Midas Case Study Essay Example for Free

Midas Case Study Essay Winners: From the customers perspective the winners which ensures they utilise Midas are Speed and Price. In order to assess the anticipated impacts of the introduction of maintenance services on the existing business process it is necessary to analyse the potential fit of the new business with the existing areas. This analysis will indicate whether or not the process can be effectively integrated within the existing production process without jeopardising the companys existing winning qualifiers. Potential negative impacts ?Need to new skills within taskforce ? training is necessary; ? Complicates the operation process; ?Demands on physical space and potential capacity constraints; ? Pressure on storage space of inventory ? may require offsite storage which may complicate the operation process; ? Additional labour demands; ?Planning complexity; ?New machinery will be required creating further pressures on location space; ? More time is required to offer all services; ?Possible bottlenecks in the operation process; ?Customer awareness of new services needs to be addressed. The problem with the proposed introduction of the maintenance services is that Midas is moving from specialised services, namely mufflers and brakes into more general services such as maintenance. The potential negative impacts have been outlined above, and the successful product line extension must be managed to ensure effective allocation of resources so that the existing businesses are not harmed. Suggested implementation We believe that the inherent nature of the maintenance services is different in form from the very specialised areas of replacement mufflers and brake servicing. Therefore we believe that effective product extension should be introduced in an isolated manner to ensure that the existing operation processes are affected as little as possible. Additional space, additional equipment and labour force retraining would be required in order to implement this new service. Certain information should be gathered from the shop owners. Midas should find out the amount of available resources (labour, space, etc? ) to gain a clearer picture of storeowners ideas/feedback, and to engage them in the product line extension. The storeowners are closer to day to day operations and therefore are better suited to assess the viability of the extension. Extension of the services should be restricted to those stores that have sufficient resources (including floor space, under-utilised labour, and inventory storage onsite) to allow product line extension so as to ensure that the Midas brand image in their main business of muffler and brake servicing are not harmed by capacity and service problems. Extension of the services should be monitored by preset criteria by the head offices in the various countries. If the service proves successful the viability of purchasing extra land to expand these services in other stores should be explored.

Gender Gender Socialization Theories

Gender Gender Socialization Theories According to many sociologists, there exists difference between sex and gender. Sex is the biological classification and gender is the outcome of social construction of separate roles of males and females. According to Lorber (2005), masculinity and femininity is not inborn that is children are taught these traits. As soon as a child is identified as being a male or female then everybody start treating him or her as such. Children learn to move in gendered ways through the support of his environment. They are taught the gendered roles projected someone who is female or male. As the child grows up, he develops his identity, know how to interact with others and learn the role to play in the society. Lorber, Judith. 2005. Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. In The Spirit of Sociology: A Reader, ed. R. Matson, 292-305.New York: Penguin. There are many drivers involved in the socialization process which transmits the traditional gender role to the children and henceforth leading to occupational segregation later on. One set of gender socialization occur between parents and offspring. Parents are considered to be the primary agency in the process of socialization. They are inclined to interact with boys and girls in discrete styles. For example, a one year old baby is considered to have no sex difference, and however, parents are likely to act with boys and girls in dissimilar ways. They react to boys, when they seek interest by being aggressive and girls when they use gestures. Such interaction have long term effect on girls and boys communication styles, leading boys to more assertive styles and girls with more emotive styles. Ann Oakley and Ruth Hartley (1974), studies point out four main ways in which socialization into gender roles occur. Firstly, applying diverse physical and verbal manipulations to the child, for example, dressing a girl in feminine clothes. Secondly, drawing the child attention towards gender-identified toys. This is known as canalization whereby, boys and girls are given certain toys, clothing, sports equipment, and other objects are often culturally identified more with one gender than the other. Boys toys tend to encourage physical activity, whereas girls toys tend to stress physical proximity and mother-child talk. According to Oakley (1974), the socialization process aid to the maintenance of male dominance and female subservience. The roles learn through the above process shape adult behaviour and hence, contribute to the reproduction of differences in behavior of males and females. Thirdly, Applies Different Verbal Descriptions to the Same Behavior: Even years later, working in professional careers, women might find that they have to deal with different standards for the same behavior, being called pushy, for example, for behavior at work that in men is admired for being aggressive. The same thing happens in childhood: A boy is encouraged for being active, where as a girl is rebuked for being too rough. Or a girl is complimented for beinggentle, but a boy is criticized for not being competitive enough. Encourages or Discourages Certain Stereotypical Gender-Identified Activities: As a boy, were you asked to help mother with sewing, cooking, ironing, and the like? As a girl, were you made to help dad do yard work, shovel snow, takeout