The importance of sex education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The importance of sex education - Essay Example Sex, apart from the education perspective is akin to hunger and thirst in many ways. However the need for sex is not that powerful as that of food and water. Just like food has its own importance in our daily lives which influences our social, cultural and moral values but also highlights our economic sustainable conditions, same as the case with ‘sexual values’ where it seems that for sexual behavior, environmental factors are more influential than psychological factors. Simon and Gagnon (1986) describe environmental factors in terms of sexual(Strongman, 2001, p. 16)The importance of sex education in the context of learning can be considered just like other subjects on the curriculum: it involves the transmission of information; it contributes to the development of personal autonomy;and it seeks to promote the interests of both the individual and the broader society. (Halstead & Reiss, 2003, p. 3) In other respects, however, sex education is quite different. It is about human relationships and therefore includes a central moral dimension. It is about the private, intimate life of the learner and is intended to contribute to his or her personal development and sense of well-being or fulfillment. It generally involves intense emotions, to do not only with intimacy, pleasure and affection but often also with anxiety, guilt and embarrassment. In all of these respects, values are involved which need to be researched and studied for the self-consciousness of younger generation.

Conceptualization of Culture and Language in Post Colonial Literature Essay Example for Free

Conceptualization of Culture and Language in Post Colonial Literature Essay Culture and Language are the major issues in the post colonial theory. My assignment will deal with these three factors in terms of colonial perspectives. The post colonialism mainly explores the ideas such as cultural diversity, geographical dimensions, Diasporas, race, ethnicity, marginality, hybridity, national identities, cultural transformation, changes and politics in language etc†¦ Considerations of hybridity run the range from existential to material, political to economic, yet this discussion will not be able to tease out the extensive implications of each consideration. Rather, this discussion aims to explore the notion of hybridity theoretically, synthesizing the vast body of literature to critique essentialist notions of identity as fixed and constant. According to my understanding of Hybridity, there are three ways in which hybridity might serve as a tool for deconstructing the rigid labels that maintain social inequities through exclusion in race, language and nation. By exploring how the hybrid rejects claims of bonds within race, language, and nation, I understood that cultural studies like these are imperative in considering the politics of representation. For the purposes of this discussion, the cultural hybridity refers to the integration of cultural bodies, signs, and practices from the colonizing and the colonized cultures. The contemporary cultural landscape is an amalgam of cross-cultural influences, blended, patch-worked, and layered upon one another. Unbound and fluid, culture is hybrid and interstitial, moving between spaces of meaning. The notion of cultural hybridity has existed far before it was popularized in postcolonial theory as culture arising out of interactions between â€Å"colonizers† and â€Å"the colonized†. However, in this time after imperialism, globalization has both expanded the reach of Western culture, as well as allowed a process by which the West constantly interacts with the East, appropriating cultures for its own means and continually shifting its own signifiers of dominant culture. This hybridity is woven into every corner of society, from trendy fusion cuisine to Caribbean rhythms in pop music to the hyphenated identities that signify ethnic Americans, illuminating the lived experience of ties to a dominant culture blending with the cultural codes of a Third World culture. Framing Cultural Hybridity in post colonial context; Among postcolonial theorists, there is a wide consensus that hybridity arose out of the culturally internalized interactions between â€Å"colonizers† and â€Å"the colonized† and the dichotomous formation of these identities. Considered by some the father of hybrid theory, Homi Bhabha argued that colonizers and the colonized are mutually dependent in constructing a shared culture. His text The Location of Culture (1994) suggested that there is a â€Å"Third Space of Enunciation† in which cultural systems are constructed. In this claim, he aimed to create a new language and mode of describing the identity of Selves and Others. Bhabha says: It becomes crucial to distinguish between the semblance and similitude of the symbols across diverse cultural experiences such as literature, art, music, Ritual, life, death and the social specificity of each of these productions of meaning as they circulate as signs within specific contextual locations and social systems of value. The transnational dimension of cultural transformation migration, diaspora, displacement, relocation makes the process of cultural translation a complex form of signification. The naturalized, unifying discourse of nation, peoples, or authentic folk tradition, those embedded myths of cultures particularity, cannot be readily referenced. The great, though unsettling, advantage of this position is that it makes you increasingly aware of the construction of culture and the invention of tradition. In using words like â€Å"diaspora, displacement, relocation,† Bhabha illustrates the dynamic nature of culture, and the flimsy consistency of the historical narratives that cultures rely upon to draw boundaries and define themselves. As a result, culture cannot be defined in and of it, but rather must be seen within the context of its construction. More significantly, Bhabha draws attention to the reliance of cultural narratives upon the other. In illuminating this mutual construction of culture, studies of hybridity can offer the opportunity for a counter-narrative, a means by which the dominated can reclaim shared ownership of a culture that relies upon them for meaning. This theoretical erspective will serve as the foundation for the considerations explored in this paper, employing hybridity as a powerful tool for liberation from the domination imposed by bounded definitions of race, language, and nation. RACE: Racial hybridity, or the integration of two races which are assumed to be distinct and separate entities, can be considered first in terms of the physical body. Historically, the corporeal hybrid was birthed from two symbolic poles, a bodily representation of colonizer and colonized. These mixed births, mestizo, mulatto, muwallad, were stigmatized as a physical representation of impure blood, and this racism long served as a tool of power that maintained that even in this blending of two bodies, just â€Å"one drop† of black blood would deem the body impure and alien, an abomination. Institutionalized racism created a perpetual state of ambiguity and placelessness for the hybrid body and prevented cultural inclusion via race. However, the expanse of immigration since colonialism and the spectrum of shades of visible difference point to an increasingly hybrid populace in which these classifications of black and white no longer carry the same power of