Views on Globalization

Views on Globalization Conversation is a very powerful tool when used correctly. Using conversation across cultures to solve issues and resolve conflict is something that Cosmopolitanism emphasizes in its ideology. Cosmopolitanism uses the basis of conversation as a root to solving conflicts, and learning to live in a multicultural society successfully. Cosmopolitanism is all about the understanding of others.Appiah states â€Å"I am urging that we should learn about people in other places, take an interest in their civilizations, their arguments, their errors, their achievements, not because that will bring us to agreement, but because it will help us get used to one another. If that is the aim, then the act that we have all these opportunities for disagreement about values need not put us off. Understand one another may be hard; it can certainly be interesting. But it doesn’t require that we come to agreement† (Appiah).Appiah is saying that according to Cosmopolitanis m, we can still have our disagreements about certain ideas, but come to an understanding of each other in order to appreciate their views. This idea of communication leads to a more harmonious society when people can come to a better understanding of each other. The aim of Cosmopolitanism is to live together in a more peaceful harmonious state and avoid unnecessary conflict. This idea when applied to the real world may not occur the way Appiah imagined, but there are definitely case studies in the real world where a lack of communication results in conflict.Many people in other countries and even U. S. natives share the stereotype that America tends to not always have the best international relations. They don’t always handle the situation in the best way. Franklin Foer, author of â€Å"How Soccer Explains the World†, believes that this opinion is divided and argues that the game of soccer explains this division. Foer believes that soccer has been a major influence on globalization through its gaining popularity in America and its age-old roots in Europe. Sports have always been a major part of most countries and influenced its cultures and societies.It has been said that sports are a symbolic ritual that explain cultural values. Foer argues that, â€Å"Soccer isn’t exactly pernicious, but it’s a symbol of the U. S. junking its tradition to â€Å"get with the rest of the world’s program. † Foer also believes the sport of soccer itself represents a binary division between two camps in the Globalization debate. The effects from globalization cause diversity, leaving homogeneity threatened. In the article, by Kwame Anthony Appiah, he discusses globalization in terms of contamination and the effects that it can have on cultures.When relating this article to the there are many comparisons when discussing what effects viewing other lifestyles can have on an individual. Both works of literature illustrate new ideas on worldv iews. By thinking globally, we are promoting ideas of diversity. There are certainly many opportunities available from globalization. The obvious is being open to new political and cultural differences. This means being able to compare our environment and lifestyle to those of other cultures. By considering other societies, it helps us to understand them.Ishmael's teachings extracted the idea that we should reach forward, and consider other societies and ways of living. Although, he relates it to the world of primitive and civilized, the idea is that having a broader view on different ways of living might alternatively make you change parts of your lifestyle. Many cultures fear the effects that globalization may have on their society. The distribution of wealth and knowledge over time causes increasing choices and more interdependencies.Communicating information is now more valued because of the knowledge that can be available from it and as civilized human beings we make the choice to keep accepting and reacting to the information that is being made available to us through globalization. Because the effects of this process are so strong, many people fear their identity is being threatened. They feel it is hard to adapt to any lifestyle changes and so they try to reject it (Appiah). The loss of identity is not threatened. â€Å"Cultures are made of continuities and changes and the identity of a society can survive through these changes† (Appiah).Most People who examine the effects of globalization recognize that it is giving both cultural and economics impacts everywhere its forces are manifested (Appiah). In fact, as Franklin Foer has suggested, even within the world of sports one finds that globalization confers advantages and disadvantages, shrinking and then expanding the world as disparate cultures come into contact with one another. Works Cited Appiah, Kwame Anthony. â€Å"Moral Disagreement. † Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Stranger s (2006): Foer, Franklin. â€Å"How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. † (2004):

The School Based Assessment

WRITING ASSIGNMENT Paragraph Outline Topic sentence: There are several benefits of the school based assessment to the learning process in school. Supporting point 1: The student achievement can be observed continuously. Supporting point 2: Able to reflect the standard and ability of students. Supporting point 3: Reinforce learner’s autonomy and independent learning. Conclusion: To sum up, the school based assessment is a new culture of learning and teaching that advocate students in all-round development which gives a more comprehensive picture of individual student learning needs.First Draft Recently, our school education system had been reform to the new system which is called the school based assessment. In order to improve our school education system, the government has taken this large step that also making the UPSR and PMR to be abolished. Besides that, it has many benefits to our school learning process compare to the older system. First and foremost, the achievement of the students can be observed continuously.The teachers can assess the students continuously in a pressure-free environment. The assessment is taken every day in the class session by several aspects. Next, it can reflect the standard and ability of the students. All students have the same chance of showing their ability . It avoid the limitations of judging students on their performance with a single examination. The school based assessment can also reinforce learner’s autonomy and independent learning.For instance, the student can carrying peer reviews and writing after a model in the assessment task. By this system, students cannot expect that teachers will give them all the information needed but they must think and find it from another resource. To conclude, the school based assessment is a new culture of learning and teaching that advocate students in all round development which gives a more comprehensive picture of individual student learning needs.

Effect of Ocean acidification upon ability to genetically adapt in Essay

Effect of Ocean acidification upon ability to genetically adapt in Nereis species - Essay Example This change affects the small marine organisms the most. The decrease in pH affects their physiological processes mainly their metabolic rates and oxygen intake processes. Calcifying species are also affected due to the decrease in CO32- ions, which are used in forming CaCO3. Due to these effects, the species have to adapt to these changes in order to counter the negative effects on their physiology. These changes may be phenotypic for short term or genotypic for long term. This paper investigates the effect of ocean acidity on the genetic makeup of the Nereis species (Australian Biological Resources Study, 2000, p.45). Due to the increase in the ocean water acidity, the marine species have adapted to the change in pH. All the specimens have the same gene expression alterations when exposed to low pH. All the species experience phenotype plasticity when exposed to low pH levels. These effects can be determined by scientific methods. Species from the low pH region of Ischia have adapted to low pH (Armstrong, A. 2013, p593). Six marine species were picked for the research namely; Polychaetes, Nerissuccinea, Nereisdiversicolor, Nereisvirens, Platyneiresdemerilli and Nereiszonata. The worms were collected from different areas. Some samples were from Ischia region, a place with low pH value due to CO2 vents. These samples were exposed to low pH value environments for short time and long-term durations. The control group was set in normal pH environment. The pH value affects energy production processes in the specimens. With differences in pH, the individuals of the Nereis genus undergo some changes in energy production. The samples from the regions of low pH show the least changes, having adapted to low pH levels. All the specimens are affected by extremely low pH levels but the specimens from the vents show the most resilience since they have already adapted to low pH environs. This is because their metabolic activity is always heightened. The responses

What causes stroke in the Human Brain Assignment

What causes stroke in the Human Brain - Assignment Example One of the primary genetic causes of stroke has been shown to be CADASIL which tends to display a number of familial inheritance patterns in which the primary responsible gene has usually been identified. According to Bevan and Markus (1), CADASIL is usually seen to present with at least one of four given manifestations that include, cognitive deficit, Lacunar stroke and TIA, migraine with aura or even psychiatric disturbance in the form of a depression that is seen to precede the onset of an estimated 30% of stroke cases. CADASIL has been attributed to be primarily due to the occurrence of highly stereotyped mutations occurring in the Notch3 gene. These mutations that are seen to lead to CADASIL subsequently disrupt the highly conserved cysteine residue converting the number of these residues that normally stands at 6 to an odd number. This phenotype has been found to be variably present within certain given families. UK Website The Stroke.UK organization website is essentially a Stroke Association website that is developed to aid in the provision of support to the various stroke survivors. It is designed in such a manner that various professionals and charity group organizations are able to use it to provide support to stroke survivors so as to aid them in making the very best recovery that they possibly can. The website provides key information that is seen to essentially be quite useful to individuals in aiding them in obtaining more information on stroke. The organization also has an estimated over 20 years of research on stroke and has contributed to the development of a number of research review papers published in different journals. High Blood Pressure The United Kingdom Stroke Association is seen to point out that having a high blood pressure is perceived to be the biggest cause of stroke for not only the older adults but also the younger persons as an estimated 30 percent of individuals aged below 50 that have had a stroke are shown to also have a generally high blood pressure (Strokeassocation 1). The use of combined oral contraceptive pills is identified as being among the many factors that might potentially result in high blood pressure. These pills have been seen to cause the blood to become more likely to clot and thus significantly increase the risk of one developing high blood pressure. It is generally recommended that women that happen to have a number of other stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure or smoking should try and avoid the use of these pills (Strokeassocation 3). Summary of Tuomilehto J. et al. Article The peer reviewed article by Tuomilehto Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Death From Stroke. is a research paper that provides crucial information on the link between the increased stroke and hypertension risk of individuals seen to be having diabetes mellitus. The objective of the study conducted in the article was to attempt to study and perform a critical assessment of the invariably independent effect of diabetes as a key risk factor for stroke. The study which was conducted in Eastern Finland over a f ollow up period spanning at an average follow up period of about 16.4 years involved about 8572 women and 8077 men. Summary of Lewis Kuller Stroke and Diabetes Article The article

