Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Frostbite Chapter 20

Twenty We NEEDED AN ESCAPE PLAN, and we needed it fast. Unfortunately, my only ideas called for things that really weren't under my control. Like us being left completely alone so we could sneak off. Or having stupid guards whom we could easily fool and slip away from. At the very least, we should have been sloppily secured so that we could break free. None of that was happening, though. After almost twenty-four hours, our situations hadn't really changed. We were still prisoners, still securely bound. Our captors stayed vigilant, almost as efficient as any group of guardians. Almost. The closest we got to freedom was heavily supervised- and extremely embarrassing- bathroom breaks. The men gave us no food or water. That was rough on me, but the human and vampire mix made dhampirs hardy. I could handle being uncomfortable, even though I was fast reaching a point where I would have killed for a cheeseburger and some really, really greasy french fries. For Mia and Christian†¦well, things were a little harder. Moroi could go weeks without food and water if they were still getting blood. Without blood, they could manage a few days before getting sick and weak, so long as they still had other sustenance. That was how Lissa and I had managed while living on our own, since I hadn't been able to feed her every day. Take away food, blood, and water, and Moroi endurance dropped through the floor. I was hungry, but Mia and Christian were ravenous. Already, their faces looked gaunt, their eyes almost feverish. Isaiah made matters worse during his subsequent visits. Each time, he would come down and ramble on in his annoying, taunting way. Then, before leaving, he'd take another drink from Eddie. By the third visit, I could practically see Mia and Christian salivating. Between the endorphins and lack of food, I was pretty sure Eddie didn't even know where we were. I couldn't really sleep under these conditions, but during the second day, I started nodding off now and then. Starvation and exhaustion will do that to you. At one point, I actually dreamed, surprising since I didn't really think I could fall into a deep slumber under such insane conditions. In the dream- and I knew perfectly well that it was a dream- I stood on a beach. It took me a moment to recognize just which beach it was. It was along the Oregon coast- sandy and warm, with the Pacific unfolding in the distance. Lissa and I had traveled out here once when we lived in Portland. It had been a gorgeous day, but she couldn't handle being out in that much sun. We'd kept the visit short as a result, but I'd always wished I could have stayed longer and basked in all that. Now I had all the light and warmth I could want. â€Å"Little dhampir,† said a voice behind me. â€Å"It's about time.† I turned around in surprise and found Adrian Ivashkov watching me. He had on khakis and a loose shirt and- in a surprisingly casual style for him- wore no shoes. Wind ruffled his brown hair, and he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets as he regarded me with that trademark smirk of his. â€Å"Still got your protection,† he added. Frowning, I thought for a moment he was staring at my chest. Then I realized his eyes were on my stomach. I had on jeans and a bikini top, and once again, the little blue eye pendant dangled from my belly-button. The chotki was on my wrist. â€Å"And you're in the sun again,† I said. â€Å"So I suppose it's your dream.† â€Å"It's our dream.† I wiggled my toes in the sand. â€Å"How can two people share a dream?† â€Å"People share dreams all the time, Rose.† I looked up at him with a frown. â€Å"I need to know what you mean. About there being darkness around me. What does it mean?† â€Å"Honestly, I don't know. Everyone has light around them, except for you. You have shadows. You take them from Lissa.† My confusion grew. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"I can't get into it right now,† he told me. â€Å"That's not why I'm here.† â€Å"You're here for a reason?† I asked, my eyes wandering to the blue-gray water. It was hypnotic. â€Å"You aren't just†¦here to be here?† He stepped forward and caught my hand, forcing me to look up at him. All amusement was gone. He was dead serious. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"Here,† I said, puzzled. â€Å"Just like you.† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"No, that's not what I mean. In the real world. Where are you?† The real world? Around us, the beach suddenly blurred, like a film going out of focus. Moments later, everything steadied itself. I racked my brain. The real world. Images came to me. Chairs. Guards. Flex-cuffs. â€Å"In a basement †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said slowly. Alarm suddenly shattered the beauty of the moment as everything came back to me. â€Å"Oh God, Adrian. You've got to help Mia and Christian. I can't- â€Å" Adrian's grip on my hand tightened. â€Å"Where?† The world shimmered again, and this time it didn't refocus. He swore. â€Å"Where are you, Rose?† The world began to disintegrate. Adrian began to disintegrate. â€Å"A basement. In a house. In- â€Å" He was gone. I woke up. The sound of the room's door opening startled me back to reality. Isaiah swept in with Elena in tow. I had to fight a sneer when I saw her. He was arrogant and mean and all-around evil. But he was that way because he was a leader. He had the strength and power to back up his cruelty- even if I didn't like it. But Elena? She was a lackey. She threatened us and made snide comments, but most of her ability to do so came from being his sidekick. She was a total suck-up. â€Å"Hello, children,† he said. â€Å"How are we doing today?† Sullen glares answered him. He strolled over to Mia and Christian, hands folded behind his back. â€Å"Any changes of heart since my last visit? You're taking an awfully long time, and it's upsetting Elena. She's very hungry, you see, but- I suspect- not as hungry as you two.† Christian narrowed his eyes. â€Å"Fuck off,† he said through gritted teeth. Elena snarled and lunged forward. â€Å"Don't you dare- â€Å" Isaiah waved her off. â€Å"Leave him alone. It just means we wait a little longer, and really, it's an entertaining wait.† Elena's eyes shot daggers at Christian. â€Å"Honestly,† continued Isaiah, watching Christian, â€Å"I can't decide which I want more: to kill you or have you join us. Either option offers its own amusements.† â€Å"Don't you get tired of hearing yourself talk?† asked Christian. Isaiah considered. â€Å"No. Not really. And I don't get tired of this, either.† He turned around and walked toward Eddie. Poor Eddie could barely sit upright in his chair anymore after all the feedings he'd gone through. Worse, Isaiah didn't even need to use compulsion. Eddie's face simply lit up with a stupid grin, eager for the next bite. He was as addicted as a feeder. Anger and disgust flooded through me. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled. â€Å"Leave him alone!† Isaiah glanced back at me. â€Å"Be silent, girl. I don't find you nearly as amusing as I do Mr. Ozera.† â€Å"Yeah?† I snarled. â€Å"If I piss you off so much, then use me to prove your stupid point. Bite me instead. Put me in my place, and show me what a badass you are.† â€Å"No!† exclaimed Mason. â€Å"Use me.† Isaiah rolled his eyes. â€Å"Good God. What a noble lot. You're all Spartacus, aren't you?† He strolled away from Eddie and put a finger under Mason's chin, tilting his head up. â€Å"But you,† Isaiah said, â€Å"don't really mean it. You only offer because of her.† He released Mason and walked in front of me, staring down with those black, black eyes. â€Å"And you †¦ I didn't really believe you at first either. But now?† He knelt down so that he was at my height. I refused to look away from his eyes, even though I knew that put me at risk of compulsion. â€Å"I think you really mean it. And it's not all nobility, either. You do want it. You really have been bitten before.† His voice was magical. Hypnotic. He wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but he definitely had an unnatural charisma surrounding him. Like Lissa and Adrian. I hung on his every word. â€Å"Lots of times, I'd guess,† he added. He leaned toward me, breath hot against my neck. Somewhere beyond him, I could hear Mason shouting something, but all of my focus was on how close Isaiah's teeth were to my skin. In the last few months, I'd only been bitten once- and that was when Lissa had had an emergency. Before then, she'd bitten me at least twice a week for two years, and I had only recently come to realize how addicted to that I'd been. There is nothing- nothing- in the world like a Moroi bite, like the flood of bliss it sends into you. Of course, by all accounts, Strigoi bites were even more powerful†¦. I swallowed, suddenly aware of my own heavy breathing and racing heart. Isaiah gave a low chuckle. â€Å"Yes. You're a blood whore in the making. Unfortunate for you- because I'm not going to give you what you want.† He backed away, and I slumped forward in my chair. Without further delay, he returned to Eddie and drank. I couldn't watch, but it was because of envy this time, not disgust. Longing burned inside of me. I ached for that bite, ached for it with every nerve in my body. When Isaiah finished, he started to leave the room, then paused. He directed his words at Mia and Christian. â€Å"Don't delay,† he warned. â€Å"Seize your opportunity to be saved.† He tilted his head toward me. â€Å"You even have a willing victim.† He left. Across the room, Christian met my eyes. Somehow, his face looked even gaunter than it had a couple of hours ago. Hunger burned in his gaze, and I knew I wore the complementary one: a desire to sate that hunger. God. We were so screwed. I think Christian realized it at the same time. His lips twisted into a bitter smile. â€Å"You never looked so good, Rose,† he managed, just before the guards told him to shut up. I dozed a little throughout the day, but Adrian didn't return to my dreams. Instead, while hovering just at the edge of consciousness, I found myself slipping into familiar territory: Lissa's head. After all the weirdness of these last two days, being in her mind felt like a homecoming. She was in one of the lodge's banquet rooms, only it was empty. She sat on the floor of the far side of it, trying to stay inconspicuous. Nervousness filled her. She was waiting for something- or rather, someone. A few minutes later, Adrian slipped in. â€Å"Cousin,† he said by way of greeting. He sat down beside her and drew his knees up, unconcerned about his expensive dress pants. â€Å"Sorry I'm late.† â€Å"It's okay,† she said. â€Å"You didn't know I was here until you saw me, did you?† She shook her head, disappointed. I felt more confused than ever. â€Å"And sitting with me †¦ you can't really notice anything?† â€Å"No.† He shrugged. â€Å"Well. Hopefully it'll come soon.† â€Å"How does it look for you?† she asked, burning with curiosity. â€Å"Do you know what auras are?† â€Å"They're like †¦ bands of light around people, right? Some New Age thing?† â€Å"Something like that. Everyone has a sort of spiritual energy that radiates out from them. Well, almost everyone.† His hesitation made me wonder if he was thinking of me and the darkness I allegedly walked in. â€Å"Based on the color and appearance, you can tell a lot about a person†¦well, if anyone could actually see auras, that is.† â€Å"And you can,† she said. â€Å"And you can tell I use spirit from my aura?† â€Å"Yours is mostly gold. Like mine. It'll shift with other colors depending on the situation, but the gold always stays.† â€Å"How many other people out there like us do you know?† â€Å"Not many. I just see them every once in a while. They kind of keep to themselves. You're the first I've actually ever talked to. I didn't even know it was called ‘spirit.' Wish I'd known about this when I didn't specialize. I just figured I was some kind of freak.† Lissa held up her arm and stared, willing herself to see the light shining around it. Nothing. She sighed and let the arm drop. And that's when I got it. Adrian was a spirit user too. That was why he'd been so curious about Lissa, why he'd wanted to talk to her and ask about the bond and her specialization. It also explained a lot of other things- like that charisma I couldn't seem to escape when I was near him. He'd used compulsion that day Lissa and I had been in his room- that was how he'd forced Dimitri to release him. â€Å"So, they finally let you go?† Adrian asked her. â€Å"Yeah. They finally decided I really didn't know anything.† â€Å"Good,† he said. He frowned, and I realized he was sober for a change. â€Å"And you're sure you don't?† â€Å"I already told you that. I can't make the bond work that way.† â€Å"Hmm. Well. You've got to.† She glared. â€Å"What, you think I'm holding back? If I could find her, I would!† â€Å"I know, but to have it at all, you must have a strong connection. Use that to talk to her in her dreams. I tried, but I can't hang on long enough to- â€Å" â€Å"What did you say?† exclaimed Lissa. â€Å"Talk to her in her dreams?† Now he looked puzzled. â€Å"Sure. Don't you know how to do that?† â€Å"No! Are you kidding? How is that even possible?† My dreams †¦ I remembered Lissa talking about unexplained Moroi phenomena, how there might be spirit powers out there beyond healing, things no one even knew about yet. It would appear that Adrian being in my dreams was no coincidence. He'd managed to get inside my head, maybe in a way similar to how I saw Lissa's mind. The thought made me uneasy. Lissa could barely even grasp it. He ran a hand through his hair and tipped his head back, staring at the crystal chandelier above as he pondered. â€Å"Okay. So. You don't see auras, and you don't talk to people in dreams. What do you do?† â€Å"I †¦ I can heal people. Animals. Plants, too. I can bring dead things back to life.† â€Å"Really?† He looked impressed. â€Å"Okay. You get credit for that. What else?† â€Å"Um, I can use compulsion.† â€Å"We can all do that.† â€Å"No, I can really do it. It's not hard. I can make people do anything I want- even bad things.† â€Å"So can I.† His eyes lit up. â€Å"I wonder what would happen if you tried to use it on me†¦.† She hesitated and absentmindedly ran her fingers over the textured red carpet. â€Å"Well†¦ I can't.† â€Å"You just said you could.† â€Å"I can- just not right now. I take this prescription †¦ for depression and other stuff†¦and it cuts me off from the magic.† He threw his arms up in the air. â€Å"How can I teach you to walk through dreams then? How else are we going to find Rose?† â€Å"Look,† she said angrily, â€Å"I don't want to take the meds. But when I was off them †¦ I did really crazy stuff. Dangerous stuff. That's what spirit does to you.† â€Å"I don't take anything. I'm okay,† he said. No, he wasn't, I realized. Lissa realized it too. â€Å"You got really weird that day when Dimitri was in your room,† she pointed out. â€Å"You started rambling, and you didn't make any sense.† â€Å"Oh, that? Yeah †¦ it happens now and then. But seriously, not often. Once a month, if that.† He sounded sincere. Lissa stared at him, suddenly reevaluating everything. What if Adrian could do it? What if he could use spirit without pills and without any harmful side effects? It would be everything she had been hoping for. Besides, she wasn't even sure if the pills would keep working anymore†¦. He smiled, guessing what she was thinking. â€Å"What do you say, cousin?† he asked. He didn't need to use compulsion. His offer was plenty tempting in its own right. â€Å"I can teach you everything I know if you're able to touch the magic. It'll take a while for the pills to get out of your system, but once they do †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Relationship Between Civil Rights Movement & Feminist Agenda