representation, yet the old labels persist. This labeling is significant as it elucidates the continuing power of racial labels in a society set on fixing bodies in racial space by binding them to labels, which are understood to contain fixed truths. I argue that utilizing the conceptual tool of hybridity to deconstruct these labels allows a means by which hybrid individuals can come together in powerful solidarity, rather than allowing their ambiguous place in racial space to render them invisible. Harnessing racial hybridity to project the simultaneously unique but common experience of hybridity can be a means by which the individual subject can join to a marginal community through stories and partial memories. Furthermore, racial hybridity must harness the dualistic experience of passing, or being mistaken for a race other than one’s own. All identities involve passing to some extent, in that a subject’s self can never truly match its image, but racial passing implicitly deconstructs the boundaries of Black and White. In passing, hybridity might function not as a conflict or struggle between two racial identities, but instead as constant movement between spaces, passing through and between identity itself without origin or arrival. The freedom to move between identities carries its own power in defying the claims of essentialized racial identity. Furthermore, the bounded labels of race do not account for the historical and geographic narratives that lie behind each body and inform their identity. In â€Å"Black Africans and Native Americans†, Jack Forbes explores the disconnect between racial labels and the consciousness of the bodies behind them using Native Americans and Africans as examples by which â€Å"groups are forced into arbitrary categories render their ethnic heritage simple rather than complex†. As a result, hybridity calls into question the boundaries of racial consciousness as a hybrid consciousness defies the imposed limits of race. The management of these identities becomes its own sort of performance, as the body negotiates each consciousness in different spaces. Again, the ability to play multiple roles, to â€Å"pass† in different arenas, carries significant power. In embodying the inability to bind identities to race, racial hybridity both in the physical body and in consciousness offers a means of deconstructing the boundaries of dichotomous racial identities. In addition to race, language has long been bound in definitions as a symbol of nation and a mode of exclusion. As a means to connect with other social beings, communicating with language is a meaningful performance in that speaking requires two parties, one to perform language and an audience to observe and absorb language. During colonialism, as the colonizer’s language dominated national institutions, the sense of being outside and â€Å"othered† was instilled in the colonized as their language and means of communication was stripped away. Now in a time after colonialism, can the colonized ever reclaim a language long lost, or has the colonizer’s language become their own? Has ownership of the colonizer’s language expanded over time? Fanon’s theorizing addresses the power of language in the formation of identity as he says, â€Å"To speak . . . means above all to assume a culture, to support the weight of a civilization,†. He suggests that speaking the language of the colonizer stands in as acceptance or coercion into accepting a role in culture. Yet in accepting a role, whether by choice or force, the meaning of the culture shifts and evolves. No longer does it â€Å"belong† to the colonizer, as it relies upon the colonized to give it shape. Similarly, with the introduction of a new set of users performing a language, the language no longer exists as it was; it has shifted in meaning. Beyond the thematic implications of language, hybridity has inspired an immense movement in literary discourse and understandings of the very way language is managed and owned. Herskovits developed the notion of syncretism, a theory attempting to explain why certain cultural forms are carried and others lost. Similarly, Claude Levi-Strauss developed the term bricolage to describe mixed forms within narratives. Creolization describes the linguistic blending of dominant and subdominant cultures. These examples illustrate the broad realm of studies that have developed simply around the use of hybridized language. In an analysis of the rise of the â€Å"hybrid genre† in postmodern literature, Kapchan and Strong say, â€Å"Hybridization has become one such analytic allegory, defining lines of interest and affiliation among scholars of popular and literary culture, perhaps quite unintentionally. The extent to which these authors use the metaphor of hybridity consciously and concisely differs. That they use it, however, qualifies hybridity as one of several tropes, or forms of metaphoric predication, that most epitomize the scholarship of the last decade,† . Not only does this observation imply that the body of hybridized literature is growing, harkening to the rising voices and representations of the hybrid, but that hybridity is becoming normalized as an accepted form of literature and the purist notion of genre is diminishing. Furthermore, the use of a colonizer’s language by the colonized to speak of the crimes of colonialism is its own transgression and act of resistance. In taking ownership of the language, changing the way that it is used, the boundaries of language as belonging to a specific place or race are dissolved. Jahan Ramazani’s Hybrid Muse is an analytical review of the poetry that has arisen from the hybridization of the English muse with the long-resident muses of Africa, India, the Caribbean, and other decolonizing territories of the British Empire (2001). A hybrid himself, Ramazani suggests that the use of indigenous metaphors, rhythms, creoles, and genres has allowed a new form of poetry that not only speaks of the violence and displacement of colonialism, but embodies it in its very form. These hybrid poetries can be viewed as a gateway to understanding those once deemed unfamiliar, and hybridity of language becomes a way by which to deconstruct borders and relate to collectives across cultural boundaries. Further, hybridity must interrogate the notion that nationality is essential zed in a distinct culture that geographic borders somehow embody inherent knowledge or truth about the people they contain. Mamdani asks, â€Å"How do you tell who is indigenous to the country and who is not? Given a history of migration, what is the dividing line between the indigenous and the nonindigenous? . He addresses the nationalist concern over entitlement to nation, and the indigenous wish to lay claim to culture. I understood that theories of hybridity, in clarifying the shifting and indefinite nature of culture, can serve as a tool that complicate the nationalist exclusionary practice of determining who does and does not have claim to a nation. From health care to immigration, h is arguments resonate loudly with current events. Similarly, we must consider the ways in which the â€Å"things† that give culture meaning are unfixed and variable, negating essentialist arguments about inherent meanings of culture. In The Predicament of Culture, James Clifford (1988) analyzes sites including anthropology, museums, and travel writing to take a critical ethnography of the West and its shifting relationships with other societies. He demonstrates how â€Å"other† national cultures are in fact fictions and mythical