Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis Essay Example

Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis Paper In 1 975, a Spanish entrepreneur first opened Ezra as a retail store in La Crouch, Spain. He then created the corporate group, Inedited. Inedited had become one of the worlds largest specialty retailers; it had six different chains, through which Inedited designed, manufactured, and sold apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and kids around the world. Stability distinguished Inedited from other apparel retails. Although Inedited had become a public company with increasing stock price and high margins, Inedited always aimed to become a very sustainable company rather than cost profitable one in the world. Ezra was the largest and most internationalization chain for Inedited. Its headquarter was located in Artesia, Spain. Ezra was well known for its success in creating fast-fashion by selling fashion items at affordable prices and responding the market trend very quickly. Its business system and international expansion had become Indiess proudest decision. Inedited became increasingly international after 2001. It announced that Saras strategy in international expansion was the main reason for the groups sales growing globally. Ezra was no doubt the ash cow and key business for Inedited. However, Ezra itself faced some difficulties when expanding internationally. The differences in cultures and regulations made the expansion much riskier. After its failure in Italy in 1998, and competitors failures in U. S. Market, Ezra and Inedited had to be more concerned and careful about entering into a foreign new market. We will write a custom essay sample on Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Moreover, top management in Inedited started to think about further plans for the group. Managing six different chains, they planned to develop other chains (or new chains) into a star business as successful as Ezra. This report will focus on loving Saras international expansion issue, as Ezra was so far the largest business for Inedited, and its issue was relatively urgent. After Ezra establishing a sustainable and more successful long-term international business, Indiess other chains could learn from its experiences. Inedited would be more capable and confident in managing and developing other chains into another large and international model like Ezra. ISSUE STATEMENT Inedited had to allow Ezra to expand and develop primarily, in order to grow into a stable and large organization rather than only focusing on home business (focusing in Spain). But International expansion was very expensive, and not that easy as different countries had different regulations, cultures, market demand and preferences. Large apparel firms like Ezra, H and Benton had met difficulties attempting to enter foreign markets. Meanwhile, Ezra had almost covered the whole market in Spain; in order to grow, it demanded larger market outside the home country. Thus, the issue statement discussed in this report is the future geographic focus for Ezra: Which foreign market should Ezra focus in its international expansion, and what are the strategies to enter the market? SITUATION ANALYSIS Saras Business System Ezra was the largest and most internationalization of Indiess chains, which are six independently operated chains and was responsible for their own strategy (Ezra, 8). In 2001, Ezra generated 85% of Indiess earnings and 76% of total sales. It generally targeted medium and high-income level and fashion sensitive consumers; while the income level of target market may be different in different countries. It was the leader in the fast fashion industry. The business system distinguished Ezra from other retailers, and enabled it to have a quick response to the market and fashion trend. Saras success came room its highly vertical integration strategy. It owned different levels of supply chain, from design, sourcing and manufacturing distribution and retail. This strategy allowed Ezra to better control the performance and quality of product, be highly efficient in delivering consumers preferred product to the market. Saras goal was to create a sense of scarcity, and to offer consumers fashionable product with reasonable quality and affordable price. The vertical integration strategy contributed to this goal by shortening the cycle time from design to retail to four weeks (over 6 months for the traditional industry), educing the working capital intensity, and reducing the inventory pressure. Design Ezra had three product lines: women, men and children. All of them had their own creative designers, sourcing and product development specialists. Several dozens items were designed each day, but only 1 13 of them would actually go into production (Ezra, 10). Ezra designed almost all products in-house. The designers cooperated well with store managers, and used an advanced technology system to track the data to analyze the market trend. Sourcing Manufacturing Ezra had purchasing offices in Barcelona and Hong Kong to help it source fabric, other inputs, and finished products from external suppliers. It bought endued fabric in order to adjust with the most recent updating in fashion trend. Ezra outsourced the production of basic item (price sensitive but time insensitive), and produced the fashionable item (40% of products) in-house for better control and quality. Large amount of outsourced goods were from Europe, so that Ezra saved time in transportation process. Only 20% of finished garments were manufactured in Asia, while H outsourced nearly all of the products to Asia. Distribution Majority of Saras sewn garments were produced in small workshops and sent to Saras centralized distribution. It was located in Artesia. Ezra only allowed most Of the products to Stay there for a few hours. Third-party delivery services shipped the items twice a week to stores over the world, mostly by truck. Only 25% was shipped by air because it was expensive. Retailing The price of Saras products was relatively low, and Ezra located its stores in prime areas of different cities. Ezra saved costs by investing little money in advertising and by efficient, vertically integrated supply chain. Ezra maintained a competitive price in every market. Although prices in different countries varied due to transportation cost, tax and exchange rate, the advertisement promotion strategy was generally maintained in every country. Store managers played a significant role. Ezra offered them large power to manage the store like their own business, and also offered high compensation and bonus as incentives. They provided critical data and feedback to designers and contributed to the design process; they were responsible for the selecting and training in-store personnel; they also made decisions on ordering and store operations. International Expansion After 2001, Ezra had 282 stores in 32 foreign countries, it had most foreign stores in Europe and only 5 in Asia (Japan). Ezra owned the stores in less risky and large market, but the costs would be higher. Ezra used franchising to enter small, risky markets with cultural differences and regulation barriers. Ezra used joint venture when the market was large and important but with barriers. STOW Analysis of Saras Business Strength The fast fashion concept, quick response and sense of scarcity were attractive to the consumers. The price was relatively low and competitive. The business cycle time was short from design to retail. Inventory was controlled low. The designers were creative. The strong centralized distribution system and vertical integration were distinctive feature of Saras business and made it hard for other brands to copy. Weakness Promotion was weak compared to HM, due to little advertising investment. Production or outsourced costs were relatively high, as HM outsourced mostly to Asia while Ezra focus more on Europe manufactures with higher costs. Since there was only one distribution center, there might be discomposes of scale if Ezra developed more stores. The only distribution center may not have enough capacity to handle too much stores around the world. It would also be risky to handle all items in one center. The goal of low inventory sometimes could not satisfy the demand. The joint venture agreement with foreign partners was sometimes complex in responsibilities, and there were risks that Ezra had to buy out the partners interest. Also, under international expansion, store managers would be hired from different countries and may not understand Saras concept well. Thus they may not operate Saras business in an efficient and standardized way. Purport unity The potential market was very large because apparel industry was needed in every country. The Internet was increasingly popular since 2000 and might be a new chance to promote brand or to reach customers. Threats Competitions was all around the world. There was direct competition with local firms. And many of the large apparel retailers were considering entering into international expansion. The product design was easy to copy. There would be social, cultural, political, economic and regulation differences if entering into foreign new market. ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS 1. Fully focus on European market 2. Expand aggressively into North American and Asian market 3. Expand globally, specifically, cover European market in a more aggressive way than other places in short run, then in long term open more stores in North America and Asia. Alternative 1: Fully Focus On European Market Pros The European market was lucrative. Ezra had most of its foreign stores in Europe so far, thus it would had more experiences. The home country and distribution center were both in Europe, which would save more time and made the business easier to control. There would be less cultural differences. The consumers preference into fashion was more similar within Europe than other countries oversea. The major potential market could be Greece, Sweden and Italy. Italy was the largest single apparel market in Europe, its consumers visited apparel stores more frequently and they Were more fashion conscious (Ezra, 19). Saras distribution center and current distribution system allowed it to operate well in Europe, as most of the shipping would be using truck (inexpensive), and most of Saras manufacturers were in Europe. Cons Some of the markets like Italian market were difficult to enter alone due to the regulation barriers. Ezra failed for the fist attempt entering Italy in 1998. The barrier required Ezra to enter with joint venture agreement with a large local partner, which may also be Saras competitor. Europe was relatively small compared to Asia and America. Since Ezra had opened its foreign stores in around 20 cities in Europe after 2002, the potential market that could be further explored in Europe was even smaller. Major competitors like H, Benton were all European companies. Alternative 2: Expand Aggressively into North American and Asian market Pros These two markets had larger population, and were relatively rosaceous compared to South America or Africa; hence the sales could be high. They had less apparel cultural differences compared to the Middle East. Cons Costs would be high especially in terms of marketing, research and transportation. Ezra had very limit experiences in certain larger cities in these markets (e. G. Had only entered Japan for Asian market) and did not know those markets and consumers well. The designs were the same for all stores, but consumers preferences would be different (e. G. North American people were less fashion forward; Asian consumers may dislike the European style). With only one centralized distribution center it would be time consuming and costly, if items were manufactured in Asia (items would be sent to Europe first and then sent back to Asia). Size requirements were different (the U. S. Consumers requires larger sizes while Asian consumers preferred smaller sizes), so there would be difficulties to standardize and control the product quality. U. S. Market was fragmented, retailing overcapacity and full of local competitors. Outside Europe, Ezra didnt have strong in-house production and distribution facilities to ensure the low cost and timing. As Ezra cared the mime for items reaching the market, it had to increase the usage of air shipping which was much more expensive. Also, longer time for reaching the stores would make it ineffective to response to consumers need and taste. The Foreign exchange risks could be also a threat. Alternative 3: Expand Globally. In the short run, Ezra should aggressively enter the European market. Since the European market was closer, more familiar and less risky compared to other large markets, Ezra should take full advantage of it. Meanwhile, Ezra should keep a look on North American and Asian market and open a few lightship stores in their prime cities. In the long run, Ezra should enter more aggressively into these two large markets by opening more stores. Pros: It would combine the advantages of the first two alternatives. By Opening a very few but critical flagship stores in North America and Asia in the short run, Ezra could get more experiences from those markets and understand the consumers well. Flagship store was also a promotion strategy to attract more attention. The cost would be relatively low in the short run. Ezra would be more experienced and financially capable to open more stores n those two new markets in the long run. Expanding globally would allow Ezra to grow as large as it could in the long run, and develop into a real international business. Cons: It would still be restricted by the only one centralized distribution center for entering Asia and North America, and still have the risks for entering them. The decision criteria would be revenue and profit, awareness, sustainability and consumer loyalty. According to the analysis above, alternative 3 would collect sales both from all three large markets, and thus should have more market share. It would be more sustainable due to the short term and long term focus. By successfully growing into a stable, large, profitable and global organization, Ezra would have awareness and thus better brand image and consumer loyalty. Recommendation Based on the analysis, the report recommends alternative 3. It would maximize the profit by reaching all the potential markets in the world in long term. Since there were risks and concerns for each market, the best way for Ezra to grow would be expanding its market by following a short-term and long-term strategy. However, because of the limitation of each market, Ezra till have to adjust its current business system when adopting alternative 3. Action plan Short Run Although expanding the business globally required Ezra to enter all three large markets (Europe, Asia and North America), in the short run, Ezra should focus more on European market. In 2002 Ezra planned to open 55-65 new stores. It is recommended to open 90 stores in the next year with around 75% in Europe. France, Germany, the ILK, Italy, Portugal, Greece should be major European markets outside Spain, since they are larger, less risky, relatively stable and advanced. Ezra also had more experiences and resources operating in them in the past. As they are important markets, Ezra could own the stores (or consider joint venture if there was regulation concerns) for better control and profit minimization. Although countries like Cyprus and Israel were risky and small, Ezra could still open more stores with Franchising. Also, Ezra could open new stores in new countries like Russia (Moscow) to establish the foundation for future development in the countries. Ezra should take opportunities in other large demand areas while consolidating its presence in the European market at the same time. It could open around 10 tortes in the U. S. And Asia (especially outside Japan) respectively. Specifically, it could choose New York, Los Angels, Lass Vegas, Singapore and Hong Kong since they are densely populated, prosperous and multi-cultural. There would be less cultural differences. It would be a great chance to present Ezra to the local city but also the visitors around the world. It would be safer if Ezra considered enter those markets initially with joint venture. Ezra could consider open flagship stores rather than normal stores in new cities, in order to attract more consumers, promote and build a better brand image. After 1-2 years, when newly opened stores became stable and profitable, Ezra could consider stepping into Internet. As mentioned in the opportunity part, this would be a chance for Ezra to promote itself or to develop a new distribution and retail method. Ezra should improve its website quality, use the website to deliver its style, company value and latest fashion design information. Ezra should have website for every major country that Ezra had entered, with standardized style but unique store and product information. This would be a great chance for Ezra to approach consumers. Moreover, Ezra should prepare for the online shopping. For North America and Asia, Ezra should have new distribution center and also manufacturers in South America and Asia, as these close places required lower costs. This strategy would save transportation costs and time, and solve the problems of over capacity and discomposes of scale with centralized distribution center. Since different markets had different fashion taste, now Ezra could efficiently and easily manage the distributions to each market. Ezra should also seek for and build good relationship with local deliver services like UPS and Fed for a rower cost and better performance. Also, since the U. S. ND Asian markets were both full of local competitions, Ezra should not insist on minimizing advertising and promotion investment in those markets. As also mentioned, different markets had different tastes. For example, the North American people were less fashion sensitive and required larger sizes. Ezra should update its IT system to have better track and record of the consumers behavior, in order to make better decision on design and distribution in the future. Long Run After 3 years expansion, as the European market would be stable in the long UN, Ezra could start entering Asian and North American market more aggressively. It could open more stores in areas including Canada and China. They were two largest countries with similar tastes and culture with the U. S. , Hong Kong and Japan market. Previous success in those markets would also positively affect the consumers choice and awareness in Canada and China. It could also consider opening flagship stores in Australia later. In terms of distribution, Ezra should maintain the good relationship with delivery services. In terms of design, Ezra should utilize the data from IT and track yester to design fashion product specifically for markets with different cultures and tastes. For example, Asian consumers preferred more colorful patterns, while North American consumers value more simple and basic designs. Moreover, Ezra should have head officers in North America and Asia for efficient control and management. These offices would be responsible for internal training as well, since it would be hard for every store around the world to send their managers to headquarter for training. The store managers were the key elements for the Saras operation and design, it was important for Ezra to maintain highly qualified managers in stores all around the world. Ezra could launch internship program to attract more talented and capable people. This program could deliver the Saras concept well, and contribute to a better cooperate culture, which was important for the sustainability of a large international brand. Lastly, in the long run, Ezra should consider buy back the joint venture stores which turn to be profitable, so that Ezra could have better control. CONCLUSION Ezra should enter the global market but focus on different markets in a short term and long term phases. It should establish new offices, distribution center and manufacturers in North America and Asia to catch up with its expansion. After successfully growing into a sustainable and more profitable international business, Inedited could have better experiences and resources to consider further development of new chains. It is not suggested for Inedited to grow an existing apparel chain as it might confuse consumers and compete with Ezra. It could launch a new brand with new product line under a name similar to Ezra (e. G. Ezra Home), as consumers would be more attracted to it.