In this Essay I will examine relationship between Civil Rights Movement and how the feminist agenda of second wave feminism. Furthermore, I will explain how women shaped the Civil Rights Movement, and also how they redefined their own feminism because of the ways in which they interacted with the movement. In 1952, the separate but equal laws were once again challenged in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The case was based on the segregation of educational facilities. The NAACP changed their focus from integrating higher educational facilities to integrated grade schools. After the change, the NAACP stepped in on this case and argued that segregated educational facilities were unequal, degrading to black students, and violated the fourteenth amendment's guarantee for equal protection. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were inherently unequal and did violate the fourteenth amendment. The decision of Plessy vs. Ferguson had finally been overturned and public schools were to be integrated. Brown vs. the Board of Education was a victory for the blacks, however southern whites reacted to the court's decision with extreme racism. There were two major reasons for the civil rights movement one was Impact of WWII and Brown vs. Board of Education. Females played great role in Civil rights movement. One sit-in involved Anne Moody the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. During this sit-in, whites at the lunch counter attacked Anne Moody and other activist, but they didn't give up until they were escorted out by the police. This is what happened on the evening of December l, 1955: Parks took the bus because she was feeling particularly tired after a long day at work. She was sitting in the middle section, glad to be off her feet at last, when a white man boarded the bus and demanded that her row be cleared because the white section was full. The others in the row obediently moved to the back of the bus, but Parks just didn't feel like standing for the rest of the journey, and she quietly refused to move. At this, the white bus driver threatened to call the police unless Parks gave her up her seat, but she refused to give up her seat and bus driver called the police and they arrested her. So this respectable, middle-aged woman was taken to the police station, where she was fingerprinted and jailed. She was allowed to make one phone call. She called a NAACP lawyer, who arranged for her to be released on bail. Word of Parks's arrest spread quickly, and the Women's Political Council decided to protest her treatment by organizing a boycott of the buses. Women designed bus boycott. Jo Ann Robinson who was College Professor who talked to her friend who was attorney to help Mrs. Parks and also he helped to spread the news of bus boycott. The boycott was set for December 5, the day of Parks's trial, but Martin Luther King, Jr. nd other prominent members of Montgomery's black community realized that here was a chance to take a firm stand on segregation. As a result, the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed to organize a boycott that would continue until the bus segregation laws were changed. Leaflets were distributed telling people not to ride the buses, and other forms of transport were laid on. The boycott lasted 382 days, causing the Bus Company to lose a vast amount of money. Everyone played and tried their best to keep up with the boycott. They walked to work etc. One day this old lady who looked very tired and this white men saw her and offered her to ride in his car, she responded â€Å"my feets is tired, but my soul is rested† Meanwhile, Parks was fined for failing to obey a city ordinance, but on the advice of her lawyers she refused to pay the fine so that they could challenge the segregation law in court. The following year, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled the Montgomery segregation law illegal, and the boycott was at last called off. Yet Parks had started far more than a bus boycott. Other cities followed Montgomery's example and were protesting their segregation laws. Also they did other acts such as The March on Washington, Martin Luther King's speech. Mean reason they had many organiztion which were orgainized very well such as NAACP, SNCC, and also their success was because Non violent direct confrontation. They knew the consequences breaking the rules but they desire and wants were much more stronger. Second wave of feminism they want a right too This protest begin in 1950 and died in 1984. They want to have equal pay, higher education, and want to end the discrimination. Second Wave feminism had two branches, Liberal Feminists and Radical Feminists also Working class women played great role too. Liberal Feminist's objectives were for equality within the existing social structure and also equality with men. However, Radical Feminists objectives were to breakdown of the system of power that sustains mail advantage in every sphere of life, including economics, politics, the family, religion, law, education, science, and medicine, as well as in the interactions of everyday life. Also Radical women are not defined as white, middle class agenda rather social class and ethnicity/race define the issues facing women also. The relationship between the Civil Rights Movement and the feminist agenda of Second wave feminism those women played great role in both. They both of these want to have equal rights, at work, school, and also end the discrimination. Civil Rights Movement and Second Wave of Feminism struggled greatly but they had great success. In conclusion, I would say that Civil Rights Movement and Second Wave of Feminism struggled a lot but after all it was worth it. They had many similarities and women played great roles organizing meetings and interaction with other women that brought unity and that lead them into success.

The Provenance Paradox

The provenance paradox describes the challenge for brands originating in a number of regions in the world failing to compete in the top tier markets. Their origin carries a stigma which places them at an inferior position to brands that originate in supposedly more developed and reputable regions. Certain geographies are perceived to produce better products than others, despite the essence being that the products are of the same quality. Following the examples from the case on how they built their up market positions with the strategies for combating the provenance paradox have been detailed: Flaunt Your Country of Origin and Stick to Colonial History Example: Chocolates El Rey and Concha y Toro Chocolates El Rey fails to find a position in the market where it can compete with the famous brands solely because it comes from Venezuela. For this chocolate brand, breaking through the barrier may be through emphasis on the fact that the reputable European chocolate brands actually acquire their main ingredient- cacao beans from El Rey. If El Rey processes these cacao beans, what would prevent it from maintaining the same quality in taste and richness when producing their own chocolate product? However, this may still be a weak point to stress on for El Rey, as consumers may still doubt them having the supposed expertise in refining the ingredient into the final chocolate product. Furthermore, Concha y Toro, the Chilean winemaker should deeply engage in brand management, like El Rey, in order to build stronger awareness of Chile’s exclusive varietals. By this, we describe wines made primarily from a single named grape variety typically displaying the name of that variety on the wine label. Both of these brands should stick to what they do best, in the case of El Rey, them processing some of the best cacao beans in the world, and Concha y Toro having its country, Chile producing great varietals and having a long viticultural history dating to the 16th century, should keep on the combat to get their brands known by firstly establishing price competition and continuing to be low-cost suppliers as they continue to focus on the commodities that made their countries successful way back, and hence achieve scale. Downplay Your Country of Origin Example: Corona Beer Other producers counter the effects that arise with the branded product origin on the positioning of the brand in the market by deviating focus from where the brand really comes from. Where the product is manufactured becomes an insignificant factor in the promotion, and other attributes of the branded product place it on the upper market segment. Corona Beer is one of the brands that use this strategy of ‘downplaying the country of origin’. This type of combat to the provenance paradox renders the brand at risk of not being strong enough to sustain growth in popularity and trust as consumers eventually want to relate the product to where it really comes from. Not establishing the origin raises doubt of authenticity by the consumers. Nonetheless it works well in preventing the brand from being harmed by geographical undermining. Hide Behind A Front Country Example: India IT consulting companies Companies known to produce relatively cheap products are associated with low quality as well. This is the example of IT consulting companies from India as they are presumed to be good for outsourcing IT grunt work, but not for high-level strategic consulting. Hence, these companies tend to consider the â€Å"hide behind a front country† strategy by setting up fronts in Europe to be able to earn premiums for their services in Europe by downplaying the fact that they are Indian companies and choosing to hide behind a front country. Build a Brand For the Long Haul Example: Korean LG & Samsung and Japan automobiles In the electronics industry, brands such as LG and Samsung did not just reach great heights overnight. The fact that they are of Korean origin raised many doubts about their product being of quality competent enough to compete with top electronic brands. The perception of the Brands not being good quality was gradually countered through a strategy of building a brand for the long haul. They did not just emulate high performing brands overnight, but they let the consumers realize their quality through the smaller markets that hey were initially able to penetrate. With time, consumer confidence in the brands positioned them in the upmarket segment. Furthermore, Japan can serve as the best example of how the slow progression to upmarket positioning is nothing easy as after 50 years the Japanese brands in the automobile industry (Nissan, Honda and Toyota), and electronics (Sony) have achieved the upscale position commanding steep premiums with strategic and financial commitment. End note. Having also learnt about â€Å"The Champagne Effect†, where the Protected Geographical Status is a framework of labeling restrictions enforced by the European Union, this framework is more of a tool to insulate brands from quality competition by reinforcing stereotypes about provenance and limiting opportunities for new players from new markets, and not really to prevent inauthentic, cheaper products. This only serves as another hurdle for emerging-market companies. However, as brands compete to overcome provenance paradox, they should consider social media, such as facebook, as this is an inexpensive channel to tout positive consumer reviews and hence get their brands known globally. They should follow what the top brands are already doing. The brands seeking for acceptance have a long way to go as emerging markets are developing faster than the stereotypes are eroding. Hence, with the help of the strategies for combating the provenance paradox they will be able to get out there and be globally recognized with patience, and long standing perseverance.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Medicare part D coverage and how it makes the elderly a vulnerable Essay