Introduction to the city Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction to the city - Essay Example Cash flow can be defined as ‘the pattern of income and expenses, and its consequences for how much money is available at a given time’ The process of managing working capital would involve deciding what quantity of cash, other liquid assets, accounts receivable and inventories the firm would require to have at any given point of time. â€Å" The management of working capital is concerned with the management of assets such as cash, marketable securities, account receivable, investor prepaid expenses and the current assets; also liabilities such as accounts payables, wages payables and accruals.†2 Working capital can generally be generated by receiving short term loan from a bank or by placing aside a sum from the equity. Generally working capital can not be added up while taking a long term loan from a bank. According to Keynes a firm holds working capital for three basic reasons; to benefit from timely opportunities arising in the market, as a fund to deal with unforeseen crisis that require immediate action and to carry out the regular business activities of cash inflow and outflow. The process of working capital management is relatively complex and it is meant to ensure that a firm is capable to carry out its regular activities with optimum efficiency at the same time fulfill the short term debt requirements and forthcoming operational expenditures. This process requires an analytical approach towards the spending and receiving of the funds available on hand. â€Å"The analysis requires decisions to be taken for the following questions such as: how should the firm manage its cash? To whom should the firm grant credit? How much inventory should the firm keep? What should be the composition of the firm’s current debt? â€Å"3 The goal of managing working capital is to have cash inflow as early as possible and to delay the cash outflow as much as possible and at the

VA Team members Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

VA Team members - Assignment Example The customers will most likely continue to do business with the company. 2.) To validate any experimental strategy so that given the time and resources it yields and an analytical result that is understandable, accurate, and defensible is important to SME analysts because if this is not done properly those in the companies who work in another department will lack understanding of what the new strategy is going to be, in testing out the experimental strategy that SME analyst is attempting to implement new strategies throughout the company, and whenever a company is experimenting with new strategies. It is best to test them out before implementing them. 3.) Constructing the site is important to an SME analyst because if the site is poorly constructed customers will not be able to use the site properly. Not only will customers be unable to use the site properly, but other members of the VA team will not be able to use it properly. If the site is used on properly, it is ineffective, and inadequate. 4.) Conducting an analysis of the information given by the VA team is important to an SME analyst the cause conducting an analysis of the information helps to implement new strategies, and the effectiveness of the strategies being experimenting throughout the company.

Electric Wheel Chair Training Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electric Wheel Chair Training Method - Essay Example When addressing the history of the organization, the voice should be audible to the audience to aid understanding by the audience. On the other hand, confidence is a fundamental aspect when handling orientation to company policies. Self-belief is a significant presentation skill when orienting new employees in the organization. Confidence gives the audience the hope that the trainer is outlining the organization guidelines; the self-assurance portrayed by the trainer play a great role in the understanding of the audience. During the orientation to company rules, confidence should be displayed by the trainer. This helps in laying a firm foundation to the new employees on the issue of the company rules and regulation (TimeToMarket, 2014). In order for a trainer to be able to handle the manufacturing plant and the safety protocols, the trainer requires to have the presentation skill to maintain eye contact with their audience. For instance, by maintaining the eye contact with preferred spectators, the new employees become very serious because they tend to think that the trainer is keen on them. In addition, by attaining the trainee attention, the trainer can tackle the manufacturing procedures, which are followed during the production of products. Moreover, having the attention of the trainees, the trainer can point out the safety precaution to be adhered to while in the organization location. However, when training new members on the different parts of the electric wheelchair parts, the presentation pace should be relatively slow. In this context, the instructor should ensure that the pace of explaining and showing the sections is a bit slower. In this regard, the trainees can understand every section that is explain ed to them. In the same context, the coach should ensure that their speed is neither too fast nor too slow; this enhances the perceptive comprehending of the

Biomedical ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biomedical ethics - Essay Example In the U.S. 36 states ban late term abortions, however Alaska has no such ban. Where do we draw the line, or do we? In the early 1960's there was a sleeping tranquilizer/morning sickness agent given to women containing thalidomide; a drug with harmful teratogenic effects producing serious birth defects during the early gestational development period. Thousands of babies were born without limbs, as well as other birth defects. Once research revealed the disaster, the U.S. immediately removed it from the market; however the damage was already done. One such mother, Mrs. Sherri Finkbine, had been abroad with her husband been given the drug. When she discovered the potential for birth defects, she decided to abort her five month fetus. In Arizona, it required three doctors to state that an abortion was necessary. She had the medical opinion; however because of the explosion of thalidomide cases, she was required to go to court to get legal permission to abort; permission denied, requirin g her to go to Europe to have the procedure done. Upon her return, she faced social castigation, losing her job. There were also serious implications for her husband, a professor. Many magazines gave graphic coverage of the story, including Life, The New York Times, The Saturday Evening Post, and numerous others. Thus began the abortion on demand dilemma that has been discussed and theorized for the last fifty years. According to the Free Dictionary Online, abortion is defined as the "expulsion from the uterus of the products of conception before the fetus is viable." Spontaneous abortion is when the pregnancy terminates itself naturally. Therapeutic abortion is when the abortion is medically induced out of concern for the health of the mother or fetus, a form of artificial abortion, not occurring naturally. Partial birth abortion is when labor is induced and the infant is delivered except for the head, which is then opened at the base of the skull and a suction catheter removes the brain, killing the infant. The legal definition of abortion was determined in the famous Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision on January 22, 1973(410 U.S. 113), as the termination of pregnancy, by any means, before the fetus is able to sustain life independently from the womb. This famous court case set a precedence for abortion in the U.S. by prohibiting any state from preventing a woman to choose whether or not to terminate her pregnancy in the first trimester, making it a question of medical necessity to prevent abortion in the second trimester, and, requiring the health of the mother to be preserved above the life of the fetus in the third trimester. The main stipulation was that it should be done by a licensed physician, in order to protect the life of the woman. On the same day, the Supreme Court ruled on another case, Doe vs. Bolton (410 U.S. 179), that supported a woman's right to have an abortion by limiting the ways in which she is counseled so as to influence her decision . Some states have required teenage girls to have parental permission to submit to the procedure; such a signature is required for any medical procedure on a minor. According to Warren, a human being isn't a person until it is a part of the moral

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Essay Example Restaurants should apply ethics in their food delivery, pricing, and internal environment. The fast food industry is part of the restaurant industry. There are ethical issues associated with the way fast food chain treat their employees. These workers are paid low wages, but are expected to do a lot of work. Restaurants should be responsible in their selection of suppliers. Corporate social responsibility can be used by restaurants to improve the quality of life of its stakeholders. Introduction People expect business enterprises to behave in a socially responsible manner and to apply the highest standards of ethics. Ethics can be defined as the study and evaluation of human conduct in the light of moral principles (Credo Reference). It involves making decisions between right and wrong. Business enterprises in all industries are faced with ethical dilemmas. It is important for companies to behave in a proper manner to resolve these types of issues. Corporations today have become the target of society due to the fact that their behavior affects the community. One of the largest industries in the United States in terms of locations is the restaurant industry. ... Going out to a restaurant is a good way for families to spend some quality time together. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very important towards satisfying the customer. Sometimes restaurant owners want to capitalize on the wall space of the restaurant by renting advertising space to other businesses. This may be a nice way to increase income, but it may be an unethical practice. The customers of a restaurant are looking to eat in a quiet environment. Seeing a bunch of ads on the walls can be perceived as an undesirable practice. People are bombarded with advertisement everywhere they go. They do not need the added hassle of viewing them while eating at a restaurant. A factor in the restaurant industry that can lead to ethical discussion is the pricing of the restaurant. It is common business knowledge that businesses have to price their goods or services at a level that will allow the company to make a profit. A particular attribute of the restaurant industry is that any meal se rved by the restaurant can be replicated by the consumer at their own home at a fraction of the cost. Some restaurants do not care about cost and they charge exuberant prices for their meals. This action can be viewed by many as an unethical action. Some restaurants charge their customers over $100 a plate for a meal. Their cost for that meal is likely to be less than 20% of the sales price. This implies that that restaurant would have made a nice profit at a lower price point such as $50, but many restaurants continue to charge their clients exorbitant prices. This type of ethical dilemma is more likely to occur in the high-end of the restaurant marketplace. An ethical dilemma faced by all restaurants is how much food to serve its

Detecting Breast Cancer in Women Under the Age of 50 Dissertation

Detecting Breast Cancer in Women Under the Age of 50 - Dissertation Example ....35 7.5 Data Analysis ............37 7.6 Reliability and Validity......41 7.7 Ethical Issues42 8.0 Discussion Point...48 8.1 Discussion .........49 8.2 Recommendation for further research ............49 9.0 References ..........52 10.0 Bibliography ..........61 11.0 Appendices ........63 Appendix 1 Letter to the Department Manager...64 Appendix 2 Letter to the Ethics Committee66 Appendix 3 Questionnaire for the interview of medical workers..68 Appendix 4 Abbreviations...69 1.0 RATIONALE The two most popular methods used for screening breast cancer today, are Contrast Enhance Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Digital Mammography. Each method has it's own distinct advantages over the other and also lags behind in certain areas when compared with the other. This study will compare and contrast these two methods by using the tests on a sample population in the specific age group of women below 50 years of age and recording them in an organised fashion. At the completion of the research, I propose to conclusively find which method is better at detecting breast cancer in women under the age of 50 years and to support this conclusion with results gathered through the research conducted. 2.0 OBJECTIVE 2.0 OBJECTIVE The objective of this research project is to develop a better understanding of the appropriate use of MRI and Digital Mammography in detecting breast cancer in women under the age of 50. The report also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each method. The major issues faced were: 1) Identifying the timing of breast cancer screening for women under age 50. 2) Regular screening involved higher costs without a clear... One out of eight women in the developing world is estimated to develop breast cancer at some stage of their lives (Nkondjock, & Ghadirian, 2005).Mortality caused by breast cancer is especially high among women between the ages of forty and forty-nine. Early, accurate detection leading to effective and less drastic treatment methods can significantly reduce the trauma associated with breast cancer, resulting in better prognosis and management of the disease (Taft & Taylor, 2001). Mammography, one of the earliest methods of breast cancer screening (responsible for a 34% decrease in mortality rate among women) was subsequently found to have not detected 25% of malignant Breast cancers in early stages, thus creating a need for a better screening procedure (Taft & Taylor, 2001). Among the numerous diagnostic tools developed using new technology, FFDM and MRI offered prospects of better efficacy in the detection of breast cancer, especially critical for women aged below fifty since they tend to have denser breasts, which impair the capability of the diagnostic tools, particularly in the case of noncalcified breast cancers. The risk of malignancy is at the same time higher in dense breasts, making early detection even more important. Magnetic Resonance images are created by recording the signals generated after radio frequency excitation of hydrogen nuclei (or other elements) in tissue exposed to a strong static magnetic field. The characteristics of these signals vary according to the type of tissue under observation.

