Sunday, January 26, 2020

Essay on Terrorist Groups in the Middle East

Essay on Terrorist Groups in the Middle East A Terrorist or a Soldier? A Deeper look at â€Å"Terrorist† Groups in The Middle East Decorated with ribbons and medals a returning soldier is widely appreciated for their efforts endured during battle, they are named a survivor, even a hero. They are given a parade and honored for crushing the skulls of those ruining world peace in the Middle East. These soldiers have earned this celebration, right? After all, they have just returned from the land of barbaric savages and those living with the backwards mentality of devoting their entire lives to religion. A mentality that has caused the United States (a nation nondiscriminatory toward race, gender and surely religion) to take initiative in the Middle East (a region controlled by governments that have not fully advanced past religion). Unfortunately, this initiative has devastated many Arab countries, especially Iraq and Syria, and out of the ruble different terrorist groups developed, each with different missions. Terrorist groups in the Middle East can be traced as far back as 1948, when the United Nations decided I srael would replace a country previously known as Palestine (Bowen). Even today woman, like Ayat al-Akhras, are fleeing the West and heading to the Middle Eastern â€Å"wasteland† in order to become â€Å"terrorists† and aid the Palestinian state in its efforts to survive (Giovanni). But should the people who are involved in groups fighting for the freedom of a nation be considered equally as dangerous as the vicious brutes slaughtering those who do not support their views? Nonetheless, almost all terrorist groups have exploited a haven found in social media today, a haven that has abetted the recruitment effort of several radical organizations. Heavily empowered by social media, terrorists and quasi-terrorists prey on unsuspecting potential candidates; candidates who can be recruited for motives linked to religion, war and cultural connections. While here in The United States a typical morning consists of a tasty bowl of cereal and a television screen tuned in to the broadcast of a vehement battle going on between the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers; in Palestine a normal morning scene consists of the lament of a young teenage boys mother who has just seen her sons body and ligaments torn apart into pieces by a destructive Israeli machine gun and his remnants dismembered by a tank. The Palestinian Israeli Conflict has been raging on ever since the United Nations partition plan after World War II was put into action (Emadi). Unfortunately, the plan failed when the first Jewish settlers to step foot in Palestine razed the populations homes and forced families to reconcile somewhere else, today Palestinians only comprise about twenty percent of the Israeli population (Emadi). The creation of Israel caused the displacement of Palestinians; too weak to fight a war with the incoming settlers, the Palestinians involuntarily started a journey to somewhere distant from home, but similar to their Jewish oppressor’s history, they had nowhere to go. Forced to move on, Palestinians traveled to countries like Jordan and Egypt in search of shelter, which in turn stimulated the conflict from a Palestinian one to a Middle Eastern one. â€Å"TheIsraeli-Palestinianconflictis actually a hyper conflict influenced by local, regional, and global factors. It is no accident that the main accords producing temporary stability have been reached in periods of relative calm for the whole Middle East† (Casertano). The Palestinian conflict is in reality a Middle Eastern conflict, while the gruesome war is fought on the grounds of Jerusalem, Palestine, the soldiers are equipped and assembled in Sinai, Egypt and trained by the most elite sergeants in the Jordanian Army and Syrian Navy. This can be seen through the hiatus of fighting between Palestinians and Israelis during periods of stability in The Middle East; For example, in 1978, Egypt and Israel were able to reach the Camp David agreements after oil prices had been steadily falling in the region; the drop in prices helped reduce the aggressiveness of the countries in that region which in turn allowed two enemies to settle their argument (Casertano). â€Å"Later, the Oslo Accords were reached in the mid-1990s, at a time when Russia a disruptive player in the Middle East before and since had no political, military, or financial means to disrupt or influence the outcome† (Casertano). While The Palestinian Conflict effects the entire Middle East, Palestine is the only area of the conflict in which lives are threatened on a daily basis. For Palestinians, the fight for survival is the fight for freedom. To them the war has been going on for sixty seven years and they must continue to fight on. Adult males, children and even females all join the fight against the oppressing Israelis through any means possible. Adult Males try to attack Israeli soldiers using anything from Ak-47’s to rocks and glass bottles; females on the other hand find themselves in varying roles. In Palestine, females join Hamas and serve in a plethora of jobs, jobs that range from nursing and helping the wounded, to holding a weapon and attacking the nemesis. And then there are the females who discover that the only way to freedom is through perversity like Ayat al-Akhras who â€Å"Pushed a button on the belt strapped to her and detonated an explosive device in a crowded supermarket in Kiryat HaYovel, Jerusalem† (Giovanni). For Syria, Palestine’s close neighbors, females recruited by Al-Nusra, â€Å"a branch of Al-Qaeda creat ed in January 2012 that operates in Syria and Lebanon. Which has also been cited as the most aggressive and successful of the Syrian rebel groups† serve in deadly roles, transporting bombs across the border and fighting on the frontlines (Giovanni). On the other hand, Israelis believe that the war is over but several conflicts with Palestinian terrorist’s spring up on occasion and Israel has a right to put those conflicts down violently. Unfortunately Israel’s fighting morale is quite inhumane, they are known for hunting Palestinians in similar ways wild animals are hunted, slaughtering thousands of children in years past. A year ago in a recent conflict with Palestine, Israel was credited with â€Å"According to UNICEF, the murder of 59 Palestinian children — 43 boys and 16 girls —in the first nine days of the conflict, before the Israeli ground assault began. Most were under the age of 12.