Medicare part D coverage and how it makes the elderly a vulnerable population - Essay Example the package that was finally approved by the Congress has been criticized as being complex and ill conceived, with a capacity for adding to the difficulties of the elderly who are a vulnerable segment of the population and find it difficult to negotiate complex administrative procedures or to fight for their rights. Broadly speaking, some assistance with prescription drug expenditure has been provided for annul expenditures on prescription drugs with an upper limit of about $ 2,250 after which the enrollees pay out of their pocket until catastrophic assistance with prescription drug expenditure cuts in at about $ 5,100. Although the previously mentioned ‘doughnut’ is expected to keep expenses on healthcare under control, Medicare Part D has been criticized as being too complex, with an ability to add to the vulnerabilities of the elderly Americans. A very large number of plans are now being offered and it has to be wondered why the tax cuts that had been announced could not have been used to device a simpler system without a doughnut to better care for the elderly and the disabled. This brief essay presents an examination of why Medicare Part D coverage makes the elderly a vulnerable population. I hereby certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of the research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. Major changes were made to the Medicare Program for the first time in 30 years, when The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 made it possible for all Medicare beneficiaries to receive prescription drug assistance (Quimby, 2006, Pp. 1 – 10). Prescription drugs are important because they play a vital role in improving health outcomes and the quality of life in many ailments which may otherwise require surgery or other expensive and invasive treatments. Prescription drugs are essential for promoting early recovery

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Critical Interpretation of Contemporary American History Essay

Critical Interpretation of Contemporary American History - Essay Example In the book The Sorrows of Empire Johnson claims that increasing militarization of society and global political power of the USA limits ideas of democracy and liberty established by the US Constitution. The same ideas are expressed by Sundhaussen (1998) and Welch (2004) who state that militarization of society bring the American nation more 'sorrows and grievances' then security and peace. Among them are internal cleavage, economic stress, and external pressure. The means of military power is often identical to the means of assuming power in the first place. Following Sundhaussen (1998): "The military is by its very nature a potential threat to democracy, but in well-established democracies civilian supremacy has generally been maintained, though there are dangers of excessive military influence" (329). According to Johnson (2004), since 2001 the USA government has increased military spending and increased its military presence abroad. Furthermore, just as the original conspiracy to seize power had civilian adherents, the coup that presages a return to civilian rule is instigated by an alliance of military and civilian elements. Johnson compares modern American Empire with the Roman Empire which had a great influence on the western world and its historical development. For instance, "Bush and his administration have worked zealously to expand the powers of the presidency at the expense of the other branches of government" (23). The development of military empire is a part of the American history which goes back to the 1950s-1960s. In stark contrast to the Carter Administration, the Reagan Administration has been remarkably consistent in its foreign policy agenda and its attempts to follow through on campaign pledges. It has sponsored the country's largest ever military buildup. It has generated the highest level of tension in U.S. Soviet relations since the 1962 missile crisis, resulting, for several years, in a hiatus in communication at virtually all levels on virtually all issues (Aylett and DeMarco 98-99). It has reinforced the various intelligence agencies, expanding both surveillance and paramilitary capabilities, reinstating the practice of surveillance of U.S. citizens at home and abroad, treating any agency of government and any private organization or profession as legitimate "cover," and introducing new measures to protect secrecy and punish whistleblowers the Reagan Administration has escalated U.S. military involvement in Central American conflicts continuously, mindless of overwhelming popular opposition to its policies at home and in allied countries of Europe and Latin America; mindless of multiple opportunities for negotiation and compromise; and mindless, finally, of the certainty of ignominious failure (Aylett and DeMarco 101). While it is clear that security interests have always loomed large in the shaping of U.S. policy, it is less clear how such interests are defined and limited. The concept of security is eminently elastic. Johnson (2004) underlines that "the paradoxical effect of this grand strategy is that it may prove more radically disruptive of world order than anything the terrorists of September 11, 2001 could have hoped to achieve on their

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Management Society and new forms of work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Society and new forms of work - Essay Example Analysis The author draws on the real subsumption notion of Marxism. This argument claims that the capitalistic regime will eventually be hard pressed to absorb all the labour it produces. The author claims that the phenomena in the digital/new economy whereby internet users become active participants in the development of content and/or software (Terranova 2004). The argument here is that many difficulties arise from this relationship. While the difficulties may present a problem, under close inspection, this argument collapses in view of Adam Smith’s contention that man is driven by his own desire to better his/her lot and society becomes better as a result (Raphael 1985). It can thus be argued that the content developing users of the internet are only striving to make the sites better off for them and in the process benefitting all of us. This is a significant improvement in innovativeness that has been brought about by the interconnectivity in the new business environments . The traditional organization structures are changing. With the emergence of new thoughts and bold maverick entrepreneurs emerging to experiment with new structures and often emerging successful, more and more companies are bond to pick up the trend. Andrew Ross’s study of the ‘silicon valley’ analyzed companies like Razorfish which had open managements and was able to induce over enthusiasm in its workers and increase production (Ross 1988). These advances redefine management and employer employee relations and have succeeded in making workers feel ownership more than traditional setups. This is a direct rebuttal by the innovative capitalists to its opponents of the sixties who argued that labour in capitalist states was repetitive and dull. With the new age of information technology, one does not even require to have met their boss; a company can outsource certain functions across continents without anybody having left the office. This has resulted in more fle xible and stimulating working experiences and the productivity of all parties becomes markedly enhanced. Influences of the management theory reform movement have informed most of the new economy’s decisions. The emphasis on the value of giving workers more liberty in driving the production process through new management structure has paid off. Decentralized institutions and ones which delegate a lot has proved to be more productive in the long run. Arguably, this draws from the ‘biological turn’ discovery. The argument that it is possible to contain and direct human effort and the creativity of the masses has considerable promise, elective and moderate application of pressure is the means to achieving this. It is highly possible to harness production from workforces without necessarily having the congregated at a particular territory. As such even the office as we know it today is bound to change. With this in mind, it can also be said that the Bionomic view of t he economy as a chaotic but self organizing ecology and organizations intelligent and social beings and that the ultimate boost to the bottom line will come from organizational learning. Looking at the internet as an example of this, a lot of truth in the view is evidenced. The internet expands and mutates without the control of any planners, managers, and in essence not a single person in charge. This can be a reference for any company that favors bottom

Friday, July 26, 2019

Cracker Control Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cracker Control - Assignment Example They also need a Backtrack Live CD and a compatible wireless adapter that links with CommVIew for Wireless hotspots (Philip, 2008). These tools enable the wireless card to assume a monitor mode that helps in capturing data packets. A strong Wi-Fi network signal also enables the cracker to connect and disconnect from my network with ease. Hydra is another tool that performs fast dictionary attacks against numerous protocols thus facilitating cracking of systems. Numerous security principles or processes can address this problem when effectively implemented. These include the establishment of access control mechanisms and End-to-end encryption. Moreover, SSID hiding, MAC ID filtering, Static IP addressing, access control and integrity controls, and training on computer security can address this problem (Federal Trade Commission, 2011). We should also configure router passwords and firewall that prevent Wireless hotspots (Kent & Steiner, 2011). Other security principles include identifying the kind and purpose of personal information stored in files and on the computer (Federal Trade Commission, 2011). Keeping only the relevant information and disposing of irrelevant data in a proper manner can help in addressing this problem. Moreover, protecting stored data and establishing proper measures of responding to security threats avert cracking (Federal Trade Commission, 2011). Ultimately, nobody should divulge personal data without proper authori zation. These measures can limit crackers from gaining control of my network and

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Paper on Freeman Dyson's Technology and Social Justice Essay

Paper on Freeman Dyson's Technology and Social Justice - Essay Example As a matter of fact, he effectively counters the arguments of some sections of the society maintaining that technological sophistications have in fact led to a rise in social injustice and inequalities. Dyson elaborates this by coming out with a real-life example. He states that, the invention of diverse household appliances have enabled the advent of a scenario where, the need for servants was eliminated. In addition, sons and daughters of servants have been enabled to pursue higher education, and thus get elevated to middle class. (1) Dyson considers that as a vivid reflection of a key facet of social justice: the segment that was hitherto downtrodden has now been empowered by the knowledge gained through education. And according to him, that became possible solely because of the advent of the aforesaid technologies (domestic appliances). (1) Dyson emphatically argues that technology should be more focused on meeting the needs of the poverty-stricken people, rather than providing m ore luxuries for the affluent. He goes on to add that poverty could be eliminated by appropriately combining the technologies of genetic engineering, solar energy and Internet. In this context, he strengthens his argument by focusing on the fact that there is plenty of untapped solar energy in some zones of the Globe where, severe poverty is the order of the day.

Commentary music anlisis of chapter 2 Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Commentary music anlisis of chapter 2 - Thesis Example m during the performance of a number of parameters of the composition including the pitch, form, durations and notes of the particular pieces (Salzman, 161). Mobile or open form chance music its roots in the works of previous influential artists like Roman Haubenstock-Ramati who compost a series of polyvalent musical pieces such as his famous piece known as Interpolation in the year 1958. Another good example of the use of mobile form musical composition was seen In Terry Riley’s 1964 composition titled In C which consisted of 53 short sequences allowing each member of the performers to repeat the sequence as much as they liked before proceeding to the next sequence. With a fixed pulsing rhythm, the details of each of the performance in the piece â€Å"In C† was however unique and the overall course was fixed. Composed for 4 clarinets in Bb, I was particularly influenced by the fact from my piece â€Å"Regeneration† that in the end of the piece the performer has to choose between the 2 endings. I have used a number of â€Å"mobile form† chance musical compositional techniques to ensure that the order of the sections and movements in the composition is indeterminate and left to be decided by the performers. Open form in the musical composition is normally vividly used in composition in relation to its mobile nature which involves the nature of movement in this musical composition which is either indeterminate or left in the court of the performer. As evidenced in my compositionâ€Å"Ordinatio†, the concept of open form chance music as used in the 20th century is often associated with giving freedom of choice regarding the movements of the composition and the order of sections to the performers. In this regard, the input of the composer is significantly reduced to merely preparing the elements that are needed to b assembled during the musical performance. I was Inspired from the earlier open and closed chance musical pieces such as Klavierstà ¼cke (Stockhausen) and

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Crafting a Safety Program for an Organization Assignment

Crafting a Safety Program for an Organization - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that keeping with the growing phenomenon of employee safety management, the primary aim of the report is to formulate a competent safety program that can successfully enable the organizations in the modern construction industry to avert various workplace hazards. The discussion of the study includes a clear assessment of the problem statements that have developed in line with the case example of safety measures observed in the operational processes of Millers Park projects and Paul Brown stadium construction activities. The problem statement of this report seeks for identifying the health hazards such as injuries and illness of the employees while functioning in workstations. The problem statement of the study substantially provides a clear understanding of the hurdles faced by the employees due to a different workstation related injury-causing illness. The identifying potential workplace hazards are of significance for employees’ well-being as well as t o avoid costs that might be resulted in the absenteeism of the employee with illness. Moreover, the problem statement also reveals about the challenges that might face the organization to undergo the major rise in its costs associated with hiring new employees along with their required training and developmental needs into the processes. In this regard, the key aim of the report is to develop and implement an effective safety program, which can cut down costs of the organization by providing different healthcare benefits. With reference to the problems observed in the report, the case of Millers Park project and the Paul Brown stadium include similar issues associated with the significance of effective safety management programs in the construction-related activities.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Critically discuss the key factors influencing protein requirements in Essay

