Custody of The Pumpkin

Situation: Humorous, old earl obsessed with a pumpkin with a son who complicates the pumpkin issue with his marriage. Ludicrous, has a happy resolution. Funny part; telescope, chance upon his son fooling around, thinking the cats attacked the pumpkin, his reaction when his son tells him he's married, the garden situation, the fact that the pumpkin actually won.Characters All of them are funny,Lord Emsworth- fluffy minded, eccentric interests, strange fears, frustration with his son, tendencies to overreact, tendency to get carried away,tends to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, he got everything he wanted even though he didn't deserve itMcallister- Way he talks is humorous, scottish temper is used as a tool for humor, very proud,Hon Freddie- Hilarious (narrator compares him to a theocritan Shepard), very flippant, romantic, his mannerisms are childish, has lots of dumb luck.Only thing funny about Niagra is her name.Dialogue- Idiocy, Lord Emsworth's is the funniest, Angus is funn y because of his accent and the confusion it creates, Freddie's dialogue is full of slang to make him sound flippant. Dialogue further enunciates the characters. Narration is very humorous, constantly making fun of the characters, subtle indications.Images- The image with the leopard is very funny, looking into the telescope, Lord Emsworth standing frozen, finding out about his son's marriage, Mcallister's bottom. Images are used to create humor.Tone- Humorous, light-hearted.Language- Funny metaphors and similes.Irony: â€Å"Hon. Freddy†, freddy gets this amazing, the wife is richer than Emsworth,Sarcasm: Narration done in third person omniscient, towards the endThemes- Luck, Aristocracy, materiality, parent/child relationship, class distinctions

Mobile American Sign Language

Inaccessible technology interferes with an ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Mobile American Sign Language by the University of Washington is about a recently develop cell phone software that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing people to use ASL through video calls. â€Å"The MobileASL team has been working to optimize compressed video signals for sign language. † This was a great article to read. I was excited when I was able to video chat on my cell phone, so I know deaf people are very excited to have a way of talking to each other over video chat. It is a much better way of communication for deaf and hard of hearing. Once MobileASL software is worked out it could possibly run on any mobile device. â€Å"Transmitting sign language as efficiently as possible increases affordability improves reliability on slower networks and extends battery life, even on devices that might have the capacity to deliver higher quality video. † Researchers have brought the data down to about 30 kilobytes per second while still relaying clear sign language. The participants in this study were pleased with MobileASL. Most deaf or hard-of-hearing people use text messages as a means to communicate on a cell phone. Text messaging is a good way to communicate but sometimes it is slow and the message might not be clear. Sometimes they don’t know if the person even receives the text message. I will have to find me sum deaf friends now because I love to video chat with others. Since I’m learning ASL they could help me study and still be at the house and me at mines. MobileASL can detect if you are the one signing or not. This detection helps save the battery life. If you are the one signing you use more of the battery. So I suggest you just â€Å"listen†, you will save your battery. Some phone companies need to find out how they do this so my phone battery could last longer. I would have thought that ASL signers could have video chat with an iPhone but that’s not the case. Yes they could use the iPhone but the prices are way too high. Some broadband companies have blocked the â€Å"bandwidth-hogging† video conferencing from their network. The iPhone uses 10 times more bandwidth than MobileASL. What’s the reason for them to block the bandwidth? They should be trying to help. I will read more about this because this is very interesting to me. It’s interesting that they haven’t come up with some kind of software already. Deaf and hard of hearing people do need another means of comminuting on the mobile phones besides text messaging because sometimes that just doesn’t work. The prefer talking face to face anyway. I still would like to know why they are blocking the bandwidth instead of trying to help improve the problem.

Ugolino and His Sons

He won the Prix de Rome in 1854 which enabled him to live in Rome (1856 – 1862). During that time he was influenced by the works of Italian sculptors of the Renaissance period such as Michelangelo, Donatello, and Andrea Del Verrocchio. He also started to increase his focus of studies on complex sculptures and bas-reliefs. His passion led him to start carving several pieces on marble before the famous work of art â€Å"Ugolino and His Sons†. Carpeaux was considered as one of the mainstream artists in Eclecticism.This movement wanted to exceed Neoclassicism and Romanticism and also described the ombination, in a single work, of elements from different historical styles. Carpeaux received many honors during his lifetime until two months before he died prematurely of cancer at the age of 48 in Courbevoie in 1875 CE. The sculpture snows (Figure 1 a man sitting on a stone cu tted witn chains in his legs. The man's facial expressions seemed as grief while biting the tip of som e of his fingers. The wrinkles on top of his eyes with his curled toes on each other gave the sense of a clueless situation the man was put in.Surrounding him, there're four ifferent-aged kids; two of them on the left side of their father's position, as they gave the emotion of looking at their father begging. And on the right side, there're the two other kids where the smallest kid fell on the ground looking dead. The sculpture depicts the tale of a traitor who was the Count of Donoratico and was imprisoned by the archbishop Ruggieri degli Ubaldini in the late thirteenth century Oune 1288). The archbishop imprisoned Ugolino with his sons and grandsons in the â€Å"Tower of Hunger†.Also, the archbishop ordered the soldiers to throw the keys of Ugolinds rison in the Arno River so that there's no way for them to be set free. They were sentenced to be left to starve in February 1289. Ugolino had this prophetic dream of the archbishop and his soldiers as the lord and huntsman kil ling the wolf the wolf cubs (Ugolino and his offspring). Ugolino had his heart-broken for hearing his sons sobbing in their sleep asking for bread. He also kept his feelings inside, he had never wept, and he used to watch his kids weeping but him feeling clueless paralyzed- thinking.Yet his offspring dreams couldn't fill their stomach. Ugolinds kids started to ook at him, wondered why he turned out to look like a stone, biting his fingers and curling his toes of one leg on top of the other one. For them, they thought that their father is starving Just like them or maybe more but for Ugolino himself, he was biting his fingers in anguish, weeping inside for not being able to feed his offspring. Therefore, they started to offer their bodies to their father so he can eat and survive.After few days, his offspring started to fall down dead one by another till the last one died on the sixth day. This part is quoted from â€Å"The Divine Comedy, Vol. l: Inferno Canto 33) – Dante Ali ghieri†. It illustrates moments of death of Ugolinds offspring and the mystery behind the possibility of Cannibalism: â€Å"l calmed myself to make them less unhappy. That day we sat in silence, and the next day. O pitiless Earth! You should have swallowed us! The fourth day came, and it was on that day My Gaddo fell prostrate before my feet, Crying: Why dont you help me?

Experiential Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Experiential Leadership - Case Study Example They are glad about the fact that they have salary and reimbursement and inducement recompense plans that really pay, and bonus plans and profit-sharing tactics that are funded based on the achievement of the commerce." As far as objective setting, Hummel (2004) quotes from an interview by means of one of Dell's employees, "The corporation is team paying attention and tremendously goal-oriented, as in the military, Archer (interviewee) said. It is a rough life on the floor," Archer said. "It's extremely significant that the leadership is identified by the men and women." The Assistant answered that "Dell" it is a very huge organisation with more than 500 employees and the HR Department is not working in the correct way. For example, he said every 100 employees need to have an HR person but now in the Dell Inc there are only two for all the employees. In order to have a good working results the HR with the corporation of the Line Managers, he tries to give the best for the employees. The Assistant answered that the Dell Inc is a business that has many employees that work only temporary and those employees don't have the opportunity to learn many things about the HR Department. On the other hand, for the permanent employees they know what the HR provides them with. The Dell Inc gives to each employee informal papers for the role of HR and it provides them with seminars to inform them the role of HR. Question 4: Do you apply any kind of technical equipment in the Dell One of the reward systems that the Dell applies was the technology equipment for employee of the year. In this reward system every Line Manager of all the departments has a meeting in order to decide who the best employee is and who will take a hardware. Question 5: The relations between the employees affect the motivation of the employees, therefore their performance, too. What measures does the HR department takes in order to create good employee relations The Assistant said that again with the athletic activities they get to learn each other better, they become friendlier and this environment exists at work too. Also twice a year the Dell Inc gives some money so that all the departments goes out for dinner and have fun. Question 6: At which point do you allow employees to involve at the HR department's decision making He said that there are different types of commissions which are consisted by employees and through meetings some ideas about many things like health and safety are taken. The final decisions are taken after they have a meeting with the HR person. Question 7: To what degree and about which issues do you allow empl

Trade Policy, Firm Behavior, and Economic Development in Vietnam Case Study

Trade Policy, Firm Behavior, and Economic Development in Vietnam - Case Study Example The key determinant of Vietnam’s trade policy is the 1986 Doi Moi Renovation Policy, which sought to shift the country from the left to a middle position in terms of economic and governance policy system. Under Doi Moi, the government has two positions; the first is to transform the economy from a centrally planned one to a free market economy and the second is to promote export oriented industries (Auffret 2). The transformation of the nation’s economy was done by the devalution of the currency, breaking state-owned monopolies, privatization and the development of trade policy instruments like tariffs, quotas and licensing. The nation also has mechanisms that seek to support export oriented industries like manufacturing industies. The nation has pegged its currency, the Dong to world market prices and it is fixed by the forces of demand and supply. Due to this, prices of goods and services are standardized. This makes it propitious for the elements of the market economy to function effecitvely and efficiently. Vietnam has a trade policy that supports the establisment of private sector companies. This is done through an incentive structure that utilizes tax discrimination to support some private ventures particularly export-oriented manufacturers (Athukoralan). With strengthened structures within the country, Vietnam seeks to expand its influence into other nations around the globe through multilateral and bilateral trade arrangements with other countries. These policies are meant to create a conducive atmosphere for international trade and also create an unending trend of demand for Vietnamese goods around the globe. Vietnam is a member of ASEAN which gives it economic links with its neigbhbors and causes it to follow the collective actions of these nations to protect national interests. It is also a member of the World Trade Organization which in turn