† (â€Å"Israeli and Palestinian†). While Isr aelis view Palestinians as terrorists, Palestinians view Israelis as Nazi like murderers. The Palestinian conflict has been going on for decades; and the Arab Spring has just added to the chaos by serving as a catalyst for terrorist groups, in countries like Syria and Iran, to gain more control and aid the Palestinian effort. The Israeli state deserves to exist, but viewing a group like Hamas, fighting for the survival of its torn nation, as a deadly terrorist organization is at the least contradictory considering that Americans live in a country amassed through a revolution. While groups like Hamas should be viewed with a little more sympathy, groups like ISIS should be viewed with more animosity and revulsion. Islam is similar to Christianity in a way; both have factions in which religion is interpreted differently and whether that difference be a mild or extreme one, the factions identify themselves as separate sectors of the religion. Comparable to the Protestant/Catholic conflict during the times of the Holy Roman Empire, the Sunni/Shiite conflict today remains at intense levels in the Iraqi homeland. Sunnis have always been at odds with Shiites; but nowhere have they pugnaciously acted out against each other like they have in Iraq. This violent relationship has caused the creation of groups like the Islamic State or ISIS. However, ISIS did not find its ignition in Iraq, rather it found its true base formed in the revolutionary sands of Syria. While George Bush was signing the agreement that ended the American Iraqi War, ISIS was moving out of Iraq and into Syria. Joining the Syrians in their fight against the government of President Bashar Assad, ISIS gained a stronghold in that area a fter losing the stronghold they had in Iraq to the American troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom (â€Å"Who’s To Blame†). The group made a profit, detained armor and weaponry, recruited followers and â€Å"became battle-trained and hardened† through its fight against Assad (â€Å"Who’s To Blame†). Quickly, this weak organization created an arduous force and refurbished from a group known as Al Qaeda in Iraq, to a terrorist organization feared and known as ISIS. â€Å"What began as a small group of individuals with a relatively common extremist ideology has grown to become one of the largest and most barbaric terrorist organizations in the world† (O’Briain). Today, Most Americans know about ISIS because of its intelligent advertising techniques. ISIS has managed to recruit talented individuals who were able to transform the media and technology fields to a whole new level; attracting more recruits and producing an outburst that has caused television to unintentionally promote the terrorist organization. The interesting thing about ISIS is the way it runs its â€Å"government†. They have taken away the Iraqi populations original government issued ID card and assigned them a new ISIS ID card to replace it (Cambanis and Collard). Furthermore, ISIS has redrawn the Middle Eastern border and legitimately created an ISIS nation. Unfortunately, for them, no other country in the world recognizes this border; but at the rate ISIS is developing today, the world might have to recognize the Islamic state’s redrawn border shortly. â€Å"ISIS looks much more like a functioning government than any of its detractors ever thought it would: it is pumping oil, policing streets, collecting taxes, [and] even planning to issue its own currency† (Cambanis and Collard). Although the Islamic State has assembled an organized and sophisticated ruling system, the way it has structured its judicial court and laws are on the complete opposite spectrum of civilization. The Islamic State runs an extremely strict code of law based on a faulty interpretation of The Quran, the Muslim holy book, and has caused great distress to those living within the makeshift border. Some of the laws that govern these tormented people include the beheading of anyone who speaks out against the state, the amputation of a convicted thief’s arm, and the poking of one’s eye out who is caught staring at an appealing lady passing by (Cambanis and Collard). Most of the Islamic states punishments are videotaped and released to the public as propaganda advertising ISIS. The Islamic state has so much money and so many ways of seizing wealth t hat it seems their mission has changed from an Islamic one to a monetary one; or maybe their mission was never religious to begin with? Whether the Islamic state was truly established to spread Islam or not, thousands of people have flocked to Iraq and the Middle East in hopes of joining ISIS and other terrorist groups that have reached out to them through social media. Social media plays a colossal role in people’s lives. Teenagers, adults and even children all check-in to the web on a daily basis. This has created a network in which a large number of people can easily be reached; terrorist groups have come in touch with thousands of individuals, and have successfully recruited an abundance of people, by persuading them to travel all the way to the Middle East in order to dedicate their lives to these organizations. On several occasions individuals have even trekked all the way from Europe and North America to join the Islamic state in the Middle East. But why do these individuals go through all that trouble to live the rest of their doomed lives in a third world nation? Michael Zehaf-Bibeau is the man who independently attacked both the War Memorial and Canadian Parliament last October (Friscolanti and Patriquin). During the attack, Zehaf was able to murder Cpl. Nathan Cirillo using his illegaly obtained rifle (Friscolanti and Patriquin). His reason for the attack? Islam. Zehaf was a drug addict who on several occasions was imprisoned due to robbery, drug abuse and house parties. His parents were rarely home and he often found himself alone in the house. All the nights Zehaf spent home alone, he spent wasting time online. He was quickly lured in to believing the Islamic state was his port of call after endless hours of viewing ISIS on the news and chatting with people online. To him, the media was encouraging his venture to Syria by advertising the horrific acts ISIS was committing, he stated that â€Å"the Islamic States mass murder of non-Muslims is justified because the targets supported America† (Friscolanti and Patriquin). Zehaf was arre sted trying to flee to Syria using an illegal passport; after his arrest, Zehaf expressed that the Iraqi and Afghani wars America had been involved in were sufficient justifications for his attacks in Canada. Zehaf’s hatred for America had driven him to insane measures. On 4 October 2014, nineteen-year-old Mohammed Hamzah Khan and his two younger siblings were arrested for attempting to travel to Turkey in an effort to join ISIS (Reitman). The siblings grew up in a Chicago suburb and were heavily influenced by the local mosque that preached the doctrine â€Å"An Islamic State has been established, and it is thus obligatory upon every able-bodied male and female to migrate† (Reitman). Khan was able to plan his entire journey online; he was even able to find an Islamic state recruiter who walked him through the entire procedure. The recruiter was kind enough to give Khan his phone number and assured Khan that he would be there to greet him at the airport when he arrived (Reitman). Khan was delighted, as far as he knew, he was about to join a religious Islamic society, a utopia he was honored to be a part of. After his arrest, Khan was questioned about his motives. His answer: â€Å"I wanted to help the Muslims. I never intended to return to th e U.S.