Profile of Child Killer Susan Smith

Profile of Child Killer Susan Smith Susan Vaughan Smith of Union, S.C. was convicted on July 22, 1995, and sentenced to life in prison for murdering her two sons, Michael Daniel Smith, 3, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith. Susan Smith - Her Childhood Years Susan Smith was born on September 26, 1971, in Union, South Carolina, to parents Linda and Harry Vaughan. She was the youngest of three children and the couples only daughter. Her parents divorced when Susan was seven and five weeks later Harry, age 37, committed suicide. Her parents tumultuous marriage and the death of her father left Susan a sad, empty and oddly distant child. Within weeks of the Vaughans divorce, Linda married Beverly (Bev) Russell, a successful local businessman. Linda and the children moved from their small modest home into Bevs house located in an exclusive subdivision of Union. Friendliest Female As a teen, Susan was a good student, well-liked and outgoing. In her junior year, she was voted president of the Junior Civitan Club, a club which focused on volunteering in the community. In her final year of high school, she received the Friendliest Female award and was known for her cheerful and fun disposition. Family Secrets Exposed But during those years of enjoying her popularity and positions of leadership, Susan was harboring a family secret. At the age of 16. her stepfather turned from caretaker to molester. Susan reported the inappropriate behavior to her mother and to the Department of Social Services and Bev moved out from the home temporarily. Nothing of any consequence resulted from Susans report and after a few family counseling sessions, Bev returned home. Susan was chastised by her family for making the sexual abuse a public affair and Linda appeared more concerned that the family would be subjected to public embarrassment than protecting her daughter. Unfortunately for Susan, with Bev back in the house, the sexual molestation continued. In her senior year of high school, Susan turned to a school counselor for help. The Department of Social Service was contacted again, but Susan refused to press charges and the matter was swiftly swept under the proverbial carpet of lawyers agreements and sealed records which protected Bev and the family from the feared public humiliation. Rejection and an Attempted Suicide During the summer of 1988, Susan got a job at the local Winn-Dixie grocery store and moved quickly up the ranks from cashier to bookkeeper. In her senior year at high school, she was sexually active with three men - a married older man who worked at the store, a younger co-worker and with Bev. Susan became pregnant and had an abortion. The married man ended their relationship and her reaction to the breakup was to attempt suicide by taking aspirin and Tylenol. While being treated in the hospital she admitted to having tried a similar suicide attempt when she was 13-years-old. David Smith At work, another relationship was beginning to form with the co-worker and high school friend David Smith. David ended his engagement with another woman and started dating Susan. The two decided to marry when Susan discovered she was pregnant. Susan and David Smith married on March 15, 1991, and moved into Davids great-grandmothers house. Davids parents were suffering the recent loss of another son who died from Crohns disease just 11 days before Susan and David married. By May 1991, the strain of the loss of a son proved to be too much for Davids parents. His father attempted suicide and his mother left and moved to another city. This kind of family drama fit right into what Susan was used to and the young couple, both very needy, spent the early months of their marriage comforting one another. Michael Daniel Smith On October 10, 1991, the Smiths first son, Michael, was born. David and Susan showered the child with love and attention. But having a child could not help the differences in the newlyweds backgrounds which began to put a strain on their relationship. Susan was more materialistic than David and often turned to her mother for financial help. David found Linda to be intrusive and controlling and resented Susan always doing what Linda wanted her to do, especially when it came to raising Michael. First Separation By March 1992, the Smiths were separated and over the next seven months, they tried on and off to mend the marriage. During the breakups, Susan dated a former boyfriend from work which did not help matters. In November 1992, Susan announced she was pregnant again which seemed to bring David and her into clearer focus and the two reunited. The couple borrowed money from Susans mother for a down payment on a house, believing having their own home would fix their troubles. But over the next nine months, Susan became more distant and complained continuously about being pregnant. In June 1993, David felt lonely and isolated in his marriage and began a relationship with a co-worker. After the birth of their second child, Alexander Tyler, on August 5, 1993, David and Susan reunited, but within three weeks David had once again moved out and the two decided the relationship was over. Regardless of their broken marriage, both David and Susan were good, attentive and caring parents who seemed to enjoy the children. Tom Findlay Susan, not wanting to work in the same place as David, took a job as a bookkeeper at the largest employer in the area, Conso Products. She was eventually promoted to the executive secretary position for the president and CEO of Conso, J. Carey Findlay. For Union, S.C. this was a prestigious position which exposed Susan to wealthy people with extravagant lifestyles. It also gave her the opportunity to get closer to one of Unions most eligible bachelors, the son of her boss, Tom Findlay. In January 1994 Susan and Tom Findlay began casually dating, but by spring she and David were back together. The reconciliation only lasted a few months and Susan told David she wanted a divorce. In September she was dating Tom Findlay again and planning their future together in her mind. Tom, in the meantime, was trying to figure out how to end it with Susan. Nice Girls Dont Sleep With Married Men On October 17, 1994, just days before David and Susans divorce papers were filed, Tom Findlay sent a Dear John letter to Susan. His reasons for wanting to end their relationship included the differences in their backgrounds. He was also emphatic about not wanting children or wanting to raise her children. He encouraged Susan to act with more  self-respect and referred to an episode when Susan and a friends husband were kissing each other in a hot tub during a party at Toms fathers estate. Findlay wrote, If you want to catch a nice guy like me one day, you have to act like a nice girl. And you know, nice girls dont sleep with married men. Narcissistic Delusions Susan was devastated when she read the letter, but she was also living out delusional dreams which in reality were a combination of grotesque lies, deceit,  lust, and narcissism. On one  hand, she was deeply depressed that Tom ended their  relationship but unknown to him, she was still sexually involved with David and her stepfather, Bev Russell, and had allegedly had a sexual affair with her boss who was Toms father. In an attempt to get Toms sympathy and attention, Susan confessed to him about her ongoing sexual relationship with Bev. When that didnt work, she told him of her alleged affair with his father and warned him that the details of the relationship might come out during her divorce with David. Toms reaction was one of shock and he reiterated that the two of them would never again have a sexual relationship. Any hopes to maneuver her way back into Toms life had now been permanently severed. Obsessions On October 25, 1994, Susan Smith spent the day  obsessing  over the breakup with Tom Findlay. As the day progressed she became increasingly upset and asked to leave work early. After picking up her children from daycare, she stopped to talk to a friend in a parking lot and expressed her fears over Toms reaction to her sleeping with his father. In a last-ditch effort to sway Toms feelings, she asked her friend to watch the children while she went to Toms office to tell him the story was a lie. According to her friend, Tom did not appear happy to see Susan and quickly got her out of his office. Later that evening she phoned her friend who she knew was having dinner with Tom and friends. Susan wanted to know if Tom had said anything about her, but he had not. The Murder of Michael and Alex Smith At around 8 p.m. Susan put her barefooted sons in the car, strapped them in their car seats and began driving around. In her  confession, she stated that she wanted to die and was headed to her mothers house, but decided against it.  Instead, she drove to John D. Long Lake and drove onto a ramp, got out of the car, put the car in drive, released the brake and watched as her car, with her children sleeping in the back seat, plunged into the lake. The car drifted out  then slowly sank. Nine Days of Deceit Susan Smith ran to a nearby home and hysterically knocked on the door. She told the homeowners, Shirley and Rick McCloud, that a black man had taken her car and her two boys. She described how she had stopped at a red light at Monarch  Mills when a man with a gun jumped into her car and told her to drive. She drove around some, and then he told her to stop and get out of the car. At that point, he told her he wouldnt hurt the kids and then drove off with the boys who she could hear were crying out for her. For nine days Susan Smith stuck the story of  being abducted. Friends and family surrounded her in support and David had returned to his wifes side as the search for their children intensified. The national media showed up in Union as the tragic story of the boys abduction circulated. Susan, with her  face, spotted with tears, and David looking distraught and desperate, made a public plea for the safe return of their sons. In the meantime, Susans story was beginning to unravel. Unraveling the Truth Sheriff Howard Wells, the lead investigator on the case, had David and Susan polygraphed. David passed, but Susans results were inconclusive. Throughout the nine days of the  investigation, Susan was given numerous  polygraphs  and questioned about the inconsistencies in her carjacking story. One of the biggest clues that led the authorities to believe Susan was lying was her story about stopping at a red light on Monarch Mills Road. She stated that she saw no other cars on the road, yet the light turned red. The light on Monarch Mills was always green and only turned red if it was triggered by a car on the cross street. Since she said that there were no other cars on the road, there was no reason for her to come up to a red light. Leaks to the press about discrepancies in Susans story resulted in accusatory questions by reporters. Also, people around her noticed her displaying questionable behavior for a mother whose children were missing. She seemed overly concerned with how she looked in front of the television cameras and at times asked about the whereabouts of Tom Findlay. She also had dramatic moments of deep  sobbing but would be dried eyed and  tearless. Susan Smith Confesses On November 3, 1994, David and Susan appeared on CBS This Morning and David voiced his full support of Susan and her story about the abduction. After the interview, Susan met with Sheriff Wells for another  interrogation. This time, however, Wells was direct and told her that he did not believe her story about the carjacking. He explained to her about the light on Monarch Mills staying green and discrepancies in other adaptations she had made to her story during the past nine days. Exhausted