Case Study on Dish Network Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Case Study on Dish Network Corporation - Essay Example The company was among the first companies in the world to introduce the system of pay-TV services to its customers. The mission of the company is to provide best entertainment services at affordable price, add more entertainment channels and offer high value services such as high-speed internet. The company being large is facing certain problems such as employee dissatisfaction, few legal cases, high expenditure due to such legal cases, weak distribution channel, cut throat competition, entry of new companies in the industry and customer complaints with regards to service and payment issues. The company can create problem solving team also known as the steering committee to follow a step wise method for developing a business case. This would include the identified problems relating to Dish Network. The team would mention the problems and causes of the problems. Then alternatives solutions for the problems would be identified and proper cost/benefit analysis is done to check their via bility. Feasibility analysis of the solutions is done to evaluate the economic, social, environmental and legal factors of the external and internal resources of the company. After testing the solutions on these scales, the final implementation is done. The implementation includes steps such as time allocation and preparation of work schedules to estimate the time frame of implementation. Then the last or the evaluation step is carried out. In this step the company analyses the affect of such implementation and formulates new guidelines for the company. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Company Overview 4 Business problems of Dish Network 5 Methodology 7 Position 8 Sense 10 Uncover 11 Solve 13 Build 14 Achieve 15 Conclusion 16 Reference 18 Bibliography 19 Company Overview The Dish Network Corporation is one of the largest satellite broadcasters in United States. The company provides service to about 14 million subscribers. The clients of Dish Networks are in hospitality sector, retail, restaurants, etc. They provide services like on-demand videos, local, international and specialty sports channels, blockbuster movies and pay per view facilities in addition to the basic program package. Dish Network as almost 34,000 employees. The corporate office of Dish Network is mainly based in Meridian, Colorado. The company provides internet and voice services through its partners. About 90 percent of the company is controlled by Charlie Ergen, the chairman of the company (â€Å"Is DISH Network a great company, or what†). The customers of Dish Networks can access hundreds of audio & video channels, international channels and Interactive TV applications. The company also provides more than 280 basic video channels to its customers, 2500 local channels and about 30 movie channels. It covers about 93 percent of the United States household. The customers receive the programming through in-house equipment which includes a satellite dish and a set-top box. Some recei vers are also internet-protocol compatible. It allows the customers to view programs through the internet connection (â€Å"Investor relations dish network†). There is stiff competition in the satellite market. The nearest competitor of Dish Network is DirecTV Group. DirecTV is one of the largest pay-tv in US. It is larger in size and stronger capital base than the Dish Networks. Moreover, the network of DirecTV is stronger than Dish TV and it is sold in more stores than Dish Networks. There are also some large providers of cable service successfully competing with Dish Network, they are Time Warner Cable and Comcast. The Time Warner Cable Inc. is a cable service provider in US. It offers video channels, voice services and high speed data through its broadband services. Whereas, Comcast is also

Enterprise Resource Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Enterprise Resource Planning - Assignment Example "The ERP market showed solid organic growth in 2004 as IT spending improved," says Jim Shepherd, vice president of research at AMR Research. "The market was also affected by consolidation within the segment, as well as ERP vendors acquiring best-of-breed players to broaden their portfolios." The top ten ERP vendors by revenue are in the following order: SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft (acquired by Oracle December 28, 2004), Sage Group, Microsoft Business Solutions, SSA Global, Geac, Intentia, Lawson, Infor Global Solutions. The report, "The Market Analytix Report: Enterprise Resource Planning, 2004-2009", delivers revenue and growth rates for the top ERP players as well as growth forecasts through 2009. AMR Research expects the enterprise applications market to grow from $47.8 billion in 2004 to $64.8 billion by 2009. SAP has had a solid reputation and has been the market leader and its revenues grew from about $8 billion in 2003 to about $9.4 billion in 2004. That amounts to a 17 percent increase in revenue, with software licenses up by 20%. SAP reached these figures without any major acquisitions. Being a viable alternative to confused customers who were witness to the Oracle and PeopleSoft takeover saga, it benefited by luring their customers towards its products. When it is all said and done, SAP-owned 40 percent of the market for ERP software in 2004, says AMR, which predicts SAP will own 43 percent of the market by the end of 2005. To do this, SAP must grow revenues 11 percent this year to about $10.4 billion. The sap is growing very well and is expected to gain more than twice the revenue and market share of Oracle by the end of 2005.Before the hostile takeover of Peoplesoft by Oracle in 2003, PeopleSoft was the second largest ERP vendor with 13 percent of the market, and Oracle was a clos e third with about 12 percent of the market. In 2004, the combined market share of those two vendors dropped two percentage points to 22 percent, and in 2005, the combined Oracle-PeopleSoft will drop three more points to 19 percent of the market, according to AMR. Microsoft Business Solutions garnered a solid 13 percent from $683 million to $775 million, to claim 3 percent of the market. AMR sees the ERP division of the world's largest software company growing revenues by 15 percent in 2005, to $891 million, which would give it a 4 percent share.  

Customer Value by Amway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Customer Value by Amway - Essay Example The present research has identified that Amway ensures that its products are satisfactory. This attracts the interest of customers and clients in the products and promotes the brand image. Customer retention and customer value are also realized. Constant research aimed at finding ways of improving the quality of Amway’s products and ensuring adherence to customers’ preferences is undertaken. The company does this through the over 500 active research employees it has employed. The company takes part in corporate responsibility programs (CSR) at an international level. This is a benefit to communities living within Amway’s business environment as they also gain from the company’s profits. Amway services the customer and not a global market or organizations. Its concentration is on the customer and ensuring that his needs and demands are met. This is expressed in the company’s vision. From the case study presented, it is clear that Amway ensures that c onsumers benefit from its products by offering quality products and indirectly rewarding the clients through corporate social responsibility.

Analyse why the requirements for patentability of an invention are so Essay

Analyse why the requirements for patentability of an invention are so strict. Explain, with reasons, whether this is justified - Essay Example (Brettell, Barker). A Patent is defined as a legal document granted by the government giving an inventor the exclusive right to make, use and sell an invention for a specified number of years. The endeavour of the patent system is to encourage inventors to advance the state of technology by awarding them special rights to benefit from their inventions. Patent Law has also been extended to cover Computer programs and various living organisms, such as specialized mice used in cancer research. A recent trend in the field of Patent Law is the extension of patentability to new ways of doing business for example; the method of conducting an auction on the Internet is patented. With respect to books, movies, and works of art the law of copyright is applicable. (Schechter, Roger E).1 First, it must be novel in the sense that the invention did not have prior existence. This will be determined by the patent examiners who will make all efforts to determine the nature of the invention and if they find that the proposed invention had already been described in previous patents or written about in scientific magazines, then they will declare that the invention has been â€Å"anticipated.† Whenever it is concluded that such an eventuality has transpired then in such cases, the patent will be denied. The following case law illustrates this point: Secondly, the invention must not be obvious, which implies that the invention must be a significant improvement over the existing technology. Rudimentary changes to previously known devices do not qualify an invention for a patentable invention. The relevant case law in this regard is as follows: These decisions clearly show that unless the inventive step is new and non – obvious a patent will not be granted. The stringency of the patent act is clearly illustrated here and no exceptions are

A REVIEW OF PIECE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH EXAMINING CHANGES IN MONEY Essay

A REVIEW OF PIECE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH EXAMINING CHANGES IN MONEY MANAGMENT - Essay Example e their finances, in particular the way the expenses for children and child care are paid, and who is most responsible for those expenses, can still be a route to inequality. The paper leads the reader to understand that the individualization of finances, though leading to a real sense of autonomy, could still leave women with the belief that they are still the primary care givers of society. In â€Å"Research Methods in Politics† it says, â€Å"The ability to research, and therefore provide evidence to corroborate a particular view of the world, is clearly vital to the discipline of political science.† (Brunham, 2004: 1) Keeping the above thought in mind, we must understand what Pahl was intending by making such a statement. The paper did not put forth any particular reason(s) or solution to the inequality problem as presented, it only stated that there could be an unexpected end result. The methodology used for the paper was fairly extensive, citing both the author’s own research and a number of different studies, interviews, books and research papers that substantiated the author’s premise. The paper incorporated a lengthy reference list, with over thirty references to research directly related to the article. There was a lot of material crammed into such a short article, so much so, that it may have been too overbearing. â€Å"Presenting the findings of a survey can be quite complicated, and it is easy to lose the reader in a mass of detail† (Punch, 2003: 72). Learning how to present, and maybe even more importantly, how not to present information, was something that this author could have done a little better. Even though the writer is faced with more options when presenting the findings, and has a little more leeway in presenting those findings, if the information contained in the rest of the article has already overwhelmed the reader, then the findings may not make as much sense as desired. The structure of the paper was fairly straight

