Eliza hasn't tendered Saul the congratulatory note Aaron delivered at her age, the one that made Saul feel like a sweepstakes winner†.But when Elisa wins the spelling bee, he begins to take notice of her. Motivating her talent as having religious connections, Saul sees something Kabbalistic in the way Eliza can intuit spelling words by having the letters fall into place all on their own — a hint of a talent far beyond his own abilities. As they practice together for the national spelling competition, he leads her carefully through an old Jewish mystical text and toward a state of biblioglossic transcendence in which the alphabet begins to crack open and reveal a hint of the light of God .He feels that Eliza is breaking through the illusion of reality and getting closer to God – something he has wanted to do all his life. He begins to see Eliza as able to fulfill his own dreams of transcendence. The scenes with Eliza and the Abulafia exercises in the reading room were compelling for showing the crossing form the family perspective in which Saul is just happy father to a superior one in which he is trying to take Eliza into his personal spiritual quest. Their relationship transcends the ordinary world. He wants to be her spiritual teacher, but he doesn't see the effect on her and the family.Throughout the novel, he sees his family as a means of achieving a higher goal, of transcendence to a superior apprehension of the world. And he sees this possibility first in Aaron, then in Eliza, whom he considers to be â€Å"pretty special†. In their house of closed doors, Eliza pursues her father's tutorials, as he directs her study for the spelling bees. First d ictionaries, then incantatory repetitions of letters and combinations of letters, then initiation into the meditation of the medieval mystic Abraham Abulafia:â€Å"Letters,† Saul says. â€Å"Abulafia believed that, by concentrating on letters, the mind could loose itself from its shackles to commune with a presence greater than itself. â€Å"Do you mean,† Eliza whispers, â€Å"that I'll be able to talk to God? † (pp. 172-73) She masters the techniques of mystic concentration: â€Å"She could feel the different vowels in her marrow, her bones chimes through which the letters blew† (p. 190). Then she surpasses her father's knowledge.Alone with Abulafia she experiences a religious ecstasy that rips through her body and mind, with visions, pain, â€Å"crawling Sects and crashing waves† (p. 268), her own disembodied voice, â€Å"infinite human and animal possibilities† (p. 269). Possibly, she sees God: â€Å"the shape's face is every face ever formed† (p. 269); she feels herself disintegrate and return anew. In fact, the experience is for her a try to find a new place in the world, one which leads away both from the front stage reality of the spelling bees contests and from the hidden, back stage of his father’s personal quest.In uniting the contemporary realistic tradition in which â€Å"Bee Season† is written-the tangible world of cereal boxes, grade school hallways, kaleidoscopes, Friday night synagogue services-with an ancient discipline derived from wonder and longing for God, Goldberg has painted a original picture of the particular unhappiness experienced by one family as a result of resistance to change. Bibliography Goldberg, Myla. Bee Season. New York: Anchor, 2001.