† (Reitman). Somalia. That was the motive for Abdirahmaan Muhumed’s overseas attempt to join ISIS. But unlike Zehaf and Khan, Muhumed was successful. All the way from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Muhumed was not an unusual case of extremism. Minneapolis contains an enormous Somalian population; a population notorious for its sturdy cultural and traditional ties. However, Minneapolis’ Somalian population has seen several cases of radicalism, most that can be traced back to the local Mosque in the area; a Mosque said to preach an extreme form of Islam (Tuttle). Through his local Mosque, Muhumed was able to take home what he learned and express it to other people on the internet through online chatrooms. After his engagement in numerous online chatrooms, Muhumed was extremely motivated to join the fight in Syria and excited to travel and support his Somalian brothers. In August, Muhumed became the second American to die fighting for ISIS (Tuttle). The dread filled stories go on and on. Every minute of every day there is a vulnerable adult or teenager online prepared to do anything in order to be a part of something and feel important. The Islamic state, Al-Nussra, Al Shabbab, and plenty of other terrorist groups in the Middle East have exploited this sensation; most groups have even situated online recruiters to track down potential employees and persuade these employees to come join the organizations in Iraq and Syria. Muhumed, the Khan Siblings, and Zehaf were all targeted and recruited. The organizations found the men’s weaknesses and attacked. They were all recruited for different beliefs; some thought the war in Iraq was a justification for joining, while others thought their religion and culture meant they had to join the terroristic effort. But all of these men had one thing in common, they were all innocent online recruits. Confetti rains down New York City’s streets. The parade is at full capacity and an American soldier is seen with a smile across their face. They are credited with the take-down of three terrorists, and the applause never halts. Now, back to the question that initiated this paper, does this soldier deserve the recognition? Terrorism has taken a variety of definitions. But a Palestinian fighting for the freedom of their nation and their people should not fall under the definition of â€Å"terrorist†. However, an Islamic state government official amputating people’s arms off should be viewed not only as a perilous radical but as a menace to peace anywhere in the world. War, religion, and culture are some of the main reasons that extremists have emerged. Most arrested terrorists either claim that the Iraqi and Afghani wars justify their quest with ISIS, or that Islam and ties to their culture encourage them to join the Islamic states â€Å"flawless† society. R egardless of their reason, most people are recruited through social media. A phenomenon that has created an outburst in people flocking to join terrorist organizations in the Middle East. These organizations have turned an initially unstable precinct of the world into a terrorist wasteland capable of mass murder and genocide. Works Cited Bowen, Jeremy. Until The Next War. (Cover Story).New Statesman144.5253 (2015): 24-31.MasterFILE Elite. Web. 6 May 2015. Cambanis, Thanassis, and Rebecca Collard. How ISIS Runs a City. Time. Time, 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 11 May 2015. Casertano, Stefano. Broken Peaces.World Affairs177.5 (2015): 69-74.MasterFILE Elite. Web. 7 May 2015. Emadi, Hafizullah. The Palestinian Struggle for an Independent State: Retrospect and Prospects.Contemporary Review294.1705 (2012): 159-168.MasterFILE Elite. Web. 7 May 2015. Friscolanti, Michael, and Martin Patriquin. Uncovering a Killer. Macleans 127.44 (2014): 36-42. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 May 2015. Giovanni, Janine di. A Jihad of Her Own.Newsweek Global162.10 (2014): 62-68. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 May 2015. Israeli And Palestinian Kids Caught In The Crossfire. Newsweek Global 163.5 (2014): 1-5. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 10 May 2015. OBriain, Cathal. ISILs Outward Expression of Internal Conflict.USA Today Magazine 143.2836 (2015): 56-58.MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 May 2015. Reitman, Janet. The Children of Isis. (Cover Story). Rolling Stone 1232 (2015): 40-65. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 May 2015. Tuttle, Ian. Twin Cities Terrorists.National Review66.20 (2014): 22-24.MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 May 2015. Whos To Blame For The Isis Crisis?Newsweek Global163.7 (2014): 47-51.MasterFILE Elite. Web. 10 May 2015.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

A long way Gone and Refugee Boy

Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone and Alem Kelo’s Refugee Boy are both exceptional books on the lives of two different people in two different countries undergoing almost similar events in life.Both of the stories portray life from the perspective of two vulnerable children caught up in circumstances that are not pleasant. However, the only difference between the two is that while Beah’s events are actual events, Alem Kelo’s are fictitious. However they both succeed in portraying the hard life of a child trying to fit in to a society that is alien to him.A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a boy soldier.Ishmael Beah, in his autobiography recounting the war years in his country, Sierra Leone, details how he became a child soldier. He says that when the war started, his mother and his father, who were from different tribe, which happened to be at war with each other, were separated. Though he does not give much detail as to how and why they separated, he records that t hey went separate ways.After the militia invaded their village, and he narrowly escaping being forcefully recruited into the militia, he realizes that there is no other way to escape the war and its only a matter of time before he either join the army or the rebel forces. So he opts to join the army citing the reason that in doing so he could atleast avenges his relatives who were killed by the rebel forces.In the army he also survived by taking ‘brown brown’, a mixture of gun powder and cocaine. This he says they were influenced to take due to the various brutal and sometimes vicious they had to do.The story is quite remarkable in that Ishmael Beah tends to remember almost all the little tiny details, which are remarkable, considered that most of the things he went through were quite early in life. For example he can vividly recount the events that marked the beginning of civil war in their village; he can remember the details like a woman carrying a bullet ridden chil d, a Volkswagen that brought the first people to be affected by the war and so on.Refugee Boy:Refugee boy is a fictional book by Benjamin Zephaniah. It tell the life of a young boy from a mixed family, the father being an Ethiopian while the mother is an Eritrean, it happens that these two countries are at war and Ethiopian army is demanding that foreigners, especially from Eritrea to leave the country.In the story, Kelo, being of mixed blood, cannot be accepted in either Ethiopia or Eritrea. The soldiers who come to compel them to leave call him â€Å"a mongrel†. So in search for safety for their son, Kelo’s father takes him to London in what to Kelo seemed like a holiday. Kilo is however rudely shocked when he realizes that the holiday was not really a holiday after he is abandon in a hotel room by his father.His predicaments are just beginning since he has to move to children’s home then to a foster home at the Fitzgeralds. In between he fights to get asylum in UK. He is tossed in the hands of social services and the Refugee Council of England.ReferencesZephaniah, B. (2004). Refugee Boy. New York: Turtleback Books.Beah, I. (2007). A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Limited.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Han Kang s The Vegetarian By Three Perspectives Of People...

After the traumatizing dream, Yeong-hye abandons her way of living and hopes to become a plant to prevent the violent dream from reoccurring. Yeong-hye has turned unfamiliar and disengaged in social activities. Han Kang’s The Vegetarian includes three perspectives of people who closely associate with Yeong-hye to provide various views of their thoughts and experiences with her. Through the narratives, Han Kang incorporated descriptions of characters with distinctive senses that appeal to reader’s emotion and consciousness. The time lapse throughout the novel and different narration emphasize Yeong-hye’s determination to become a vegetarian, which has become a serious problem that also affects people around her. Han Kang’s emphasis on†¦show more content†¦Han Kang’s use of comparison between two closely related but very different characters demonstrates society’s definition of a dutiful wife. Unable to withstand the embarrassment of h aving a wife he is not proud of, he leaves her. Han Kang used the sense of pressure to depict not only the public opinion, but also the force that drives Mr. Cheong’s actions. Being an artist who constantly searches for inspiration that can fully satisfy him, In-hye’s husband is still trying to find his path. As the second part of the novel is written in third person about the husband, readers note the extreme change of personality after he finds the right path. Initially, he wanders around hoping to find the rightful figure for his artwork. The narrator states, â€Å"But he hadn’t found what he’d been looking for. There had been nothing for him in the booming electronic music, the gaudy costumes, the showy nudity, or the overtly sexual gestures. The thing he’d been searching for was something quieter, deeper and more private.† (64). Unable to search for the right inspiration, he is restricted from doing other artworks that cannot satisfy hi m. However, after his discovering of Yeong-hye’s Mongolian mark, he finds a purpose in his life because he can finally complete his artwork. The narrator states, â€Å"He knew he had reached a point of no return. But he couldn’t stop now. No, he didn’t want to stop.† (103). After finding the right direction, he demands more to improvise his

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Child Observation - 928 Words

Child Observation I recently observed a child involved in two different types of activities, at different times of the day. The first activity was Teacher-Initiated, and the second Child-Initiated. The purpose of this observation is to compare and contrast the childs development and behavior between the two different contexts. Through observation I found that although both activities were rich in challenge and learning opportunity, the childs behavior is different, but demonstrates age appropriate development. During the Teacher-Initiated activity, the child was presented with coloring materials; different color markers, blank and valentine coloring pages. The child chose a valentine coloring paper, a purple marker†¦show more content†¦The girls each choose an animal and bring it back to the play-house. The child has a baby and a gorilla in her hand, she then pretends the gorilla kisses the baby, resulting in the baby making cooing sounds. This pretend game shows her ability to understan d reality from fantasy which is age appropriate to her cognitive development. The other skill this pretend game demonstrates is her ability to express emotion; the gorilla and baby have a caring relationship. Another way the child demonstrates emotion is by dancing her toys on the play-house; the gorilla and baby are happy to be playing in a safe environment. The child later moves on to place the baby in the crib, her classmate tried to do the same with an animal toy; however, the child responded to this action by saying ino! no es para animales, este para bebes (no! its not for animals, its for babies). This statement suggests she is thinking mathematically; she is using sorting and categorizing skills age appropriate for her cognitive development. Through play she is constantly growing in all domains of development. Throughout the observation the child demonstrates age appropriate development in all domains; social, emotional, cognitive, physical and language. The observation also led me to see the different roles the child played while participating in a Teacher-Initiated activity, and Child-Initiated activity. As the child participatedShow MoreRelatedObservation Of Child Observation1798 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Subject â€Å"Chris† is a 7 year old middle class Caucasian male. Observation is taking place in the child’s home over the course of two separate afternoons. Chris is a friendly and well spoken child who is small for his age. Chris is the youngest child in his family and both observations take place while his siblings are home. In each case one or both parents are absent. First Hour of Observation The first hour of observation takes place on a Saturday afternoon. 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Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Cliques And Its Effect On Society - 1341 Words

