Directors Use of Techniques in “Chocolat”

Individuality versus conformity is a fine line that people in society walk along. This has been shown in Chocolat, released in 2000 and directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Where Vianne and her chocolate shop represent individuality and the Comte represents conformity. Hallstrom uses various film and dramatic techniques to convey this idea to the audience. In Chocolat, the Comte has a big influence on how the townspeople feel and what they feel they should be doing. This means that the Comte is the pinnacle of control in the town and he feels that everyone should conform to the long standing traditions.The Comtes’ control over the town is quite strong as shown in the opening scene, where all of the townspeople are shown to be conforming to each other. In this scene the costumes of the townspeople are all dark colours and similar as including the Comte. This shows that the townspeople are conforming all the time, even in what they are wearing. There is a voice over narration in the fir st part of the opening scene and this line; â€Å"If you lived in this town you knew what was expected of you†, shows how controlling the Comte is and that the townspeople did not want to break conformity.There is a camera shot in this scene that is from Anouks point of view looking up at the Comte. This shows his powerful figure and his control over the townspeople. These techniques show that Comte is a very controlling figure and he likes to impose his feelings and thoughts on to the townspeople. Viannes presence in the town has the opposite effect to that of the Comte. Vianne is a very individual person and this starts to rub off on to the townspeople.She has her own way of doing things, for example not attending church, which is against the values that the Comte has instilled in the townspeople. Viannes individuality is shown in scene four where she is setting up her shop. There are close up shots of the traditional sculptures that Vianne is placing in her shop. These con trast greatly against the statue shown in the town square and show how different Vianne is to the rest of the town. Vianne is always wearing a piece of clothing that is red whichstands out from the clothing of the townspeople. When she takes in Josephine, she also starts to wearing bright colours. These costumes show Viannes effect on the townspeople and her individuality. In this scene, the images of townspeople peering round at her shop or looking through the cracks in the newspaper into the shop show their curiosity towards Vianne and the idea of individuality that she presents to them. Viannes influences the town through her presence in their lives and her knowledge of individuality that she displays towards them.The Comtes control is fighting against the effect of Vianne just the same as conformity is against individuality. Both characters want the townspeople to see the world their way. This is shown in scene six where Vianne opens her shop for the first time. In this scene th e Comtes house is shown and it has very dark lighting and they style of it is very old fashioned. This shows that the Comte is trying to set an example of what he feels the town should be like and that it should conform to his ideals.The Comtes control over the town is shown in the reactions of the townspeople when they discover that Vianne is running a chocolate shop. Their reactions include â€Å"This certainly is different†, which reveals information that the town has no other shops like this one and that it is new and individual. The music that plays while the townspeople are looking at or entering the shop is bright and tempting. This is a presentation of what is happening and of what is to come from the influence of Viannes individuality on the townspeople.The Comte and Vianne have opposite effects on the townspeople, trying to make them conform or affecting their individuality. The line between conformity and individuality is very fine. The Comte and Vianne represent d ifferent extremes of this line. Their influence on the townspeople is very strong and affects all of the townspeople differently. The Comte wants the townspeople to conform as one and he uses his authority to try and achieve this, but Viannes presence and her individuality drives a change in the thoughts of the townspeople and eventually the Comte.

Are Families Dangerous?

The family is the first institution of the five basic social institutions. It is responsible for developing the behavior of each person to be interactive individuals in society. It is responsible for supplying the basic needs of each person during their development. Unfortunately, the image of family has been deteriorated considerably. Instead of being a system support for people, it has become a double edged sword. Society is at fault for how bad the concept of family is today. It is just takes watching the news on television or to reading the newspaper to realize this. We can see headlines like â€Å"Father abused his daughter†, â€Å"Woman is victim of domestic violence†, â€Å"Child suicide due to family problems†, among others. These are the many of the issues that top the news. For the journalist and social critic, Barbara Ehrenreich, families are dangerous. In her essay â€Å"Are Families Dangerous? † the author cites several cases and news about families to validate her thesis. I agree with what she establishes in her essay. Ehrenreich begins her essay talking about the Menendez brothers' case, in which the brothers killed their parents. Then, she lists more examples, like the famous case of former football player OJ Simpson. She says that family, instead of being a source of protection and love is a dysfunctional place. She also talks about the pro-family campaigns that politicians support. There are millions of people who claim to be pro-family but there are also a millions of people who attend family therapy to deal with their childhood traumas mostly created by their own families. She also, talks about the tradition of thinking about the â€Å"anti-family† and she explains the meaning of this term with examples. She mentions that for a family to be dangerous it does not necessarily mean that physical or verbal abuse exists. Other attitudes like disinterest, unconcern and even culture can influence in making a family dangerous. Finally, she establishes that families can pretend one thing that they really are not. Maintaining their tension inside so that the others cannot see it is something that can greatly impact in a negative way the family unit converting it into a dangerous one. However, when she says â€Å"Parents abuse sons – allegedly at least, in the Menendez case – who in turn rose up and kill them. I remembered a similar and very shocking case that happened in Puerto Rico, â€Å"The Aguada?s Matricide†. Lillian Enid Medina Hernandez was a fourteen year old girl when she killed her mother. Many people described her as a talented student from a good family. Allegedly, Lillian Enid was under the influence of controlled substances at the time of killing her strict mother. The motive of the crime was that she wanted to steal her mother’s money to go buy more drugs. How can a teenager kill the woman who gave her life and raised her? Why did a talented young girl decide to throw away her future this way? Why did this happen within a family, which for many people was a â€Å"perfect† family? These are questions that many people asked and many are still wondering. Most likely we are not able to know which factors attributed this crime to occurred. Maybe it was a family with a lot of internal problems that knew very well how to hide and showed the world what a â€Å"happy family† they were. There are very strict parents, who are like this for the good of their children. Some parents go beyond being strict become dictators, and that is when come conflicts with the children. Being adolescence is a very dangerous stage; most teenagers are not mature enough to understand why parents make certain decisions. They key to a good family relationship is communication. Sharing time with their children and always hear them when they want to talk with them. On the other hand, the author also says; â€Å"†¦ early feminist saw a degrading parallel between marriage and prostitution. † In some cultures of the world, marriage is a certain arrangement between families. This means that parents decide who their children will marry. They have no right to choose their partner. Many Middle Eastern countries carry out this type of arrangement. In most cases, the most affected are women. Her parents force her to marry the husband that they choose. Many weddings are among nine years old or more girls with older men who could be their fathers. Besides the cultural factor, there is also a monetary factor, men buying girls as wives. Even worse still is that their parents allow it. I recently read a story, â€Å"The Nuyud Case†, documented by Delphine Minoui, a writer and journalist. The story is about a ten years old Yemeni girl, named Nuyud, who filed for divorce from her husband who is forty years old. Nuyud went to court to apply for divorce claiming that her husband abused her sexually. Thanks to a judge who took pity on her, the divorce was granted. This was a historic event for women in Yemen since this is a country where women have few rights. With the divorce of Nuyud, it was shown that there is hope for women in that country. Nuyud explained that her parents forced her to marry her husband because he had a good economic status. It's amazing how parents can force their daughters to marry just for money. At that age they are supposed to be playing with dolls and enjoying their childhood. Her parents were guilty for the misery of the poor Nuyud, who was fortunately able to free herself from the abuse. Her family, instead of protecting and giving love to her, pushed her into the misfortune. Families are dangerous, although it should not be generalized because there may be a minority of families that are not dangerous. The basis for a good family relationship is communication. Appearances are often deceptive, so there is no perfect family. A dangerous family is not only a home where there is a lot of violence; it may also be a home where attitudes can help a family become dangerous like Nuyud’s case. Women should be treated equal to men. Parents should contribute to the good development of their children to be good people in society. Children must understand that the discipline will take them very far in life.