the trash, and so on? For most children, its often the reverse. Note thatthe identification of girls with indoor domestic chores and boys with outdoorchores becomes training for stereotypical gender roles (McHale et al. 1990;Blair 1992; Leaper 2002; Shellenbarger 2006). The education system is also considered to be a major part of the gender socialisation process. The hidden curriculum is known for reinforcing the traditional model of how girls and boys look and act through the use of course material. For example, teachers reinforces gender roles by encouraging boys and girls to develop different skills. According to Thorne (1993), children also divide themselves along gender lines in the lunch room, claiming different spaces of the playground, and often sanction individuals who violate gender roles. Mass media are one of the most powerful tools of gender socialization because television, magazines, radio, newspapers, video games, movies, and the Internet are ubiquitous in American culture. Like other social institutions, mass media reinforce traditional gender roles. Magazines targeted at girls and women emphasize the importance of physical appearance as well as finding, pleasing, and keeping a man. While boys and mens magazines also focus on the importance of physical appearance, they also stress the importance of financial success, competitive hobbies, and attracting women for sexual encounters (rather than lasting relationships). These supposed masculine and feminine characteristics and behaviors are reinforced across the media system, from video games and movies that show athletic heroes rescuing thin and busty damsels in distress, to television programs that depict women as housewives, nurses, and secretaries and men as lawyers, doctors, and corporate tycoons. Print media a lso play an important role in socialization. In childrens literature, for example, boys typically are the protagonists, who use strength and intelligence to overcome an obstacle. When girls are included in stories, they are typically passive followers of the male leader or helpers eager to support the male protagonist in his plan. This state of affairs is undergoing change, however. An increasing number of television shows (Zena: Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, and Veronica Mars), movies(Laura Croft: Tomb Raider and Elektra), and books (Harry Potter) have crafted new visions of masculinity and femininity. It remains to beseen if these images take hold and affect gender socialization processes. Mass media They also learn gender roles, the behavior and activities expected of someone who is male or female. These expectations channel male and female energies in different gender- appropriate directions. As children learn to look and behave like boys or girls, most reproduce and perpetuate their societys version of how the two sexes should be. When children fail to behave in gender-appropriate ways, their character becomes suspect (Lorber 2005) Lorber, Judith. 2005. Night to HisDay: The Social Construction ofGender. In The Spirit of Sociology:A Reader, ed. R. Matson, 292-305.New York: Penguin. At the minimum people call girls who violate the rules tomboys and boys who do so sissies. The gender socialization process may be direct or indirect. It is indirect when children learn gender expectations by observing others words and behavior, such as the jokes, comments, and stories they hear about men and women or portrayals of men and women they see in magazines, books, and on television(Raag and Rackliff1998).   Raag, Tarja, and Christine Rackliff.1998. Preschoolers Awarenessof Social Expectations of Gender: Relationships to Toy Choices.Sex Roles: A Journal of Research38(9-10): 685. Socialization is direct when significant others intentionally convey the societal expectations to children. Agents of Socialization Agents of socialization are the significant people, groups, and institutions that act to shape our gender identity-whether we identify as male, female, or something in between. Agents of socialization include family, classmates, peers, teachers, religious leaders, popular culture, and mass media. Child development specialist Beverly Fagot and her colleagues (1985) observed how preschool teachers shape gender identity. Specifically, the researchers focused on how toddlers, ages 12 and 24 months, in a play group interacted and communicated with one another and how teachers responded to the childrens attempts to communicate. Fagot, Beverly, Richard Hagan, Mary Driver Leinbach, and Sandra Kronsberg. 1985. Differential Reactions to Assertive and Communicative Acts of Toddler Boys and Girls. Child Development 56(6): 1499-1505. Fagot found no differences in the interaction styles of 12-month-old boys and girls: All of the children communicated by gestures, gentle touches, whining, crying, and screaming. The teachers, however, interacted with them in gender-specifi c ways. They were more likely to respond to girls who communicated in gentle, feminine ways and to boys who communicated in assertive, masculine ways. That is, the teachers tended to ignore girls assertive acts but respond to boys assertive acts. Thus, by the time these toddlers were two, they communicated in very different ways. Fagots research was conducted more than 20 years ago. A more recent study found that early childhood teachers are more accepting of girls cross-gender behaviors and explorations than they are of boys. According to this research, teachers believe that boys who behave like sissies are at greater risk of growing up to be homosexual and psychologically ill-adjusted than are girls who behave like tomboys. This fi nding suggests that while American society has expanded the range of behaviors and appearances deemed acceptable for girls, it has not extended the range for boys in the same way (Cahill and A dams 1997). Childrens toys and celebrated images of males and females fi gure prominently in the socialization process, along with the ways in which adults treat children. Barbie dolls, for example, have been marketed since 1959 with the purpose of inspiring little girls to think about what they wanted to be when they grew up. The dolls are available in 67 countries. An estimated 95 percent of girls between ages 3 and 11 in the United States have Barbie dolls, which come in several different skin colors and 45 nationalities (Mattel 2010).