and emotionally badgered, Susan asked Wells to pray with her then  afterward  she began crying and telling how ashamed she felt for what she had done. Her confession to pushing the car into the lake began to spill out. She said she had wanted to kill herself and her children, but in the end, she got out of the car and sent her boys to their deaths. A Small Hand Against the Window Before breaking the news of Susans confession, Wells wanted to locate the bodies of the boys. A previous search of the lake had failed to turn up Susans car, but after her confession, she gave police the exact distance the car had floated out before it sank. Divers found the car turned upside down, with the children dangling from their car seats. One diver described that he saw the small hand of one of the children pressed against a window. Also found in the car was the Dear John letter Ton Findlay had written. An autopsy of the children proved that both  boys were still alive  when their tiny heads were submerged under water. Who is Susan Smith Really? Incredibly, Susan reached out to David in a letter filled with, Im sorry, then complained that her feelings were being overshadowed by everyones grief. Stunned, David questioned who Susan really was and felt a brief moment of sympathy for her confused and demented state of mind. But it did not take long for the sympathy to turn to horror as more  facts about the murders  of his sons surfaced. He had assumed Susan had shown mercy by killing the boys prior to pushing the car into the lake, but after finding out the truth he was haunted by images of his sons last moments, in the dark, scared, alone and drowning to death. When he discovered Susan had supplied the police with the exact location of the car and that the car lights had been on when she lifted the break, he knew she had stayed and watched the car sinking, motivated by her desires to rebuild her relationship with the wealthy Tom Findlay. The Trial During the trial, Susans defense lawyers relied heavily on Susans littered childhood of tragedy and sexual abuse which manifested itself into a lifetime of untreated depression and suicidal thoughts. They explained that her abnormal need to depend on others for happiness led to the multiple sexual relationships she was involved in during her life. The bottom line was that Susan, as outwardly normal as she might have appeared, was in truth hiding a deep-seated mental illness. The prosecution showed the jury a more devious and manipulative side of Susan Smith whose only concern was her own desires. Her children had become a major handicap in Susans ability to get what she wanted. By killing them she would not only get the sympathy of her former lover Tom Findlay but with the children gone, it was one less reason for him to end their relationship. Susan Smith was unresponsive  during her trial  except when her sons were mentioned which sometimes led to her sobbing and shaking her head as if in disbelief that the boys were dead. The Verdict and Sentence It took the jury two-and-a-half hours to return a verdict of guilty of two counts of murder.  Despite Davids protests, Susan Smith was spared the death sentence and  received a sentence  of 30 years to life in prison. She will be eligible for parole in 2025 when she is 53 years old. David has sworn to attend every parole hearing to try to keep Susan Smith in jail for life. Aftermath Since her incarceration at South Carolinas Leath Correctional Institution, two guards have been punished for having sex with Smith. Her sexual activity in prison was discovered after she developed a sexually transmitted disease. Michael and Alex Smith Michael and Alex Smith were buried together in the same casket in the Bogansville United Methodist Church cemetery on November 6, 1994, next to the grave of Davids brother and the childrens uncle, Danny Smith. The Dear John Letter This is the Dear John letter that John Findlay gave to Susan  October. 17, 1994. Many believe it is what motivated Susan Smith to kill her children. (Note: This is how the original letter was written. Corrections have not been made.) Dear Susan, I hope you dont mind, but I think clearer when I am typing, so this letter is being written on my computer. This is a difficult letter for me to write because I know how much you think of me. And I want you to know that I am flattered that you have such a high opinion of me.  Susan, I value our friendship very much. You are one of the few people on this earth that I feel I can tell anything. You are intelligent, beautiful, sensitive, understanding, and possess many other wonderful qualities that I and many other men appreciate. You will, without a doubt, make some lucky man a great wife. But unfortunately, it wont be me. Even though you think we have much in common, we are vastly different. We have been raised in two totally different environments, and therefore, think totally different. Thats not to say that I was raised better than you or vice versa, it just means that we come from two different backgrounds. When I started dating Laura, I knew our backgrounds were going to be a problem. Right before I graduated from Auburn University in 1990, I broke up with a girl (Alison) that I had been dating for over two years. I loved Alison very much and we were very compatible. Unfortunately, we wanted different things out of life. She wanted to get married and have children before the age of 28, and I did not. This conflict spurred our breakup, but we have remained friends through the years. After Alison, I was very hurt. I decided not to fall for anyone again until I was ready to make a long commitment. For my first two years in Union, I dated very little. In fact, I can count the number of dates I had on one hand. But then Laura came along. We met at Conso, and I fell for her like a ton of bricks. Things were great at first and remained good for along  [sic] time, but I knew deep in my heart that she was not the one for me. People tell me that when you find the person that you will want to spend the rest of your life with ... you will know it. Well, even though I fell  enlove  Ã‚  [sic]  with Laura, I had my doubts about a long and lasting commitment, but I never said anything, and I eventually hurt her very, very deeply. I wont do that again. Susan, I could really fall for you. You have so many endearing qualities about you, and I think that you are a terrific person. But like I have told you before, there are some things about you that arent suited for me, and yes, I am speaking about your children. Im sure that your kids are good kids, but it really wouldnt matter how good they may be ... the fact is, I just dont want children. These feelings may change one day, but I doubt it. With all of the crazy, mixed-up things that take place in this world today, I just dont have the desire to bring another life into it. And I dont want to be responsible for anyone  elses  [sic] children, either. But I am very thankful that there are people like you who are not so selfish as I am, and dont mind bearing the responsibility of children. If everyone thought the way that I do, our species would eventually become extinct. But our differences go far beyond the children issue. We are just two totally different people, and eventually, those differences would cause us to break-up. Because I know myself so well, I am sure of this. But dont be discouraged. There is someone out there for you. In fact, its probably someone that you may not know at this time or that you may know, but would never expect. Either way, before you settle down with anyone again, there is something you need to do. Susan, because you got pregnant and married at such an early age, you missed out on much of your youth. I mean, one minute you were a kid, and the next minute  you were having kids. Because I come from a place where everyone had the desire and the money to go to college, having the responsibility of children at such a young age is beyond my comprehension. Anyhow, my advice to you is to wait and be very choosy about your next relationship. I can see this may be a bit difficult for you because you are a bit boy crazy, but as the proverb states good things come to those who wait. I am not saying you shouldnt go out and have a good time. In fact, I think you should do just that ... have a good time and capture some of that youth that you missed out on. But just dont get seriously involved with anyone until you have done the things in life that you want to do, first. Then the rest will fall in place. Susan, I am not mad at you about what happened this weekend. Actually, I am very thankful. As I told you, I was starting to let my heart warm up to the idea of us going out as more than just friends. But seeing you kiss another man put things back into perspective. I remembered how I hurt Laura, and I wont let that happen again; and therefore, I cant let myself get close to you. We will always be friends, but our relationship will never go beyond that of friendship. And as for your relationship with B. Brown, of course you have to make your own decisions in life, but remember ... you have to live with the consequences also. Everyone is held accountable for their actions, and I would hate for people to perceive you as an unreputable person. If you want to catch a nice guy like me one day, you have to act like a nice girl. And you know, nice girls dont sleep with married men. Besides, I want you to feel good about yourself, and I am afraid that if you sleep with B. Brown or any other m arried man for that matter, you will lose your self-respect. I know I did when we were messing around earlier this year. So please, think about your actions before you do anything you will regret. I care for you, but also care for Susan Brown and I would hate to see anyone get hurt. Susan may say that she wouldnt care (copy unintelligible) husband had an affair, but you and I know, that is not true. Anyhow, as I have already told you, you are a very special person. And dont let anyone tell you or make you feel any different. I see so much potential in you, but only you can make it happen. Dont settle for mediocre in life, go for it all and only settle for the best ... I do. I havent told you this, but I am extremely proud of you for going to school. I am a firm believer in higher education, and once you obtain a degree from college, there is not stopping you. And dont let these idiot boys from Union make you feel like you are not capable or slow you down. After you graduate, you will be able to go anywhere you want in this world. And if you ever wanted to get a good job in Charlotte, my father is the right person to know. He and Koni know everyone who is anyone in the business world in Charlotte. And if I can ever help you with anything, dont hesitate to ask. Well, this letter must come to an end. It is 11:50 p.m. and I am getting very sleepy. But I wanted to write you this letter because you are the one who is always making the effort for me, and I wanted to return the friendship. Ive appreciated it when you have dropped me nice little notes, or cards, or the present at Christmas, and it is about time that I start putting a little effort into our friendship. Which reminds me, I thought long and hard about getting you something for your birthday, but I decided not to because I wasnt sure what you might think. Now I am sorry I didnt get you anything, so you can expect something from me at Christmas. But do not buy me anything for Christmas. All I want from you is a nice, sweet card ... Ill cherish that more than any store (copy illegible) present. Again, you will always have my friendship. And your friendship is one that I will always look upon with sincere affection. Tom p.s. Its late, so please dont count off for spelling or grammar. Source: Court Document

