Organizational Behavior and Management Essay

In viewing the Manager’s Hot Seat: Working in Teams: Cross-Functional, I was able to distinguish the difference between the words team and teamwork. Team refers to a small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results ( Schermerhorm,2011). In this video, yes there was team that consisted of Rosa Denson, Cheng Jing, Simon Mahoney and Joe Tanney who plays the role of team leader for an assigned high priority project. Working in teams is essential in this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, as leaders and managers are faced with new challenges . Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. And in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, a group effort is required as it reads in the article MindTools. In the video, the members work in the same organization but at different departmental levels with different knowledge and skills. How these people interact and relate to one another is a key factor in determining how successful the team will be at achieving its mission The group is made up of cross functional team members where there is input from people with a mixture of gender, race, age and ethnicity. It can be difficult managing a group like this because there are individual differences amongst each member. People vary among the layers of diversity: 1) personality, which is unique to every individual, 2) internal dimensions which is race and age, 3) external dimensions which includes religion and marital status and 4) organizational dimensions such as job title(McGraw Hill, 2007) These factors are likely to influence interpersonal relationships and the ability to work with others. Working together is part of many organizations that believe that by practicing teamwork skills can help produce better products and provide better services, faster and at a lower cost. However, there was no evidence of teamwork in this video. There was no defined process of people working together to accomplish a common goal, which is the definition of teamwork. Instead there was a group of knowledgeable people, who did not want responsibility and had no initiative for such project. In fact, Tuckman’s group development model should have been added to the agenda as a refresher course for all members. Schermerhorn defines Tuckman’s development model in stages. Stage 1 of the model is forming, and this was evident in the beginning of the meeting with the initial formation of the group discussing where tasks are understood by members and resources and information that delegated by the leader, in this case Joe. But it wasn’t long into the meeting where storming was evident. Individuals began to question and challenge the given task. Members disagree on the goal of the team and resist the given task. At this point personal to emotional excuses began to surface. I do not think I witnessed the rest of the stages, except the adjourning part. There was no norming stage where the team moves toward harmonious working practices where there is agreement. In fact, Joe the acting leader had to assign different tasks according to his perception of each one. And there was no performing stage displaying functional, interdependent roles that were focused on the performance of the group tasks among the members. In fact, group cohesiveness was not evident, with everyone having an agenda of their own, the interaction and motivation between them was very low. The cohesiveness that should have bonded the small group together and come up with solutions for the problem was not evident. The book states that in order for effective teams to thrive these factors need to be established and be in place: achieve and maintain high levels of task performance achieve and maintain high levels of member satisfaction and retain viability for the future (Schermerhorn, 2011) . With this said, the benefits of effective work teams within an organization are very considerable, and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of management and team members to develop, implement and maintain effective work teams. I believe that the team in the video is not team, but rather a group of people discussing an organizations’ project based on the fact that there was no commitment to the task at hand. Every member in an organization has a task to do. These roles are the expected behaviors for a given position in an organization. Sometimes roles can disrupt group progress and weaken its cohesion. For example, Rosa demonstrated role conflict when she involved her personal life with her job. She was a self-confessor, disclosing personal feelings and issues. Simon was the opinion giver, expressing his own personal opinions as to why such project has not worked before without offering solutions. Simon can also be labeled a blocker. Joe was the initiator or contributor to the team. He would propose new ideas of getting the project completed by finding solutions to the problems the rest of the team members would come up with. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change.

Factors Affecting Rates of Chemical Reactions Type 2.Doc Uploaded Successfully

Factors Affecting Rates of Chemical Reactions Prepared By: Kelly Gunter For: Ms. Brohman Course: SCH-4U Introduction The main purpose of this lab was to investigate how temperature, concentration, the addition of catalysts, and the substitution of a more reactive reactant, can affect the reaction. The collision theory explains that in order for a reaction to occur, reacting particles must collide with one another. An effective collision makes reactants result in a reaction and for to be successful two things must happen, the correct orientation of reactants, and the sufficient collision energy.The orientation of reactants explains that reacting particles must collide with the proper orientation relative to one another, for sufficient collision energy, it explains that the reactants must collide with energy that is sufficient to break the bonds in the reactants and to begin to form the bonds on the products. In part 1 the heat of the collision = the increase of effective collisions re sulting in the product, and that the increase of temperature = sufficient energy; or the Ea increases. Part 2 the increase of concentration = the rate increase of the reaction.In part 3 the increase of bonds = decrease of reaction rate. Procedure Refer to handout. Observations Part 1 | |Hot water Bath |Ice water bath |Room temperature | |Temperature of Solution |77Â °C |11Â °C |22Â °C | |Time for sulphur to appear |6 seconds |140 seconds |79 seconds | Part 2 [HCl] Acid Solution |Time (s) for Magnesium Ribbon to disappear | |6. 0 mol/L |33 s | |3. 0 mol/L |49 s | |1. 0 mol/L |158 s | |0. mol/L |1486 s | Part 3 8. It took 1 drop for the purple colour to disappear. 9. It was 30 drops 10. It took 1 drop for the purple colour to disappear, but the colour lingered longer than it did in step 8. Discussion In part 1, it’s shown that the higher the temperature was the faster it took for the sulphur to appear in the solution.In Part 2, it shows that the increase of the concentration of the HCl the faster the Magnesium ribbon takes to disappear, and the lower the concentration of the HCl the slower it takes for the Magnesium Ribbon to disappear. In Part 3 the solution for Iron2sulfate it only took one drop for the colour purple to disappear, for the oxalic acid it took 30 drops for the colour purple to disappear and in the oxalic acid with the manganese sulphate as a catalyst it took only 1 drop for the colour purple to disappear but the colour had lingered for bit more than it did in step 3.

Self assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self assessment - Essay Example As a child I observed numerous events in which a heated discussion boiled down to the ethnicity of the contenders. I was disappointed when I witnessed such incidents since I always had friends belonging to differing ethnicities and cultures. Perhaps the most significant of relationships that I have ever had are those that I have had with my friends. I have always had a tendency to feel comfortable with people regardless of their ethic and cultural backgrounds. As a result, my circle of friends has almost always constituted individuals hailing from a variety of cultures and ethnicities. As a result of my interaction with people belonging to varying cultures and ethnicities at a multiple age, I have learnt to adjust to differing ethnic backgrounds. Another example of this can be found in my personal relationships. I have never restricted myself to any particular race or ethnicity and I have never chosen to judge a person. However, I realize that this approach is my individual approach and others may not be as liberal towards their orientation of different ethnicities as I am. It would not be incorrect to state that this will be most prominent when I acquire a professional position and interact with people .belonging to varying ethnicities on a daily basis. The most meaningful relationships I have had in terms of the multi-cultural context are those that I have had with my teachers. My teachers, regardless of their and my ethnic background, have always chosen to treat me with respect and judge me only on the basis of my academic merit. My teachers never treated me any different than the way they treated my fellow classmates. I was always given a fair chance to participate in the social picture and this fairness always encouraged me to give every opportunity my most sincere commitment. I realize that it will not be easy for me to communicate effectively with the customers I interface with. While the difference in culture will not serve as a barrier

Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Depression - Essay Example Depression among the old people is a growing global health concern due to the increasing number of old people within the world populace. Despite the disorder being a major mental health problem, little has been done in terms of research studies to uncover the underlying causes, effects, and mental health requirements of the old. Depression among other people especially the young has been extensively studied and documented due its effects that cause major problems to the health wellbeing of people. Little literature from various research studies targeting depression among the old people is a source of valuable knowledge of the nature, causes, and the mental health effects it has on the old people. Systemic review of research articles on depression among the old provides a synthesis of information collected to give an in-depth view of the disorder. Depression is a state characterized by low moods and hate of activity, which interferes with an individual’s behaviors, feelings, sense of well-being, and general thought process. Depression is one of the major psychiatric disorders that have residual effects on the mental health wellbeing of individuals (Park & Jun, 2013). Depression is characterized by feelings of hate towards activities, loss of memory, cognitive abilities, and general concentration. These lingering symptoms have lasting adverse effects on the mental functionality of an individual. A major problem with the disorder remains the inability of the individuals suffering from the disorder and the people surrounding them to diagnose the disorder. The disorder is more pronounced among the elderly due to the isolation, dependency on others, and failure to diagnose and treat it. Coupled with this is the increased push by governments to cut healthcare costs in the midst of already constrained medical budgets. The eld erly therefore face a problem in that healthcare is already unavailable due to financial

The Restructuring Sony Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

The Restructuring Sony Corporation - Case Study Example Another reason was to adjust the corporation to market changes. The 2001 restructuring is an example of a restructuring that was done to adjust to new market realities. 3. The restructuring efforts at Sony were realized to make the company more flexible and adaptive. As a conglomerate, the different types of businesses needed their own autonomy. The restructures at Sony decentralized the decision-making process. The unified dispersed management model was very effective at creating greater autonomy. 4. At Sony due to the segmentation of businesses and the decentralized nature of the operation, there was a lot of cultural diversity. Each business unit had its own corporate culture. The managers operated each business unit in an independent manner to a certain degree.  5. I believe that the dominant business culture at Sony is innovation. The reason for innovation and research and development is so important for Sony is because the company has so many different types of products and services.