LOUIS VUITTON enter CHINESE MARKET Essay

Luxury product sales boost in the emerging marketing like China, which has extraordinary growth and strong potential consumers for the development of luxury goods in the China market. With gradually lower and lower increase of revenue in the European countries, Louis Vuitton (abridged as LV in the following sections) commits itself to set up more stores in China. However, LV is faced with the problems of declining profits in China, which urges it to adjust its entry strategy into the China market. In this case, this report will focus on distinguishing the factors that influence LV’s development in China and laying out schemes for LV’s entry into China market by initially examining the internal and external environment for LV; analyzing the operational plan for LV’s entry into China based on the environment examination, and generating an action plan for LV’s entry strategy at the end of the report. Introduction Louis Vuitton (abridged as LV in the following sections) is planning to set up more stores in the China market. However, it is now faced with the problems of declining profits in China, which urges it to adjust its entry strategy into the China market. In this case, this report is to lay out schemes for LV’s entry into the China market by distinguishing the internal and external factors that influence LV’s development from the perspectives of country factors and internal advantages of LV with reference to the SWOT analysis model; analyzing the operational plan for LV’s entry into China based on the environment examination and including suggests on firm strategy, organization structure and management, entry strategy and modes, manufacturing management, marketing plan, and accounting as well as finance management; and generating an action plan for LV’s entry strategy at the end of the report according to the specifications of the business operational plan. Research Methods The research method of literature searches is adopted to generate this report. This method is chosen because there are plenty of existing studies  on the development of luxury goods, which makes it possible for abundant literature searches. Also, there are a great many resources on the annual reports of Louis Vuitton available which offer insights into the financial performance of this company. Anyway, luxury goods are indeed possessed by the majority of people, which makes direct interviews or surveys less available. External and Internal Environment The internal and external factors that influence LV’s development will be examined in this section from the perspectives of country factors and internal advantages of LV. A SWOT analysis will be involved in this section, which aims to find out the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat of the company according to analysis on the internal conditions of the company and the external environment the company is faced with (Johnson & Scholes, 2002, p122). External environment: Country factor analysis The external environment for LV’s entry into China will be discussed in terms of the politics and government policy of China, the economy and the China market, the social culture and transportation of China, and will be concluded from the perspectives of opportunities and threats for LV’s entry into China. In terms of politics and government policy, China is now actively opening up to the world and enhancing trade relationships with world brands since the reform and opening up policy. In terms of the economy and the China market, according to Yuval and Vinay and Cathy (2011), the analysts of Mckinsey quarterly, China has increasing booming urban cities including the second- and third-tier cities and the world second-largest GDP which means strong purchasing power the China consumers for luxury goods and great market potentials (para 8). They also pointed out that by 2015, Chinese consumers will account for more than 20 percent of the global luxury market. On the other h and, the large market potential has drawn a host of luxury-goods companies to enter the China market, which makes the competition fiercer and fiercer. And it is troublesome for LV that there are plenty of fake goods imitating LV’s style prevailing in China, which are actually not likely to reduce LV’s high-end consumers, but would exert negative influences on consumers’ impression and awareness of LV. I  terms of social culture, for one thing, the China consumers are attracted by middle- and high-end products and somehow more attracted by French luxury goods, and they believe that the higher the price, the better the quality (Yuval, Vinay and Cathy, 2011, para7) (Exhibit 1). For another thing, the traditional virtue of thrift is rooted in the mindset of the Chinese, with which some of the rich in China indicate that they would not spend a large sum of money to get a product. (Exhibit 1) In terms of transportation, airlines are increased like the Emirates group which launched air routines in the main cities of China, and railway transportation as well as road transportation is more and more available, making it convenient and fast for cross-national transportation. Therefore in conclusion, the opportunities for LV’s entry into China can be concluded as China’s encouraging policies on foreign brands’ entering into China; China’s booming urban cities and increasing middle- and upper- class consumers with strong purchasing power; Chinese consumers’ purchasing preference for French high-end products; and the more and more convenient cross-national transportation in China. While the threats for LV’s entry into China entail the fierce competition from the peer companies and brands; the trouble coming from increasing produced counterfeit products imitating LV in China; China consumers’ cautious traditional views on luxury goods purchasing. Anyway, when it comes to China consumers’ rational attitude towards luxury goods purchasing, it may be an opportunity for LV if it succeeds in drawing out their desires and needs for LV’s products, otherwise it may turn out to be a threat for LV’s expansion in China. Internal environment based on national level The advantages of internal environment for LV on national level lie in the its preference and prospect to greatly expand its business in China, its experiences of operating in China market for about twenty years, and its strong influence on and temptation to the China consumers, as well as customer loyalty for it. On the contrary, the disadvantages lie in its high price which will greatly influences China consumers’ will to purchase the products, and in its could-be easily imitated appearance and style which is made used of by some China manufacturers in producing fake goods. Internal environment based on firm level The nature of LV’s products Dubois and Czellar and Laurent (2001) delineated Luxury goods as products with extraordinary quality as well as high price, rareness and uniqueness, aesthetic appeal, respectful long history, and the sense of being superior to others (p156). Yacine and Johnathan and Motohiro (2004) argued that luxury goods manual crafting and diligence should be involved into the manufacturing and designing of luxury goods (para 2). Based on these studies, the nature of LV’s products can be abstracted as unique, rare, and excellent-quality, and extraordinary. I ndustry characteristics of luxury goods Kapferer (1996) suggested that luxury industry distinguishes the needs and demands of the wealthy people like prominent social figures, and produce unique superior products for them, which acts like a status symbol for the rich (p251). While Heine (2010) stated that the luxury industry is also fashion-oriented and high-quality guaranteed. And it is closely associated with the needs of the wealthy. Judging from these studies and the advancement of luxury products nowadays, the industrial characteristics of luxury products can be concluded as extraordinary quality with high guarantee, extremely personalized with unique designed style, strong brand recognition and customer loyalty, and highly profitable sales based on its high price. Advantages and disadvantage of internal environment for LV on firm level The advantages of LV on firm level mainly lie in its good brand image, abundant product portfolio, wide expansion in the China markets covering most of the first- and second-tier cities, and its control on the designs of products. This can be told from the following aspects. Above all, LV enjoys a good reputation of high quality and excellent services that it has occupied the first place of the 2012 Hurun Ranking of the Top ten luxury brands in the world (see Appendix 1), in which LV beats Hermes, the second in the list by nearly 43%. Also, LV offers manual crafting designed products which are special for certain customers. What’s more, it offers permanent after-sale serves to its customers (Paul, 2012, p79). The disadvantages of LV mainly lie in its lower production rate and high price which leaves it less price elasticity. It possessed relatively lower production rate, for it takes certain time and manual efforts to make a high-quality products (Jill & Glenn & Taro, 2009, p122). It sets high prices for its products based on the quality and meanwhile aims to distinguish market segmentation, which however makes the price too high from the perspectives of the majority of China consumers. Marketing potentials In recent years, the China government has made adjustments towards Foreign Direct Investment. It cancelled the extra bonus policy which had existed since the 1980s when China actively encouraged investment on foreign enterprises (Dan, 2009, para1). Anyway, the general tendency of attracting foreign companies to enter into China is still unabated. Therefore, government policies and regulations are still positive for LV’s advancement in China, which indicates that China remains great market potential for LV if it adjusts itself to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages according to the environment. Based on the external and internal environment analysis, an operational plan to help LV enter and compete effectively in the China market will be generated in the following section, which includes consideration to firm strategy, organization structure and management, strategy and modes of LV’s entry into China, manufacturing management, overall marketing plan, and accounting and Finance management of LV facing the entry. Corporation strategy helps direct the future development of firms, including differentiation strategy and low cost strategy (Gerry & Keven & Richard, 2008, p245). The firm strategy suggested for LV to compete in the China market is to differentiate itself from other luxury companies and brands, and the strategy to lower its costs. Apart from the regular introduction of new products or the quality control of products like most luxury companies may do, LV is supposed to give extra care to its customer services, delivering extraordinary experience to customers, like regular special consultancy for every customer to lead the their needs and help them realize personal values relative with LV’s values. As for methods to lower costs,  it can be achieved through managing the operational cost of LV and through cost control in the supply chain of LV. For example, to integrate its resources and improve its supply chain by cooperation with fixed partners who professionally manage logistics in order to get a price discount, which may lower the costs of transportation and save time for product updates. Organization Structure and Management Organizational structure management is for accomplishing certain goals effectively Gerry & Keven & Richard, 2008, p137). For LV as an international company, the organization form of departmentalization is rather appropriate. With human resources gathered and organizational structure formed through departmentalization, the process of delegation is to be introduced. Delegation is to delegate certain authority and responsibility to the staff and achieve harmony and trustworthiness among leaders and staff (Robbins & Mary & Nancy, 2005, p165). LV has a big number of stores in China, and it will be better if the headquarter delegates authority for the managers in the branches in China, who are then able to manage the stores more practically and efficiently. Based on the managing form of departmentalization and the method of delegation, the form of decentralization can be adopted. If the business of a company is in fast pace and tend to change quickly, and is operated in diversified different areas, it should choose the form of decentralization (Robbins & Mary & Nancy, 2005, p165). As an international luxury company with operating areas in all geographic parts of China, LV values timeliness and adaptability towards the quickly changing fashion world, which makes decentralization suitable for LV’s development in China market. Entry strategy and modes The entry modes for international companies entail strategic alliance, exporting, licensing or franchising, joint venture, a new wholly owned subsidiary, and acquiring established enterprises (David & Cynthia, 2004, p147). As for LV, a luxury brand which is positioned as high-end, unique and high-price, it would be better for it to establish its own stores in the targeted country (Giacalone, 2006, p33). Since LV has its own stores in China, it adopts the wholly owned subsidiary method of entry so as to hold  its characteristic of unique and independent, and to pursue global standardization. Where to enter into is essential for LV’s operation in China. LV has already set up stores in all the geographical areas of China (Exhibit 2), and most of its focus is the first-tier cities and less second-tier cities. For example, nearly 33% of LV’s stores in China are located in Hongkong, Macau and Taiwan (Exhibit 2), while there are a great many second-tier cities where many wea lthy people inhabit in mainland China. According to the table of index of China’s cities for luxury product operation (Exhibit 3), second-tier cities like Shenyang, Dalian, Hangzhou, and Chengdu have great potentials for luxury product operation. Moreover, second-tier cities like Dalian, Hangzhou and Chengdu are among the most popular tourism cities in China, where tourists are more likely to purchase luxury products when they are in their pleasant holidays with planned shopping lists. Also, the renting rate of second-tier cities is much cheaper than first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai. As for LV, whose stores often cover a large amount of space, second-tier cities will save it considerable amounts of costs. Therefore, second-tier cities should be the primary choices of LV’s operation in China market. Manufacturing management Manufacturing management is associated with production for global markets, outsourcing and logistics management (Philip & Gary, 2009, chap13). As for LV, its production is unique and enjoys good reputation among consumers for they are produced in France, labeled as high-quality and high-level. Therefore in this case, production activities of LV are supposed to be located in France. In terms of logistics, it will be better for LV to outsource the management of logistics to companies that are professional in this field, for LV has no experiences in logistics and it should focus on the production and sales of products instead. Marketing plan Marketing Strategy can be formulated with references to the following aspects: Product attributes, Distribution methods, communication approaches, and pricing strategy (Alan and Simon, 2012, p399). Apart from the four aspects listed above, marketing strategy is influenced primarily by market  segmentation (David & John, 2012, p102). With regards to age, socio-cultural factors, economic development and the psychological factors, LV narrows its target market in China to the young and adult generations who are under the age of forty. Anyway, the primary focused consumers are adults. In this case, LV is supposed to give more care to the young, who are the right future potential customers for LV. Besides, the young of the rich families in China can often easily win parents’ compromise and financial support to purchase luxury products. Therefore, emphasis on unique products for the young is highly profitable in return and may also bring vigor to the growth of LV. In terms of product attributes, it is critical for the development of products, for it the product attributes satisfy the customer’s needs, the product will definitely boost sales (Alan and Simon, 2012, p399). LV’s product attributes as products with extraordinary quality as well as high price, rareness and uniqueness, aesthetic appeal, respectful long history, and high-class awareness greatly meet customers’ needs for supreme experience and extraordinary taste. Therefore, it should focus on product designs that can differentiate its products from those of other brands to keep its customer loyalty. As for distribution methods, LV should stick to its strategy of selling its products directly to consumers through its stores, for it has independent stores and distribution system. Anyway, it is possible for LV to set up online stores under the circumstance of the China market. In terms of internet shopping, which is now prevailing in China, and the electronic commerce of China is gradually become mature. Amazon and China’s T-Mall online shopping has reached high turnover in recent years (The Economist, 2011). In terms of China consumers, who prefer to shop online especially the young and the adult, with internet becoming more and more available for the Chinese people, China online market has high potential for LV’s attempt at online stores. In terms of communication approaches, LV is involved more in direct selling, and advertising. In terms of direct selling through stores, it creates opportunities for deepening the communication between consumers and the staff of LV. In terms of advertising, LV focuses on delivering its value and product attributes to consumers and it choose its spokesperson cautiously. Selecting spokesmen for LV is quite a good choice for the development in China, especially for attracting the young. For example, the newly selected and the only spokesman  for LV in China, Bingbing FAN is quite appropriate for the disposition of LV, unique, independ ent and elegant, which has become a big piece of news in China and has intensified the public focus on LV recently. Therefore, the right choice of spokeman will benefit LV in the China market. Anyway, the country-of-origin effect takes effects on the Chinese people who deeply believe in French luxury products (Glamheden, 2006, p35). In terms of pricing strategy, it will be better for LV to keep the same price in different countries, which means the amount of money consumers spend in a LV store in China is the same as that in France in value. This is because that some Chinese prefer to fly to France to get the LV products for it’s cheaper in France. In order to boost sales in China market, it’s better to apply the same pricing strategy. Accounting and finance management As for accounting management of LV in China, LV has to pay great attention to the inflation conditions of the China market, which has been rising in recent years both in food and non-food prices (Jay and Azhar, 2011, para2). LV should adjust its pricing strategy and accounting management according to the inflation conditions of China, for if inflation goes high, assets will be depreciated and the original price cannot represent the real value of LV’s products (Mankiw, 2011, p643). Mankiw states that inflation results to the value depreciation of money, which will benefit the export of the home country and make it disadvantageous for the import from foreign countries’ import to the home country. This explains the significance for LV to adjust its price according to the inflation conditions in China market. In order to create and maintain a competitive advantage, LV’s financial management should be involved financial control and money management (Alan & Simon, 2012 , p423). Now that LV has already decided to invest in the China market, financial decisions and the money management are to be focused on. In terms of financial decisions, according to Alan and Simon’s theory (2012) on financing decisions, LV may prefer local debt financing in the China market, where local currency has recently depreciated. In terms of money management, LV should try to reduce the transaction costs, which is generated when a firm transfers cash from one currency to another (Alan & Simon, 2012, p433). Recommendations- action plan With the help of the discussion of the China market environment for LV, and the analysis and conclusion of the operational plan for LV’s entry into China in the previous sections, recommendations for action plans for LV will be given as follows. As for formulating firm strategies, LV is supposed to take the differentiation strategy by distinguishing itself from other luxury companies by emphasis on high quality and exclusive customer services, and to adopt the cost reducing strategy by integrating resources of its supply chain and reducing transportation costs through the long-term cooperation with professional partners of logistics fields. As for organization structure and management, the organization form of departmentalization with a combination of functional forms, product, consumer service and geographic area is recommended. Next, the method of delegation can be introduced for LV so as to delegate authority for the managers in the China stores. Last but not least, it will be better for LV to implement the form of decentralization, which will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of LV’s operation in China. As for entry strategy and modes, with wholly owned subsidiary, LV should cautiously select its targeted locations in China. Apart from the first-tier cities, second-tier cities where there is considerably strong purchasing power and lower renting costs would be appropriate for LV to set up new stores. As for manufacturing management, production activities of LV are supposed to be located in France, for effect of country-of-origin works on China consumers who believe that goods produced in France would be more reliable and high-end. In terms of logistics, LV is supposed to outsource its management of logistics to companies that are professional in this field. As for marketing plan, LV should continue to highlight its product attributes like high quality and exclusive design to consumers, to apply the communicatio n approach of advertising using the spokesman strategy, and to keep price nearly the same in different countries without dramatically change. As for accounting and finance management, LV should adjust its pricing strategy and accounting management according to the inflation conditions of China, and to focus on its financial decisions, and money management decisions. Specifically, LV may adopt local debt financing in the China market, and try to reduce the transaction costs. References Alan M. & Simon C. (2012). International business. London: Pearson. Dan H. (2009). Foreign direct investment in China-the times has changed. Retrieved from: http://www.chinalawblog.com/2009/04/foreign_direct_investment_in_c_1.html David C. & Cynthia M. (2004). Corporate strategy. New York: McGraw-Hill. David J. & John F. (2012). Foundations of marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill. Dubois, B., Laurent, G. & Czellar, S. (2001). Consumer rapport to luxury: analyzing complex and ambivalent attitudes, Retrieved from: http://ideas.repec.org/p/ebg/heccah/0736.html Gerry J., Kevan S. & Richard W. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, p245-p266. Giacalone, J. (2006). The market for luxury goods: the case of the Comità © Colbert, Southern Business Review, 32(1), 33-40. Glamheden A. (2006). Country-of-origin effects and consumer attitudes towards luxury brands, Doctoral thesis. University of St. Gallen. Retrieved from: http://www.gbv.department/ Heine, K. (2010). The personality of luxury fashion brands, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 1(3), p88. Jay H. & Azhar I. Does China have an inflation problem? Wells Fargo Securities. Retrieved from: http://www.realclearmarkets.com/blog/ChinaInflation_03292011_final%5B1%5D.pdf Jill G., Glenn B. & Taro I. (2009). Art, fashion and architecture. New York. Publisher: Rizzoli. Johnson, G & Scholes, K. (2002). Exploring corporate strategies. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Kapferer, J. (1996). Managing luxury brands. The Journal of Brand Management, 4(4), 251-260. Mankiw G. & Mark P. (2011). Economics.2nd Revised ed. UK. New York: Cengage Learning. Paul G. P., (December 1, 2012), Louis Vuitton: the birth of modern luxury. U.S.A. New York: Abrams. Philip K. & Gary A. (2009). Principles of marketing. U.S.A. Washington: Pearson Education. Robbins p. & Mary C. & Nancy L. (2005). Management. 8th ed. Canada. Washington: Pearson Education. The Economist Journal, (2011). E-commerce in China: the great leap online. . Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21540260 Yacine A., Johnathan A. & Motohiro Y. (2004). Luxury goods and the equity premium, The Journal of Finance, Vol. 6, No. 6, p46. Yuval A., Vinay D. & Cathy W. (2011). Tapping China’s luxury-goods market. Mckinsey quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Tapping_Chinas_luxury-goods_market_2779