narratives, and we must ask the question of representation and who has the authority to speak for a group’s identity. In his article â€Å"Diasporas†, he suggests that â€Å"The old localizing strategies by bounded community, by organic culture, by region, by center and periphery may obscure as much as they reveal†. Diaspora is defined as a history of dispersal, myths/memories of the homeland, alienation in the host country, desire for eventual return, ongoing support of the homeland, and a collective identity importantly defined by this relationship. In this consideration of culture, we understand the vast connotations of displacement, from asking which history the diasporic should identify with to asking if it is even possible to return to a homeland one never knew or left long ago. Second, in the representation of culture, be it by petrifying culture in a museum or nailing it to an anthropological account, the risk lies in taking these subjective moments as truths or knowledge. Furthermore, the far-reaching diasporic symbols and narratives that snowball into this thing we call national culture suggest that culture is itself a traveler collecting artifacts from various locations along the way, and its walls are too insubstantial to be used as a means of exclusion. Third and perhaps most significant, hybridity in a postcolonial world muddles the very definitions of culture by which nations define themselves. Given that nationalism is founded upon a collective consciousness from shared loyalty to a culture, one would assume this culture is well-defined. Yet the â€Å"solid† roots of historical and cultural narratives that nations rely upon are diasporic, with mottled points of entry at various points in time. An investigation of the roots of cultural symbols like folk stories, religion, and music would reveal sources varied and wide-ranging. Furthermore, culture is defined in relationship to other cultures. Edward Said’s Orientalism (1979) offers a strong description of the system by which nations appropriate from others to define themselves. He suggests Orientalism â€Å"has helped to define Europe as its contrasting image, idea, personality, experience†. Using a theoretical framework influenced by Gramsci’s notion of hegemonic culture and Foucault’s notion of discourse, Said draws significant attention to the intricate and complex process by which the West must use the East to construct itself, its culture, its meaning. In an illuminating excerpt describing the process of Orientalism, he writes: To formulate the Orient, to give it shape, identity, definition with full recognition of its place in memory, its importance to imperial strategy, and its ‘natural’ role as an appendage to Europe; to dignify all the knowledge collected during colonial occupation with the title ‘contribution to modern learning; when the natives had neither been consulted nor treated as anything except as pretexts for a text whose usefulness was not to the natives; to feel oneself as a European in command, almost at will, of Oriental history, time, and geography to make out of every observable detail a generalization and out of every generalization an immutable law about the Oriental nature, temperament, mentality, custom, or type; and, above all, to transmute living reality into the stuff of texts, to possess actuality mainly because nothing in the Orient seems to resist one’s powers. † In a st ream of fragments, Said shows the diverse processes by which dominant cultures are formed at the service of Others. Using words like â€Å"shape,† â€Å"definition,† and â€Å"transmute,† he describes the act of defining nation and the artificial nature of these boundaries. Said offers a theoretical means by which to reject nationalist divisions between an us and Them, a West and Other. This conceptualization of the ways in which nations determine not only their own national identities, but the identities of Other is powerful in revealing the inherently hybrid roots of national culture. Studies of national identity are thus essential in deconstructing xenophobic nationalist claims to nation and the resulting miscegenation of immigrant Others. CONCLUSION This discussion draws from the body of postcolonial literature to suggest that studies of cultural hybridity are powerful in probing the bounded labels of race, language, and nation that maintain social inequalities. By examining how the hybrid can deconstruct boundaries within race, language, and nation, I understood that hybridity has the ability to empower marginalized collectives and deconstruct bounded labels, which are used in the service of subordination. In essence, hybridity has the potential to allow once subjugated collectivities to reclaim a part of the cultural space in which they move. Hybridity can be seen not as a means of division or sorting out the various histories and diverse narratives to individualize identities, but rather a means of reimagining an interconnected collective. Like the skin on a living body, the collective body has a surface that also feels and â€Å"Borders materialize as an effect on intensifications of feeling and individual and collective bodies surface through the very orientations we take to objects and others,† In the description that Formations our orientations can be shifted, our feelings towards Others transformed, there is a possibility of redefining our exclusionary systems of labeling. Furthermore, breaking down immaterial borders through explorations of hybridity offers the possibility of more effective public policy, one that refers to the broad expanse of its diverse population. Frenkel and Shenhav did an illuminating study on the ways in which studies of hybridity have allowed management and organization studies to manage their longstanding western hegemonic practices and to incorporate postcolonial insights into the organizational literature revolving around the relationships between Orientalism and organizations. The willingness of institutions to reform their long held ideologies in light of a changing world, as well as to consider their work through alternative lenses, is an essential practice in deconstructing the bindings of narratives-as-knowledge. In the boundary-shifting process, there is power in the notion of deconstruction in the service of reconstruction, breaking down boundaries in order to form a more inclusive sense of the collectivity. Furthermore, hybridity asserts the notion that representations of collective identity must be analyzed contextually. When we examine a representation of culture, be it in a film, poem, or speech, we should ask: Who is doing the representing? What are the implications of the representation? Why are they engaging in the process of representation? What is the historical moment that informs the representation? How are they being represented? In addition to the questions explored in this paper, I would recommend applying theories of hybridity to a realm beyond race and nation, in order to consider alternative boundaries such as gender and sexuality. The work of hybrid theorists from Bhabha to Said suggests that there is a vast intellectual landscape for cultural inquiries like these. Our mission must be to continue this work and to delve deeper. Cultural studies have great potential to liberate us from the socially-given boundaries that so stubbornly limit our capacity for thought and discussion, but we must take time to join in a collective critique of the knowledge we ingest and disperse. After all, the greatest power lies in the heart of the collective.