Critically discuss the key factors influencing protein requirements in adults - Essay Example Together, these form the dynamic system of the body which contains the functional and structural aspects that help in nitrogen exchange to the environment (Joint, W. H. O., 2007). Thus the amount of protein that has to be consumed to meet these conditions of the body is termed as the protein requirement. Protein is the next bigger component of body tissues after water (Subar, et al., 2003). They are large molecules made of amino acids and are bonded together by peptides (Richards & Richmond, 2009). It is therefore important to take in proteins as they are used to maintain body tissue, which is constantly tearing and wearing out. A model on the protein needs is defined in terms of the organism metabolic demand and a demand of the diet that satisfies those needs for example efficiency of utilization (Elango, et al., 2010). The issue of protein intake in older adults is however controversial because some specialists warn that too much of it could cause toxicity while others argue that is important to take moderately high proteins to offset age related low energy intake and to maintain nitrogen balance (Millward, 2001). It is estimated that adults should take 0.75g (Young & Borgonha, 2000) of protein per kilogram of body weight to be on the safe side of nutrition deficiencies. These proteins should have a high digestibility and enough amounts of amino acids (Campbell, et al., 2008). These requirements can be satisfied by eating eggs, milk, fish and meat. Additionally legumes have a high amount of protein (Duranti, 2006). Since aging is associated with different physiologic and metabolic changes, the dietary pro tein requirements might also change. These changes may include decline in physical activity, changes in body composition due to loss of muscles, increased disease frequency in the older adults, decline in food intake, and decline in physical function capacity (Massey, 2003). These changes

Monday, July 22, 2019

Kings Ghost In Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Kings Ghost In Hamlet Essay During Shakespeares lifetime people were, in general, more religiously devout and more likely to believe in spirits and ghosts. Spirits could be messengers from heaven or evil in nature. This is one reason Hamlet so readily believed his friends when they told him they had seen his fathers ghost; he was also more likely to believe their story because his friend Horatio told it, and he is an intellectual. However, when Hamlet is all too willing to follow his fathers ghost, his friends, Marcellus and Horatio, are very reluctant to follow. Marcellus is reluctant to follow because he is afraid of the ghost. Most people are afraid of the unknown; this would include soldiers, who are used to fighting until the enemy is killed. Marcellus is dealing with a ghost, which he cannot defeat it with his partisan (though he hopelessly offers it), and this scares him. Marcellus is a soldier who is guarding Elsinore, and the ghost is wearing the armor that he wore to defend his land against Fortinbras, the old king of Norway. Another soldier, Bernardo, says, This portentous figure comes armed through our watch like the king that was and is the question of these wars. (Act I, p. 8) When Horatio speaks to the ghost he says, If thou art privy to thy countrys fate, Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid, O, speak! (Act I, p. 9) Marcellus and Bernardo believe it is an ominous sign and that perhaps the ghost has come with a warning about an imminent invasion; one that they would have to defend the castle against. Hamlet also thinks something must be wrong if his fathers ghost is in armor. Marcellus is also afraid of the ghost because it leaves just as the cock crows to signal sunrise. He knows that spirits, including evil ones, cannot bewitch during the day time and he is unsure yet weather the ghosts intentions are good or evil, so he does not want anyone to follow it. Marcellus goes so far as to restrain Hamlet when he tries to follow his fathers ghost. Horatio is also reluctant to follow the ghost because he is unsure of its intentions. He is especially weary because he tried twice to speak with the ghost and it would not answer him, it apparently only wants to speak with Hamlet alone. He warns Hamlet that the ghost might convince him to act  without reason and drive him mad. He tells Hamlet not to follow the ghost because it could lead him off a cliff into the ocean. Despite his friends warnings, Hamlet decides to follow his fathers ghost and receive its message. Though Marcellus and Horatio were reluctant, they eventually follow, catching up to Hamlet after he has spoken with the ghost.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Corporate Social Responsibility: History, Benefits and Types