Concepts of Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Concepts of Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care Essay Within this assignment, I have been addressed as a manager of a residential care home and I have the responsibility to provide a set of materials (leaflets, booklets, PowerPoint slides, posters) that can be used for information and training purposes) for my training staff. I have chosen to do this by writing a detailed leaflet in the style of an assignment so information can be thorough and clear. Rights Within the category of health and social care, the rights that we’re entitled to are significantly important. From time to time, or even regularly individuals will have to use sectors that relate to health and social care such as going to the doctors, hospital or a dentist. These public health services are mandatory for individuals and the public to use as individuals with long term health conditions or disabilities rely on the care they provide. Among public health services there are also social care services which have a responsibility to provide support for individuals with mental health problems, supporting the elderly and also the disabled within their homes. Other services include receiving appropriate care in day centres, residential and nursing homes and giving children who don’t live with their parents the care they’re entitled to. From this, it is concluded that whenever an individual is provided to have to use the health care service, experience medical treatment or social care – they have the right not to be discriminated against in terms of gender, race, gender identity, religion, disability of sexual orientation. Not only are these rights mandatory, individuals are also fully supported and protected by the written rights under the European Convention on Human Rights which have relevance within health and social care as their rights include: The right to life, the right not to be subjected to torture or to inhumane degrading treatment or punishment, the right to liberty and security of person and also the right to respect for private and family life. Choice Across the UK, it is becoming more common that an individual is obtaining more control from being able to choose the care and treatment they are receiving. The full aim from this change of choice is to be able to entitle an individual to become fully aware of the treatment and support that is available to them and advice on which would be best to choose. An example of this could being able to choose the hospital and individual receives their care in or if they require care at home they should be given a cash budget to be able to suit their needs and money limits. Overall, choice is imposed within health and social care as it’s to ensure that individuals have access to the best and right support, having access to a range of health and social care services locally and nationally, being equal partners with their doctor or carer in their decisions about their health and social care, and also being entitled to what their choices are and to make this clear within all health and soci al care circumstances. Equality During 2010 the equality act was introduced, mandatory for protecting individual’s rights and promoting the significance and importance of equality of opportunity for every single individual. Whether these opportunities would be minor or major in value, the equality act would play a significant role in allowing these opportunities to commence. Examples of opportunities may include having the right to attend a public event, or having the right to use public services. Furthermore, equality is an important role which also links back to the role of discrimination as people can be discriminated against due to their age, race, disability, and gender and so on, the equality act of 2010 stops this from occurring within health and social care settings and it signifies that each individual should all be treated equally. Diversity Diversity is a more complex word for ‘difference.’ However, diversity is about acknowledging the differences between individuals themselves, and also group differences. Individual differences include factors such as differing within race, age, gender, social status, disability, weight and so on. A person within a health and social care setting as a worker may experience misuse of diversity due to a difference they may have to another individual. For example, if a nurse refuses to treat a patient who may be suffering from a common but life threatening issue such as a heart attack, but is also a disabled individual, this current nurse would be misusing the legislation of diversity awareness, and would also most likely be on the way to becoming unemployed. In terms of acts that are significant to the roles of diversity happening in health and social care settings, the sex discrimination act of 1975 is a prime example of how men and women are treated equally even though thei r genders differ.

Literary History and the Concept of Literature Essay Example for Free

Literary History and the Concept of Literature Essay Literary history and the concept of literature I From the 1970s onwards, much has been said about the writing of history and literary history that has cast doubt on its intellectual credibility. For example, Hayden White’s Metahistory (1973) included an influential analysis of the metaphorical foundations of 19th century history writing. In 1979, Jean-Francois Lyotard criticized grand narratives in La Condition postmoderne (The Postmodern Condition), and in 1992 David Perkins presented a whole array of sceptical epistemological and methodological arguments directed against literary history in Is Literary History Possible?. The questioning of literary history has not however resulted in the abandonment of large-scale literary-historical projects, rather it has inspired attempts to base such ventures on better designs and better foundations. Not least, many new ideas about the field have been put forward in connection with the preparation of two major works of literary history sponsored by the ICLA. It is also natural to point to two theoretical publications from 2002: the collection of essays, Rethinking Literary History, edited by Linda Hutcheon and Mario J. Valdes, and Marcel Cornis-Pope and John Neubauer’s brief presentation of the ideas behind a history of literary cultures in East-Central Europe. [ii] The Swedish project â€Å"Literature and Literary History in Global Contexts†, which was started in 1998 and will terminate in 2004, focuses specifically on some theoretical problems associated with the writing of literary history. We who participate come, mostly, from various fields within oriental studies or from comparative literature. Since the project is sponsored by the Swedish Research Council we all work, or once worked, at various Swedish universities. One of the special features of the project is the interest devoted to world histories of literature, a genre where the general problems of literary history become especially visible and acute. (I shall return to this perhaps unfamiliar genre in a moment. ) Three important cruces in connection with world histories of literature have been singled out for special discussion within the project: (i) the understanding of the notion of literature, (ii) the understanding of genres, and (iii) the understanding of interactions between literary cultures. These three sets of issues will be made the subject of four volumes of literary-historical studies and theoretical reflections, and these volumes will represent the main concrete outcome of the project. In this paper, I shall concentrate on the first of the questions, about the notion of literature. I shall say a few words about the concept of literature itself, point out some of the difficulties that it occasions in a world history of literature, and conclude with a brief discussion of how such problems may be approached and dealt with. II In a sense, of course, there are very many concepts of literature: if every nuance is taken into account, it may well be the case that each person has their own. Yet if, conversely, one looks at the situation very broadly, one can say that there is an everyday concept of literature in Western culture which is widely shared. That concept came into being in the course of the 18th century. Before that, no exact counterpart to our present concept of literature existed either in Western culture or elsewhere, and the distinction between imaginative literature and non-fiction was not of primary importance in the classification of texts. Wilt Idema and Lloyd Haft have given a concise and clarifying account of how earlier cultures thought about texts and their basic divisions. As long as no more than a few written works are in circulation in a given society, all texts are more or less equally important and valuable. If there is a dramatic increase in the number of writings, with a corresponding differentiation in their content and character, the texts are likely to be subdivided into the categories of â€Å"high† literature, professional literature, and popular literature. â€Å"Literature† (or high literature) is then the term for texts which are felt to be of general educational value and which are, accordingly, regarded as part of the necessary intellectual baggage of every cultured person†¦. Works which contain useful knowledge but remain limited to one specific area, such as medicine or military science, are classified as professional literature. Works intended only to amuse, and which have (or are considered to have) no educational value, fall outside the scope of â€Å"literature†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. We may call these more or less despised writings â€Å"trivial literature†. In the kind of intellectual culture described in this quotation, the fundamental distinction among texts is the one between culturally important texts and culturally less significant ones. In most such cultures – classical antiquity, classical Chinese culture, classical Sanskrit culture, and so forth – the class of culturally important texts would comprise most of what we call poetry, history writing, and philosophy, and normally also other kinds of texts – some administrative texts, some texts concerning magic, some letters, et cetera. Oral vernacular texts, or relatively unadorned fictional narratives, what we call fictional prose, would normally form part of popular or trivial literature. For complex social, economic, and cultural reasons, this way of classifying texts came to undergo great though gradual transformations in Western Europe from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries. One of the very many crucial factors behind the process must have been the growing importance of a new, more rigorous conception of empirical truth, associated with the natural sciences. High literature, in the special sense described by Idema and Haft, had always aspired to truth in the sense of great human significance. As the distinction between empirical truth and empirical non-truth became more rigid and more significant – and as many other, more or less related developments were taking place – new groupings began to emerge in the textual universe. Poetry became dissociated from scientific writings, and successively also from history, philosophy, oratory, and letters. On the other hand, fictional prose, especially in the guise of the increasingly appreciated novel, came to be regarded as one of the genres of poetry. With this, our modern notion of literature had effectively taken shape, and the term â€Å"literature† (whose main meaning in the 17th and 18th centuries had been something like â€Å"education† or â€Å"culture†) successively developed into today’s normal designation of the concept. [v] III The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw the beginning of the writing of literary history – of the history of national European literatures, of the history of European literature as a whole and, at least from the 1830s onwards, of the world history of literature. World histories of literature thus comprise a genre which has existed for around 170 years. Among its modern instances are such impressive works as the German twenty-five volume Neues Handbuch der Literaturwissenschaft (New Handbook of Literary Studies), published between 1972 and 2002, and the Russian Istorija vsemirnoj literatury v devjati tomach (History of World Literature in Nine Volumes) from 1983-94. [vii] However in the English-speaking world the genre is more or less extinct, and its very existence appears to be overlooked in the contemporary international discussion about the globalization of literary studies. These debates are primarily inspired by the widespread interest in colonial and postcolonial studies and place the last few centuries at the centre of attention, while the traditional world histories of literature are, in principle, universal in scope, and are meant to cover all times and cultures. In many respects, it seems a good idea to have a world history of literature to fall back on. Such works can relate the various literary cultures of the world to one another and put them into perspective. Thus they may create a much needed overview, much as a map of the world helps us to comprehend certain fundamental geographical realities. To some extent, works like the Neues Handbuch der Literaturwissenschaft and the Istorija vsemirnoj literatury do just that, and of course they also contain a wealth of information and intelligent discussion. Yet, despite their often remarkable qualities, world histories of literature are typically profoundly problematic for a number of reasons. Two major problems have their roots in the very concept of literature. First, the concept is, in itself, an everyday notion. If employed without additional explications or stipulations, it is too imprecise and inconsistent to form the basis of a reasonable classification. Second, the concept of literature is a relatively recent Western invention. Its application to other times and cultures will easily lead to anachronistic and ethnocentric distortions. On the whole, world histories of literature are content to sweep such problems under the carpet. They typically prefer to rely on the everyday notion of literature and to include the resulting contradictions in the bargain. For instance, the concept of literature is traditionally used in such a manner that the criteria for a work to be classified as literature vary depending on the time and the culture one is speaking of. Modern literature is most often seen as consisting of just fictional prose, poetry, and drama. When there is talk of older periods, the concept of literature is however used very inclusively. [ix] For example, ancient Roman philosophy, history, and oratory are not excluded as being non-fiction; instead, such writers as Lucrece, Caesar, and Cicero are considered part of the European literary heritage. The same duality appears in the treatment of other literary cultures. Thus, for instance, the sacred Vedic texts (circa 1200 – circa 500 B. C.).