An Analysis Of The Sony Corporation

An Analysis Of The Sony Corporation Current Activities Today, the Sony Corporation is a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Toyko, Japan. The company is one of the worlds largest media conglomerates and is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communication, video games consoles and IT products for the consumer and profession markets. However, Sony is better known for its high quality consumer electronics, which account for 61% of total revenues. In 2008, the company had revenues exceeding  ¥7.730.00 Trillion or $78.88. (Rugman, 2009) Products Modern day Sony is known for its innovative products such as; the Triniton colour television; Bravia High Definition television; Playstation video console; VAIO laptop; Music mobile phones; Walkman and Discman personal stereos. (See Appendix B. For a list of Sonys product) Modern Strategy Culture Industry and Media Synergy Sony is recognised as a total entertainment company. This means it is no longer simply a manufacturer of technological hardware but is an integral part of a culture industry. Sony likes to adopt a media synergy. This term was employed to refer to a strategy, adopted by many hardware and software producing companies of attempting to synchronize and actively forge connections between directly related technologies and areas of entertainment. (du Gay, 1997) Products For its audio-visual products Sonys strategy boils down to producing audio, visual and electronic gadgets and controlling the content that goes through them. For example, Sonys successful Playstation 2 games console allows the company to provide the hardware necessary for the firm to capture the games market. (Rugman, 2009) The strategy reflects Sonys media synergy which came partly from an acknowledgment that Sonys Walkman1 was useless without the cassette that was inserted to it, which was in turn useless without the musical recording artists and the companys Betamax videocassette2 recorder was useless without video-cassettes of films and music. (du Gay, 1997) Moreover, the outright ownership of CBS (music), MGM (movies) and Sony BMG (Music) allows the company access the film and movie industry and music artists. These are forms of entertainment which are viewed and listened to via Sonys products. Market To support the companys commitment to succeeding globally and understanding how business is performed elsewhere, the company seeks to fit into host country communities. Therefore Sony seeks to: Hire locally Strike a balance between the home culture and local culture Participate in the local community. In addition, Sony prefers to list the company on the local stock exchange; appoint well respected local executives to the Board of Directors; and create a local product distribution system. (du Gay, 1997) Internationalisation History Sonys entry into foreign markets appears to have followed the typical internationalization process. (See Figure 1.1) The company initially obtained a license from a US company, Bell Lab, in order to recreate the transistor technology in its radio. These products were produced with success and first introduced to the local Japanese market. The products were then exported to markets of similar consuming habits. Export of these goods occurred via a distributors and then some time later through the companys own subsidiaries. Factories were then established in different markets, where products could be produced closer to the export market and at a cost discount. The final stage of the FDI process occurred when Sony embarked upon opening its own RD and marketing facilities, enabling lasting market presence and understanding of foreign markets. The growth of Sony as a company and its technologies occurred within a process of interaction between the US and Japan. As the company grew, Sony executives gained knowledge from constant visits to the US, acquired the rights to produce transistors from the US and found that North America provided a major market for its audio-visual products. The adoption of the name Sony and the standardization of products such as the Walkman were adopted with the aim of being a global brand (du Gay, 1997) Sony first embarked upon FDI via a wholly owned subsidiary in the US in 1960. However, over the last 60 years it has engaged in Joint Ventures (JVs), Mergers and Acquisitions (MA) and Strategic Alliances. (E.G. Sony-Ericsson, Sony-Microsoft and Sony-Sharpe) Throughout the 1980s two important developments indicate how Sony began actively extending its presence as a global corporation. First, the company aimed to operate in all markets across the world, to reach as many potential consumers as possible. Second, the company aimed to reorganize processes of production in such a way so that they would not be limited to the constraints of the nation state. In such a case, a particular concern was how the effectiveness and international competitiveness of Japanese companies were constrained by the value of the Japanese YEN. This meant that goods produced in Japan were more expensive when exported and in competition with those in other parts of the world. (du Gay, 1997) To pursue these aims, Sony adopted a strategy of globalisation that involved moving their manufacturing and marketing operations to different locations around the world and setting up local operations in different locations around the world. (du Gay, 1997) One of Sonys motives for moving its manufacturing operations was a straight-forward attempt to follow its competitors and reduce labour costs. For example, the first Walkmans were manufactured and assembled in Japan so that the companys management could be close to operations and make any necessary modifications, once up and running and not requiring so many modifications, additional assembly factories were established in Malaysia and Taiwan. (du Gay, 1997) The gradual move came to move operations so that they could respond directly to local conditions. For example, Teletext was developed onsite in the UK and Triniton TV was developed locally in France. (du Gay, 1997) An additional practical consideration was that by establishing and presenting themselves as a local company, Sony could use various national and pan regional rules and regulations to gain the most appropriate and cost effective environment to manufacture and produce its products. The company could exploit cheap labour in Malaysia, take advantage of grants there were available to attract new electronic industries in the UK. (du Gay, 1997) In the 1980s 1990s, Sony began to rapidly expand into Europe. (See Appendix A- history timeline). Sony was vigorous in its international expansion. The company chose to expand into similar markets, such as US and Europe. These markets had large populations, high incomes per capita and a consumer culture. Therefore, the other two TRIAD regions were good markets to promote and sell Sony products. The companys strategy is to be present in its market of distribution and therefore it established a number of factories to develop and distribute its products. The objective is to understand the local market and consumer demands. Sony has a strategy of introducing its products first to its local market (Japan), testing consumer preferences and then introduces these products to its international markets. The adoption of the name Sony (in 1957) was also an attempt to communicate the brand and its products to the market. Sony was able to do this over a significant period of time. Sony learnt significantly from technological, productivity and efficiency improvements this was a stimulant for its international trade and the international product life cycle. (Vernon, 1966) Today, Sony has developed a strategy to not only create technology but to control the content that goes into them. Therefore Sony has embarked