Analyzing video Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing video - Article Example In the video â€Å"Mediation in action: role-playing workplace dispute resolution | Acas†, the two competitors at managerial position Paul and Kristy required mediation for the sake of their professional efficiency, stability and future progress. They also needed to resolve their disputes so to bridge the gap in their communication. To mediate the situation between these two, Senior Manager Bernard suggested mediation session which was conducted by an external agent, when he was unable to eliminate the strife between them himself. Now, Bernard as a senior manager regards both of his mangers for their distinctive skills. However, he is unable to accept their continual defiance of each other, which adversely impacted on the business in terms of time, money, lack of contracts and reputation (Mediation In Action: Role-Playing Workplace Dispute Resolution | Acas). After individual sessions with Paul and Kristy, Mediator meets them in a joint meeting and sets the ground rules initially to be followed by both. She reminds them both how these mediation sessions should be kept confidential and how they can ask for private chat if something disturbs them. Moreover, she made it clear to both the participants that they have to give ample chance and respect to the other to share his concerns and the listener will not interrupt the speaker. Setting ground rules and agreement on them makes such session more smooth and participants reach to resolutions quickly without wasting time in arguments. Mediator depicts composed and tactful approach for the second step of mediation that is listening and summarizing (Doherty and Guyler, 2008). She initiated the discussion by picking the flashpoint between two; â€Å"Kristy’s delegation handling issue†. Since, it’s directly related to Kristy’s liabilities in office; therefore, she gave Paul a chance to speak out his understanding on the issue,