Effect of Prefabrication Methods on Housing in the UK

Effect of Prefabrication Methods on Housing in the UK Would the Increasing Use of Prefabrication Methods in the Construction Industry Significantly Reduce the Housing Shortage Within the UK? Chapter 1 Problem Specification There is a widespread belief that a housing shortage exists in the UK. Although all regions are expected to see growth in household numbers, the greatest pressure will continue to be felt in Southern England (i.e. London, the South East, South West, and Eastern regions.) For example, the population of the South East region alone is expected to increase by 50,000 a year – about 1 million extra homes in the next twenty years or so. While 70% of population growth is in London and the south of England only about 50% of house building takes place there. The housing industry has in recent years been under severe pressure to meet the increasing population. For this reason the UK is presently suffering from a high housing shortage, which is likely to rise over the next 15 years, due to the high volumes of migrant workers from the EU and the increase in population. The total number of people living in the UK grows whenever there are more inward migrants than people leaving the country. International inward migration is a significant contributor to population growth. Recently the Government Actuary’s Department increased its figures for net inward migration to the United Kingdom from 95,000 to 135,000 people per year for the period to 2021. It is therefore necessary for the construction industry to dramatically increase production in house building in order to reduce the effect this shortage will have on the UK such as consequent impacts on house prices, conditions, overcrowding and homelessness. Despite the strong economy, housing production by both private developers and social housing providers has been falling. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the number of homes built during each of the past five years has remained static at 154,000. It is for this reason that house prices continue to soar. It is clear that the construction industry must build faster and more efficiently to meet the increasing needs of the UK housing market. The UK construction industry has been known for its lengths and costs in completing construction projects therefore leading to slower completion of developments. This is a wide spread problem that needs to be addressed for the housing demands to be met. Household projections, based on 1998 figures from the Government Actuary’s Department and past trends in household formation, suggest that between 1996 and 2021, England will need to accommodate an extra 4.3 million households. Estimates suggest that the backlog in 1996 was approximately 650,000 households. It seems likely that the figure has increased over the last five years because supply has not matched demand. There are difficulties within the UK construction industry to which attention has been drawn by the Latham and Egan reports. Structural, technical and cultural change in the years ahead may lead to a sector better able to respond to the demands upon it. With the use of better management techniques and the implementation of new technologies in new housing markets, projects lengths (i.e. Construction time) and costs could be significantly reduced. There are many ways of rapidly reducing completion time of construction. In this day and age these approaches are known as Modern Methods of Construction, such as prefabrication. A radical approach for cutting project time by using different techniques, such as off-site construction and factory conditions. Pre-fabricated homes – One area highlighted to improve the current situation by the Government and others within the industry, is that of off-site construction. Prefabrication was used to provide quick and cheap homes after the Second World War where nearly 160,000 homes were prefabricated, and is being proposed again as a solution for providing affordable homes. Off-site construction has made huge advances since the Second World War and even more over the last couple of decades, offering methods which have been proved to be quicker and cheaper than traditional house building methods. One of the major issues associated with prefabricated homes is the stigma attached to them, with many people seeing them as a poor alternative to traditional construction. A MORI poll in 2002 indicated that 90% of people would prefer to live in a traditional home rather than a prefabricated home, showing that the UK population along with the construction industry is still slightly reluctant to pl ace their faith in prefabricated homes. The benefits of prefabrication are well known, with off-site construction offering a controlled environment where building elements can be produced quicker than traditional methods, and at a supposedly lower cost. At its best, prefabrication can see some 40-week building programmes being reduced to 16 weeks, which if used on a wide scale could see rapid growth in the UK’s housing stock. There is also an advantage held within the factory environment, offering greater safety for workers than on-site and also the controlled environment makes it possible for a consistent, high quality finish to be achieved. With skills shortages on-site, the opportunity to produce standardised building elements in factories could also further improve standards and quality. Built in clean, efficient, factory conditions not in the often chaotic circumstances of construction sites, in unpredictable and inclement British weather – may make for higher standards, faster construction as well as a safer industry. Better procurement methods may mean less friction between clients, professionals and builders. Shortages of sufficiently skilled labour may also be remedied, to some extent, by factory. Therefore this method of construction could be seen as a potential solution to the housing shortage in the UK. Currently prefabrication is not a common approach for most contractors to use. The main reason for this is because off-site manufacture (OSM) of house building components currently has the capacity to produce around 40,000 homes a year, far short of the figure needed to meet official housing projections. As such, the Government is promoting pre-fabrication and off-site manufacturing techniques, looking to methods such as steel and timber frame to help solve the housing shortfall, particularly in relation to quality and site skills shortages. Even with prefabricated homes having been produced for the past 100 years, they are still relatively untested in the UK on a large scale, and therefore the verdict is still out on whether they are suited to the UK and its construction industry. There are already companies in the UK trying to build affordable housing by using off-site construction methods, such as BoKlok, Ikeas biggest idea yet. Having seized the market for affordable home furnish ings in the past decade, the Swedish retail giant is now planning to provide the homes themselves. Planning permission was approved for the first British BoKlok development: 36 flats in St James Village, Gateshead, due for completion within a year. More will follow many more, probably, since BoKlok is quick to build, energy efficient and aimed at households earning between  £15,000 and  £30,000 a year. Currently they tend to use more traditional methods, and therefore this issue has to be tackled to bring prefabricated construction further into the lime light of construction. The affordable housing sector represents a prime area of growth for the prefabricated buildings market. The benefits of rapid build times and the cost efficiencies resulting from the volume production of cellular units incorporated in the overall structure tend to result in affordable rents and value for money for the public housing sectors. A wide range of house builders such as Bellway, Westbury, Bovis, Lovell, Willmott Dixon etc, are using prefabricated buildings in affordable housing projects and their use has increased substantially during 2003-05. If every household is to have the opportunity of a decent home, some fundamental changes will be needed not just to the mechanisms we use to deliver new homes – with reforms to the effectiveness of our planning system and our house-building industry. In conclusion, the issue of housing shortage within the UK may become one of the most significant social and economical problems being faced over the next twenty years. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to explore whether the implementation and use of Prefabricated Construction on a wide spread scale could have a significant positive impact on the housing Shortage currently being seen in the UK. There is a concern that in a number of critical areas, the emerging policy framework is based on unrealistic assumptions. It is questionable whether it will in practice deliver the necessary supply of houses to meet the UK’s economic and social requirements over the next twenty years. Literature Review â€Å"Britain is heading for a property shortage of more than a million homes by 2022 unless the current rate of house building is dramatically increased, according to reports from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).† The UK has been known for its shortage on housing over the past 10-15 years, and therefore there are many sources of literature relevant to the study. Such sources are Government Policies, reports, articles, books, surveys and case studies that outline the scale of the problem and give statistics, such as the number of homes that need to be built in order to relinquish this status in the UK. The shortage of housing is making house prices soar from year to year, making it much harder not only for general house buyers but especially for first time buyers. This issue does not seem to be focused on in any literature as there doesn’t seem to be any long term solutions for it, making this topic an ever growing problem. Government Report The Barker Report (2003) Review sets out a series of policy recommendations to address the lack of supply and responsiveness of housing in the UK. The report further goes on to outline a number of key factors which are to blame for the housing shortage, including the lack of houses being built as well as the extra provision of land by local authorities to make it viable for developers to achieve the build targets to decrease the housing shortage. The report argues that a UK housing Shortage is having widespread economic and social consequences. The government estimates that by 2016 there will be 3 million new UK households. It recently published the Sustainable Communities plan outlining a major new house building program to help meet the growth. The government is said to be encouraging Modern Methods of Construction, which it says can achieve â€Å"a step change in the construction industry to produce the quantity and quality of housing we need.† Housing completions are expected to steadily increase in the longer term in line with proposals and initiatives to address the general housing shortage, particularly the provision of more ‘affordable’ housing in key urban areas. However, a significant increase in completions is largely dependent on the overall economic environment, consumer confidence levels etc, in addition to land availability and the planning approvals process, which remains a key barrier to growth at present. While this was focused on in the Barker Review in 2004, house builders are reporting few improvements to date in the planning process and the availability of land for development is a key long term issue. On her follow up to the 2003 report, Barker 2004 states that planning authorities and processing of applications need to be improved, whilst also the availability of land is becoming increasingly harder. She pinpoints reforms to the planning system; incentives for local authorities to support development, and a higher turn around from the construction industry, including completing site developments as quick as possible. These issues need to be focused on as they are key elements that could be contributing to the current shortage in the housing market. Barker (2004) encouraged the government to change its planning policies to allow more houses to be built on Greenfield’s, as she claims at present there is not enough land available for the housing demand to be met. Barker also called for a substantial increase in productivity from the construction industry. She states in her review that to reduce the current rate of housing inflation from 2.4% to the EU average of 1.1%, an extr a 120,000 houses will need to be built per annum on top of the current output. The overall message from both Barker reports (2003/2004) is the clear need for more houses to be built in the UK, especially the large problem areas such as the South-East and London in order to become any closer to achieving larger number of homes available in the UK. However there are no recommendations on how it might be possible to reduce programme lengths and costs. This is a key area that needs to be identified within the dissertation. Mathiason (2003), already claimed that as long as inflation continues to rise, house builders will be under no obligation to build as they will be profiting from the land that they already own, as the price is ever increasing due to shortage. Perhaps the use of MMC and faster construction times would drive the developers to building on these lands, but they will never be fully implemented unless planning policies are also reviewed. Prior to the Barker review the Government drew up a Sustainable Communities Plan (OPDM, 2003) to tackle several issues, including the urgent requirement for affordable homes. The plan aims to set out a long term programme of action for delivering sustainable communities to both urban and rural areas. One of the vehicles highlighted for delivering these sustainable communities is off-site construction, with modern methods of construction earmarked for additional investment. It also suggests heavy investment in public transport and rail links in particular, to help with the decentralisation of London, which will combat the lack of available land and high demand for housing in the South east. The Sustainable Communities Plan (OPDM, 2003) also provides the Housing Corporation with an extra  £100m for its  £200m Challenge Fund for encouraging modern methods of construction. The Challenge Fund, run by the Housing Corporation offers incentives to developers using innovative methods for building communities. It is however, one of the only initiatives running to encourage the use of modern methods of construction. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2002a) predicted that Britain was heading for a housing shortage of more than a million homes by the year 2022. As well as launching Land for Housing, the report from a JRF Inquiry, the conference is debating Britain’s housing in 2022, the first in a series of working papers examining the long-term measures needed to tackle social disadvantage. Both warn that the impending housing crisis will hit hardest in London and the South. Although these regions contribute 70 per cent of the rising demand for new homes, only 50 per cent of new homes are currently being built there. By contrast, in the Midlands and the North, there are growing problems of low demand in some areas, and of empty and abandoned property. Lord Best, Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and author of the working paper, said: â€Å"We estimate that the difference between housing demand and supply will have widened into a yawning gap of 1.1 million homes in England alone by 2022: most of it in London and the South East. This genuinely shocking statistic shows why the time has come for policy makers to recognise that a plentiful supply of new and affordable homes is of the greatest importance the nation’s future health and prosperity.