Technology and the Written Word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology and the Written Word - Essay Example These have the advantage of showing moving screens full of color and capabilities that are very advanced. Books no matter how well are printed are sold more in the electronic forms than in the printed forms in today’s technological age (Richards, 2010). The digital reading platform will provide traditional publishers with many new opportunities such as the ability to package reading material (books) in new forms to attract more customers (Roush, 2010). It is envisioned by many that the publishing industry will provide basic text-centric digital content of books so cheap by 2020 that more people will become regular readers like paperback books did in 1940s (Roush, 2010). The publishers can therefore, begin to make up the profits which they have sacrificed by lower prices by increased volumes. E-books are designed in such a way that the readability of it will never degrade over time. The pages will not crumble, binding will never break and there will be no variations in the printing ink. The technology in the e-book has broken free of all the limitations of the printed books. E-books can have brought with itself the concept super portability combined with some useful technological features. For example, since e-books are in a digital text file format, any difficult word or phrase can be search instantaneously. The feature of duplication can give the readers the option to trade or share books with friends without actually giving up one of their possessions. But given this gain, a loss is also there. Copy right protections raise the question of trading and sharing these books. This is both good and bad for publishers. Duplication of e-books by the users can reduce the production costs causing the books prices to decline. But on the downside, the publishers cannot keep a lid on the trade and share of books causing books to be duplicated without copyrights. This raises the question

Effects of Industrialization on Artist Essay Example for Free

Effects of Industrialization on Artist Essay The countries of the world have largely embraced the goal of industrialization which explains the reason why there is the label of developing and developed countries. The implications of the 19TH century has put the developed western world as the model of industrialization on the planet (Masten, 2008). The face of industrialization affected a number of fields in the scientific attempt to improve the economies and subsequently, raise the overall standards of living . Art was one of the disciplines that benefited from the effects of industrialization, and it came as a hope for many artists around the world (Locker, 1999). This paper therefore attempts to compare and contrast whether the rise changed the modern world leaving the natural world as the sole object of fascination to artists. Industrialization as a process sought to promote social and economic changes with the human societies transforming from pre industrial to industrial(Davis,2000). It saw the wider apart of modernization leading to overall social changes and economic developments mostly related to technological advancement. More cities were development following the rise modernity, as a result of large scale metallurgy and energy production (Basye and Holt, 2000). Philosophical changes also marked the emergence of industrialization leaving people in the western world with a more yearning to obtain different attitudes towards nature and artistic orientation (Novello, 2000). Accordingly, there is substantial research on the prevailing effects of industrialization on modernization and enterprise development . Artists have got an opportunity of expanding their careers following the expansion of commerce and the prevalence of skills that helps them in the exploitation of the abundant natural resources (Shields, 2006). This somehow happens at a relatively low cost, adaptability of labor and continual supply of their products to a wide range of market (Plaura, 2001). The radical changes in the 19th century involve the production of the electric power: an element that is succinctly fundamental to the continuous growth of economy as well as advancing the skills required for a particular job (Basye and Holt, 2000). In a survey done in some countries in Africa, middle East and Latin America, it was found out that there is relative open trading systems that can stimulate industrial innovation and cost efficiency across the board, leading to the readily available markets and free and flexible labor (Novello, 2000). As a result, positive work ethics mixed with skills, effectively used scientific discoveries and technological in boosting the production and subsequent increase in income levels. It is true that a number of major cities in the western world were widely modernized bringing about the effects of urbanization. To serve this house working populations, urbanization facilitated the concentration of labor (Davis, 2000). Artists therefore found themselves without splendid natural resources for them to exploit because of the population upsurge in cities. Consequently, they resorted to the natural worlds which had hitherto not felt the effects of industrialization for their resources (Masten, 2008). Another impact that followed industrialization was change in family structures and effects on the environment. Environmental stressors such as noise, water pollution, impersonal lifestyles and a myriad of health problems set into play (Locker, 1999). Many artists in the present world continue to grow in terms of their careers simply because, they have been able to advance all their artistic orientations (Shields, 2006). Prior to the 19th century, many paintings in America often dealt with the serene landscapes, idealized craftspeople and a host of other people. However, after the effects of industrialization had taken place, the whole scope of photographs and painting changed. Art was basically the reaction to the social and industrial conditions that prevailed (Masten, 2008). Later on, artists was obliged to create art for two audiences. Generally, artists of this important period in the history of mankind avoided painting many scenes portraying the new outfit of modernization and as such, this did not imply that they failed to create an art about the industry. Moreover, the deep enjoyment of art became the pastime for both the upper and middle class people (Davis, 2000). These were the people who essentially, preferred not to clutch over the hard work that may have been done by the lower class, let alone hanging any artistic socials commentary on their walls. Instead there was mere need for a picturesque that portrayed a neutral political landscape (Plaura, 2001). According to (Basye and Holt, 2000), several literatures enabled artists to access a medium where many of their engravings were published but the controversy that followed saw many middle class people opposing the view of the artists and eventually disapproving their works. Irrespective of the upper and middle class reaction against the artistic package of social commentary, many artists continued experiencing the strong urge for expressing themselves through art (Locker, 2000). They then resorted to the natural world where they found a lot of fascination for their works because of two major reasons. Depending on the specific needs of a particular artist, the natural word provided an avenue for artists to explore a host of untapped resources or aptly, got a ready and uncritical audience for their art (Masten, 2008). This basically strengthened their ambitions leading to affair ground for art. For instance, majority of the artistic collections portrayed the hard work of ordinary rural folks giving hem the urge to continue doing even better in their pursuit for economic survival. With this regard, several portraits were painted. They involved persons sewing a dress or a blacksmith hammering a horseshoe. particulrtly, such portraits depicted a blacksmith as possibly the man in charge of an enterprise. It showed a young man in the back, presumably an apprentice or the blacksmith’s assistant. Both were posed with their tools, with drops of sweat other cheeks seemingly proud of their trade. A factor like this one often encourage the general population because, despite the conditions for working being harsh, the portrait depicts clean, bearable and inviting scenario that give the people enthusiasm and pride altogether (Novello, 2000). In addition, the views of American urban life as well as industrialization were manifested through the channel of photography. Using a succinct comparison of the rural life, city life was pictured using sky crappers mushrooming everywhere (Shields, 2006). In this scenario, a chaotic combination of people and carriages filled the city street eliciting a feeling that city life is eventually becoming more foreboding for life and work hence, underscoring the importance of rich environmental conditions found in the rural life. Overly, the dawn of industrialization saw a marked reduction of human working conditions to unacceptable level. Active artists and photographers aligned to politics used art to comment on the industrial progress to their audience. However, there was stiff competition that forced some artists not to make enough fortune or just find a satisfactory audience for their works. They were therefore attracted to move to the rural world, where they got audience and commercial benefits for their activities. Somehow, they used the modern mechanized age to obtain a source of creativity which is paramount to the work of art. Without a creatively compelling work, their will be audience to stand all sorts of unattractive, and redundancy even if your work has the very best of the message (Plaura, 2001). There is a general history of artist getting more fascinated to the natural world. With the advent of industrialization, many artistic movements sprang up each with a unique reaction to the feeling of the movement it took after and time (Davis, 2000). Neoclassic which had taken lead form the Greek and Roman art, paved way for a more parallel period called romanticism. At this level, many artists became more imaginative with the rise of individualism, emotional intensity, and freedom describing the underlying the perceptual shift from the modern life to getting oriented to the natural world (Masten, 2008). Realism which followed brought about the realist artists who created artistic works that captured objectives and figures as they appear in real life. Artists found the natural world more ideal in portraying truthful visions of everyday life; an idea tat was much welcome to rural folks that the modern ones (Novello, 2006). Many artists felt the need to explore their relationship with nature by traveling through a wilderness. But because urban life had less or no fascinating wilderness, artists resorted for the rural world and found it more fascinating in delivering the exploration objective through a natural world (Plaura, 2001). For example, Mark Catesby, as English artist moved to the rural Northern America and found that it was the most true immersion into the American seaboard and other areas still unexploited and unknown to many Americans. He began photographing and drawing natural and social sceneries that had not suffered any natural disintegration, and hence, his works attracted a large scale audience (Shields, 2006). Another artist and explorer, Karl Bodmer, is a testament to the reason moving to natural world. he says that the most fascinating factor in the so regarded lost world is the boundless enthusiasm that artists get when they venture into worlds unknown to many, because there seem to be abundant opportunity and astonishment in those lands (Locker, 1999). The overall benefit is the reminder these places give in acknowledging that at some point, they had stopped at the crossroad of horrible, natural and sacred phenomena. They somewhat develop a relationship with the earth, facilitated by the nature, culture and their sense of fulfillment (Davis, 2000). Furthermore, the natural world is more attracting to artists because; it provides the ground that satisfy the curiosity and creativity of many artists. At the heart of every artistic symbol lies the expression of meaning. Artists tend to search for lager meaning in small aspects of life (Basye and Holt, 2000). According to the documentations in archives, the significance of artistic history is logged in the fissure between wilderness and civilization and this point out the primary focus of artists on rural worlds. Notwithstanding, rural world represents culture and nature and how it is reconciled with the modernization. Therefore, the imaginative role of art pulls out the existing radiance in capturing double meaning encased in the metaphors. When they finally take their products to urban setups, they somehow manage to prompt the city residents into the world of imagination embedded in the images formed in their minds as a resulted art (Masten, 2008). Moreover, artists use the natural worlds to find sources that subsequently define the unique artistic identities. This is clearly captured in the sentiments of a German poet, Rainer Maria. He believes that as a primary condition for writing a captivating verse, it is imperative that they see a myriad of cities, nature, men and several other things. Accordingly it is perquisite that one should know different flights of birds, animals, not forgetting gestures that flowers make especially when they open and close. The fundamental role of all this condition is to portray the accounts as creative as possible with the unique ability to come up with the work of art that suits in the context of everyday life. The only available source of the adventure is the natural world that is least affected by industrialization (Novello, 2000). Similarly, there is more attraction to the natural world. Artists think that by going there they provide a link between city life and rural life. All the opportunities of industrialization are made open to village folks giving them a chance to keep a breast with what is happening across the world (Plaura, 2001). For example, there was a painting in rural Indiana which showed an angel looking as though he is about to walk away from something he is acutely contemplating. It depicted the angel staring with his mouth wide open and the wings flung spread. This is the way artists presents issues in varying worlds and the serenity found in natural world promotes the efficient delivery of the message (Shields, 2006). The painting reinforces the religious teaching that God watches over us and somehow, strengthens the spirituality; an aspect that is under the threat of industrialization. Conclusion From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that the dawn of industrialization in the 19th century was accompanied by the sharp shift in the economical, social and ideological differences that paved way for new lifestyles. Individualism, which became rife as a result of urbanization, left artist with a host of intellectual orientation in terms of creativity. It is evident that the market for their art products got strained obliging them to get attracted to the rural world that had hitherto not adversely suffered from the effects of industrialization. Bibliography Basye, E and Holt, G 2000. Art and Architecture: The Advent of Industrialization, Yales, Yales University Press. Davis, A. 2000. A Social History of Graphic Art and Works Industry. New York, McGill-Queens Press. Locker, N. 1999. Science and Nature: An International Journal of Science. Vol. 23 Issues 56, London, Macmillan Publishers. Masten, A. 2008. Artwork in the Nineteenth Century. Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania University Press Novello, A. 2000. The Face of Art in the Nineteenth Century. London, Prentice Plaura, N. 2001. Art and Nature: Interelationship, Oxford, Oxford University Press Shields, S. 2006. Artists at the Continents End: The Peninsula Art Colony. Michigan, Routledge