upon a number of MAs. First with a 50/50 JV with CBS, which Sony eventually bought outright and also a venture with Columbia Tristar Pictures, MGM, BMI and a number of media companies. Sony has also embarked upon JVs with software companies such as Microsoft. The companys strategy is to be present across all levels of the entertainment industry. CASE STUDIES SONY WALKMAN Walkman is a trademark of Sony Corporation, used originally to market its range of portable audio players. In July, 1979, the original Sony Walkman portable music player the TPS L2 was introduced. Sony promoted the concept of enjoying music, anywhere, anytime using industry advertisements featuring celebrities with the product. The first Walkman was marketed under the Walkman brand in Japan, but in other markets it was originally sold under various names including Soundabout (USA), Stowaway (UK) and Freestyle in Australia. Walkman players become very popular in Japan and foreign tourists visiting Japan who bought them as souvenirs, this prompted Sony to standardise the name to Walkman worldwide (Uggla and Verick, 2008) SONY-ERICSSON Sony Ericcson was established as a 50/50 Joint Venture in 2001 by Sony and Ericsson (a mobile communications infrastructure and systems business based in Sweden) Sony Ericsson functions as a separate entity designing, producing and marketing cellular phones and accessories. It had revenues of 13 billion euros in 2007, from the scale of 100 million units which is a global market share of 9%. (Uggla and Verick, 2008) Sony Ericsson had recognised a segment for dedicated music phones various MP-3 enabled handsets were on the market but there was little differentiation among them. Sony Ericsson decided to investigate and launch a music phone. The company decided to incorporate Walkman into the music phone branding. Sony established that Walkman branding encouraged around 67% of people to buy the phone by adding credibility to the music player. (Uggla and Verick, 2008) Internationalisation Theories The following trade theories are applicable to Sonys process when entering new markets: Dunnings Eclectic Paradigm of Internationalisation Sony was able to successfully expand abroad due to its firm specific and intellectual competitive advantages. Furthermore, the company had successfully established itself in its home market and generating sufficient expertise to export its high-tech consumer electronics abroad. FSA Sony possesses FSAs through the development of intellectual capital. In addition, the Sony brand names (e.g. Walkman, Playstation, Triniton, Bravia) carry significant worldwide consumer value Due to superior FSAs over both domestic and international rivals Sony was able to engage in FDI. Amongst other things Sonys first FSA was it transistor technology. Through this, Sony was able to differentiate itself from its rivals. It was able to provide high tech, desirable products. Sonys FSA also came from its personnel. The companys co-owners (a Physicist and an Engineer), managers and other employees were of high quality, possessed a high degree of technical know-how and desire to improve the companys industry position. Internalisation Sony possesses know-how and competitive advantage through the development of its products first at home and then applying this knowledge to foreign markets such as the USA and the Europe. As previously mentioned Sony was able to acquire foreign technology. The technology licence provided access to the transistor and allowed Sony to gain foreign technological know-how. According to Dunnings Eclectic paradigm Sonys strategy allowed the firm to acquire an intangible asset (transistor technology) apply this technology to its products, and then create a firm specific advantage. The intangible asset provided Sony with an exclusive piece of know-how that was specific to the firm. CSA Sony embarked upon FDI through the sale of its products not only in its home market but also in the US, Europe and eventually the rest of the world. For example, once the transistor had been applied to its radio, Sony sold this item in markets with similar tastes and income per capita. For example, after introducing the TR-55 radio to Japan in 1955, Sony then exported and sold its radios in the US and next Europe in 1957. This could not have occurred without the existence of consumer demand. Sony also took advantage of favourable industry subsidies and national legislation, which encouraged the presence of high tech industries for example, the opening of Bridgend Factory in Wales. According to the eclectic paradigm, all three of the conditions necessary for FDI were present when Sony started its internationalisation process. Sony sought to increase its internalisation advantages and reduce transaction costs, through the purchase and development of new technology and reduce transaction costs through the establishment of its own subsidiary and factory. Sonys actions increased its firm-specific advantages, through know-how and innovation. The company internalised and possessed an advantage over its rivals by retaining the technological know-how, rather than licence it to its competitors. Sony reduced the risk and threats from competitors by retaining its knowledge. Distribution Sonys Initial decision to export its products via a distributor illustrates that company saw value in having a presence within the US market, but the company lacked significant knowledge of the market to justify distributing the products itself. Moreover, it was profitable to export products to the US as there was an abundance of wealth, the US consumer culture, and retail distribution networks. However, trade barriers, import taxes and unfavourable distribution contracts eventually led Sony to establish a subsidiary within the US market. Overseas Production Malaysia Furthermore, Sony eventually located part of its production process to Malaysia. This occurred once the company was satisfied with its local and international products. This also occurred in order to offset the rising costs in the home market, Japan. Sony was able to engage in FDI to Malaysia as the company had generating sufficient amounts of FSAs and ISAs. Uppsala Internationalisation Process Model Part of Sonys business strategy is known as localisation, which is the commitment to gaining market knowledge, cultural understanding and business expertise. Sony has initially licensed its transistor know-how from the US, it was decided that the company should also introduce its products to this market. The Uppsala model can therefore be applied to Sonys internationalisation process. When Sony first entered the US and Europe markets, the company knew little about local consumer demand. The attractions were solely the educated populations, high incomes per capita, government trade measures and distribution networks. In addition, Sony believed that consumers in these markets were similar to those in Japan. When Sony Executive visited the US and Europe, they collected data collection and studied local consumer demand, at this point it was decided to export products to these locations. Sony then committed itself to further to the US and then Europe, through the establishment of its foreign subsidiaries, Sony America and Sony Corporation S.A. in 1960. The establishment of these subsidiaries resulted in further FDI, through distribution systems, marketing campaigns and listing on the local Stock Exchange. Sony was able to overcome some of its foreign company disadvantage as its held a constant presence within the local markets. The company committed itself to understanding how consumers behave and their reactions to new products. Sony was eventually able to engage in FDI as it gained significant knowhow, from exporting, distributing and establishing its own subsidiary, reducing transaction costs. Sony also used