† AMA Research has published the Fifth Edition of the â€Å"House building Market UK 2006†. Recent changes in the overall housing market and corporate activity amongst house builders have renewed interest in the house building market. The fifth edition of this report focuses on the recent developments in this specific sector along with the characteristics and corporate activity of the leading suppliers to the sector. The report provides information on national and regional suppliers within the house building market and provides a comprehensive review of the major aspects of the new house building sector. Off-site construction has a reputation of producing drab, uncharacteristic boxes for homes within the UK population. However, the face of prefabricated homes has changed for the better with Dyckhoff (2003) commenting that they have been transformed into the speedy, affordable loft-style saviour of Britain’s housing market. What the literature above demonstrates is that there is a clearly growing problem with the housing market. Shortage of housing is increasing and still nothing has been pinpointed as the route cause, this seems to be an ever growing problem and a clear solution has not been found. Certain claims made by authors in previous articles and reports will need to be looked into for there validity, so that a clearer understanding can be brought across as to the route cause. In conclusion to the above, this dissertation will therefore be focusing on the following Research question: Methodology It is necessary to begin the dissertation by looking into the theoretical ideas behind the emergence of the shortage in the housing market. It is important to ensure that key information and research is collected using different methods of gathering data. Collecting relevant data will continue to develop my understanding of the housing Shortage in the UK and will overall develop the strength and success of the dissertation. The data collected will also suggest whether any previous attempts have been made to tackle this problem, and if so, are there any solutions that have already been put forward. The opening chapter will focus on the time where non-traditional constructions methods were called for. Special attention is given to how the Government and Local Authorities acted at the time. This will help in developing an understanding of when Modern Methods where first used and the reasons why they came about, which will follow on into the next chapter. Acknowledging the reasons for there use, and developing a detailed background on the housing sector, Chapter 3 analyses the state of the current housing market and the scale of shortage being experienced. Taking into account the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and its perceptions for the next twenty years, I will look into how many new homes are required to be built over the next coming years so as to rectify the current issue. This section will be implemented with the use of surveys, and data collected over the years that show the current yearly house building rate, and the prospective increase needed. I will also be taking into account the population increase due to migrant influx, higher number of divorce rate, higher life expectancy, and the birth rate. This information can be compared with the projected number of houses being built so that I can get an idea of possible key issues that are contributing to housing shortage. In conclusion this dissertation will focus on comparing the findings between traditional and modern methods of construction, which in whole will then be applied to the housing Shortage and possible methods of rectifying the problem. As well as comparing these methods of construction, it is also necessary to ascertain whether or not house builders today are building at their optimum rate. Once this is identified, the potential advantages of the scheme can then be applied to the rate at which they could be working. This will identify the possible gains from using MMC, and whether or not a significant reduction in house shortage can be adapted from this approach to construction. Chapter 2 Background Research Two features dominate the history of housing in Britain in the 20th century: state intervention in the mass production of housing for the working class, and the prolific suburban expansion of towns and cities. To some extent, the two overlap, but both emerged from a situation at the beginning of the century, when housing provision and quality of life had failed to keep up with the frantic pace of Victorian industrial development. Before the 1890s, the dire state of working-class housing had been improved by trusts and societies, who produced grim but safe and sanitary tenements, and there was little direct state intervention. The 1890 Housing Act empowered local authorities to purchase and demolish slum dwellings, and re-house their inhabitants. At the end of the First World War, there was an acute housing shortage. Beginning with Lloyd Georges Homes Fit for Heroes policy, four million new homes were built during the interwar period, 1.5 million of them directly by local councils or with the aid of state subsidy. During the war construction projects came to a halt, progressively worsening the housing shortage that had already existed before the war. The government already set plans to reconstruct and renovate sub-standard housing that where out dated, this and many other projects where all affected. 1919 brought in the â€Å"Town and Country Planning Act† which imposed obligation on local authorities to plan housing provision for their local towns. During the same period, given the situation of materials and skilled labour shortage, the local government board appointed a standardisation and new methods of construction committees to consider the question of standardisation in regard to materials, structural fitting and methods of construction (BRE, 1987). Bye-laws were also modified to allow the wider use of non traditional methods and materials (Ley, 2000). As well as this many other institutes, including British Research Satiation which has now become British Research Establishments, were also founded under the governments initiative to look for and trial new alternative materials and methods (Davenport, 1990). Between the First World War and Second World War various types of housing systems (prefab) were approved by the committees. At first, pressure applied to local authorities to provide houses in such a short space of time, with no direct incentive to economies, would encourage the use of those new methods regardless of their costs. However, detailed arrangements of subsidies changed several times after 1921 (Cornish and Clark, 1989) and local authorities could no longer disregard cost factor when considering new developments. In addition, the materials and skilled labour for the traditional construction methods came back on stream sooner than the government initially expected. As a result, construction of houses using new methods had virtually ceased by 1928 (Yates, 2001). The main contribution of the attempt was, therefore, providing a small number of additional houses, probably less than 250,000, compared to the total 4,500,000 buildings erected between 1919 and 1938 (Ross, 2002). The economic depression of the 1930s slowed the pace of house building, but the Second World War caused much greater damage: by 1945 nearly half a million homes had been destroyed, a quarter of a million were seriously damaged, and another three million suffered lesser damage. The immediate crisis was partly met by the rapid construction of 125,000 cheap pre-fabricated homes, but it was followed by a housing boom that equalled and exceeded that of the 1920s. As previously discussed in Chapter 1, after the world wars had ended in the UK and between the early 1950’s and late 60’s the construction industry experienced an extreme shortage within the housing sector which led to a great need of re-building. Due to the extremities the war created, traditional build was not an efficient enough method, leading to the introduction and use of Mass Production Methods. Following the Second World War there was an even greater demand for the rapid construction of dwellings. In 1942, well before the war had ceased, the government had appointed the Burt Committee which brought together people from different parts of the building industry, government departments and building research station (Bullock, 2001). The aim of the committee was to seek alternative materials and methods of construction suitable for the building of houses and flats, having regard to efficiency, economy and build ability, to be able to make recommendations for the post -war program. Post-War, the government planned new construction projects for the redevelopment of the housing sector, one of which was the development of 500,000 new dwellings with a completion time of 2 years (Davenport 1990). In the twelve years after the war, two and a half million new dwellings were constructed, three-quarters of them by local authorities. However, the construction of new housing was outpaced by the decay of existing housing stock. By 1963, 3 million people were still living in substandard housing, and official housing policy moved once again towards slum clearance and redevelopment. Prefabricated housing has been used in the UK during periods of high demand, such as after the World Wars and during the slum clearances of the 1960s. In total about 1 million prefabricated homes were built during the 20th century, many of which were designed to be temporary. However, problems arose over the quality of building materials and poor workmanship, leading to negative public attitudes towards prefabrication. Nevertheless it has continued to be used in the UK for hospitals, hotels and schools, as well as for housing in other countries. Although this is the case, prefabrication must be used in greater quantities widely, merely to see if it can make a difference to the housing shortage currently being experienced within the UK. MMC is a new term intended to reflect technical improvements in prefabrication, encompassing a range of on and off-site construction methods. The 20th century saw an enormous improvement in everyday housing conditions. Even in the early 21st century, local authorities are demolishing remaining high-rise blocks to make way for low-rise, high-density housing. During the early 60’s the Government set up the national building agency in order to urge local authorities to take up industrial system building (Rovetz, 2001). Local Governments and the Ministry of Housing also held a series of conferences to encourage and support industrial prefabricated system building in the mid 60’s (Jones, 2000). Additionally under the Housing Subsidy Act 1956, the arrangement of subsidies was changed in order that local authorities could receive more subsidies per flat if they built higher blocks of flats. The arrangement of this progressive height subsidy was abolished in the 1969 Housing Act. By the end of the 60’s, both high-rise and industrialised system building lost ground in the construction industry. Chapter 3 The Housing Shortage at Present â€Å"Britain is heading for a property shortage of more than a million homes by 2022 unless the current rate of house building is dramatically increased† according to reports from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). There are a series of short and long-term factors playing their part. The government wants to steady the UKs runaway housing market, and end its boom and break housing cycles. House prices in the UK have almost doubled since 1995 and many people are now unable to get a footing onto the housing ladder. There is also a lack of affordable or social housing. This problem of high house prices is compounded by the shortage of houses being built. In 2001 house building fell to its lowest level since 1924 excluding the war years and its immediate aftermath. New housing accounts for less than 10% of residential property transactions in England and Wales compared to 40% in 1965. The circumstances are likely to get worse before they get better. According to estimates, there are between 220,000 and 230,000 new households being formed annually (OPDM). Yet, only 165,000 homes were built in the year of 2002. If this was the case 5-6 years ago, then how is the housing shortage coping now? The population is increasing, while the average size of households is declining. This is caused by a range of demographic factors, such as increasing life expectancy, and more divorces. All in all, it adds more pressure to housing supply. The report lays much of the blame at door of the UKs planning authorities. Many who have tried and failed to obtain planning permission in recent years may echo the reports findings that the system is complex and takes an unacceptably long time. All in all, the report calculated that refusals for planning permissions in major housing developments increased from just 15% in 1996-1999 to 25% in 2002. The report also points out that if house building was to take-off in the UK skills shortages are likely to come into play. At present more than eight out of ten construction firms report skill shortages even modest growth would require 70,000 new workers the report concludes. As a result thousands of badly needed homes are not being built. However, at this stage the report makes no recommendations as to how the planning process can be quickened up. Housing shortages are set to become one of the most significant social issues of the next 20 years. Unless we act now, shortages will lead to overcrowding and homelessness. But they will also have knock-on effects for the whole of society, driving up house prices in areas of high demand, inhibiting economic growth and making it harder for good quality public services to be delivered. Property insiders, politicians and young people looking for homes in Britains thriving cities are united on one point: the country is in the grip of a serious housing shortage. But opinions are widely divided when it comes to placing the blame for a situation where, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the number of homes built during each of the past five years has remained static at 154,000, with the number of low-cost â€Å"social† houses being built falling from 16,999 in 2000-2001 to 13,601 in 2002-2003. As the buck is passed between housing professionals, planners, builders and the government, first-time buyers are left desperately trying get on the property ladder. â€Å"Slow planning is stifling. The government says councils should decide on most planning applications for 10 or more new houses within a maximum of eight weeks. But only 16% of decisions come in that time,† (House Builders Federation, HBF), which accuses councils in the north of England of deliberately preventing new homes from being built. The councils say that they already have enough new homes under construction, but the HBF disagrees. The Barker Review of Housing Supply was commissioned by the chancellor, Gordon Brown, to discover why Britain, the world’s fourth wealthiest economy, has a housing shortage with property prices beyond the reach of many. House building is at its lowest level since 1924; the gap between supply and demand widens by 60,000 annually — an average of 219,000 new households is created each year through longer lifespan, more solo-living from choice and an increasing divorce rate — and will exceed 1.1m in England by 2020; and the number of low-cost homes being built for housing association tenants is lower than at any time since 1995. Meanwhile, the government targets for about 225,000 new homes each year until 2016. The HBF says there is excessive public consultation and claims councils want ever-higher cash payments to improve the infrastructure in return for planning permission. It also says planners want so much social housing that it threatens the economi

