What Are You Made of, the Role of Faith in Social Identity Essay Example for Free

What Are You Made of, the Role of Faith in Social Identity Essay What are you made of? This is truly a difficult question to answer if one would really take the time to ponder it. How would you arrive at the conclusion of describing who you are and the things you believe in? What are the things that made you as an individual? Inevitably, there will be several social, spiritual, and political issues that one may have to battle with to arrive at a sound conclusion. Life is complex and that is a certain fact. The complexity life offers for various people with different political affiliations, religious views, and socioeconomic status may be one arena of conflict. How will these differences be reconciled by the government who must develop national consciousness among its citizens? How will the Philippines become united amidst of these cultural differences? It is also the same question for the people, are they willing to compromise their values and beliefs for the unity of the country? These are questions which have no certain answers. For years now, there have been efforts made by the government and educational institutions that are geared towards resolving this conflict. However, it will take time before the country would experience such desired changes. The Philippines is a largely diverse country. Not only is the country multicultural, it is also multilingual. This situation makes it all the more difficult for the educational system to cater to the different needs of each sector. On the national level, the Department of Education has issued memorandums pertaining to ‘generic’ programs addressing these issues. However, the lack of material resources and the lack of interest from stakeholders are the factors responsible for hampering envisioned improvements. While on the community level, there are also initiatives from the teachers themselves who make their own changes and adaptations depending on the needs of their students. By the age of four, most Filipino children go to school to study. They learn about their own identity and the roles as expected from their identity, their being Filipino and duties of citizenship, the community they live in, and certain cultural beliefs and values. All these form the foundation of their beliefs about their identity and the country at large. This ‘indoctrination’ goes on until college. From here we can see that the life of one student is virtually fashioned inside the school. Thus, the school can be said to be a ‘breeding ground’ where various social identities are shaped. And so the question now is, â€Å"How will schools mold Filipino identity? † and at the same time reconcile it with other social identities such as ethnicity and religion without marginalizing cultural or religious beliefs. This process of molding holds much importance for educators because I think that one of the most significant functions of Philippine education is to inculcate Filipino identity and nationalist consciousness. As a teacher, I believe that a person’s religion bears so much importance in how that person thinks and behaves in the social context. It serves as the guiding light or reference point as to which decisions regarding experiences are based. Seeing that the Philippines has several religions, it becomes one social divider in the nation. Believers of certain faith have their own teachings that should be strictly adhered to regarding the political system and cultural beliefs and practices that may sometimes coincide with the rules of the state. For instance, believers of Jehovah’s Witnesses do not pledge the Panatang Makabayan because they believe that they should only place their faith or for that matter, state their allegiance in the god that they serve. Moreover, I believe that religion really matters for the majority of the Filipinos. And this is the root of conflicts, discrimination, and prejudice between Christians and Non-Christians that are manifested in different areas such as the political and economic system. The values certain groups of communities hold are important for them that they desire the next generation to also believe to these values. In addition, cultural practices are also passed on from generation to generation. This process is evident in the articles discussed in class where indigenous peoples argue for a system of education in which traditional knowledge should be included and given more emphasis. More so, the lessons provided by the public education system are starkly different from indigenous knowledge systems and practices. This creates a conflict because the significant values and practices are not learned by the youth of the community. Hence, elders develop apprehension toward the public school system. Although they acknowledge the beneficial effects of having to go to school, what matters most for them is the sustainable development of values and traditional cultural beliefs and practices of their ancestral community. This case is also similar with Islamic education. There is a problem for Muslims in Mindanao pertaining to the choice of schools for their children. For Muslims, spiritual growth in their children’s religious faith is a more important factor in choosing a school. However, Islam is not a subject offered in the public school system. As a conclusion, I think that the belief and value system is the most important factor in the formation of social identities. An individual’s social identity is intimately tied to the religion he is a member of. This also becomes the primary basis for the further development of his social identity. Because of these conflicts, educational institutions have been classified into sectarian and non-sectarian to cater to the different needs of their clients. Parents who are Catholics want their children to study in a Catholic school to ensure that their children would grow up with values they believe in. Furthermore, members of Iglesia Ni Cristo also do