The History Of The Value Delivery Network Marketing Essay

The History Of The Value Delivery Network Marketing Essay In todays business world, marketing is an effective tool in order for businesses to succeed in retail development for customers. To understand marketing, the perception of its definition is very important. People see marketing from different points of view forgetting some of the most fundamental functions. Marketing is more than just buying or selling. Here are three marketing definitions from different prospective As a personal definition, marketing is the heart of a business. Marketing is responsible to accommodate the customer needs by adjusting products or services. Some of these adjustments are such as prices, hours, product quality, product quantity, custom made product, or special service. A good example of marketing is taking place at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach. The marketing department is responsible for identifying the needs of the patients to increase the customer base and in turn boost net profit and repeat customers for services rendered from the facility. Some of th e issues that were addressed by the marketing department that do satisfy the needs of the patients are: providing quality services at a competitive price, free transportation for surgeries at the facility, hotel accommodations when patients are from out of town for the family members, private rooms during the patients stay, a home like atmosphere in the patient rooms to make the patients more at ease, extra meals for visitors, and financial aid. Providing these extra services gives the customer more options to choose from when determining which facility to use. By providing these extra services, the marketing department has increased the customer flow (daily census) to the hospital, and the hospital has achieved some of the companies stated business goals, specifically, an increase in profitability, and contributing to the business growth. Another marketing definition would be marketing is the developing and positioning an e-content product someone who will want to buy (Scott, 2004). In this definition, marketing will define a product in which customers will want to buy. Then the development of the product will take place. Here is a good example. Fast food restaurants need to compete with each other on pricing and new products. Marketing is responsible to create these new products. The marketing department of each firm will perform research for a product that customers will buy such as when McDonalds created a successful meal for children, the happy meal. The happy meal includes a toy with the meal and an attractive toy box that most of the children want to have. When the marketing research revealed that children from ages two to 10 years old were very interest in the toy more than a regular meal, the marketing department concentrated on the development of the happy meals brand creating new and very attractive toys on a season basis. This product or marketing tool increased sales for Mc Donalds business. Here is the last definition of marketing. Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals (Kotler, 2001). This definition gives the understanding that marketing is not only about advertising, public relations, product placement, or promotions. Marketing focus more on the satisfaction and needs of a customer as this relates to business. The process brings together the four Ps and other factors using a well thought-out plan to achieve the companies marketing goals. These goals are to retain old customers and achieve new ones, and at the same time increase the business profitability. In conclusion, marketing is an important factor that will contribute to a businesses success. Marketing will assist any business or organization to succeed in the most cost-effective way. An effective marketing tool will reduce costs and can increase profitability for any business or organization. Marketing will assist businesses to achieve any business goal, and at the same time can increase customer satisfaction. When a customer is satisfied, customers will be loyal to that business, and this action will contribute to the businesses growth potential. Marketing is not only about buying and selling. Marketing is also about satisfying customers and the companies needs. Many individuals may think of marketing as the way a business advertises their products and or their services. Others may believe advertising is how an organization carries out their public relations or promotions. A few individuals consider marketing to be selling or advertising. In a way this is true because in order for marketing to be carried out properly selling and advertising are a few key roles of the marketing process (Perreault McCarthy, 2004). Jan Welborn Nichols and Ann Arbor describe marketing as ones strategy for allocating resources (time and money) in order to achieve ones objectives (a fair profit for supplying a good product or service) (Welborn Nicholas, 1993). As one begins to follow the passage below one will become familiar with different definitions of what marketing signifies, based on these definitions explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. Also, the following will provide a minimum of three examples from the business world to prove th e importance of marketing and the organizational success. What should a company do before and after it decides to produce and sell? As indicated by Perreault-McCarthy and Arbor a company should consider the following if the product one wishes to promote is a bike: 1. Analyze the needs of people who might buy a bike and decide if they want more or different models. 2. Predict what types of bikes handlebar styles, type of wheels, brakes, and materials different customers will want and decide which of these people the firm will try to satisfy. 3. Estimate how many of these people will want to buy bicycles, and when. 4. Determine where in the world these bike riders will be and how to get the firms bikes to them. 5. Estimate what price they are willing to pay for their bikes and if the firm can make a profit selling at that price. 6. Decide which kinds of promotion should be used to tell potential customers about the firms bikes. 