Jesus in the eyes of the American Jewish population in the 21st Essay

Jesus in the eyes of the American Jewish population in the 21st century - Essay Example A discussion of American Jewish attitudes towards Jesus can sensibly start with the small (but growing) sect of Judaism called Messianic Judaism which believes that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Messianic Jews claim 47,000 followers and 280 congregations worldwide by the turn of the Twenty-First century (Kaplan, 2005). The idea that Jesus was the Messiah is seen as antithetical to the vast majority of American Jews. Kaplan succinctly states the problem that they have with the Messianic adherents: Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness . . . .Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews. Thus Messianic "Jews" regard themselves as a culmination of Judaism rather than a branch of Christianity. Even their very claim to being Jewish has been rejected by nearly all Jewish denominations, organizations and the State of Israel itself. This is remarkable as Jews have been consistent throughout their history in being, as a whole, a tolerant religion used to adapting to various kinds of creed within their religion. The line that cannot be crossed, as far as most Jews are concerned, is regarding Jesus as the Messiah. It would thus seem that a majority of American Jews will not regard Jesus as the Messiah in the Twentieth Century, even though their Messianic brethren would claim this as a fact. The Central Conference of American Rabbis puts the situation in context: For us in the Jewish community, anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate. Through that belief she has placed herself outside the Jewish community. Whether she cares to define herself as a Christian or as a 'fulfilled Jew,' 'Messianic Jew,' or any other designation is irrelevant; to us, she is clearly a Christian. (Harris-Shapiro, 1999) Some have even related Messianic Judaism with an attempt to convert Jews, which is in reality an attempt to destroy Judaism through being a wolf in sheep's clothing. Or, to mix the metaphor, Messianic Judaism is seen as a Trojan Horse within this argument, designed to topple Judaism from within. Again, it is American Jews who seem to take this argument to its most extreme conclusions: ... Except in relations with Christians, the Christ of Christianity is not a Jewish issue. There simply can be no dialogue worthy of the name unless Christians accept - nay, treasure - the fact that Jews through the two millennia of Christianity have had an agenda of their own. There can be no Jewish-Christian dialogue worthy of the name unless one Christian activity is abandoned, missions to the Jews. It must be abandoned, moreover, not as a temporary strategy but in principle, as a bi-millennial theological mistake. The cost of that mistake in Christian love and Jewish blood one hesitates to contemplate. ... A post-Holocaust Jew can still view Christian attempts to convert Jews as sincere and well intended. But even as such they are no longer acceptable: they have become attempts to do in one way what Hitler did in another. (Fackenheim, 1987) (my emphasis) The idea that Christians trying to convert Jews to their religion, which often seems to

Crisis in Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crisis in Public Relations - Essay Example However, the design and findings is not as strong in the abstract because of the lack of detail, making the main point vague. Background The background is defined specifically with two crises’ that led to the investigation. This allows the reader to understand what the research is about and why it is important to portray. Creating this basis with the latest outbreaks makes it easier for the reader to understand the importance of communication during a crisis and why this is important to convey to the public. This is combined with statistics, referencing and case studies that create a clear and simplistic understanding of why the research study is important. Literature Review The literature review begins with theoretical implications that relate to communication and how this builds with a crisis. This then links to the case studies that are used in the background and leads into theoretical frameworks to imply the importance of crisis communication. The ideology is furthered wit h Coomb’s crisis response strategies and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as well as media framing. The strength of this section is with using the theoretical framework as the main ideology for the case studies. ... The questions are defined with a narrow focus and with the understanding that this will link back to the theories and case studies previously mentioned. Even though these are strong and imply specific results, it is noted that the researcher has a stereotype from the case studies, specifically toward Asian nations. This is noted as the main hypothesis is examined based on the stereotypes constructed earlier. This creates too narrow of a viewpoint and doesn’t provide complete insight into the questions being asked. Method The definitions that are provided in the methodology are clear and have a structure that places a strong basis for the research. One is able to trace the different findings and understand the main methodology which is used to conduct the needed samples. This is furthered with creating a strong way of analyzing the results to retrieve the correct information while building a time line to gather information. While the researcher provides the strong definitions a nd basis, the methodology as a whole is not as strong. The resources chosen to use connects with includes both national and local papers for the US but only has national papers for Korea. This doesn’t allow a broad investigation of the results desired. There is also a lack of information in terms of where the information was coded for the newspapers and why the study was conducted this way. These gaps may have altered the findings and didn’t provide a strong methodology to retrieve complete results with the investigation. Data / Findings The findings that are listed are clear and easy to understand where one is able to understand the communication crisis difference. This is further defined

Beethoven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Beethoven - Essay Example Furthermore, as a rule, namely childhood and early years of adolescence determine future preferences and interests, especially in case of creative people and their careers. In this essay, I will argue that there are some significant events in Beethoven's life which predetermined his musical career and that the most important period of his becoming as a musician was the period of childhood and early years of adolescence, as well as the beginning of his middle period. 2. A. The most significant feature of Beethoven's early years is the fact that he was educated and developed by his father in great strictness: "Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn and an alcoholic who beat him and unsuccessfully attempted to exhibit him as a child prodigy like Mozart" (From Wikipedia). How did it affect his future career as a musician His mother died when he was seventeen, and all his education and development was under his father's strict supervision. After that young Beethoven had no any possibility to turn to another sphere of education - his father decided that he would be a musician, and the boy couldn't leave this path. In spite of his father's strictness, soon Beethoven drew other people's attention to his musical talent. In addition to that, his music teacher in Bonn was a famous German composer Christian Neefe - it gave young Beethoven a good incentive for future education and training using his initial musical knowledge: "Neefe used the music of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach as a cornerstone of instruction, and he later encouraged his student to study with Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom Beethoven met briefly in Vienna in 1787" (Kindermann, 2005). His father's methods partially predetermined his move to Vienna where he could create his career by himself, without the father's influence. In 1792 Beethoven went to Vienna and stayed there till the end of his life. He met there with the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn and Johann Albrechtsberger that dramatically influenced his own life and musical career. These events led to his musical career success: "He made his first appearances in Vienna in 1795 playing his Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, and was soon established as the city's leading pianist" (From Victoria Station). In his first period Beethoven created such remarkable works as the first and second symphonies, the first six string quarters, the famous Moo nlight and Pathetique, and others. B. Beethoven's middle period began in 1802 when the crisis for his career and health took place. Beethoven's illness of deafness was progressing, and it influenced his further life and musical career. He struggled with his illness and tried to do his best in music: "But he came through with his determination strengthened and entered a new creative phase, generally called his 'middle period'. It is characterized by a heroic tone, evident in the Eroica Symphony, in Symphony no.5, and in his opera Fidelio" (Classical Music Pages). Beethoven even made some attempts of suicide - his anguish and struggle with his illness were reflected in his

Comprehensive service delivery plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comprehensive service delivery plan - Case Study Example The plan is expected to facilitate Sunny in obtaining assistance from authorized agencies, which could provide her with adequate parental education, medical care and adaptive equipment. Through this plan, attempts have been taken to assess Sunny’s potential strengths and her needs towards Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative Communication (AAC) abilities to help her succeed in her education. In addition, adequate information has been provided about the responsibilities of parents, guardian, friends, classmates and educational specialists towards Sunny in the plan discussed henceforth. This comprehensive service delivery plan outlines access to appropriate agencies that could provide parent/guardian support, owing to the fact that the role of family in medical care of a child is crucial. The professionals of ‘American Academy of Pediatrics’ also focus towards the recognition of a family, as family members are child’s primary source of health and support. In addition, informing parents or guardians of Sunny regarding her care needs and thereby, obtaining their support as a principal collaborator in care coordination is linked with the achievement of improved health results. In the US, special firms, such as Catholic Guardian Services, have been observed to provide parenting education and support services for the welfare of disabled children. One such organization is Federal Office of Special Education, which governs the norms of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA provides principle grants to various states, targeting the hi gher educational institutes and other non-profit organizations to deliver technical assistance, personnel development and parental training in the interests of disabled children. In this regard, Partners in Policymaking has been a pioneering and capability based headship curriculum for adults and parents of young disabled children (Arizona

Meeting for business ideas Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Meeting for business ideas - Coursework Example Smartphones and tablets are the devices that make the most sales, according to various business reports. This initiated the idea to create a mobile application known as SecureIT, to protect and promote IT security awareness online users in the course of their transactions. Different organizations are aware of the online security threats. They are embracing the relevant technology to mitigate the risks. Online hackers have the ability to capture the information that is in transit from servers to users. They have the ability to disrupt or manipulate the information, creating a negative impact to a given organization. In addition, the attackers have the ability to steal the data and deface web pages (Curtin, 2002). Through the SecureIt application, users could require the creation of an account that could enable them to access a feature that has the ability to encrypt data. The application has the capability to trace the geographical location of the attackers through their Internet Prot ocol address, in addition to their address books. Once the application collects the information, it informs the servers and the clients on the potential risks that exist. The other online security challenge relates to the faults and miscommunication between the servers and the clients. The server could fail in the screening of the clients’ data and the attackers could take advantage through their software that runs within the server. Using SecureIT, there could be the limitation or removal of the vulnerable software that exists between the connectivity of the server and the client. There is also a challenge of the determination of the receipt of genuine data from the clients. This is because the attackers could act as genuine clients and send vulnerable data to the server that in return accepts the data (Williams, 2007). The attackers could use the untrusted data to

World mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World mythology - Essay Example Thesis statement: The origin stories, major gods/heroes, and stories related to culture within Cherokee mythology prove that the same is symbolic of the origin, growth and development of the cultural aspects of Cherokee Tribe in North America (special references to the origin, gods/heroes, and stories related to Cherokee mythology). Cherokee mythology: an overview The core elements of Cherokee mythology reveal the relationship between indigenous culture and nature. For instance, the Green Corn Ceremony is a ritualistic preface of Cherokees who considered that their rituals can influence nature. Thomas E. Mails stated that, â€Å"The climate factor of Cherokee country had a rhythmic or cyclical nature that was a strong influence on Cherokee culture and led to a complex mythology and ritual performance† (21). On the other side, Cherokee mythology does not provide importance to omnipotent evil spirits. The spirits that can be seen in Cherokee mythology are less powerful. For inst ance, Kalona Ayeliski is a less powerful spirit which preys human souls. Another belief among the Cherokee people is that killing animals for no use or purpose leads human beings to suffering. Besides, the Cherokee people believe that mortal (physical) life is interconnected with immortal (the world of spirits) world. In short, Cherokee mythology provides ample importance to the peaceful co-existence of all the living things in the physical world. Origin stories in Cherokee mythology Origin stories in Cherokee mythology on creation is interesting because the same portrays the earth not as mere land, but as a as a floating mass of land. Besides, the land is hanging and some chords support the same from falling down. According to the Cherokee mythology, the Beaver's Grandchild tried to find out the hidden secret beneath water. He tried his level best, but for vain. Then, he came to know the fact that there is nothing to take rest. So, he began to collect mud from the bottom. This mud gradually expanded and became the earth, surrounded by water body. At the same time, the other animals and birds were eagerly waiting for the Beaver's Grandchild. First of all, the birds decided to visit the earth. Buzzard was selected to examine Beaver's Grandchild’s deeds on earth. After visiting the earth, Buzzard went back and made clear that the earth is still soft. When the earth became dry, all the animals came down. But there was no light on the earth. All the living things were aware of the fact that the sun can help them to solve this problem. In the end, the animals and birds carried the sun to the earth. But the sun was too hot. So they reduced the sun’s heat by putting the same high in the sky. David Adams Leeming stated that, â€Å"The Cherokee tell several creation stories, usually dominated by a female sun† (80). Another story within Cherokee mythology related to creation myth is the story of a brother and sister. In this story, the sister was hi t with a fist by her brother. Then, he told her to produce babies. So, she gave birth to a number of children, within a short period. So, one can see that the origin story/creation myth in Cherokee mythology sheds light on the rich heritage of storytelling among the Cherokees. Major gods or heroes in Cherokee mythology The major gods and heroes in Cherokee mythology include gods in the heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and animals. James Mooney made clear that, â€Å"Their pantheon includes gods in the heaven above, on the earth beneath, and in the waters under the earth, but of these the animal gods constitute by far the most numerous class, although the elemental gods are more important†

Goose-loose Blues for the Melting Pot by Stanley Crouch essay

Goose-loose Blues for the Melting Pot by Stanley Crouch - Essay Example Stanley Crouch, who is a black writer, in his Essay- ‘Goose-loose Blues for the Melting Pot’ is of the opinion that intermingling of different cultures can solve the problem of racial difference. Crouch pointed out that: â€Å"blacks would have made it all the way into American society once a Negro could be shown in a deodorant commercial.† (Crouch para17) the age of racial segregation and the practice of color-bound evaluating a person is history and gone forever. The civil liberties, which are included in the US constitution is the paramount example for personal freedom and sovereignty. First of all, activism of African Americans (Negroes/black minority) in US was on the issue of slavery. Later, it turned towards active participation in politics. In the political scenario, the main issue is the unity of country, not narrow minded racial feeling. So, in the initial stages, it was hard for an African American to attain leadership. Majority of African Americans were not ready to support party labels or candidates. But African Americans were ready to support those who helped them. This narrow feeling on racial identity hindered their growth as a powerful minority group. Earlier, prejudice against Negroes in the society was so rigid that they were not measured as suitable to use in a commercial advertisement. In 1960s, there prevailed high racial tension in the society. The Negro population in US felt restriction on their civil rights and liberties, and the agitated through the civil rights movement in1963. Their main agenda was the fight against slavery and racial discrimination. But now, the situation is different. The attitude of Negroes in US had undergone a deep change. When one tries to find out the reason behind the restriction felt by Negroes in certain fields, it is evident that their attitude towards other communities donated a lot to their pathetic situation. For instance, there prevailed less

Exploring How State of Matter Affects the Rate of Diffusion Essay Example for Free

Exploring How State of Matter Affects the Rate of Diffusion Essay Introduction Diffusion is the random process by which particles distribute themselves within a container or medium. There are two factors that distinguish how substances move passively through membranes. The first factor is hydrophobic , a nonpolar molecule that can dissolve in a lipid bilayer and freely move through the membrane. However a hydrophillic molecule consisting of ions and polar molecules inhibit in their movement through the membrane making it a slower diffusion process. Selectively permeable, moreover, are charged atoms and molecules that are mostly blocked from traveling through the membrane due to the hydrophobic center. The purpose of this experiment was to test how the state of matter affects the rate of diffusion in a semi-solid vs. a liquid state. If the Potassium Permanganate crystals are placed in Petri dishes filled with water and 2% agar, then the crystals will diffuse at a faster rate in water than in the agar. The addition of the Potassium Permanganate crystals to the water and agar, there will be a result of more diffusion and more obvious color change in water compared to agar which will result in a slower less obvious diffusion. Materials The materials needed for this experiment are: One Petri dish with 2% agar and one Petri dish of water filled half way up to test the rate of diffusion. Also, two small crystals of potassium permanganate and one pair of forceps will be needed to place in the Petri dishes. One metric ruler will be need as well to measure the change of color in diameter and one 8 x 11 piece of white paper will also be used for safety precautions. Methods First, a member of the group will gather all the materials including the Petri dishes filled with tap water and 2% agar, forceps, ruler, 8X11 piece of white paper and the jar that contains the potassium permanganate crystals, and bring the materials back to the designated area. Then the experimenter will start to conduct the experiment. Then the experiment will consist of placing the empty Petri dish and the agar Petri dish on top of the white paper side by side. Second, Tap water will be added to a half way point in the empty Petri dish until it is approximately the same level as agar in the other Petri dish. Before continuing, wait for the water to stop moving to get an accurate measure of the diffusion. After that, have lab partner assist with placing potassium permanganate crystals into the agar Petri dish, while at the same time, the primary experimenter places the other two potassium permanganate crystals into the tap water. Be sure not to splash water in the aqueous dish. The moment that each crystal has been lowered is Time Zero. A purple color will be obvious immediately. Next have the experiment observe the diffusion rate for every 3 minutes for the next 15 minutes. For every 3 minutes, measure the diameter of the diffusion circle in millimeters (mm) and write down the measurement on the chart given. Be careful not to disturb the aqueous Petri dish. Discussion The results show that there a major difference in the rate of diffusion between 2% agar and tap water. Immediately, when the potassium permanganate crystals were dropped at 0, there was already an instant diffusion of 2 mm, compared to agar which was 1mm. Because water is a polar molecule, diffusion across membranes travel quicker compared to a nonpolar substance like agar that diffuse though the lipid part of a membrane. At the first 3 minute mark, it shows that the crystals have diffused relatively fast at 15 mm, compared to the diameter in agar which has slowly diffused to 5 mm. for the next 12 minutes, results have show that the diameter in water has increase about 8 10 mm every 3 minutes and agar has stayed the same throughout. Due to passive transport, the movement of molecules from the potassium permanganate have a higher concentration, and are then added to water which diffuses from that high concentration to a lower concentration. This was the expected result. Since water is polar, the crystals can easily diffuse through the gradient. Furthermore, with agar being a nonpolar molecule, it maintained a state of dynamic equilibrium because it diffused slower but was diffused evenly. However since other factors do play a role in the rate of diffusion, maybe temperature could have changed the rate of diffusion for the two Petri dishes. Also had the allotted time been different there may have also been a change in the results. There were no negative results or errors made during this experiment. Based on the results it can be concluded that dropping potassium permanganate crystals into water, diffuses across the gradient faster compared to 2% agar. This does support the initial hypothesis and the predictions were accurate.

Can People Choose their Identity?