SUCCESS FACTORS IN DATA WAREHOUSE PROJECTS Essay

SUCCESS FACTORS IN DATA WAREHOUSE PROJECTS - Essay Example Why organizations need to bring data together from different working systems? Obviously, the answer is, to be more beneficial, to be more competitive, or to grow by adding value for customers. This can be achieved by mounting the pace and flexibility of decision making, developing business processes effectively, or gaining a clearer idea of customer activities. The data warehouse is a huge collection of the past and current business data that analyze the old business data for offering special discounts and trend assessment in the past business. These systems also facilitate decision makers to retrieve data as many times as they need without disturbing the performance of the core working systems. A data warehouse merges data that are scattered all over the different working systems and makes them readily accessible for decision support applications (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 247; Inmon, 2002, p. 3; Hoffer, Prescott, & McFadden, 2007, p. 47). There are many factors that play a signific ant role in the implementation of a data warehouse. This essay presents a detailed analysis of the critical success factors in the implementation of data warehouse projects. Data Warehouse: An overview A data warehouse is a large size subject-oriented database that is designed and implemented with organization-wide access in mind. Additionally, a data warehouse collects and process a mountain of data from a number of sources and the basic purpose of this data collection and processing is to allow its users to be familiar with the data and information they want for decision making and get access to that information by making use of easy to use applications and tools. In addition, data warehouse encompasses a wide variety of tools and technologies such as multidimensional and relational databases, graphical user interfaces, client/server architecture and many more. In the context of a data warehouse system, all these components work with the purpose of combining raw data and facts fro m a variety of sources into a particular and reliable warehouse that provides an excellent support for decision making and analysis inside a particular domain of the business. In this scenario, the majority of large size business organizations develop data warehouse systems as a key element of their main information systems environment (Alshboul, 2012; Swalker, 2011). Data Warehouse Projects A few years ago, it was a serious challenge for the business organizations to actually make use of the covered data and information and facts stored in the functional systems for management and decision tasks. In this scenario, data management is seen in the sense of data as a significant asset belonging to the entire business organization for management and decision tasks, and not only as the belongings of specific tools and applications, personnel or business areas. Basically, this data collected from a variety of sources is supplied to a managerial part, which is responsible for transforming collected data into understandable and useful information for instance high-class subject orientated information will be accessible just in due course. In view of the fact that data can play a significant role in supporting functioning tasks very competently, hence it does not repeatedly make available information that can transform knowledge and improve the efficiency of business processes efficiency. In the past, these operational data were not accessible in a way that end users could straightforwardly recognize and utilize. In this scenario, in the form of a theoretical framework in the direction of contemporary information processing system a data warehouse was developed for a useful and well-organized practice of the

What does the late nineteenth and early twentieth century global Essay

What does the late nineteenth and early twentieth century global economy tell us about the benefits and costs of globalization - Essay Example What he means is that if globalization flourishes it will ameliorate us with larger markets for manufacturers and improved alternatives for users and if it does not then it will devour us all. The fact of globalization has interested many economists in the past and continues to do so in the present as well. Globalization has many proportions like political, cultural, and economic. Of all the dimensions of globalization economic globalization has attracted many economists, researchers and scholars. This paper attempts to discover the costs of globalization and its benefits. This objective is achieved by formulating a hypothesis and then proving it. According to Hill (2002), globalization indicates a position whereby national economies integrate into an independent universal economic system. It gives a chance to develop further than the domestic markets and provides for a larger level of economies of scale in manufacture and sales. Adam Smith had opined that the level of specialization depends on the dimension of the market. Globalization is directly connected to economic development, which is connected to the expansion of international trade (Van Den Berg, 2001). Maneuvered by the self-established development of world-wide markets and technological advancement, globalization inevitably ruins all antecedently accomplished hierarchic structures. Part played by the nation-state in this circumstance is also extensively losing ground. Multinational corporations rivet huge resources, and become the core bearers of economic action on a global degree. This makes a global refinement in which the market is merged on the global level. The major parts in the economic process are the multinational companies. The role of national states is adorned by the international institutes. International corporate has basic control on the

Chinas Educational System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinas Educational System - Essay Example In an age where globalization is taking place, one cannot afford to be left behind. Investing to the youth as they are the future leaders is the starting point. Surely, China realizes the importance of education. It is a nation rich in cultures and traditions. It is also one of the richest countries in the world. Through education, they have found the right solutions to mix their heritage and the demand for staying competitive against their neighboring countries. However, the changes did not happen overnight. Throughout the course of its history, China experienced a lot of transitions in leadership and form of government. The results affected different aspects in their society including the educational system. At present, China's education caters to almost 25% of the world's students. Even if it has the largest educational system, China is still finding ways to enhance the quality of education by continuously revising the curriculum. The purpose of this paper is to trace the historical development of China's educational system. It will primarily focus on the significant changes that have shaped the course of the system over time. Many historians recorded that formal schooling in China started way back during the Xia Dynasty (16th century B.C.). However, the type of educational system, also called Imperial education, was observed until the late 17th century. The concentration of the learning system is only for the rich and elite members of the society. These people are trained and prepared to be China's government officials. The subjects are all centered based on the "Six Arts" connected to their culture: Riding Chariots, Music, Arts, Archery, Math, History and Rites. They are also taught to excel in ancient written and spoken Chinese language. During Spring, Autumn and Warring State times, teachings of Confucianism is integrated in their studies. Students learn concepts on governance and citizenry, and codes for personal conduct (China Education Center). Confucianism has a great effect on the lives of Chinese people at that time. Their standards of living are guided by the codes set forth in the instructions within in this religion. The ultimate goal is to become a gentleman, one who does what is good, noble and just. However not everyone can be a gentleman. It was restricted to the upper class. A gentleman has the power to impose Chinese cultures and make rules for the society (China Education Center). Thus, money has power. The imperial government also established civil service examination to determine those who are qualified to be imperial officials. These tests contain open ended questions that would test the student's knowledge on Confucian teachings (Surowski 2003). For more than a thousand years the civil service exam is the only way to get a government position for the elite class. Since education favored only those who can afford it, illiteracy rate in China went up to about 80%. The underprivileged are forced to work in different areas at a very young age. Society was governed by highly educated rich people and a growing number of uneducated mass (Net Industries 2008). The 18th century At the turn of the next century, China made important technological advances like gun powder, compass and paper. The Chinese people felt that they already had

Where The Five Functional Areas Of Network Management (FCAPS) Are Not Essay

Where The Five Functional Areas Of Network Management (FCAPS) Are Not Adhered To - Essay Example They also have committed to provide business to the tune of 100 seats in the next two year. The organisation also wants to setup offices across many cities out of US. Presently the system of the company x is not good enough to cater the needs of the customers and the company x is also facing some problems because it has not implemented the OSI application functions namely, fault, configuration Accounting performance and security management. Due to this the present system of networking management is facing the following problems: First the fault management in the company x is not working properly i.e. not providing clear and correct report about the incident/fault which has occurred and therefore the problem arises about identifying the fault and its source. In this way the system cannot priorities the fault, which has occurred and cannot be able to restore services on time and properly. Some Hardware faults to be handled instantaneously through replacement to restore services cannot be attended immediately. Due to fault in network, a user is immediately affected and the better services could not be provided to the users. The most common and serious problems of networks are connectivity failure, which are in the category of fault management. The network failure is caused more often by a node failure than by failure of passive links. When this happens all downstream systems from the interface are inaccessible. Such failures are associated with the network interface card, which needs replacement. The nod failures manifest as connectivity failures to the user. Another cause of network connectivity failure is procedural but very common. Network connectivity is based on IP address, which is a logical address assigned by the network administrator. The IP address in uniquely associated with a physical MAC address of network component. However mistakes are made in assigning duplicate IP addresses, especially in an enterprise environment with many system administrators. A host or system interface problem is a shared medium can bring the entire segment down. It becomes nightmare for the network manager to isola te problem without causing interruption is services. The intermittent problem could also occur as a result traffic overload, which would cause packets to be lost. Sometimes the management system indicates failure, when in actuality data traffic is flowing normally. Power hits could reset network component configuration, causing network failure. The network has a permanent configuration (default) and a dynamic configuration (runtime) and thus a performance problem could manifest as a network delay. The company is using LAN networking system, which is not sufficient for the organization. Because of connection through wires / cables and switches, it is not useful. So without proper network connecting Architecture, Company is facing lots of problems. Due to circuit - switch connection security of data and information has always been at stake. Security conscious clients always looking for more security proof network. Security plays a crucial role in deciding network architectures. Due to multiple servers at single location cannot fulfill the requirement of the organisation. Organisation had a network having lesser bandwidth and this creates lots of problem. The network used at a time by number of concurrent users for various applications and which takes longer response time and at times posting websites will be more than that of an organisation processing manufacturing orders. (Also the cost of the LAN system where

What is the relationship between health and pollution Research Paper

What is the relationship between health and pollution - Research Paper Example Arguments will be based on the health outcomes of environmental pollution. The research will also focus on examining those that are more vulnerable to environmental pollution. In addition, the research will try to examine the factors that are causing the high rate of environmental pollution that has a negative impact on the health of the people. Therefore, my position on the relationship between pollution and health is that pollution has a negative effect on human health. There is numerous negative effect of pollution on human health. The essay will also include a concession paragraph, which identifies the strongest arguments held by those that disagree that pollution has negative outcomes on human health. Regulations and monitoring policies that are needed in order to protect the environment that will in turn prevent pollution will be briefly highlighted. A conclusion will be made towards the end of the essay summarizing the main point made in the essay. There are different forms of pollution that have negative impacts on human health such as air, noise, radioactive contamination, water and indiscriminate disposal of waste, which is soil pollution. The research will mainly focus on air and water pollution, as they are the major causes of human diseases. The major causes of air pollution on human health include cardiovascular and respiratory illness such as asthma and pneumonia. These air pollutants cause air pollution; smoke, sulphur dioxides, particulate matter, ozone and reactive nitrogen just to mention a few. Soil or water pollution may occur when there is the improper management of solid and liquid waste. For an instant, the solid waste may be directed to a water body that is used by human. Solid waste is a significant cause of pollution because of a lack of proper solid waste disposer regulations and disposal facilities (UNEP 9). Such waste may be toxic, infectious and radioactive. Depending on the source of environmental pollution and interactions

