Global Credit Crisis and Emiratization Research Proposal

Global Credit Crisis and Emiratization - Research Proposal Example The earlier part of the study comprises the deductive perspective resulting in shape of the derivation of a framework to collect primary data through the consideration of general principles or theories. The inductive perspective provides the foundations of the conclusions and generalisation of the results of the survey. The study will be undertaken by using both types of data, qualitative and quantitative. The types of data to be used in the study include both and combine quantitative and qualitative data. Qualitative research is an accurate research with "explicit sampling strategies, systematic analysis of data, and a commitment to examining counter explanations. Ideally, methods should be transparent, allowing the reader to assess the validity and the extent to which results might be applicable to their own clinical practice". -- BMJ 1998; 316:1230-1232 (as cited by Simon, 2002) Qualitative data normally provides answers to the questions including the how and why (Gill & Johnson 1997; Creswell 2003). The qualitative data provides a deep in sight to the objectives of the study. On the other hand the Quantitative data is the measurable information represented in numbers (Kervin 1992; Gill & Johnson 1997) to answer what, who, when , where and how much but limited in providing answers to how and why. The study involved the combination of both the data types. In order to analyse the relationship between the different variables in the study the SPSS software is used for data interpretation. 1.3 Data Requirements In order to get the clear understanding of the causes and effects of new MoL laws and credit market crisis on the Emirates economy it is important to use both primary and secondary data. Secondary data has been collected by undertaking the review of books, journal studies, articles, papers and commentaries. Secondary data forms the corner stone at which the framework of the study can be formulated. It helps in undertaking the investigation regarding the concepts or theories which further needed to be explored. Primary data can be collected through the suitable data collection methods. Primary data is specifically collected for the purpose of the study being undertaken and provides direct and clear response to the queries of the researcher. Together the primary and secondary data provides useful information in order to acquire conclusions regarding the issue being studied. 1.4 Research Methods There are two data collection methods in the study. One is structured interviews and the second is the semi-structured questionnaire for the derivation of the primary data. The framework for the preparation of the data can be drawn by using secondary data. Structured interviews are conducted by the researcher when the exact information is needed through a prepared list of questions. The interview questions will focus on the effects and consequences of the law implemented by the MoL and the credit crisis in the world. The questions have been designed after undertaking the study and analysis of the literature related to the subject area (Saunders et al. 2003). The interview will be undertaken face to face as it has many benefits which can improve the clarity of responses. 1.5 Rationale for Using Questionnaire Questionnaire survey is an important tool of collecting the primary data. The advantage attached with

Integrated Marketing Communications in Rural Markets in India

Integrated Marketing Communications in Rural Markets in India With around 6, 38, 667 villages, India boasts of the highest number of villages in the world, hugely populated by 720 million people (72% of India lives in villages). It is a market which cant be ignored by the marketers. Customers in villages have their own sets of aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services. Companies understand that that the rules of game are different when it comes to rural markets, especially in a diverse one like India. The rural environment is different from the urban and therefore communication to potential customers in a proper and effective manner is a major challenge for corporate marketers. An urban communications approach might not hold well in these rural markets and thus there is a need to have a different Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach for the rural markets in India. This Research Paper tries to explore and find out how Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) can be used in the rural markets in India and a strategic framework has been proposed for the same. Keywords: Rural Markets, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). Introduction The global economic meltdown has taken its toll on the manufacturing and service sector of the economy, which, in turn, has slowed down the urban market. The companies cutting across sectors have discovered the importance of rural markets. With urban India in the grip of a slowdown, the rural market is helping industries like automobiles, cement, consumer electronics, textiles, telecommunications and FMCGs grow. While urban organised retail is in pain, its rural counterpart is thriving. All of a sudden, the consumer in the laid back Indian village is being spoilt for choice. The rural incomes are progressing, thanks to the Government initiatives like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) launched in 2006 which promised employment of at least 100 days to every member of a poor rural household. This served three purposes: It built rural infrastructure Plugged pilferage of funds Boosted the disposable incomes of rural families The scheme was rolled out to all the 596 districts of the country. All told, Rs 66,800 crores has been earmarked for the programme. Another boost for liquidity among farmers came with the farm loan waiver of Rs 65,318 crores carried out by the Government last year. The bottom-line is clear. Customers in villages have their own set of aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services. Companies are understanding that to play the game in rural markets is to understand and innovate products exclusively for the rural consumers and after tasting success can also be replicated in the urban markets. For example, Tata Sky launched DTH (Direct to Home) primarily for the urban markets. However, in the rural entry, the package has been at Rs 99 per month which was a mini-thali of sorts with a bit of everything. The promotional campaigns included taking Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador who could easily appeal across the rural-urban divide and they also do a lot of promotions and demonstrations so as to motivate the local distributors who highlight the