Can People Choose their Identity? Can People Choose their Identity? Discuss in Relation to the Media This question raises two issues that are currently at the forefront of political and social debate – namely those of publicly displaying a belonging to a particular culture or society, and the ideological notion of choice. In addressing the question of choosing our cultural identity we have to establish what we understand by the term ‘cultural identity’ and, secondly, if we (as individuals) are able to freely choose an identity. For the purpose of this discussion I will attempt to unpack what is meant by the catch-all term ‘cultural identity; and also if it is something that can be ascribed to a person or if, indeed, a cultural identity is indelibly inscribed. Of course the idea that an individual is born to a certain set of social and cultural values has not been taken seriously since the advent of cognitive and behavioural theories of human socialisation. In fact use to the term national identity had been appropriated to cover these reductive descriptions. The debate surrounding cultural identity is often conflated with that of the construction of national identity, and in some cases a cultural identity comes from an association with a specific national identity, for example Irishness with a rigid set of conventions that determine the individual as different from being English, or even British. The words culture and nation can have wide ranging definitions depending on the context in which they are used. They are complex terms in their own right, and Raymond Williams has written a definition of what culture is, he states ‘the complexity, †¦, is not finally in the word but in the problems which its variations of use significantly indicate’ (Williams 1976:92). In order to set the terms of reference for this discussion a cultural identity is more fluid than a national identity. Anderson has stated in his definition of a nation, ‘it [a nation] is an imagined political community – and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign’ (Anderson 1991:6). The nation state is imagined by its population as it is not possible for individuals to know all the members of that state, it therefore only exists as an imaginary construct within the individual. The human individual is a complex mixture of social and behavioural experiences and these factors are often obtained through socialisation within the family; social influences gained through friends and school; gender; and influence from various forms of mass media. First and foremost it is familial and social influences that determine our sense of identity. It is through the primary socialisation from our parents that a person develops a sense of the self and with it a consciousness of who and what they are. An individual begins to position her/himself in relation to other people who they know and have contact with. This environment is similar to that observed by Bourdieu who used the term ‘habitus’. He wrote ‘the habitus is both the generative principle of objectively classifiable judgements and the,system of classification†¦of these practices’ (Bourdieu 1984:170). This definition returns to the relationship between class and capital in the construction of a sense of the self, and the spaces occupied by that individual. The habitus can describe a place or space that a person feels comfortable inhabiting on a regular basis. For instance as a student I feel that my habitus is the university. This is a place where I feel that I belong to a wider community (of students) who have common interests and goals in their lives. The habitus may also be a location in which social conformity is necessary in order to be a part of that community. I am thinking here of dressing and talking in a certain way, acting or behaving. The habitus applies equally to gang culture. These are sub-cultures that have their own hierarchies and rules that must be followed in order for a member to remain a part of it. The fact that many of these rules are dysfunctional, for example initiation into that gang through violent or anti-social behaviour, is irrelevant. Bike gangs such as Hells Angels display these rigid rules whereby the identity of a member is determined by the wearing of group’s name along with the Hells Angels logo. Such has been the spread of this culture it is globally recognised as indicative of a particular cultural identity enjoyed by its members. This type of culture is typified by an association with certain objects, and in the case of Hells Angels motorcycles are the outward unifying signifiers. Members of this sub-culture have chosen this as their cultural identity – their machines, clothes, tattoos define who they are. And as with many sub-cultures membership is an act of public opposi tion to the dominant culture from which they emerged. Gang culture provides us with some easy to spot visual indicators of belonging to a particular culture. Other forms of cultural identity can be harder to unravel without providing a reductive account of that culture, for instance one based on race or religion. The most important factor that affects cultural identity is the mass media (film and television). The visual media have become an intrinsic part of the way we live our lives – mainly through the consumption of goods and services. Tomlinson (1989) has referred to a diachronic and synchronic way in which culture has developed over time. The former refers to a linear, historical form of evolution whereby one thing follows another. However in the contemporary image saturated world synchronic cultural development has taken place. Images are used in order to make meaning. One image relates to another but not necessarily in a linear and consequential manner. Styles can then be forged that are based on samples from other styles, resulting in meaning being derived from pure simulacra (Baudrillard 1982). This notion of the image breaks the linkage between sign and signifier and consequently changes the way in which we make meaning from images. The argument states that in a world dominated by signifiers (images) the concept of truth becomes meaningless as there is no such thing as a single truth or reality, a person can take what they want from images and that becomes a truth personal to the individual. In this way rap culture has taken this direction. It has taken other forms of representation in popular culture (such as soul music, rapping, reggae/dance hall) and produced something that has been socially radical for African Americans but has now become a global cultural identity for many people; an identity disseminated through television and film. In some ways the music has been appropriated by social groups to provide a cement for their identity. This has been evidenced by the use of jewellery, clothing, and speech. However although this is more of a general presence in social settings it is not true to say that rap is a cultural identity – it forms a part in the construction of a cultural identity, an identity that is also in opposition to mainstream white, male dominated culture. But can a white, Anglo-Saxon person be a part of this identity? Performers have tried, for example Vanilla Ice and Eminem, but they are active in the production and consumption of a good to be bought and sold. It is not the culture of rap, but the image (or rather the sound) that is being sold. The distinction between a cultural identity and a marketable product becomes strained at this point. The role of television and film in promoting products (music, clothes, cosmetics) and something that has a cultural resonance to an audience reduces an identity to a mere commodity. Gender roles are also affected by the adoption of certain forms of cultural identity. The rap/hip-hop culture has been criticised for the way in which women are portrayed. In quite vulgar ways women are portrayed as chattels and appendages to be worn like jewellery. This can be seen in music videos, lyrics in songs, and the language used by people who adopt this kind of life-style. But this is not only about representation, this kind of behaviour from women, as sex objects, is expected and it is a role that some women are expected to play out. So if females are to be a part of this identity they have to conform to a set of conventions that are regressive in their treatment as individuals and further compounds their status as secondary to men. In areas where particular cultural activities are dominant, then there is not necessarily the option of choice. If one lives in that community then one must behave in the way expected or be shunned by your contemporaries. The mass media are implicit in a process of ‘cultural imperialism’ (Tomlinson 1989) and promoting forms of street culture is a further extension of this process. Tomlinson put forward the argument that the global proliferation of television through satellite broadcasting and the selling of programme output at below cost has resulted in a homogenisation of culture throughout the world. Television can be accessed anywhere in the world and the social and moral values contained within this programming are spread to areas of the world where it previously did not have any influence. Not only does cultural imperialism pose a threat to indigenous cultures but selling programming cheaply makes it difficult for national broadcasters to make their own material, produced and performed by local people. The idea, then, of choosing your cultural identity is obscured by the influence of international mass media through the promotion of music, clothes, video games, and popular cultural f orms like film. Sport is one example of how cultural identity can be promoted and displayed in public, but it too raises some anomalies. During the recent cricket matches between England and Pakistan a reporter from BBC Radio 4 interviewed a group of British Asians and asked them who they were supporting. All of them supported Pakistan in the cricket, but then qualified it by saying they would support the England football team. Maybe this kind of poll shows more of people wishing to support favourites than any kind of partisan interest. However it does reveal that children of people from other countries who were born and educated in their adopted country show some ambivalence towards so called cultural identity. This identity can then be forged through the influence of mass media. In the time since Tomlinson wrote about cultural imperialism the volume and choice of television output has risen. There are many more niche channels catering for specific interests; international channels can be received such as those on the Asian Star satellite network. Access to this variety of material gives opportunity to sample images from different parts of the world, and children who have never left their adopted country experience sights and language vicariously and not just from their parents. In a sense there is some element of choice in selecting a cultural identity, but that is also contingent upon one’s own social and ethnic origins. However the definitions of the terms culture and nation dictate the complexity of the subsequent debate. The sociological study performed by Bourdieu (1984) comes closest within the limitations of this discussion. Cultural identity can also be seen as a particular life-style, one that is fuelled by the influences of the mass media, but also one that is influenced by social class, ethnicity, and the interests of capital. Indeed there are elements of choice to be made within particular life-styles but cultural identity cannot be selected and commodified as if it exists in a catalogue. Bibliography Adorno, Theodor.W (1972), The Culture Industry: Enlightenment As Mass Deception, in The Dialectic of Enlightenment (U.K: Herder and Herder). Anderson, Benedict (1991) Imagined Communities (London: Verso) Baudrillard, Jean (1983), Simulations, translated by Paul Foss, Paul Patton and Philip Beitchman (New York: Semiotext (e)). Bourdieu, Pierre (1984) Distinction – social critique of the judgement of taste (London: Routledge) Tomlinson, John (1991) Cultural Imperialism (London: Pinter) Williams, Raymond (1976) Keywords (London: Fontana Press) American Civil War: Effects Of Industrialization American Civil War: Effects Of Industrialization The American Civil War is widely regarded as the first great war of the industrial age. The impact of industrialization is most obviously seen in the introduction of new types of weapons, particularly at sea: the first battle between ironclads; the first ship sunk by a submarine; the use of mines (then called torpedoes). Except for the ironclads, however, these maritime innovations were too primitive or experimental to have much impact on the outcome. The impact of industrialization upon the Civil War, it has been argued, was far more crucial on the logistic and strategic levels than in weapons deployed on the field of battle. Put in brief, the Civil War has been widely understood as a war between an industrial powerthe Northand a largely pre-industrial society, that of the South. The contrast in their industrial capabilities showed most directly in the scale and conditions of their respective railroad networks. We are interested in two aspects of this familiar analysis. First, was it true? Second, and more subtly, to what degree were contemporaries aware of it? To the first point we must return at the end of this essay; we will only pause here to note that the Unions industrial superiority has become, along with the Confederacys structural internal weaknesses, the standard explanation for the outcome of the war. The second question is an interesting and important one in its own right; moreover, it bears upon the first. We have become accustomed to what may broadly be called an economic interpretation of war, and it is a modern commonplace that an industrial power has an overwhelming military advantage over a nonindustrial society. The more industrialized power can call upon both superior technology (e.g., advanced jet fighters) and upon a much greater and more reliable supply of materiel of all sorts. However, in the mid-nineteenth century, industrialization and modern technology were too new to have yet made a deep psychological impact. The British army, for example, issued until 1840 a little-modified version of the Brown Bess musket that had first been introduced before 1700. Until about the same time, Britannia ruled the waves with ships that were essentially only refined versions of those that defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. Long before the industrial revolution, Western armies were routinely defeating non-Western opponents; the did so not through superior weapons or resources, but by an exceptionally formidible military tradition, ultimately perhaps the heritage of Rome. The Civil War, however, pitted two sides that shared the Western military heritage, but differed greatly in their industrial capacity. Robert E. Lee was most certainly not outclassed by any Union general in his understanding of the principles of modern (by 1860 standards) warfare. The generals of the two sides had learned their trade side by side, at West Point, in Indian wars, and in the Mexican War. In their understanding of the battle field arts there was no significant difference between the two sidessave, perhaps, that Southern generals were on the whole better at it. In Lee, the Confederacy had from the outset a field commander and strategist of the first class; Lincolns struggle to find an adequate field commander is famous. The South was, moreover, the most martial part of the United States (itself a cause of its advantage in generals). In fighting qualities, Confederate soldiers of every rank were certainly the