7. Estimate how many completing companies will be making bikes, what kind, and at what prices. 8. Figure out how many to provide warranty service if a customer has a problem after buying a bike (Perreault McCarthy, 2004). Many may assume that the activities above are captured by production when in fact it is actually a part of a much greater process identified as marketing. This process directs the production of the product(s) and provides needed assurance that the right goods and services are produced and find their way to consumers (Perreault McCarthy, 2004). Another way an organization can market and organize successfully is by strategically integrating across the entire organization. As Jan Welborn Nichols and Ann Arbor describe marketing as ones strategy for allocating resources (time and money) in order to achieve ones objectives (a fair profit for supplying a good product or service) (Welborn Nicholas, 1993). One way to define this effort would be to do the following activities and consider marketing as a cycle that consists of: 1. Research: Research often begins with a guess, sometimes an informed guess based upon your observations, experiences, and belief system. Often the process of gathering information can feel counter-intuitive, especially when research indicates something other than what you believe (Welborn Nicholas, 1993). Research customer demographics, psychographics, and competitive intelligence. From this research a SWOTT analysis can be developed. 2. Strategy and planning: gathered from raw data, the marketing department can create a strategy and then implement 3. Branding: making a name for the product brand, how would the company like to be known by the consumer. 4. Product development: the complete process of bringing a new product or service to market. 5. Sales and sales training: as the product or service has been established and prior to bring the product to market the sales team must be trained and to ensure proper knowledge of the product and or service to close a sale. 6. Point of purchase (POP): materials needed to press sales: coupon holders, brochures, and promotional signs to name a few. 7. Public relations (PR), media relations, and public affairs: PR deals with the public to inform individuals of the new product and or service. Media relations strictly deal with the press. Public affairs transact with the various government entities that impact the organization. 8. Customer service: customer experience should be extremely important to the marketers for if the customer is not satisfied with the product and or service then the organization must run back to the drawing board to identify what went wrong with the product and service. One method to complete a marketing debate would be to include the four Ps (Perreault McCarthy, 2004). The four Ps consists of the following: product, price, place, and promotion. A few examples of the business world to prove the importance of marketing and the organizational success are Dell Computers, McDonalds, and Wendys. Dell Computers provides a service that nearly other competitors can not follow. For example, Dell can create a computer to the consumers needs as the client is on the phone. Then, the computer can be shipped to the consumer in nearly no time at all (Businessweek, 2005). McDonalds is known worldwide and is the number one fast food company leading in sales today. How does McDonalds do this? Combining tangible products and meeting the needs of the consumer Happy Meals (Hoovers, 2008). Wendys menu offers a diversity of menus and all for just about .99 cents (Businessweek.com, 2008). No one can go wrong with a .99 cents menu especially such a variety of foods. With such a diverse world people need a variety of foods when looking through a menu of the restaurant will lose interest and the client will be lost. Today marketing process can begin with an idea or a passion. As a company conducts research to determine if the idea has merit then one can begin to ask questions. Who are the organizations potential customers? How large is the target market? Whats the perceived value of the product? Who are the competitors? How is the idea unique? How can the organization communicate that uniqueness? In conclusion, marketing is important to many companies and is an essential piece to an organizations success. Success is of great importance in creating a foundation to produce a product and or service. The comprehension of the functionality and need for marketing is a good starting point in understanding whats the purpose and how it interrelates in a economy and enhances consumer responsiveness in its buying power. Defining Value Value creation The customer is buying satisfaction. Highest value is derived when the customer is satisfied. Some common myths in Value Creation Myth # 1 More is often considered value Buy one get one free schemes are rolled out. There is of course an instant sales push. However at the end of the scheme the customer feels that he had all along been paying 100% more for the products and perceives that very product as costly once the scheme is withdrawn. May switch to another product at the same price. Conclusion: Dissatisfaction leads to value erosion Myth # 2 Price is value Many businesses considers lower price as offering more value. More often than not lowest price products end up as the second best with a higher priced product with similar product attributes leading the market. The simple reason is the higher price product may be offering a higher satisfaction due to perceived values and imagery. Car markets are a prime example of this syndrome. Myth # 3 More Features and add on are value Businesses load a product or service with more features thus offering a higher value. While this may be attractive if the features are not backed by adequate supports the satisfaction may be less and value is reduced. We encounter this everyday. A customer buys a product with many features but not demonstrated properly or may not be serviced properly. Enquiries may not be handled effectively. Airlines offering add ons like free overnight accommodation are still not favored if the services, like enquiry handling, reservations, and time schedules are poor. Cell phones companies may be offering plenty of add on like national roaming or free incoming calls