It has always been curious to me as to why cliques begin forming in adolescence and then become so important to us for the rest of our lives. Cliques make many parents, including myself, feel uncomfortable when thinking about our own children. This is because this word has a connotation of creating a separation between the â€Å"cool kids† and the â€Å"losers.† As a parent I would like to think that children are always kind and understanding with each other, but whether I like it or not, cliques begin forming early on and unfortunately for some, lead to feelings of being ostracized. This leads me to question what drives the formation of cliques and how early on in our lives do these driving forces begin the process. Friendships form based on the tendency to associate with individuals who we share many similarities with. Cliques begin forming as children when we choose friends who are similar to us. Friends then influence each other and result in them becoming more alike as the friendships develop over time. Studies have also shown that cliques are beginning to form earlier with the emergence of daycares and children being socialized at younger ages (NICHD, 2006). In my personal experience working in a daycare, it was evident that kids began grouping themselves based on age and genders but mutual interests would begin to form which solidified the friendships. It would make sense then that this behavior would then transfer over into elementary school and progress to become moreShow MoreRelatedThe, Freaks, And The Non Elites Essay1416 Words   |  6 Pages Geeks, Freaks, and the Rest of the Non-Elites Who are the geeks, freaks, and the non-elites? In every high school there is social stratification and social cliques. Social stratification is the division of society according to rank, class, or caste [See Figure 1.]. 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More and more adolescents are committing delinquent crimes. Delinquency can be seen as the direct result of negative affective states. Gangs are a group of youths who collectively engage in delinquent behavior. Peer groups can provide a lot of social and emotional support for anti-social activities. Peer relations, in all cultures have been linked to adolescent behavior choices including substance abuse and delinquencyRead MoreEssay on Adolescent Development in Mean Girls1402 Words   |  6 Pagesschool system. During her first week of school Cady becomes friends with two people in one of her classes named Janis and Damien, who unbeknownst to her are a part of the outcast crowd. They convince her to befriend â€Å"The Plastics† who are a well-known clique of girls, beca use it would be fun to see what their lives are like on the other side that people don’t see. She goes along with this plan and quickly her life begins to change. On the first day of school Cady enters the cafeteria during lunch andRead MoreEssay Deviance is Relative1566 Words   |  7 Pages Counter-stereotypical behavior may be viewed as acts of deviance; Phelan and Rudman defined backlash effects as â€Å"social and economic penalties for counter-stereotypical behavior† (2008). Phelan and Rudman concluded â€Å"When stereotypes are violated, people take notice.† I have seen people take notice of two men holding hands. Phelan, J. E., and Rudman, L. A. provided a few examples of the effects of deviance. A particular female puffing on a cylindrical roll of tobacco sticks out like a sore thumbRead MoreWilliam Damon Is An Educator / Researcher On Psychology And Education1597 Words   |  7 Pagesbuilt. Regardless of age cliques and crowds always develop among children and adults. A clique is a group of member that share common interests, often are of the same gender. The members of the group are often labeled or stereotyped. Cr owds are very similar to cliques, both shape the minds of children on how they should act or how they should be. Both add pressure to adolescents under peer pressure such as drinking, smoking, skipping school, or sex in order to fit it. Cliques and crowds develop as aRead MoreLet Teen Agers Try Adulthood1273 Words   |  6 Pagesto the learning they gained in school but to the harsh realities they faced once they moved into adulthood. Although Botstein highlights the various problems faced by students in high school but to effect change he needs to gain the support of the parents, in addition to wealth. The only way to effect change in the American school system is to be driven by both the student’s parents and the individuals that can influence the school board. The social issue Botstein is addressing and trying to solveRead MoreEssay about The Breakfest Club683 Words   |  3 Pagesof the characteristics and themes she has described in the article: suburban setting, vague social concerns, high school cliques, uncaring parents, characters wearing the latest fashions and top 40 soundtrack music have been proven true in The Breakfast Club. The movie has a suburban setting inside a high school, and the characters each belong to one of the high school cliques: freak, princess, bully, jock and geek. At the very beginning of the movie when the characters are introduced, each of themRead MoreThe Core Goal Of Villanova University939 Words   |  4 PagesThe core goal of Villanova University, in essence any university, is to cheaply produce critical thinkers while making money at the same time. Unfortunately for students, this process is not in their favor. In an increasingly capitalistic society, universities have gradually evolved into businesses. An example of this â€Å"corporatization of the academy† is the adjunct professor. Through no fault of their own, adjuncts have become pawns in a money making process which inevitably harms the students byRead MoreThe Cause and Effect of Joining a Gang with reference to Mara Salvatrucha 131200 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cause and Effect of Joining a Gang with reference to M ara Salvatrucha 13 According to the Cambridge Dictionary (n.d.), a gang is defined as, â€Å"a group of criminals that work together.† Gangs are a powerful force that is a constant threat against society. As of 2011, the National Gang Center (n.d.) estimates there to be 782,500 gang members in the United States alone. Mara Salvatrucha 13, also known as MS-13, is one of the biggest and most threatening gangs. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking

Monday, December 16, 2019

Major Trends in Bank Management Free Essays

The banking industry of the United States has experienced tremendous changes over the past few decades.   Regulation has had to keep up with the times, of course.   The three major changes that the banks of America have worked around in recent decades have required regulatory transformations in order to increase the profits of the banks and at the same time to make banking a more convenient facility on offer to the consumers, investors, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Major Trends in Bank Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now    Banks have merged and also ventured into the provision of nontraditional banking services to increase their revenues. An example of added convenience that the recent changes in the industry have brought about is the growing number of American banks in foreign countries.   Seeing that globalization has shifted a large number of American businesses into foreign markets as multinational corporations, the wisdom behind opening American banks in the self same foreign markets is apparent.   As a matter of fact, besides consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services, globalization is the third major trend that has faced the banking industry of the United States especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. The McFadden Act of 1927 was an enemy of the expansion of U.S. banks.   By prohibiting banks from expanding across state lines, this Act was not only a barrier to competition but was also responsible for the establishment of a huge number of small banks with little to show in terms of assets.   Thanks to the loopholes that McFadden carried along, the Act was eventually repealed, but only after the states of America began to allow their banks to branch across state lines.   It was in 1975 that the state of Maine first allowed interstate branching unto its bank holding companies.   Other states of America developed their own banking regulations to the same effect, eventually to rule out the McFadden Act, which was actually replaced by the  Congress in the year 1994 when the Riegel-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act was passed. This new legislation allowed all U.S. banks to branch across state lines.   Consequently, there were important bank mergers that reduced the number of banks in the country, but did not decrease the number of physical banks or branches sprawled across the United States.   Many of the physical banks or branches of banks remained under the supervision of the big, merged banks.   Although economists believe that the big, merged banks should be experiencing economies of scale in addition to economies of scope, there is no evidence yet to suggest that the consolidated banks of America have indeed experienced economies of scale and scope.   At the same time, it has been shown that bank mergers have the capacity to check inefficiency.   When an efficient bank takes over an inefficient bank that did not fare too well during the McFadden days; there are obvious quality improvement implications. The second major trend that the banking industry of the U.S. experienced especially in the latter half of the twentieth century was concerned with the provision of nontraditional banking services.   Given that banks are functioning for the sake of profits – anything that threatens a source of bank revenue must be replaced by a different revenue source and the changes backed by regulation.   The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was an obstruction to the revenue generating function of U.S. banks. This Act prohibited banks from venturing forth into investment markets, allowing the financial markets alone to enjoy the blessings of the large corporate loans business.   Another loss facing the banks of the nation was a new regulatory requirement introduced during the 1980s making it mandatory for banks to keep a specified minimum ratio of equity capital to total assets. Fortunately, however, during the 1960s, the banks of the United States had already  begun to publicly decry the Glass-Steagall Act, ultimately to have it repealed and replaced by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.   Subsequently, today’s banks are permitted to provide a variety of nontraditional banking services, including interest rate swaps, financial futures, and financial options; and thereby increase their revenues.   Increases in bank profits are expected to lead to quality improvements also in the traditional banking areas. In addition to the above, the banks of the U.S., especially since the last two decades of the twentieth century, have increasingly assumed the responsibilities of globalization.   The Edge Act of 1919 had granted express permission to American banks to establish their subsidiaries abroad in order to ease the functioning of international business.   Even so, there were only eight U.S. banks with foreign branches until the 1960s. Today, there are more than one hundred U.S. banks with foreign branches – all making it easy especially for American businesses in foreign countries to transact with them.   As globalization has replaced the Cold War era in a period of unprecedented integration among markets and economies, a great number of foreign banks have also opened their branches in the United States.   These foreign banks in the U.S. were by and large unregulated until the year 1978.   The International Banking Act of 1978 changed this to mandate that all foreign banks must also be regulated like the local (American) banks in the country. Even though globalization arrived full-fledged at the banking industry during the last two decades of the twentieth century, its signs had begun to appear as early as 1960s.   During that time, the Regulation Q, putting a ceiling on interest rates in the United States, had compelled a huge number of investors to move into European markets where regulations were relatively  relaxed.   