Roles and Responsibilities of a Teacher in the Life Long Learning Sector Essay Example for Free

Roles and Responsibilities of a Teacher in the Life Long Learning Sector Essay Role of a teacher in the lifelong learning sector This case study investigates the role and responsibilities of a teacher in the lifelong learning sector. I am a piano and guitar tutor on a one to one basis, so I have my own views and methods on teaching. However, I thought it would be interesting to study how a teacher deals with a whole class, as opposed to just one pupil. Further to the research for the study, an interview was conducted with Joe Bloggs, a teacher in School X. The interview examined a number of areas including: roles and responsibilities, boundaries, promoting equality and diversity, safe and supportive learning environments, promoting appropriate behaviour, legal and moral responsibilities, the challenges and rewards of the role and how Joe has had to adapt and respond to the ongoing changes in the lifelong learning sector. The first question covered what Joe considered to be his main responsibility as a teacher; to engage and motivate young people in the subject of music and learning in general. He uses a variety of methods to accomplish this. For example, practical sessions/role play and getting everyone involved, as well as written assessments, presentations and various visual tasks to ensure all different types of learners are accounted for. This is effective when teaching music history /theory, however, when a student is learning to play an instrument, all these areas are covered naturally. Joe allows his pupils to make mistakes, for example, if a pupil is playing a piece of music and they hit a wrong note, he will wait to see if they can identify that they were out of tune first. This is another way of working on their aural skills. If they do not pick up on it he ensures the mistakes are addressed and provides help and advice to rectify the problem. Conjointly, we addressed the topic of promoting equality and diversity. Joe feels strongly about this and his approach is through film/music stimulation, with focus on a particular character or topic. Two popular examples of this are Forest Gump, where the main character has a disability and the film ‘The Island’ which deals with race issues. Using this method has proven effective, as Joe has found through reflective discussions with the class after watching the film. One of the challenges that Joe has had to face during his time in the teaching profession is behaviour problems with the pupils. This covered a whole spectrum of issues such as disruptions, bad attitude, pupils refusing to complete tasks and even verbal abuse and physical threats. The methods in which Joe deals with this brings me onto the field of boundaries between the teacher and pupil. Along with legal boundaries, and following rules and regulations according to the Code of Conduct and Data Protection Act – physical boundaries are extremely important. When teaching/dealing with a pupil, he says distance must be kept, however, he feels that in most cases, experience will enable friendly and approachable relationships. If a matter was to arise that was out of his hands, it would be his duty to report it to the school safeguarding officer/counsellor. Another way in which he deals with this is to set a good example to the pupils, as ensuring appropriate behaviour is a major factor in maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment. Joe adopts a friendly and positive attitude towards his pupils, ensuring that he never raises his voice, yet be firm and serious where necessary. The aim of this is so that the pupils’ perception of their teacher is approachable, but at the same time they see their teacher as a figure of authority. Although this has proved quite demanding, the biggest challenge Joe has had to face is the ever-changing development in technology. He tried to continue his teaching without it but this became increasingly difficult due to changes in assessment criteria and the demand of technology in general, particularly in music. Music has developed throughout the years, for example, we don’t need to compose music for ourselves these days. We can use music programs to do that for us, such as Garageband or Sibelius. Joe decided the only way to tackle this is to embrace it. This has helped a great deal with teaching and by doing this he has furthered his own education. The school that Joe teaches at has recently become an academy, so it is now more performing arts-orientated where as before, the school focused more on the academic side of things. This has forced him to take on a bigger work load and thus proved his capability to adapt and respond to changes quickly. Joe’s response to a lot of the questions portrays how education in music and generally has evolved with respect to time and the steps he has had to take in order to meet the requirements of his role and adapt to the ongoing changes. When faced with the question regarding ethical responsibilities, he had some interesting techniques on how he engaged this topic with his pupils. Practice is an essential for learning an instrument, Joe motivates and encourages his pupils that regular practice is the key to progression. He evaluates progress with tests covering all different types of learning such as aural, sight reading, written, and through practical tests. Both Joe and I have found that through music, it is easy to distinguish the strengths and weaknesses of our pupils and how they best learn. For example, one person may be able to listen to a piece of music and play by ear, whereas the next pupil will not be able to do that, but will excel in reading the music. Joe understands it is important to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of each individual and sees that each pupil is facilitated for in order to help them achieve their full potential. Joe mentioned various internal and external points of referral, for example, the awarding bodies, and the Academy’s safeguarding officers/counsellors. It is evident that he has a strong passion for music as he gave up his career as a pilot in order to pursue his music career. In defiance of the challenges Joe has been faced with, his subtle, yet dynamic and enthusiastic approach helped him to overcome them. I found during my time with Joe, that although there are many generic rules, responsibilities and boundaries that all teachers/tutors have to adhere to, there are also those that are specific and subject to the area of study. It is imperative that these are recognised in order to achieve a finer understanding of the role of the teacher.