etc. However if the billing is poor and billing enquiries are not addressed properly the customer is dissatisfied and leaves the service for another provider. Myth # 4 Products are competing with similar products This is often true in the leisure industry. A movie theatre may not be competing with another movie theatre. If the customer is not satisfied with a theatre or movie he may look at options to other entertainment sources, for instance an amusement park. We may call them discretionary time products. Highest satisfaction levels are very important in this type of business. Value delivery VALUE DELIVERY NETWORK Globalization and technological innovation are creating dynamic network or chain of interconnected players to bring and deliver value to the end user. The notion that value can be created by cooperation has led marketers to search for win-win positions as a way to enhance profitability through collaborative value creation (Anderson, Hakansson, Johanson, 1994; Kanter, 1994). The idea of value creation and exchange is the foundation stone of relationship marketing. This view is based on three different assumptions of value exchange potentialities (Christopher et al., 2002). These value perspectives suggest that value is created; as an offering and delivered through recurrent transactions within a supplier-managed relationship; through mutually interactive processes and shared through negotiated agreement within the life of a relationship and shared in interactions that emerge from within networks of relationships. Thus value has been considered to be an important constituent of relationship marketing and the ability of a company to provide superior value to its customers is regarded as one of the most successful strategies. This ability has become a mean of differentiation and a key to the riddle of how to find a sustainable competitive advantage (Ravald and Gronroos 1996; Heskett et al 1994; Nilson 1992; Treacy and Wiersema, 1993). Walters and Lancaster (1999a and 1999b) determine value as the utility combination of benefits delivered to the customer less the total costs of acquiring the delivered benefits and is then a preferred combination of benefits compared with acquisition cost. There seems to be an agreement that value is a function of what a customer gets, the solution provided by an offering, and the sacrifice of the customer to get this solution. Consumers overall assessment of the utility of a product based on a perception of what is received and what is given, is known as perceived value (Zeithaml, 1988). In a relational context the offering includes both a core product and additional services of various kinds. Many companies today have partnered with specific suppliers and distributors to create a superior value delivery network, also called a supply chain (Magnet, 1994). Brown (1997) has defined supply chain/value delivery network as a tool to disaggregate a business into strategically relevant activities which enables identification of the source of competitive advantage by performing these activities more cheaply or better than its competitors. It comprises of larger stream of activities carried out by members like suppliers, distributors and customers. Further Christopher (2002) defines a value delivery network/supply chain as the network of organizations that are involved through upstream and downstream linkages in the different processes and activities that produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate consumers. In order to gain competitive advantage value delivery network/supply chain collaboration or integration is required i.e. the backward/upstr eam and forward/downstream collaboration/integration. Mentzer (2001) says a value delivery network comprises of number of players in which a firm whether manufacturing or service, holds the key by creating and offering values in terms of output to its customers. This further can be justified with the help of the notion that the core of relationship marketing is relations, maintenance of relations between the company and the actors in its micro-environment, i.e. suppliers, market intermediaries, the public and of course customers as the most important actor. Thus the more pertinent issue is not what kind of an offering the company provides rather it is what kind of relationship the company is capable of maintaining.

Comparison of Edgar Allan Poes Annabel Lee and The Raven :: compare/contrast compare

Comparing Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" and "The Raven"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe's view on poetry is that all poems must be a "rhythmical creation of beauty". In his eyes, melancholy and sadness is beautful. He thinks that the death of a young beautiful woman is itself full of beauty. In both "Annabel Lee" and "The Raven", Poe writes about this so-called beauty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "Annabel Lee", a young man is mourning the death of a beautiful young lady. Even though the woman had died quite some time ago, the man is still in melancholy. He misses her terribly and constantly thinks of how she was she was tragically taken from him by the angels who were jealous of their love, and by her family who didn't think the he himself was capable of bringing her to her final resting place. He loved Annabel Lee more than anyother human can love another. The following quote tells the reader how much he loves her and shows that he would do anything for her, even if that means sleeping by her tomb, each and every night. "And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling, my life and my bride, in her sepulchre there by the sea, in her tomb by the side of the sea."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Raven", a man, most likely older than the man in "Annabel Lee", mourns the death of his love whom he called "Lenore". Lenore, like Annabel Lee, had died several years earlier. In "The Raven", man hears tapping on his chamber door and sees the curtains slowly swaying. He believes that it can be no other than Lenore. Unfortunately for him though, it is only but a bird. A large, black bird known as the Raven. Although the men in these two stories are similar because they both mourn for their loved ones, they are also different.