A Brief History of the Hybrid Vehicle Essay Example for Free

A Brief History of the Hybrid Vehicle Essay First built in the early 1900s by inventors tinkering with combinations of the electric motor and the gasoline engine, hybrid vehicles were dropped when gasoline-fueled vehicles became more reliable and easier to start, and gasoline fuel more readily available. Research and development of hybrid vehicles was revived by concern about oil dependency in the1970s and about air pollution in the late 1980s. A number of hybrid vehicles have been built and tested since 1980. Some of these vehicles have impressed analysts with their performance and low levels of exhaust and petroleum consumption. Interest in hybrid vehicles jumped in late 1993 with the announcement of funding for two major collaborations. The US Department of Energy signed a five-year, $138 million development agreement with General Motors and a $122 million agreement with Ford to design and build preproduction hybrid prototypes that could be marketed in less than 10 years. [1] All these were done because hybrid electric vehicles are expected to be the future of vehicles worldwide. Definition One considers a vehicle to be a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power. For example, a mo-ped (a motorized pedal bike) is a hybrid because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal power of its rider. Similarly, the gasoline-electric hybrid car is a combination of both an electric car and a gasoline-powered one. That is, it makes use of both electricity and gasoline to provide the energy to turn the wheels of the car. Figure 1 shows a gas-powered car. [2] Components Of A Gasoline Powered Car The 4-cylinder engine converts gasoline into motion so that the car can move. The easiest way it does this is to burn the gasoline inside the engine. Therefore is acts as an internal combustion engine i. e. combustion takes place internally. Gasoline powered car engines typically have over 100 horsepower and operate at speeds up to 8000 RPM. The fuel tank stores and supplies gasoline to the engine. It can typically store enough fuel to provide the engine with energy capable of moving the car through a distance of 300 miles or more. Figure 2 below shows an electric car, which has a set of batteries that provides electricity to an electric motor. The motor turns a transmission, and the transmission turns the wheels. [3] Components Of An Electric Car The batteries store and provide energy to the electric motor in an electric car just as the fuel tank does for the engine in a gasoline powered car. It usually gives the car a range of 50 100 miles which is much less than that typically provided by a fuel tank (300 miles). The electric motor is the device that provides motion in an electric car. It converts the energy it receives from the batteries into motion which is used to turn a transmission which then in turn rotates the wheels. It is able to spin up to 15000 RPM and has up to 100 kW of power. Since this motion is connected to the transmission, the transmission also spins the wheel up to this rate. Thus, electric cars would tend to move faster than gasoline powered cars. Components Common To Both The Electric Car And The Gasoline Powered Car The transmission is the device that does the actual turning of the wheel in both cars. There are several ways of combining the two sources of power found in a hybrid car. The Parallel Hybrid Car: This has a fuel tank which supplies gasoline to the engine. In addition, it has a set of batteries that supplies power to an electric motor. Both the engine and the engine motor can turn the transmission at the same time and the transmission then turns the wheels. Figure 3 shows a typical parallel hybrid. The fuel tank and gas engine connect to the transmission. The batteries and electric motor also connect to the transmission independently. As a result, in a parallel hybrid, both the electric motor and the gas engine can provide propulsion power. The Series Hybrid Car: The gasoline engine in this car turns a generator and the generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. Thus the gasoline engine never directly powers the vehicle. All of the components form a line that eventually connects with the transmission. [4] Hybrid Components Gasoline engine The hybrid car has a gasoline engine much like the one you will find on most cars. However, the engine on a hybrid is smaller and uses advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency. The engine turns the generator. It is not able to power the car directly. Fuel tank The fuel tank in a hybrid is the energy storage device for the gasoline engine. Gasoline has a much higher energy density than batteries do. For example, it takes about 1,000 pounds of batteries to store as much energy as 1 gallon (7 pounds) of gasoline. Electric motor The electric motor on a hybrid car is very sophisticated. Advanced electronics allow it to act as a motor as well as a generator. For example, when it needs to, it can draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. But acting as a generator, it can slow the car down and return energy to the batteries. Generator The generator is similar to an electric motor, but it acts only to produce electrical power. It is used mostly on series hybrids. It is where the gas engines power gets converted to electrical power to drive the motor or charge the batteries. Batteries The batteries in a hybrid car are the energy storage device for the electric motor. Unlike the gasoline in the fuel tank, which can only power the gasoline engine, the electric motor on a hybrid car can put energy into the batteries as well as draw energy from them. They can store energy recovered from braking or generated by the motor. Transmission The transmission on a hybrid car performs the same basic function as the transmission on a conventional car i.e. turns the wheels. The motor can spin fast enough so that the transmission needs only one gear. Some hybrids, like the Honda Insight, have conventional transmissions. Others, like the Toyota Prius, have radically different ones like the CVT. CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission. It is used to vary the transmission ratio in vehicles continuously. The way CVT works depends on the type: Friction CVTs vary the radius of the contact point between two rotating objects, thus the tangential velocity; Hydrostatic CVTs vary the fluid flow with variable displacement pumps into hydrostatic motors; Ratcheting CVTs vary the stroke of a reciprocating motion, which is connected to a free-wheel, resulting unidirectional rotation. Image courtesy DaimlerChrysler The Mercedes-Benz M-Class HYPER a hybrid concept vehicle[5] Reasons For The Introduction Of Hybrid Electric Vehicles To reduce tailpipe emissions: Gasoline cars are a major source of these emissions. Many attempts are being made by several organizations to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from cars through the development of hybrid electric vehicles. For example, Nutley, NJ-based Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. (Roche), the U. S. prescription drug unit of the Roche Group, recently announced plans to integrate Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles into its pharmaceutical sales fleet in an effort to help achieve the companys goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent over the next five years. [6] To improve mileage: Automakers in the US need to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards as required by law. At present, all new cars sold should be 27. 5mpg (8. 55 liters per 100km). [7] To overcome the shortcomings of an electric car: Electric cars have a short charge. They lacked the range (energy density of electric-vehicle batteries hovered around 70 to 100 watt-hours per kilogram, which automotive engineers called unacceptable) and the quick recharge time the auto industry said it needed. An example is seen in the case where GM introduced the EV1 in 1996. It had a top speed of 183 MPH, faster than any other production car out. It had a limiter that would not let it get above 85 MPH, because to drive the car at 183 MPH would deplete the batteries of their charge within 10 minutes. [8] Energy Consumption: Hybrid Electric Vehicles consume less energy than Internal-Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. [9] Why Are Hybrid Electric Vehicles A Better Choice? An important aspect of hybrid electric vehicles is that they make use of smaller engines. There are many advantages to this: Big engines are heavier than smaller ones so the car uses more energy anytime it accelerates or drives up a hill. The displacement of the cylinders is larger so each cylinder requires a greater volume of fuel. Bigger engines usually have more cylinders, and each cylinder uses fuel every time the engine fires, even if the car isnt moving. These are the reasons there is a difference in the mileage of two cars of the same model with different engines. If both cars are driving along the freeway at the same speed, the one with the smaller engine uses less energy. Both engines have to output the same amount of power to drive the car, but the small engine uses less power to drive itself. In a hybrid car, the gasoline engine can be much smaller than the one in a conventional car and thus can be more efficient. The engine in the hybrid car is powerful enough to move the car along on the freeway, but when it needs to get the car moving in a hurry, or go up a steep hill, it needs help. That help comes from the electric motor and battery this system steps in to provide the necessary extra power. The gas engine on a conventional car is sized for the peak power requirement (those few times when you floor the accelerator pedal). In fact, most drivers use the peak power of their engines less than one percent of the time. The hybrid car uses a much smaller engine, one that is sized closer to the average power requirement than to the peak power. Ways Hybrid Electric Vehicles Reduce Energy Consumption Besides a smaller, more efficient engine, todays hybrids use many other tricks to increase fuel efficiency. Some of those tricks will help any type of car get better mileage, and some only apply to a hybrid. To squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gasoline, a hybrid car can: Recover energy and store it in the battery Whenever you step on the brake pedal in your car, you are removing energy from the car. The faster a car is going, the more kinetic energy it has. The brakes of a car remove this energy and dissipate it in the form of heat. A hybrid car can capture some of this energy and store it in the battery to use later. It does this by using regenerative braking. That is, instead of just using the brakes to stop the car, the electric motor that drives the hybrid can also slow the car. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is slowing down. Sometimes shut off the engine A hybrid car does not need to rely on the gasoline engine all of the time because it has an alternate power source the electric motor and batteries. So the hybrid car can sometimes turn off the gasoline engine, for example when the vehicle is stopped at a red light. Figure 5. The frontal area profile of a small and large car Use advanced aerodynamics to reduce drag When you are driving on the freeway, most of the work your engine does goes into pushing the car through the air. This force is known as aerodynamic drag. This drag force can be reduced in a variety of ways. One sure way is to reduce the frontal area of the car (Figure 5). Think of how a big SUV has to push a much greater area through the air than a tiny sports car. Reducing disturbances around objects that stick out from the car or eliminating them altogether can also help to improve the aerodynamics. For example, covers over the wheel housings smooth the airflow and reduce drag. And sometimes, mirrors are replaced with small cameras. Use low-rolling resistance tires The tires on most cars are optimized to give a smooth ride, minimize noise, and provide good traction in a variety of weather conditions. But they are rarely optimized for efficiency. In fact, the tires cause a surprising amount of drag while you are driving. Hybrid cars use special tires that are both stiffer and inflated to a higher pressure than conventional tires. The result is that they cause about half the drag of regular tires. Use lightweight materials Reducing the overall weight of a car is one easy way to increase the mileage. A lighter vehicle uses less energy each time you accelerate or drive up a hill. Composite materials like carbon fiber or lightweight metals like aluminum and magnesium can be used to reduce weight. [10] Despite the advantages of hybrid vehicles, they are a middling choice whose future is far from assured. They are likely to be a victim of regulatory circumstance in the near term, pushed aside by improvements in gasoline emissions and by the Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) mandate which states that a specified percentage of manufacturers sales consist of ZEVs. [11] In the longer term, they will be squeezed between improving batteries and emerging fuel cells. If only fuel cells and advanced batteries falter, hybrid vehicles would have considerable promise and could play a central role in creating a more sustainable transportation system. Nissan Motor Company CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that he is unsure whether hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) will remain competitive in the compact car market if the price of gasoline drops in the future. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Ghosn acknowledged that Nissan will unveil a new HEV in 2006 as planned, but only to meet tightening emission regulations in California. Ghosn expressed doubt that U. S. benchmark crude prices would remain at current levels of $50 per barrel, which is fueling strong demand for HEVs. Reuters said Nissan instead plans to market its new fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered Tiida compact car to environmentally conscious drivers. [12] Disadvantages Of Hybrid Electric Vehicles By combining two propulsion systems and their associated energy storage units, they are inherently more complex than both pure battery-powered electric and pure internal-combustion vehicles. Comments [1] Daniel Sperling; Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation, pg 101 [2] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car1. htm [3] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car1. htm [4] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car2. htm [5] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car3. htm [6]http://web1. infotrac. galegroup. com/itw/infomark/155/298/52759225w1/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A122672547dyn=5! xrn_15_0_A122672547?sw_aep=swar94187, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Today, Sept 30, 2004 p0 , Article A122672547 [7]. http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car4. htm [8] http://www. morphizm. com/observations/borah/borah_corner1. html [9] Daniel Sperling; Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation, pg 100 [10] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car8. htm [11] Daniel Sperling; Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation, pg 2 [12] Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Today, Oct. 7, 2004, p0; Article A122947647.

Huntington Theory - Military Professional Essay Example for Free

Huntington Theory Military Professional Essay Scholars like Kaplan, Friedman, Huntington and Barnett have postulated various theories on military service. Samuel P Huntington is one of the scholars who have postulated theories of military service. His theory is also referred to as the normal theory. This paper seeks to show how Huntington’s theory impacts on one’s future in military service. Discussion Owen M (2010) gives credit to Samuel Huntington for his role in developing the normal theory. Owen points out that through this theory Huntington endeavored to solve the dilemma of â€Å"how to guarantee civilian control of the military while still ensuring the ability of the uniformed military to provide security. † Huntington cited in Owen (2010) says the solution to this dilemma lies in â€Å"a mechanism for creating and maintaining a professional, apolitical military establishment, which he called â€Å"objective control. In this regard, Huntington cited in Williams (1995), says the community should have control over the military and army professionals should be denied some of the privileges enjoyed by civilians like political affiliations. Politics is a game of numbers, in my view, this may disadvantage military officers who harbour ambitious of venturing in politics because they are denied involvement in political parties affairs. This impacts negatively on their popularity with the voters. However, there are those candidates such as 2008 republican candidate John McCain who used their experience in the military as a campaign tool to endear themselves to the voters. In my view, professional and experienced military officers make better commander in chief of the armed forces. Additionally, Idsa (2010) concurs with Huntington that one way of achieving civilian control of the military is by ensuring that the funding of the military is left in the hands of the civilian institutions. Idsa points out that civilian institutions should allow the military to advise them on military matters but ultimately the military should only executive those decisions approved by the civilian institutions. In my view this may endanger the lives of military officers. Due to high budgetary needs of a country, military equipment needed in times of war may be sacrificed to meet other needs in another sector of the economy. Huntington theory goes along way in developing responsible and knowledgeable persons. As Idsa (2010) points out military professionals should present their considerations within the appropriate â€Å"channel of authority and communication. † To effectively carry out his/her duties, Huntington as cited in Williams (1995) states that an army officer must be highly expertise, cooperative and responsible in his profession. He meant that an officer must be well knowledgeable in combating violence. Williams (1995) while says that after training the officers should only work with three words â€Å"duty, honor, country. † As a result, Huntington envisaged a military force free of corruption. The officer is expected to be different from other skilled workers in that money should not play any part enticing one to join the forces. However, the army professional should be well rewarded so as to promote hiring, maintain the officers in the force and boost their morale. Williams (1995) says that Huntington argued that a well skilled army professional should be willing to observe the legal requirements made by citizen organizations recognized by law. In addition, the officers should accept to act as subordinates to individuals as required by legalized community organizations. The military officers are expected to hold a high opinion of their career and should not cause civil unrest or run the government. Since the army professionals are recruited with certain levels of qualification, and by the virtue that they belong in the same profession and hold same competencies, the officers tend to exhibit cooperativeness. This supports the statement of Huntington as quoted by Williams (1995) that â€Å"the members of a profession share a sense of organic unity and consciousness of themselves as a group apart from laymen. . This attribute is fostered by their common training which take quite a long duration, collective discipline and sharing of their societal tasks (Williams, 1995). Conclusion In view of the above statements, Huntington theory helps in creating and maintaining cordial relations between the civilians and the military officers. A professional force envisaged in this theory will go along in ensuring peaceful co-existence helps fight vices such as cor ruption and military coups.