Rape Culture Oriented Feminism Sociology Essay

Rape Culture Oriented Feminism Sociology Essay Part of the current feminism strive is to raise awareness of what is known as rape culture. Rape culture is a socially constructed concept that depicts a culture in which sexual violence and rape are belittled, tolerated, and even justified in society. This concept is related to some specific behaviors such as womens causal role, rape stereotypes, sexual objectification, and trivialization of rape along with sexual discrimination. Legally, rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse between a man and a woman against the womans will (or the mans). In many states, the legal definition of rape does not include marital rape. In others terms, husbands which force their wives into sex are not punished by law, as rape is only seen as illegitimate sexual intercourse, i.e., the wifes exception implies that rape is rape if and only if the man commits the act on a woman other than his wife. This would suggest that sexual violence is not always considered as an act of rape. Even more, this implies that the law might consider sexual assaults as tolerable. For a forced sexual act to be sanctioned as rape, the man should not have conjugal rights over the woman. In other terms, the laws acceptance of a violent sexual act depends on the relationship between the victim and her rapist. According to the feminists rape culture theory, sexist behaviors contribute to the normalization of sexual assaults towards women. The root of rape culture is -according to the theory- the objectification and domination of women in a highly patriarchal society. Rape culture exists today because of the socially constructed image of sex as being an act of male domination over women. It is the traditional perception of how men and women are to behave which is the cause of rape being so trivialized. Men are expected to have sexual dominance in the relationship whereas women are pictured as passive, subordinate creatures. The contrast between men and women in the socially constructed sexual culture can be seen in dating for instance. In a date, a man is expected to buy gifts, dinner, drive the date of/from location to location and shower the woman with attention. Society has accustomed men to expect sexual rewards for their actions. The man thinks he has a right to sexual favors because of what he did on the date. This reasoning puts women as legitimate for sexual aggressions, and gives justifications for men to reason what they might do. When society produces rapists by encouraging values such as domination, anger, aggression, violence and rejecting the idea of men expressing and sharing their feelings, it fosters a rape culture. The rapists are also victims in the sense that they are frustrated by not being able to nurture their need for love and affection through more normal, healthier ways; hence acting through violence. Social conditioning through media holds a huge part of responsibility in rape culture oriented societies. Men and women are made to behave and think in a very specific way from a very early age through school and popular culture. Women and girls should act properly and in a ladylike manner, men should be strong and unemotional. This socialization process, this distribution of roles and behaviors creates the imbalance of power between men and women, giving the floor to male domination over female subordination, and indirectly training women how to be raped, and men how to be rapists. Some rules which train women how to be ladies actually contribute to a lot of rape situations. For instance, a lady should not make a scene just because she is at discomfort. During a sexual assault, wouldnt this entitle that the woman should stay quiet, in order to preserve ladylike qualities? A lady should always trust and be kind to strangers which offer to help. This rule gives rapists plenty of situations where they can trick women into thinking that they are actually willing to help them whilst having planned the rape act. Another rule claims that a lady should always graciously smile when spoken to. A potential rapist might consider a woman acknowledging him with a smile as her being consenting to the situation. Social conditioning has also leaded us to deem as true a set of prejudicial beliefs, called rape myths. These stereotypes provide aggressors with justifications and legitimization for their acts of sexual violence. Feminists claim that rape myths are fundamental to the patriarchal society which supports control and domination relationships. Not only do those stereotypes and lies present assaulters with excuses for their acts, but they also move the responsibility of the act away from the aggressors and lay it on the victims. Some examples of rape myths include: Black men rape white women, Provocative female clothing is the cause of rape, its the victims fault, She was asking for it Even more dangerous is womens acceptance as the ones to blame for rape and the hostility some women show towards other women which were rape victims, by saying and believing in claims such as She provoked the rape, Men are unable to control themselves, rape is only perpetrated by sick men. The new trend nowadays, and from what I hear around me when I ask people about the causal role of women in a rape situation is to say that women should not dress in an alluring way then blame men for raping them. Society is full of sick men, and women should be prepared for this. Raped women actually had it coming. A study done in Germany where participants (students) were given a set of questions, tried to measure to which extent rape myths were accepted and it tried to study the correlation between the desire for sexual dominance and the inclination to accept rape and rape myths. The results of this study supported the feminist theory which claims that rape is much more linked to the desire for men to express their dominance and control over women than to simple sexual arousal. There are three main theories which suggest different factors as support for the proliferation of rape culture. The first theory, gender disparity, claims that rape is the main instrument for patriarchal societies to keep oppression and control. As discussed earlier, the imbalance of power in the relationship between men and women is a direct cause of the objectification and subordination of women versus the domination and demonstration of force of men, which encourages rapist behavior. The second theory, cultural overflow, claims that rape myths and gender socialization are not the only causes for sexual violence, as other components of culture might serve to justify and trivialize rape. An example would be the aspects of violence in our everyday life. Violence in schools, in media, and in governments can be generalized or extended to relationships, thus condoning rape acts. The third theory, social disturbance, suggests that elevated rates of rape might reflect disturbance in social lives such as divorce and relocation. A generalization of the theory would be that deviant acts in general mirror social disorganization which disturbs commonly agreed on social mores. Although I agree with the fact that feminists have done well in raising awareness against rape in societies, and (to some extent) to how society might have contributed to the increase of rape rates through popular culture and mass media, I think there are some issues with rape culture as an entity proposed by traditional feminists. Traditional feminists rape culture theory mainly insists on gender imbalance as being the cause of rape proliferation in society. However, and as the Cultural Spillover theory suggest, other factors and other components might cause increase in rapes rates. The war in Bosnia (92-95) was infamously known for wartime rape. Many Muslim women in Bosnia were raped by Serbs at the time. Rape becomes a weapon of war in this case. It is not intentionally or (at the least solely) directed towards the individual victim, but rather used as any other tool to hurt the enemy. The rape during the Yugoslav conflicts was consequently labeled as genocide rape or rape warfare. Many examples in India, South Asian, and Middle Eastern and South African countries show similar patterns where the culture of war and violence tends to lead to a tacit acceptance of rape in society. Rape as a war weapon can be much more effective than any other weapon as the lasting effects of such an act not only hurt the individual on the long term but the society as a whole. Through children born in time of rape warfare, the society is relentlessly reminded of the war and the enemy. It is one of the most degrading and brutal attacks that could be carried on the enemy. Victims of rape in war time live in isolation from their family and community, especially if they have a child born from the rape act. Another issue with the traditionalist feminist view on rape is the binary structure and the rather monolithic perspective on the matter. There is this tendency to represent men as evil animalistic rapist creatures and women as helpless submissive victims. The feminist cause is first and foremost a fight for equality. As a movement which condemns rape as a result of gender inequality, the irony here is the separation between genders which label the man as a rapist and the woman as a victim. The theory depicts all men as potential rapists and sex offenders, controlling and dominant. Across my research, I noticed that most of the literature on rape culture only highlights female oriented violence. Such discrepancy makes it appear as if male oriented violence does not exist, and that female victims are much more prevalent. Such unfairness in research contributes to the rigid binary representation of the matter. The danger in doing such propaganda (i.e. labeling all men are potential sexual aggressors) makes it sound as if being a man is enough to identify the person as someone likely to rape. Even the definitions I encountered on feminist blogs and journals define rape as the act of sexual violence towards a woman by a man without her consent, but not vice versa. A similar distortion can be seen when talking about domestic violence as it is now assumed and taken for granted that men are the wife beaters. While feminisms original strive is to gain and maintain equality between the genders, rape culture theories create a serious loophole as such distortions and discrepancies actually put women as the harmless gender on higher grounds for moral superiority in comparison with men as the harmful gender, which creates gender imbalance all over again. By acting as such, feminists negate their goal of gender equality. It is not anymore the battle for equal rights; it is the fight for moral superiority that is at stake here. Hence as much as rape culture following the feminist view trivialize and encourage rape, rape culture also benefit this feminist view of men being animalistic and unable to control their urges in comparison with women. A third issue with rape culture is the labeling itself of the entity. What does rape culture exactly encapsulates? I am concerned that the focus of feminists on rape culture might exclude other abused victims which were not subject to rape but other types of violence. For instance, domestic violence victims doesnt necessarily mean rape victims. Arent those women excluded from the movement because of the fact that they were not raped? Sexually harassed women are not necessarily raped too, where do they stand in the rape culture movement? By choosing a label and identifying an entity such as rape culture, Rape acquires a special place in the feminist movement, as women who were raped gain a unique status which makes them a priority over other women. The problem here is that, by giving rape this privileged status, by making the focus rape and rape culture, the feminist movement creates this gender-separatist, discriminatory entity which shadows other gender related issues. Other society problems are as important as the rape issue, yet we do not have a child molesting culture entity for instance. Furthermore, one can actually draw a pattern of similarities between the feminist rape culture movement and the traditional white feminist movement, because both are discriminatory in a way. The white feminist movement does not represent black and Latino women for instance. Similarly, rape culture feminists do not represent battered women or women who were not raped but were still victims of sexual harassment. Rape culture oriented feminism does have some good arguments as socially constructed behaviors and gender roles do impact on rape behaviors. However, and to draw the analogy with the white feminist movement, victimized women which were raped as a product of the imbalance of power between men and women in society represent only a small part of the rape victims and situations, as much as white desperate housewives with college degrees who are forced to stay at home only represent a small portion of oppressed women. Just as white feminism should evolve to include other women in the group, rape culture oriented feminism should also change by broadening its area of interest and not limiting itself only to first: physically raped victims and second : physically raped victims outside the sample society provided by rape culture oriented feminism. Wartime rape victims, which are ignored by this feminist movement currently should also be part of the strive. Furthermore, the movement should also reconsider the monolithic view it gives of society which separates men and women in a negative way. Rape culture oriented literature so far is very biased in terms of who does the aggressions. It should also recognize that not all men are aggressors, because of the unfairness and incorrectness of such accusation, and move towards a more cooperative image between the genders rather than the hatred one it currently gives. Work cited: Rape Myths. Research Advocacy Digest