Essay --

Juxtaposing Justice: Retribution to Rehabilitation Tà ©a Francesca Price Arizona State University Timelessly capturing in written works the complexities of the human condition is a feat rarely accomplished by writers. However for the â€Å"Father of English Literature,† Geoffrey Chaucer, and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist, William Shakespeare, conveying the essence of humanity artistically was seemingly effortless. Both observant authors are known for their ability to compose characters that juxtapose recognizable human characteristic such as hatred and love, jealousy and goodwill, and justice and mercy. Within Chaucer’s 14th century collection of stories entitled The Canterbury Tales is a comical narration of a somber topic called The Wife of Bath’s Tale, which draws speculation for the justice served to a Knight of Camelot who rapes a maiden. While King Arthur would have the Knight executed for his heinous actions, Queen Guinevere grants the knight a year and a day to discover what women desire, the very thing he disregarded whilst committing his crime. Another work that features a similar concept of justice is the Elizabethan era comedy, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare; through his own unique and mastered skill, Shakespeare embodies the quality of justice precisely in the character of Jewish moneylender Shylock, who in dogged pursuit of a bond against the merchant Antonio, receives the very fair dealing he craves through the character of Portia, the personification of mercy. Each author observed and understood that through human weakness justice is often undermined, for people disobey society’s laws to their own iniquitous ends. Their works depict a transformation in the practice of justice, from... ...Press released an article called â€Å"Death Penalty Isn’t a Deterrent on Murder Rate: National Research Council,† which discussed the lack of evidence in the effectiveness of the death penalty deterring crime. The article identifies issues that include not considering alternatives to capital punishment or sufficiently weighing how killers assess the risk of execution. The authors of the report are quoted to be â€Å"disappointed to reach the same result as a 1978 study†. If retribution as justice has yet to be proven beneficial to society, an alternative to consider is the concept of justice outlined in works like The Wife of Bath’s Tale and The Merchant of Venice. They are important pieces of literature to promote, for despite their age and comedic style, both works prompt a debate over the concept of justice and in what way justice is most effectively served.

How to Adapt and Thrive within Singapore’s Culture Essay -- Country An

How to Adapt and Thrive within Singapore’s Culture Expansion is an exciting and somewhat scary adventure. As Speedy Errands starts to embark into the global marketplace, we must learn more about the country to develop our branch. A new environment is harder to understand if we know nothing about the culture, landscape and its inhabitants. To achieve this branching-out Speedy Errands we must learn about the culture of Singapore, which includes the following: country history, social climate, family life, attitudes, religions, education, values, and economics. This report has been conducted to educate our company about the new environment and culture we want to become emerged. History of Singapore The history of a country will give us insight into their cultural environment and their values. The original occupants of Singapore were fishermen and pirates. Western countries did not know about Singapore’s culture until Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles of the British East trading company came to the island in 1819 looking for more trading posts. In 1825, Singapore became a major trading port. With the industrial development, in the 20th century, Western countries had a higher demand for tin and rubber, which helped Singapore emerge as one of the major ports in the world. After World War I, the British started to modernize Malayan defenses, and in 1921, a large naval base was built in Singapore. The establishment of an air base followed. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese invaders in February 1942. The island remained under Japanese control until September 1945, when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces. In 1959, Singapore became self-governin g, but its defense and foreign policy were still under ... ...Asian Cultures. Sojourn: Journal Of Social Issues In Southeast Asia, 10(1), 65-89. Youngblood-Coleman, D. (2003). History: Country Watch Publications. Country Review:Singapore.http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_country.asp?vCOUNTRY=6 Weston, R., & Hayes, A. (2004). Celebrating families in Singapore. Family Matters, (69), 83-87. Hing Ai, Y. (2004). Ideology and Changing Family Arrangements in Singapore. Journal Of Comparative Family Studies, 35(3), 375-392. Koh, A. (2004). Singapore Education in "New Times": Global/local imperatives. Discourse: Studies In The Cultural Politics Of Education, 25(3), 335-349. How funds under Community Engagement Masterplan will be spent - Channel News Asia. (2012, April 10). Channel News Asia - Latest News, Singapore, Asia, World and Business News - channelnewsasia.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/storie