Eurodollars were created when the U.S. dollars began to move out of their home country to be deposited into and borrowed from banks that were outside the country. The Eurobond market, for long-term investment, was similarly created outside the United States, albeit committed to transactions in U.S. dollars in countries where regulations were more relaxed than in the U.S.   These countries were not just in Europe, however.   The Bahamas and the Caymans, for example, played an active role in the Euromarket because of little or no regulation as well as nearly zero taxation. The most recent development in the banking industry in the area of globalization has been the permission granted by Federal Reserve for the establishment of International Banking Facilities.   Allowed since 1981, these special facilities are based in the U.S. and largely unregulated.   The only condition that these International Banking Facilities are required to meet is twofold: (1) International Banking Facilities should only deposit money that comes to them from outside the United States; and (2) They must only lend to borrowers that are based abroad.   American multinational corporations in foreign countries may also avail the services of International Banking Facilities.     This kind of departmentalization in terms of the sources and uses of funds is meant to add to the convenience of banking.   Furthermore, the creation of International Banking Facilities, plus the changes that the banking industry has experienced in terms of consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services; proffer evidence that the regulatory agencies are in fact committed to the improvement of business in general.    How to cite Major Trends in Bank Management, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Marketing Communications Plan of Woolworth Samples for Students

Question: Prepare a Marketing Communications Plan for Selected Organization. Answer: Introduction Marketing communication planning is important for marketing managers when developing marketing strategies(Hossen, 2015). The plan enables organizations to exploit opportunities, reinforce a brand, and focus on new markets. The retail market in Australia is currently characterized with intense competition and changes in business environment. Some of the big supermarkets in Australia like Jewel food stores, Welcome Mart, Sims Supermarket, and Woolworth are employing marketing strategies in order to maintain and compete in the market. One of the marketing strategies employed by the stores is developing a marketing communication plan(Westwood, 2016). This paper will focus on creating a marketing communication plan for Woolworth supermarket. Background of Woolworth supermarket Woolworth supermarket is one of the largest retail supermarkets in Australia known for supply of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat. The retail store enjoys the largest market share of about 64% with over 961 stores across the country. The service provision is depended upon 111000 employees located in different support offices, stores and distribution centers. It is reported that 96% of fresh produce from farmers is supplied to Woolworth. Recent financial report of 2016 showed increases of profits of about AUD 2.2 million across its stores. One notable statistics from the report was that 2% of the revenue originated from special orders from the countries Japan and China. Sales record of 2016 showed that the dominant product purchased in the two countries were meat produce(Vu, 2016). That has prompted the Woolworth management to rethink on the marketing strategy of the two emerging markets. Woolworth supermarket marketing objectives Woolworth development of marketing communication plan will be guided by the following objectives: To increase the market share from 64% to 74% through penetration of new markets within a period of 12 months. To develop a meat produce brand suitable for the new markets within a period of 12 months. Marketing segmentation Segmentation of the market is important when focusing to meet customer needs or wants(Blakeman, 2014). The study will review four types of market segmentation which include demographic, geographical, behavioral, and psycho-graphic segmentations. Segmentation will be done by Woolworth supermarket in order to identify the target, positioning, creative and media strategy to employ. Demographic segmentation The current business environment in Australia is characterized by an increase in the number of old citizens and different types of occupations. Market survey conducted by R D team of the retail store showed 66.7% of sales originated from customers aged between 50-75 years. Sales data showed that the company made more sales from ready to eat meat produce which was attributed to the working class. Woolworth supermarket will need to repackage the meat produce in order to meet the customer needs and wants. Geographical segmentation Woolworth supermarket customers are located in different locations including cities, states and countries. Financial records of 2016 showed that there was an increase in sales originating from new markets of China and Japan. To serve the varying needs of this customers the store will distributing and exporting meat produce to new markets. Exports will be done to new countries like China and Japan. Psycho-graphic segmentation Over the years Woolworth supermarket meat produce have been known to be of higher quality. Woolworth supermarket customer feedback report showed that majority of the country citizens is happy with company meat products because of its cultural heritage identification(Vu, 2016). The retail store will continue maintaining value by producing fresh meat produce that will be consistent with Aboriginal culture and lifestyle. Behavioral segmentation The Australian consumers have higher regards on their nutritional status(Vu, 2016). The sales data from retail store show that there are more purchases of good when the items are delivered in comparison to non-delivery days. They wish to continue consuming fresh produce from the right source. Products produced by the retail store will be served fresh as per the needs of the consumers. Target strategy Through the various markets segmentation and financial data reported for the retail store to achieve the intended objectives the target strategy it will focus on demographic and geographical segmentation. The two types of segments provide data useful to justify the intended target population. In order to capture new markets and customers strategies should focus on penetrating new markets like China and Japan, and increasing sales to the older consumers. Positioning strategy