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements The island of stability is that wondrous place where heavy isotopes of elements stick around long enough to be studied and used. The island is located within a sea of radioisotopes that decay into daughter nuclei so quickly its difficult for scientists to prove the element existed, much less use the isotope for a practical application. Key Takeaways: Island of Stability The island of stability refers to a region of the periodic table consisting of super-heavy radioactive elements that have at least one isotope with a relatively long half-life.The nuclear shell model is used to predict the location of the islands, based on maximizing the binding energy between protons and neutrons.Isotopes on the island are believed to have magic numbers of protons and neutrons that allow them to maintain some stability.Element 126, should it ever be produced, is believed to have an isotope with a long enough half-life that it can be studied and potentially used. History of the Island Glenn T. Seaborg coined the phrase island of stability in the late 1960s. Using the nuclear shell model, he proposed filling the energy levels of a given shell with the optimal number of protons and neutrons would maximize binding energy per nucleon, permitting that particular isotope to have a longer half-life than other isotopes, which did not have filled shells. Isotopes that fill nuclear shells possess what are called magic numbers of protons and neutrons. Finding the Island of Stability The location of the island of stability is predicted based on known isotope half-lives and predicted half-lives for elements that have not been observed, based on calculations relying on the elements behaving like those above them on the periodic table (congeners) and obeying equations that account for relativistic effects. The proof that the island of stability concept is sound came when physicists were synthesizing element 117. Although the isotope of 117 decayed very quickly, one of the products of its decay chain was an isotope of lawrencium that had never been observed before. This isotope, lawrencium-266, displayed a half-life of 11 hours, which is extraordinarily long for an atom of such a heavy element. Previously known isotopes of lawrencium had fewer neutrons and were much less stable. Lawrencium-266 has 103 protons and 163 neutrons, hinting at as-yet-undiscovered magic numbers that may be used to form new elements. Which configurations might possess magic numbers? The answer depends who you ask, because its a matter of calculation and theres not standard set of equations. Some scientists suggest there might be an island of stability around 108, 110, or 114 protons and 184 neutrons. Others suggest a spherical nucleus with 184 neutrons, but 114, 120, or 126 protons might work best. Unbihexium-310 (element 126) is doubly magic because its proton number (126) and neutron number (184) are both magic number. However you roll the magic dice, data obtained from the synthesis of elements 116, 117, and 118 point toward increasing half-life as the neutron number approached 184. Some researchers believe the best island of stability might exists at much larger atomic numbers, like around element number 164 (164 protons). Theorists are investigating the region where Z 106 to 108 and N is around 160-164, which appears sufficiently stable with respect to beta decay and fission. Making New Elements from the Island of Stability Although scientists might be able to form new stable isotopes of known elements, we dont have the technology to go much past 120 (work which is currently underway). Its likely a new particle accelerator will need to be constructed that would be capable of focusing onto a target with greater energy. Well also need to learn to make larger amounts of known heavy nuclides to serve as targets for making these new elements. New Atomic Nucleus Shapes The usual atomic nucleus resembles a solid ball of protons and neutrons, but atoms of elements on the island of stability may take new shapes. One possibility would be a bubble-shaped or hollow nucleus, with the protons and neutrons forming a sort of shell. Its hard to even imagine how such a configuration might affect the properties of the isotope. One thing is certain, though... there are new elements yet to be discovered, so the periodic table of the future will look very different from the one we use today.

New Deal essays

New Deal essays The stock market crash of 1929 helped launch the United States and many other nations into the worst economic depression in history. The severity of the Great Depression called for federal government programs to protect the general welfare of citizens. The New Deal programs created by Franklin D. Roosevelt provided the framework for the welfare state that still serves as a basis for American public policy. All aspects of American society suffered during the Great Depression. By 1932, there were thirteen million people unemployed. There was no security for the millions who lost all of their savings in the bank failure or stock market crash. Volunteer organizations attempted to help the needy, but their resources were simply not adequate. Hope seemed non-existent. Americans had never seen such a severe depression. They could not look to history for guidance. The New Deal was Roosevelts attempt to restore the economy. His willingness to act decisively and experiment with new policies set him apart from previous presidents. He often said, I have no expectation of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average. In the first years of Roosevelts term he worked hard to empower the federal branch. The New Deal set the precedent for 20th century liberalism. The first order of business for the Roosevelt administration was financial reform. Banking is a crucial aspect of capitalism and Roosevelt was very aware of this fact. On his second day in office, Roosevelt called Congress to meet in a special session. The outcome was the Emergency Banking Relief Act, which permitted stable banks to reopen and provided managers to those who remained in trouble. The Glass-Steagall Act separated commercial and investment banking and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. These actions all helped restore banking confidence within American people. Roosevelt ensured that it was...