Renewable energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Renewable energy - Essay Example newable energy sources is that the energy sources like natural gas, coal, and oil have no permanent reservoirs and they will be exhausted at some time in future. Therefore, the world has turned to renewable energy sources as alternatives to traditional sources of energy (Hick, n.d.). Renewable energy sources are some of the very beneficial energy sources for a country. Some of the most considerable advantages of renewable energy include sustainability, less maintenance requirement, reduced cost of operations, and increased economic benefits. These advantages also make renewable energy sources very critical for the economic stability of a country. These resources not only bring economic benefits, but also they put a very minimal impact on the environment because of generation of very little amount of waste products. No polluting emissions and repeated use without depletion are also two of the most considerable advantages of renewable energy. Apart from the advantages, there also exist some disadvantages of renewable energy. However, the number of disadvantages is very less as compared to the advantages. Some of the disadvantages include difficulty in generating electricity quantities equivalent to fossil fuel generated electricity and unreliability under certain conditions. Let us now discuss some of the widely used sources of renewable energy in order to get a clear picture of their advantages and disadvantages. There are six major types of renewable energy sources, which include hydropower energy source, wind energy source, solar energy source, geothermal energy source, biomass energy source, and nuclear power. Let us discuss all of them in some detail. Hydropower energy source is the most recent invention in renewable energy. Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy, which has the generating capacity of 77,000 Megawatts (Conlan, 2009). It is due to the scarcity and rising prices of oil and gas that a large number of developed countries are putting

What is the main difference between Aristotle's account of virtue and Essay

What is the main difference between Aristotle's account of virtue and Socrates' account of virtue Who has the more plausible view - Essay Example In this way, Aristotle has accepted the Socrate’s account of virtue as related to courage but he is differentiated from Socrates to the following point: courage, which, in the form of knowledge, is for Socrates the basis of virtue (Kahn 1998, p.85), is considered for Aristotle just an element of virtue; the latter, in accordance with Aristotle, is likely to be influenced from other elements and values, such as eudaimonia (Klosko 2006). The differences regarding the views of Socrates and Aristotle on virtue are analytically presented below; explanations are given, as possible by referring to the relevant texts. Also, suggestions are made regarding the potential limitation of the distance between the views of Socrates and Aristotle on virtue and its elements. The key difference between Aristotle’s account of virtue and Socrates’ account of virtue is highlighted in the study of Achtenberg (2002); in accordance with the above researchers, Socrates emphasized on virtue as knowledge, while Aristotle considered virtue as related to the behavioural characteristics of each individual; in the context of Aristotle’s account of virtue, virtue is an element of human behaviour which requires the emotional development of the person involved (Achtenberg 2002, p.24). From this point of view, minors cannot have virtue – at least not in its full form – since their emotional development is still in progress. The importance of knowledge as a criterion for virtue has been the key characteristic of Socrates’ account of virtue. Curren (2000) noted that Plato accepted the view of Socrates that ‘wisdom is a key element of virtue’ (Curren 2000, p.48). It is on this basis that the suggestions of Plato on education have been based. Taking into consideration the fact that virtue can be taught, as Socrates supported, Plato developed the framework

Blade runner film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Blade runner film analysis - Essay Example This complicated multilayer story about life and death failed at the box office and was ridiculed by the critics. The so-called â€Å"critics† sarcastically mocked the film calling it Blade Crawler for its languid and sluggish narrative. They stated that the film is interesting only visually but the plot development leaves much to be desired (the film advertising positioned it primarily as an action thriller). The film is neither an action nor a thriller even. It’s rather a complex futuristic drama noir in style of the dark, black and white 40s, with the powerful semantic overtones. The theme of artificial intelligence, which was used in the film, is fruitful and relevant to the present day. Philip Dick and Ridley Scott tried to figure out when a robot is no longer just a heartless machine, work tool and becomes a personality with senses and feelings. They make us imagine, trough Roy’s horror and despair, what a man can feel suddenly realizing that he is not a ma n and that he is destined to live some few years and disappear for good. This is not the film when you cross your fingers so that humans can win. Having taken up the creative functions of God, people appeared to be unable to be Him to the end and turned into ordinary executioners. This paper will examine the theme of life and death in Blade Runner, its symbolism, the conflict of humans and machines, the only crime of which is the desire to live. Well, it’s 2019. The world has survived the war, decline, extinction of animals; having overcome all the difficulties it reaches the peak of development: journeys to the stars, colonization of alien worlds, high-tech. People became God-like: with the miracle of genetic engineering they create AI - Nexus-6 replicants, whose potential surpasses human both intellectually and physically. But despite the obvious superiority they have the status of slaves – they are miners, prostitutes, members of dangerous expeditions. The theme of the film is in many ways similar to the theme raised by another immortal work - Frankenstein. That is the idea that a man is responsible for his creation and a creation often turns out to be no worse than a man. Prudent people have limited the life cycle of replicants to 4 years only. It’s kind of okay, but it turns out that replicants can think, love, feel. And of course, as common people, replicants absolutely do not want to die. The theme of life and death is the key theme of the film. If replicants have souls, do they deserve death? What is the meaning of life? Ridley Scott’s brother died of cancer shortly before Ridley started filming Blade Runner. Doubtless, it profoundly shocked the director and became one of the reasons why Blade Runner is so soulful and sad. The film is full of philosophical and biblical allusions. So, Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) is positioned as a new Christ. He kisses Tyrell, his â€Å"creator†, and then brutally kills him, referring us to the kiss of Judas (it is noteworthy that Tyrell, like Victor Frankenstein, dies at the hands of his own â€Å"monster†). And the scene where Roy pierces his hand with a nail just to keep life for a few minutes is a direct reference to the sufferings of Christ. So, Roy Batty is both Judas and the Lord. He is the overman obsessed with the search for life. At the end of the movie he is unwilling to kill Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), although he has