Corporate Social Responsibility: History, Benefits and Types Corporate Social Responsibilityis know by many other names. These include corporate responsibility, corporate ethics, coporate accountability and corporate citizenship just to name a few. A key point to note is that Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR has no universal definition; however, it generally refers to clear business practices with respect to ethical values, compliance with Legal requirements and respect for economic values. CSR goes beyond making profits, companies and stakeholders are responsible for their impact on people and planet. Increasingly, stake holders should expect that companies should be more responsible both socially and environmentally in their conduct of their business. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development has described CSR as the business contribution to sustainable economic development. A Brief History of Corporate Social Responsibility The history of CSR dates back many years and in one instance can even be traced back 5000 years in Ancient Mesopotamia around 1700 BC, King Hammurabi introduced a code in which builders, innkeepers orfarmers were put to death if their negligence caused the deaths of others, or major inconvenience to local citizens. In Ancient Rome senators grumbled about the failure of businesses to contribute sufficient taxes to fund their military campaigns, while in 1622 disgruntled shareholders in the Dutch East India Company started issuing pamphlets complaining about management secrecy and self enrichment. With industrialisation, the impacts of business on society and the environment assumed an entirely new dimension. The corporate paternalists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries used some of their wealth to support philanthropic ventures. By the 1920s discussions about the social responsibilities of business had evolved into what we can recognise as the beginnings of the moder n CSR movement. The phrase Corporate Social Responsibility was coined in 1953 with the publication of Bowens Social Responsibility of Businessmen (Corporate watch report, 2006). The evolution of CSR is as old as trade and business for any of corporation. Industrialization and impact of businesses on the society led to a complete new vision. By 80s and 90s CSR was taken into discussion, the first company to implement CSR was Shell in 1998. (Corporate watch report, 2006) With well informed and educated general people it has become a threat to the corporate and CSR is the solution to it. In 1990 CSR was standard in the industry with companies like Price Waterhouse Copper and KPMG. CSR evolved beyond code of conduct and reporting, eventually it started taking initiative in NGOs, multi stake holder, ethical trading. (Corporate watch report, 2006). Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility There are no generic CSR methods, each method is based on the individual firms needs and circumstances. Each method will vary in its attentiveness of CSR issues and how much work needs to be done with respect to the approach. CSR can be utilized integrated into a firms core decision making, management processes, strategy and activities, be it over a period of time or systematically. Most companies already possess policies with respect to the handling customers, community, employees and the environment. These can be perfect starting points for firm-wide CSR approaches. What follows below is a framework for the development and implementation of a CSR approach that builds on current existing policies as well as experience and knowledge of other fields, such as economic and environmental. The broad framework follows a familiar plan, do, check and improve model. This framework has been designed with the intention to be flexible so that firms would be able to mold and adapt it as appropriate for their organization. Implementation Framework When? (Conceptual phase) What? (Task delineation) How? (Checkpoints on the journey) Plan arrow 1.Conduct a CSR assessment Assemble a CSR leadership team Develop a working definition of CSR Review corporate documents, processes and activities Identify and engage key stakeholders 2. Develop a CSR strategy Build support with senior managment and employees Research what others are doing prepare a matrix of proposed CSR actions Develop ideas for proceeding and the business case for them Decide on direction, approach and focus areas Do arrow 3. Develop CSR commitments Do a scan of CSR commitments Hold discussions with major stakeholders Create a working group to develop the commitments Prepare a preliminary draft Consult with affected stakeholders 4. Implement CSR commitments Develop an integrated CSR decision-making structure Prepare and implement a CSR business plan Set measurable targets and identify performance measures Engage employees and others to whom CSR commitments apply Design and conduct CSR training Establish mechanisms for addressing problematic behaviour Create internal and external communications plans Check arrow 5. Verify and report on progress Measure and verify performance Engage stakeholders Report on performance Improve arrow 6. Evaluate and improve Evaluate performance Identify opportunities for imporvement Engage stakeholders return arrowCross-check: One cycle completed Return to plan and start the next cycle Benefits of corporate social responsibility CSR offers many benefits both externally and internally to companies. Externally, the benefits are greatly positive amongst the people for its company and their peers. It can create short term employment opportunities by taking various community projects like construction or maintenance of local parks and sporting complexes, etc. Working with keeping in view the interests of local community bring a wide range of business benefits. Businesses also have an impact on the environment. Plantation and cultivation activities taken up by many companies are highly respected programs, as well as recycling used products. This also acts as a step towards minimizing wastes. Internally, the benefit are mostly but not only felt by its employees, the attraction and retention of qualified and skilled employees as well as employee loyalty, increased productivity, quality, sales and financial improvement for all. Most importantly, it also serves as a diversion from the routine workplace practices and gives a feeling of purpose and meaning to the entire work force. Apart from this, companies also benefit from CSR in areas such as business sustainability; competitive advantage; easier compliance with regulatory requirement. CSR and BRANDS Brands are basically the identification in which a companys product is identified by the consumer. The sales and revenue of the company are widely dependent on the brand they give to their product. Here are some CSR traits that positively / negatively affect the brand Positive Marketing/ Brand Building Times of India (kalingatimes.com) Brand insurance NIKE (Corporate Social Responsibility, 2003) Crisis management- Pepsi (wikipedia.org) CSR and Globalization As companies expend through globalization, many challenges have waited for them from Government regulations to the varying standards of what is deemed to be labor exploitation, these challenges have the potential to cost companies millions of dollars. Some companies are of the view that these policies are merely a cost hindrance, while other companies use CSR tactics as a strategy to gain public support for the presence in the global market. CSR and Human resources A CSR program can be an aid to hire and retain staff particularly within the competitive graduate student market. Potential recruits often inquire about a firms CSR policy, and having a comprehensive policy can give an advantage. CSR can also add value in the perception of a company among its staff, particularly when staff can become involved through fundraising activities or community volunteering. Also CSR can be driven by employees personal values, in addition to the more obvious economic and governmental drivers. CSR and Risk Management Managing risk is a central part of many corporate strategies. No matter how hard a company tried their reputations which took decades to build up can be questioned in a matter of minutes through incidents such as corruption or environmental accidents. These can also draw unwanted attention from courts, governments and media. Building and promoting great CSR policies can sometimes offset the risks. CSR and Government Policies Government politics have tremendously shaped the regulation of businesses in several ways. First, government business policies insist that organizations operations shall bring no harm to society or the environment. Businesses shall be friendly to society and vice versa, to ensure that businesses follow these policies, the government enacts laws to monitor both the conduct and operations of a business. In addition, to these laws violators also face punishment if they are not followed. Secondly, governments provide businesses with various grants and incentives provided that they comply with those government regulations and policies. Studies show that a very high percentage of businesses have reported more benefits than expected from complying with the government policies. Finally, governments regulate businesses in the interest of protecting stakeholders and shareholders. With the absence of proper business regulation societies can be misled, manipulated and exploited, therefore the government needs to be responsible and regulate businesses in order to provide a level playing field where all business have the opportunity to operate and expand. Governmental policies have been designed and put in place to assist not only consumers both organizations as well, by protecting consumers from unfair business practices as well as protecting the organizations from public misconduct and interference. Criticisms and concerns Critics of CSR debates a number of concerns, these include CSRs relationship to the fundamental nature of business and questionable motives for engaging in CSR, including concerns about insincerity and hypocrisy. Conclusion I believe that the above problems are not inherent flaws in CSR, but rather that they result from both a disingenuous commitment to CSR on the part of many business managers as well as an uninformed public opinion on many CSR issues. It is important to expose and confront CSR abuses not so that the CSR movement could be turned back, but rather to protect the kind of CSR that genuinely promotes social advancement. Nobody would be opposed to business practices that benefit both individual firms and society at large. In an ideal world, competent managers would always conduct business in a matter that translates productive relationships into real value for society. After all, the economy is not a self-serving machine: it is a purposeful system for organizing everybodys interests in such a way that people can engage in mutually beneficial exchange. I agree with the notion espoused by CSR advocates that profits should not be the sole motivator in business decisions. Although the profit mot ive is the driving force for both firms and the macro economy, there is a point at which it degenerates into greed: breeding microeconomic ethical dilemmas that, when can collectively threaten the economys health and ought to be curbed by a proper concept of social responsibility. CSR becomes less of an outside pressure and more of a genuine business principle. It is the responsibility of an informed public to be able to separate reasonable CSR from harmful CSR. All too often, people support counter-productive initiatives out of romanticized views of social justice, environmentalism, or nationalism, not realizing that ideas are not as appealing in the real market as they may appear in the public imagination. It seems to me that a root cause of CSR abuses is a conflict of interests between firms three main stakeholders: shareholders, employees, and management. For individual managers, the best course of action may be to engage in as much CSR as possible. Managers who receive positive press for their leadership initiatives become eminent in their fields, and therefore more valuable. For this reason, managers have an intense focus on expanding companies and investing in high profile projects that earn them the publics attention, and may make uninformed decisions in the process. This differs substantially from the interests of shareholders. A shareholder is uninterested with a managers popularity but very interested with the return that the  manager is able to deliver on the shareholders investment. Unless a corporation can  justify CSR practices in very clear terms, i.e. revenue and cost, shareholders will be  unhappy with the result. Likewise, workers in a company benefit greatly from responsible CSR policies. Companies that deal honestly will build trust within their workforce. Managers that earn obscene salaries while simultaneously throwing millions of dollars into charitable causes and announcing layoff plans can only blame themselves when workers beco me more dissatisfied and less productive, or when the public places less faith in their product (consider the slow death of the American auto industry). Like shareholders, employees are unwilling to support frivolous practices that jeopardize the companys financial strength: they are most concerned about their long-term employment security, an interest that managers should take into account as well. Influence of Price on Decision Making: Research Influence of Price on Decision Making: Research Nowadays, many businesses have launched in the market. But its not easy to make appreciate for every people. Maybe, that is a reason of the customer decision. While, the student is part of purchasing power that the trader directed. Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources on consumption-related item(SchiffmanKanuk, 1997). In University the product is important for the student. While, the product not cover all student because maybe the teenager choose the product follow the life style that their love. So, the product have more effected to decision purchasing with the student in teen ages. Specially, the foreign brand is trust brand that have support purchasing power by the customer. In Global setting, every product have evaluated and developed all time for customer need that is heart of competition in a commercial sale. The most people have selected the product follow several factor. So, the companies will be improving your products. Otherwise, the customers that have purchasing power can be change to other royalty brand. The better they understand the factors underlying consumer behaviour (Assael, 1998). The better able they are developing effective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs. In National setting, the several factor to make a purchase. Its reason to consider for trader to select product that sales and support. The several factor have effect to making a purchase (Scheinberg, 1992) such as marketing strategies, sex, ages, occupation, prices and also the product name have a reputation values. The last factor is important to study that why the brand name have effected to customer decision. Locally, the product names have a reputation values is the trust brand. The product that sale for student in business bachelor administration for Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi will be in trends to response their customer in this age. This study concern with the behaviour in making a purchase that Brand is what consumers purchase and product is what consumers use; this shows that branding is very important. The brand name is the trust brands that have effected to make a purchase. Present, student cant said that dont love their brand name and specially, the foreign brand is part factor to making a purchase. Even though, the trust brand has copyright infringement but the student will buy for owner that products. May be, the lower prices and closer style of real band are instead in using. Follow the plaza, student would like to view every week and someone choose to owner. While, the real trust band name from foreign in the Leading department stores have student only high purchasing power that only few percentage. All of behaviour from student in business bachelor administration for Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi is thing to study for know the reason why their choosing. Consumers make many buying decisions every day (Kotler Armstrong, 2001). Most large companys research consumer buying decisions in great detail to answer question about what consumers buy where they but, how and how much they buy, when they buy, and why they buy. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Foreign brands are expensive for students. Quality of product imitates. The current materialism of society makes students feel like they have to buy foreign brand products or imitations of them. The personality of the customers. 1.3 Research Objective The objective of the study is to meet the answers of the problem; Foreign brands are expensive for students. Quality of product imitates. The current materialism of society makes students feel like they have to buy foreign brand products or imitations of them. The personality of the customers. The answer to the problem is as follow: To find out how the price of foreign brand products and imitations of them influence decision making. To find out how the quality of foreign brand products and imitations of them influence decision making. To find out how the social value of foreign brand products and imitations of them influence decision making. To find out the supplement personality of foreign brand products and imitations of them influence decision making. . 1.4 Scope of research The scope of this research is the population studying at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. This includes males and females aged 18-25 years old of 11 different faculties totalling approximately 24,053 people. (http://www.oreg.rmutt.ac.th/SKOStdCourse/2552/report%203-2.asp) The sample in this study was students from the faculty of Business Administration, University of Technology Rajamangala Thanyaburi. This faculty has seven branches including both men and women aged 19-25 years who make a purchases by themselves; a total of 6,299 people. The variables studied: Independent variables are students gender, age, department of study and the year of study. Dependent variable is the attitude toward buying foreign brand products (price, quality, brand names and value.) 1.5 Limitations of the Research We acquired this information by sending questionnaires to students at Rajamangala University of Technology Thunyaburi; this includes both men and women. One of the limitations of this study is, if a sample of students does not send the questionnaire back to the researcher, or if they send it back incomplete. Another limitation is the amount of time we have is to send the survey to the students, receive the information and calculate the received information. 1.6 Significance of the study This research is a study of factors that influence behaviour of students (of business administration at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi) when buying product imitated foreign brands. The findings of this study will help those interested in doing business foreign or interested in operating foreign brands companies by determining marketing strategies to suit the needs of target customers. 1.7 Definition of Terms Foreign brands are expensive for students. The students will receive the money from their parent. So, they dont have money to buy foreign brands product. Quality of product imitates. Continually, imitates products quality have very good quality compare to foreign brand products, so there is a choice for students who has limited their money and want to use same brand but good quality. The current materialism of society makes students feel like they have to buy foreign brand products or imitations of them. Following the student social in university, the students want to be in trend of fashion for concept from their friends. The personality of the customers. Some students, they dont have confident in themselves. So, the students will use the product from foreign brands to help them have more confident. CHAPTER II Review of related literature and studies 2.1 Definition and Features of the Independent Variable In this chapter, discusses the title of research. Because this research is relevant to consumers: students of business administration at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. So, need to know the meaning of consumer behaviour on buying for study factors affecting the decision of the students. Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources on consumption-related item. It includes the study of what they buy, why they buy it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it, and how often they use it (Schiffman Kanuk, 1997). The aim of marketing is to meet and satisfy target customers needs and want. The field of consumer behaviour studies how consumer select, buy, use, and dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires (Kotler, 2003). Marketers have come to realize that their effectiveness in meeting consumer needs directly influences their profitability. The better they understand the factors underlying consumer behaviour. The better able they are developing effective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs (Assael, 1998). Consumers make many buying decisions every day. Most large companys research consumer buying decisions in great detail to answer question about what consumers buy where they but, how and how much they buy, when they buy, and why they buy (KotlerArmstrong, 2001). Possibly the most challenging concept in marketing deals with understanding why buyers do what they do. But such knowledge is critical for marketers since having a strong understanding of buyer behaviour will on what is important to the consumer and also suggest the important influences on consumer decision-making. Using this information, marketers can create marketing programs that they believe will be of interest to consumers (Kanhasiri, 2006) In addition to this, also need to know meaning of the word imitate foreign brands. Imitate foreign brands means the product copy as products of a foreign brand. Popular products make copy are bags, watches, clothes, and shoes. The imitate foreign brands products that we know and see often in everywhere are Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Christian Dior, Gucci and etc (Kanhasiri, 2006 ). 