the same as well as members of the Christian community. This system is also the same for nationalities. Chinese parents prefer to enroll their children into Chinese schools. Muslim parents prefer to enroll their children to Madrasah. Based on this observation, membership to certain groups or having to identify with a group’s belief and values system becomes one important factor in parents’ decision regarding their children’s education. Thus, educational institutions become an agent in the processes of indoctrination of certain beliefs and practices that may marginalize other religion and cultural practices. Inevitably, they also reproduce existing social structures that up to the present time is unfair for many. Another problem with the present curriculum is its exclusion of local knowledge systems that bears much significance with the country’s indigenous peoples or with a particular group. In my opinion, the curriculum had put too much emphasis on global literacy or keeping at par with international standards. There is nothing wrong with this proposition. The only problem is that local knowledge systems have been marginalized for a long time which should have been a part of the curriculum in the first place. One goal of Philippine education is to mold the ‘Filipino’ identity in its students. If this is the goal, then it also follows that local history and cultural beliefs and practices should be an important part of the curriculum beginning in the elementary. The present curriculum has the Makabayan subject (Sibika at Kultura and Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, Sibika) as one way of teaching students Philippine culture and history. In spite of this, I think some of indigenous knowledge systems and practices are important so it should be included in the national curriculum. The inclusion would make students understand and appreciate more their being ‘Filipino’ and would be exposed to various local histories and cultures. Hence, they would become appreciative of the diversity of Filipino cultures. I also think that the national curriculum is a ‘colonial make-up’ of foreign education. The current system of education here in the Philippines especially the private schools are more inclined to producing students who are equipped with the skills needed for globalization but are alien to their own country. Yes, academic and professional competence in the global village can be beneficial to the country in terms of economic advancement. However, the problem is that there is no balance between what Filipinos truly are as a race and what they need to know as part of a larger global community. As an observation, I think that students nowadays are not rooted in their own culture and history as Filipinos. Most often than not, the kind of students schools produce have a mentality of a foreigner. In school, they learn extensively of a lot of things such as world histories, architecture, literature, famous scientists, etc. Although they study Philippine history and literature, what they learn is, again, the ‘generics’ or the ‘mainstream’ which can be discriminating against indigenous peoples and Muslims history and culture. And this is both a danger and challenge for Philippine society. The government does not want to produce generation of students who are not rooted in the Filipino culture. So they have to adapt to the needs of the different sectors present in Philippine society. For the country, an individual’s rootedness in his own culture is much needed by the country because this is one way of instilling nationalist consciousness. This can be done gradually through shaping of a Filipino identity beginning in the elementary grades. Moreover, this ‘shaping process’ should be meaningfully linked to a person’s religious belief and value system. Because of this, I believe that the end result would be better. When education can establish a meaningful bridge between Filipino identity and a community’s religion, more and more Muslims and indigenous peoples would develop a sense of being a Filipino finally a part of the collective imagining of the nation. In my opinion, the reason for the Muslim’s apprehension toward the public school system and the nation as a whole is that they do not feel the sense of belongingness because the Philippine government has not been responding to their needs and rights to education. Since Islam is a vital part of their lives and unfortunately, the public school system does not offer this as a subject, they prefer to enroll their children in Madrasah that do not develop Muslims’ national consciousness of being a Filipino. Therefore, students who finish from these schools grow up to be Muslims and not Filipino. Likewise, I believe that the national curriculum is not a ‘generic’ or a ‘one-size-fits-all’ process of education. The Department of Education and teachers as well cannot just prescribe a general program of education to students who are socially differentiated with each other. If the Philippines want to envision the Filipino race as having a nationalist consciousness and wanting each and everyone to be part of the collective imagining of the nation, then it is better for the education sector to acknowledge different local languages, ethnic groups, indigenous knowledge system and practices, and religions. I believe that through this acknowledgement and inclusion, indigenous peoples and Muslims would gradually learn and love to be a part of this country. A person’s social identity is so much affected by the socio-cultural milieu. As a teacher, I should be aware of my students’ background so I could help them in strengthening the development of their identity as Filipino, as a member of a religious community, and as a member of a group. All these contribute to the formation of a person’s social identity and not one should be left out. Being to identify with a group and having a sense of belongingness all contribute to an individual’s over-all well-being and the nation’s well-being too.