Identity Theft Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is currently a huge growing number of criminals that now do greater and more widespread damage to their victims without ever meeting them. Identity theft surfaced in the early 1990s and turned peoples everyday transactions into a data gathering game. Bits of personal information such as bankcards, credit card accounts, income, social security numbers or just someone name, address, and phone numbers are now collected and could be used illegally by these individuals without anyone’s knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this study is to investigate what is being done to help control this growing crime in North Carolina. This includes the evaluation of the identity theft policies that the banks in North Carolina have in place. The study attempted to determine which bank had better and tougher policies as well as whether or not these security policies had helped reduce identity theft complaints in North Carolina since the date of it’s origin. Background of the study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Identity theft is whereby an individual obtains some piece of an unsuspecting victim’s sensitive information and uses it without their knowledge to commit fraud or theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), â€Å"people whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years and their hard earned money trying to clean up the mess the thieves have made of their good name and credit record. Some victims have lost job opportunities, been refused loans for education, housing, cars or even arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the FBI statistics, Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S.’s (Tribune Business News, 2003). Identity theft thieves have perfected the art of collecting information of unsuspecting victims and now all the law enforcement agencies, as well as affected companies, are working hard to find ways to combat these issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several ways that identity theft thieves gain access to your personal information. Lost wallets, purses, stolen or lost mail used to be the main source of such private information. Mail, which sometime, includes bank statements, pre-approved credit cards, and tax papers are a source of a large amount of data. In recent years, many have been known to steal reco... ...g numbers of identity theft cases, since the late nineties, have become a growing concern for the law enforcement agency and the community as a whole. Involving the public in this warfare calls for all organizations, banks included, to get tighter policies in place and protect the integrity and security of their customer’s data. This study will show whether or not the implemented policies in the local banks have helped reduce identity theft cases overall. Research Questions and Hypothesis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To perform our research study, we attempted to get answers to these questions: How do North Carolina bank policies reduce the spread of identity theft? To what extenet are the policies of one bank better than the policies in the others in reducing identity theft occurrence? What role can N.C. bank consumers play in reducing the risk of becoming identity theft victims? We hoped that the responses would prove our hypoithesis: the banks that have tight security policies in place have less consumer complaints than those that do not. Literature Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As stated earlier, the method of data collection was done using a survey