2.2 Theories Related to the Independent Variable (s) 2.2.1 Foreign brands are expensive for students. Prices, product differentiation and quality measurement: a comparison between hedonic and matched model methods studied by Gian Maria Tomat (2005); related contributions to Pakes, Berry and Levinsohn (1993) and Nevo (2003) consider the problem of making exact welfare comparisons on the basis of the estimated parameters of consumer preferences in a discrete choice model. This approach has been used in these works to study problems such as the effect on consumer welfare of changes in environmental regulation or of the introduction of a new brand of a product. Specifying the consumers choice problem in the space of product characteristics, simplifies the analysis in comparison with analogous problems studied on the grounds of traditional demand theory, as is done for example in works by Hausman. However, the results of the prices, product differentiation and quality measurement: a comparison between hedonic and matched model methods studies show that the approach can at most generate up per and lower bounds to the true price indexes and the empirical evidence shows that these bounds are usually quite wide. 2.2.2 Quality of product imitates. From Quantity-Discount Dependent Consumer Preferences and Competitive Non-linear Pricing studied by Z. Jane Gu and Sha Yang (2009); they investigated the quantity-discount effect, a type of transaction utility consumers derived from the unit price difference between a small and a large package size of the same product in a non-linear pricing environment. Consumers may perceive quantity discounts as gains for purchasing larger package sizes with lower unit prices, or as losses for purchasing smaller package sizes with higher unit prices. In addition, consumers may differ in their tendencies to perceive quantity discounts as gains or losses. 2.2.3 The current materialism of society makes students feel like they have to buy foreign brand products or imitations of them. Post-Materialism as a Cultural Factor Influencing Entrepreneurial Activity across Nations studied by Lorraine M. Uhlaner, Roy Thurik and Jan Hutjes(2002); the underlying premise of this research study is that the material gains that are central or crucial to entrepreneurial activity are of less value to post-materialist individuals. The Research by McGrath, MacMillan and Scheinberg (1992) shows that individual entrepreneurs from a wide variety of countries are more likely to have materialistic values; such as viewing success as making lots of money, than their non-entrepreneur counterparts. However, they do not test for country differences. Blais and Toulouse (1998) made such comparisons and conclude that entrepreneurs across countries tend to have similar motivations. In another studied of individual entrepreneurs Robichaud, McGraw and Roger (2001) find a positive correlation between extrinsic motivation of the entrepreneur and sales performance whereas they find negative relationsh ips between the independent variables, intrinsic motivation and autonomy and independence on the one hand and the dependent variable, sales performance, on the other. These findings are interesting because at the micro-level they correspond to the thesis that entrepreneurs, especially successful ones, are more materialistic than their counterparts. Lacking comparable research at the macro level of analysis, we can only draw on these studies for our hypotheses. In particular, assuming that trends from the micro level can be aggregated to the societal level, we predict that the relationship between post-materialism and entrepreneurship is also negative, i.e., the less materialistic the culture, the fewer people choose to become self-employed. The central hypothesis of the present paper then reads: The more post-materialistic the culture, the lower the overall level of entrepreneurship. 2.2.4 The personality of the customers. Consumer Assessment of Social Product Features: An Empirical Investigation Using Choice Experiments by Pat Auger, Timothy M. Devinney and Jordan J. Louviere studied the growing importance of this topic can be seen in the current movement toward social accountability audits (Economist 1999), and the increasing amounts of money that corporations spend to fix systems under pressure from increasingly sophisticated interest groups. Their research is relevant to this issue because it shows that although consumers do not understand the ethical dimensions of the products they purchase, their purchases can be influenced by these dimensions if properly presented. From a managerial perspective, more work needs to be done on educating consumers to the hidden ethical nature of the products they purchase. Corporations also need to understand which customers care about ethical dimensions and what dimensions they care about. However, our results also suggest that consumers wont sacrifice product per formance for ethical considerations in spite of what activists might hope. 2.3 Critical Analysis/Discussion of the Theories Related to the Independent Variable Motivation Theory 2.3.1 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs; (Abraham Maslow,1908-1970) Abraham Maslow was a psychologist. He developed a theory called the Hierarchy of Needs. This hierarchy referred to the various needs that he believed characterised humans. He identified five main human needs. These are: Physiological needs These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need water, air, food and sleep. Maslow believed that these needs are the most basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary until these physiological needs are met. Security Needs These include needs for safety and security. Security needs are important for survival, but they are not as demanding as the physiological needs. Examples of security needs include a desire for steady employment, health insurance, safe neighborhoods and shelter from the environment. Social Needs These include needs for belonging, love and affection. Maslow considered these needs to be less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships such as friendships, romantic attachments and families help fulfill this need for companionship and acceptance, as involvement in social, community or religious groups. Esteem Needs After the first three needs have been satisfied, esteem needs becomes increasingly important. These include the need for things that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition and accomplishment. Self-actualizing Needs This is the highest level of Maslows hierarchy of needs.  Self-actualizing  people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested fulfilling their potential. Figure 1 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Maslow suggested that the first need dominates a persons behavior until it is satisfied, and then the second, and so on. A learner would not be interested in learning, need 5, until needs 3 or 4; belonging and being esteemed by others had been satisfied. Nor indeed, would they be interested in learning until they were warm, and replete. A light, airy, warm, comfortable safe learning environment, adequate comfort breaks and realistic timings can help to facilitate these conditions. An awareness of, and proactive approach to, group dynamics will also help to satisfy (or at least not de-satisfy) some of the affiliation and esteem needs. (Abraham Maslow, 1908-1970) (Source:http://www.envisionsoftware.com/articles/Maslows_Needs_Hierarchy.html) 2.3.2 Clayton Alderfers ERG Theory; (Clayton Alderfer, 1969) An attempt to simplify Maslows needs theory was put forward by psychologist Clayton Alderfer with his ERG theory. Both theories see needs as the motivating force behind behaviour. People are motivated to do things by different needs, of which Alderfer identified three: Existence Needs Include all material and physiological desires (e.g., food, water, air, clothing, safety, physical love and affection) Maslows first two levels. Relatedness Needs Encompass social and external esteem; relationships with significant others like family, friends, co-workers and employers. This also means to be recognized and feel secure as part of a group or family. Maslows third and fourth levels. Growth Needs Internal esteem and self actualization; these impel a person to make creative or productive effects on himself and the environment (e.g., to progress toward ones ideal self). Maslows fourth and fifth levels. This includes desires to be creative and productive, and to complete meaningful tasks. Figure 2 Clayton Alderfers ERG Theory Alderfer argued that it was possible to move in either direction. This means that, if growth needs become difficult or impossible to meet, frustration regression occurs, causing individuals to concentrate on fulfilling their relatedness and their existence needs. Unsatisfied needs, therefore, become less rather than more important. Maslow proposed the opposite. In this study the researchers used two theories are Maslows Theory (Maslows hierarchy of needs) and Clayton Alderfers ERG Theory are main formulated in this study (Clayton Alderfer, 1969). (Source: http://www.envisionsoftware.com/articles/ERG_Theory.html) 2.4 Discussion of the Dependent Variable The price of products have effected to making decision. In addition, Arthur Rafael (2002) found When the new product launches and better quality also this product will be compared to increase price. While, Aart Jaume (2000) said that When the products have high demand so the products prices that will be increase on demand also Ray (2002) found Business will find the ways to avoid the problem to improve the popular product and harder to imitate for decrease their risk as a result Amine, Taimur Joseph (2007) supported Vendors will be developing price products to get the popularity may be the consumers using pirated goods in fact Gian (2006) said that The price is appropriate adjustments so the product will be popular Increasing then Xavier Giround (2008) found The quality prices will be changed follow the quality products in the past Laszlo Miklos (2004) stated The import product price will be rise follow depend on the technology and competitive environment of the buyer. On the other hand, Joanna (2006) found The analysis of price convergence to the consumer market is examined on aggregate and disaggregates levels although Peter, Judith Anil (2002) stated The decision purchas e of consumer will depend on price by the lower price also the purchasing power that so rise. Finally, Emek (2005) supported The quantity the price of a low-cost have more effected to consumer decision. The quality of product imitates have effected to making decision when, Wong Zhou (2005) found perceived value has a greater effect on purchase intention for conspicuous foreign products While, Heflin, Shaw Wild found The liquidity of equity markets depends on quality information and Faruq (2006) found RD activities and FDI inflows are important determinants of quality then Sharma found The brand must be relevant to a latent need of the consumer but Jin Leslie (2002) found Providing people with better information causes people to change their purchase decisions and causes à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rms to modify their behaviour while Orosel Zauner (2003) found goods quality is unobservable to buyers, a continuum of quality levels is technologically feasible, and minimum quality is supplied under competitive conditions although Koppius Heck(2002) found Electronic auctions have rapidly incr eased in popularity, but the consequences of switching to an electronic auction are unclear Moreover Borin Lamieri (2008) found empirical studies over clear evidence on the increasing importance of intra-industry trade in presence of vertically deferential products however Matsa (2009) found Product quality is an important element of competition in a wide range of markets, including the supermarket industry in addition Bertini, Wathieu Iyengar (2010) found parsimony and simplicity in consumption is necessarily advantageous across all categories of business The current materialism of society makes students feel like they have to buy foreign brand products or imitations of them have effected to making decision then, Mehrotra (1919) found collect various technical information about managing your tax affairs and mergers and acquisitions, tax law and the special rights or intellectual property rights and the idea of the American company. Each other based on principles of law and political economy of the country. while Closius (1995) said that the termination of the movement of certain groups of people in America with a change to the political policy of national unification and the creation of justice to occur and create social awareness to the public more than ever Moreover Kyvelidis (2001) stated that Measure currents in the Black Socialist materialism may be obtained from the GDP of each country, which evaluates the value per head was increased from the current popularity with the increasing materialism. After that Anderson (2001) has found that satisfaction in materialism is one of the psychological problems that make people in society are trying to do everything to get it occupied, such as car, house and fashion. And Boven (2005) study that most people want to live well and happily in every person and found that materialism, such as the car home fashion is important to create happiness for them very good. However, Uhlaner, Thurik, Hutjes (2002) supports that found that entrepreneurs across countries tend to find a way to trade against the competition in trade and create stability for themselves as to dominate the growing market and found that many of the cultural factors and materialism of the people affected. In addition Fuchs said that the theories of cultural objects are important factors correlated with the values of people in society. Therefore Sarkar(1996) found the role of men is to purchase goods and Research indicates that attitudes in the possession of materialism rather than value of the object with the purchase of such products used in life Which led to satisfaction and success of many people. As a result of Kroh (2008) discovered that the role of the purchases is likely to change the price level and economic security but Boven, Campbell Gilovich(2005) the study found that current flow in the materialism in society more selfish, selfish private interests over public. The personality of the customers have effected to making decision when, Devinney Louviere (1986) study that of interpersonal psychology, ethics and personality have been shown correlated with the number of complex social problems. While Rajagopol (1986) found that of the model to measure the performance of brands and attitudes, including personalities, image, reputation and trust. But Balaji a Raghavan (1970) discovered that Cultures and different image for the product of themes related to technology and brand reputation. Therefore Pandey (1968) found that Experiment designed to examine the role and relevance of the personality of the person. Found that the advertisement or communication program plays an important role in the perception of brand personality although Bartholomew Horowitz (1994) study that Changes in market and competition has reduced the cost of marketing and new product introductions, including the risk of failure of the product. Thus Sharma (1997) supports that w e also found that consumer ratings of management performance in the context of consumer retail low but Zhenzhong Ma (1970) found that Aims to create understanding about the local brand can survive. In fact Mckenzie Woodruff (1964) study that present the basic concepts for exploring the relationship between personality and patterns of conflict behavior and business negotiations. Then Koufopoulos (1999) stated that Product innovation. Personality and affect a very important opportunity to entrepreneurs to innovate. Finally, Kanhasiri (1990) found that Products and measure the relationship between the feature comparison in the future. Quantitative methods of analysis and means of collecting data, frequency analysis of research and planning data in line charts and bar graphs and suggestions for future research will take effect to competitors with better customer loyalty. 2.5 Relationship of the Independent Variable (s) to the Dependent Variable Arthur Rafael (2002) found When the new product launches and better quality also this product will be compared to increase price. Although many business office products are brand name copyright infringement very seriously and prohibit all research and product development at the time out to study consumer satisfaction, with the updates of new products out of the market demand. But still have other business products illegally copied out widely. Consumers like the products that they are cheaper and look like the real. While, Aart Jaume (2000) said that When the products have high demand so the products prices that will be increase on demand Cheap is increasing on demand. Many consumers decided to buy imitation products backpack instead of the genuine product is expensive. Also Ray (2002) found Business will find the ways to avoid the problem to improve the popular product and harder to imitate for decrease their risk The quality of product imitates have effected to making decision when, Wong Zhou (2005) found perceived value has a greater effect on purchase intention for conspicuous foreign products and Faruq (2006) found RD activities and FDI inflows are important determinants of quality The Company that manufacture high quality products to the market are disclosed information to consumers less known because those are important to the company and the liquidity of the market. The company has disclosed only basic information only. Countries are exporters of quality differences. This is the result of differences in factors such as endowment, technology, research and development (RD). While, Heflin, Shaw Wild found The liquidity of equity markets depends on quality information The current materialism of society makes students feel like they have to buy foreign brand products or imitations of them have effected to making decision then, Anderson (2001) has found that satisfaction in materialism is one of the psychological problems that make people in society are trying to do everything to get it occupied, such as car, house and fashion. And Boven (2005) study that most people want to live well and happily in every person and found that materialism, such as the car home fashion is important to create happiness for them very good. The materialism is satisfied from the hearts of individual values resulting psychological advantage over the other now, value of the crop cover materialism has resulted in increasing attitude of buying commercial end epicurean and often not satisfied with the simple life and different people require a comfortable life. Although materialism has a negative effect, but many people will want to own it like a big house, luxury cars, expen sive clothes , beautiful furniture and other. Because human needs are infinite, they seek what they want to come and have a genuine product if the price is too high, making them purchases commercial grade copy. Although it is copied, it can substitute the same name that looks realistic and cheaper it is one reason consumers purchase decision without regard to copyright infringement laws. The personality of the customers have effected to making decision when Devinney Louviere (1986) study that of interpersonal psychology, ethics and personality have been shown correlated with the number of complex social problems. While Rajagopol(1986) found that of the model to measure the performance of brands and attitudes, including personalities, image, reputation and trust. But Balaji a Raghavan (1970) discovered that Cultures and different image for the product of themes related to technology and brand reputation. Therefore Pandey (1968) found that Experiment designed to examine the role and relevance of the personality of the person. Found that the advertisement or communication program plays an important role in the perception of brand personality The cultural and social including kick similar picture with Bush. This is sometimes the product to the personality of our products or we like it because it is often too expensive brand, so many people chose to be turned to imitate instead of the actual product. 2.6 Previous Studies There are 4 standards section; Introduction background The brand name is the trust brand that have effected to making a purchase from student at RMUTT. Now, the student say love brand name. According to Schiffman Kanuk (1997) Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals make decision to spend and choose this things. When, notice the students that show their use accessories brand name. This is normal happen now but its not fair in their suppliers that think and make it for sale. While, the real trust band name from overseas in the Leading department stores have student only high purchasing power that only few percentage. Behaviour from student in business bachelor administration for Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi is thing to study for know the reason why their choosing. Methods The methods to study behavior of student at RMUTT such as notice, questionnaires, and bring the theory that related to concerning study with case study. Result Now days, Counterfeiting is so much. In a view of supplier, the so called product piracy can be only roughly outlined. The Experts and everyone, who well know that product piracy: trade mark rights in a commercial as trust global brands have effect to Counterfeiting and Criminal way. Such as the actions of someone that who only thing for make a benefit to yourself as The aim of marketing is to meet and satisfy target customers needs (Kotler, 2003). While, who would like to be owner of the trust brands product. That all said that