The Internets Effects on Reading Essay example -- National Endowment

The Internet's Effects on Reading NEAdites join me in rejoicing at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) report Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America. This report brings into view the dangers of the Internet and foreshadows the impact it and the associated electronic media forms it delivers will have on culture and society. Our only chance is one huge electromagnetic burst that will take it all out from the inside. The act of reading as we traditionally know it is under assault. We must not get caught up in the electronic media and forget that which is important, â€Å"A book must be an ice ax to break the seas frozen inside our souls† is Kafka’s battle cry for reading (Solomon 1994). This quote is echoed by Nomi Schwartz who, like Solomon, draws up sides in her argument in favor of reading. For her, there are those who know the joys of reading, and those who do not but should. There must be two sides to every battle. Don’t rush out to join the NEAdites just yet though, traditional reading of literature may be in decline as statistically shown by the NEA report, the narrow focus of the report however fails to consider that change is continuous and inevitable and that these new forms of media actually have the potential to expand reading and enhance participation in activities associated with culture and the arts. We all have our comfort zones, not surprisingly we are most comfortable with what we known. A stake in the present can rattle change around as a threat to the future. Reports such as this are intriguing because they challenge our safety zone, they bring our fear of change to the surface, prompting us to take action so we don’t loose our sacred now. The NEA report is one of many â€Å"crise du jour... ...st 8). Reading at Risk: Lack of interese in literature is a crisis [Commentary]. Columbia Daily Tribune. Retrieved August 19, 2004, from ShowMeNews: http://www.showmenews.com/2004/Aug/20040808Comm007.asp United States National Endowment for the Arts. (2004, June). Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literaty Reading in America [Research Division Report #46]. Retrieved September 22, 2004, from National Endowment for the Arts: http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/ReadingAtRisk.html Vegh, S. (2003). Classifying Forms of Online Activism: The Case of Cyberprotests agains the World Bank. In M. McCaughey & M. D. Ayers (Eds.), Cyperactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice (pp. 73-77). New York, NY: Routledge. Wood, P. (2004, July 19). Literature at Risk. National Review Online. Retrieved September 20, 2004, from http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/wood200407190842.asp

Elections and democracy Essay

QUESTION 1; 1. Do you think elections can be a good measure of democracy? Discuss this statement in relation to elections recently held in African countries you are familiar with. INTRODUCTION The year 2011 experienced serious levels of political activities in Africa such as political upheavals, middle-east uprisings and elections in many countries. Most Islamic nations rose against their long-ruling leaders, hence saw the ousted of Egyptian Hosni Mubarak and the killing of Muamar Gaddafi after a six-month war between the Gaddafi loyalists and the anti-Gadhafi fighters assisted by NATO. However, while this was taking place, other countries like Zambia, Congo DR, Nigeria, Liberia were also exercising their obligation of having other leaders not by violence but by the ballot. The countries which fought hard to remove long-rule-leaders wanted to just as other countries have the freedom to choose their leaders in an election, a move considered to be a democratic activity of the citizen. Elections are being considered to the most important way of showing how democratic a nation is. However, in reality there is surely more to democracy than just holding an election, thus, this essay will analyse as to whether elections only are the sufficient measure of democracy. MAIN BODY Democracy’ is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘a form of government in which people have a voice in the exercise of power, typically through elected representatives’. Democracy is most obviously manifest through elections which enable people to choose representatives. However ‘democracy’ is not an absolute category, whereby if a country has an election it can be regarded as ‘democratic’. Instead, a state’s democratic credentials involve assessing many, if not all, aspects of governance and the political system. There is much debate over what constitutes democracy both in theory and in actuality. In one classic definition, by Robert Dahl, democracy requires ‘not only free, fair, and competitive elections, but also the freedoms that make them truly meaningful (such as freedom of  organization and freedom of expression), alternative sources of information, and institutions to ensure that government policies depend on the votes and preferences of citizens’ (Dahl 1971). Thus democracy is not just about majority rule, but requires political freedoms so there can be debate and independent decision making. Commonly recognized essential components of democracy include: multi-party electoral competition, freedom of association, freedom of movement, independent media, and the rule of law. Achieving such freedoms may be a staggered process in which there are different patterns of democracy. It is widely suggested that democracy enables people to fulfil a basic human interest and need to participate in civil and political life. The Inter-Parliamentary Union comment in their Declaration on Criteria for Free and fair Elections ‘Recognising the right of everyone to take part in the government of his or her country is a crucial factor in the effective enjoyment by all of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Democracy is argued to benefit the society as a whole, as dialogue enables relevant issues to be addressed and the best solutions to be found based on informed and considered choices, and those in governance are kept responsible and accountable and under a limited mandate.’ It is argued that democracy increases the chances of peace within a state and with other states. Democracy is also thought to reduce the likelihood of political repression and to increase the chances of stability and economic growth. Amartya Sen points out one dramatic example of this indivisibility of civil-political and socio-economic rights in identifying that ‘no substantial famine has ever occurred in any independent democratic country with a relatively free press’ (Sen 1999). The American non-governmental organization, Freedom House, in its 2002 global survey concluded ‘the GDP of Free countries stood at $26.8 trillion, while the GDP of Not Free countries was $1.7 trillion’. DISCUSSION From the understanding of liberty and freedoms, the government must be erected by the participation of very free people not under coercion. It implies that the citizens must have a free will to choose leaders of their choice and be able to have freedom of expression within the given framework. Thus, elections become a very important voice for citizens to select their  leaders as that is how they participate in the process of making decisions .However, there is more to democracy than just holding elections and electioneering. There are many other factors to consider to complete democracy than just holding an election Elections today, which signify democracy, must be judged by the conformity to standard norms that constitute free and fair elections. A free election is based on the presumption that fundamental human rights and freedoms are respected. These would include freedom of assembly, association, expression, and information. In addition, freedom would include freedom from violence, intimidation and coercion, freedom to access the polling stations by both voters and monitors, and freedom to make choices without fear of repercussions.But in Zambia,prior to elections,there was a lot of intimidation by the ruling MMD by brutalising the opposition,corrupting the youths with beer to cause confusion in a way of campaigning.So there was coecion before election as opponents were not ready to frely make their own decisions over who to vote for. In another example,Congo DR November elections were marred with extreme violence prior to and during the election. The Joseph Kabila’s party had no respect for the peoples rights,hence brutality and willfull killing took place and spread to other places especially were the opposition members were concentrated. In Nigeria, during the 2011 elections there was a serious witnessing of electoral and ethnic violence where more than 1000 people died. This was attributed to the government’s inability to be transparent in election procedures so much that elections were postponed three times and this gave worse suspicion and more violence. So it’s clear that even though the elections are being held, but then they are far from showing any sort of democracy. African News and Current Affairs(2011) reports that other divisive elements of this year’s ballot include an initial delay to the polls; a result of the implementation of a new voter system. The polls were actually in progress in several states when Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chair affirmed the postponement necessary to ‘maintain the integrity of the elections and retain effective overall control of the process’.This move was met with protest and interpreted variously as; a ploy to rig results, a broad move to block such attempts, pure incompetence or a mixture of all three, theories which undermined the transparency of proceedings before they had properly begun. Additionally  election are fair when all the participant be it in ruling or opposition political parties have on a level footing in order to produce the legitimate results acceptable to all the characters. This means no intimidation, equality in accessing the campaign resources, media and other amenities However, the 2011 tripartite election showed how the Zambian government could control the â€Å"independent ECZ† by easily breaking the election rules . The then ruling MMD were actually distributing gifts to electorates when it was clear that it was against the law. Further, the ruling party had started campaigning far before the campaign period or election date was even announced.ECZ was well aware of such malpractices but could not control the â€Å"big guy â€Å"in the electoral game. In fact how can a body be independent if the Directors and others in ECZ are directly appointed by the president? The independence of the electoral institutions is undermined by a number of factors, resulting in multiplicity of controversies in virtually every aspect of the elections, such as voter registration, polling stations, duration of polls, demarcation of constituencies, verification and announcement of results and access to the media. In addition, during election campaign, the campaign ground wasn’t level as the ruling party had all the resources to propel a smooth and prosperous campaign which gave the ruling party a strong upper hand in the game. They could use any resources ranging from public vehicles, money and power to curtail other parties’ ability to campaign properly. The ruling party could easily buy anyone to fake defection and pay up the chiefs or headmen in order to belong to the their side, but at the same time demonising opposition parties and preventing them from accessing funds for campaigns. Conclusion Finally, much as elections is cardinal for the erection of democracy, but then it is surely not the sufficient measure for democracy. A country can hold the election but then if these elections are not free and fair, there is unequal distribution of resources, there is no transparency in all the dealings of the government, there is no respect for human rights and freedoms by the constitutional holders and no freedom of expression and no free media, democracy can’t prevail in the country. Bibliography Banda, F. (2003) Community Radio Broadcasting in Zambia: A Policy Perspective, Doctoral Dissertation, and University of South Africa (UNISA) Barnett, C & Murray, L (2004) Spaces of democracy: Geographical Perspectives on Citizenship, Participation and Representation. London: Sage Publications Barnett, C. (1999) The Limits of media democratization in South Africa: politics, privatization and regulation. London: Sage Publications Brown, Michael E. (ed.), Debating the Democratic Peace. Boston, MIT Press, 1996. Dahl, Robert, Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1971). Sen, Amartya, ‘Democracy as a Universal Value’. Journal of Democracy, vol. 10, no, 3, July 1999.