Muslim Women: Wearing The Hijab

Muslim Women: Wearing The Hijab Literature on this topic is abundant as research has been conducted globally on the topic of the hijab as to the reasons why women should and should not wear the hijab. The research conducted was made possible through the use of surveys, interviews, questionnaires and observations. Katherine Bullock in particular, a Canadian community activist, author and lecturer did extensive research on the topic of the hijab and published her findings in the form of a book called Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil which challenges Historical and Modern Stereotypes . She has also published articles on Muslim women and the media, and Islam and political theory. Purposes of the research The objectives of the study are to examine if the dominant negative Western perception affects the reasons why the Muslim community is divided on the subject of hijab. This research addresses the concern for a dialogue that could inform westernised societies about the personal reasons why some female Muslim students wear hijab and why others do not. I want my research to be meaningful, relevant to local communities and to open my mind and that of others by being taught through research and personal interviews about the subject. Scope and limitations The pool of participants is limited to the Muslim students at TSiBA Education. The data set is meaningful, but not representative of the vast range of Muslims in different contexts. It will however show a diversity of views within a common theology and faith. Plan of development METHODOLOGY 2.1 Participation The target group for the research is 20 South African Muslim women between the ages of 18 and 40. This age group is the target of this study because they are the current generation of TSiBA students and are experiencing modern South Africa in a time when it seems there is an ever increasing influx of Western culture. The age group is also likely to include married women who might be inclined to think differently about the hijab as their marriage might have changed the way each looks at the hijab. 2.2 Methods of data collection Two sets of data will be employed: 1) open-ended e-mail questionnaires with 20 Muslim students about the hijab 2) Conduct interviews and observations on the candidates if further data is required. The first data collection method I chose was a simple questionnaire. The research draws on qualitative data from questionnaires and interviews with 20 Muslim female students of varying ages within the TSiBA community. After many different drafts of the questionnaire I went to the Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) Education to distribute the final version. My questionnaire included the opinions of both young women who wear the hijab and those that do not. I did not ask for names in any section of the survey to ensure the anonymity of all my human subjects. In the end I collected 20 surveys in total. After gathering the questionnaire, I analyzed the results manually. As my second method of data collection, I conducted interviews, each having an approximate duration of between 30 minutes. I used a recording device on all my interviews. LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Keywords: Islam, Muslim, hijab, veil, female, students, TSIBA Education, reasons, dominiant negative Western perception. The debate regarding the wearing of religious garb in public, specifically coverings worn by Muslim women has increased over the past few years resulting in a lot of controversy among those who agree with the practice and those who do not (iqraonline.net). The French, along with the west expected that the hijab would pass away into history as westernization and secularization took root. However, in the Muslim world, especially among the younger generation, a great wave of returning to hijab was spreading through various countries. This current resurgence is an expression of Islamic revival (Khaula Nakata, A View Through Hijab, 1994, pg 2). Hijab is seen all over the world, especially in places with a high concentration of practicing Muslims. The hijab has been the focus of often fierce media debates and has come to symbolise the clash of cultures supported by links between Islamic extremism and 21st century terrorism. While in several Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iran, the full covering, known as the burqa, has been compulsory. A hostile response against Muslim culture has seen such traditional clothing banned, along with the much more common hijab, in the interests of secularism. In this context, Muslim women are portrayed by the Western media either as veiled victims in need of liberation because of a lack of free choice in foreign lands, or a threat to the Western societies in which they reside because of their choice to adopt the hijab which is a traditional Islamic dress. Muslim women are almost consistently portrayed as oppressed and veiled, a terrorist threat or exotic, sexualised beings. This is in line with Saids theory of Orientalism (Said, 1978), which argues that the Muslim world and its inhabitants are considered backward, barbaric and outsiders to Western society. This portrayal of Muslims is notable in the media in terms of the coverage of Muslim women. Most representations of Muslim women involve them wearing traditional Islamic clothing such as the hijab, and their role in the media is generally limited to commentary on issues such as the veil. Western Influences Dominant negative Western perception The Western media and feminists often portray the hijab as a symbol of oppression and slavery of women. (http://www.al-islam.org). Many feminists, both Western and Islamic argue that the hijab is a symbol of gender oppression and that the Islamic veiling of women is an oppressive practice. Fadel Amara, an Islamic feminist and a Muslim female member of French government says The burqa is a prison, a straightjacket. It is not religious. It is the insignia of a totalitarian Political project for sexual inequality. (King,Islam, Women and Terrorism, 299.) Feminists argue that public presence and visibility is important to Western women. It represents their struggle for economic independence, sexual agency and political participation. In the West, celebrity is the peak of cultural legitimacy. The hijab is a challenge to the view of liberated visibility and freedom of self-expression unfettered by the male gaze.( www.theage.com) After a century of struggle for freedom of expression that included discarding the bra, some Western countries have called for banning the hijab in schools. They have developed, it would seem, a rather limited view of what public visibility might mean to different women. Frances 2004 law, known popularly as the law on the headscarf, reveals the difficulty of respecting conflicting ideas between diverse communities, especially when one community, in this case the Muslims of France, is a minority. According to this law, female students are banned from wearing the hijab as well as all other openly religious symbols in public schools. France bans women from wearing the hijab in public schools because many feminists and lawmakers argue that veiling women serves as an oppressing force, a force that silences women. Alia Al- Saji states in her article The Racialization of Muslim Veils: A Philosophical Analysis many feminists see the headscarf As a symbol of Islamic gender oppression that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦should be banned from public schools, a space where gender equality is presumed (or desired). Supporters of the law believe it fights gender oppression and gives equality to women in the school system. Katherine Bullock sheds light on the differences in judgment over hijab by having identified themes from her research on the women and Islam field. She divides these themes into the descriptions of those who are for and those who are against the hijab. According to Katherine Bullock, critics of the veil rely on secular liberal assumptions about society and human nature and therefore the veil is supposed to be and described as a symbol of oppression because it: Covers up (hides), in the sense of smothering, femininity Is apparently linked to the essentialized male and female difference (which is taken to mean that by nature, male is superior, female is inferior); Is linked to a particular view of womans place (subjugated in the home); Is linked to an oppressive (patriarchal) notion of morality and female purity (because of Islams Emphasis on chastity, marriage, and condemnation of pre- and extra-marital sexual relations); Can be imposed; and Is linked to a package of oppressions women in Islam face, such as seclusion, polygamy, easy male divorce, unequal inheritance rights. 3.2.2 Media attitudes to reporting Islam and hijab While the media cannot be held solely responsible for the construction of national identity nor blamed for societal attitudes towards minority cultures and religions, they play a significant role by providing the lens through which reality is perceived (Bullock Jafri, 2000). While the Western media sees itself as a democratic institution, it is often held accountable for legitimising and spreading racism and bias against religious communities such as Muslims (Bullock Jafri, 2000). The media portrays Muslims as tricky, sleazy, sexual and untrustworthy, as uniformly violent, as oppressors of women, and as members of a global conspiracy (Bullock Jafri, 2000). Macmaster and Lewis identify the shift in the European medias portrayal of veiled women from exotic to a danger to society (Macmaster Lewis, 1998, p. 121). They point out the juxtaposition of representations of Muslim women as concurrently oppressed and threatening, while Kolhatkar highlights the depiction of Muslim women as shapeless blue-clad forms of Afghan women (Kolhatkar, 2002, p. 34). The identification of Muslim women in the media by the use of traditional Islamic dress has been noted by Begum, who argues that images of Islamic dress are increasingly used in the media as a visual shorthand for dangerous extremism, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Muslims all over Europe are suffering from the consequences of such associations (Begum, 2005, p. 1). In France, a breeding ground of media and political debate about the hijab, has had a polarising affect on the Muslim community and a divisive impact on society and feminism. (Begum, 2005, p. 1) The medias portrayal of these women went from sinister symbols of Islamic extremism to brave heroines of the republic overnight (Ezekiel, 2005). But since then, the French media have reported on the suspension of a Muslim meter reader who wore a hijab under her hat, the banning of a fashion show of veiled women, the prevention of hijab-wearing mothers from volunteering in schools; the refusal of service to a student wearing a hijab by a university cafeteria and the banning of a witness to a civil service wedding from signing the documentation because her hijab prevented her from being formally identified According to Ezekiel, sexism and racism intersect in this debate. On one side of the feminist debate about the hijab, there are those who demand veils be banned from French streets as they encourage the harassment of unveiled women. But at the other end of the spectrum, feminists advocating a Muslim womans right to choose to wear or not to wear a hijab have aligned themselves with fundamentalist Islamic leaders, arguing that its a Muslim womans obligation to wear a hijab and demanding the ban be overturned. The authors argue that because of the medias cultural fixation on Muslim womens dress as a symbol of oppression, Muslim women often have to focus on that aspect of their identity as well, even if they would rather discuss something else. They suggest that even responsible journalism about Muslim women tends to demote them to the role of a reactionary source in the hijab debate. In sum, it is clear that Muslim women are predominantly presented to the Canadian public as foreign, exotic, oppressed, or threatening others rather than as ones unexotic, unthreatening next door neighbours. (www.reportingdiversity.org.) Clearly, the hijab story remains newsworthy in Western countries, and Muslim womens identities are inextricably linked to the headscarf as a result. 3.2.2.1 The argument of oppression Although it is true that many women do choose to wear the Hijab, it is not the case for all women. In many Middle Eastern and North African countries women are forced and are persecuted and abused for noncompliance with the hijab. This Hirshmann, Western Feminism, Eastern Veiling, and a Question of Free Agency, was recently demonstrated in Pakistan, where an extremist killed a womens activist and government minister, because she refused to wear the Hijab. King states, From Afghanistan to Algeria to Sudan, Pakistan and Iran- women are systematically brutalized and caught in a deadly crossfire between the secular and fundamentalist forces. Some Islamic feminists argue that although the statement in the Quran about women covering themselves was not meant to oppress women, the interpretation of those verses by Islamic societies does in fact oppress women. Although it can be argued that the hijab is a symbol of the oppression that occurs against women in Islam, many Islamic women dont agree. It is true that under some Islamist rule, specifically in some North African countries, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia women are oppressed and forced to wear the hijab, but in an international context, this is the exception to the rule regarding womens practices of wearing the veil11. Salma Yaqoob, a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the hijab explains the veil is not only an oppressing force in Islamic countries that require the veil, but also in Western countries that ban the veil. Yaqoob adamantly contends that by infringing laws that restricts womens choice on whether or not to wear the veil, they are also being oppressed. I am opposed to the Saudi and Iranian governments imposition of the veil and that of the Taliban previously. But this is also why I oppose the ban on wearing the hijab. In both cases the woman herself is no longer free to make a choice. In both cases her dignity is violated.. Yaqoob explains that more women are currently banned from wearing the hijab, than are required to wear it. The argument of liberation It can be argued that rather than oppressing, the hijab is liberating. The oppressing force behind the veil is when members of the authority, both Islamic and Western, take away a womans right to choose. The veil itself is just a piece of cloth. We interpret the hijab according to our social and religious constructions. Through the Western discussion and banning of the hijab in public schools, the Muslim school girls of France lose their freedom to express their spirituality. This view on the veil serves to continually disable and oppress women by terminating their freedom of spiritual expression. Frances 2004 law on the headscarf disables Islamic females from wearing the veil in places of education. The desired effect of the 2004 law is to fight gender oppression and inequality in the public school system, but as a residual effect, it actually diminishes womens freedoms rather than enhancing them. The law on the headscarf supports the oppressing Western discourses about veiled women and attempts to Westernize French Muslim schoolgirls. Internal debate: Reasons for wearing and not wearing the hijab The opinions of Islamic women vary in their decision whether or not to wear the veil. Some feminists, both Muslim and non-Muslim, defend the veil as a mark of agency, cultural membership, and defiance. Tayyab Bashart, a feminist scholar and Muslim who teaches in France, explains her beliefs, A woman in hijab, who is a functioning member of society, symbolizes an empowered, independent woman, rather than someone who lacks self-determination and is a puppet of society (Tayyab, Basharat.Hijab as an instrument of Taking Women off the Sex Economy.). Muslim women see bans on the veil as creating or perpetuating stereotypes that are becoming harder to fight. Hirshmann states that Western society tends to oversimplify these cultural stereotypes without looking into the women whom they think are being degraded. Reasons for wearing the hijab in Islamic Tradition The most basic debate over the hijab is over the requirement of the hijab. This is an issue that is debated by many Muslim scholars. First in order to understand why there is an issue it is important to understand the power of the Quran. The Quran is the word of God brought by his last messenger the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Islam is the total submission to Allah (God the Father) and obedience to Allah, as the Quran is Gods word then it also means total submission and obedience to Quran. The first issue with the requirement of the hijab comes from whether the hijab is in the Quran or not. There are two sides to this argument; there are those who say that the hijab is a requirement because it is in the Quran and those who say that it is not because it is not part of the Quran. Amr Khaleds lectures have greatly influenced the Muslim youth, especially Muslim female youth on the topic of the hijab. He represents the school of thought that considers the hijab to be directly in the Quran and thus a requirement for Muslim women. In one of his lectures about the hijab he says Some people argue that this hijab is not obligatory and that it was not mentioned in the Quran. These are the Qurans verses that make the Hijab obligatory to Muslim women. O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And ALLAH is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (33:59) ( Amr Khaled). Here in this verse women are told to cover their bodies so that they should be known as modest women and are not harassed. The hijab, according to many Muslims, has multiple uses and meanings. The hijabs symbolism is one of modesty and morality. According to Islam, the hijab functions as a shield for a woman against the lustful gaze of men. The hijab also serves as a cover to preserve the modesty and piety of the woman, as that is her main role as stated in the Quran. Not only is this her role in her faith, but in society as well. The Quran also states that the woman is the familys main preserver of honour, piety, and modesty. Thus, the hijab is an aid in which the woman can successfully carry out this function as demanded by Allah through the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (Kulenovic 714-715). Amr Khalad, a popular Islamic scholar, layman, and highly influential Muslim speaker, has had a strong influence on Muslim youth in on the issue of the hijab, especially in Jordan (Stratton 98). According to Amr Khalads lecture Al-Hijab, the hijab also serves the purpose of forcing men to not sexually objectify women but to see her as a vessel of intelligence and high moral values. Khalad says that the hijab reinforces the fact that Islamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ made the beauty of women of a higher value in mens eyes by providing protection [in the form of hijab] to that beauty from uncontrolled lusts and desires, and instead ordering men to respect greater the inner beauty of her soul. Thus, the real value of women is associated with the degree of her bashfulness and her abidance by it (Khalad Al-Hijab). This is the tradition Islamic rational for the hijab and why it is important in Islam (Khalad AlHijab). A study about hijab in the West also provides another theory that I believe can also be applied in South Africa because it is a country heavily influenced by the West. The idea of the hijab as a symbol of resistance is explored by Tarik Kulenovic but not necessarily one that is strictly political. Tarik Kulenovics theory suggests that the hijab in the West is a matter of identity, a physical symbol of a womans Muslim identity. This symbol also carries a message of religiosity in a modernizing society which encourages a secular life style and scorns tradition. Kulenovic asserts that the modern identity of Muslim women, which includes the wearing of the veil, is primarily the identity of resistance to the values than individuals find foreign to them and as such imposed on them (Kulenovic, page 717). Thus, in modern society, the hijab can be thought of as a means of retaining a religious life style while assimilating to the demands of the modern world. Another reason women choose to wea r the hijab is that they find that the hijab serves as an empowering factor. Yaqoob states her personal reasons why she wears the veil, For me, the wearing of the hijab denotes that as a woman I expect to be treated as an equal in terms of my intellect and personality and my appearance is relevant only to the degree that I want it to be, when I want it to be. Katherine Bullock addresses dominant western assumptions by proving through her research that the reasons some women wear the hijab are that the hijab: 1. Does not smother femininity; 2. Brings to mind the different-but-equal school of thought, but does not put forward essentalized male-female difference; 3. Is linked to a view that does not limit women to the home, but neither does it consider the role of stay-at-home-mother and homemaker oppressive; 4. Is linked to a view of morality that is oppressive only if one considers the prohibition of sexual relations outside marriage wrong; 5. Is part of Islamic law, though a law that ought to be implemented in a very wise and women-friendly manner, and 6. Can and should be treated separately from other issues of womens rights in Islam. 4.2 Reasons for not wearing the hijab in the Islamic Tradition In the Quranic this verse although it says to draw the cloak all over their bodies, it does not specifically say the hair. In addition, it does not specify in what way, to what extent, and in what manner women should cover themselves. There are many modern alternative views to this idea that the hijab is compulsory because it is in the Quran. For example, Dr.Reza Alsan, an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions,the founder of AslanMedia.com and also one of the leading scholars in the alternative view, considers the hijab not an obligatory aspect of being a Muslim woman. Reza claims, Although long seen as the most distinctive emblem of Islam, the veil is, surprisingly, not enjoined upon Muslim women anywhere in the Quran (Alsan). Instead he claims that the veil was in Arab culture before the arrival of Islam, through contact with Syria and Iran, where the veil was the sign of the upper class women. According to Lelia Ahmed and those who fall in the second school of thought like Reza, the only places that the hijab is applied to women is when it is addressing the wives of Prophet Muhammad. Thus the veil was only associated with the prophets wives and his daughters not all women of Islam. This school of thought does not deny that modesty was expected of all believers. Women should guard their private parts and drape a cover over their breasts when in the presence of strange men (Surah 24:31-32) (Aslan). Here specific parts of the body are named that women should guard and cover including the private parts and the breast but the hair is not mentioned. Thus those in this school of thought like Leila Ahmed and Reza Alsan do not believe that the hijab is mandatory for Muslim women because it is not mentioned in the Quran. According to Bullock, critics of the veil rely on secular liberal assumptions about society and human nature and therefore the veil is supposed to be and described as a symbol of oppression because it: Covers up (hides), in the sense of smothering, femininity Is apparently linked to essentialized male-female difference (which is taken to mean that by nature, male is superior, female is inferior); Is linked to a particular view of womans place (subjugated in the home); Is linked to an oppressive (patriarchal) notion of morality and female purity (because of Islams Emphasis on chastity, marriage, and condemnation of pre- and extra-marital sexual relations); Can be imposed; and Is linked to a package of oppressions women in Islam face, such as seclusion, polygamy, easy male divorce, unequal inheritance rights, and so on. 4.3 Spirituality Some women have a deep spiritual and religious connection to the veil and firmly disagree with the view of it as a sign of oppression. Many Muslim women feel uncomfortable without wearing it because the hijab is deeply-rooted in their personal values and religious tradition. A main reason women choose to wear the hijab, is as expression of spirituality. Bashart states in his book that Muslim women carry with them their sacred private space into the public space by use of the Hijab. (Basharat, Hijab as an Instrument of Taking Women off the Sex Economy). In this view of the hijab, the veil is not simply an article of clothing; or a symbol of oppression it is a tool of spirituality for women. Fadwa El Guindi, author of The Veil: Modesty, Privacy and Resistance, says veiling patterns and veiling behaviour are. about sacred privacy, sanctity and the rhythmic interweaving of patterns of worldly and sacred life, linking women as the guardians of family sanctuaries and the realm of the sacred in this world Conclusion This research investigates the reasons why the Muslim community is divided on the subject of the veil and if the dominant negative perception of hijab (as the hijab being oppressive) has affected, if at all, the wearing of hijab in TSiBA Education. In the attempt to answer this question, the research has presented two hypotheses. Firstly, the divide on the practice of the hijab exists within the Muslim community because there are different interpretations of the verses of the Quran where Allah commands females to over their hair. Secondly, that the dominant negative Western perception causes some Muslim women to fear wearing the hijab and to abandon it all together as wearing the hijab could result in more oppression to females- as portrayed in Western media. Thirdly, Some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab for spirituality reasons despite constant the pressures of the West.