its current operating model and consumer tastes to establish itself in markets which it believed to be similar its own. For example, when Sony introduced its VAIO laptop to the US, the price and high technical specifications unlike Japan, were not popular with US consumers. Sony eventually modified its laptops to US consumer tastes. This led to a reduction in price and operating features which US consumers preferred. Joint Ventures (JVs) and Partnerships Sonys JVs, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions can be understood through the application of the Uppsala business model The JV with Ericsson allows the company to gain a first mover advantage from standard setting in the mobile telecommunication industry. Also, the JV allows instant access to the European consumer markets. The company seeks to gain an understanding of these distinct markets but does not have the time and know how. The JV establishes instant knowledge, with reduced acquisition times, creating instant presence and expertise within these markets. Hymerian Theory Monopolistic Advantage Theory Sonys issuance of ADRs in the early 1960s can be understood through the Hymers theory of Monopolistic Advantage, Market Power approach and Product and Factor market imperfections. Sony was able to exploit market imperfections as it could overcome threats from local firms due its ownership advantages (superior technological know-how, economies of scale at home) and other internalised advantages (managerial experience, product developments, existing supply chains, cost advantages). This allowed Sony to obtain favourable political ties, market connections and social positioning; despite the fact Sony was a foreign firm. It was therefore advantageous for local Americans to take an equity position within such a rapidly emerging company. Moreover, Sony was operating in an oligopolistic market, according to Hymers theory of Monopolistic Advantage; FDI takes place in such markets or industries rather than markets or industries operating under near perfect competition. Markets imperfections, allowed Sony to obtain global competitive advantage. Companys which offer investors consistently high rates of return, due to good products and consumer confidence is attractive to investors. Further investment into Sony, allows it to maintain its position of technological superiority. In addition, Sonys technological expertise meant that its products were attractive not only in Japan but throughout the rest of the world. But, Sony initially lacked knowledge in marketing and distribution and so initially used a distributor partner to export its products. This eventually changed when Sony acquired its own distribution system. For example, when Sony first introduced the Walkman in 1979, it did so in its home market first and followed this by introducing it under different brand names, Soundabout (USA); Stowaway (UK); and Freestyle in Australia (Uggla and Verick, 200) The company eventually standardised the Walkman name in the early 1980s. The adoption of the name was to communicate the brand and its products to the market. Sony was able to do this over time and learnt from technology and efficiency improvement which its applied it each of its markets. Product and Factor Market Imperfections Sony embarked upon FDI as it understood it was able to overcome threats from local firms. Sonys strategy is to understand its consumers locally. The company therefore engages in RD and production in most of its subsidiary locations or within close proximity. This is so that it understands consumer tastes and local demand. This strategy can be explained using Caves, Product and factor imperfection. Sony is a market leader and so has superior technological experience and finance to establish local RD and production facilities to understand and satisfy consumer sensibilities. This provided an advantage as the company could combine its know-how, to create products that rival indigenous firms. Internalisation Theory This applies to Sony as the company chose to enter the US under its own brand name as opposed to developing the technology and then selling it on to another company. It retained the knowledge, applied it to its new markets and gained an understanding of consumers in these locations. The company also established subsidiaries as opposed to export via distributors. Market Power Approach This theory applies to Sony through the number of mergers and acquisition the company has engaged in over the last 30 years. Sony has embarked upon a number of mergers and acquisitions throughout its history. The companys strategy is to own not only the content of its technology but also the means by which this technology is used. This has encouraged Sony to acquire music, film, and gaming companies, in order to better understand its consumers but also dictate the market. For example, the company has increased its power by being dominant within consumer electronics both nationally and internationally. In 2001, the 50 /50 Joint venture with Ericsson (a mobile communicate infrastructure and systems business based in Sweden) created a separate entity whereby Sony designs, produces and markets cellular phones and accessories. In 2007, the company had revenues of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬13 billion, from the sale of 100 million units which is a global market share of 9%. (Uggla and Verick, 2007) The partnership between these two firms establishes the argument that international production is conducted between industrialized countries and their companies. Moreover, this partnership was established so that both companies could gain a competitive advantage over domestic and international rivals. The ability of both companies to exploit the know-how of the partner and move into new industries can be understood through the market power approach. Sony is now active in the global mobile telecommunications industry. This has allowed it to internalise its know how further, and provided instant market presence within a new industry and new international markets. Word Count 3,419 Figure 1.1 Internationalisation Process Figure 1.1 Entry into foreign markets: the internationalisation process (Source: Rugman, 2009) SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Sony is a large corporation, it is able to concentrate and dedicate manpower to product quality, RD, marketing, distribution, etc. The company has very few time and financial constraints. Brand names and company know how Internal management Key products e.g., Sony Playstation Sony designs, manufactures and sells its own products. Sonys return on investment has been low because of the large amount of capital dedicated to its factories. Sonys Return on Equity is typically around 5%, this could be higher. Large workforce OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Focus on BRIC and emerging economies Continue seeking diverse JVs with industry leading companies e.g., Sony Ericsson Continue to develop and improve key consumer electronics, TV, computers, MP3 and wireless technology New growth areas Mobile phone internet technology Outsourced manufacturing to increase Return on Equity Large Organisation Must remain streamline Economic slowdown Interest rate differentials Flat sales, falling profit margins Late comer to key electronic sectors, such as flat-screen TVs and digital videodisc recorders. Appendices Appendix A. Timeline In 1952 Totsuko (Sony) launched a successful tape-recorder business In 1955 Totsuko adopted the name Sony, it was believed that the name had not only universal appeal but also easy to pronounce. The company also launched its first Transistor Radio the TR-55 in this same year. In 1955, Sony enters into an agreement with Delmonico International to distribute it products within the US. In December, 1958 Sony launched its pocket sized radio the TR-63 to the US market. In January 1958, Sony is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In 1959, Sony decides to distribute its own products. (To protect its brand name) The group established Sony America and Sony Overseas S.A. established near Zurich, Switzerland, in 1960. The group launched the worlds first direct-view portable TV, the TV8-301. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 1961, the group was the first Japanese company to offer shares in the US, in the form of American Depository Receipts (ADRs) on the OTC market of the New York Stock Exchange. In the following year, the group launched the worlds smallest and lightest transistor TV, TV5-303. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 1968, Sony (UK) Ltd. was established in the UK (later recognised as Sony UK Ltd., in 1993). The CBS/ SONY Records Inc. a 50 50 JV with CBS Inc of the US was also established this year. In 1970, Sonys shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1971, Sony launched 3/4 -inch u-matic colour video cassette recorder. (Datamonitor, 2008) A factory was established in San Diego, California, in 1972, followed by a factory in Bridgend, Wales in 1974, which served both the UK and Europe. The Betamax VCR, the SL-6300, the worlds first home -use video system was introduced in 1975. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 1979, Sony Prudential Life insurance Co. Ltd, the 50-50 joint venture with Prudential Insurance Co. Of America, was established. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 1979, Sony launched the Walkman, the 3.5 inch micro floppy disk drive in 1981; the worlds first CD player in 1982; the first consumer camcorder in 1983; 8mm video in 1988 and the first digital VTR in 1985. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 1988, the group bought CBS Record to form Sony Music Entertainment, and in 1989, the company purchased Columbia pictures, forming Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., in 1991. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 1990, Sony acquires 12 business including CBS records INC and Columbia Tristar Pictures. In 1993, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, was established, during the same time Sony launched the VAIO a home-se PC series. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 2001, the group established Sony Bank in Japan and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 2001, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications established In 2002, Sony absorbs Aiwa (a form Japanese audio visual manufacturer) via merger In 2003, Sony launched the worlds first next generation high capacity optical Blu-ray Disc recorder BDZ-S77. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 2004, Sony established a music distribution company, Sony BMG Music Entertainment. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 2005, Sony completed the acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), one of the worlds largest privately held, independent motion picture, television and home video companies. (Datamonitor, 2008) In 2009, the Sony decided to form a joint venture (JV) with Sharp Corporation. The JV which will be established in March 2010, will engage in the manufacturing and sales of liquid crystal panel and liquid crystal module. (Datamonitor, 2008) Appendix B. Sonys Main Brands Name Type of product Bravia Visual Cybershot Phone Discman Audio Playstation (23) Games Console Trinton Visual Walkman Audio Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Appendix C. Sonys Main Competitors Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Appendix D. Sonys Business Activities Sony operates through five segments; 1.Electronic, 2.Games, 3.Finance, 4.Pictures and 5. Others Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation Appendix E. Sony Products Source: Datamonitor Sony Corporation

African Americans, HIV and AIDA Essay -- df

African Americans who live in low-income communities are more likely to engage in unprotected sexual activities than those who live in higher-income communities. ii Table of Contents Chapter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Page/s I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Problem  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1-2 II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theoretical Framework  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3-5 III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hypothesis  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Population and Design  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7-8 V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  9-10 VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bibliography  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  11-12 1 I. Problem Little to nothing was known about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) when it first erupted in the 1970s. When the epidemic finally reached noticeable proportions in the early 1980s, a disease that knows no gender, racial, or class boundaries has created a devastating impact on society. This disease has afflicted society in virtually epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, there are an estimated 1 million Americans infected with AIDS and 40,000-80,000 new infections with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) each year. There are few people who do not know someone who has died of AIDS, and it is estimated that, early in the new millennium, some forty million people worldwide will be infected with HIV, and ten million of them will develop AIDS. Research and statistics reveals that individual behavior is the strongest determinant of HIV and AIDS risk. This high-risk behavior place them in danger and is passed on to others by means of exchanging sex for money or drugs, injection drug users (IDUs), incarcerated persons, unborn babies of infected mothers, and other persons who have numerous sex partners. Individuals in communities where Sexual Transmitted Diseases are prevalent are also at high risk rates of AIDS and HIV infection are substantially higher in blacks than among whites, especially among adolescents and young adults (Healthy People 2000). Many factors contribute to why there are more African Americans infected with HIV, AIDS, and STDs than any other racial and ethnic group. 2 The purpose of this explanatory study is to find out why African Americans who live in low-income / African American communities are more likely to en... ...ervices (GAPS): Recommendations and Rationale. Chicago: American Medical Association, 1994   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anspaugh, D. J., Hamrick, M. H. & Rosato, F.D. 2000. Wellness Concepts and Applications (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Babbie, Earl R. 2001. The Practice of Social Research (9th ed.). United States: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. Atlanta: Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 1995; 7(1): 1-34.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in Sexual Risk Behavior among High School Students - United States, 1990,1991, and 1993. MMWR 1995; 44: 124 – 125.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Prevention Information Network. Maryland: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv Crosby, Richard A. Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Atlanta: http://www.reutershealth.com/frame2/eline.html National Center for Healthy Statistics. Healthy People 2000 review. 1994. Hyattsville, MD: Public Health Service, 1995. (Publication no. DHHS (PHS) 95 – 1256 – 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Research on Molecular Immunology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 19, May 22, 1992.