Pressure on Development Land in the South East of England

Pressure on Development Land in the South East of England The need for sustainable architecture. Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss and evaluate the pressure on development land in the South- East of England, and how that pressure relates to the need for sustainable architecture. The reasons for there being pressure on development land in the South-East of England will be described and analysed, as will any differences with the other regions of Britain. The reasons for setting aside or using the available development land and why sustainable architecture should be adopted in the South-East of England will be fully evaluated. As will be demonstrated there are various and competing factors that apparently increase the pressure to make full use of all available development land in the South-East of England. The available development land in the South-East of England is in high demand to be used for the construction of domestic housing, as well as for commercial, leisure, and industrial building programmes. To a large extent central government and local authorities have attempted to control the construction of such new building programmes through systems of urban planning, as well as building regulations that have applied across the whole of Britain. The reasons why the South-East of England should have a need for sustainable architecture will also be examined in depth. The case for making all the new construction projects designed around the concepts of sustainable architecture shall also be examined, to discuss whether more environmentally focused building designs will lessen the impact of new construction programmes, as well as reducing long-term pollution. Introduction Sustainable architecture and the use of development land are closely linked with the practices and theories of what form the basis of urban and rural planning, as well as ideas concerning the necessity for long-term environmental sustainability. Urban, and to a lesser extent rural planning, became more widespread in their application throughout Britain after 1945, when increased levels of central government intervention were experienced in many social and economic fields. Planning was deemed to be the best way of solving Britains housing problems (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). Increased levels of urban and rural planning were justified at the end of the Second World War due to the need for extensive post-war reconstruction. The South-East of England in general, and London in particular had suffered from widespread bomb damage, which meant that fully or partially destroyed houses, factories, and retail units had to be replaced by well planned buildings which would be an improvement upon the pre vious buildings. In the immediate post-war period it was believed that a systematic use of town and country planning would be essential for the reconstruction of Britain, with a much higher standard of building to match higher employment, the welfare state, and the National Health Service. The purpose of these policies and institutions was to prolong life and promote good health throughout the whole population (Meller, 1997 p67). The increased use of urban and rural planning was not intended to protect the environment in an ecological way, or indeed to promote sustainable architecture, rather it was greatly expanded in scope to make the most rational use of scarce development land. However, there would be measures adopted which would conserve large areas of countryside, and give protection despite the need to re-house millions of families in 1945 (Southall, 2000 p. 336). There were groups that wished to conserve specific areas that supported rare forms of animal and plant life, and even groups that wished to preserve old historical buildings, as well as buildings distinguished by their architectural styles (Meller, 1997 p67). When added together such groups did not equate to an ecological lobby that intended to change agricultural, architectural, or industrial practices to protect the environment. These groups however, were able to heavily influence the decision to restrict urbanisation taking over the countr yside. Post-war reconstruction was the catalyst for the largest programmes of publicly funded construction in Britain. Public expenditure was needed due to the sheer scale of reconstruction required, with London and the South-East of England being a major beneficiary of those programmes. Architecture and planning were used for these large-scale programmes rather than just for individual buildings. The involvement of central government in the promoting and funding of large-scale public building programmes and the use of development land was high until the early part of the 1970s (Greed, 1996 p. 35). Such wide-ranging building programmes were not only intended to replace the buildings destroyed during the Second World War. The post-war building programmes were also intended to replace the slums in the inner cities of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, as well as elsewhere. The construction programmes were intended to make the South-East of England a much more hospitable place to live in, just as the rest of Britain was also intended to be like (Sheail, 2002 p. 62). New construction and renovation of existing houses was an imperative, as ‘2 million of them condemned and another 3 million lacking in essentials (Southall, 2000 p. 337). The South-East of England also benefited from the construction of new towns such as Milton Keynes and Stevenage that were planned as entire towns with purpose built domestic housing and business premises. The Atlee government was so keen upon the creation of new towns to solve the post-war housing shortages that it regulated such construction throug h the New Town Act of 1946 (Sheail, 2002 p. 62). The construction of the New Towns was considered to be essential for both high economic growth and for solving the national post-war housing shortage. The Atlee government regarded the new towns as being highly beneficial to peoples health as they moved away from major cities and industrial areas to places with cleaner air (Meller, 1997 p67). In ecological terms such construction was harmful to the environment as more land was built upon and it meant a greater amount of pollution from traffic emissions, though of course nobody understood such implications at that time. Improvements in transport infrastructure and increasing levels of car ownership meant that the new towns were economically viable, as well as allowing their inhabitants to commute to the major cities to work in them (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p. 147). Urban planning was thus considered to be very useful for the progress and development of London and the South-East of England, which traditionally has been the most populous and prosperous region of Britain. Urban planning was also intended to increase the prosperity levels of the other regions in Britain to be as high as possible to match the levels achieved in the South-East of England (Southall, 2000 p. 337). Controlled expansion of urban areas into the new towns was intended to solve the imme diate post-war housing shortage and revive the British economy, whilst leaving the great bulk of the countryside untouched by new housing construction (Taylor, 1998 p.3). Previous improvements in agricultural techniques meant that farming became more efficient nationally which had quickened the pace of urbanisation in Britain as a whole. Urbanisation in Britain had already had a strong impact upon the environment that went beyond the replacement of the countryside with polluting factories and unhealthy slum housing (Southall, 2000, p. 335). Higher crop yields from less land had the consequence that more land in rural areas became available to be used as development land. The greater availability of former agricultural land meant that is was easier to find enough land to construct new towns or expand existing cities across Britain. Urbanisation was a process that was accelerated by the need of industrial towns and cities to find workers to continue their expansion (Goudie Viles, 1997 p. 5). To begin with, the majority of new homes were traditional style houses that formed large council house estates right across the country, in architectural terms there was very little innovation or thought given to making the new housing stock architecturally sustainable or environmentally friendly. More attention was instead devoted to making all new houses comfortable, clean, and ensuring they were being built to last (Greed, 1996 p. 35). The new homes were intended to be better and larger than the ones that they had replaced. The majority of large cities and the new towns in Britain had millions of council houses built in their areas between 1945 and the early 1970s. However, it was much harder to find adequate amounts of development land in inner city areas which led to the building of high rise tower blocks which allowed a greater number of people to be housed without increasing the total area of the development land required (Sheail, 2002 p. 62). Unfortunately, high rise tower bl ocks constructed during the 1960s and the 1970s in the South-East of England, as well as nationally failed to be an adequate form of long- term and sustainable architecture that allowed people to be housed in safety or comfort. The failure of many high rise tower blocks to be sustainable forms of housing had the affect of increasing the pressure on development land. It has also meant that tower blocks have had to be refurbished or more frequently demolished (Meller, 1997 p. 63). As the picture below shows the 1950s and the 1960s also witnessed the construction of low-rise apartment blocks which have proved to be longer lasting than tower blocks built during the same period of time. The picture is of apartment flats constructed in Ham Common in Richmond between 1955 and 1958 (Frampton,1997 p. 266). Although the amount of new housing construction was considerable not all the available land had been developed or built upon. Land remained set aside for agricultural purposes, whilst other land was left un-built upon and not always used for farming. The land that was left alone and was set aside and thus not allowed to be used for domestic housing or industrial sites were referred to as the green belt. The green belt was created to act as a buffer zone between urban and rural areas as a means to limit urbanisation (Greed, 1996 p. 82). Central government set aside areas that were designated as green belt zones to preserve the countryside nationally as well as solely in the South-East of England. Although, it was possible to build on green belt land the process of gaining planning permission from central government and the relevant local authority was a long drawn out one which deterred most property developers and construction firms from doing so. Local interest groups have often bei ng highly vocal in their opposition to any schemes that have been suggested (Clapp, 1994 p. 138). Clapp estimated that with national parks and designated green belt zones that in England and Wales ‘more than a fifth of the countryside now has stringent protection against development (Clapp, 1994 p. 140). Therefore, the bulk of available development land was concentrated in urban areas, often referred to as brown field sites (Greed, 1996 p. 82). For central government there are advantages for using brown field sites (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). For instance, using such sites allows for economic regeneration, employment creation as well as less pressure to build on green belt land. Recycling land on brown field sites is a method of preserving rural areas being used as development land (Clapp, 1994 p.139). The pressure to use greater amounts of development land has arguably increased significantly in recent years throughout Britain as a whole. The pressure to use development land has risen due to a combination of social, economic, and political factors. For instance, in social terms the demographic changes to the British population have had significant, and it could even be argued,profound effects upon the demand for development for new construction programmes. These demographic changes have occurred as a consequence of the British population ageing, the increasing number of adults who live on their own, as well as the major increase in the number of immigrants who have settled in Britain in the past decade or so. These changes have meant that more people within Britain are seeking a higher number of places to live in. Another reason for the raised levels of pressure upon development land is caused by the potential financial gains from building new houses, as well as new retail or indu strial complexes. The level of financial gains that could be made has been boosted since 1979 by the shifting away from the publicly funded housing programmes to a market led approach to determining the rates of new housing construction and the ownership of existing housing (Allmendinger and Thomas, 1998 p. 5). Of course even greater numbers of domestic homes and retail premises has a knock on effect on the amount of infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and roads which are required in Britain as a whole. The building of new forms of infrastructure will only increase the environmental impact of new construction programmes (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). A fuller explanation and a more comprehensive examination of the increased pressures on the development land in Britain in general will be presented in the specific chapter on development land. The more detailed evaluation of the pressures upon development in the South-East of England will be presented in the specific chapter about the South-East of England. Not only has there been pressure to use more development land in Britain generally and in the South-East of England in particular, there has been more pressure for new construction programmes to use building techniques and technology linked with sustainable architecture. Sustainable architecture may have been a concept, which started in the United States, yet it could be very important to put its ideas into action across the globe (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). The notion of sustainable architecture is in itself influenced by ideas about making or enabling architecture maximise the utility and the subsequent life span of all new construction, whilst minimising the amount of resources needed in the initial construction and the maintenance of buildings. Sustainable architecture, when possible, uses resources that is renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. There are various motivations for adopting sustainable architecture when it comes down to the construction and the completion of all new building programmes. Motivations that include the minimising of development land used, as well as making use of new technology to conserve energy, the conservation or recycling of finite resources, as well as reducing the levels of water consumption. Reducing the level of pollution and attempting to slow down the consequences of global warming are also factors in the promotion and implementation of sustainable architecture (Kim, Rigdon, Graves, Augus t 1998 p. 5). Of course, there is the influence of legislation upon the use of sustainable architecture techniques to reduce the environmental and ecological impact of new construction programmes. Property developers and construction firms have to comply with measures to protect theenvironment introduced by the British government and the European Union (Hough, 2004 p. 190). As will be shown in the specific chapter about sustainable architecture the majority of methods used to improve environmental sustainability are relatively straightforward to incorporate into the designs of new building programmes, and in some cases into existing buildings. Sustainable architecture could be achieved by using construction materials that are less damaging to the environment, or materials that have been obtained from recycled and renewable resources. Making buildings