The Epic Poem, Beowulf - Vengeance and Revenge in Beowulf Essay

Vengeance and Revenge in Beowulf    The oldest of the great lengthy poems written in English and perhaps the lone survivor of a genre of Anglo-Saxon epics, Beowulf, was written by an unknown Christian author at a date that is only estimated.   Even so, it is a remarkable narrative story in which the poet reinvigorates the heroic language, style, and values of Germanic oral poetry.   He intertwines a number of themes including good and evil, youth and old age, paganism and Christianity and the heroic ideal code, into his principal narrative and numerous digressions and episodes; all of which were extremely important to his audience at the time.   Vengeance, part of the heroic code, was regarded differently by the two distinct religions.   Christianity teaches to forgive those who trespass against us, whereas in the pagan world, revenge is typical and not considered an evil act.   In Beowulf, the ancient German proverb "revenge does not long remain unrevenged" is strictly adhered to and verifies that revenge is part of pagan tradition. Two human relationships were deeply significant to the Germanic society.   The most important, the relationship between the warrior and his lord was based on a common trust and respect.   The warrior vows loyalty to his lord and serves and defends him and in turn the lord takes care of the warrior and rewards him lavishly for his valour.   The second human relationship was between kinsmen.   As Baker and Ogilvy suggest, a special form of loyalty was involved in the blood feud. (P.107)   If one of his kinsmen had been slain, a man had an ethical obligation either to kill the slayer or to exact the payment of wergild in compensation.   The price was determined upon the rank or social status of the victim... ... view was "an eye for an eye," if a man kills your kinsmen you exact revenge.   On the contrary, the Christian view was more like as Mohandas Gandhi said "An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind."   Christians believed God would inevitability do what is right and would rather turn the other cheek then have it result in more blood and murder.   Throughout the poem, the poet strives to accommodate these two sets of values.   Though he is Christian, he cannot negate the fundamental pagan values of the narrative story. Works Cited and Consulted: Abrams, M.H., ed.   Beowulf: The Norton Anthology of English Literature.   New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001.   Baker, Donald C. and J.D.A. Ogilvy.   Reading Beowulf.   Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1983. Earl, James W.   Thinking About Beowulf.   Stanford: Stanford University Press: 1994.

Aneroxia Nervosa :: essays research papers

Aneroxia Nervosa SHOT BY SHOT ANALYSIS SHOT ONE CINEMATOGRAPHY: The points made where that the shot will start off as a birds eye view and zero in to a wide shot of a typical home. The point in this is to create a typical family home scene, in an ordinary neighbourhood so to emphasize that Craig is simply a bad egg and evoke emotion (in particular sympathy) from audience. A police car will enter the shot and similtaniously the sounds will stop, the scene will be cut shortly after SOUND: I have not chosen music in this scene because I felt it imperative to continue with the ‘stereotypical noises of traffic, kids playing etc, for the same reasons as above. MISE-EN-SCENE Setting: A normal family home, again for the reasons above. Lighting: Dark clouds are beginning to form so to show that trouble is brewing in the story. EDITING: The shot will be cut as the police car parks and the noise of plying traffic etc. stops. SHOT TWO CINEMATOGRAPHY: The shot will be in real time and will be a wide shot so to include all the family doing normal â€Å"stereotypical activities† SOUND: Diagetic family noises will be present; Chopping vegies T.V noise Chatting etc. Toward the end of the scene a doorbell will ring over all this and mum will go to answer it. MISE-EN-SCENE: Setting: a typical family shot will be the setting to continue to create the scene intended and to evoke the sympathy when Craig will be arrested. Costume: All are dressed in middle-upper class clothing except Craig who wears FUBU and baggy jeans, this is to ensure he is singled out from his family and made to look the bad egg Figure Behaviour: Mum leaves to answer the door, all else continue with their activities (Dad chopping vegies, sister watching TV and Craig reading newspaper). Editing: The will end as mum disappears through the doorway. SHOT THREE CINEMATOGRAPHY: A close up is used here to show that Craig is aware of what is about to happen, audiences are invited to think this as he is obviously distressed. SOUND: Still the diagenic sounds of the family. MIS-EN-SCENE: Lighting: craigs face is slighty shadowed to show that he is a dark horse, hes introuble. Figure behaviour: Craig obviously distressed, sweat appears as he is anticipating what is about to happen. EDITING: As we hear the first sign of footsteps the shot is cut SHOT FOUR CINEMATOGRAPHY: The shot(s) are still all in real time. I have used what perhaps could be considered halway between a subjective shot and a long shot to include all the family’s reactions as the police appear, but to still create the tension of a face off between the policeman and Craig.