Why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay

The decision to ban the novel Huckleberry Finn from classrooms and libraries has been an ongoing controversy. The presence of the 'n word' and the treatment towards Jim, and other blacks in general, has made many readers uncomfortable. Despite this fact, Huckleberry Finn has been and remains a classic read. I do not believe the novel should be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. Sanitizing Huckleberry Finn would be ignoring America's past and history. Revising the original version of the book is not staying true to the period in which Twain was writing. The language of the book depicts America's past(Rawls 1). The language used is appropriate for this specific time period. People would not have referred to slaves or African Americans in any other way. Altering Huckleberry Finn and changing the racial slurs would make the novel lean towards a more fictional direction. Erasing racial labels does not erase race or racism. Wanting the world to be less racist does not give anyone the right to change someone writing. Being less racist would mean that the world could recognize words and their meanings as a sign of how much we have evolved(Dawkins 1). It is wrong to ignore the past simply because we don't know how to explain it. A large part of moving forward in the world depends on addressing problems and difficult situations. People have been reading "Huck Finn" and "Tom Sawyer for over a century and it has not stopped us from evolving and moving past slavery and racism for the most part. Why should we all... ...t"(Mullen 1). We need to remember and acknowledge the fact that these young people are juniors and seniors who differ in ages from 16 to 18 and in some cases are halfway to legal adulthood. The students reading this novel can make decisions for themselves based on what they know as right or wrong. Reading Huckleberry Finn one time in their literature class will not change that. Huckleberry Finn should not be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. If you find the book offensive, don't read it or buy it. There are countless amounts of offensive books that people find no interest in, however that does not mean we change them or rewrite them.

Sight and Blindness in Shakespeares King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay

Sight and Blindness in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play.    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.    When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted:    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Blinding." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002): 10.1-5 Available: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999    Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare's King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay Sight and Blindness in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play.    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.    When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted:    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Blinding." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002): 10.1-5 Available: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999   

The Jungle Essay

The Jungle Throughout Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, the inhumane and disgusting treatment the working men and women was shown to the eyes of the American people. Although what the book is most recognized for is creating the Pure Food and Drug Act, an act that gave consumers protection from dangerous and impure foods, the many various horrors the lower working class had to go through was something that deserved more recognition. Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, gives an insight on how it was nearly impossible for someone of lower class to work and survive in the various big cities in America. The Jungle is about a family from Lithuania who travels to America in hope of a better life. When they first arrive things immediately begin to go downhill. The fist place they stop is a hotel, they stay for a night, but unfortunately are unable to read English and sleep there without knowing there will be a very large fine for their stay. â€Å"The law says that a rate card shall be on the door of a hotel, but it does not say that it shall be in Lithuanian. †(23) The next morning they’re devastated and quickly pay and leave, learning that the people in this country will do anything for a quick buck. Soon they reach their destination, Chicago, and Jurgis and his family began to search for a home, and jobs. They buy a house, but soon find out there is a lot more to the house than what meets the eye, such as interest and the fact that the house is only rented until they can pay it off. After moving in Jurgis begins a job at the meat factory, and it was anything but pleasant. Jurgis’ job is to sweep the entrails and calves from cows into a trapdoor in the floor. Many people are at risk of injury every day, working with sharp knives and there was always almost a foot of blood on the floor. It is disgusting and horrible work, but Jurgis does it with a smile on his face because he thinks â€Å"at least I have a job,† but as the story goes on, Jurgis’ opinion begins to change drastically. Jurgis’ father, Antanas wanted to get a job, and he finally did at the meat factory, as â€Å"A squeedgie man. † â€Å"His job was to go about all day with a long handled mop, swabbing up the floor. †(60) After one day he comes back complaining about how he had to clean out the trapdoors and then shove all the junk in with the rest of the meat! HE also works with chemicals and they are very bad for him. â€Å"†¦he worked in a place where his feet were soaked in chemicals, and it was not long before they had eaten through his new boots. Then sores began to break out on his feet and grew worse and worse. †(76) Soon he dies and the family must prepare a funeral for him, Jurgis can’t even find the time to grieve because he is too busy trying to barter the funeral man for a lower price. It is a horrible loss, and winter just continues to bring more hardships for the family. First, with the horrible and huge quantities of snow, it is almost impossible to do the two mile trek every day to get to their job, but even when they get there the horrible conditions don’t end. â€Å"There was no heat upon the killing beds; the men might exactly as well have worked out of doors all winter†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"On the killing beds you were apt to be covered with blood, and it would freeze solid; if you leaned against a pillar, you would freeze to that, and if you put your hand upon the blade of your knife, you would run a chance of leaving your skin on it. The men would tie up their feet in newspapers and old sacks, and these would be soaked in blood and frozen, and then soaked again, and so on, until by nighttime a man would be walking on great lumps the size of the feet of an elephant. Now and then, when the bosses were not looking, you would see them plunging their feet and ankles into the steaming hot carcass of the steer, or darting across the room to the hot-water jets. The cruelest thing of all was that nearly all of them – all of those who used knives – were unable to wear gloves, and their arms would be white with frost and their hands would grow numb, and then of course there would be accidents. † (80) The men had to work in those horrible conditions day after day until winter was over, but none of them would quit, they needed the money and if they quit or demanded better conditions, there were thousands outside just waiting to take their place. Mister Sinclair shows that even though the working conditions were so dreadful, not one man would stop coming to work. They would rather risk dying in the factories, or dying from frostbite as they trekked through the snow than stop coming to work and allow someone else to take their job, because back then that was suicide. If you didn’t go to work you were allowing your family the possibility of not being able to survive the winter, because it’s just less money to fill more mouths. The horrible hardships the family faces in the winter is merely the beginning of their problems. As the book goes on things seem like they’re looking up, Ona has her baby, which they name Antanas, and the family is working hard to make money. Then Jurgis breaks his ankle and cannot return to work for months. â€Å"in leaping out of the way he turned his ankle. There was a twinge of pain, but Jurgis was used to pain, and did not coddle himself. When he came to walk home, however, he realized that it was hurting him a great deal; and in the morning his ankle was swollen out nearly double its size, and he could not get his foot into his shoe. (114) Jurgis is laid up for a couple weeks and tries to return to work, but in doing this he injures himself more and has to stay out of work for much longer and when he returns there is no job left for him. Jurgis faced many other hardships in his life, such as being put in jail, his wife dying in childbirth and his son dying as well. His story was horrific, but he was unfortunately, not alone. The horrible conditions Jurgis faced and went through were the problems of thousands of men, women and even children all over America in the early 1900s. Upton Sinclair shines a bright light on how horrible the people had it and how the upper class people didn’t even notice or care. The main issue was to generate as much product as they could for as small of a cost as possible. Then people from various countries didn’t know anything about rights and things like they, they just craved any job they could get, no matter how bad. Many of their family members also died from work, or other things like starvation, childbirth or simply like Antanas died; by downing in the rivers of water that flowed through the streets in the spring. Mr. Sinclair did an amazing job giving the people insight on how horrible the conditions really were, although people mainly focused on the disgusting conditions of the meat packing industry. Upton Sinclair definitely focused on how horrible the lower class had it, but his horrific details about what is really put into everyday meat, was quite disturbing and the people must have been more shocked about what they were putting into their mouths, than who was working to do it. The Jungle is a book about hardships, the American dream and the struggle for survival. Jurgis was an example of what almost everyone who came over to America experienced. A lucky few went on to do great things, such as Andrew Carnegie, a man from Scotland who went on to create the largest steel factory in the world, but the latter ended up like Jurgis. Risking it all, and ending up with nearly nothing. Jurgis came over with ten people, and in the end there were five. Half of his family had died, and coping with it was hard, but in the end he decided to buck up, and try and make the best of it. Upton Sinclair allows the human race to reflect on what is really important in life, by showing that there are people in this world who have to go through every day without knowing if they will make enough money to keep themselves and their family alive into tomorrow. He truly captured and chronicled how horrific and devastating the conditions back then really were, and being able to reflect on the things of they past can truly give insight for the future.