benefits of the service. Tata Sky has launched the Rs 99 pack in the urban markets as well. Advertising goes hand in hand with economic growth. With economic liberalization and increasing rural prosperity, marketers are keen to inform villagers about the benefits of buying and consuming their products and services. Prior to the introduction of economic liberalization in 1990s, there was little incentive for marketers to advertise their products and services, as rural markets were predominantly a sellers market. The influence of the electronic media, in particular television, video and the Hindi film industry, is contributing to the growth of rural aspirations, which are being manifested in rural India in the form of increasing consumerism. The rural environment is different from the urban and therefore communication to potential customers in a proper and effective manner is a major challenge for corporate marketers. The majority of advertisements designed by corporate marketers, are largely urban oriented and extend themselves to rural areas without any consideration to the values and sensitivities of the rural audience, which are often in striking contrast to those of their urban counterparts. This has led to a negative perception in the minds of villagers, about urban media planners and advertisers. Rural communication is not a peripheral activity. It does not, for instance, involve taking an audio-visual van to a village and assuming that this step is enough to reach out to customers. It requires an entirely different mindset, which demands getting rid of many mental barriers. Companies have to realize that rural is a long-haul market, as gains in the short term are neither immediate nor large. Challenges in Rural Communications There are many challenges to communication in rural. Low literacy level; poor media reach and exposure and vast, heterogeneous and diversely spread rural audiences characterized by variations in language, culture and lifestyle-all these factors pose multiple challenges to marketers looking to take their messages to the largely media-dark or media-grey areas, of rural markets. Heterogeneity and spread The communication pattern in any society is a part of its culture. No communication medium can exist in a cultural vacuum. Communicating the message to rural consumers ha posed enormous challenges to the rural marketer, because of the large numbers of consumers scatters across the country. The problem is further compounded by the heterogeneous nature of consumers there are 16 scheduled languages and 114 local vernaculars. For example, the dialects used in the Vidharbha region, in Konkan region, in costal Maharashtra etc. Limited Media Reach The limited reach of the mass media imposes limitations on universal communication to rural consumers. These factors lead to poor message comprehension and negligible impact, which fail to translate into consumer awareness and hence fail in generating consumer pull. Understanding the Rural Audience It is not sufficient to understand rural communication challenges as stated above: rather, what is equally crucial is the need to understand the behavioural and psychographic characteristics of the rural audience, in order to develop an effective rural communication strategy. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Tools IMC is a management concept that is designed to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation. Advertising Advertising has four characteristics: it is persuasive in nature; it is non-personal; it is paid for by an identified sponsor; and it is disseminated through mass channels of communication. Advertising messages may promote the adoption of goods, services, persons, or ideas. Because the sales message is disseminated through the mass media-as opposed to personal selling-it is viewed as a much cheaper way of reaching consumers. However, its non-personal nature means it lacks the ability to tailor the sales message to the message recipient and, more importantly, actually get the sale. Therefore, advertising effects are best measured in terms of increasing awareness and changing attitudes and opinions, not creating sales. Advertisings contribution to sales is difficult to isolate because many factors influence sales. The contribution advertising makes to sales are best viewed over the long run. The exception to this thinking is within the internet arena. While banner ads, pop-ups and inte rstitials should still be viewed as brand promoting and not necessarily sales drivers, technology provides the ability to track how many of a websites visitors click the banner, investigate a product, request more information, and ultimately make a purchase. Through the use of symbols and images advertising can help differentiate products and services that are otherwise similar. Advertising also helps create and maintain brand equity. Brand equity is an intangible asset that results from a favorable image, impressions of differentiation, or consumer attachment to the company, brand, or trademark. This equity translates into greater sales volume, and/or higher margins, thus greater competitive advantage. Brand equity is established and maintained through advertising that focuses on image, product attributes, service, or other features of the company and its products or services. Cost is the greatest disadvantage of advertising. The average cost for a 30-second spot on network television increased fivefold between 1980 and 2005. Plus, the average cost of producing a 30-second ad for network television is quite expensive. It is not uncommon for a national advertiser to spend in the millions of dollars for one 30-second commercial to be produced. Add more millions on top of that if celebrity talent is utilized. Credibility and clutter are other disadvantages. Consumers have become increasingly skeptical about advertising messages and tend to resent advertisers attempt to persuade. Advertising is everywhere, from network television, to daily newspapers, to roadside billboards, to golf course signs, to stickers on fruit in grocery stores. Clutter encourages consumers to ignore many advertising messages. New media are emerging, such as DVRs (digital video recorders) which allow consumers to record programs and then skip commercials, and satellite radio which provides a majority of its channels advertising free. Public Relations (PR) Public relations is defined as a management function which identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the public upon which its success or failure depends. Whereas advertising is a one-way communication from sender (the marketer) to the receiver (the consumer or the retail trade), public relations considers multiple audiences (consumers, employees, suppliers, vendors, etc.) and