Drug War Failures and Drug Company Successes Essays -- Argumentative P

In the May 1999 issue of Harper's Magazine, Joshua Wolf Shenk's article "America's Altered States: When does legal relief of pain become illegal pursuit of pleasure?" states: From 1970 to 1998, the inflation-adjusted revenue of major pharmaceutical companies more than quadrupled to $81 billion, 24 percent of that from drugs affecting the central nervous system and sense organs. Sales of herbal medicines now exceed $4 billion a year. Meanwhile the war on Other drugs escalated dramatically. Since 1970 the federal antidrug budget has risen 3,700 percent and now exceeds $17 billion. More than one and half million people are arrested on drug charges each year, and 400,000 are now in prison. These numbers are just a window into an obvious truth: We take more drugs and reward those who supply them. We punish more people for taking drugs and especially punish those who supply them. On the surface, there is no conflict...The drug wars and the drug boom are interrelated, of the same body. The hostility and veneration, the punishment and profits, these come from the same beliefs and the same mistakes. The pharmaceutical industry is booming; the war on drugs is escalating. Are these statistics unconnected or do they reveal a deeper insight into our society? What factors influence our moral perception of drugs? What separates the good drugs from bad ones? In Shenk's words, "When does the legal relief of pain become illegal pursuit of pleasure?" To answer these surprisingly difficult questions, we must examine drugs themselves-the origins of their legality and the reasons given for their moral status. This examination will reveal some misguided explanations to the questions above-explanations that have obscured a more urgent problem in ... ...cide for people fifteen to twenty-four to triple since 1960 (undoubtedly this rise in depression has fed the need for more legal and illegal drugs)? Maybe it is the discontent and frustration that is behind the recent school massacres that continue to happen (psychiatrists with their arsenal of drugs flock to these scenes ready to help the victims)? These are questions we must ask, and in this new line of inquiry we must not forget Shenk's insightful words: But we often don't realize that the feeling is inside, perhaps something that, with effort, could be experienced without the drugs or perhaps, as in the psychiatric equivalent of diabetes, something we will always need help with. Yet all too often we project upon the drug a power that resides elsewhere. Many believe this to be a failure of character. If so, it is a failure the whole culture is implicated in.

Association Football and Soccer

In this soccer essay we will discuss soccer. Soccer (also called football) is the most popular kind of sports in the world. It is more than 2000 years old. Other sources say it is more than 3000 years old. The earliest forms of soccer existed in 1004 B. C. in Japan and in 50 B. C. in China. Japanese kicked a small round ball. Chinese filled heir leather ball with hair. It is known that Romans played a game that was similar to soccer. However, English Kings and Queens did not favor the game. In the UK, it was forbidden for many centuries until the beginning of the 19th century.Soccer essayIn such articles as this one, you must offer all basic information about the subject, explain the rules if it is a game and look back into history of the subject. However, it is not enough to write a good paper. You need to know the rules of writing such papers. Our online service can help you with your writing and provide you with essays of the highest quality. Like every game, soccer has rules. Now , in the soccer essay, we will discuss the rules. The game is played by two teams in a big field covered with grass. Each team consists of eleven players.Their object is to score the ball into the opponent’s goal. The rules are not difficult. The main rule states that it is forbidden to touch the ball with hands or arms (only the goalie can do it, he defends the goal). Also, players of different teams must not push or hit each other. The game is judged by the referee. There are goals at the opposite ends of the soccer field. The field has a goal box and a penalty box. Soccer players’ uniform consists of team jersey, shorts, socks, cleats, and shin guards. Every team has uniforms of different colors.Usually, the colors represent the country they play for. The World Cup is the most famous soccer championship. It is held every four years. Teams from many countries of the world compete with each other, and millions of people around the world watch the game on television at that time. It is a very competitive kind of sports that is why it is interesting to watch it. Soccer is popular with children as well. Boys around the world play soccer at their free time. This game is healthy because it involves much running. Nonetheless, it causes traumas sometimes.Soccer has simple rules; however, it is a difficult game. It is a highly strategic game that requires logical thinking, quick reaction and endurance as it is necessary to run without a rest for a long time. Players have different roles in the team. There are forwards who attack and score goals. There are defenders who help to defend the goal. The goalkeeper can touch the ball inside the goalie’s box. In this soccer essay, we discussed the game of soccer, presented basic information about it and explained its rules. Also, we considered the history of this most popular game in the world.

Relative Density Essay

Abstract The experiment about relative density is composed of three different activities. The first activity is about the Displacement Method for alloy, the second activity is about getting the density of a bone and the third activity is about Regular versus Diet Soft Drinks. 1. Introduction Relative density is the ratio of the density (mass per unit volume) of a substance to the density of a given reference material. The theory or the principle that we used for the experiment is the Archimides’ Principle which states that any fluid a buoyant force to an object that is partially or completely immersed in it; the magnitude of the buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid that the object displaces. In the experiment we used different formulas. For activity 1 (g) mass of the substance which is Aluminum, (cc) initial level of water, (g/cc) for the experimental value, magnitude of buoyant force [pic]= Wfluid which is weight of displaced fluid. For activity 2 we used formulas for getting the relative density of the bone. For experiment 3 we used formulas like 2. Theory Activity 1: Displacement Method for Alloy The Aluminum bar was weighed and its mass was recorded. Some water was placed into a graduated cylinder and the initial water level was recorded. The Aluminum bar was placed inside the cylinder and the new water level was recorded. The volume of the Aluminum bar was computed by subtracting the initial water level from the resulting water level. The density of the Aluminum bar was computed by dividing its mass by its volume. The calculated density was compared to the standard density (2.7 g/cc) and the % error was taken. Activity 2: Density of a Bone A piece of bone was weighed in air and in water, each reading was recorded as the â€Å"weight of the bone in air† and â€Å"weight of the bone in water† The Relative Density of the bone was then computed by using the formula given. The density of the bone was then computed by multiplying the Relative density of the bone to the density of the water. The status of the bone was identified by referring to the WHO ‘s definition of the diseases a bone can have relative to its own density. Activity 3: Regular versus Diet Soft Drinks The weight of an empty pycnometer, the pycnometer filled with water, pycnometer filled with regular coke, pycnometer filled with coke light, and pycnometer filled with coke zero. The relative density of regular coke, coke light, ad coke zero was computed by using the formulas given. 4. Results and Discussion Table 1 show the results from activity 1, table 2 for activity 2 in activity the finding is that the bone has osteopenia it is or low bone mass because the density of the bone is within 1.0 to 2.5 and table 3 for activity 3.