Social Psychological Theories of Aggression Essay Example for Free

Social Psychological Theories of Aggression Essay With increasing violence in the Big Brother House I have been asked to create a report that explains this violence occurring in the Big Brother House in terms of two or more social psychological theories.  In general the violence in the big brother house is escalating and theories need to be brought to the attention of the media bosses in order to explain this aggression. The violence does not need to be stopped as the house mates are not breaking any of the Big Brother rules behaving in this manner. Violence on this show can not be viewed as a negative aspect as it increases the number of viewers. However it does need to be explained logically. One explanation could be the Social Learning Theory.  In order for such learning to take place a person must observe persons behaviour and imitate this in the future. The concept of identification is also important as the individual is more likely to imitate some he/she identifies with, in this case it could be another house mate or perhaps previous contestants on the Big Brother show.  For this there are three stages  Ã‚  The Registration Stage, where the observer must pay attention to the model. The observers attention is influenced by characteristics of both the observer and the model. The Storage Stage is when the observer may code and organise the information in relation to any reinforces present, past experiences, expectation, relevance etc  Ã‚  And finally the Retrieval Stage is when the reinforcers determine whether the behaviour is imitated and the observers performance will be dependant on the persons ability to perform the act.  From this one idea would be that these contestants are just mimicking other house mates actions. This is one an idea but I believe it is that the new house mates are mimicking other years Big Brothers contestants. This is due to the fact that if you want to go onto Big brother you would like to become famous, and most of the time the most aggressive, avoidant, destructive contestants are the ones who get the most air time and incidentally are more widely known in society thereafter. There are many studies that support this view, of which one of the most astounding is that of Bandura et al 63 which was based on two groups of children where an experimental group observed an adult play aggressively with a 5 foot inflatable doll. The control condition observed an adult play properly in the room ignoring the doll completely. The findings from this study showed that the children from this experimental group showed significantly more verbal and physical acts of aggression than the control group, supporting evidence that they imitated the behaviour of the role model. On the other hand the children could have just copied the adults actions as it is a novel situation, or were unsure of how to play with the bobo doll and just followed the adults actions. Also with young children it would be hard to generalise the findings to adults, in particular our contestants. Not entirely supporting the views of learning, Banduras study shows learning still could be a contributing factor. This is because there are still many other ways of learning to be aggressive, for example learning from society, your family, and more often than not, the media. One attempt at showing how behaviours could be learnt from the media is from Manstead et al 95 in which he outlines these five variables;  1. If the observed behaviour is thought to be real it is more likely to be imitated. 2. If viewers identify with the aggressor then they are more likely to imitate.  3. If the aggressive behaviour is based on revenge it is more likely to be copied than aggressive behaviour based on achieving goals.  4. If the behaviour is seen to be just then it is more likely to be imitated.  5. Aggressive behaviour which is followed by punishment is less likely to be pursued.  With these five variables comes the proposition that acts of violence have to follow two other criteria to be considered as acts of violence;  1. People, human groups or living things (including animals with human characteristics) are physically harmed, restrained, barely escape death, injury, pain etc 2. Also that the harm is caused by or explained in terms of the behaviour of other people  So if the media is to blame why isnt all of society acting aggressive, and not just out housemates? The main answer is that most of the media (not including news bulletins which have around 1%) have between 37 and 80% non aggressive incidents within a typical programme, documentary or article.  This then means that the Big Brother contestants that are behaving aggressively see the same percentage of aggression within the media as the non-aggressive contestants. Which leads to the next question, why are they all not behaving quite similar? Well I believe there has to be an underlying factor that changes the level of aggression shown by different people, as we are all exposed to the same amount of violence in the media. I believe that comes in the form of relative deprivation. This proposes that the cause of a conflict is the unacceptable discrepancy between what people think they have a right to expect, and what people (given current social conditions) are actually able to obtain. In the case of the Big Brother aggression the relative deprivation theory offers an explanation which is based on the contrast between groups expected and actual access and prosperity to power. This is always seen in every Big Brother series as there are independent groups that form within the first week and then contrast on views with other groups of people within the Big Brother House. This is portrayed well over the television and the whole series and is sometimes used by the producers to increase conflict within the house which in turn then increases ratings. This is done by giving groups of people more access or the notion that they have more access to luxury goods for example alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate etc this then leads on to absolute deprivation (Gurr 70) where some groups of people are actually worse off than others within a proximity.

Potential Globalization Of Brompton Bicycle Economics Essay