equal of their Union counterparts, yet in the end the South lost. We argue that it lost largely because of the Unions industrial superiority, but to what degree was anyone, on either side, aware of this fact? Moreover, if the leaders (and people) of one or the other, or both, of the warring sides were not fully aware of these factors, to what degree could they make use of them? Let us begin the industrial comparison with the industry and technology that had the most direct impact, not on the battlefield but behind it. The North had a very much more extensive rail network, with not quite two and a half times as much rail mileage as the South. The Union could employ this network to move troops and materials to where they were needed; moreover, it had the basic industrial capacity to sustain and enlarge its rail network under the stress of war. In contrast, the railroad network of the South, limited to begin with, could not sustain itself in the face of either destruction at the hands of Union raiders, ormore important in the long runthe daily wear and tear of wartime operation. By the later years of the war, the Souths railroads were essentially useless, while the North was able to extend its railheads at need to meet the requirements of its forces. Even before the Souths railroads were worn down, this difference of degree was sufficient to be also a difference of kind; the Norths rail system was a true network, offering multiple routes between any given destinations. This both increased effective capacity, since troops and supplies could be sent along two or more routes, but also allowed the system to function even if a particular link were cut, by accident, a Confederate raid, or even a major Confederate advance. In contrast, the Souths railroads were more isolated; if a line was lost, there often was no other that could be used. Now, the Civil War was not the only major war of its era in which industrial powers were ranged on one or both sides. The decade and a half bracketing the Civil War saw a series of European wars, from the Crimean War to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Although the first of these saw the introduction of ironclads for shore bombardment, it was essentially a pre-industrial war. By contrast, the War of 1870 was thoroughly industrial: both sides deployed new types of long-range battlefield weapons, while the Prussians won their decisive victory largely through their use of their railroads for mobilization and troop deployment. This use of railroads was an innovation by the Prussian General Staff, and was far more systematic than any use of railroads during the Civil War. Moreover, there is no reason to think that the Prussian planners were inspired by the Civil War railroad experience, or even that they were particularly aware of it. European military thinkers, indeed, tended in general to ignore the Civil War. It has been suggested that they did so to their great cost; the Civil War foreshadowed the First World War in that it showed what might happen in the industrial age if neither side in a war succeeded in delivering a swift knockout blow Therein lay the difference between the experience of railroads in warfare during the Civil War and during the War of 1870. No one on either side in the Civil War had neatly drawn-up timetables of the Prussian sort; in the nature of the case they could not. The use of railroads in the Civil War was discovered by improvization and experience. As we will see, the readiness to improvise and learn from experience was perhaps the subtlest, but mist profound, advantage that the Unions commanders had over their Confederate counterparts. The duration of the Civil War also expanded the strategic scope of railroads. In the War of 1870, the Prussian railroads had essentially done their work by the time the major military encounters began. In the Civil War, generals on both side found occasion to employ railroads in strategic movement. Here the advantage lay with the Confederacy, simply because it operated along interior lines; as early as the Shiloh campaign of 1862, they were able to move forces over hundreds of miles in order to concentrate them against Grant. Returning for now to the purely material aspect of industrialization, behind railroads lay a difference in overall industrial capacity. This industrial capacity not only underlay the sustenance of the rail network itself, but determined the degree to which supplies of all sorts, from artillery pieces to provisions to boots, could be provided. Items that sound trivial to the modern civilian were crucial to the soldier in the field; in one letter, a Confederate army nurse begs desperately for shoes, and her brothers in the ranks must have felt the lack even more urgently. At the most fundamental level of all, industrial capacity determined the degree to which manpower could be released for military service. At the beginning of the Civil War, the North was already a relatively urban society, in which a minority of the population (primarily the farmers of the West) were able to provide the necessities of life to the rest. A great deal of manpower could therefore be mobilized, year-round, without cutting critically into the Norths ability to survive. In contrast, the South was an agrarian society. It is true that much of the Souths prewar agriculture was cash-cropping, not subsistance, but this did not alter the fundamental issue. Once the Souths cash-crop market was denied it, it was thrown back upon its own resources to feed itself, and a substantial fraction of the healthy male population was required, at least at some times of the year, to be available to work the land. Desertions, particularly around harvest and planting times, were a perennial problem for the South. Above all, the industrial capacity of the North allowed the Union to put a much larger army in the field, ultimately tw ice the size of the Confederate army, approximately 600,000 as against 300,000. Finally, in speaking of the Souths wartime economic crisis, we are brought around in a sense to our starting pointthe maritime dimension of the war. The wars naval innovations were, in and of themselves, inconsequential. Had neither side had ironclads, or had there been no experiments with mines, torpedoes, or submarines, the outcome would not have been significantly different. The one exception is only partial, because it applies to a technology that was no longer innovative by 1861: steam propulsion. On the open sea, even steam changed nothing fundamentally; the Union could have blockade the South as well with sailing frigates as it did with steamers; the British had done so quite effectively during the War of 1812. On the Mississippi and other rivers, however, the situation was different. Sailing ships cannot operate effectively in the confined and shallow waters of a river, while oared galley gunboats are limited in size, and therefore the number and power of guns they can carry. They are in any case very costly in manpower, and cannot row upstream save on a very slow-flowing river. The Unions river operations, which eventually succeeded in cutting the Confederacy in two, were therefore distinctly a feature of the steam age. Moreover, on the rivers, as everywhere else, the Norths industrial might showed to effect. The South might have lacked a significant oceangoing merchant marine or blue-water shipbuilding capacity, but river steamers had long been a major feature of Southern life. Here, if anywhere, the South might have been able to compete on equal terms. But the North had the capacity to build and man large numbers of armed river steamers, including ironclads and tinclads. In the event, the South lost control of the Mississippi well before its armies on either bank were defeated, but once it lost the river, those armies were cut off and could no longer support one another. But we must now return to seapower, as opposed to river power, and thus to perhaps the most fundamental of all the consequences of the Norths industrial superiority. The industrial North had the shipbuilding capacity (and, perhaps equally important, the maritime community) to establish and maintain dominance at sea. The Union blockade could be run, but it could not be broken, so the South was never able to re-open the vital trade link by which it might have been able to export its cotton and thereby purchase and import munitions and other sinews of war. For the ordinary Southernereven for a Confederate generalthe economic strangulation of the South did not appear in a strategic light, but simply as a difficult fact of life. Inflation and shortages eventually rendered Confederate money more or less worthless, but in the memory of Confederate General Basil Duke, the money itself became almost irrelevant, having only a symbolic meaning. The South was thrown back effectively on a subsist ance economy, and there is a heroic quality in the ability of the Confederacy to supply its armies at all, even if badly. The fact of the blockade, and the Souths inability to break it by a decisive victory at sea, had a more more immediate military impact, however, than that of the eventual threat of starvation. It forced upon the South a fundamental inequality of objectives on the battlefield. Other things being equal, the Confederacy was doomed to be sooner or later strangled by the blockade. The only way it could escape this fate was by winning decisively on the field of battle. It had either to smash the Union armies so thoroughly that the North lay open to invasion, or at the least deal so crushing a blow that the Norths population lost the will to fight. In fact, thanks to its excellent generals, the Confederacy came close to doing so, but never quite close enough. In contrast, the Union had only to hold on, and avoid the defeat or demoralization that the Confederate generals sought so desperately to inflict. Its ultimate strategic victory was in effect certain, if only it could avoid defeat in the meantime. On occasions it barely did so, but the point remains that the fundamental objectives of the two sides were not equivalent, but rather complementary, and in a way that favored the North. The Confederacy had to win its battles. The Union had only to avoid losing them. Lee could not afford to go on winning and retreating, whereas Grant could afford to go on losing and advancing. We may now turn back to the matter of perception. Confederate generals, as noted earlier, were on the whole superior to their Union counterparts; this is one of the most familiar facts of the war, and has entered deeply into what may be called the legend of the war, particularly on the Southern side. Had Lincoln and Jefferson Davis begun the war with one anothers generals, we may suspect that it would have been ended very much earlier. But there is some evidence that many Southern commanders had a persistant blind spot in understanding that one aspect of industrializationrailroadsthat impinged directly upon their military tasks. Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston, for example, was distrustful if not scornful of the new technology of mechanized rail transport. He eventually gained some awareness of how railroads could be used in the movement of troops and material, but he was slow to do so. This blind spot was not universal, as the Shiloh concentration showed, but it may have been characteristic. The martial culture of the South was broadly backward-looking. To many Southerners, the railroad may have appeared not exactly as a Yankee innovation, but as part of that alien, urban, smokestack culture, foreign to their experience and values. Railroads hardly appeared in the Union soldiers vision either, however; Harvey Reid, who had the advantage of being a headquarters staffer with Shermans army, mentions railroads only in the context of the destruction of railroad facilities at Atlanta. This might well be a consequence simply of the of the fact that the Union forces were on the offensive; in the railroad age, unless enemy railroads were captured intactand the enemy was seldom so carelessthe railheads were left behind as soon as an army began to advance. In general, the industrial inequality of the two sides in the Civil War seems to have been little-recognized by contemporaries, at least in the general and conceptual sense. The importance of railroads was acknowledged, at least in a negative sense; destruction of enemy railroads was always a prime goal of raiders on both sides. But of the broader industrial disparity we find little acknowledgement. From the perspective of both sides, this is perhaps inevitable. Considering the Northern view first, the advantages of their superior capacity was something they probably took for granted. Soldiers do not write home to their wives to delight in the fact that ammunition, food, and shoes are available. So long as they remain available, they are largely taken for granted. More generally, if at the outset of the war many Northerners had the perception that their industrial superiority would assure victory, they were quickly disabused of it by the early and continued successes of Confederate armies. In the case of the South, something of a mirror image applies. If Southerners at the start of the war had held the perception that the Unions superior industrial base ensured its ultimate victory, they would scarcely have succeeded from the Union and marched to war with the confidence that they did. And, again, their victories long gave them reason to think they might prevail. As the effects of the disparity gradually made themselves felt, they appeared in the form of perennial shortages; a generals remark on high prices and the worthlessness of money, a nurses plea for shoes. On the ground, the fact was that Confederate armies fought well, and with determination, almost to the very end. We must come around again, then, to the first of the questions posed early in this discussion. Did the industrial superiority of the North lead to its victory. The consensus of historians is that it did. But as Gabor Boritt trenchantly points out, in much of the recent scholarly study of the Civil War and its outcome, the fact of the war itself seems almost to drop out of the equation. In response, he argues that the outcome was, in fact, ultimately contingent. In spite of all the material advantage accruing to the North, the Confederate armies won many of their battles; had they won a few moreGettysburg comes to mindthe Union war effort might have begun to disintegrate, and the war would then have had to be settled upon terms. A comparison may be made to the First World War; Germany was economically overwhelmed in much the way that the South was, but German offensives still came close to breaking the Allied armies as late as the summer of 1918. Had they done so, then (regardless of the specific terms of settlement), the war would have gone down as a German victory. Where the disparity of industrial power made itself felt, as was suggested earlier, was in the unequal victory conditions forced upon the two warring sides. To bring the war to a satisfactory close, the Confederacy had to win a strategically decisive victory, while the Union had only to avoid a strategically decisive defeat. Particularly in the earlier part of the warbefore the consequences of the industrial factors made themselves directly feltthe difference was critical. Had Jefferson Davis had as much difficulty finding a good general as Abraham Lincoln did, the outcome of the war might have been very different. The South had to win in the field, and it very nearly did. The North had to avoid defeat in the field, and it just managed to do so. That is the ultimate measure of the disparate industrial capacities of the two sides.