Constructivism Analysis of Chinas Rise

Constructivism Analysis of Chinas Rise China has been rising rapidly since the implication of reform and open-door policy in 1978. During the thirty years, China became the second largest economic power with $8.3 trillion GDP and growth rate of 7.8% in 2013. The income per capital is 6000$. On the political side, China has been taking actions on reform domestically and taking part in the international activities. Military, cultural as well as technology have been developed. Most important of this fact is that China consistently adopting the peaceful rise strategy which seeks a new regional structure of mutual trust, cooperation and mutual beneficial. This essay will explain Chinas rise process in Constructivism approach. Realism, liberalism and Constructivism are the three important theories of international relations. Under Realism, there is a game of super power states to survive. The rise of China is reasonable seen as a threat regarding its growing political, economic and military capabilities. Neighbour states should be cautious about the unsatisfied China (à §Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ) to transform the regional system. Liberalism argues that the increase of economic interdependence will increase of economic interdependence will decrease the likelihood of political conflicts (21111). Due to the high opportunity cost, violence could be avoided to maintain each countrys material interests. These two theories focus on visible facts in the international relations; while there is invisible factors should be highlighted. Social Constructivism is an important approach in explain international relation with a starting point of human behaviour and unconsciously follows cultural and historical norms; meanwhile, compared with other materialistic theories who regard countries are unitary actors to maximise their power, constructivists see countries as social actors that may follow both material power comparison and international rules.(32) Wendt thinks that the international structure would influences both national behaviour and identity, interest. Two important spheres should be highlighted in the ongoing international structures-the national identity and structural change for a certain region.(à ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° National Identity of China In the international society (rather than international system (b1,193)), national identity is an important role for the regional security,(45) Wdent, one of the most prominent constructivists, defines identity is a property of international actors that generates motivational and behavioural dispositions'(wdent 1999,224 cited in36) and is a relatively stable, role-specific understandings and expectations about self(Wdent,1999,21 cited in 36). National identity is crucial in the international relations that matters foreign policy making as well as the interaction between Self and Other. (b1, 197) Under the constructivism view, East Asia is a society of states with various national images among which China is quite unique since it has been à ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ µÃ‚ ° in so called Chinese Model for about forty years. A better understanding of Chinas national identity is based on the application of Wendts four identities categories (b2,224-233). First, corporate identity of China argues the essential properties that rarely changes. Domestically, no matter which kind of political regime is applied, government policies are deeply influenced by thousands-year Confucian morality which values harmony and prosperity(Culture Revolution from 1966 to 1976 is an exception and an extreme case in very special situation). The huge population of 1.3 billion from 56 ethnic groups and large geographic territory helps China to achieve a successful domestic market but regard domestic stability of first importance. Second, type identity is corresponding to regime type which reflects self-organising and social quality(b2,226). Stated in 1982 Constitution, http://english.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html The Peoples Republic of Chinais a socialist state under the peoples democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. Even though the word democratic is always ignored by foreign scholars, the tight central control does not mean an arbitrary all the time, nor does it possible in the globalising process. Marxism with Chinese characters is the main doctrine (47), as a result, the so called arbitrary governance is actually a Chinese style governance based on social reality rather than the compelling aspiration from a single party, it is the lesson learned from massive history from 1959 to 1976. On economic aspect, China now is applying a two-track system of socialist plus market economy with Chinese characteristicsà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ once again), which has led to huge achievements in last two decades. Chinese develop process has constructed the Beijing Consensus that draws many attention from the world. Third, the following two national identity categoriesroleà ¨Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ³Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ…’à §Ã‚ §Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦-†¡Ãƒ ¥Ã…’- and collective identity are more important in this article because they are closely related to interactions with foreign countries and contribute to structural change in a long-term. Chinas rise is a continuing process, so collective identity would be discussed in the next section. Wendt (b2,227-228) argues that role identity cannot realised by oneself, but carry Others around with us in our heads. In the international society, role identity is based on the degree of interdependence†¦of Self and Others. Corresponding to the rising China, is the increasing cultural, political and economic interactions with East Asia countries. This raises the question to many countries that whether China is a status quo power. Though status quo and revisionist power are two concepts under realisms power transition theory, they are vital in constructivism by showing that how would neighbour countries identify China and to interpret their further foreign policies in the region. For this question, Chinese foreign policies such as neighbour friendly and peace-loving would make sense if there is a positive answer. However, China Threat idea, which indicates an unsatisfied and revisionist China, is also widespread and seems quite convinced. Numbers of literatures have been discussing about the problem and Johnston(49) summarised that China for now is generally a status quo power while seeking a more favourable international system in a moderate method, a revisionist situation would occur when territory dis pute and Taiwan dilemma are heavily intensified. Back to the theme of the article, a status quo power is more aligned with Chinas peace rise strategy. Wendt also find the constructive approach to describe the undergoing situation of China in East Asia. He(1999) promotes three kinds culturesHobbesian culture, Lockean culture, Kantian Culture with dominant roles of enemy, rival, and friend respectively to illustrate the tendency of an anarchic system. Since Hobbesian is naturally related to the realism theory of a hard world (b2,259) and the high level coherence in Kantian culture (there is no need for any discussion if China and other East Asian countries are already morally good friends), Kantian Culture is applicable in East Asia, furthermore, Wendt himself also agree the status quo is implicit in such culture(279). It is a shared idea for every East Asian country recognise others sovereignty, life and liberty(279),even for small countries like those ASEAN members, sovereignty and rights are recognised by others, however, there is no guarantee in East Asia that violence will disappear, especially concerning the territory disputes between China-Japan on Diaoyu Island and South China Sea Dispute. Rivalry also admits the uncertainty of Others but denied the realist approach to prepare for the worst because they are not enemies. The reactions of China and neighbour countries just reflect Wendts policy implication of Lockean culture. The avoidance of hot conflict with Japan and dispute suspend, development policy with ASEAN members are examples for behave in a status quo toward each others sovereignty and High-risk aversion(282). On the other hand, military power is still important, this is could be seen from Chinas deep-blue navy development and more frequent Japan, Philippines joint military exercise with the United States since 2010. As Wendt notes, rivals limit rather than delete violence. Projecting Chinas new identity and Changing East Asians Structure The section above has defined China as a big developing power with unique Chinese characteristics and a status quo country in the region. This kind of image would more or less provide confidence for East Asians future, as Wendt argues, even though it is too difficult to reach Kantian Culture, the situation will not go backward. In fact, China and its East Asian neighbours do put effort for a better regional system. To be specific, the constructivism task is to à §Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚  identity gap(45à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬42à ¦Ã‚ ³Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã…  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° and then promote a collective identity. à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  Shared knowledge, material resources and practices are the three components of a social structure (34), this norm reflects the society is composed of both objective and subjective knowledge and more importantly, it is a dynamic process of change. Mearsheimer gave one site on the change logic how social structure effect actions by constituting actors with certain identities and interests and Wendt add another site of interaction and reproduction of structures. Wendt thinks that there is much slack in the international structure which encourages policymakers work toward peaceful change. To sum up, Identity and structural change is a matter of micro and macro level. New identity of one country would cause the collective identity change in that region, usually by way of foreign policy and interaction. This kind of common in-group identity and we-feeling would ultimately create a new regional structure. China has been projecting a new national identity since the came out of reform and open-up grand policy in 1978 when jieji douzheng à ©Ã‹Å" ¶Ãƒ §Ã‚ ºÃ‚ §Ãƒ ¦Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ° is replaced by à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã… ¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å" ¯ and development, it is corresponding to the national political and economic development. In general ,more actions are made from the 1990s when Overseas Propaganda Department under the Party Central Committee and a new Information Office under the State Council were established, there are many white papers with subjects of human rights, environment protection published, for example 1992 Tibet — Its Ownership and Human Rights Situation, 1996 Environmental Protection in China and 1999 National Minorities Policy and Its Practice in China.