Philosophy of Special Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy of Special Education - Essay Example The paper presents my philosophy of Special Education which states that special education is concerned with educating students who possess particular needs, which gets in the way of their teaching and learning process.   Ã‚  Ã‚   I believe that each child is different from other children in a school setting, despite their physical nature. This is an interpretation of the fact that the child is unique and requires a well organized environment that is secure, stimulating, and caring, to simplify proper learning, emotional, intellectual, societal, and economic growth. My role as an educationist is to help my learners meet their potential areas of interest. This can be achieved by giving the learners a teaching learning environment that is conducive for effective learning, support them to disclose information, and motivates them to take chances while learning.   I believe that the basic elements that are conducive for special learning environment are: allowing learners to learn on th eir own, the teacher being the source of knowledge, and learners conducting research to obtain more knowledge using the guidelines provided by the teacher. The teacher’s role in Special Education is to provide students with information. The students’ role on the other hand is to determine knowledge using the guidelines provided by the teacher. ... The teacher can achieve this through open classroom discussion encouraging students to speak about their views freely. This approach allows space for each learner’s opinions to be put in perspective. The best method for this approach is to construct classroom discussion and encourage frequent classroom meetings. When the students feel safe and free to discuss their problems, they will love the teachers, the school, lessons presented to them and the whole class as well as the community.   The entire classroom represents an exceptional society of learners that are different from one another not only in their ways of doing things, but also in teaching learning styles. My responsibility as a teacher is to provide the learners the materials that can be used to develop their own grounds of knowledge. To achieve this objective, I will educate to the requirements of each learner, so that all students can sense competent and triumphant. I will hand over the syllabus that involves the good of the learners and makes teaching learning process applicable to their real life situations. I will slot in central ideas, incorporate projects, group work, units, original work, and practical learning so as to make the learners be involved teaching learning process. Categorically, I will bind teaching and learning process into the society to assist learners turn out to be caring and enthusiastic community members.   I will develop a learning environment that is compassionate, secure, and impartial environment where every learner can flourish and develop intellectually. I will allow learners to turn out to be   Ã‚  conscientious members of the learning environment, and the society by using approaches such as class gatherings, encouraging

Europe and the World in Transition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Europe and the World in Transition - Essay Example Ozment’s historical investigation into the social pillars of Reformation Europe takes the reader straight to the origins of social cleavages between men and women, as well as to the roots of social and political hostilities between Catholics and Protestants. The book systematically uncovers the horizontal structure of European societies in the age of humanism, where the family was the highest manifestation of tranquillity, peace, trust and equality among its members. In this sense, Ozment’s work is innovative, because it challenges a popular stereotype which depicts the Reformation family as necessarily dominant and tyrannical. His historical discoveries create a revolutionary view of the family during the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland, and describe it as an empowering social unit, which transcended the narrow confinements of the home, and intersected with society. This brief report will critically approach two of Ozment’s most interesting arguments â₠¬â€œ his views on marriage in Reformation Europe, and the impact of marriage on the formation of families and communities. The remainder of this paper will approach the two themes separately and it will discuss their academic as well historic feasibility. First it is important to briefly mention the political and social context in which Ozment’s observations are made. The political reality of Reformation Europe was one of an absolute fusion of political power, absolutism and a dominant form of leadership. Women’s role in society was one of subjugation and passivity, and marriage was viewed by the Catholic Church as having the sole purpose of procreation and the subordination of the wife. The Protestant Reformation which started in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century in Europe challenged these realities, and for the first time marriage was institutionalized to become the pillar of society. Women’s creative power was the driving force behind the institu tion of marriage (Ozment 5-20). It is in the context of these major social and cultural transformations that Ozment makes his observations on the role of women and marriage in Germany and Switzerland. In this study, Ozment describes the Protestant marriage as opposite to the Catholic perception of marriage. He reveals that in the beginning of the Reformation, marriage was seen by Protestants and their supporters as a remedy for broken social and domestic relations: Protestants were faced with what they considered to be crisis of domestic relations, one that could be traced to the institutions of medieval religion [†¦] To correct the situation, they (Protestants) exalted the patriarchical nuclear family, as the liberation of men, women and children, from religious, sexual and vocational bondage (Ozment 5-6) In this sense Ozment presents a very comprehensive view of marriage during the Reformation, not only as a stabilizer, but also as a liberator from the unnecessary and evasive religious conservatism of the Catholic Church. Ozment has captured the essence of marriage, as viewed at the early stages of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, and he explores it as a religious, as well as social antidote to hypocritical preaching of Catholicism for celibacy and penance. At the time Catholic marriage was viewed as a tool for social and individual subjugation of women, and the Catholic Chur