Assess the functionalist explanations of social inequality Essay

Asses the Functionalist explanations of Social Inequality. (40) Social Inequality refers to any difference between groups or individuals in society which results in one having inferior life chances than the other. Functionalists believe these inequalities are the result of the meritocracy we live in. This is a system based on the idea that social stratification is necessary and desirable for the society. Functionalists argue that inequalities have a purpose; they are functional for society. Functionalism is a structural theory based on the notion that society is based on shared values. This consensus means that society will be in a state of equilibrium and there is harmony, as a result of which there will be social solidarity. Inequalities, functionalists argue, exist in all societies and are inevitable and necessary. Durkheim argued that industrial societies are complex. Within these complex societies social inequality and social difference were an inevitable and important part of maintaining social order and preventing a state of ‘anomie’ or chaos. He believed that society needs specialists to undertake the various jobs and roles required to make it run smoothly. This harmony could be achieved by a division of labour whereby people have different jobs based on their talents. Some of the jobs would have higher status than others and greater rewards and power, for example jobs such as lawyers, doctors and barristers. People would accept this as long as they could see that the system was fair. Conflict might occur but it could be controlled by socialisation. Socialisation was the process whereby shared values could be passed from one generation to the next. Disharmony might arise when people felt the system was not fair, for example, when large bonuses are paid to bankers during a recession. Parsons developed on Durkheim’s ideas and stated that in industrialised society’s stratification, and therefore inequality, exists on the basis of which roles are agreed to be the most important, and therefore the most functional for society. The agreement occurs because people are socialised into the shared norms and values of society, initially by the family, and subsequently by education and other agents of socialisation. The value consensus that results is what holds society together and it gives it social order. Sharing a common identity gives people a sense of purpose and a commitment to the maintenance of society. These values also give people common goals such as to work hard. People have a number of roles that women are most naturally suited for and  the instrumental roles of men. These roles are ascribed rather than achieved. Two other functionalists, Davis and Moore, have built on the ideas of Parsons and Durkhiem. They argue that society needs the most talented people to perform the most skilled jobs and therefore has to pay them accordingly and give them high status. There is a meritocracy and the most able will, through the examination system, be allocated to the most important jobs. Their class position w ill reflect this role allocation. There is an expectation that the most talented will be prepared to make sacrifices early on to be educated and trained, and for this they will be rewarded later. The examination system will ‘sift and sort’ people into appropriate jobs. This means that the system is legitimated. The stratification that results will ensure those at the top work to maintain their position and those lower down try to better themselves. However people do not all start from the same point, therefore a true meritocracy is not possible. Society is not harmonious. Functionalists present an over rosy picture of social inequality being a positive force for the society. There is evidence of conflict between social groups in the form of strike as well as disaffection amongst, for e.g. young people who cannot get work. Differences between men and women are socially constructed. Their identity is formed by the expectations the society holds against their gender, therefore they will behave the way the society expects them to. There is not a consensus with regard to which are the most important jobs; for e.g. bankers are paid very well but most people would proba bly argue that nurses are more important to society. Some groups start with more power and status and are therefore are able to ensure they and their children get access to the education that will mean they then get a higher status jobs. Life chances are affected by status and wealth and the poor have less access to opportunity to gain access and wealth. Tumin argued that going to universities is not really a sacrifice, although many people in the UK would probably argue it will be as fees go up. The work of the functionalists is not supported by empirical evidence, particularly with regard to the idea that there is a value consensus. Marxism is based on the macro theory which, like functionalism, is concerned with the structure of society. Marxism explains inequalities in societies such as the UK by examining the ways in which the bourgeoisie exploit and oppress the working class or  proletariat. Inequalities are a result of the economic arrangements people make to meet their basic needs. Bowles and Gintis used Marxist ideas to explain how the education system reproduced the ideas of the ruling class and legitimated inequalities. They argue students’ experience of schooling is an alienating one. School specifically prepares students for their future as workers in a capitalist system. They argue that school does not prepare everyone in the same way it prepares them according to their future position in society. Bowles and Gintis believe that schools are not meritocratic and that claiming they are is part of the ruling class ideology persuading people that inequalities are fair. Neo Marxists have developed on the ideas of Marxism. They argue that the infrastructure and the social relations that arise from it are important in understanding inequalities, but so too is the role of ideas and culture. They particularly focus on a number of areas to explain inequalities. Areas such as the role of the media; the dominance of the ruling class; the nature of the class str ucture; and the relationship between cultural, social, and economic capital. Weber argued that stratification is not just based on the economic relationships people enter into, as Marx argued, but the standing or status a person had and the political influence or power a person might have as a result of membership of a political party or trade union. Class, status and party are all linked to power. However, he accepted that class is the most important determinant of the three in relation to the acquisition of life chances and inequality. Postmodernists argued that the world was becoming increasingly characterised by uncertainty and diversity which cannot be explained by the old grand narratives, that is, the traditional sociological theories. The service sector is now bigger than the primary and secondary sectors. People do not see themselves in class terms; they construct their identities via the media and what they consume. For postmodernists the key to inequalities lies in the development of the post industrial world and the fact that the production of kno wledge has taken precedence over manufacturing.