Devolution In The UK | Analysis

Devolution In The UK | Analysis This essay has explained the process of devolution in the UK. It has also compared the UK with other countries, such as, Iran, Iraq, Spain, Belgium and Bahrain in respect of devolution. It has been discussed the differences between the above countries in respect of continental, geopolitical, cultural and religious factors. The process of devolution in the UK has been mentioned as a democratic process, and how nations have been allowed to express their political and cultural solicitations. Comparisons and the differences between Catalans, Flanders and Bahrainians have been analysed. The essay also compared the differences between Wales and Kurdistan in respect of devolution. It has been found that the people of Catalonia in Spain and Flanders in Belgium have got similar problems which are based on linguistic and historical conflicts. It has been considered that the main problem between people in Bahrain, based on religious differences, because of the Sunni Muslim being in minority rule the Shi`i Muslims are in the majority. According to the content of this essay, one of the main factors that encourage the minority nations towards separation and devolution is based on discriminatory policies by central government. It has been mentioned that in democratic countries the process of devolution is more peaceful and more successful in comparison to non-democratic countries. Devolution in the UK Introduction This assignment explains and covers the process of devolution in the UK and the advantages and disadvantages of devolution. It also compares the UK to other countries with similar situations, in respect of political, geopolitical, national, cultural and historical factors. It will also discuss what shifts the nations towards devolution, why nations want more power from central government what are the barriers in the fore front of the process of devolution, who is slowing down the speed of decentralisation. In order to compare and contrast the process of devolution in the UK ,with other countries in Europe and even other countries outside of Europe, for example, countries such as Iran, Iraq, Spain, Belgium, Turkey and Bahrain. To explore these information within this essay some sources need to be searched, such as, internet, books and journals. This essay will cover the history and foundation of devolution in the UK; it will explain the process of devolution in countries within the UK, such as, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In terms of barriers in the fore front of devolution by political parties in the UK, this assignment discuss and discover the reasons, why those parties preventing the process of devolution, such as , Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Main body History and foundation of devolution in the UK It looks at the history of devolution in the UK, how a form of administrative devolution started in Scotland in 1885, when the Scottish Office was established as a department of the UK government. The Scottish Office for some issues had more responsibility which in England and Wales was dealt with by Whitehall departments. (Jennifer, 2008) There were some other attempts by the Scottish government such as the referendum in 1979 to establish a Scottish Assembly which wasnt supported by the majority of the electorate. In 1989 the Scottish Constitutional Convention was established which was supported by the people of Scotland and political parties to draw up a detailed blueprint for devolution including a proposal for a directly elected Parliament for Scottish with wide legislative power. (Jennifer, 2008) There are some other countries with similar geopolitical situation as the UK. The comparison of the UK with countries like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Spain and Belgium, there are differences between each country, in respect of geographical, cultural, political, and economical factors and religion but they have something in common. All of them have been established by a variety of nations, and these countries have been ruled by one nation which is in the majority, however, the nation rule such countries often is not in majority. For example, over 70% of the population in Bahrain are Shi`i Muslim but the government run by Sunnis in the minority. (Ojallan, 1999, p 120) There are some reasons why other nations in those countries want more power, autonomy or independence. A reason could be that the nation which is in power deprives and tries to assimilate the smaller nations, therefore, deprived nations attempt to obtain their own independence or autonomy or to have more power to make appropriate and enthusiastic decisions for their own regions. (Ojallan, 1999, p 134) To gain these kinds of powers two things have usually been used as political tools, devolution and revolution. In terms of devolution there are some similarities between the UK and Spain in respect of multinationals, there are other nations in Spain such as Catalonia and the Basques, they have their own autonomy. (Ojallan, 1999, p 140) The effect of devolution in the UK and how nations such as Wales, Scotland, and Ireland have been affected by devolution, People who lives in Wales see the advantages of devolution in Wales. As Welsh people are in the process of devolution they see how devolution create a greater regional identity and develops those structures that support the growth of business, political power, social welfare and culture which suit the people in the region. (Mitchell, 2009) Devolution enables Wales, Scotland, and Ireland to have more power to make their own decisions on the basis of cultural, politics and economical factors relevant for their regional demands. (Ryder, 2004) HISTORY OF DEVOLUTION IN WALES To really understand the importance of devolution in Wales, people need to look at the history of the country. As in every country in the world, the people of Wales have got their own geographical, cultural and political identity. People in the Wales faced a linguistic challenge from 18th century till 20th century, when the Welsh language was forbidden by the government in Westminster. In 1845 the Minister of State of Education was summoned to the Westminster parliament for an inquiry. As a result of that a commission of 3 young English advocates carried out an examination and ended up with a report which was published in 1847. Finally, they came to the conclusion that as well as poverty and degradation, the Welsh background and language had created barriers and affected the economical, educational and moral progress. As Sir Reginald Couplad mentioned It is not surprising that the Commissioners should have swept aside the ancient language of Wales as ruthlessly as Macauley a decade earlier had swept aside the ancient languages of India. But the commissioners ignored the fact that the reasons for poor educational, economical, moral conditions and poverty in Wales were discriminatory policies in central government. Thus, people of Wales had no chance except being poor and that is why Wales wanted more power and the people of Wales continued to fight to protect their identity and prevent the English ruling class from considering Welsh people as the same contempt with the people of Africa and India 50 years ago. (Kireey, 2007) By looking at the history of the United Kingdoms flag how introduced and imposed to the UK by two Acts then you see the advantages of devolution in Wales. Henry VIII announced himself as king of Wales. Those acts forbade the Welsh language from being used in official places, this encouraged young wealthy Welsh man to go to London for their fortune and influence, and stop speaking Welsh. The English rulers attempted to change or remove the Welsh cultural principles and identity. This trend continued until 1746 when a Law was passed by parliament stating any Act by English Parliament automatically would include Wales, this process continued until 1967. (Kireey, 2007) In the 20th century Wales started getting back what they had lost in identity, accordingly, the Ministry of Education was created in 1907 and in 1957 Wales got Minister of State and gradually in 1964 he was given a position in the cabinet of the UK. From 1979 till 1997 when the Tory party was lead by Thatcher and Major, unemployment rose, coal, steel mines were destroyed, thus, the relationship between Tories and the Welsh people got darker and people lost their hope with the Tories. These poor policies and (historical conflict and cultural differences) were a good start for Welsh nationalists to encourage the public to decentralise the power and prepare Wales for a referendum in 1979 when the Labour Party took over the government. By the time Labour came to power in 1979 devolution was promised along with Scotland and Ireland. The first referendum occurred in 1979 whether to have a devolved Assembly or not. However, the majority of Welsh the people voted against devolution in the referendum. (Kireey, 2007) Discriminatory policies from Central Government towards Wales were sceptically considered as factors of devolution in Wales. Three decades ago majority of Welsh voters rejected the government Wales devolution Act in a Referendum in 1979 by 79.8% to 20.20%. Nearly two decades later Welsh people voted in a referendum in 1997 for devolution which resulted in 50.3% in favour and 49.7% against .( Kireey,2007) Therefore, the referendum in 1997 delivered the establishment of the National Assembly of Wales; this referendum shows how people`s opinion has changed in Wales during these two decades. According to E.S.R.C (2004), (Economic and Social research Council) in a series of surveys they found out how Welsh people welcomed devolution and the continuation of that process and even in some cases demand a strong and powerful parliament for Wales and how these trend became a popular opinion. (Wyn , 2004) According to the same survey, nearly two -thirds of the Welsh population are now in favour of devolution compare to 1979. People in Wales have more trust in National Assembly of Wales to act in Wales than the central government in Westminster. For instance, the same survey shows that 67.6% of Welsh people trusted in the Welsh Assembly at least most of the time, to act in Wales but only 23.1% of people said it doesnt make any difference for them. Wales as other nations has got internal differences, thus, these differences undoubtedly played a great role to change people`s attitude to welcome the referendum in 1997 and 1999 National Assembly for Wales election. Politician in Wales focused on three suggestions in order to encourage Welsh voters to vote in favour of devolution, these were: Strengthen the sense of Welsh national identity Help to develop a more civic (rather than ethnic) Welsh identity Strengthen Wales affinity with Britain According to ESRC (2004) the sense of Welsh national identity is stronger amongst younger voters. For example, this tables in below shows the differences by age. (Wyn , 2004) National Identity 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65+ Welsh, Not British 27.4 22.3 25.9 23.1 20.0 20.0 20.8 More Welsh than British 36.9 32.5 30.7 24.5 25.0 28.8 21.9 British not Welsh 8.3 9.5 11.6 12.5 5.0 9.8 9.8 NATION IDENTITY BY AGE COHORT, 2003 (%) (Wyn, 2004) The three referendums in Wales It was for the third time that the Welsh people voted for devolution in a referendum since 1979. There are some differences between the referendum in 1979, 1997 and 2011. The referendum in 1979 was the foundation of devolution for further referendums in Wales. In spite of that, Welsh people voted against devolution in the first referendum. The first referendum in 1979 created a positive atmosphere, however, the majority of the Welsh people voted against devolution because it was an informative start for future devolution referendums in Wales. The comparison of the second and third referendums shows the difference between now and thirty years ago in respect of people`s understanding about the advantages of devolution for the Welsh economy and cultural identities. (O`Reilly, 2011) In a speech in Cardiff University the Former First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan, said that since the first devolution in 1979, Wales has created 120,000 more jobs and he believed it was the right time for Wales to have what Scotland and Northern Ireland had obtained decades ago. On the other side, unofficial spokeswomen for True Wales group NO campaigner, Rachel Banner, believes that Wales is in different stage compared to Scotland and Northern Ireland. She said, Northern Ireland has got its own particular traditions and Scotland has got its own educational system for hundred years. (Withers, 2011) Abby O`Reilly a news paper writer, believes that one of the main reasons that the majority of people voted against devolution in 1979 referendum was because people werent informed about the content and advantages of the devolution. She believes that a lot of the Welsh people were still confused whether vote yes or no. She also mentioned in her Guardian article, February 2011, My friends either have no interest in voting, or plan to vote yes .A vast number of the electorate currently range from confused to indifferent, with 29% unsure how to vote or planning to abstain. (O`Reilly, 2011) She believes over 90% of welsh people read English newspapers which are devoid of Welsh news. She also believes Welsh politics are marginalised by English press. However, one of the most effective tools to inform people about the content of voting is an official campaigns which is absent in the most of the time in Wales. (O`Reilly, 2011) O`Reilly claims that, the main campaigner for True Wales tactically was short sighted and her aim wasnt only to inform people about the risk of yes vote for referendum, However, she was confused and didnt know the exact aim of referendum. Banner was supported by Welsh rugby union executive Roger Lewis, however, she said, Yes for Wales was nonetheless denied public funding because legally campaigns must be funded on both sides, or not at all. (O`Reilly, 2011) The common interest of nationalist parties in Wales and Scotland The referendum in 1979 was a good opportunity for the nationalist parties in the UK to accelerate their political activities, such as Plaid Cymru and SNP (Scottish National Party). Nationalism is used as a strong political method in politics in the UK. (Fusaro, 1979) Unlike Nationalist parties in Northern Ireland, the two nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales they werent violent and they were less familiar to the English people. Plaid Cymru and SNP both used the logical method of the referendum to raise people`s attention and they have been more successful in elections in recent years. The important ideological differences between SNP and Plaid Cymru were based on historical differences between Wales and Scotland. Another difference is Plaid Cymru usually is to the left in respect of politics, whilst SNP usually stands to the right of the centre. But they have got common interests to support each other in order to reduce the power of Westminster. (Fusaro, 1979) The last referendum on 3th of May 2011, gives more power to Wales. This referendum was very vital and important for Welsh people in general and politicians in particular. Politicians as true representatives of the public in Wales can pass its own laws without asking for permission from