Potential Globalization Of Brompton Bicycle Economics Essay Brompton Bicycle is a  uk manufacturer bicycle based in  Brentford,  London by Andrew Ritchie in 1976. Models are named using a code to describe the handle bar type, number of gears and factory attached fixtures. An optional suffix is appended to show the inclusion of titanium upgrades. In Britain the clubs membership is changing, now 35-40% customers of Brompton are women. The average riders age has also dropped below 40. Its getting profit in uk . Brompton Bicycle is a  British  company that specialises in  folding bicycles, commonly known as Brompton which is popular among  bicycle commuters, especially in the UK, the  Netherlands, and  Japan. The Brompton design has remained fundamentally unchanged over three decades, although it has been steadily refined. The Brompton increases peoples  independence  and  freedom so people can use this cycle wherever they can use. Approximately 22,000 bicycles are produced by the company each year and 70 percent are exported to asia and Europe. The compact dimensions of most folding bikes allow easy transport in public transport where travelling with a normal bike can be difficult or forbidden. We can this cycle in different style handlebar like c type handlebar, m type handlebar, s type handlebar and p type handlebar. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brompton_Bicycle PEST ANALYSIS OF BROMPTON BICYCLE: Political factor: Many people are cycling on London major roads and it has nearly doubled since 2000 and TfL is targeting a 5% mode share for cycling by 2025. South West Trains is a part of Stagecoach Group, has joined forces with Brompton Bicycle to encourage passengers for cycle as part of a fully integrated low carbon journey combining bike and train. Every one like this bikes because it is efficient to ride but can be quickly folded into a package smaller than an average suitcase, so people can take wherever they like. Economic factor: Though exports account for around 75 per cent of its output, it continues to manufacture all of its   bikes in the UK. Its getting profit here. Social factor: Brompton bike got a award, Mr Ritchie, who was awarded the prize that recognizes a lifetime contribution to design, he has spent 21 years perfecting to the Brompton, which is manufactured in Britain and sells around the world. At a reception in Buckingham Palace 50 years of British design genius was celebrating. Technological factor: When transporting a Brompton Bicycle by Train, Car plane or boat it would be beneficial to have a protective case. There is a need for such a protective case to also double as a fully functional bike trailer so it will attach to the rear of the bike and be used to transport light to moderate loads. -http://www.stagecoachgroup.com SWOT ANALYSIS OF BROMPTON BICYCLE: strength: Brompton bicycle is travel free  and without booking restrictions we can use on rail, bus, underground, ferry or air services. Its that freedom to travel anywhere that gives folding bikes a magic quality. A folding bike can be new ways of travelling. Its have many colour with extra tall frame to fit tall riders. From 1976, Brompton was in business, but growth was infuriatingly slow. Today, Brompton Bicycle Ltd turns out 100 precision-crafted bikes a day from its cosy in Kew. Brompton bicycle sold in 27 international markets and servicing needs of the 200,000 Brompton users who are already on the road. They make something fashionable. People like the Brompton because its fun and it fits into their lives. In London, the bike is moving from being an issue of personal choice. On the corporate side, Brompton already leases a fleet of bikes to South West Trains at Waterloo. Mr Butler-Adams planned to provide package deals including bikes, training, storage and insurance to other companies.Brompton Bicycle is going to produce 25,000 bikes this year, achieving sales of  £7m-  £8m. Ritchie expects it to grow 25% a year under the leadership of managing director Butler-Adams. Brompton bicycle exports to markets to Netherlands, America, Germany, Japan and Scandinavia account for about 60% of its sales. weakness : Brompton bicycles seat pillars in both steel and aluminium versions. standard seat pillar, the Brompton and Brooks saddles can be up to 995mm from the ground. If customers inside leg is more than 33/84cm,he will almost need either of the longer seat pillars. So for the shorter people it can be difficult for ride. Its not adjustable as other bigger cycle. The merits and drawbacks of small and large wheels alike can be argued into the late hours. Opportunities: The Brompton is the only bike in the world to combine such ready portability with a first-class ride, and it creates countless new opportunities for using a bicycle. Malcolm Shepherd, Chief Executive of Sustrans said: Cycling England has  been a crucial conduit for funding which has touched the lives of millions of people by making it possible for people to cycle for everyday journeys. And Brompton bikes are suitable for the every journey. Here are so many bike company competitor for the Brompton bikes. Alldays HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alldays__OnionsHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alldays__Onions Onions, Bickerton- folding bikes. Boardman bikes, british eagle, claud bulter, dawes, etc.. bicycles are here. Like Brompton bickerton is also a folding cycle. It can be a main competitor. The  Bickerton was a portable, aluminium  folding bicycle  designed by Harry Bickerton it had manufactured in the UK between 1971 and 1991. The bicycle was made of aluminium profiles and riding properties were poor, aluminium parts could never be properly locked in place. its weight and folded package size broke and it is cited by  Andrew Ritchie  as one of his inspirations in creating the highly successful  Brompton bicycle. So the Brompton is better than any cycle thats why70% Brompton bike are exporting to asia and Europe. Threats: The UK folding bike Brompton is a curious company.  Brompton bicycle exports for around 75 per cent of its output, it continues to manufacture all of its   bikes in the UK. Brompton bicycles many parts are custom made so it may bring delays and extra costs for repairing than authorized dealers. The bike is less suited to long rides as most models have restricted gears. Riders requiring a bottom bracket to saddle top height of more than 715mm/28 can select an extended seat post to give a maximum saddle height of 775mm/30.5 -http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/folding-bikes/brompton.html Before doing any business first we have to do pest analysis in that country which is following: PEST ANALYSIS OF BANGLADESH: Political environment Bangladesh is a poor nation in South Asia its gained independence in 1971 against West Pakistan .After independence, Bangladesh has established a largely moderate and democratic majority as a Muslim country. The Bangladesh National Party and the Awami League traditionally have dominated Bangladeshi politics, with the AL in government since January 2009. Bangladesh was ruled by a military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed for two years prior to the return to democracy that was ushered in by the December 2008 election. The current Hasina government came to power in free and fair elections with an overwhelming majority in parliament. Economic environment The  economy of  Bangladesh  is a  developing country its  per capita income  in 2008 was est. US$1,500. According to the  International Monetary Fund, Bangladeshs rank w3as the  48th largest economy  in the world in 2009. The economy has grown at the rate of 6-7% p.a. over the past few years. Most Bangladeshis earn their living from agriculture.  