Empathy: Emotion and People Essay

All of us have had compaction for one thing or another in our lives. Our sympathetic feelings toward something is empathy. It is a basic requirement for all human beings. It is natural for us to have an empathetic response towards things. Empathy is a very powerful tool towards our emotional distress. It is hard for us to resist the power of empathetic feelings. When we feel empathy we feel other peoples emotional distresses. We try to feel sympathetic towards the situation or the person. When empathy comes into play we try to solve the problem and take the other persons perspective on the problem. An empathetic person feels what the other person is feeling and why. One can be empathetic towards fictional situations and characters. Empathy is an emotion that we strive to satisfy even if it means risking our lives or being very uncomforadable. Empathy is an emotion shown in people as young as twelve months. Our empathy builds as we grow older. An important aspect of empathy is to be able to consider the viewpoint of another person. This is also known as perspective taking. This is why people risk their lives to save someones life or just save someone from harm. Usually people who risk their lives to save people are very empathetic of people. People who posses a low level of empathy towards people tend to not take as much risks for the sake of solving a problem. But some people find it quite necessary to satisfy their empathetic emotions. This breed of people obviously take more risks . When you imagine how another person perceives an event and how he or she feels as a result, this is called taking an â€Å"imagine other† perspective. When we see on the news that an innocent bystander was harmed, we take an â€Å"imagine other† perspective. This makes us feel empathy for the person, even though we may have never heard or seen of the person before until the news reported it. â€Å"Imagine self† is when one imagines themselves personally being in the situation. Both â€Å"imagine other† and â€Å"imagine self† perspectives go hand in hand. When one feels for a persons problems and tries to imagine how he or she feels, one tends to also imagine themselves in the same situation. These perspectives bring out the empathy that we possess. Those who take the â€Å"imagine other† perspective experience relatively pure empathy that motivates altruistic behavior. The â€Å"imagine self† perspective also produces empathy but it is accompanied by feelings of distress that arouse egoistic  motives that can actually interfere with people being unselfish about their thoughts. Another perspective of empathy is fantasy. This is when our empathy is for something that is not real. This is a very occurring situation to most people. People act emotionally to the joys and sorrows of an imaginary person or thing. When people watch a sad movie, people sometimes cry and feel for the person, even though the situation is not real. When we read a sad or depressing book or hear about a sad fair tale, we take the imagine other and imagine self perspectives to a fantasy situation just as we would a real life situation. The only difference being is you can’t physically put yourself into position to help the fantasy situation, as with the real life situations, one can physically help the situation. We might think that children have the tendency to have empathetic thoughts about fantasy situations more than adults. This is not true. Adults experience the same kind of empathetic feelings towards fantasy situations. When I went to see the movie TITANIC two summers ago, I observed that the whole audience was crying. Women, children and even men were crying. Even though the movie was a fantasy people still felt for the characters. Humans differ greatly in their ability to experience empathy. Some people are highly empathetic and feel distress whenever they encounter someone else is distressed. It doesn’t matter whether it’s real or fictional. People who are highly empathetic more motivated to avoid social disapproval or feelings of guilt. Some people are not very empathetic at all. These people are unaffected by anyone’s emotional state but their own.. People with low levels of empathy will avoid helping people because the costs are high and they can escape responsibilities easily. Genes account for about a third of the differences in people in affective empathy. Presumably, learning counts for the remaining differences in empathy. Our experiences in our life help us learn either affective empathy or non-affective empathy. The kind of experiences that are involved in our ability to have affective empathy is by a mother’s warmth and by clear and forceful messages from parents telling how others are affected by hurtful behavior. When parents discuss emotions with their children, the better their ability to empathize becomes. When  parentsw are abusive or use anger to control their kids, their ability to empathize with the world drops tremendously. Women tend to empathize with the world more than men. This could either be because of genetics or because women have different socialization experiences than men. We tend to be more empathetic to people who are most like ourselves. This happens because we can relate to people who are much like ourselves. When disasters occur similarity to self comes into play. If one has been involved in a similar disaster, one is more likely to be empathetic towards the situation.. Need for approval is an important aspect of helping behavior. People who want to be praised for their good deeds generally empathize with the world quite well. Empathy is higher in people who help with emergency situations. People who are very altruistic descibe themselves as being very responsible, socialized, conforming tolerant , self controlled, and wanting to make a good impression. Obviously people who help others in emergency situations are believe that it is just the right thing to do. People that have empathy for others see themselves as socially responsible for people in emergencies. To look the other way is not being responsible. One can’t say that someone with low levels of empathy would not help somebody in a particular emergency situation. It is just more likely people that have little empathy will look for someone else to help before they do. It also depends on the severity of the situation at hand. It is easy to see how the media reacts to how people react during emergency situations in today’s society. When bystanders fail to act, the media focuses on the lack of concern among uncaring people. When a bystander does to the emergency the media emphasises on how an ordinar person can suddenly become a hero to the public. This gives people with empathy all the more reason to act and give people with little empathy a good reason to at least try and do something for the sake of not being looked down on by the media. Empathy is a very powerful emotion that many of us possess. It is a very natural emotion that even infants have. Empathy comes in many forms. Taking an â€Å"imagine other† perspective and the â€Å"imagine self perspective is something we do everyday in one form or another. Empathy comes in many forms. We empathize for the smallest things. Some of us are not very  empathetic at all. This is seen as a bad thing by today’s society and media. But people with low empathy doesn’t necessarily mean they are cruel people. The capacity for empathy plays a crucial role in differentiating those who behave in prosocial behavior and those who do not. It is safe to say that people who are concerned with their own personal welfare and not others are unempathetic people to our society. We must remember that empathy is present in all of us. It just depends on the person and their life experiences whether they will show empathy for situations.

Hyundai: A Global Success Story

The automotive industry is among the largest and most global sectors in the world. Any shift in the automotive industry has consequences for firms around the globe. Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) is a rising star in the global automotive industry. South Korea's number one carmaker, HMC produces about a dozen models of cars and minivans, as well as trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles (www.hyundai-motor.com). Popular exported models are the Accent, Elantra, and Sonata. The Korean firm has managed to internationalize successfully seemingly against all odds.The Car Industry on a Global ArenaWith many competitors battling for market share, car makers such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Renault, and Volkswagen operate on relatively thin margins. The automotive industry has been suffering from excess production capacity. Although there is a capacity to produce 80 million cars globally, total global demand runs at only about 60 million a year. Thus, car manufacturers typically employ only 75 percent of their production capacity.However the car industry is extremely capital intensive and, with so much competition, firms should use at least 80 percent of their production capacity in order to remain competitive. It is tough to stay afloat under such competitive conditions and the industry has seen numerous mergers and acquisitions in recent years. Consolidation has occurred between Ford and Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo, and DaimlerBenz with Chrysler, to name a few.South Korea and the Auto IndustryAgainst this background, HMC has faced various mishaps. The South Korean economy endured a recession in the late 1990s as a result of the Asian Monetary Crisis. The economy comprises numerous family-owned conglomerates, or chaebol. The combined sales of the nation’s five major chaebols — Hyundai, Samsung, Daewoo, LG, and SK – amounted to roughly 40 percent South Korea’s GDP and total exports. Over time, these giant firms expanded rapidly, borrowing from their own banks to finance often reckless expansion into unrelated industries. Financial blunders led the Korean government to  impose greater transparency and more stringent accounting controls.In the automotive industry, Kia Motors, Korea’s third largest maker went bankrupt and Daewoo was sold off to General Motors. While domestic demand in South Korea is some two million cars, total productive capacity had reached five million. Exporting was a necessity. HMC’s debt burden had reached five times its equity, and the firm was suffering massive losses. The future was very uncertain. HMC was using less than 40 percent of its total production capacity, with a debt of around $30 billion. In 1998, HMC took control of Kia, becoming the South Korea’s biggest car maker and holding three-quarters of its domestic car market as well as passing Japan’s Mitsubishi and Suzuki in world ranking.Early Internationalizati on EffortsChung Ju Yung was HMC’s founder. A workaholic from a peasant background, at age 85, Mr. Chung was determined to return HMC to profitability. All his life, whenever he set his mind on something, he would always found a way to achieve it. The Hyundai conglomerate was founded in 1947 in the construction industry, and over the next fifty Mr. Chung expanded his dynasty into car manufacturing, oil refining, electronics, banking, and insurance. HMC was founded in 1967. Mr. Chung passed on his ‘never-give-up’ values to his son, Chung Mong Koo, who took over as Chairman in 1998. The younger Mr. Chung was very detail oriented, and attached great importance to producing quality products. He is often quoted as saying: â€Å"Quality is crucial to our survival. We have to get it right, no matter the cost.†In the late 1970s, HMC had begun an aggressive effort to develop engineering capabilities and new designs. In 1983 HMC started its Canadian operation, the fi rm’s first foreign investment venture. But the operation proved unprofitable and was shut down after only four years. Despite this disastrous outcome, HMC management learned a great deal from the experience.Instead of FDI, HMC began exporting to the U.S. market with the Excel as an economical brand with a $4,995 price tag. The car was soon a big success with exports rising to 250,000 units per year. Unfortunately, various  problems emerged: the Excel was perceived as a low-quality car and the weak dealer network was not producing enough sales. Consumers were losing faith in Hyundai and the firm’s brand equity began to deteriorate. The U.S. is the largest car market in the world and management had to do something drastic to turn things around.Ultimately SuccessfulIn response to complaints about product quality, HMC introduced a â€Å"10 year warranty† program. The rationale was that, in order to erase any negative image, management had to go beyond the typical guarantee period and offer a very substantial warranty. The strategy was a major turning point for Hyundai, and the firm set about designing and building cars based on much higher quality standards. While still maintaining low prices, HMC was able, over time, to provide substantially extra value to consumers.Another major step was geographical diversification. Putting lessons from the failed Canadian investment into practice, HMC built a factory in Turkey in 1997, in India in 2000, (with second plant in 2007), and in China in 2002. The main advantage of these plants is the inexpensive, high quality labor available at these locations. The Turkish plant gave HMC a foothold in the Middle East, a market it wants to develop. Turkey’s proximity to Western Europe is also a major advantage. In 2006, HMC had more than ten production plants in locations such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Iran, Sudan, and Venezuela. HMC’s first U.S. plant opened in Alabama in May 2005, with an investment o f $1.1 billion and annual production of 300,000 cars.Automotive industry labor costs make up only 10 percent of total operational costs. In order to be able to gain a competitive edge, therefore, not only must HMC seek out cheap labor, it must also source from locations that can supply low-cost input good (such as engines, tires, car electronics, etc.). The cost-effectiveness of suppliers is a life and death matter in the global automotive industry. HMC is cooperating with DaimlerChrysler to develop new technologies and improved supply chain management. Projects include a new four-cylinder engine and a joint purchasing plan.By investing in Kia, HMC gained access to the firm’s competitive advantages in R&D and production. During its lifetime, Kia had managed to acquire a substantial base of highly knowledgeable workers, engineers, and design staff. Together, the two firms achieved synergies and economies of scale in R&D, engineering, purchasing, quality control, and marketing. HMC also invested in R&D centers in North America, Japan, and Europe.HMC TodayHyundai has been the world’s fastest growing major automaker since 1999. Sales in the U.S. increased by 360 percent from 1998 to 2004. HMC’s growth is coming from international markets. These days the firm generates about a third of its sales from North America and 10 percent from Europe. The firm’s profit margins are among the highest in the industry, worldwide. It has won numerous quality assurance prizes from reliable organizations such as Consumer Reports, J. D. Power and Associates, and the 2005 Total Quality Study. Chairman Chung was named one of most successful businessmen in the world by Business Week magazine.HMC invests heavily in various value-chain activities. It utilizes FDI to develop key operations around the world. Management chooses foreign locations based on the advantages they can bring to the firm’s global business. R&D is targeted to developing safer, more convenient automobiles of superior quality. HMC is developing environmentally-friendly technologies that emphasize fuel efficiency. HMC conducts market research to help with choosing designs, as well as interior and exterior styling of automobiles.HMC aims to become one of the top five global car manufacturers by 2010. Hyundai plans to have a 20 percent share of the Chinese market. To that end the automaker has signed a $1.24 billion joint venture with Guangzhou Motor Group, giving HMC access to the commercial-vehicle market in China. With 1.3 billion people increasingly anxious to buy passenger cars and trucks, China will be a major market for HMC. The firm benefits from its proximity to China and management’s understanding of the Chinese culture. Chung Ju Yung’s ‘can do’ spirit prevails throughout the entire HMC network.