Westminster. The majority of constituencies in Wales voted in favour of allowing the Welsh Assembly to legislate instead of Westminster in devolved policy areas, such as health, education and transport. These new powers will be executed in May 2011. This is a clear indicator of a new history of true Wales to determine its own destiny and take the appropriate steps for a better Wales. However, there are areas which will remain within the responsibility of central government; these are economy policies, defence and foreign affairs, policing, criminal justice, social security, employment and energy. (Wyn J, 2011) Political parties have different views about devolution in Wales Most of the Conservatives in Wales believed that the Plaid Cymru see devolution as a tool towards independence, thus, they were opposing Plaid Cymru idea of devolution. They were determined to confront further devolution in Wales, but in recent referendum on 3th of March 2011, the leadership of Conservatives in Wales was supporting the YES campaign. (Jones, 2010) This change in Conservatives policy towards devolution in Wales shows that people in Wales are determined to continue the process of devolution. On the other side, Labour, Plaid and Liberal Democrats as usual supporting the process of devolution for further referendum, however, there are some members of Labour and Liberal Democrats are have no desire to show further devolution in Wales. The coalition between Labour and Plaid could squeeze the power of the Conservatives in Wales. (Copus, 2009) Other significant reason that might help Nationalist Parties and Labour in Wales and Scotland was the discriminatory and wrong policies by the government of Thatcher before 1997. During 1979 and 1990 when Thatcher was prime minster she changed the economical policies and deregulated the financial sector then as a result of that unemployment rose rapidly especially in Wales. All these factors and discriminatory policies of Conservatives made Thatcher the most unpopular prime minster in Wales. The only political party in the UK that uniformly antagonised the devolution when it was approved in 1997 was Conservatives. (Jones, 2010) One of the main reasons that Plaid Cymru is more successful, in compare to other political parties in Wales, Plaid Cymru was established in Wales in 1925 and the main ideology of the party was independence for Wales and Social Democracy. Plaid Cymru unlike other parties in Wales concentrated on promoting and defending the culture and identity of Wales. The majority of Plaid Cymru supporters are located in the Welsh speaking areas in Wales; this is an indicator of how successful it was the nationalism slogans and policies of the party. (Simon, 2008) The leaders of plaid Cymru focuses on Waless economy, culture, language and identity. In the most of their speeches they dont mention England or other part of the UK. For instance, in a speech the leader of Plaid Cymru said that our party guaranteed over 50,000 jobs and 30,000 apprenticeships for Wales. He also said that Plaid `s policies have protected thousands of jobs in Wales during the hard recession and he also added that Wales economy will recover and once again will grow and the nation became wealthier. (Simon, 2008) Brief comparison of Kurdistan and Wales The first kingdom of Kurdistan was established 2711 years ago by king Dieko and they were known as median. Medians were in power until 580 BC, then gradually Cyrus the Great became the king of Median and Persian and incorporated both Median and Persian. One of the main reasons that Cyrus could rule these two nations was because his mother was Median and his father was Persian, thus, it was more possible for him to incorporate both nations under his kingdom. (Atroushi, 1994) In the 19th century Kurdistan was divided by two emperors the Sunni Muslim Ottomans and the Shi`i Muslim Safavids until the last Kurdish prince of Ardalan in 1865. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, President Woodrow Wilson tried to help to establish the Kurdish state in 1919. The Lausanne Treaty in 1923 completely undermined the issue of an independent Kurdistan. Having an independent country among Kurdish people anywhere in the world became a dream. One of the main differences between Wales and Kurdistan is the geopolitical location; the place where Wales is located in is Europe, this continent is the epicentre of democracy, tolerance and socialism in the world but the place where Kurdistan located is a place where countries still execute, imprison and torture the political activists. Unlike Wales Kurdistan has been occupied by some non democratic and dictator countries such as Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey they dont allow the Kurds to have referendum on independence. Kurdistan unlike other occupied nations in the world has got more potential to be an independent state. Kurdistan is rich in oil and other minerals such as; copper, iron, coal. Kurdistan is one of the best places in the earth for agriculture and as we know Kurdistan is the mother of Neolithic revolution in Mesopotamia which is now known as Kurdistan. (Atroushi, 1994) In March 1988 the world witnessed genocide against humanity in Halabja Kurdistan of Iraq. Friday March 1988 over 5000 humans lost their life by the chauvinist Arab government of Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of people fled Kurdistan to neighbouring countries to save their lives. However, after second Gulf War the resolution 688 of no fly zone was imposed to on the Iraqi government, under that resolution a part of Kurdistan got half autonomy. After the war against Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the collapse of the regime of Saddam Hussein in the same, Kurds in Iraq changed their solicitation from autonomy to federalism and this solicitation has been admired and accepted by international society and the majority of the Iraqi parliament. (Atroushi, 1994) The differences between Catalan and Wales in respect of devolution Catalonia incorporated with Spain for nearly 300 years, the existence of Catalonia goes back for more than 2000 years. Catalonia declared independence many time but hasnt been recognised by the Spanish government. Catalonia was a separate country and they had their own law and privileges until Felipe IV died in 1700. Gradually Catalonia`s ancient right were abolished and they were banned from speaking, reading and writing and Catalan, it was a crime for anyone to speak Catalan and they were imprisoned and punished for it. They closed down all Catalonia`s universities and replaced them with censored universities, they tried to destroy the Catalan culture and identity. Finally, the first Spanish Republic was formed in 1873, the most important thing which surprised the Catalonia was, and the first two presidents of the Spanish republic were Catalan. However, this republic didnt last more than one year but it was a good start and the opportunity for political parties to express themselves freely in other regions of Spain such as, Galicia and Basque country. In spite of all barriers, attempts and ethnocentrism by the Spanish central government, Catalan not only didnt become a lost nation, the Catalan language and traditions once again continued and showed its enriched culture. The Catalan economy`s success in the 19th century surprised the world and Spanish people in particular, these successes convinced central government, to accept and to believe in the ability of Catalonia . The great culture, economy, politics and traditions of Catalans encouraged central government and various political parties in Spain with different ideologies such as, socialists, Republicans and Carlists to pay more attention and to show more support to the Lliga Regionalista. Finally, in 1914 central government was convinced to offer some autonomy to Catalonia. But once again these concessions didnt last long, in the beginning of the 20th century, when Miguel Primo de Rivera came to power in 1923 he executed his as a dictator in Spain, thus, once again the Catalan language was banned, his dictatorship lasted until 1930. In 1931 the president of Generalitat came to power and he declared the federal republic of Catalonia but two years later a right wing government came to power in Madrid by general election. In 1936 dictator Franco became head of state of Spain. Franco was supported by his fascist allies, Italy and Germany. He killed, tortured and imprisoned many people in Spain. (Harris, 2008) President Luis Companys was captured by Nazis in France and extradited to Spain where he was executed in 1940. Catalonia was under bad economical, political, cultural and linguistic repressions. In the 1950s some Catalan groups organised under cover activities. Abbot Escare of Montserrat, a religious leader, who was supported by the Vatican, determined to fight against Franco. Catalan once again took control of Catalan society after the death of Franco in 1975. Finally, in 1980 the democratically elected Catalan parliament officially opened under the presidency of Jordi Pujol. In 2005 a new statute of autonomy was passed which guaranteed the Catalans identity as a nation but within the Spanish state. (Harris, 2008) Devolution in the Northern Ireland As we know the Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland they were one nation and one country in 1169. Ireland was occupied by the Romans in 1169 and they ruled Ireland until middle Ages. After British victory in 1603 over Ulster, Britain controlled completely whole Ireland until 1801, but Irish people like other occupied nations resisted freeing their country. (NK, 2003) Finally, Britain inevitably signed a truce in 1921 which was considered as final solution of Irish problems to solve the dispute between the Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants and the ends of British occupation on the whole country. The above Armistice recognised the Free State of Republic of Ireland and continuation of the Northern part of Ireland as a part of United Kingdom. One of the main factors which encouraged the division of the Ireland and separated Ireland to the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland was religion. Majority of the southern part of Ireland are Catholics and the majority of the Northern part of Ireland is Protestants, thus, these religious differences since the Romans occupation in 1169 created conflict between Irish people in North and south of country. (NK, 2003) In 1997 along side of the Scotland and Wales, devolution return to the Northern Ireland in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement, as the result of this agreement, the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly and power sharing executive was occurred. In March 2010 the Hillsborough Agreement, transferred the power of policing and justice to the Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement in 1998, transferred the below matters to the Northern Ireland: Transferred Matters: Education, Health and Agriculture. Reserved Matters: Policing and Criminal Law, which will be transferred to the assembly at the later date. Excepted Matters: Matters of National importance, such as defence, taxation and foreign policy.( NK,2003) The devolution in Belgium To find out the conflict between Dutch speaking Flanders and French speaking Francophone Wallonia we have to look at the history of Belgium. The name Belgium comes from Begae a Celtic tribe. Belgium existed before the first century. Belgium was occupied by Romans during the first century. Gradually, Romans lost their control over Belgium, and then Spain in 1519 invaded Belgium until 1713.The Belgium was occupied by Austria in 1713 to 1794. Belgium was ruled by different invaders since first century, but after all these rulers, once again Belgium was occupied by Napoleonic France in 1795. During the French Revolution but after the defeat of Napoleon`s army, Belgium divided from French territory and joined the Netherland as a part of the country by the congress of Vienna in 1815. (Humperdink, 2011) Finally, Belgium became independent from the Netherlands via an uprising of Belgians. The celebration of an independent Belgium didnt last longer than 1914. Belgium was occupied twice during 1914 and 1940 by Germany. Belgium was liberated by British, Canadian and American armies in 1944; these liberties helped Belgium to regain the economic and political power. But the language and political differences between Dutch Speaking Flanders and French speaking Wallonia encouraged the increase of division between them. The linguistic differences in Belgium encouraged Flanders and Wallonia people toward separation. According to a poll by Le Soir newspaper, over 49% of Wallonia people who are French speakers would like to become French if their country broke up. The majority of Flanders welcome autonomy because Flemish people are richer than Francophones. Flanders comprises 60% of Belgium population and they produce 75% of GDP and they pay more than 80% of the net taxes. Therefore the above economical differences might encourage the Flanders to attempt for more devolution and these kinds of nationalist movements alarmed the Francophones that Flanders nationalist encouraging Dutch speakers towards independence. (Humperdinck, 2011) However, Kriss Peeters the Ministry President of Flanders, in an interview with to BBC News said I am not in favour of independence , he also insisted the solidarity between Flanders and others will remain. Gie Goris the editor of Mo Magazine believes the countries which the political parties formed on the basis of ethnics, for instance, like Sri Lanka are inherently unstable. The aim of the New Flemish Alliance (NVA) separatist party is an independence country for Flanders the Dutch speakers in the Belgium. In an election in 2010 NVA took 27 seats of 150 seats of Belgium parliament. This support by Flanders, to NVA in the above election, indicates the interest of Flanders towards an independence country for Flanders. (Hughes, 2010) These Linguistic borders are one of the main factors to create fundamental division within the countries like Belgium. The comparison of countries, such as Belgium and Wales in respect of devolution, explains the impact of nationalism on public policies and how this ethnic linguistic differences divide the societies and creates separatist opinion and accelerate the this kind division towards independence. (Erk, 2003) Conclusion This assignment has discussed the idea of nationalism as one of the main factors that encourage people towards devolution. The activities of nationalists based on geopolitical, cultural differences and these differences created a kind of cultural and political hegemony. Thus, the countries such as Wales and Scotland, feel that their culture and identity assimilated, they believe the way central government dealing with their regions is based on discriminatory policies. It has been found that Religion as culture and linguistic differences is also one of the factors that divided the nations. Referencing Copus C(2009) English national parties in post devolution,(online) www.palgrave.journal.com. Accessed 18/01/2011. Erk J (2003) Linguistic borders, Journal of Public Policy, volume 23, issue 2. Ferhadi A (1992) The Kurds in Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria, (online) www.wrmea.com. Accessed 29/03/2011. Fusaro A (1979) Nationalism in the UK, (online) Polity journal, cited in ww