Although rice and jute are the primary crops, maize and vegetables are assuming greater importance Social environment Bangladeshi population is largely Muslim. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken throughout the region. The dialect spoken by those in  Chittagong and  Sylhet  are particularly distinctive. In 2009 the population was estimated at 156 million. Religiously, about 90% Bengali people are  Muslims  and the remainder are mostly  Hindus. Technological environment The  Bangladesh  have Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation which operates remote sensing facilities in both French and American satellites, and it is applying meteorological and geographic data to such basic problems as soil fertility, water management, forecasting, and agricultural census work. In 1986 it became the first non-American organization and it got a award by the  United States  National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They provided training for Bangladeshi scientists and grants of equipment and technical assistance.  Bangladeshi Atomic Energy Commission operates an experimental nuclear reactor and conducts as well important agricultural research on seeds, parasites, storage of harvested crops, and irradiation. http://www.traderscity.com/board/countrytargetedleads/Bangladesh.html PEST ANALYSIS OF INDIA: Political environment After Indias independence on August 15, 1947, India received most of the subcontinents 562 widely scattered polities, or princely states, as well as the majority of the British provinces, and parts of three of the remaining provinces. Muslim Pakistan received the remainder. Pakistan consisted of a western wing, with the approximate boundaries of modern Pakistan, and an eastern wing, with the boundaries of present-day Bangladesh. India is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic country with a Parliamentary form of Government. The Constitution was adopted by the Assembly on 26th November 1949 and it came into force on 26th November 1950. Economic environment India  is eleventh largest  economy in the world by  nominal GDP  and the  fourth largest  by  purchasing power parity. The country began to develop a fast-paced economic growth and free market  principles were initiated in 1990 for international competition and foreign investment. Per capita income  in india is $1,030, ranked  139th  in the world,  while its per capita (PPP) of US$2,940 is ranked  128th. Indias large service industry accounts for 55% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the industrial and agricultural sector contribute 28% and 17% respectively. In 2006 India exported US$21.8 billion worth of merchandise to the United States and Indian imports from the U.S. rose 26.3% to $10.1 billion in 2006, up 146% since 2002. Social environment Current Population of India is around 1,150,000,000 (1.15 billion) people in 2010, of which Hinduism  accounted for 80.5%, Islam  is (13.5%),  Christianity is   (3.0%) and  Sikhism  (2.3%). these are the major religions followed by the people of India. There are 29 language in india. Technological environment The Indian  software industry was grown from a mere US $ 150 million in 1991-92 to a staggering US $ 5.7 billion in 1999-2000.The annual growth rate of Indias software exported consistently over 50 percent since 1991.   Indias software exports would be around $ 6.3 billion, in addition to $ 2.5 billion in domestic sale. -http://www.stylusinc.com/business/india/encyclopedia.htm -http://www.locatehotelroom.com/India/encyclopedia.htm PEST ANALYSIS OF NEPAL political environment An isolated, agrarian society until the mid-20th century,  Nepal  entered the modern era in 1951 without schools, hospitals, roads, telecommunications, electric power, industry, or civil service. The government encouraged import and export to promote good business and encourage growth which will hopefully result in a higher employment rate, higher salaries and a better standard of living for all in time. Economic environment Agriculture  is Nepals principal economic activity which employing 80% of the population and providing 37% of  GDP. Only about 20% of the total area is cultivable; another 33% is forested; most of the rest is mountainous. The main food crops are rice and wheat. The lowland Terai region produces an agricultural surplus is a part of which supplies the food-deficient hill areas. Export in recent years is approximately 70% of merchandise. Nepals merchandise trade balance has improved somewhat since 2000 with the growth of the carpet and garment industries. Social environment Nepals current population is 28,563,377 of which 80.6 percent are Hindu, 10.7 percent are  Buddhist, 4.4% are  Muslim, 3.6 percent are  Kirat  ,0.5 percent are  Christian, and 0.4 percent are classified other groups such as  Bà ¶n  religion. Technological environment Nepal is a late starter in modem science and technology. it developed technological capabilities in some specific areas they are civil engineering, architecture, agriculture, metallurgy, water management, textile and paper manufacture, medicine, dyeing and food technology. http://www.visitnepal.com/business PESTEL ANALYSIS IN SRI LANKA POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT Socialistic predilection in Sri Lanka was unswerving, but as time passed by it gave room for investment overseas in 1978. Board of Investment operates as a sovereign legal bureau with investment in foreign countries as a focus. BOI is authorized to yield grants to organizations that meet the basic eligibility standards on minimal investment, employment and exports. When the organization fails to meet the standards then its projects have to be sanctioned by the respective departments of the government. BOI also deals with the 10 zones of free trade, which is known as the export-processing zones. BOI possess the authorization to relieve any confinements on the FDI Eleven huge privatizations were accounted for 34% of the FDI. Nevertheless due to the instable political conditions and conflicting ethnicity the advancement on this issue is been decelerate for years. The president sketched out regarding anti-privatization economical scheme in his electoral pronunciamento known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Mahinda Chintanaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Various enterprises of the state which designing itself to be privatized were not approved, this includes the airports and banks. Privatize. Organization was planned to be regulated by the government which will turn the loss into a profit-making organization. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT Sound rates of growth has been steady in Sri Lanka despite if its intense violence on ethnicity. Rich private demand of requirements, core industrialization, primarily the intensive labour textile industry and the advancement of domestic tea manufacturing hiked the growth rate of the economy. The well-disposed FDI policy of the government ensued the zooming inflows of capital. The deceleration in the global issues activated an acute condensation in the activities of the economy in the year 2001. Subsequently there was a recuperation in the sectors of the industries that is impelled by a firm external demand and an increased growth rates in the sectors relating to service resulted in a sizeable enlargement of economical activities though the tsunami that hit the sectors of agriculture was critically damaged. Deficits in the fiscal aspects are an important issue to the government, which has been diminishing in the years past. The current fiscal obligates to cut back deficits. There are many industries that imparts in great value to the GDP that engages greater population of the manpower, this comprises of the industry in tourism, and the service industries. When taking industries into consideration, it is the textile industry that yields greater sum of revenues in export. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Sri Lanka holds a populace of 20,238,000, of which Sinhalese constitutes about 74%, Sri Lankan Moors constitutes about 7.2%, Sri Lankan Tamils constitutes about 3.9% and the Indian Tamils constitutes about 4.6%. When religions are taken into consideration the Buddhists comprise a major share of 69.1%. Sri Lanka is prominently a rustic area that holds 79% of the population. The populace medial age is 30 and 7.8% constitute for an age group of 65 and over. The health index of Sri Lanka is fairly good when compared to other countries in Asia. The government has an expenditure of 46.3% from the 4% of the aggregate GDP for medical expenses of the country. The expected life span is 73.4yrs of the aggregate populace. TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT The telecom sphere was improved to an incredible extent in terms of liberalizing right in the 90à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s. Act of Sri Lankan Telecommunication of 1991 founded the Sri Lanka telecom also known as the SLT, it awarded the permit to function in the global system. -http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/srilanka.html After analyzing the market we have found out that there is huge market opportunity in Sri Lanka to sell folding bikes. Due to low price there are more chances that Brompton folding bikes can become the market leader successfully after some time because of many reasons such as low cost, already operation exist in Sri Lanka and due to climate condition. If we talk about local competition, it is very less. The local players get the help by the government also where the government has distributed a project to provide good cycle facility supply to those households. Im a manager of this product and i want to make profit thats why Im going to launch this product in south asia. I will launch this product in sri lanka and will export in 3 other countries, they are Bangladesh, india and Nepal. It will be better to launch this product in south asia because there labour cost will be low and we can sell this cycles in low cost. Brompton bicycles cost in uk is  £600 and over. Here, labour cost is expensive than south asia so we cant export from here. In south asia there is a scope for this product. There is a great number of people who are using bicycle but they arent like Brompton they cant fold, they are difficult for their journey. so it will be a new kind of cycle in south asia. I can make a profit. It will be cheaper so most of the people will buy it. I can make a market over there. Here are different types to entering new market they are: Export Joint venture FDI Strategic alliances Among these methods im going to use joint venture method because it will be better for my profit if i will export from here it will cost expensive. First i will go sri lanka and will talk in srilankan embassy, i will choose one cycle company as my partner over there and i will do good business over there and will make profit. 4PS ABOUT THE PRODUCT: Product: my product is folding bicycle. Price: labour cost will be low so per cycle it will cost  £90. Place: i will open my company in Colombo kingdom of sri lanka because there i can gget more facility than other place. Promotion: The literacy rate is 92% in Sri Lanka which is considered as a good rate. To sell the Brompton folding bikes every company more emphasizes on direct marketing such as event or trade show and personal selling. We will give this news first all over in sri lanka later 3 other countries by tv news and international news paper. MARKETING PLAN: Our product have made plan for Brompton folding bicycle for next five yrs. To increase our sale and profit we will spend half of our advertisement budget on personal selling because by this only we can aware consumers about our products and persuade consumers to buy the products. PRODUCTION CAPACITY: During the first year, product will be imported to Sri Lanka And later the demand of the product goes 3 other countries to have a manufacturing Unit can also be considered. This will result in better pricing of the product will result in more sales and Profits. BUDGET: Selling expenses: Staff salaries, Sales support and distribution staff expenses are included. The total expenditure is  £ 1210000.00 Sales and advertisement: For radio advertisement = £5000 Newspaper/magazine = £6000 Tv ad = £25000 Sales promotion = £250000 including customer awareness program Customer oriented = £200000 Trade oriented = £750000 Support line = £600000

International Trade and The Kyoto Protocol Essay -- Kyoto Protocol Pol