In order to position well in the new markets and be able to meet the target population needs positioning strategies of market penetration will be employed(Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., Kotler, P., 2014). The meat produce for this specific target group will be differentiated to capture their needs. Product customization with the target population culture will be done to increase identification and ownership. More salesperson will be employed to ensure availability of meat produce to the older target population. Creative strategy To boost more sales in both new market product innovation strategies and purchasing strategies will be employed(Baker, 2014). The use of logistics management will be employed to reduce costs which will reduce prices and attract more customers sensitive to prices. Better software aided application for electronic gadgets will be developed in order to increase customer convenience when making orders and payments. Media strategy Woolworth supermarket media strategy is to ensure that product characteristics and uniqueness is communicated to the targeted population(Royle, J Laing, A, 2014). The strategy involves proper marketing techniques and methods in order information reaches the targeted audiences(Blakeman, 2014). Media planning Media planning of Woolworth meat products will begin by mapping process. The process involves identification of customer needs, accessibility and effective means of communication. The planning process will also be guided by other characteristics like the ethical considerations and the exiting institutional policies. The justification of the media channel will be based on appropriateness and availability of resources(Team, B., Schori, A., MacLean, M., Shipe, J., Wickenkamp, A., Wehr, A., 2014). The planning will involve members from different units within the organization. Traditional media Woolworth supermarket will be employing the use of public relation officers and salesperson to market the meat produce. The two traditional media channels were chosen because they provide immediate feedback when dealing with new markets. They provide the suitable direct means in which the business can interact with the customers effectively and efficiently. Internet Changes in technology as prompted business organization to employ internet in business operations(Blakeman, 2014). For the targeted customers located in other countries the internet (website) will provide a better media channel to communicate, advertise, order, and review Woolworth products. Digital To increase self-service convenience and comfort Woolworth will design electronic aided application specifically for the retail store. The application will facilitate ordering, payment, and feedback process. The digital media will help capture a number of new customers. Media scheduling Media strategy will be executed by Woolworth by having a media execution plan. Table 1shows a summary of media plan. Table 1 Media plan schedule Events Time schedule Preparation of marketing plan materials 4th may 2017 to 10th June 2017 Development of marketing application software 15th to 25th June 2017 Market communication with China markets 1th July to 1st August 2017 Market communication with Japan markets 10th Sep 2017 to 1st Nov 2017 Public relations salesmanship visits 15th Nov 2017 to 20th Nov 2017 Review and reporting 1st Jan 2017 to 15th Jan 2017 Marketing budget Market budget is important component in ensuring market deliverables are achieved effectively(Parente, D. Strausbaugh, R, Hutchinson,K, 2014). Table 2 shows a summary of the budget. Table 2 Market budget Items Cost (AUD) Stationery 500.00 Transport 5000.00 Sales persons wages (3months) 1000.00 Media materials (assorted) 3500.00 Advertising costs 2000.00 Public address hiring 500.00 Permits 1000.00 Branded materials 2500.00 Call charges 200.00 Miscellaneous expenses 1700.00 Totals 17900.00 Evaluation and control Information obtained from internal and external information systems will be analyzed and compared with planned schedules. Data from the field will originate from sales forecasts, revenue estimates, salespersons records, financial records which will be analyzed to aid in decision making. Monitoring of the entire process will be done continuously but evaluation will be done periodically. The analyzed data will provide an avenue for decision making through evaluations and control mechanisms(Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N. D., Wells, W. D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L., Spence-Stone, R. (2014), 2014). Conclusion Marketing communication planning is an important component in ensuring that the right products and services are provided. The marketing communication will be useful to Woolworth supermarket in achieving the intended objectives. It will help them choose the suitable strategies to employ to meet the required targets. The meat product promotion will enable them to increase their revenues and market share to the intended audiences both locally and internationally. If the plan is backed up with the required support it provides a useful tool that marketing managers can use. The plan provides suitable strategies, techniques, tools and media channels that marketing personnels can use to ensure they communicate with customers. References Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., Kotler, P. (2014). Principles of marketing. Stenburg : Pearson Australia. Baker, M. (2014). Marketing strategy and management. New York: Palgrave Macmillan . Blakeman, R. (2014). Intergrated marketing communication: creative strategy idea to implementation. New Delhi: Rowman Littlefield. Hossen, s. (2015). Marketing management: a relationship approach. New York: Pearson Education . Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N. D., Wells, W. D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L., Spence-Stone, R. (2014). (2014). Advertising: principles and practice. Strowburg : Pearson Australia. Parente, D. Strausbaugh, R, Hutchinson,K. (2014). Advertising campaign strategy: Aguide to marketing communication plans. Chicago: Cengage Learning. Royle, J Laing, A. (2014). The digital marketing skills gap: developing a digital marketer model for the communication industries. International journal of information management, 34(2), 65-73. Team, B., Schori, A., MacLean, M., Shipe, J., Wickenkamp, A., Wehr, A. (2014). Intergrated marketing communication plan. Bahmuda : Cengage publishers. Vu, T. (2016). A B2B digital marketing communication plan. Chicago: Machinery and informatics technology. Westwood, J. (2016). How to write a marketing plan. New York: Kogan Page Publishers.