An Inward Collapse of the Human Perspective in Forsters A Passage to I

An Inward Collapse of the Human Perspective in Forster's A Passage to India      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The reverberation of sound in the form of an echo is threaded throughout E.M. Forster's A Passage to India, and the link between the echo and the hollowness of the human spirit is depicted in the text. The echo is not heard in the beginning of the text when the English newcomers, Mrs. Moore and Ms. Quested, arrive in India; it is more clearly heard as their relationship with India gains complexity. The influence of the colonizers and the colonized on one another is inevitable; however, the usual assumption is that the colonists are the most successful in imposing their values and ideologies on the individuals whom they view as the "natives." In an introduction to a text depicting a portrait of the colonizer and the colonized, Jean-Paul Sartre states that in attempting to dehumanize colonized individuals, the colonist becomes dehumanized himself. "A relentless reciprocity binds the colonizer to the colonized-his product becomes his fate" (Sartre xxviii). While Forster 's text possesses numerous instances of the English losing a humanistic perspective as they place the Indians in a submissive role and treat them as subjects, it can be argued that Sartre's observation of the dynamic existing between the colonizer and the colonized is somewhat manipulated in Forster's text-instead of being dehumanized from their exposure to the colonized, the colonizers gain greater insight into the essence of humanity. The English characters in the text are embraced by the mystery and spirituality of the Orient, which is the focus of their imperialism. As a result, the English join their Indian counterparts in looking inward and outward to discover that the void a... ...rain and snows! O day and night, passage to you! -Walt Whitman       Works Cited    Crews, Frederick C. E.M. Forster: The Perils of Humanism. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1962. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1984 Parry, Benita. "A Passage to More than India." Ed. Malcolm Bradbury. Forster: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Rosecrance, Barbara. Forster's Narrative Vision. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Introduction. The Colonizer and the Colonized. By Albert Memmi. New York: Orion Press, 1965. xxi-xxix. Stone, Wilfred. The Cave and the Mountain: A Study of E.M. Forster. London: Oxford University Press, 1966. Thomson, George H. The Fiction of E.M. Forster. Detroit: Wayne State University press, 1967.

Matthew Hopkins - An English Witchfinder :: essays research papers

Matthew Hopkins - An English Witchfinder "Thou must not suffer a witch to live." This single phrase justified the death of thousands of victims throughout Europe and North America. Matthew Hopkins was an English witchfinder who was responsible for the ruthless persecution of scores of alleged witches during the witchcraft mania that swept parts of England under the Puritans. Born in c.1621 Hopkins was a son of a minister and raised in Essex, which had a long tradition persecuting witches. Hopkins studied law and had a variety of careers before he hit upon the idea of establishing his career as a witchfinder in the Essex parish of Manningtree and Mistley around 1644. It must be noted that his timing was brilliant. The Civil War was wreaking havoc on England and creating tension throughout Puritan society. Anyone who suggested a reason for the nation's trouble was going to get a hearing. Hopkins at the age of 24 made his first charge against a one-legged crone called Elizabeth Clarke, claiming she was a member of a coven in the Manningtree area. Clarke was arrested and questioned in Chelmsford. As a result of her "confessions" roughly 31 other women were brought before the Assizes, nineteen of whom were hanged. This was the beginning of Hopkins' "reign of terror." After adopting the self-styled title of Witchfinder-General Hopkins acquired two assistants, John Stearne and Mary Phillips, who searched for the "Devil's Mark" on the accused. Apparently obsessed by his mission to obtain confessions of witchcraft, the three began a tour of the eastern counties of England. To those who questioned his qualifications for such work, pointing out that he had never studied the subject, he replied that his expertise issued "from experience, which though it be meanly esteemed of, yet surest and safest way to judge by." Such was the demand of his services that he made an extraordinary profit from his work considering that the average daily wages of the time was as little as 2.5 pence. Hopkins charged 40 shillings for each investigation that he was asked to undertake and 9 pence for each witch he found. When the proceeding from a single town was over, the bill was usually between  £15 and  £23. In the space of little more than a year Hopkins brought over a hundred women, typically old, poor and unattractive, to the gallows in Essex alone. He extracted his confessions by various means such as `pricking', `swimming', and `watching and waking'.

A Historical Overview of the Geography, Politics, and Culture of Montserrat :: Essays on Politics

A Historical Overview of the Geography, Politics, and Culture of Montserrat Montserrat is a small Caribbean island with an interesting geographical, economic, political, and cultural history. Montserrat was inhabited by a succession of Amerindian groups before being discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1400s. In the seventeenth century, Montserrat was claimed by Great Britain, and settled by an English ruling class, and their Irish indentured servants and African slaves. These new inhabitants created a plantation economy in order to grow sugar cane, thereby significantly changing the landscape. The combination of English, Irish, and African residents also created a unique culture and a form of English Creole. Politically and economically, Montserrat has depended on Great Britain for nearly four centuries. In the late-1990s, a volcanic disaster devastated Montserrat and changed the island’s geography, economy, and political relationship with the United Kingdom. Montserrat’s culture was also affected, as many people fled the isl and, and those who remained were forced to drastically alter their lifestyle. Geography Montserrat is a small, Leeward Island in the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, located 27 miles southwest of Antigua, at 16 45’ N, 62 12’ W. The island is roughly 12 miles long by 7 miles wide, with a land area of 62 square miles. The climate is tropical, with a mean temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and only slight daily and seasonal temperature variation. The average relative humidity is 75%, and average rainfall is 35 to 40 inches a year. The wet season lasts from June to December and the dry season stretches from January to May, but droughts can last close to a year. Like many of the other islands in the crescent of the Lesser Antilles, Montserrat was formed by volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. This volcanic formation resulted in Montserrat’s rugged, mountainous landscape, and inspired Columbus to name the island after a mountain in northeastern Spain. Until 1995, the lay of the land was as follows. In the Northern part of Montserrat lie the oldest volcanic structures, the Silver Hills. These hills have undergone much erosion, with strong northeastern breezes constantly blowing on them. They are less than 1,000 feet in elevation, with rounded slopes and broad ghauts.