What advantages or disadvantages are there of having a telephone mast at your school?

I deliberated in finding you a result, never the less I will give you an unbiased view point and give you a pragmatic answer†¦ Consequently I have prepared a list of bullet points for and against for the answer†¦ For * Good phone signals are in place so a teacher can easily contact others (via mobile phone) if the conditions are stormy. * If a phone mass was put into place, company's across the country would manufacture there businesses nearby so all employees could conveniently access strong phone signals meaning Clayton would be popular village meaning a boost in local economy†¦ * People would see Clayton as a more business friendly town, meaning more leisure prospects because companies might set up major offices and buildings†¦ * Small towns may be transformed into a thriving city because a brilliant signals†¦ * May bring protesters although they would need transport and accommodation therefore it puts money into the economy again†¦ * If major company's construct big offices near by other people may be persuaded to create other things nearby to cater for the business men's every need for example coffee shops and luxury outlet stores for rich people who work in the offices†¦ * If thriving company's start up in the town other buildings will come as well, for example the company may want a building nearby were they can host there website (lots of servers) so they don't have to travel far to maintain equipment, meaning that they will buy more land leading to estate agents and nearby people gaining lots of money, which will further more be pumped back into the economy†¦ * If major company's set up in the nearby town, big companies such as BT etc will feel pressured not to have a office in the town because the town will be popular full of people†¦ * More shops would appear because the town would be so popular meaning lots of people would buy products from there shop†¦ * There is no real evidence to suggest that the EM radiation used in cellular communications is harmful. Against * There are fears that mobile phone masts present a threat to health, these fears begin with the warming of the brain direct from mobile phones, this leads onto the possible causes of cancer that come from phone masts e.g. brain tumours, this is the cause of microwave radiation. * You might have trouble sleeping as time goes on and you could be at risk from catching a brain tumour. Also if someone was to stand near a phone mast they might be at risk of catching the flu. * Seven different studies had concluded that mobile phones could increase the chances of both malignant and benign brain tumours'. * Can be seen as unattractive for example, if there is elegant view around the town the mast would instantly destroy it†¦ Meaning that if the town is seen as a rural, it is no instantly transformed as an urban town†¦ * Newcastle is aimed at older people (London is aimed at younger people) Therefore they will be against the change†¦ How it works Mobile phones work using radio signals in a similar way to radio and television. The system is based on geographic areas known as cells. When you make a call, your mobile phone sends a signal to the nearest base station that controls a cell. The base station then transmits the signal through mobile and fixed line networks to connect you. Cells vary in size depending on location and demand. A large base station may be able to carry 100 to 150 calls simultaneously while a smaller one may only be able to carry around 30 calls. More base stations will be needed in areas where lots of people want to use their mobile phones. There are around 51,000 base stations in the UK, two-thirds of which are integrated into the design of existing buildings or structures. Conclusion This is a very debateable subject, however I hope the bullet points I have willingly provided have made it easier for me to make a strong decision†¦ If I was put in charge of making this decision I would be for the telephone mast because it would bring major companies to Newcastle-under-Lyme which would be excellent for the economy, There are about 70 million mobile phones in use in the UK which of whom need to base stations, this is why one should be made in Newcastle because they have to be made! People may protest and rebel about this although this wouldn't matter too much because after a while people will forget†¦If we did put a telephone mast in Newcastle there is a chance that Newcastle under Lyme could be completely transformed for the best! Some major disadvantages would be that it could cause harm towards the civilians and that the change could anger the more older public because they might not like thriving city's and prefer the quite villages†¦

Recent Drops In The Stock Market Essays - Stock Market, Capitalism

Recent Drops In The Stock Market Essays - Stock Market, Capitalism Recent Drops In The Stock Market Recently, the stock market has been very unstable. After a period of extremely good business and market highs, it seems we are experiencing just the opposite. The market has become increasingly unsure and risky, even with well known companies. I believe the shift in the stock market is based partly with the oil crisis caused by OPEC and partly with constant bad reports presented by companies. Maybe if assessment firms gave good reports more often than bad ones, the market would go up. The market is such a roller coaster now that it is virtually impossible to predict even the most trustworthy stocks like Wal-Mart or Yahoo!. For instance, the technology company Sony, which just released a new video game system, has dropped like a rock on the market. In three days, their stock dropped over six points. Considering they have a brand new, highly recommended gaming system, shouldnt their stock be going up? They claim to have under-shipped, but what kind of excuse is that? The public knows that a large and powerful company like Sony has the