International Trade and The Kyoto Protocol Pollution, specifically global warming, is of growing concern to people and governments. It is a controversial issue whose validity is still being debated by scientists. The Kyoto Protocol is an international attempt to address global warming through emissions controls. Traditional neoclassical economic models do not incorporate pollution in rudimentary theories of supply, demand, or pricing, as a result, firms do not consider pollution as a cost of production, which leaves government regulation as the primary method for controlling these externalities. The goal of emissions trading is to allow one business, which can make greenhouse gas emission reductions for a relatively low cost, to sell the rights to those reductions, or credits, to an entity which would find it more expensive to achieve the same level of reduction through in-house activities. Unfortunately, public sentiment on the Kyoto Protocol focuses only on the end goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission and does not look at implications of the agreement. The Kyoto Protocol attempts to establish an international agreement to lower global emissions through a combination of domestic and offshore policies. While domestic policies can have an effect on international markets, they are considered less important than offshore policies. It is the offshore policies of emissions trading, clean development mechanisms, and joint implementation, which are predicted to have the greatest impact on emissions controls and international trade. This paper will outline the provisions of the protocol and attempt to explain some of the shortcomings which may have led to the United States withdrawing its support for the agreement. The ... ...al. It needs to include provisions for monitoring and enforcing standards. Environmental improvements may be better accomplished without credit trading. Instead, global standards and an international body of power may be more effective, similar to the WTO and trade. Works Referenced Carter, R.G. (2002). Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy. CQ Press. Washington D.C. Chambers, W.B. (2001). Inter-linkages: The Kyoto Protocol and the International Trade and Investment Regimes. United Nations University Press. New York. Kerr, S. (2000). Global Emissions Trading: Key issues for Industrialized Countries. Edward Elgar. Great Britain. McKibbin, W. J. (2000). Moving Beyond Kyoto. The Brookings Institute. Washington D.C. McKibbin, W.J., Wilcoxen. P.J. (1999). Permit Trading Under the Kyoto Protocol and Beyond. The Brookings Institute. Washington D.C.

SOCIETYS NEED FOR THE REGISTRATION OF HANDGUNS :: essays research papers

Society’s Need for the Registration of Handguns   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guns are an instrument that even the most careful of people could do harm with. Gun owners should go to firearm safety classes so they will be educated on proper handling and storage of the gun. While this should only be voluntary, something should be done to insure that guns are only sold to people who have a safe background and are of age. Congress should mandate the registration of handguns in order to keep criminals from possessing guns, to cut back on violence in the home, and to avoid accidental or intentional violence among children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Federal Government today is putting forth much effort in order to control the purchase and registration of handguns. In 1993, Congress approved the Brady Bill that requires a mandatory five-day waiting period when buying a gun. The recent school shootings have pushed Congress to pass a bill requiring approximately 80% of handguns to be produced with child safety locks. The ultimate goal of the government is to ban the sale of firearms to the public. By starting out small, and having big goals, later generations will enjoy peaceful lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s world, guns used in the home for protection purposes are becoming more of a danger than an object of security. They have taken over the interest of everyone who thinks they are in danger. Even with the protection of a handgun, statistics show that crimes are still being committed. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics â€Å"an average of only about 65,000 defensive uses of guns each year compared to the more than 800,000 crimes committed with guns† (Mcdowell 1982-84). Guns are a danger in the household if marital disputes and domestic violence are present. If a gun is a readily available object then the chances of it being used to let out anger and frustration instead of self-protection is great. Mercy Saltzman reports that â€Å"having a gun in the home also increases the risk that incidents of domestic violence will result in homicide.† He goes on to point out â€Å"family and intimate assaults involving firearms are twelve times more likely to result in death than non-firearm related assaults† (Saltzman 3043-47). In lieu of these statements, one can see the present danger in keeping a firearm in a household.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason to mandate the registration of handguns is because guns and criminals are not a healthy combination.

Alcoholism is a Disease Essay -- essays research papers

Alcoholism has been a problem throughout the history of humanity, a disease which has caused many people to be overcome with burdens, problems, and debts. Alcoholism is a term that is widely recognized throughout the United States and the World. Alcoholism is a chronic disease, progressive and often fatal; it is a disorder and not due to other diseases or emotional problems. Many scientists have tried to define what Alcoholism is, and what this disease may be rooted from. Some people would argue that alcoholism is simply the over-consumption of alcohol, this statement is only somewhat true. An alcoholic is a person who relies on alcohol as a medium to help him or her deal with physical, emotional, or spiritual needs. To understand alcoholism, it must first be understood what this affliction is dependent on. Alcohol is a substance that is made by the fermentation of fruits, grains, or miscellaneous other organic materials. The chemical, alcohol, is a depressant and acts on every cell in the human body. Due to this, the central nervous system, along with the pleasure centers of the brain, are affected resulting in a feeling of euphoria and a sense of well being. After repeated exposure, the brain becomes dependent on this drug to unburden itself whenever it feels the compulsion. Several factors that contribute to alcoholism are the individual’s psychology, genetics, culture, and the individual’s response to physical pain. In order to understand alcoholism, we must first de...