Mobile Marketing Strategy How to Build One the Smart Way - CoSchedule

Mobile Marketing Strategy How to Build One the Smart Way How is your mobile marketing strategy doing? If you can’t answer this question, it’s time to change that. Data shows that marketing is going mobile more and more by the day. In fact, there’s a good chance you’re reading this on a mobile device right now. Let’s take a look at some numbers: Mobile accounts for 65%  of the time people spend consuming media 59% of smartphone owners  expect websites to be mobile-optimized 68% of companies  are investing in mobile marketing These are a just a few stats, but together, they tell one compelling story: it’s past time for all of us to pay attention to mobile. Understanding the importance of mobile marketing isn’t enough on its own. You also need to build an actionable strategy to provide users with a great mobile experience across all your content. That’s where this post comes in. Read on to learn: How to understand the way your audience uses their mobile device. How to optimize your brand’s overall mobile presence. How to measure the impact of your efforts. Mobile Marketing Strategy: How to Build One the Smart WayDownload Your Free Mobile Marketing Strategy Pitch Deck Template + Infographic Doing mobile marketing right requires cross-team collaboration  and leadership buy-in. To help state your case, use this free Mobile Marketing Pitch Template. It’s pre-built with important statistics you can use to build the business case for investing in mobile marketing. It also includes fill-in-the-blanks sections to tailor your proposed strategies, tactics, and recommendations to your own situation. Plus, we’ve also included a free Mobile Marketing Infographic packed with stats and curated research. With these resources and the information in this post, you’ll have everything you need to educate your team and implement a comprehensive mobile marketing strategy. Why Should You Care About Mobile Marketing Strategy? According to Hitwise, nearly 60% of searches come from mobile devices. That’s an enormous number. For marketers, that means your content needs to be optimized for mobile experiences. If it isn’t, you could risk missing opportunities to convert more website visitors into customers. This number is an average compiled from data across 11 different industries. Even at the low end of the graph, 39% is still a significant amount of searches. There’s one thing this data makes abundantly clear: you need to develop a mobile marketing strategy. Like so many things in the marketing world, this is easier said than done. However, with the right approach, you can make sure you’re not missing out on as much as 72% of your total potential audience through organic search. If you’re ready to build your own mobile content strategy, keep reading. We’re about to dig into: Develop a strategy for mobile marketing Optimize content for users on the go Plan and execute your strategy with Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to it. Ready to build your #mobile #marketing strategy?Developing a Mobile Content Strategy Plan your work. Then, work your plan. We say this all the time at . If you’re going to succeed, you need to know what you’ll do, before you sit down to get it done. Preparing a mobile marketing strategy is no exception. It isn’t enough to ask your developers to build you a responsive website and then call it a day (although responsive design is important). You need to put real thought into how you’ll reach mobile audiences, and what your online presence really looks like to those users. Recommended Reading: The Complete 14-Step Content Strategy That Will Boost Your Results By 434% Understanding How Your Audience Uses Mobile Devices Knowing where your audience uses their phone or tablet can help inform how you reach them. For example, people traveling to a new city will likely look for restaurants, hotels, and events near their destination. A farmer might browse their social media while riding in the tractor (no, seriously). An office worker could catch up on industry news with their iPad while lounging on the couch. Each of these people has a different purpose for being on their device. Accordingly, they have different expectations, too. If you know how they’re likely to find you, then you can be better prepared to provide them with the right content, at the right time. Here’s how you can gain this insight. Run A Survey Ask, and you shall receive. Run a simple poll with Polldaddy  or Survey Monkey  and ask people how they use their device. Here are three simple questions your survey can include: Which types of mobile devices do you use? [Phones, tablets, etc.] Where do you access content with your phone or tablet? [At work, at home, while traveling, etc.] What types of content do you consume on your mobile device? [News, entertainment, video, blog posts, social media, etc.] The data you get from your own audience will guide you in the right direction. Recommended Listening: How to Boost Your Results With Original Research With Andy Crestodina From Orbit Media Studios Use Google Analytics Google Analytics can give you some idea how your audience is using their mobile devices, too. Log into your account. Then, click Audience, and drill into the Mobile drop-down: Next, click onto Overview. Here, you can get a breakdown of how many of your website visitors are on mobile or tablet. Under devices, you can also see which specific phones or tablets people are using to find you: Next, click on Users Flow. Then, click All Users, and scroll down to and click Mobile Traffic. Once you’ve done this, click Apply. You’ll then see something like this: Now, you can see where mobile users land on your site, and where they go next from there. This can help you determine which pages and content are most interesting to your mobile audience. NOTE: Google Analytics separates Mobile (as in mobile phones) and Tablet traffic. If you’d like to see your user flow from tablets, repeat the previous steps, but scroll down to the bottom of the All Users window, and find Tablet Traffic: Optimizing Content for Mobile Devices When you’re ready to execute your mobile marketing strategy, you’ll need to be prepared to optimize your content specifically for mobile users. Writing for Mobile Devices Phone screens are relatively small. Even larger phablet-type phones are small compared to the PC you’re probably writing your content on. That means you’ll need to write in a way that’s easily readable on a smaller screen. Here’s how. Use Bullet Points: Bulleted text is easily scannable. If you have information that can be condensed down to list form, bullet it out. Write Short, Punchy Headlines: This is a matter of space. Shorter headlines fit better on smaller screens. If you can keep them down to six or seven words, they’ll be more likely to hook the attention of someone scrolling by. Longer headlines may get cut off the screen, and therefore be less appealing to click. Here’s an example of a well-optimized headline for mobile: And here’s an example that could be condensed: In this example, the headline is shortened and legible on the graphic, which is easier to read on a mobile device. It might not be possible to optimize every headline you write this way. However, it’s worth keeping this in mind as you and your team are crafting content. Use Clear Section Headings: Make use of H2 and H3 headings. If possible, avoid using anything H4 or smaller, since it can create a cluttered visual appearance with too much visual hierarchy going on. If you’re using WordPress, here’s where you’ll find your header controls: Keep Paragraphs Brief: Giant walls of text are a pain to read on phones. Keep your sentences under 25 words and paragraphs two or three sentences each. You can exercise a small amount of leeway on this  but do so sparingly. Here’s an example of a piece with crisp, concise paragraphs: And here’s another that’s decidedly more difficult to read: Front Load Email Subject Lines: Email subject lines get cut off at a shorter length on mobile than they do on desktop. So, place your most attention-grabbing copy at the beginning of your subject line. If you’d like to preview what your subject line might look like, use our Headline Analyzer. Enter your subject line: Then scroll down to here: You’ll now have an idea how your subject line will appear. Recommended Reading: This is the Way to Write Email Subject Lines That Get More Clicks Optimize Your Visual Content For Mobile Well-optimized can make or break your mobile experience, too. Follow this advice to keep your mobile presence finely tuned. Use Optimal Image File Sizes: Upload images to your site or blog at the exact size you want them to appear. Otherwise, your CMS will be forced to resize them as your pages load. This will cause them to load slower, and potentially cause users to bounce and visit a different site. If you have a high number of large images on your site (and you’re using WordPress), there may be a quick fix solution here for you. WP Smush  is a WordPress plugin that can detect and compress large image file sizes on your site, and bring them down to a more reasonable size: Make Text Legible On Small Screens: Ensure your fonts are large enough to be readable on a phone. Use your best judgment. If you can read something, odds are your audience can’t either. Here’s an example of an image that’s clearly readable on a phone: Technical Website + Blog Considerations Beyond your actual content creation, your blog and website need to be built with mobile in mind. Here are some ways to ensure both are easy to use on phones and tablets. Use A Responsive Site Design (Or Have a Separate Mobile Site): There is some debate out there over when to use responsive design versus having a separate mobile site. In either case, it’s important to have a site that looks good and works well on phones and tablets. If you’re a marketer, this is something you likely don’t have much control over. It’s also something your development team should understand. However, if this is a pain point or roadblock, discuss with your developers. Here are some talking points you can drop: 80% of all internet users have a mobile phone. Why leave money on the table? Mobile users have different expectations than desktop users. If your site doesn’t cater to them, they’ll leave (and buy from someone else). Google favors websites that offer a strong mobile experience. The more you can tie the conversation back to how it helps make money, the more likely you are to be successful here. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool: How can you know whether your site is truly mobile-friendly? Use this free tool from Google. Type in your URL: And get your analysis in moments: Mobile Search Engine Optimization Considerations The way people search, and the things they search for, might be different when they’re on the go (versus when they’re on their laptop or home computer). Keep these things in mind while you’re working on search engine optimization. Optimize For Voice Search: People using their phones are often in busy places and might not stop to type in a search query. Things people on the go typically search for include words like â€Å"how†, â€Å"what,† or â€Å"where.† For example, â€Å"How do I get to the nearest coffee shop?,† or â€Å"Where is the Museum of Modern Art?† So, how do you find which terms someone might be using to find businesses like yours? Start by doing thorough keyword research as you normally would. Next, consider targeting terms incorporating strings of conversational language around your core keywords. Here’s an example: Typical Keyword: Brunch new york city Voice-Optimized Keyword: where is the best brunch in new york city? For a more in-depth guide on optimizing for voice search, read this post from Neil Patel. Recommended Reading: Create the Right Pages to Attract Mobile Searches: In order to show up in local searches, it helps to have the right pages on your site. These could include: Location pages (for brick and mortar stores). You want people to find where you are after all, right? Posts pertaining to local topics. Remember when we mentioned optimizing keyword research for local search? Create content around those keywords. For example, if people search for "best coffee shops minneapolis," a coffee shop could create a post like, "What Makes Our Coffee Shop the Best in Minneapolis?" Your hours and contact information. This is basic stuff, but you’d be surprised how many websites miss details like this. Recommended Reading: SEO Content Strategy: How to Skyrocket Your Traffic By 594% Implement Location Data In Your Sitemap: If you have a physical location, local SEO should be a top priority for your business. One way to improve your appearance in local searches (which are often mobile searches, too) is to add location data using schema.org markup. This video from Simon Hayer walks through this process step-by-step: For a more detailed guide on implementing schema.org microdata, Kissmetrics did a fantastic job here. Plus, for a complete list of Local Business schemas, the schema.org site has those here. This is a technical task that should be handled by a developer. The benefit for doing so is to make your search results more useful. You can things like: Location Contact Information Opening Hours Price Range Review Ratings Upcoming Events And more. These types of things can improve click-through rates on search results by making them more appealing. Here’s an example from a search for upcoming events: If I’m looking for something to do in my city, this search result gives me a preview into upcoming events before I’ve even clicked a link. It also takes up more space on the search results page. And if I’m in a hurry or on the go, guess which search result people in this situation are going to tap? It’s the one that’s most noticeable and most useful in that moment. Be the company that provides those kinds of results. Mobile Email Marketing Considerations According to Salesforce, 79% of marketers say email marketing drives ROI. Plus, according to research from Kahuna cited on Email Monday, 86% of emails are opened on a mobile device. That means there’s a lot of opportunity to capitalize on mobile email marketing. Know The Numbers: If you believe what works for desktop should work for mobile when it comes to email, consider these statistics: Mobile accounts for 54% of all email opens  (versus 16% on desktop). 70% of users delete emails that don’t work well on their phones. As more people use their phones for email, you’ll need to make sure your emails look and read well on mobile devices. This leads into our next point. Use Mobile-Responsive Email Designs: If you use designed email templates, make sure they’re mobile-responsive (or at least easy to view on smartphones). Here at , we use Campaign Monitor for our email newsletters. This platform makes it easy to preview how emails will appear on phones: If you use a similar service (such as MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, or another provider), building mobile-optimized templates should be similarly easy. However, if you use custom-built email templates, talk to your developer about making them more email-friendly. They’re likely busy people, though, so be prepared to make a case for why it’s important. Here are some talking points you can use to begin your discussion: â€Å"Improving the mobile-friendliness of our emails is important for users and bottom line, since research shows 70% of people will delete an email  that doesn’t look good on mobile.† â€Å"Email drives [INSERT ROI PERCENTAGE] for us, and a better email experience could increase that even further.† â€Å"Our current email [INSERT METRIC] is at [INSERT PERCENTAGE]. However, we know from research findings that 79% of users read email on their phones. We think a better mobile experience could improve our email marketing performance significantly.† With some numbers to support your claims, it’ll be easier to explain why you need better mobile email design (if yours is currently struggling). TIP: Be prepared to hear that if your emails are underperforming, it could be because your email content is at fault. Compare your desktop vs. mobile email performance to pull numbers showing this isn't the case (assuming it's not actually the case). If desktop email performance is strong but mobile isn't, then you have a starting point to begin investigating whether mobile-friendly design could help. Mobile Social Media Marketing Considerations It feels obvious to say so, but social media is huge on mobile. However, you might be surprised by just how huge. According to Marketing Land, a full 80% of social media activity happens on a mobile device. Here are some tips for making the most mobile for social media marketing. Develop An Event Hashtag Strategy: People want to share their thoughts when they’re at events. So, if you’re hosting an event, develop a unique hashtag. You can bet attendees on their phones will make use of it. Consider Pinterest (If You’re Not There Already): According to Mobile Marketing Watch, â€Å"Pinterest is the most mobile social network and 64% of its referred traffic comes from either smartphones or tablet devices.† If capturing the attention of mobile audiences is a priority, then consider creating a Pinterest profile, if your business hasn’t already. Make Social Sharing Buttons Easily Accessible: Again, this is something you’ll need to work out with your developers and designers (if you’re not using an out-of-the-box website or blog theme). If you want people to share your content on mobile, then it needs to be easy to do without thinking about it too hard. Don’t Ignore Instagram: Think your brand can’t benefit from being on Instagram? Think again, especially if you’re targeting teens or young adults. According to WordStream (citing the Pew Research Center), 32% of teens consider Instagram  to be â€Å"the most important social network.† Recommended Reading: How to Use Hashtags Effectively Without Being Annoying The Ultimate Guide on How to Use Instagram For Business The Ultimate Guide to Marketing With Pinterest What is the Best Placement for Social Media Buttons? Mobile Advertising: Are Marketers Missing Opportunities? People spend a lot of time on their phones. You probably didn’t need us to tell you that. However, did you know U.S. consumers spend an estimated 87 hours a month browsing on their smartphones, according to Smart Insights? That is a staggering amount of time. It might also make you question how you spend your own time a little bit. One thing it should absolutely make you question, though, is how much you’re spending on mobile advertising. According to the same report from Smart Insights, while mobile users spend 24% of their time consuming media on their phone, mobile only accounts for 8% of advertising spending. Take a look at this chart: Of course, competitiveness for ad space could differ depending on your industry. One thing that’s clear, though, is there’s opportunity out there for those willing to go after it. If you’re ready to dive deeper into mobile advertising, Single Grain has you covered with this guide. Could mobile advertising be a missed opportunity for your organization?Measuring Mobile Marketing Performance Once you’ve started optimizing your content strategy for mobile, you’ll want to measure how you’re doing. Fortunately, you can get a lot of insight out of Google Analytics. Visit your account and click Mobile in the left-hand navigation. Under Overview, you’ll see high-level data for your site’s mobile performance: You’ll notice you can also see desktop and tablet stats in the same place. This makes it easy to see how your mobile marketing is performing relative to other types of devices. Next, click on Acquisition and drill into All Traffic: Then, click Channels, and All Users: Next, scroll down to Mobile Traffic and click Apply: Now, you’ll be able to see your mobile marketing performance broken down by channel. You’ll also be able to compare mobile stats to your overall performance per channel: Which Data Should I Be Concerned With? There’s a lot of data you can pay attention to here. However, which data points are the most useful for measuring mobile marketing performance? Let’s look at a few basic metrics. Traffic: Are people finding your site? If they’re not, something could be off with your mobile presence. Since you’re reading this post though, you’ll have no problems crushing it, right? Mobile Landing Pages: In addition to mobile traffic, also pay attention to where mobile visitors are landing. To find this information in Google Analytics, drill down through Behavior Site Content Landing Pages: Then, make sure you have Mobile Traffic selected (if you haven’t already). If you’d like to look at just mobile landing pages, be sure to deselect All Users: Now, scope out your top mobile pages: Now, there are a couple things to note here: Where is your mobile traffic going?  Are there pages optimized for mobile that aren’t getting traffic? Or, is there anything else that jumps out as a surprise? Which pages are performing best on mobile?  Which pages are converting best? Which are driving the most traffic? It may be worth creating more content that’s similar. Conversion Rate: Ultimately, this is what all your efforts are about. In general, conversion rates are typically lower on mobile than on desktop. Take a look at this graphic from Smart Insights  laying out 2016 ecommerce conversion rates: While your mileage may vary, don’t be too alarmed if mobile conversions are lower than desktop. Bounce Rate: If people are quick to leave your site, something could be turning them away. However, keep in mind that mobile bounce rates may be a little bit higher than your desktop or tablet bounce rate. According to Rocket Fuel, â€Å"Mobile users are more likely to bounce across the board, so it should reasonably follow that any website with a large, growing percentage of mobile traffic will see a higher bounce rate.† Depending on your site, your mobile bounce rate could be â€Å"10% to 20% higher† than desktop. If your mobile bounce rate is considerably higher than desktop though, your mobile site could be turning visitors away. This could be a sign to talk with your development team. Source: gorocketfuel.com/the-rocket-blog/whats-the-average-bounce-rate-in-google-analytics/ NOTE: If your bounce rate appears close to zero, but you know you’re attracting traffic, your Google Analytics account may be incorrectly configured. Going Beyond Google Analytics: Tools And Guides If you’re ready to step up your mobile marketing measurement, you may require more powerful tools than Google Analytics. Here are some tools and guides to get you started: Tracking Conversions With Kissmetrics: KissMetrics  is  powerful platform is great for tracking all kinds of metrics on a granular level. Follow this guide  to use it to track mobile conversions. Measuring Mobile Ad Campaigns With Mixpanel: If you have a mobile app, Mixpanel can help you track how people are using it. Follow this guide  to get started. Which #metrics matter most for #mobile #marketing?Mobile App: Schedule Social Posts on the Go Before we end this post, let’s talk about our new social scheduling mobile app. With it, you can post to your business or client’s social accounts no matter where you’re at. Given the always-on nature of social media marketing, this is helpful for maintaining the social component of your overall mobile marketing strategy. Here’s what you can do: Schedule social messages on the fly. Add social messages to your content calendar at any time. Whether you’re at a conference or on your commute, you can always be prepared to post. Stay in the loop away from your desk. No WiFi? No problem. You can now know exactly what social posts you have scheduled, no matter where you’re at. Avoid panic attacks. Triple-check, pause, or update any social post, anywhere. Stay social. Social media doesn’t always give you much time to react. Make sure you’re ready with the right response when a trending topic or real-time situation arises. Learn more about how it works here: [INSERT URL]