(40) The change from avoidance or ignoring such issues to engagement indicates that China is beginning to think about the soft power development. Cultural and media communication event is another method to promote Chinese new image and the hiring of a American firm in the 2008 Olympic Game is a case in this point. A research by Hongying Wang(à ¤Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ »Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã…“à ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °shows that China’s self-conception in international affairs consist with These four national images — a peace-loving nation, victim of foreign aggression, anti-hegemonic force and developing country. Though there is still difference from others perception, this project does makes China à ©Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ©Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ in foreign affairs.(40) Good neighbour policy(41) is the core theme for East Asia. In the 1950s, though Chairman Mao had adopted leaning to one side as grand foreign policy, Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was proposed as the main doctrine in Asian affairs especial with third world countries. During the 1990s to 2010s, the main period of Chinas rise, China adopted Deng Xiaopingsâ€Å"Tao guang yang hui, you suo zuo wei † to active defence of China’s interests†¦ and not try to be either a hegemon or challenger to one as well as to be a participant or co-builder that contribute to the construction of a New International Order.(41) After established the diplomatic relations with neighbour countries like Indonesian, Singapore and South Korea, China gradually find the importance on multilateral means for the common interests. From the late 1990s, China has been promoting the democratisation of international relations in the New international Order. Accord with Wendts emphasise of verba l communication, terms like shelve difference, common grounds, peaceful, multi-polar are frequently seen from Chinese foreign policy papers. Apart from foreign policies, China has been passion about participating in regional activities. For Southeast Asia, China formalised its interaction with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1991, and became a regular dialogue partner in 1996 which led to ASEAN plus Three (Japan, India and China) and ASEAN plus China. Joining in China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and ASEAN Regional Forum reflects increasing economic and political interaction. For Northeast, efforts put on both bilateral relationship with Japan and South Korea, as well multilateral relations on whole region, the Six-Party Talks and the â€Å"Track II† Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) strengthen its involvement in Northeast Asian affairs(41). The effort and interaction would significantly influence the future of East Asia. Besides the huge economic gains and the general peaceful environment, on the constructivism aspect, the interactions would cause a collective identity of We in East Asia that has more confidence in dealing regional affairs peacefully. Countries are more interdependent which could be seen from the data and interaction facts above. Chinas engagement in East Asia would also create the common fate with its neighbours because it is impossible for China to escape from any international events, especially the for non-traditional security problems. Nevertheless, there is also fear of exploitation, just as skeptics judging Chinas peaceful rise is buying time, however, in the long term, the worry can be overcomed since the gain is reduced compared with a high level of interdependence and states has already internalised the collective identity at that time. (b2,349). In order to be more accepted by neighbour countries during communication, China has been working on eliminating the regime differences in proper areas. Under the principle of 1982 Constitution (socialist country led by Chinese Communist Party) and general domestic stability, more authority is distributed to local units as well as marketised several areas of economy aligned with the international market. These efforts are building the homogeneity or alikeness to other countries that China is, the same as any else, a developing country needs a peaceful environment. Homogeneity would have à ¦Ã‹Å" ¾Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ-à ¥Ã…“ ° effect on military development which decrease the uncertainty for Chinas bullying action (even though China will never do that). The trend of a Kantian Culture in East Asia also benefits for everyone, to say that if the cooperation now is coloured with much material interests in Realism, but would change in a long period. The impact of structure on the agent could be seen from the ASEAN involvement of China in the very early stage. (32) When China became the candidate of regional hegemony, ASEAN posed a wide range of diplomatic initiatives contrary to realist way to intensify the dilemma that welcome China as a friend. Even though met many difficulties in the multilateral approach, significant achievement is undeniable. The structure change in East Asia is not as simple as we thought and we should consider the following points. First, the historical stereotype. For a big power, national identity à §Ã‚ ´Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¯Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ³Ã‚ » with its historical legacy.(45) Wendt (34) also notes history matters. It is quite hard to breakdown old identity and emerge new identity (b2,228) and (38) agrees it is a long-term proposal. In modern political society, the socialism China spent about forty years establish a national identity of exclusive (especially towards capitalism countries), assertiveness (both inside and outside). This situation began with Maos leaning to one side to Soviet Union in the early Cold War and à ©Ã‚ «Ã‹Å"à ¥Ã‚ ³Ã‚ ° in the Culture Revolution. After reform and open-up, China has been confronting with double difficulties of China Threat view in west world as well as breaking the former identity. These encourage China be intelligent in its friendly foreign policy but enhance its material power simultaneously. Second, regime differences. China as the biggest socialist country in the world, its political and economic regime is till mysterious to many countries. Though China tight center control is gradually understood and accepted based on Chinas achievements, so called none-democratic society is usually accused meeting sensitive cases, which makes it the biggest barrier for a homogeneity. On the contrary, Japan went through a better situation for its political revolution in the U.S. occupied period (45). However, this does not deny Japans other efforts of unmilitarisation, international assistance, etc. A westernised democratic regime helped it accepted easily psychologically. Based on the content above, China should keep on its process of reform domestically and externally. Peaceful rise is the only way in so that new national identity could be internalised to every countries and a co-existence East Asia is built. Conclusion The understanding of Chinas rise is a combination of realism, liberalism and constructivism. In the 2008 financial crisis, Chinas soon recovery makes it stronger economic power and the assistance for neighbour countries also contribute to a country of responsibility and kindness. Constructivism also helps explained why East Asia is generally peaceful with numbers of disputes. Apart from the economic lose in liberalism view; the shared norm of mutual trust and peace-loving plays an important role. Chinas peaceful rise strategy is the achievement made by both China itself and other countries in the region. Their transforming attitude toward China form hostility to acceptance is a core condition for Chinas proactive engagement. Finally, in the East Asian society, the entire process of Chinas rise is a Spiral Model (b1,198) that countries generate norms in the increasing interaction, and new norms and identities would result in a new regional structure that encourage the formation of interdependence, common fate and homogeneity. Even though there are obstacles, East Asian countries are à ¥Ã…  Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã…  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ towards it.

Market Structure Essay -- essays research papers

Market structure is defined as the particular environment of a firm, the characteristics of which influence the firm’s pricing and output decisions. There are four theories of market structure. These theories are:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pure competition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monopolistic competition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oligopoly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monopoly Each of these theories produce some type of consumer behavior if the firm raises the price or if it reduces the price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theory of pure competition is a theory that is built on four assumptions: (1.)There are many sellers and many buyers, none of which is large in relation to total sales or purchases. (2.) Each firm produces and sells a homogeneous product. (3.) Buyers and sellers have all relevant information about prices, product quality, sources of supply, and so forth. (4.) Firms have easy entry and exit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A pure competitive firm is a price taker. A price taker is a seller that does not have the ability to control the price of the product it sells; it takes the pri...