Islamic Art in the Western World | Essay

Islamic Art in the Western World | Essay Is there a place for Islamic Art in the western Domicile? Introduction: What is Islamic Art? Islamic art does not copy nature but conveys what it represents. Islamic art is a mirror of a culture and its world view. Islamic art is a vibrant and distinctive form of Art. Unlike Christian art, Islamic art is not constrained to religious work, but includes artistic traditions in the Muslim culture. Because of the strict ruling against drawings of human or animals which might result in idol worship, Islamic art developed a distinctive character makes use of primary forms, geometric arabesque, floral and calligraphic. Muslim art has reflected this balanced, harmonious world view. Through its brilliant use of colour and balance, Islamic art creates an immediate visual impact. In Islamic art, painting and sculpture are not thought of as the finest forms of art. Crafts and decorative arts are regarded as having full art status. Books, on the other hand are a major art form and Writing has a high status in Islam as writing is considered significant decoration for objects and buildings. Islamic Art seeks to illustrate the meaning and essence of things, rather than just their physical form. It focuses on the spiritual representation of objects and beings and not their physical qualities. How is geometry seen to be spiritual? Because circles have no end they are infinite and so they remind Muslims that Allah is infinite. Complex geometric designs create the feeling of un-ending repetition; this helps the person get an idea of the infinite nature of Allah. Repeating patterns also indicate that in the small you can find the infinite, a single element of the pattern implies the infinite total. The use of patterns is part of the way Islamic art represents nature and objects. Repeated geometric pattern often use plant motifs, there are called Arabesque. Arabic lettering is also common. Art: It is one of the purest and most significant forms of human communication. Where language often fails us, art can cross divide what we sometimes erect due to differences in race, ethnicity, religion and culture. Specifically, Islamic art, perhaps more than any other, presents a beautiful mirror of a culture and its world view. More than being just representative of a singular religion (as is often the case with Christian art), Islamic art deepens understanding about Muslim culture, at large. It is for this reason that Islamic art should not only be tolerated when found in a western domicile, it should be encouraged and celebrated as a mechanism for the west to build a new respectful, productive and healing relationship with the East. On September 11, 2001, the west was devastated by a series of coordinated suicide terrorists attacks organized by an Islamist fundamentalist group called Al- Qaida. After getting over the initial shock, pain and horror of this incalculable loss, the west was left with one profound sentiment absolute confusion. We, in the West, simply had little understanding, not only of the motivation for the terrorist attack, but also of Islamic beliefs systems and principles, in general. And it is not a criticism, but simply an observation to note that the profoundly individualist mindset of the West, particularly America, had left us very isolated and without much understanding of global, philosophical, religious and cultural principles which differed from ours. It is now almost a decade after the horror of September 11, 2001, and although the West is still much insulated and lacks the full understanding of Islam which is so critical to secure a more peaceful global environment, we have made significant strides. The attack was not only a source of great suffering in the West, but also a wake up call to remind us of our insularity and the fact that there is a huge global community out there of which we are only a small part. And, Islamic artists have made huge contributions to furthering the understanding of Islamic culture and religion. Some may view bringing Islamic art into ones home as inviting argument and conflict. Narrow minded people may view Islam as the enemy of the West. However more and more Westerners are coming to the understanding that Islam is not the enemy of the West, but rather a potential partner and friend. Art has been a powerful tool in aiding the West to come to this conclusion. Through art of all varieties, Westerners are able to learn about not only the Islamic which may differ from many of ours, but also about the areas where we have something in common. There are so many contemporary Islamic arts and ways to incorporate it in to a Western home. Of course, the immediate thought one has when the word ‘art is mentioned, is probably visual art. Painters like Ali Omar Ermes, an Islamic artist based in the United Kingdom, introduce Western eyes to the beauty of Arabic lettering. Ermes work is significant in its exploration of the beauty of the written word or symbol. Writing, in the Islamic tradition, is highly regarded for its aesthetic beauty, and often utilized in architecture for its decorative effects, in addition to its simple meaning. Noura Sadaka, a Dubai-based talent, paints, draws and creates unique wooden and metal sculptures through which she tries to communicate the many ambiguities and struggles of being a woman caught between both Western and Islamic identities. Noura is typical of many contemporary Arabic artists in this way. So many Islamic creators have shed new understanding about the ways in which many of the Isl amic community feel great ties, love and respect for their peers in the West. Contrary to initial beliefs about Islam being the Wests enemy, such artists bring to light a much more complex and subtle truth about the relationship between Islamic peoples and their Western counterparts. Visual art is definitely not the only way to bring Islamic creativity into ones abode. We may not normally think of magazines, television and the internet as sources of fine art so often it is full of mindless content that could not be qualified as creative, by any stretch of the imagination. However, television shows like PBSs ART: 21, magazines like Brown Book and a variety of modern websites are exposing the West to Islamic artists whose work not only delights the senses; it also educates and helps expound understanding. Even the HBO series, Def Poetry Jam, did much to change stereotypes of Islam, by showcasing young, Islamic slam poets, especially in the early years which followed the terrorist attacks. It is clear that Islamic art has an essential function in furthering human understanding and connection. It is a bridge to create a dialogue when the traditional means are inadequate to express the subtle complexity of thoughts, emotions and ideas which drive us. By exploring the meaning an essence of things beyond their physical form, Islamic artists communicate sometimes unique, sometimes universal ideas about the spiritual questions with which all human beings grapple, regardless of their particular faith. For these reasons and more, Islamic art can hold a vital place in the context of a Western home expanding dialogue and understanding and, ultimately, promoting more peace and tolerance.