Poulantzas’ Approach To The Capitalist State The WritePass Journal

Poulantzas’ Approach To The Capitalist State Abstract Poulantzas’ Approach To The Capitalist State ). He is also most famous for his Althusseran account of the States relative autonomy. The greatest appeal of his state theory can be seen in Britain as evident with the New Left Review which has enthusiastically taken up his cause (Clarke 1991). Although Nicos Poulantzas has on many occasions been referenced by the organized left, especially in relation to the state debate with Ralph Miliband and his support for Structural Marxism; it should be noted that neither of these contexts gives an accurate representation of this dynamic thinker (Walsh 2012). For example, the Miliband debate provides only a small reflection of Poulantzas’ theory of capitalist state. Despite being a renowned Marxist political sociologist, little is known about his theory of the state. Often, he is labeled as a class-struggle reductionist or structuralist; expressions that both fail to capture his complex theory of the state (Tabak 1999). While his theory is seldom discussed in certain areas of the academic circles; it is important to note that he is amongst the most important post-war theorists especially to those that seek to advance Marxist state theories beyond crude instrumentalism and subjectivism (Walsh 2012). For this reason, this paper provides a more rounded portrayal of Poulantzas’s theory of the capitalist state. In particular, the paper analyzes the nature of the capitalist state from Poulantzas’ perspective and explores how his pathbreaking analysis provides important insights to understanding the behaviour of the state and the states structure. Additionally, the paper examines the political implications of his view. The power bloc In order to get a clear perspective of Poulantzas’s state theory, it is important to first examine the power bloc. It is a widely accepted fact that for every society, there is an array of classes that form the dominant and dominated classes. In this respect, Poulantzas noted that the economically dominant class could only establish political dominance in the society through the capitalist state (Walsh 2012). He called this group of dominant class the power bloc which comprises of the capitalist class and the economically powerful classes. The interests of the power bloc are heteros and the make-up and balance of forces in the power bloc vary from state to state (Walsh 2012). Undeniably, for every society, there will always be contradictory and competing interests especially among the different ruling classes. Given the divergent interests of the power bloc, it becomes the states primary role to ensure that such conflicting interests within the power bloc do not undermine the dominance of the bloc as a whole nor pose threat to unity. It thus becomes the role of the state to unify and organize the various classes and to uphold their political interests without posing threat to unity. It follows that the class differences within the power bloc should not hinder the states task of maintaining unity and the subordinance of the subaltern classes. Poulantzas, in this respect, views the state as playing an active role in the reproduction of relations and maintenance of class-hierarchical status quo (Kalyvas 1999). Globalization and the State The current literature available on globalization takes a more liberal view of the State, the view that the State is a territorial institution with centralized control over its territories (Tabak 1999). According to the liberal view, the state is treated as an entity with its own unique power. Thus the power of the state becomes discharged when multinationals exit its territory (Tabak 1999).   Others, sharing a similar view, argue that when multinationals exit the state’s territory, the state may not necessarily become powerless as not enough capital has escaped the territorial states domain to make it obsolete (Lenin 2012).   This paper, however, challenges this view from Poulantzas’s perspective of the state. The paper argues that these approaches fail to identify the source of the State’s autonomy. Poulantzas’s state theory In the state theory, Poulantzas seems less concerned to disprove liberal democratic theory but rather criticizes the communist orthodox of state monopoly capitalism (Kalyvas 1999). Against this notion that the state is a pliant tool of monopoly capital, Poulantzas rejects the liberal pluralistic-functionalist approaches and draws the attention of mainstream political science to his complex social theory (Kalyvas 1999). According to Nicos Poulantzas, the power of the state is not confined in a more or less rational actor/institution and its nature is independent of its territoriality (Kalyvas 1999). The states institutionalism is a reflection of the contradictory social relations and the state draws its power from these (Kalyvas 1999). The state’s existence is thus driven by contradictory social relations and can be viewed as an institutionalized power relationship that transcends the national territory and the territorial nation; both of which are not essential for its existence. Poulantzas state theory reaffirms the view that the political realm is independent and is not, as articulated in classical Marxism, a reflection of the economic realm. He thinks of the states autonomy as central in all circumstances and independent of its territory. According to Poulantzas, the state is by definition a capitalist state, which constitutes the political unity of the dominant classes, thereby establishing them as dominant (Poulantzas 2000:   p.77 ). He rejects the so-called instrumentalist perspective articulated by Miliband on grounds that the states autonomy is independent of the ruling class and argues that the state is not a mere instrument of the ruling or dominant class, but is instead a separate entity with its own agenda. This state theory developed by Poulantzas has its roots in his political theory which proposes a regional approach to understanding and analyzing the different levels in a social formation: political, economic and ideological levels (Poulantzas 2000). His early work was, however, subject to criticism on the grounds that it was severely functionalist, failing to show exactly how the state fulfils its role as the factor of cohesion (Rooksby 2012). Critics also argued that Poulantzas’s approach presented the political and economic regions as distinct rather than simply analytically (Rooksby 2012). Criticism was also raised on grounds that his emphasis on determining the role of structural matrix in the capitalist society could not possibly be combined with the idea of contingent class struggle (Rooksby 2012). Poulantzas later work, state, power, socialism, is far more superior to his early work and represents a major advance in his thinking. In this final work, this Greek Marxist sociologist rejects the Althusseran underpinnings thereby overcoming many of the criticism raised with his early work. The starting point of the analysis of the capitalist state shifts from the assumption of a determinant structural matrix to one that examines the nature of relations of production in the capitalist mode of production (Rooksby 2012). With a shift in focus, Poulantzas was able to develop a more improved theory of the state. In this final piece, he provides a brilliant analysis of capitalism by conceptualizing a state that materializes and concentrates power and one that provides political space for class struggle (Poulantzas 2000). His analysis identifies the state as both the crystallization and locus of class struggle. On one side,  Ã‚   there is a class struggle over the organization of production, knowledge and over state’s juridical apparatuses (Poulantzas 2000). It thus becomes the states role to reintegrate and unify separated and individualized workers into one nation. On the other side, this integration takes place in the context of class struggle and the state and other institutions are a product of such struggle (Poulantzas 2000). His theory of the state is in response to the simplistic understandings within Marxism which posited that the state was a mere reflection of the dominant class and that state policy was a direct expression of this ruling class political will (Clarke 1991). In the Marxist scheme, the dominant class is one that owns or controls the means of production; and one in which its interests the state corresponds (Clarke 1991). That means that the dominant class may use the state power as an instrument to achieve its dominance in the society. Poulantzas disagreed with the Instrumentalist Marxist view and instead argued that the capitalist class was more focused on individual profit rather than maintaining classs power as a whole (Poulantzas 2000). Against the instrumentalist approach, Poulantzas argues that the state is more of a material condensation of the relationship among the various classes and that intrinsic class struggle of the capitalist system is hardwired into the states mainframe, thus the states actions and policy cannot be solely dictated by the ruling class (Poulantzas 2000). Owing a considerable debt to the notion of ‘cultural hegemony’ articulated by Antonio Gramsci; Poulantzas also argues that the repressing movements of the oppressed are by no means the states sole function (Salomon 2012). He argues that instead the state power obtains consent of the oppressed through class alliances, wherein the ruling class creates an alliance with the oppressed groups in order to obtain their consent. According to Poulantzas, the state is neither an instrumentalist depository of the ruling class-power nor a subject with its own abstract power; but is rather the centre of the exercise of power. Implications of this view Drawing from the above, it can be argued that the theory of the capitalist state comprise of three dialectical moments which, besides being autonomous, are also co-determinants of each other: the state as an institution, state as a function and state as a relation (Tabak 1999). The state is an institution in the sense of its embodiment in its personnel and apparatuses. As articulated by Poulantzas, the state is a centralized apparatus that comprise of an assemblage of impersonal and anonymous functions (Tabak 1999). While Members within institution-state may come from different classes, they follow a specific internal unity. The state can also be viewed as a function, with political, economic and ideological functionality (Tabak 1999). When the three categories are combined, the state performs an objective function, maintaining social cohesion in order to ensure continuing accumulation of capital.   There are many facets to this function of cohesion: first, the state serves as a function by creating what is referred to by Poulantzas as a â€Å"people-nation (Tabak 1999). Second, it serves as a function by playing a constitutive role in the reproduction of class powers (Tabak 1999). Given the above, it can be seen that the states functionality makes possible its institutionality. On the other hand, its institutionality is circumscribed by and casually embedded in its functionality (Tabak 1999). This coexistence is constantly reproduced by social relations, bringing us to the third moment, state as a relation. By state as a relation, Poulantzas implies that the state is a condensate of a relation of power between struggling classes (Tabak 1999). Conceiving the state as a relation, means grasping the fact that it is the resultant of contradictions and that it is destined reproduce class divisions. State’s autonomy These three moments define the nature of the state and the states relative autonomy. The three moments are also dialectically linked to two processes: first, the distinction between the political and the economic; relations of production-consumption-circulation and the state (capitalist mode of production) (Tabak 1999: p.139). Second, specificity of the constitution of classes and of class struggle in the capitalist mode of production (Tabak 1999: p.139) In capitalism, for example, the surplus mode of extraction requires a functionally autonomous state (Tabak 1999: p. 140). This is due to the fact that production and valorization of products in the market are two separate processes. While the control of production rests largely in the hands of the capitalist, product circulation and valorization in the global market is beyond the capitalists individual control. It thus requires the presence of an overarching force such as the state which will follow the overall logic of surplus creation and ensure surplus extraction (Tabak 1999). Criticism of Poulantzas state theory Several questions have, however, been raised with regard to Poulantzas approach and his emphasis on the states relative autonomy. Questions such as: how relative is relative? Under what circumstances can we consider it as more or less? More so, what form does the autonomy assume? These key questions have been raised in political discourse and Poulantzas approach critiqued as having not provided a satisfactory answer to them. Poulantzas approach has been critiqued as undermining his attempt to explain the nature of the relationship between the state and the dominant class. His approach is also seen as subverting the very concept of relative autonomy that it proposes. Poulantzas argues against structuralism stating that the states power is not located in the levels of structures but is instead an effect of ensemble of these levels (Miliband 1970). The concept of power is thus not applicable to one level of the structure. From this view, the state power does not in itself imply states articulation at other structural levels. It can only mean the power of determinate class whose interests are prioritized by the state (Miliband 1970). This, however, may not necessarily be true as it would imply depriving the state of its autonomy and turning it into a mere instrument of the determinate class. In line with this view, Poulantzas argues that the state possess its autonomy and structural specificity which cannot be easily reduced to an analysis in terms of power (Jessop 2009). This concession, however, does not seem to dissipate the confusion but rather serves to compound it. Failure by Poulantzas to differentiate between state power and class power is suggested to be the main reason for this confusion. While state power is considered ultimate, it is not the only means to maintaining and assuring class power. The lack of a clear distinction between class power and state power prevents his analysis from providing satisfactory answer to the above questions. By now, it is an acknowledged fact that Poulantzas tended to place a lot of emphasis on the differences and relations between class fractions in the capitalist state. While stressing this fact is important and needs to be comprehended in the analysis of the capitalist state; his emphasis on these differences and relations may obscure the underlying cohesion of these elements and critics may well use these differences to deny the fundamental cohesion of the capitalist class (Miliband 1970). Nonetheless, Poulantzas work has been particularly influential even though his legacy remains ambivalent. This is evident with his state theory, which has become a major contribution to the theoretical agenda on this topic, especially the so-called relative autonomy of the state. By creating space for a relatively autonomous Marxist political science and defining the nature of the capitalist state, the states structure and states autonomy; Poulantzas’s work has clearly been influential. Conclusion In essence, Poulantzas’s view of the state goes against instrumentalism which sees the state as solely depending on the dominant class or those that man its top structures. Rather, he sees the state from a functional view as fulfilling societys needs of which it is part. There is no doubt that Poulantzass state theory has been influential with his work often referenced by the organized left. He has made important contributions to the theoretical agenda on capitalist state by analyzing the nature of the capitalist state and providing important insights to the understanding of the state, its structure and its autonomy. Undeniably, Poulantzas has made important contributions to this theoretical debate. First, he made a major contribution to the capitalist state theory that goes beyond the conventional Marxist analyses. Second, he developed a broader approach to the state as a relation, viewing the state as the condensate of class relations. Additionally, his analysis of the current form of capitalist type of state can be seen with authoritarian statism which is far more evident today than before, especially in France and Germany. More recently, however, Poulantzas analysis seems to have been widely neglected. Over the past few years, much has changed with economic relations being transformed by globalization, compression of space and time, work reorganization and knowledge transmission which has been facilitated by information and communications revolution. There has been a shift of locus of relation away from the nation state which was fundamental to Poulantzass analysis.   Nonetheless, he remains one of the most important post-war theorists to advance Marxist state theories beyond crude instrumentalism and subjectivism. Reference Miliband, R., 1970. The Capitalist state: reply to Nicos Poulantzas. New Left Review Salomon, C., 2012. ‘The great transformation of the Poulantzasian modern capitalist state under Globalization’. Journal of Political Inquiry Kalyvas, A., 1999. ‘The stateless theory: Poulantzass challenge to postmodernism’. Journal of Hellenic Diaspora Tabak, 1999. ‘A poulantzasian approach to the state and globalization’. Journal of Hellenic Diaspora Carnoy, M. and M. Castells, 2002. ‘Globalization, the knowledge society, and the Network state: Poulantzas at the millennium’. Global Networks, vol. 1 (1) Jessop, B., 2009. Poulantzass state, power, socialism as a modern classic. [Viewed on 10th December 2012] available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-44782009000200010. Poulantzas, N., 2000. State, power, socialism. New edition. Verso Books Walsh, C., 2012. Nicos Poulantzas and the capitalist state. Scotland: International Socialist Group Lenin, 2012. Terrifyingly real: Poulantzas and the capitalist state. [viewed on 10th December 2012] available from leninology.com/2012/01/terrifyingly-real-poulantzas-and.html Rooksby, 2012. Towards a better theory of the capitalist state: combining blocks and poulantzas approaches. [Viewed on 10th december 2012] available from academia.edu/693189/Towards_a_Better_Theory_of_the_Capitalist_State_Combining_Blocks_and_Poulantzas_Approaches Clark, S., 1991. The State debate. Macmillan publishers.