A healthy and safe home based environment Essay

It is my responsibility as a professional childminder to do everything possible to keep all children safe at all times and prevent accidents, to do so: †¢I will ensure I keep appropriate supervision of children at all times. †¢I have in place a thorough risk assessment which I enforce and revise regularly. †¢I use only equipment with children that is age appropriate and in safe working order and complies with national safety standards. †¢I keep my home clean and organised and dispose of waste appropriately. †¢I do not keep pets. †¢Medicines and other hazardous materials are locked away out of reach of children. †¢In the event of an accident, illness or emergency I will follow my policy and procedures to ensure it is dealt with in an effective way. There are different levels of supervision depending on the age, ability of the child, the task/activity they are taking part in and the environment they are doing it in, for example a toddler exploring the garden and learning to walk will need much more hands on supervision than an eight year old sitting quietly with a colouring book. The three Levels are: †¢Constant supervision means watching a child at all times, probably close by, maybe helping a baby to stand or a toddler to climb up a slide. †¢Close supervision is when you are watching the child without being involved in what they are doing, however you are ready to step in and help when necessary, maybe if a toddler is eating a snack or playing at the playground. †¢General supervision is always being aware what the child is doing and checking on them at regular intervals, maybe when an older child is doing their homework or watching TV after school. When out and about with children it is really important to follow road safety rules. Babies and toddlers are safely strapped into a buggy but older children must walk sensibly beside me while we walk along a busy road or cross over, holding hands depending on their age and understanding. When in quieter safer surrounding I expect the children to always listen to my instructions and Never go out of sight. I will always have written permission from parents  before taking them out and I will always let parents know where we plan to go. I only have toys and children’s equipment with a recognised safety symbol on them, such as the Kite Mark, the CE Mark or the Lion Mark. I check all equipment for hazards regularly to make sure they are not damaged or broken. All toys and equipment are used only with children of an appropriate age. Children are supervised at all times and are shown how to use toys safely. Current guidance on health and safety and risk assessment of the home based work setting is available from RoSPA (Royal Society for the prevention of Accidents) website at www.rospa.com where you can find a whole section on home safety including specific advice on preventing accidents among children. The Health and Safety Executive website www.hse.gov.uk contains general guidance about health and safety and risk assessment but is less specific to childcare. There is lots of support available for childminders. There are childminding networks all over the country are rich sources of information and support. If you are a member of PACEY, they will be a source of guidance and support. You could read through the Welfare requirements of EYFS or find information in your local library.

Virtual War essays

Virtual War essays Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski, who lives in Salt Lake City, was copyright February 1999. It is a book of the science fiction genre. It is based in the future around 2053. By now the earths population is only around 2 million because of disease, chemical and nuclear war-fare have made much of the planet unsuitable for living. Now citys people live in huge bubbles for ozone and toxin protection. They no longer fight wars. There are too few people. They instead wage virtual wars where a team of three of their finest fight for them. (They are now fighting for an island that has recently became safe for The main character, Corgan is a boy. He is only 14 years old and has lived in a aerogel box for all his life. The world he knows is all holographic. He was genetically made for one purpose, the virtual war. Corgan has acquired the traits of Loyalty, Honorability, and Trustworthiness from the box. He has genetically superior traits of coordination and quickness. He is to be the team leader. He does not know much of the outside world, except for what Mendor Corgans box provided him with everything he needed. A program was written to act as a mother and father to him, called the Mendor. It mended back and forth as parents depending on the situation. His team was of great excellence. The two chosen to be on his team are much different than he, however their roots are very similar. Sharla, he finds out, is to be his code breaker. She was from the same batch of babies as he was. She had golden blonde hair, and blue eyes. Corgan felt embarrassed but he liked her. She was unruly however, and escaped from her box many times as a result of being a code breaker. She was experienced and knew of the outside world first hand. She did not care for nobility and Honor like Corgan, she just ...

A Decade of Uneasy Peace essays

A Decade of Uneasy Peace essays World War II was the worst war that was fought in the 20th Century, and perhaps the worst war in the history of man. The loss of lives in World War II was a staggering 50-60 million dead (Mitchner, Tuffs Global Forces of the 20th Century 130). World War II also ushered in the era of nuclear weapons. How did this war come about, and could it have been prevented? War was inevitable in 1939 due to the resentment of the German people towards the Versailles Treaty, poverty resulting from the great depression, the policy of appeasement, and Axis aggression in the 1930s. The Treaty of Versailles was the major treaty ending military actions against Germany in World War I. The treaty was signed at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, on June 28, 1919, and went into effect on January 10, 1920, following ratification by Germany and four of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan (Mitchner, Tuffs Global Forces of the 20th Century 22). It was not ratified by the United States, which made a separate treaty of peace with Germany in 1921 incorporating much of the Treaty of Versailles by reference (Mitchner, Tuffs Global Forces of the 20th Century 42). The lesser Allied powers, except China, were also parties. Separate treaties of peace were made with Germanys allied, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey (Mitchner, Tuffs Global Forces of the 20th Century 30). Instead of creating peace however, the Treaty of Versailles caused frustration and hatred (Elson 29). France felt that victory was not achieved, and deci ded to create more military alliances to seal off Germany. Italy felt cheated, because the spoils of war promised to her when Italy left the Triple Alliance to joined the Triple Entente in 1915 was not received. Germany felt the most betrayed, as all the wrongs in the war was pinned on her. This frustration would eventually lead to the popular support of Hitler (Elson 31). One of the poin...

Chapter 1 2 3 4 and 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 1 2 3 4 and 5 - Assignment Example ted increasing and this brought about their freedom and the beginning of the end of the marginalization status and also beginning of equality between men and women (Chafe, 2009). The end of civil war had ended slave trade and the African- American wanted to establish themselves fully in America as an independent group. This period therefore saw them starting their own churches and moving from the Christianity worshipped by most white people. Churches like the Methodist Episcopal were established for the African –America population as they moved away from the Presbyterian Church and others. This period wanted to seek order in different areas and especially concerning relationship between women and men, whites and the blacks and the poor and those who were rich. Order was required because there was widespread discrimination among these groups of people and it brought about chaos among them. With the freedom from slavery and the establishment of industries, African-American started interacting more freely with the whites and hence ending their chaos and differences. Women started working in cotton factories and farms with the establishment of industries and hence secured their independence and ended marginalization from the men. Those considered poor in the society also got work in the industries and unions started advocating for their rights in terms of increase in wages and good working conditions and this ended the chaos with the rich who owned the industries (Chafe, 2009). The concept of â€Å"the system† was an economic plan that was formulated by several leaders of congress that was meant to protect the American population and especially the entrepreneurs and other business people from economic loss. It also contained parts about rebuilding the country’s transportation system that was not that well organized before the industrial revolution and after the civil war. Goods from Europe were cheaper than those produced by industries in America and â€Å"the

Equal pay and work rights Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Equal pay and work rights - Research Proposal Example The questionnaire will also ask employees if they feel they are underpaid, overpaid or well paid. It will also ask employees how they feel about the different salaries different employees are paid within the different pay grades. These questions are important because the company will be able to make changes that will ensure that employees work with devotion. The research will also shield the company from legal suits. These are suits that may arise from employees or workers unions as a result of working conditions like sexual abuse. The research will use descriptive research design. This is because questions to be used will be in a yes or no basis (Salkind 189). Only few questions will need a short explanation. The research will use questionnaires to sample data (Cochran 26). The research is expected to determine if the rights of the employees of Green Technologies are upheld and respected. It will also help determine if the pay rates in the company are acceptable. Depending on the findings it will give recommendations to the human resource manager of Green