as environmentally sustainable as possible during new construction projects (as will be examined in greater depth) will achieve the over all objectives of those that practice and argue for the implementation of sustainable architecture. It is most practical to install features or equipment which enhances environmental sustainability during new construction projects rather than afterwards. The pressures to adopt sustainable architecture in many ways are contradictory, yet are also connected with the pressure s to raise the levels of development land used up for new building programmes. Other motivations for adopting sustainable architecture include applying measures that are requirements for gaining planning permission, as well as ensuring that all new buildings comply with all the minimum standards for safeguarding the environment set by the British government and also by the European Union. The British government has set standards for domestic and retail buildings since the 1950s. For instance, to rid London of its previously renowned smog and fog by reducing smoke emissions from domestic homes and factories alike under the auspices of the Clean Air Act. The European Union has taken a greater interest in promoting environmental sustainability since the 1980s, believing that such actions to protect the natural environment on a regional rather than a national basis would be far more effective in doing so (Hough, 2004 p. 190). Chapter One Literature Review ‘Urban Planning and the British New Right, by Allmendinger and Thomas was primarily used as a source of reference for the ways in which the Conservative governments between 1979 and 1997 altered housing and economic policies in Britain. This book also contained information about the introduction of more extensive government environmental protection policies, which were started during that period of Conservative administration. The book demonstrates the contradictions between the strong Conservative support for free market economics and the increasing understanding that central government needed to act to protect the environment. Brian Clapps ‘An Environmental History of Britain from the Industrial Revolution is a good source of information with regard to development land and the impact of the green belt zones on limiting building programmes to already urbanised areas. The book provides a useful insight into the establishment and the continued maintenance of green belt zon es in modern Britain. ‘An introduction to Human Geography – Issues for the 21st century by Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, and Sidaway proved a useful source of information about development and the environmental impacts of human activity such as constructing buildings and using fossil fuel in buildings. The book assists in explaining why such impacts on the environment would provide a catalyst for sustainable architecture. ‘Modern architecture – a critical history by Kenneth Frampton was used as a source of pictures and reference for information about architectural styles and building materials. There was also a brief section concerning the planning of the new town constructed at Milton Keynes during the early 1970s. ‘The Earth Transformed – an introduction to Human Impacts on the Environment by Goudie and Viles was used to obtain information about development land and the impact of unsustainable architecture and building techniques upon pollution levels and global warming. The book contained information about the harmful consequences of global urbanisation and industrialisation. ‘Cities Natural Process – A basis for sustainability, by Michael Hough was a useful reference book for discussing development land and issues that relate to enhancing environmental sustainability. This book was also useful because there was a greater focus upon Britain within it. The book contained suggestions and examples of how sustainability could be achieved with the help of sustainable architecture. ‘Sustainable Architecture: Introduction to Sustainable Design by Kim and Rigdon is an article which explores the theoretical and practical background to sustainable architecture. It was used to gain information for the chapter, which dealt with sustainable architecture specifically. That information was also for the chapter concerning the need for any new construction programmes in the South-East of England to embrace sustainable architecture. ‘Pollution Prevention in Architecture – Introductory Module by Kim, Rigdon, and Graves provides further theoretical and practical insights into the ideas contained within the notion of sustainable architecture. This article contained strong arguments as to why sustainable architecture should be implemented across the world and not just in a single specific region of one particular country. This article proved a sound reference for the chapters concerning sustainable architecture and the necessity of its use in the South-East of England. ‘Towns, plans, and society in modern Britain by Helen Meller was used to gain background knowledge of the establishment of a more vigorous and restrictive planning regulatory framework brought into operation after the end of the Second World War. That information was then included within the introduction and the specific chapter dealing with the pressures upon the use of development land. ‘Urban and Environmental Planning in the UK, by Yvonne Rydin provides useful information concerning the protection of the environment through planning regulations and restrictions. Provides good reference material as to how the British government and the European Union have attempted to reduce environmental damage through restrictions on development land and building or other regulations to cut pollution and enhance sustainability. ‘A History of Britain 3, End of Empire 1776 – 2000, by Simon Schama was used to gain information as to why the Conservative party did not overturn the extended provision of council houses introduced by the Atlee government until after 1979. The book also had information about the ideological changes that Margaret Thatcher brought into Britain and the consequences of such changes. ‘An Environmental History of Twentieth Century Britain by John Sheail was a book, which discussed the developments within the environment of Britain between 1900 and 2000. Sheail examines how the understanding of environmental issues in Britain developed in the latter part of the twentieth century. The book was informative in relation to the development of policies that were intended to protect the environment and promote sustainability. ‘The City – In time and space by Aidan Southall was a book used to assist with the description and evaluation of the use as well as the restrictions placed upon the availability of development land within Britain. Southalls account in particular provided information concerning the effective regeneration of brown field sites within the immediate vicinity of London besides providing an insight into the construction of the new towns in the aftermath of the Second World War. ‘Ecological Architecture: A critical history by Steele provided some useful practical and theoretical information about the concepts and the designs of sustainable architecture. ‘Life Cycle Analysis for Automobiles, by Sulivan and Hu was used solely for the data concerning the amount of energy needed to produce aluminium, polyethene, PVC and steel, comparing the consumption to produce the materials new with when those products are recycled. ‘Urban Planning Since 1945 by Nigel Taylor was a highly useful source of information with regard to the development and the continuation of planning restrictions as well as building regulations. The information about the uses of town and country planning besides the motivations for the establishment and the continuation of green belt land areas was of great use. Taylor also included some succinct information about environmental sustainability within this book. Brenda Vales ‘Green Architecture: Design for a Sustainable Future is a good introduction to the concepts and the designs most strongly linked with sustainable development. Chapter Two Development Land Prior to the start of the twentieth century there was very little formal or legal regulation or planning undertaken when it came down to the use of development land. There was in effect little to prevent the construction of new building programmes, let alone notions about limiting the size and the scope of such programmes to protect the environment or promote ecological sustainability (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). Central government by and large did not intervene to prevent individuals, businesses of various sizes, or indeed local authorities from using development land in any way that they wished to do so. The central government was willing to permit any parties to construct new buildings upon such development land, especially if the party responsible for constructing such buildings already owned the land, which was been built upon (Greed, 1996 p. 2). The freedom with which new buildings could be built was demonstrated by the ability of the majority of landowners to choose the style of architecture in the construction of their homes, factories, or shops. Landowners had the option of making their buildings as grand as possible or as cheap to construct as possible (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). They did not have to consider that their right to build on their land would be restricted by the location of that land in relation to the nearest city or its place in the countryside. Landowners and their architects did not believe that there was any profound need to change what they built or how they built it in order to protect the environment and promote sustainability (Sheail, 2003 p. 2). Those building regulations that did exist were generally very minimalist in their actual nature, and were usually introduced on an ad hoc basis. Architecture and the development of land were more likely to be influenced by changes in technology or improvements in economic development, as well as change in fashion and styles (Meller, 1997 p. 63). For instance, these houses started to have gas, electricity, and water supplies installed. These supplies of utility services were regulated by the central government (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p.115). Those services were also supplied to factories and shops, which were increasingly subject to health, and safety standards that were intended to prevent accidents, yet paid no attention to the land that they happened to be constructed on (Sheail, 2003 p. 2). The nineteenth century witnessed a quantum leap forward in the amount of land, which was built upon due to a raising population as well as increased levels of industrialisation . These factors happened to coincide with the development of improved infrastructure such as roads, railways, sewage systems, public hospitals, and schools. The development of such infrastructure required large quantities of land, labour, and resources to be successfully completed, whilst in turn promoting higher levels of industrialisation and the migration of people from the countryside to the expanding cities. Some cities and regions benefited economically from such industrialisation more than others did. In Britain, industrialisation benefited the regions surrounding Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow. Over all though London and the South-East of England retained their position as the most prosperous region within Britain. Industrialisationcame at a cost, namely pollution and greater levels of social inequality (Southall, 2000 p. 335) . The development of gas, electricity, and water supplies alongside sewage systems made domestic houses more comfortable to live in and factories more productive due to having greater efficiency (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p.115). Before a system of urban and rural planning were introduced there was no specifically set aside development land. Market forces determined the use of land and what if anything was built upon it. If landowners found that their land was most profitably used for agricultural purposes then it would remain as agricultural land (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). If, however more money could be made from building houses, shops, or factories on their land, then that is what usually happened to that land. Landowners could also be tempted to sell their land to property developers, construction firms, or industrial enterprises if they were lucky enough to own land that those other parties felt in urgent need of developing (Meller, 1997 p. 62). It was market forces that drove the industrial revolution in Britain as well as also promoting the process of urbanisation. The processes of industrialisation and urbanisation meant that cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow greatly expanded in ter ms of both their geographical areas and their total population levels, which led to shrinkage in the size of rural areas in Britain as a whole (Southall, 2000 p. 335). It was also market forces that determined the location, size, and scope of housing, factories, and commercial buildings. There were no limitations to the size, location or scope of such buildings, and absolutely no attention was given to the environmental consequences of these building programmes (Sheail, 2003 p 2). The absence of building regulations and restrictions on the use of land meant that there was a great deal of unhealthy and substandard slum housing, which caused widespread illness. Illness occurred besides reflecting the poverty of those people that were unfortunate enough to have to live in such areas (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p.115). Planning regulations would have undoubtedly improved conditions, for instance introducing proper sanitation into the slums or having substandard housing replaced by higher quality houses for people to move into (Southall, 2000 p. 335). In rural areas fears that heavy industry and unsightly slums would eventually over take all the land within their close proximity prompted the foundation of organisations dedicated to the physical preservation of the countryside, the rural way of life, and its wildlife (Clapp, 1994 p. 138). The countryside preservation organisations would eventually have a strong influence on the establishment of the gree n belt zones and the restricted availability of development land in the more predominantly rural areas of Britain (Allmendinger and Thomas, 1998 p. 55). It was after the end of the First World War that the central government and local authorities took a greater interest in the construction of housing and how land was actually being used in domestic housing and industrial or commercial construction programmes. The role of the market in deciding how many houses were built and the location of where those houses were constructed was reduced with the development of council houses (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). The provision of affordable housing built by local authorities and subsidised by central government funding meant that there was increased public involvement in the determination of land usage. The use, abuse, or the non-use of land was no longer solely determined by market forces. The involvement of central government and local authorities was intended to reduce poverty, ill health, and social exclusion. At no point in the inter-war period were measures taken to introduce town and country planning with the intention of protecting the environ ment or promoting sustainability as nobody considered such steps were necessary. The First World War had only witnessed very minimal levels of property damage caused by German naval attacks and bombing raids on Britain, so there was no widespread need for urgent reconstruction programmes as there would be at the end of the Second World War (Clapp, 1994 p. 138). The central government first took legislative measures to restrict the use of development land within the remit of the Town and Country Planning Act of 1925, although planning decisions were usually left to individual local authorities to be e