Solution for the Decline of Circulation of Newspaper

Newspapers face stiff competition against other mediums that broadcast news, such as the television, the radio, and the biggest competition, the World Wide Web. With the fast advancement in technology, news no longer needs to be viewed sedentarily. Electronic companies are catering to the fast-paced and busy lifestyles of Americans; therefore, creating devices that are portable and convenient for getting the news. New technology such as tablet PCs, e-book readers, and smart phones are replacing the way we have been receiving the news. However, these new devices cannot replace the worth of owning a hard copy. If the traditional printing of newspaper was to continue, what needs to be done is simply combining technology and printed newspaper as one medium, in doing so, we can also promote free subscriptions to see how much success this idea can go. Newspaper and online resources both have components that are lacking. â€Å"The newspaper industry has changed dramatically and there is no doubt that we’ll continue to see a change in the print of newspaper. But there are some very interesting opportunities that should be focused on and that is: delivering content to readers in the preferred medium, generating new methods of advertising that are more relevant for the consumer and effective for the advertiser, controlling costs for the newspaper publisher. † (Peck) Seeing that the decline in newspaper sales became a popular trend over decades of time, I would like to propose a solution to the problem that would approach news in a different and effective way. This idea would be to embed digital components within the newspaper itself. For example, â€Å"Touch sensitive screens, audio and video players which would be water proof, flexible, shock proof and have a decent quality. † (Mahaptra, Kumar) The idea would be to have newspaper and reader interaction. Touch screens of suitable dimensions with flash memory that would be pre-programmed and stitched into the newspaper. A user would just need to touch the screen to get whatever image is being portrayed. Similarly, embedding an audio player would be programmed to read out a particular news selection. This idea is similar to the movie scenes in the Harry Potter series where an individual is reading a newspaper that portrays content as the layout of pictures change magically. In this case, for my solution would be to interpret the images digitally. This idea is revolutionary and innovative as well as a creative approach to delivering content in the interest of users. This would be the closest way to keep within tradition of the printed newspaper and in turn compensating the demands of the â€Å"fast-paced and busy lifestyles of Americans. â€Å"News needs to be more attuned to readers' personal priorities and this means journalists moving from ‘wide audience, low relevance' stories (i. e. , small earthquake reported in Peru) to ‘low audience, high relevance' stories. A newspaper's service is to aggregate and deliver all the news that a reader should be interested in that day. † (Crosbie) By doing so this service would save readers time making it more plausible i n using this approach. It would save them from searching hundreds or even millions of articles on the world's most recent news. With â€Å"The worldwide recession of 2008, combined with the rapid growth of web-based alternatives, causing a serious decline in advertising and circulation, as many papers close or sharply retrench their operations. † (Mahaptra, Kumar) It is this service that should be provided for which newspaper companies should be able to generate greater revenue and secure larger readership today. The mass customization of newspaper editions relevant to each reader's interests is one of the many solutions necessary for the industry to survive. Technological advancement has been an obstacle for the newspaper industry, but the low circulation rates also arise from the individuals who depend on the new technology. These individuals are use to and love the word â€Å"free†, they don’t think they need to pay for content. â€Å"A solution that ignores this simple fact is destined to fail, regardless of technology, software or widgets. This requires a behavioral change, from both the newspapers and its readers†¦The goal is to change mindsets, alter behavior, and generate revenue in a sustainable way (i. e. , make papers structurally profitable). (Ritholtz) A great approach would be to promote free subscriptions and later charging for continual subscriptions. This method would require registering an account and providing credit card information. By doing so, individuals are allowed access to a bundle of news articles. If not registered, individuals are only able to see a certain amount of content within that ar ticle. This is similar to approach to online essay websites that post other writers' essay, and a purchase is required to see the full essay. However, the primary goal at this point is not to generate revenue, but to get the public used to paying for content. This in urn will give control over cost of newspaper and aid to the decline of newspaper circulation with the help of public media consumers. There are many possible solutions in instigating ways to fix the decline of newspaper circulation. In order for the newspaper industry to thrive, we must consider technology as a new way to cope with the demands of individuals, consider individuals preference for content, and consider that individuals and the industry itself must work together make this change possible. In effect, this will make that difference that can change the way people read news and still keeping to tradition of a printed newspaper.