Cause and Effect Essay Paper Topics

Cause and Effect Essay Paper Topics Cause and effect essays explore how and why things happen. You could compare two events that seem distinct and separate to show a connection, or you could show the flow of events that occurred within one major event. In other words, you could explore rising tension in the US that concluded with the Boston Tea Party, or you could start with the Boston Tea Party as a political eruption and compare this event to a major event that followed much later, like the American Civil War. Solid Essay Content As with all essay writing, the text must start with an introduction to the subject, followed by the main thrust of the narrative, and finally finishing with a conclusion. For example, The Second World War was the result of building tensions throughout Europe. These tensions had effectively been building since the end of World War I but were increased dramatically when the Nazi party came to power in 1933, led by Adolf Hitler. The thrust of the essay could include the changing fortunes of the main armies, Germany and Japan on one side, and Russia, England and later America on the other. Crafting a Conclusion   Finally, the essay could be summarized or concluded with a look at the world after the signing of the unconditional surrender by the German army on May 8th, 1945. In addition, the essay could consider the lasting peace throughout Europe since the end of WWII, the division of Germany (East and West) and the establishment of the United Nations in October 1945. The choice of subject for an essay under the category cause and effect is important as some subjects (such as the example here of WWII) can be extensive and would be more suitable to an essay that requires a large word count. Alternatively, a topic such as Effects of Telling Lies (from the following list) could be relatively short. Interesting Cause and Effect Essay Topics If youre looking for inspiration for your topic, you may find ideas from the following list. The impact when a parent loses a jobThe Revolutionary War and slaveryFood poisoning causesRepercussions of cheating in schoolThe effects of exercisingHow bullying affects victimsHow severe acne affects teensEffects of telling liesThe impact of technology on family timeThe impact of technology on religionThe effects of smokingWhy friendships endThe effects of divorceThe effects of traveling abroadWhat would happen if aliens landed in your townWhat causes kids to try drugs for the first timeWhy ships sinkThe effects of poison ivyWhy weddings look the way they doHow Christmas trees became a part of American cultureEffects of eating too much junk foodThe impact of winning the lotteryThe effects of going without sleepWhat causes natural disastersThe effects of strip miningThe effects of the moon missionsEffects of the Black Death in the Middle AgesEarly trade patternsThe effects of over-fishingHow procrastination affects gradesThe events that led to the fall of Rome

Macy's Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Macy's - Term Paper Example Macy’s over the years has had a long and eventful history to get where it is today. Macy’s was the first retailer to promote a woman to an executive position, making business history. Furthermore, Macy’s, also, pioneered business practices like the one-price system, one price for an item to sell to everyone, and advertising prices for goods in newspapers. Furthermore, the also were the first store to sell tea bags, the Idaho baked potato, and colored bath towels, even the first store to hold a New York liquor license. By 1918, Macy’s was starting to average $36 million in annual sales. And the immigrant employees, in 1924, to celebrate their new American Heritage, organized the first Christmas Parade which featured floats, bands, animals from the zoo and 10,000 onlookers. This became the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Macy’s has grown over the years by acquiring other stores and renaming them Macy’s as a way to expand their bra nd. Federated Department Stores (now known as Macy’s Inc.) bought R.H. Macy & Co. in 1994, and then renamed all their regional nameplates to Macy’s and in 2006, Macy’s acquired The May Department Store Company and converted all their regional nameplates to Macy’s. These acquisitions, eventually, led Macy’s to grow to over 800 stores covering virtually every major geographic market in the United States, plus they also have their internet sales through macys.com. Control of Economic Indicator The economic indicators are controlled by various governmental agencies, such as the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor. Most economists and investors pour over the compilation reports from these agencies, like tea leaves, (Steiner, 2009) for any signs of economic improvement. They are looking for trends that will likely increase consumer spending, especially, since nearly 70% of the GDP of the United States is tied up in con sumer spending. There are five main economic indicators that are being looked at to determine if the economy is going to get back on its feet. These five indicators are consumer-related indicators which include: employment, retail sales, personal income and outlays, consumer price index, and new home sales. These five indicators detail consumer spending, sales by retailers, details the amount of inflation or deflation (consumer price index), new residential sales to the public, and the unemployment rate (the higher the unemployment rate, the less likely people are to buy consumer based products, unless they are necessities). The reports are written by the government agencies that compile them, such as the employment situation is written by the Bureau of Labor and has pages upon pages of data showing the amount of employees added to and subtracted from the workforce. Economic Indicator Collection The economic indicators are calculated, after a thorough collection of the appropriate s tatistical data needed to perform the calculation. For example, the Bureau of Labor receives a report from all employers each month which indicates how many employees that was added to an employer’s payroll as well as how employees were removed from the payroll. Then, to get the unemployment rate, the number of unemployed people is divided by the number of employable people. This gives us the percentage of how many people are unemployed currently. But, this unemployment rate can further be broken down into the various industries to see which industries have a higher unemployment rate than

Celebrities can Never be True Heroes in Our Lives, But Our Parents Can Essay

Celebrities can Never be True Heroes in Our Lives, But Our Parents Can Be - Essay Example Celebrities can Never be True Heroes in Our Lives, But Our Parents Can Be However, all of that changes once adolescence sets in for most kids. We then start to see parents more as controlling freaks who just dont understand the needs of a teenager. They just dont get it and therefore, can never be the hero in the world of a teenager. But, celebrities get it and that is why we turn our attention to the celebrities and their world of make believe adoration for the hero worship that we seek. to bestow upon people. Celebrities represent everything that a child wishes to be in life. They leap off the movie screens as heroes and rebels who always win in the end. The publicity that surrounds them tend to give them almost superhuman quality. Thus making them the envy of every insecure teenager in the world, or a heroic inspiration to some of their almost blind followers who begin to pattern their lives and way of thought after these person or people who have caught their admiration and attention. While parents try to control their teenagers at this point in their lives, the teenager continues to struggle for a sense of self and an identity to call all his own. By admiring celebrities, the child can practically try on different personalities with the â€Å"guidance† of a person who is actually living the life that the child had in mind. What teenagers do not realize at this point in their lives, is that the celebrities actually live shallow, lonely lives that are devoid of any real meaning or purpose.