Batik Garment

The Objectives.. ? To be a World Class Provider of BATIK Garment Industry Our Mission.. ? Our vision is to focus on offering range of quality  batik  products to our customers, and introduce  Malaysian  Batik  to the people all over the world. We would like to penatered US market and introduce variety product that can produce with Batik. It is the opportunity for batik business to improve it profitability and competitiveness. The Opportunities.. ? Rising demand for handicraft products in developed countries such as USA, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy etc. ? Developing fashion industry requires handicrafts products. Development of sectors like Retail, Real Estate that offers great requirements of handicrafts products. ? Development of domestic and international tourism sector. ? Ability to produce high quality product with good design ? e-Commerce and Internet are emerged as promissory distribution channels to market and sell the craft products. 1. INTRODUCTION The Malaysian government has supported its craftspeople significantly since 1974 with the establishment of  Kraftangan, a government organization under the auspices of the ministry of culture that is designed to promote Malaysian handicrafts and culture.This outstanding program serves as a role model for the arts and textile industries of other countries. The common goal is simply to make Malaysia a Batik capital. According to Matrade, textiles are ranked 9th  and accounting for 2. 3 per cent share of Malaysia’s exports of total manufactured goods. In 2011, exports of textiles and apparel & clothings totaled RM10. 81 billion from RM9. 32 billion for the same period last year, an increase of 15. 9 per cent. Of this, exports of textiles was valued at RM6. 72 billion and accounted for 62. per cent share, while apparels and clothing accounted for 37. 8 per cent share, valued at RM4. 08 billion. Higher exports were due to increasing exports of yarns and apparels. The USA, Japan, T urkey, Indonesia and China were Malaysia’s top 5 export destinations for Malaysia’s textiles and apparel & clothing. USA remained the leading export market contributing to 18. 6 per cent share of the total exports of the industry. Export was valued at RM2. 01 billion, an increase of 13. 6 per cent. 1. 1 The Unique Batik MalaysiaDeveloping batik as handcrafted textile – hand printed and hand drawn, has made us all acutely aware of the importance of three essential elements in producing a new product. They are, namely, Design, Colour and Technique. We need to pay attention to all of the three above elements giving emphasis to Design which requires the most and urgent attention. Secondly, Malaysians love bright colours and batik in bright colours has become a manifestation of that expression. However, we need to think of the market and the consumers we are targeting.Therefore, we need to study how they perceive colours and their receptivity to our  selection of c olours. And thirdly, the need to take  an aggressive approach in R&D and to engage in experimenting  new technologies that can expedite and enhance batik production process as well as to solve problems related to attaining quality production. Learning from the experiences of other countries such as Japan and Korea, and adapting their practices to meet our needs would indeed be a real asset. Another aspect of R&D, relates to acquiring  knowledge about the characteristics of fabrics in order to appraise their appropriateness for making batik.What makes Batik  Malaysia unique is that we have been able to develop it through innovation by observing and learning from the tradition of batik–making of other countries, and successfully creating our own indigenous batik–style. 1. 2 Trends in Fashion The world of fashion has created an immense consciousness with the designers and batik – makers who recognise the need to constantly innovate and produce new designs, introduce   new range of colours as well as to experiment with new production techniques to meet with the fast changing consumer taste and fashion trends.As a result, batik crafted from a variety of materials such as silk, cotton and linen of varying texture   have emerged in the market place. 1. 3 Batik as an Art form Malaysian artists have made an inroad with their innovative adaptation of the batik technique on canvas. Henceforth, a new genre of batik as an art form was born. Batik paintings depicting images of Malaysian flora, fauna, forest, food and fiesta themes are providing a glimpse into the rich diversity of natural and cultural heritage of Malaysia through Batik Art. 1. 4 The Design ChallengeA good design should create a pleasant virtual experience: the customer should perceive the product as aesthetically pleasing. In this respect, batik designers should develop batik design to  respond to the particular needs of the consumers thereby promoting  the concept of sp ecial design for specific usage, such as  batik  for school wear, batik for uniform, batik for daily wear, batik for formal day and evening attire and batik for special occasions. Each  particular design with special motif, pattern, colour and fabric  created would therefore give batik that exclusive ook and this  would impact on batik not only as  a versatile textile for clothing but also in popularizing it to a wider market. Malaysia’s natural environment offers limitless source of inspiration from which new ideas, patterns, motifs and colours could be derived. At the same time, the uniqueness of each community in Malaysia, the people and their living traditions and cultural heritage are  yet another  source  for design input. 2. US MARKET 2. 1CULTURE OF THE PEOPLE the  culture of the United States  is primarily a  Western culture, but is also influenced by  Native American,  Asian,  Polynesian,  African, and  Latin American  cultures.Ame rican culture started its formation over 10,000 years ago with the migration of  Paleo-Indians  from  Asia  into the region that is today the  continental United States. It has its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as  dialect,  music,  arts,  etc. The United States of America is an ethnically and racially  diverse  country as a result of large-scale immigration from many different countries throughout its history. Due to the extent of American culture, there are many integrated but unique social  subcultures  within the United States.The cultural affiliations an individual in the United States may have commonly depend on  social class,  political orientation  and a multitude of demographic characteristics such as religious background, occupation and ethnic group membership. 2. 2 POLITIC & ECONOMIC Political US REGULATORY COMPLIANCE Companies that are involved in the production and distribution of medical devices that are intended fo r marketing in the U. S. are required to register their facility with the FDA on form FDA 2891. There is no fee for registering your facility.As of 11 February 2002, foreign companies must also provide the FDA with the contact information for their U. S. Agent and this information can be provided on this form as well. This form must be completed by the official correspondent designated on the form and submitted 30 days prior to exporting to the U. S. All registration information must be verified annually and updated if changes have occurred. If the company is registering for the first time, the registration form FDA 2891 must be submitted to the FDA along with the Device Listing form FDA 2892.This form is used to identify to the FDA the devices that the company has in commercial distribution by generic category. There is also no fee for submitting this form. U. S. Fiscal Policy Turning first to U. S. fiscal policy, the slow pace so far of economic recovery and weak job creation†”despite the wide margin of excess capacity—argues for maintaining supportive monetary and fiscal policies in the very near term. Indeed, expansionary fiscal policy already played a critical role in averting a deeper U. S. recession.According to IMF analysis, fiscal measures contributed about 2 percentage points to GDP growth in 2009, and another one percentage point last year. At the same time, federal debt held by the public has risen from about 36 percent of GDP in 2007 to about 62 percent of GDP in 2010, while prospective debt dynamics have worsened significantly. In the absence of corrective measures, and taking into account underlying fiscal pressures that predated the crisis, debt could reach about 95 percent of GDP by the end of this decade—a level last reached immediately following World War II.Without policy adjustments, subsequently the debt simply would keep rising. From this perspective, the need for urgent action to secure medium-term fiscal sustainabil ity appears to be self-evident. Political Ideologies in the United States Ideologies in US politics vary greatly. However, for the majority of American citizens, most political ideologies are derived from classical liberalism. Ideas such as individual liberty and limited government, for example, are popular with most Americans.Unlike many other countries, there are only two major political parties in America and their core beliefs are very similar due to the moderation that the two party system in US politics encourages. The Democratic Party, who tend to represent liberal ideals, lean slightly to the political left and the Republican, who generally favour conservative ideals, lean slightly to the political right. The two dominant ideologies that exist in American politics today are conservatism and liberalism. Economic in US The United States’ economic freedom scores of 76. 3 drops it to 10th place in the 2012 Index.Its score is 1. 5 points lower than last year, reflecting de teriorating scores for government spending, freedom from corruption, and investment freedom. The U. S. is ranked 2nd out of three countries in the North America region, and its overall score remains well above the world and regional averages. The U. S. economy faces enormous challenges. Although the foundations of economic freedom remain strong, recent government interventions have eroded limits on government, and public spending by all levels of government now exceeds one-third of total domestic output.The regulatory burden on business continues to increase rapidly, and heightened uncertainty further increases regulations’ negative impact. Restoring the U. S. economy to the status of a â€Å"free† economy will require significant policy changes to reduce the size of government, overhaul the tax system, and transform costly entitlement programs. By boosting growth in the private sector, such freedom-enhancing policies are the best hope for bringing down high unemployme nt rates and reducing public debt to manageable levels. The trade weighted average tariff rate is 1. percent, with non-tariff barriers such as â€Å"buy American† procurement rules adding to the cost of trade. Investment freedom is hampered by ongoing protectionist restrictions. The impact of the recently passed financial reform bills has yet to be measured, as detailed regulations are gradually emerging. The indicators to gauge the economic performance in US Population: 310. 0 million GDP (PPP): $14. 7 trillion,2. 8% growth 0. 9% 5-year compound annual growth,$47,284 per capita Unemployment: 9. 6% Inflation (CPI): 1. 6% FDI Inflow: $228. 2 billion (Based on data compiled as of September 2011) . 3 TARGET MARKET 3. PRODUCT STRATEGIES Malaysian Batik is fresh, fashion-forward, and edgy. And this modern-day style of Batik is now penetrating European and American markets. With its couture quality, Malaysian Batik is equally at home on any New York or Paris runway. This is a world -class textile and art form that is â€Å"here and now. † Malaysian batiks are not limited to cotton either. Today various type of silk including jacquard, satin, crepe de chine are used to produce batik blok and batik tulis. Voile, rayon lawn and shirting have also been used at one time or another.Most type of cloth can be used to produce batik except polyester. Today’s batiks are highly fashionable, baring little resemblance to the stereotyped sarong. Batik tulis are much more fluid and cater to both local and international markets. Batik has many moods. It can be mod, sweet, formal or just plain fun. And it is not just limited to apparel. Exclusive designs and quality as well as good workmanship are our products greatest assets to create strong brand image. We offered clothing collection such as: 3. 1 Batik T-shirts & Men’s Outfit.We decided to base our outfits on the guppy because they are so colourful. The aim of the competition is to take batik into intern ational markets and since the guppy is found everywhere, we thought everyone could relate to the designs. The men’s outfit had a black long shantung coat with similar design motifs on the front and back, with a matching shirt that stayed with the theme without going over the top. [pic] 3. 2 Sleeves Batik dress for Ladies For the ladies dress we decided to use bright pops of color accent the unique, geometric print along this Antik Batik dress, rendered in cool silk twill.A scoop neckline flatters the shoulders, while a single seam subtly defines the waist. Long sleeves. It look exclusive and elegent suit for American women. [pic] 3. 3 Pareos. Pareos are commonly done in batik tulis as the free flowing canting lines enhance the casual nature of this beach cloth. We decided to base our cotton pareo with flowers, abstracts organic and geometrical elements including the familiar awan larat or Malay arabesque. We also decide to use a hand-drawn crepe de chine pareo from the Tropic al Marine Life collection. [pic] 3. 4Batik scarves and shawlWe decided to base our collection of â€Å"Tropical Marine Life† was designed primary as casual wear. It is hand-drawn crepe de chine scarves are gaily decorated with reef fish. For the shawl we used flower such as orchids and hand-painted on chiffon and it meant as an elegant shawl. [pic] 3. 5Cushion covers We have a great selection of Cushion Covers to choose from. Our cushion covers are made of 100% cotton and have a zip closure unless otherwise stated. The vibrant colors and design will lift your spirit and sooth your soul. [pic] 3. 6bedspeards and comfortersThis lavish, reversible Malaysian batik  comforter  set features rich shades of grass green, teal, cobalt blue and off white. This  comforter  set offers a soothing modern Batik  motif for any bedroom in your home. [pic] 3. 7 Girl Dresses We decided to use 100 % cotton in girl dresses, with playful pairs of tumbling starling birds and big floating b lossoms, this is sure to be one of your favorite Batik-inspired play dresses. Just to add to the fun, it's got a little bit of a bubble shape. [pic] 3. 8 Batik Silk Tie Every piece is a handmade masterpiece and unique in the world.We use high quality of silk to make it exclusive. [pic] 3. 9 Lamp shades We offer a large selection of lamps shades. We carry hand painted batik with exclusive design. Change the feeling of any room instantly by simply covering your existing  Lamp Shades  with our unique batik design. [pic] 3. 10 Batik Swimwear This fresh new print batik meets a tried and true style to answer all your swimwear distress calls. Brown and ocean blue batik pours a delicate pattern across a tankini top that is tough enough to meet any swimwear challenge. [pic] 3. 11 Souvenirs’Batik Gifts that we sell are made by a master craftsman. This batik, truly a work of art is uniquely designed and printed by hand. Malaysian batiks are revered around the world as being the most beautiful. i. Batik Coaster Set Send sincere wishes with our Adorable Batik Coasters with 6pcs and dried flowers decorations a classic touch to remember. Suitable for any occasions – corporate events, annual dinner, wedding souvenir, the list is endless. Presented in clear box. [pic] ii. Batik Soft Toys A cute animal creatures such as rabbit, turtle, dog and etc for children to paly with. pic] iii. Traditional  Batik Sandals. Comford and unique design, bring a simple feel. [pic] iv. Letter holder Batik his batik cloth letter holder is 16 x 8 inches around. It is perfect to put by your front door and hold mail, papers, and other odds and ends. This beautiful batik cloth was handmade. [pic] 4. PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME The trend of sale of handicrafts products in the handicraft Expos and Exhibitions organised by the Matrade in the recent years reveals that the demand for batik products are increasing day by day. hrus areas for intensive development will create employment opportu nity in the state. The following actions/steps are taken for intensive development in introduce Batik to the world: i. Participation in specialised rade fairs / with fashion show We will participate in International fashion shows are a great platform in showcasing its  beauty, the versatility of batik as a fabric, the story and cultural appreciation behind batik and the position of batik as one of modern society's celebrated fashion statements. ii.Internet We will set up our website BUYBATIK and introduce online selling where customer can buy our product currently; online-Shopping is playing an important role in developing batik careers for designers and artists. As well as setting trends in Batik fashion, BUYBATIK makes it easy for batik lovers to purchase quality batik products. Batik lovers can shop for a vast range of Batik products in a safe environment where carefully-selected designer goods can be purchased at attractive prices. iii. Magazines & NewpapersNewpapers and magaz ines becomes a very important medium to deliver messages about batik into the market, this will increase awareness of consumer about batik product. We can choose a top magazine such as Better Home and Garden to promote home apparent such as Lamp shades, bedspreads and comforters and etc. For ladies we can choose magazines such as Women’s Day or Ladies’ Home Journal to promote ladies product such as swimwear, pareos and etc. iv. Radio & Television Radio is potentially a good opportunity. We target potential buyer listen to local news, talk show, this is because consumer efficiently using this medium in their daily living.Beside that we also can take opportunity to be main sponsorship, such as Oscar Academy Award and sponsor a few Hollywood stars walking in the red carpet such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. This will give awareness to audience about batik fashion. 5. THREATS BARRIERS Trade barriers are measures that governments or public authorities introduce  that p revent or restrict overseas trade and investment. These measures  need not necessarily take the form of legislation or a specific decision. They may also take the form of current practice.As a result of these measures, domestic companies receive a competitive advantage relative to their foreign counterparts. It is accepted that in many cases, products are liable to customs duties when imported into a market and that  imported products ought to be accompanied by the correct documentation. In some cases, however, customs duties may be unreasonably high or customs clearance may take an unreasonably long time. Batik Garment trade barriers may take the form of, for example: †¢ Customs duties †¢ Customs procedures †¢ Technical regulations, standards, etc. for example for the purpose of consumer protection, health protection, protection of the environment, etc †¢ Veterinary and phytosanitary measures – barriers based on health and safety regulations †¢ R estrictions on access to primary products –  for example in the form of export batik that drive up prices artificially or special export prices that are higher than the price of the same primary products for use in national processing industries †¢ Insufficient protection of intellectual property rights –  both with respect to the scope of protection and with respect to the possibilities of legal protection.This includes, for instance, protection of patents, copyrights, trademarks and geographical indications of origin †¢ Barriers to trade in services –  for example in the form of discriminatory conditions †¢ Restrictions on access to investment –  for example through national participation requirements or restrictions on access to repatriation of profits †¢ Unfair application of state aid and other forms of subsidies Due to globalization, trade restrictions have become increasingly significant.At the same time, traditional tra de obstacles such as tariffs and import restrictions have been reduced, as a result of international trade liberalization. In the period following the Second World War, average tariffs for industrial goods have been reduced from approx. 40 percent to less than 5 percent. As a consequence, other trade restrictions have become of relatively greater significance.These other trade restrictions are often based on regulations and principles relating to qualitative matters, for example: product quality requirements and product packaging requirements ostensibly for  the purpose of consumer protection; education and qualification requirements  for providers of services; or rules relating to patent and trademark protection.This has contributed to making it more difficult for companies to gain an overview of rules and changes to rules,  making the handling of trade barriers  more complicated,  as barriers touch on matters that are subject to internal national legislation or regulatio n in the export markets. Competition 6. REFERENCES www. matrade. gov. my Conclusion From all the discussion our Batik product is suitable to expand the market to U. S. Political factor show that Batik Malaysia is not include on the export control rule and regulation which state on U. S. it because the batik Malaysia’s raw material is based on