Growth and Potential of International Luxury Fashion Brands Essay

This is to certify that the project entitled ? Growth and Potential of Luxury International Fashion Brands in India? is submitted towards the partial fulfillment of the program ? Master of Fashion Management‘ by Kanan Gupta. It is an original work done under my guidance and the results are based on the research done by her. Name of mentor: Mr. Kislay Kashyap Asst. Professor Department of MFM NIFT, Patna Date: 01-03-2012 Place: Patna 1|Page DECLARATION I, Kanan Gupta hereby declare that the project entitled ? Growth and Potential of Luxury International Fashion Brands in India? submitted towards, partial fulfillment of the program Master of Fashion Management is my original work and no part of the project has been copied from any other report or carried by someone else or has been submitted for any other degree/award. However, any material taken from any other published sources has been suitably referred and acknowledged at various places. Name : Kanan Gupta Roll no : 17 Batch : 2011-2013 Centre : Patna Date Place : 01-03-2012 : Patna 2|Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I owe my gratitude to many people who helped and supported me during the research and compilation of my project report. I would like to thank my mentor Mr Kislay Kashyap for approving my project and express my indebted gratitude for his guidance and suggestions at every stage of this report. My sincere gratitude is also due to my seniors for their constant encouragement and support. I would like to express my thanks to all those people who were directly and indirectly involved in shaping my project by providing valuable information and co-operation. 3|Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: This is a project to study about the ? Growth and Potential of Luxury International Fashion Brands in India?. If we look into the past, no one could imagine that a luxury market would exist in India. But over the years with the change in the demographics of the Indian consumer and with higher disposable income available, the luxury market in India has indeed emerged as one of the fastest growing markets in the retail segment. PROBLEM DEFINITION: The Indian Luxury Market is still a niche market and people have got a very low personal disposable income, though it has increased a lot from before but not so much to afford international luxury fashion brands and the people who have got a high disposable income lack enough knowledge about the international fashion brands available in India as the luxury international stores are limited to metropolitans only. 4|Page OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of the projects are ? Analyze the Luxury Brand Awareness among the Indian consumers. ? Reasons behind customers buying Luxury fashion Brands ? Analyze the major international fashion brands in India. ? To analyze the Current Scenario and the Growth of Indian Luxury fashion brands and the Market. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: ? The secondary research is through Magazines, journals, articles and internet. ? Primary research through focus group interview with industry personnel, customers. HYPOTHESIS: ? Assuming that there is a strong scope for the growth of international luxury fashion brands in India. ? Taking an assumption that Luxury fashion brands do not have much scope in the Indian market. 5|Page CONTENTS Ch. No. 1. 0 2. 0 3. 0 3. 1 3. 2 3. 3 3. 4 3. 5 3. 6 3. 7 4. 0 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 5. 0 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 6. 0 7. 0 8. 0 9. 0 9. 1 9. 2 Chapter Name Objective Research Methodology Literature Review Introduction India at Glance Geography People Understanding Luxury Defining Luxury Socio Economic Significance of Luxury Acquainting with Luxury Fashion Brand Major Difference between Regular Brands and Luxury Brands Persona of Indian Luxury Industry Famous Luxury Brands and their destination in India SWOT Analysis Major Problems Faced by Luxury Fashion Industry Growth and Potential of Luxury Brand Growth of Indian Luxury Market Luxury Fashion Branding Strategies Final Summary Primary Research Findings Annexure Questionnaire Bibliography Page No. 7 8 9 9 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 21 23 26 31 32 33 35 39 41 43 54 56 56 58 6|Page 1. 0 OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of the projects are ? Analyze the Luxury Brand Awareness among the Indian consumers. ? Reasons behind customers buying Luxury fashion Brands ? Analyze the major international fashion brands in India. ? To analyze the Current Scenario and the Growth of Indian Luxury fashion brands and the Market. 7|Page 2. 0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: ? Secondary research through Magazines, journals, articles and internet. ? Primary research through focus group interview with industry personnel, customers. 8|Page 3. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW 3. 1 INTRODUCTION: If we look into the past, no one could imagine that a luxury market would exist in India. But over the years with the change in the demographics of the Indian consumer and with higher disposable income available, the luxury market in India has indeed emerged as one of the fastest growing markets in the retail segment. Through this report I have tried to give an estimate of the luxury retail market in India, how much it has penetrated and also how much it is likely to grow. Also I have tried to specify various factors that are crucial for the success of luxury brands in India. While doing out research on this project I have come across many new findings. The role the Indian market plays in the global scenario and the position of India vis-a-vis other countries. Also I understood about the duties and legal requirements for this segment. I have tried my level best to cover all the aspects in regard to my research. India today is fast becoming a new world of modern luxury. The country now teems with luxurious international brands, spurring the ascent of an Indian luxury market. One does not need to travel abroad to shop for luxury. Luxury goods and services sit aplenty right at home. Indians, however, have to realize such, be informed where to avail of them, and be convinced of the convenience and ease of access to these luxury goods and services. In the same vein, foreigners can also visit India to shop for same luxury. India can very well be placed on the global luxury-shopping map. There is, therefore, a huge opportunity to pump prime the luxury market field in India. 9|Page 3. 2 INDIA AT GLANCE: FOCUS : Study about India and its habitats. India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 60 years of its Independence. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now the tenth industrialized country in the world and the sixth nation to have gone into outer space to conquer nature for the benefit of the people. It covers an area of 32,87,2631 sq km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8 °4? and 37 °6? north, longitudes 68 °7? and 97 °25? east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman& Nicobar Islands is 7,516. 6 km. 10 | P a g e 3. 3 Geography: Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. Geographic Coordinates: Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8 ° 4? and 37 ° 6? latitudes north of the Equator, and 68 °7? and 97 °25? longitudes east of it. Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30 Area: 3. 3 Million sq km Telephone Country +91 Code: Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Coastline: 7,516. 6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 11 | P a g e Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons – winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November). Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula. Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc. Natural Hazards: Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and landslides. Environment – Current Issues: Air pollution control, energy conservation, solid waste management, oil and gas conservation, forest conservation, etc. Environment – International Agreements: Rio Declaration on environment and development, Cartagena Protocol on biosafety, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on climatic 12 | P a g e change, World Trade Agreement, Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the reduction of sulphur emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (Nox Protocol), and Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes (VOCs Protocol). Geography – Note: India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent. 3. 4 PEOPLE: Population: 1,21,01,93,422 Decadal Population Male: 9,15, 01,158 Growth: Female: 8,99, 54, 828 Density of Population: 382 per sq. km. Sex Ratio: 940 per 1000 males Nationality: Indian All the five major racial types – Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India. Ethnic Groups: 13 | P a g e Religions: Hindus constituted the majority with 80. 5 %, Muslims came second at 13. 4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others. Languages: There are 22 National Languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country. Literacy: Persons: 77,84,54,120 Males: 44,42,03,762 Females: 33,42,50,358 GDP: Nominal GDP stands at US$1. 53 trillion as per 2010 census 3. 5 UNDERSTANDING LUXURY AND AQUAINTING WITH LUXURY FASHION BRANDS: FOCUS : Getting introduced to the term ? LUXURY? Luxury, derived from the Latin word luxus, means indulgence of the senses, regardless of cost. Luxury is something that everyone wants but nobody needs, its an area of huge comfort and the best of the best. 14 | P a g e A luxury brand is a brand for which a majority of its products are luxury goods. It may also include certain brands whose names are associated with luxury, high price, or high quality, though few, if any, of their goods are currently considered luxury goods. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite is more or less price insensitive and chooses to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. 3. 6 DEFINING LUXURY: The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies. With the clear differences between social classes in earlier civilizations, the consumption of luxury was limited to the elite classes. It also meant the definition of luxury was fairly clear. Whatever the poor cannot have and the elite can was identified as luxury. With increasing ? democratization‘, several new product categories were created within the luxury markets that were aptly called – accessible luxury or mass luxury. This kind of luxury specifically targeted the middle class (or what is sometimes termed as aspiring class). As luxury penetrated into the masses, defining luxury has become difficult. In contemporary marketing usage, Prof. Bernard Dubois defines ? luxury‘ as a specific (i. e. higher-priced) tier of offer in almost any product or service category. However, despite the substantial body of knowledge accumulated 15 | P a g e during the past decades, researchers still haven‘t arrived on a common definition of luxury. Many other attempts have been made to define luxury using the price-quality dimension stating higher priced products in any category is luxury. Similarly, researchers have used the uniqueness aspects of luxury too. Prof. Jean-Noel Kapferer, takes an experiential approach and defines luxury as items which provide extra pleasure by flattering all senses at once. Several other researchers focus on exclusivity dimension and argue that luxury evokes a sense of belonging to a certain elite group. 3. 7 SOCIO ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF LUXURY: Several manufactured products attain the status of â€Å"luxury goods† due to their design, quality, durability or performance that are remarkably superior to the comparable substitutes. Thus, virtually every category of goods available on the market today includes a subset of similar products whose â€Å"luxury† is marked by better-quality components and materials, solid construction, stylish appearance, increased durability, better performance, advanced features, and so on. As such, these luxury goods may retain or improve the basic functionality for which all items of a given category are originally designed. There are also goods that are perceived as luxurious by the public simply because they play a role of status symbols as such goods tend to signify the purchasing power of those who acquire them. These items, while not necessarily being better (in quality, performance, or appearance) than their less expensive substitutes, are purchased with the main purpose of displaying wealth or income of their owners. These kinds of goods are the objects of a socio-economic phenomenon called conspicuous consumption and commonly include luxury vehicles, watches, jewelry, designer clothing, yachts, as well as large residences, urban mansions, and country houses. 16 | P a g e 4. 0 AQUAINTING WITH THE LUXURY FASHION BRANDS Luxury fashion brands have often been associated with the core competencies of creativity, craftsmanship, precision, high quality, innovation, & premium pricing. These product attributes give the consumers the satisfaction of not only owning expensive items but the extra-added psychological benefits like the esteem, prestige and a sense of a high status that reminds them and others that they belong to an exclusive group of only a select few, who can afford the pricey items. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite are more or less price insensitive and choose to spend their time & money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. 17 | P a g e Luxury has never been something easy to define; yet this mystery concept is something highly desired by one & all alike. I look at delving deeper into this mystery and aura of luxury goods by way of comparing them against ? regular goods‘ as well as highlighting the characteristics of the luxury industry. But before beginning with that, lets first attempt to understand some common terms associated in the world of high-end goods. Luxury and Prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Tag-heuer represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by brands. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all their consumers with them wherever they go. 18 | P a g e Premium brands are those brands like Polo, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Tommy Hilfiger that aspire to be luxury and prestige brands but their marketing mix strategies are more attuned to a mass market, albeit a luxury mass market. They also termed as mass Premium brands or luxury brands. Fashion brands are those that address the masses. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) is the largest luxury good producer in the world with over fifty brands, including Louis Vuitton, the brand with the world’s first designer label, other famous fashion brands are Chanel, Gucci etc. 19 | P a g e Luxury is a Hub of Business Luxury brands take the elements they feel passionate about, add design then develop it and present it to the customers that exceed their expectations. A luxury good is a product at the highest end of the market in terms of quality and price. Classic luxury goods include haute couture items such as clothing, accessories and luggage. However, many markets have a luxury segment including for instance, cars, wine and chocolates. Such brands share characteristics like consistent premium quality, a heritage of craftsmanship, a recognizable style or design, a limited production run of any item to ensure exclusivity, an element of uniqueness and an ability to keep coming up with new designs when the category is fashion-intensive. Keeping it simple and realistic, luxury is anything and everything that you may truly desire; it can be short lived or a life long desire – it is ? your‘ emotional connect and reward that allows it to appear as luxury. 20 | P a g e 4. 1 MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGULAR BRANDS AND LUXURY BRANDS: FACTOR REGULAR GOODS LUXURY GOODS Available at posh, PLACE Available at convenience and according to the product category exclusive and selected locations ? Highly customized or ? Multiple mass variances but PRODUCT standardized. ? Service levels range from low to high. limited editions of products. ? Very high personnel service. PRICING Value for money Premium pricing ? Pre- ? All kinds of media (ATL, BTL) used. ? Product functional and aspirational PROMOTION value appeals. ? All kinds of reference group appeals used. dominantly premium above the line media. e. g. Connoisseur, Magazines, 21 | P a g e Travel media) ? Products have the exclusive appeal. ? Mostly celebrity appeals. Luxury goods are Those goods for which demand is inversely proportional to price. also called as Veblen‘s goods, the demand for the product is said to increase with the increase in price. ECONOMIC DEFINITION BRAND EXTENSION DECISIONS Based on defending your turf. (R&D based decisions to an extent). Based on marketing the luxury brand. DRIVERS OF BRANDS Functional attributes and innovation. Tradition and brand heritage. Source: Luxury Marketing, Samit khanna- IIM-A 22 | P a g e 4. 2 PERSONA OF INDIAN LUXURY INDUSTRY: FOCUS : Understanding the characteristics of luxury brands. CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN LUXURY INDUSTRY: 1. THE MEANING OF LUXURY HAS CHANGED: Luxury has moved from its ? old‘ meaning of ownership (also known as conspicuous consumption – Conspicuous consumption is a term used to describe the lavish spending on goods and services that are acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying income or wealth rather than to satisfy a real need of the consumer. In the mind of a conspicuous consumer, such display serves as a means of attaining or maintaining social status. Invidious consumption, a necessary corollary, is the term applied to consumption of goods and services for the deliberate purpose of inspiring envy in others) of objects to the ? new‘ meaning of the experience / fulfillment derived from possessing a certain object. 2. LUXURY MEANS DIFFERENT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE: Luxury has no certified origins. But luxury branding is said to have taken birth in the west with the appearance of high-end brands. But there is still no definite meaning of luxury, for someone luxury can be a necessity and vice-versa. If one can think a luxury brand is really cheap, its not necessary that the other person also will think the same way. Luxury is yet to be defined, it totally differs from person to person. 23 | P a g e 3. LUXURY IS A PRODUCT CATEGORY IN ITSELF: This can be best clarified by the fact that both an expensive watch and an apparel can be considered to be luxury items. Therefore, all luxury marketers are not just competing in their ? technically defined‘ product categories (like manufacturers of televisions compete among themselves) but for the wallet share of luxury goods in total. 4. CLASSIFICATION OF LUXURY CONSUMERS: SRI Consulting Business Intelligence places consumers in 3 groups according to what luxury means to them: Luxury is Indulgence – This group is the smallest of the three and tends to include younger consumers and slightly more males than the other two groups. Their purpose for luxury goods is to lavish themselves in self-indulgence. They are willing to pay a premium for goods that express their individuality and make others take notice and are not overly concerned with product longevity or possible criticism. They enjoy luxury for the way it makes them feel, therefore have a more emotional approach to purchases. They respond well to messages that highlight the unique and emotional qualities of a product. Luxury is Reward – These consumers tend to be younger than the first group but older than the third. They use luxury goods as a status symbol to say ? I‘ve made it! ? They are motivated by their desire to be successful and demonstrate this to others. Luxury brands that have widespread recognition are popular, however they don‘t wish to appear lavish or hedonistic in their appearance. They want to purchase ? smart? luxury that demonstrates importance while not 24 | P a g e leaving them open to criticism. Marketing messages that communicate acceptable exclusivity resonate with this group. Luxury is Functional – these consumers tend to buy luxury products for their superior functionality and quality. Consumers in this segment, the largest of the three, tend to be older and wealthier and are willing to spend more money to buy things that will last and have enduring value. They buy a wide array of luxury goods, from artwork to vacations, and conduct extensive prepurchase research, making logical decisions rather than emotional or impulsive. Messages that highlight product quality and are information-intensive are powerful with this group. 5. CUSTOMER LOYALTY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT BRAND AWARENESS: Rather than focus on measuring the brand awareness of a luxury company, measuring customer loyalty is far more significant a metric regarding the success or failure of corporate strategy to connect with the luxury consumer. 6. CERTAIN FACTORS WHICH PLAY A N IMPORTANT ROLE: In luxury marketing there is a subtle interplay between three factors that most strongly influence the luxury consumer to buy: product brand; dealer or store’s brand or service providers’ reputation; and price/value relationship. 25 | P a g e USERS OF LUXURY BRANDS IN INDIA: ? CEOs and other senior professionals (in their thirties and early forties) ? Entrepreneurs in new businesses ? â€Å"Prodigal children† ? Actors and models ? Franchisees, and small and medium Retailers 4. 3 FAMOUS LUXURY BRANDS AND THEIR DESTINATIONS IN INDIA FOCUS : To evaluate about all the famous luxury brands available in India and the places where they are available. UB CITY- THE COLLECTION, BANGALORE: UB City is the biggest commercial property project in Bangalore, India. Pioneered by the chairman of UB Group, Dr. Vijay Mallya , it is built on 13 acres (53,000 m2) of land and hosts 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) of high-end commercial, retail and service apartment space. UB City has four towers namely, UB Tower (19 Floors), Comet (11 Floors), Canberra (17 Floors) and Concorde (19 Floors). UB City has four towers namely, yelahanka. The later three towers are all named after aircraft. UB City will house the Group offices under one roof – UB Tower. Concorde & Canberra will have retail space on the lower floors and office space in the higher levels, while Comet will have serviced apartments. It will house commercial offices, banks, high-end retail stores, a five star hotel, 26 | P a g e serviced apartments, restaurants, food courts, pubs, health clubs and cafes. Multi-level parking areas will offer virtually unlimited parking spaces. Also on the blueprint is an amphitheatre with food courts and landscaped gardens. UB City will provide parking space for over 1,100 cars. Being an environment friendly project and keeping in mind the green surroundings of Cubbon Park, one-third of the space has been earmarked for landscaped gardens. An elevated roof top helipad will provide a five-minute aerial commute to the airport. Four storeys of multi level parking, in addition to one common basement for the entire UB City and extensive surface level car parks, will provide UB City the remarkable prospect of offering literally unlimited car parking space. BRANDS AVAILABLE AT UB CITY-THE COLLECTION: ? Louis Vuitton ? Alfred Dunhill ? Estee lauder ? Mont Blanc ? Zimson ? Rolex ? Canali ? Salvatore Ferragamo ? Paul Smith ? Lladro ? Versace ? Corneliani ? Burberry ? Jimmy Choo ? Diesel 27 | P a g e DLF EMPORIO, NEW DELHI- DLF Emporio has been designed as a name synonymous with luxury – offering a unique shopping experience where the accent is on exclusivity, space and aesthetics. There is simply no other place where such a wealth of designer and premium merchandise, lifestyle products and services are showcased under one elegant roof. The nuances of luxurious serenity are going to be expressed at DLF Emporio in a way found only in the fashion capitals of the world, offering just the right kind of tasteful and sublime ambience to attract high value spenders. 28 | P a g e DLF EMPORIO RETAIL MIXGreat care is being taken to ensure that the global retail community at DLF Emporio is the most premium. Only the finest signature brands, designer labels and high end lifestyle products co-exist here. Some of the brands in DLF Emporio include Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Fendi, Dior, Just Cavali, DKNY, Tods, Burberry, Hugo Boss to name a few. ESSENTIAL PLAYERS OF THE LUXURY MARKET IN INDIA: ? JEWELLERY- Cartier, De Beers, Tiffanys etc. ? CLOTHING- Louis vuitton, Varsace, Armani, Chanel, Gucci etc. ? ACCESSORIES- Fendi, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo Salvatore etc. ? AUTOMOBILES- Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, Volkswagen, Nissan, Audi etc. 29 | P a g e 30 | P a g e 5. 0 SWOT ANALYSIS: FOCUS : To do the swot analysis and ascertain the major problems faced by the international fashion brands in India. STRENGTH WEAKNESS 1. Brand Name/Brand Ambassadors 2. Customer Loyalty 3. Quality 4. Global Presence 1. Concentrated Market-only metro cities 2. Government Regulations 3. High Prices 4. Percentage of target audience is Less 5. Higher Operational cost-rents. OPPORTUNITY THREATS 1. Manufacturing the brands in India 1. Fake branded stuff available in India itself rather than importing it 2. FDI Regulations 3. Globalization 2. Available at cheaper prices abroad 31 | P a g e 5. 1 MAJOR PROBLEMS FACED BY THE LUXURY FASHION INDUSTRY- 1. LACK OF AWARENESS OF BRANDS AMONGST INDIAN CONSUMERS: The Indian consumers are not aware of the brands available in India, Most rich people who can afford the luxury brands either live in smaller towns and cities where there is no outlet or awareness of the brands. 2. PREFERENCE OF BUYING FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES: People who are aware of the brands and live in metro cities and have a higher disposable income prefer buying from abroad as they travel a lot and so they prefer buying from abroad itself as they get a better and wide variety of products with lesser prices. 1. DUPLICATION AND KNOCK-OFFS: There are a lot of duplicate and knock-offs available in the Indian market. Most of these products come from China. The same branded product, which is available for 25000 Rs. , is available for 1500 Rs. When it is not authentic. Though the quality of these products is not good, they appear to be the same and hence people don‘t mind buying them. But people in India do not believe in authenticity, if they see the name and the knock-off looks exact, they buy that item as they believe in showing off. 32 | P a g e 2. LACK OF RETAIL SPACE: The luxury retail stores are located in 5 star hotels or malls in selected cities, as we all know that there are only two luxury malls in India, The collection-UB City, Bangalore and the DLF-Emporio Mall, New Delhi, because that is where the potential customers are most likely to come for shopping, hence the feasible space available is very less. 3. LOW CUSTOMER TURNOVER: The number of customers who visit a luxury store is comparatively lower than a regular store. Also the luxury store outlets are located exclusively in certain areas and are sometimes not accessible by everyone, this factor also affects the customer turnover. 4. HIGH OPERATIONAL COST: The cost of operating a luxury outlet is high because the size of the store has to be elaborated and also it has to locate at a prime location in major cities. Due to the image that is associated with luxury products, the cost of maintaining the store is high because it has to look upbeat all the time. At the same time these stores normally situated in 5 star hotels or big shopping malls where the rents charged are very high and hence the cost is further increased. 5. 2 GROWTH AND POTENTIAL OF LUXURY BRAND: FOCUS : Study about the roots and the growth of the luxury market of India. LUXURY is no stranger to India. The erstwhile maharajas and princes led a life of opulent splendor. The only way to be apart of the elite as to be born into it. 33 | P a g e The lifestyle as also associated with hunting, polo and her games of the rich. New money could never get into this circuit. The aspiration was always there. But the princes operated in a different league altogether. The era of the selfmade millionaire was yet to arrive. So small possessions, or copied fashion designs with a few geegaws thrown in, became the height of luxury. An achiever of the 1970s could only get by with a good foam mattress — no Omega, Rolex or BMWs. This trend saw a shift, a gradual one, in the 1980s. Luxury began creeping into upper class homes through small things and symbols. The colour TV came in, the humble pen was elevated to a Parker, successful self-made people began to be featured in magazines. The concept of luxury as a reward for achievement gained acceptance, though royalty and the aristocracy continued to remain the benchmark of the elite. The real change came in the 1990s when more people started making more money. There was a sudden explosion of colour and things and objet D’arts began to appear. In order to gain access to luxury and class one could just go out and charge it. What contributed to this shift? India opened up to the world. The liberalization process brought more than high economic growth rates. It showed the people what was possible. In the process, it has altered mindsets. The IT revolution, and the consequent demand for Indian brainpower, has created a whole new breed of wealthy global Indians. At the other end, an increasingly open economy has created new b