The misconceptions of distance learning education Essay

The misconceptions of distance learning education - Essay Example The two main misconceptions associated with this type of learning is schools offering distance education do not implement a program of study at is as challenging as in a traditional school and achieving a college degree online involves less commitment and effort than an on-campus college diploma. Moreover, it is usually thought that all online schools are a scam. Inopportunely, diploma mills are present — they modestly sell grades to whomever is agreeable to fee for them, and it is from time to time startling who's eager to invest the money. There are numerous stories in the news bulletin about public bureaucrats who are found to have sham degrees. Such colleges advertise that they award "life experience" grades — likewise, the student can get a degree without quite doing any real effort. Those who acquire degrees in this style are endangering their occupation and their repute by getting involved in such things (Myths and Misconceptions about Distance Learning). Another misconception is that students usually miss out on the real interaction with the students and instructors. They lack the confidence which otherwise they could have gained if they were studying on campus studies. All over again, this hinge on upon the package and the university. Countless distance learning institutes hold "sessions" by the use of webcams and discussion rooms, allowing students to pin thier ears back to course talks by teachers and interrelate with other pupils. Indeed, some distance knowledge schools obligate that students post to a note board for their lecture a convinced number of times a week. If they do not do so, they endanger their grades. Group work concerning a number of undergraduates is also put up into the set of courses of a number of distance learning programs, and the undergraduates are graded on their group task. Degrees gotten through distance learning are achieving extensive recognition by employers all the while. Lots of employers bargain tuition r epayment to their workforces knowing full well that the grades are being received virtually or over other distance learning approaches. These consist of some of the major businesses in the United States. Bestowing to a 2004 study by the Sloan Consortium, approximately one-third of business teaching compensations went to online or amalgamated packages. Companies’ receive advantage from these packages in terms of more accomplished workers while their workforces do not have to resign work to follow higher education plans. A 2005 study directed by Vault.com exposed that 86 percent of firms would be eager to agree to take a job interviewee with an online gradation. (United States Distance Learning Programs, n.d. ) Brick-and-Mortar schools which also deal with distance learning packages use the identical prospectus and charges criterions whether a student is book learning at a distance or not. When delivering degrees or records, those universities don't insist on whether the course s were taken over the internet or on campus, for they are alike courses. Schools that are endorsed are predictable to abide by to assured education standards. If courses or tutors are not up to same level, schools danger being put on trial or even worse-losing their authorization completely. What is more, organizations like Harvard and Cornell bid distance learning sequences, and these are academies distinguished for the excellence of the schooling they be responsible for. (King, 2010) Distance learning is

Public Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Administration - Essay Example According to Max Weber’s policy, public administrators must be restricted to only laid down the policies in the discharge of their duties. But this would not help the country to have a proper and efficient public administration. The public administrators must have some amount of discretion as this would help them to resolve an issue based on the problem’s nature. The policies proposed by the government are generally common and it does not specify any external factor to tackle the problem. In this situation, the administrators must decide how to solve the issue by altering or modifying the proposed rules. They should have the rights to modify and implement the proposed policies. They must also have some amount of discretion so that they can decide how to serve the public in a better way. In a democratic country, the public administration cannot be carried out in an effective way without proposing new techniques and strategies. (Denhardt, 2009). The problem differs based on the situation and the same regulation might not work effectively for all sorts of issues. Instead it is better for the government to allow the public administrators to pursue their work with some discretion. This would enable them to help and serve people in a better way.

The Christian View of Scripture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Christian View of Scripture - Essay Example However, what is the difference between strict and limited inerrancy? Is it just another â€Å"interpretation† mechanism used to appease those around us? Knowing whether the Bible is reliable or not is what thousands of scholars try to prove or disprove on a daily basis. Some scholars write books, some preach and others just take it all in with the hopes that when it all comes down to the last days, what God said in the Bible will be true. Things will line up, things will make sense. It will be like a math problem with an obvious answer. The problem is that there is no obvious answer. According to Theopedia, an online resource, inerrancy is â€Å"the view that when all the facts become known, they will demonstrate that the bible, in its original autographs and correctly interpreted is entirely true and never false in all it affirms†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But there have been so many translations of the Bible, who is to know which one isâ€Å"Original† in all it affirms? This que stion has puzzled many Bible readers, and theologians. Another question that has puzzled people more is whether there is a difference between strict and limited inerrancy. Which one is more convincing and why? Limited inerrancy, according to Spotlight Ministries, is the idea that what God intends to convey in scripture, or the message of scripture, is without error.

Public Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Administration - Essay Example According to Max Weber’s policy, public administrators must be restricted to only laid down the policies in the discharge of their duties. But this would not help the country to have a proper and efficient public administration. The public administrators must have some amount of discretion as this would help them to resolve an issue based on the problem’s nature. The policies proposed by the government are generally common and it does not specify any external factor to tackle the problem. In this situation, the administrators must decide how to solve the issue by altering or modifying the proposed rules. They should have the rights to modify and implement the proposed policies. They must also have some amount of discretion so that they can decide how to serve the public in a better way. In a democratic country, the public administration cannot be carried out in an effective way without proposing new techniques and strategies. (Denhardt, 2009). The problem differs based on the situation and the same regulation might not work effectively for all sorts of issues. Instead it is better for the government to allow the public administrators to pursue their work with some discretion. This would enable them to help and serve people in a better way.

Green Supply Chain Management. 2250 words Essay

Green Supply Chain Management. 2250 words - Essay Example Baojuan also called the same as Environmentally Conscious Supply Chain Management which meant the use of new means to biologically design â€Å"raw materials purchasing, manufacture organizing, distributing and supplying, consuming, and recycling† (2009:122). Green supply chain is a growing trend among companies worldwide as part of their customer responsibility effort to weave environmentally sound practice into their business operations (Barnett 2011). There are several issues that the green supply chain aims to deal with. The most obvious issue is environmental concern where companies are reducing their carbon footprint to the effect of mitigating pollution with the ultimate objective of keeping carbon emission within the regenerative capacity of ecosphere. This is aligned in the consideration of the growing number of customers who are now conscious of the environmental practice of business enterprise coupled with the benefit that effective green supply chain management can in fact increase operational efficiency and reduce operational cost that made green supply chain a business imperative (Zhu 2012). 2. Compare the differences between the traditional supply chain and the green supply chain. ... It could also add value in the process by creating the competitive infrastructure such as monitoring supply chain activities with the aim of creating net value for the company. This would also include leveraging the worldwide logistics, matching anticipated demand with supply monitoring the same. It is also in the supply chain that involves specific functions in an organization such as customer support and after sales services. The traditional supply chain falls into two categories which are internal supply chain and external supply chain. The internal chain involves activities within the organization which includes the production and distribution process involved in the purchasing department, production department, warehousing, sales network composed of supply and demand. The external supply chain on the other hand relates to activities without the organization that includes procurement of raw materials from the suppliers â€Å"manufacturers, storage, transportation, retailers and, ultimately, the network of supply and demand of consumers. It consists of two streams: upstream and downstream† (Lai et al 2012:113). These activities can be summed up in the figure below. Figure 1. Traditional Supply Chain (Google.com) Green supply chain The green supply chain is the integration of a company’s effort to make its traditional supply chain â€Å"green† or environmentally friendly including all the processes in the company. These activities would include the previously mentioned â€Å"product design, purchases, product design, purchasing, manufacturing processes and the delivery of ?nal product to end customers (Lai et al 2012:113). The biggest difference in green supply chain from the traditional supply chain would be the inclusion of

The Magnificent World of Coffee Essay Example for Free

The Magnificent World of Coffee Essay When you wake up in the morning and you do NOT feel like P. Diddy sometimes all you need is a big ole cup of coffee to jump-start your day. Coffee has gone by many different names, wakey juice, mud, plasma, go juice, jo, cuppa, the daily grind and brewtus. However, unlike the many names over the years, the feeling of the warm and welcoming liquids filling every inch of your body will always stand the test of time. Waking up can be the ultimate struggle. Just imagine a normal morning, lying in bed, dreading having to get up from the toasty little nest of pillows and blankets, eyes starting to close again†¦ drifting in and out of sleep: and then, the sweet aroma of fresh coffee beans being ground up make their way around the house, leaving neither room nor corner untouched by its delicious essence. Coffee can drive even the sleepiest bear out of slumber purely by its intoxicating scent. But nothing can compare to that first sip. How the hot liquid tickles the tongue, and slides down the throat, making sure to send shock waves everywhere, finally exploding throughout the body. Squinting through barely opened eyes, the sight of the richly dark contents pouring from the pot to the mug sends shocks throughout your body. Raising the mug up, eyes tightly closed, the smell travels up the nose. The strong scent immediately opens the senses and gets the blood running. The first sip does not disappoint. As expected, the hot liquid tickles the tongue, slides down the throat, making sure to send shock waves everywhere, and finally explodes throughout the body. The world has come alive. Most coffee beans come from Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa and South Asia. With only seventy countries in total harvesting coffee beans around the world, it has become the most traded good, agriculturally speaking. This just goes to show how necessary coffee is in daily life. In fact, coffee is the most-consumed beverage worldwide. Just in America alone there are 100 million people who have had a cup of coffee this morning, 68% having their first cup within the first hour of being awake. Whether the coffee is homemade or bought from Starbucks, all coffee enthusiasts agree that they need that jump-start in the morning. Now imagine waking up, lying in bed all cozied up in a little nest of pillows and blankets, but something is†¦ off. Crawling out of bed, feet dragging, lumbering like a zombie towards the kitchen: but wait, where is the delicious aroma of that highly anticipated and routinely drunk morning coffee? Where is the divine sound of the coffee beans being ground up as the pot fills to the brim with that hot liquid that tickles the tongue, and slides down the throat, making sure to send shock waves everywhere, where it finally explodes throughout the body? The day, officially ruined, creates the tragic world that is without coffee. To the hundreds of millions of coffee drinkers, it is not just a drink that wakes them up: but a tradition, a way of life, a gateway into adulthood. No matter what the first cup of coffee was, no matter what it was called, no matter where it was from, no matter whether it was enjoyed or not, everyone will always remember what the first sip was like.

Uniqlo In Hong Kong Business Essay

Uniqlo In Hong Kong Business Essay Many businesses exist and flourish because they are successful in satisfying a need in the market. These needs are determined by the consumers who are considered an important component of any business endeavour. The primary reason for a business existence is to continue identifying consumer needs and then come up with tangible responses to address these needs. This requirement makes business companies spend a considerable amount of effort and intellect in analysing the behaviour of the consumers in order to effectively formulate appropriate marketing strategies that would assist the firm in effective production and delivery. Smart, D. T., Martin, C. L. (1992) argued that the study of consumers makes companies and organisations recognise and internalise consumer issues that would help strengthen their marketing strategies. In this paper several issues are discussed pertaining to fashion and clothing products and services offered by UNIQLO in Hong Kong. UNIQLO Co., Ltd. was originated in Japan. The companys business line is about clothing and fashion. But basically, the company is one of the leading clothing and fashion business in Japan that design, manufacture and retail casual wears. Initially, UNIQLO Co., Ltd. was only a division of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. but by November 1, 2005, UNIQLO Co., Ltd. come into the picture through corporate restructuring and currently existing as a 100% consolidated subsidiary of Fast Retailing. UNIQLO was now listed at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In Japan, UNIQLO is the leading clothing retail chain in terms of both sales and profits. And as of 2010, the company are also operating in Hong Kong, China, United Kingdom, South Korea, France, Singapore and United States. UNIQLO formed the idea of blending of ‘unique and ‘clothing as an symbol of originality and uniqueness of the apparel industry in Japan. UNIQLO offers fashionable and high quality clothing at reasonable prices, and was seized as an opportunity to establish a brand position domestically and internationally, combining all the facets of the business from product design to final sales and the operation of the 790 stores around the globe. Primarily offing for a highly brand conscious consumer group, UNIQLO envisions itself as a leading global casual wear company targeting high sales and profitability growth. For UNIQLO, such aim could materialise based on the established strategies such as low cost management, cheapest manufacture and marketing schedules an d prioritising customer requirements. Nowadays, UNIQLO is described as the apparel giant Gap, Inc.s counterpart based on the 4, 000% share price increase, making UNIQLO as Japans third largest clothing retailer. However, it is not always victory for UNIQLO; the subsidiary also has its own share of downturns especially on its international expansion. For instance, expansion programmes in the United Kingdom (UK) saw a tumultuous stumble in profits, forcing Fast Retailing to shut down 16 of the 21 UNIQLO stores opened, because of competition. Most recently, three UNIQLO stores in New Jersey were also closed because of economic slumps. Despite these facts, UNIQLO maintains the spirit and still believed that the brand has only but way forward. How UNIQLO will going to do such is central to this paper, focusing on the companys strategic management. External, industry and competitor analysis as well as the internal environment will be addressed. In fashion and clothing business in Hong Kong, the products and services offered by retailers that have strong brands are flourishing because they are easier to remember or they are already popular and are known for the quality. Companies like UNIQLO, HM, and Giordano are giving their best to build their brand name or brand identities because it helps consumers easily identify the product as well as acquire a rich set of symbols and meanings embodied by products. For successfully developed and managed brand names, the connections that patrons make with the brand name creates value, or brand equity, that can be a highly valued asset to the firm that develops the brand (Meyers-Levy, Louie, Curren, 1994). Chapter 2. Literature Review Environmental Analysis (PESTEL) Ø Political Analysis In the context of UNOQLO, political factors have direct effect on business conducts and operations. Decisions made by the affects the decision-making of retailers and could come in the form of policy or legislation. In Hong Kong, the ‘one country, two systems is the prevalent governance philosophy which endows the special administrative region with a high degree of autonomy and its capitalist economic system. Within a capitalistic and free market-oriented economy, retail companies make the majority of microeconomic decisions but they have to conform to specific agreements. Mainland and HK Closer Partnership Economic Arrangement (CEPA) and the US-China Textile Memorandum of Understanding are two examples of this. The former provides UNIQLO with a tariff-free treatment, stating that products which have no existing CEPA rules of origin will enjoy tariff-free treatment upon applications by local manufacturers. The latter could provide UNIQLO with an opportunity for an annual growt h of 8-17% in 21 categories of Chinese textiles and clothing exports to the US. Labor and customary regulations as well as code of conducts are also complied into including China Social Compliance 9000 and US and EU quotas (RSCA 2006; Doshi 2006). Ø Economic Analysis Domestically and globally, businesses are also being affected by economic factors whereby a strong economy indicates positive results and weak economy signifies the opposite, affecting both businesses and consumers. Hong Kongs gross domestic product is estimated at US$206.7bn with the service sector that contributes 90% of the total GDP. The region is also named as the worlds eleventh largest trading entity. Almost 50% of the total population is employed full-time and the unemployment rate has a continuous average decline by 4.1%, making disposition of income a possibility, a lower cost of living that is (Monthly Digest 2008). Spending is generally devoted for food, housing, healthcare, transportation, amusement, services and apparel. People nowadays are very particular with ‘investing in quality clothing thereby resume spending with premium apparel finds (Doshi 2006). Realising this, the price and quality characteristics of UNIQLO has a strategic fit; UNIQLO makes people look fashionable and confident in world-class clothes at a reasonable price through the company-wide integration of the Specialty Store Retailer of Private Label Apparel (SPA) model, a low-cost but effective operation model. Ø Social Analysis Demography or the population characteristics may determine buying patterns and that understanding demographic changes within a particular region or place facilitates determining whether products and services would appeal to customers as well as the number of potential customers (Barney and Hesterly 2006, p. 35). Hong Kong has a total of 6, 985, 300 population based on 2008 estimate and is continuously growing due to immigrant influx from Mainland. According to Doshi, people in HK and elsewhere have a growing interest in private labels. Consumers aspired for having private levels on everyday garments. Casual wear from HK which is known for good design and quality has a positive image on global consumers. Nevertheless, international brands are concentrated in high-end consumers while domestic brands are for low-end consumers (Doshi, 2006). In taking advantage of the wealth of the demography, UNIQLO makes effort on providing high-quality merchandise and generating values to the society by taxes. Further, UNIQLO is a company that is committed in creating positive reputation as manifested in its vision and mission, styles of management, ways of doing business and requirements to employees. Ø Technological Analysis Technological innovations are a priority for the apparel retailing industry but it will remain as labor intensive as it is today. Boosting the industrys productivity, increased in automation has been the recent trend but it is limited on specific functions, to which mostly require human intervention such as sewing and making patterns. Although there are computerised sewing machines that increase the productivity and reduce training time. Further, the uses of computer system software intended for the industry will be on making rough sketches, printing detailed designs and storing of information for easy retrieval. The customer orientation of UNIQLO was basically construed from its website in which customers can give feedbacks by email and discussion board. Hong Kong Productivity Council made a report disclosing that the apparel industry could make sense of information technology (IT) if utilise for order processing, costing analysis, order tracking, material management, reporting and connectivity (2004). Ø Legal As with any other business industry of the world, there are rules and regulations that restrict or support the facilitation of the business in the clothing and fashion market in the areas where UNIQLO operates. Ø Environmental There are currently no major environmental issues faced by the UNIQLO in Hong Kong, except for the ever-present textile and silk production issue which catch environmentalists attention die to the fact that some of its raw materials and from the skin of rare animals. Industry Analysis (Porters Five Forces) Ø Threat of Entry Barney Hesterly (2006, p. 43) point out that new entrants are the firms which have either recently begun operations or those that threaten to begin operations within an industry soon. Notably, the apparel industry is a buyer-driven industry where producers are considering buyers decision-making especially when brand names enter the picture. These buyer-centric industries have low barriers to entry mainly because of intense competition. Utilising brands as a market power source; however, this is a challenge for every clothing company. In the clothing business, mass customisation has seen to be the most effective strategy. Putting strategises into action remains to be in resilience today (Culpan 2002). Therefore, the focus must be on minimising the costs without sacrificing quality and to do this, managerial know how is a must in order to understand interactions with suppliers and consumers, to facilitate creativity and innovation and to maintain mobility in adapting to new market dem ands (Kincade, Regan and Gibson 2007). Building brand awareness and consumer loyalty is a costly endeavor since it involves advertising needed not only to promote the brand but also on sustaining awareness and loyalty. Strengthening brand names also requires that there are ‘quick response programs to increase revenues and manage risks. One of UNIQLOs major resources is its brand name, which is now synonymous with comfortable, high quality and cheap clothing merchandises. Although brand awareness outside the home country is a challenge, it is of intangible value to UNIQLO as a business asset. Brands are valuable and rare and reputable brands are acquired through the impressions one has of the company, and its products or services. Since a brand name is built overtime it becomes costly to imitate thereby providing a sustainable competitive advantage in the apparel industry (Groucutt, Lydley and Forsyth 2004, p. 285). Ø Threat of Rivalry Either in home or host countries, apparels, accessories and merchandise will always have a competitor which usually fluctuates in size. The modern market trends for the apparel industry are globalisation and intensified competition, increasing price and lower profit margin pressures, small quantity with high complexity orders, shorter lead times, multiple location operation, changing customer requirements and liberalisation on textile and clothing quota that creates new market dynamics. Being responsive to these market trends shifts the focus of the apparel industry for more extensive product development and improvements at the least possible cost. Such condition forces companies to divert on product differentiation because of high switching cost. In an industry where products are deemed to be ‘equal, the key sources of differentiation are brand image, reputation and prior existence (Byoungho 2004b). For UNIQLO, the products themselves are an important source of competitive edg e. UNIQLO strives at developing products of high quality, in various collections to enable the company to reach the highest possible number of customers. As such, the rivals would be endangered when it comes to introducing innovative products. UNIQLO is positioned in the fashion capitals of the world for the purpose of taking advantage of the new information about fashion trends. UNIQLOs ability to quickly adapt to trends and new markets has helped them develop product differentiation, something that is key to the companys success in the apparel industry. According to Tokle (1990), product differentiation is what separates the top competitors from the rest, but it something that is not costly to imitate. This is why their product differentiation is only a temporary competitive advantage. Competitive advantage could be achieved once the organisation learns to manage its capabilities that the end consumers could appreciate and competitors would find difficulties imitating (Porter 1985 ; Roney 2004). Ø Threat of Substitutes Casual wear is very particular with loose-fit, comfortable and relaxed fit. Athletic or active wear was perceived to be the closest substitute to casual wear as manifested by the booming athletic wear industry. Typically worn as casual fashion clothing, active attires could provide deterrence in the industry. Moreover, the blurring demarcation on the casual clothing family could be also seen as an opportunity for substitutes. Specialised stores offer semi-casual, smart casual and business casual lines. Semi-casual clothes are less presentational than informal but are not as loose as casual dresses. Smart casual purports conservative looks but with harmony on colors, fabrics, shoes and accessories. Business casual, on the other hand, varies in definition but the common element is the collar. Realising this, the bottomline now is the price. Moreover, based on the SPA business model, all the necessary functions at UNIQLO falls under a single umbrella especially the inbound logistics an d the production. UNIQLO is an example of a cut-make-trim company in which in which the company purchase the fabric and retain ownership of the raw materials and work-in-process, and so making it hard for rivals to imitate or produce substitutes for UNQILO brands. Ø Threat of Suppliers The prices and availability of commonly used fabrics such as cotton, blends, synthetics and wools might fluctuate significantly due to its dependence on demand, crop yields, weather, supply conditions, transportation costs, government regulations and economic condition among others (Byoungho 2004a). Quota is the major factor that affects the demand and supply of textile and fabrics. Even though the sale of raw materials is standardised, independent contractors, raw material suppliers, importers and apparel manufacturing firms could not isolate themselves from such scenario because of the prospective unsteadiness in the supply chain (Chetty 1999). As well, because of forward vertical integration, coupled with the low barrier to entry, suppliers could easily become rivals. In becoming threat of entry, suppliers could be also become a competitor to already established apparel manufacturers. In addition, contractors is also one of the threats when the demand of the labor increases, it wi ll cause labor costs price inflation. Laszlo (2008) stress that there are five main parts of the apparel value chain including raw material supply, provision of components; production networks; export channels and marketing networks at the retail level. Through the process, UNIQLO has an ownership on production and thereby a complete control on the supplies procurement. UNIQLO insources its production and handles the majority of the operational details. Sourcing is a go-to in the apparel industry but it is not rare although it can add value to UNIQLO. Ø Threat of Buyers Reaching more and diverse consuming group, the apparel industry is both a stable and unstable industry. Stable because quality price and quality products are the main element and unstable because there are many factors that affect both price and quality. In the point of consumption, for instance, there are ‘middle men such as the retail stores that offer an array of brands. In purchasing manufactured apparel, retail stores could have influence on making significant requirements and demands on their purchase, affecting prices. Though quality is inherent, prices would not be reasonable at all, and alternative clothing is readily available. This explains why apparel manufacturing companies are setting up their own stand along stores which will cater to their own produce. Important is that apparel stores must not fall dependent on s specific class of customer. Buyers are increasingly appearing to prefer above standard apparel with a much lower cost, making apparel less differentiat ed. When selling directly to consumers, buyers would incur a significant portion of their dispensable cash. Same goes with retail store, they purchase apparel at the least possible final cost, but adds up to prices of apparel. UNIQLO is involve in selling to the customers through specialty store marketing, with a minimalist strategy of pile em high, sell em cheap concept that is. In addition, the unbranded fashion or the no-logo concept was perceived to be the main reasons for peoples warm attention (Williamson 2007; Parrish, Cassill and Oxenham 2006). Competitors Analysis a) Local Competitor: Giordano According to companys website, Giordano was established in 1981 as one of the most well-known and established apparel retailers in the Asia Pacific region. The company employs 11,000 staff with over 1,700 shops operating in 30 territories worldwide. The companys vision aimed to be the best and the biggest world brand in apparel retailing with a remarkable mission i.e. â€Å"To make people feel good look great. From the companys website, they are stating that Giordano is committed to being a successful and responsible corporate citizen. Meaning, they are committed not only to delivering quality products and service to their customers and strong and sustained financial performance to their shareholders, but that are also committed in creating a positive impact in the communities where they do business. The current CEO since 1996 is Peter Lau, a Canadian Chinese. Basically, Giordano is based in Bermuda and trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as 709.HK. Giordano concentrates in creating and delivering economic quality clothes such as Long Sleeve Shirts, T-Shirts, and denim jeans. On the other hand, Giordano Ladies, a sub-brand was only established in 1996. It has been instrumental to upgrading the unisex brand from a budget image to a more fashion oriented apparel retailer similar to The Gap. b) International Competitor: HM It is now a widely held view that the world economy has entered a much more complex phase where individual national economies have become inextricably linked. In this new world economy, resources and markets have ceased to have the indelible national identity of the past (Jones, 2002). Restricted resources and markets that were once legally isolated have become much more accessible to enterprises that have acquired a global strategic vision. To the more visionary global enterprises, the world is but a borderless environment with homogeneous consumers who have developed an unforgiving taste for the most sophisticated and high-quality products. In response to the needs of these global consumers, the enterprises have developed global products. How such homogenised consumers are served, however, is a question of the strategic orientation of the enterprises and their ability to exploit the ever-evolving global economic environment (Jones, 2002). With this regard, HM, a company in Sweden e ngaged in clothing and a leader in fashion business shows significant impact to their consumers in accordance to their brand and branding strategies. HM is considered as one of the worlds favourite and preferred designer of apparels and clothing for man and women. In addition, HM is also known not only for their fashion cosmetic but because of the quality of the clothes designed durability and the funkiness of its clothes. Through the online stores, HM provides the US, UK and European Market exclusive clothing designs. The main goal of this company is to provide innovative designs of apparels and clothes for different types of people in different countries all over the world. The company has been known because of its strategy of providing clothing designs exclusively for each countrys preferences and needs. HM is considered as one of the worlds favourite and preferred designer of apparels and clothing for man and women. In addition, HM is also known not only for their fashion but because of the quality of the clothes designed durability and the funkiness of its clothes (HM, 2009). The HM mission, â€Å"Fashion and Quality at its best price†. In addition, their handbags, shoes and accessories are also creating big sales and positive reactions from consumers. Through the online stores, HM provides the US, UK European Market and Asian Market exclusive clothing and even handbag designs. HM also offers perfumes and watches. The main aim of this company is to provide fast fashion goods (haute couture, ready-to-wear, handbags, perfumery, and cosmetics among others) in different countries all over the world (HM, 2009). The company has been known because of its strategy of providing fashion designs exclusively for each countrys preferences and needs which was positively accepted and loved by consumers. CPM Matrix Table 1. CPM Matrix UNIQLO Giordano HM Critical Success Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score Rating Weighted Score Rating Weighted Score Advertising 0.20 4 0.80 5 1.00 4 0.80 Product Quality 0.15 4 0.60 4 0.60 4 0.60 Price Competitiveness 0.10 4 0.40 3 0.30 4 0.40 Management 0.10 4 0.40 3 0.30 4 0.40 Financial Position 0.15 4 0.60 3 0.45 3 0.45 Customer Loyalty 0.10 4 0.40 3 0.30 3 0.30 Global Expansion 0.15 3 0.45 4 0.60 4 0.60 Market Share 0.05 3 0.15 3 0.15 3 0.15 Total 1.00 3.80 3.70 3.70 With regards to the discussion of the local and international competitors of UNIQLO, the CPM matrix describes the edge of UNIQLO over Giordano and HM. As seen in the critical success factor, UNIQLO dominates the Product Quality, Price Competitiveness, Management, Financial Position and Customer Loyalty. Despite of this, it seems that UNIQLO was lacking in advertising which was dominated by Giordano. In addition, UNIQLO also needs to consider their efforts in global expansion and market share in order to become successful in Hong Kong. Extended Marketing Mix 8Ps of Services Marketing Furthermore, since the UNIQLO as a brand concept be similar to or is associated with service stipulation, the 8Ps method adopted for service marketing may be competently espoused for its advertising. The 8Ps are: * Product This refers to the stuff or services to be offered by the company. In the case of UNIQLO, their products and services are mostly related to clothing and fashion, thus the need for constant review should be bear in mind in order to meet the changing customer expectations. * Place In UNIQLO, the place in which this product was manufactured and distributed was somewhat accessible to both suppliers and customers. Actually, UNIQLO are considering the issue regarding product availabily at the most convenient places for the target market, i.e., current and prospective clients. * Price In terms of price, UNIQLO produce were priced competitively. * Promotion UNIQLOs most effective ways to communicate to the various target groups to stimulate greater awareness, interest and patronage are somewhat good but not exceptional. UNIQLO are now using TV advertisement, Internet marketing, and billboard advertising. * Physical Evidence In terms of presentation, UNIQLOs products are exceptional. In addition to these, the services offered by the company were also outstanding. As seen in their shops UNIQLO are known with their well-dressed staff/consultants, logos on office doors/ business cetres, letter heads, brochures, complimentary cards, consultancy reports, etc. * Process With regrds to the process, the business of UNIQLO are well management in which makes their business system flawless and customer complaints are easily handled. * People When it comes to people, UNIQLO chooses the best suitable person needed by the company. This means that UNIQLO expertly indentify the capabilities of a person that will reflect the value of UNIQLO products and services. * Promise UNIQLO with their consultants are delivering their promises. In terms of quality of products and services, UNIQLO are giving it to their customers at utmost quality. * Public Relations UNIQLO stakeholders carefully identify the various publics that can impact on UNIQLO to which PR communications can be directed. Such publics include individual consultants, clients, big practices, small practices, other related professional associations, relevant agencies of the United Nations, financial institutions, etc. Developing the Concept of Servicescape and Blueprinting Servicescape- Servicescape is a concept that was developed by Booms and Bitner to emphasize the impact of the physical environment in which a service process takes place. If you were to try to describe the differences a customer encountered when entering a branch of say like McDonalds compared with a small family restaurant, the concept of servicescapes may prove useful. Booms and Bitner defined a servicescape as the environment in which the service is assembled and in which the seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service (Booms and Bitner, 1981, p. 36). Servicescape may be likened to landscape. It includes facilities exterior (landscape, exterior design, signage, parking, surrounding environment) and facilities interior (interior design decor, equipment, signage, layout, air quality, temperature and ambiance). Servicescape along with other tangibles like business cards, stationary, billing statements, reports, employee dress, uniforms, brochures, web pages and virtual servicescape forms the Physical Evidence in marketing of services. Servicescape is not defined as above. The definition above is the definition for physical evidence. Physical evidence consist of servicescape combined with the tangible elements, so servicescape is a part of physical evidence. Blueprinting Service blueprinting was initially introduced as a process control technique for services that offered several advantages: it was more precise than verbal definitions; it could help solve problems preemptively; and it was able to identify failure points in a service operation.24 Just as firms have evolved to become more customer-focused, so has service blueprinting. One early adaptation was the clarification of service blueprinting as a process for plotting the customer process against organizational structure.25 Service blueprinting was further developed to distinguish between onstage and backstage activities. These key components still form the basis of the technique and its most important feature, that of illuminating the customers role in the service process.26 In addition, it provides an overview so that employees and internal units can relate what they do to the entire, integrated service system. Blueprints also help to reinforce a customer-orientation among employees as well as clarify interfaces across departmental lines. Chapter 3. Research Methodology The aim of the study is to once again, seek the various sides of economic impact in London after winning the title to be the host of the 2012 summer Olympics. It is a big challenge for the hosting country to facilitate a mega event and the industry that is in the center of the issue is the tourism. The continuous development of an industry is possible if there are factors that can affect its growth. In the existence of the Olympic event in London, there should be an appropriate investigation that might lead in determining the economic impact of Summer Olympics. Along with the complexities defined in the countries of UK, London remains the center of attention because of the opportunity in hosting the prestigious Olympic Games. After the years of 1908 and 1948 in hosting the previous Olympics, London finally acquired the honor in hosting the mega event. Obviously, years can be evidence the world is changing and with that, London must be prepared on the various effects resulting to the Olympic Games. With the help of the appropriate method, the study can gain the chance in meeting the objectives and goals. Research Methods to be Used Since the study is concern regarding the empirical ground and current situations of Londons preparedness in the upcoming Olympics, the proposed primary method is through the use of surveys and interview. There are many types of primary research available based on the purpose of the researcher/s. The design of the method can create the accurate result and overview on the concern of the study. It is expected that survey methods are more efficient in terms of gathering the primary data therefore; it is utilized in the study. Through the form of questioning the people or groups, the study can gain the limited amount of information which is also useful in understanding the subjects point-of-views. On the other hand, the use of interview helps the research in providing the ideas of a small group similar to gathering their opinions. After the e