uses two-way communication to monitor feedback and adjust both its message and the organizations actions for maximum benefit. A primary tool used by public relations practitioners is publicity. Publicity capitalizes on the news value of a product, service, idea, person or event so that the information can be disseminated through the news media. This third party endorsement by the news media provides a vital boost to the marketing communication message: credibility. Articles in the media are perceived as being more objective than advertisements, and thei r messages are more likely to be absorbed and believed. For example, after the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes reported in the early 1990s that drinking moderate amounts of red wine could prevent heart attacks by lowering cholesterol, red wine sales in the United States increased 50 percent. Another benefit publicity offers is that it is free, not considering the great amount of effort it can require to get out-bound publicity noticed and picked up by media sources. Public relations role in the promotional mix is becoming more important because of what Philip Kotler describes as an over communicated society. Consumers develop communication-avoidance routines where they are likely to tune out commercial messages. As advertising loses some of its cost-effectiveness, marketers are turning to news coverage, events, and community programs to help disseminate their product and company messages. Some consumers may also base their purchase decisions on the image of the company, for example, how environmentally responsible the company is. In this regard, public relations plays an important role in presenting, through news reports, sponsorships, advertorials (a form of advertising that instead of selling a product or service promotes the companys views regarding current issues), and other forms of communication, what the company stands for. Sales Promotions (SP) Sales promotions are direct inducements that offer extra incentives to enhance or accelerate the products movement from producer to consumer. Sales promotions may be directed at the consumer or the trade. Consumer promotions such as coupons, sampling, premiums, sweepstakes, price packs (packs that offer greater quantity or lower cost than normal), low-cost financing deals, and rebates are purchase incentives in that they induce product trial and encourage repurchase. Consumer promotions may also include incentives to visit a retail establishment or request additional information. Trade promotions include slotting allowances (buying shelf space in retail stores), allowances for featuring the brand in retail advertising, display and merchandising allowances, buying allowances (volume discounts and other volume-oriented incentives), bill back allowances (pay-for-performance incentives), incentives to salespeople, and other tactics to encourage retailers to carry the item and to push the brand. Two perspectives may be found among marketers regarding sales promotion. First, sales promotion is supplemental to advertising in that it binds the role of advertising with personal selling. This view regards sales promotion as a minor player in the marketing communication program. A second view regards sales promotion and advertising as distinct functions with objectives and strategies very different from each other. Sales promotion in this sense is equal to or even more important than advertising. Some companies allocate as much as 75 percent of their advertising/promotion dollars to sales promotion and just 25 percent to advertising. Finding the right balance is often a difficult task. The main purpose of sales promotion is to spur action. Advertising sets up the deal by developing a brand reputation and building market value. Sales promotion helps close the deal by providing incentives that build market volume. Sales promotions can motivate customers to select a particular brand, especially when brands appear to be equal, and they can produce more immediate and measurable results than advertising. However, too heavy a reliance on sales promotions results in deal-prone consumers with little brand loyalty and too much price sensitivity. Sales promotions can also force competitors to offer similar inducements, with sales and profits suffering for everyone. Personal Selling (PS) Personal selling includes all person-to-person contact with customers with the purpose of introducing the product to the customer, convincing him or her of the products value, and closing the sale. The role of personal selling varies from organization to organization, depending on the nature and size of the company, the industry, and the products or services it is marketing. Many marketing executives realize that both sales and non-sales employees act as salespeople for their organization in one way or another. One study that perhaps supports this contention found that marketing executives predicted greater emphasis being placed on sales management and personal selling in their organization than on any other promotional mix element. These organizations have launched training sessions that show employees how they act as salespeople for the organization and how they can improve their interpersonal skills with clients, customers, and prospects. Employee reward programs now reward employ ees for their efforts in this regard. Personal selling is the most effective way to make a sale because of the interpersonal communication between the salesperson and the prospect. Messages can be tailored to particular situations, immediate feedback can be processed, and message strategies can be changed to accommodate the feedback. However, personal selling is the most expensive way to make a sale, with the average cost per sales call ranging from $235 to $332 and the average number of sales calls needed to close a deal being between three and six personal calls. Sales and marketing management classifies salespersons into one of three groups: creative selling, order taking, and missionary sales reps. Creative selling jobs require the most skills and preparation. They are the point person for the sales function. They prospect for customers, analyze situations, determine how their company can satisfy wants and needs of prospects, and, most importantly, get an order. Order takers take over after the initial order is received. They handle repeat purchases (straight rebuys) and modified rebuys. Missionary sales reps service accounts by introducing new products, promotions, and other programs. Orders are taken by order takers or by distributors. Direct Marketing (DM) Direct marketing, the oldest form of marketing, is the process of communicating directly with target customers to encourage response by telephone, mail, electronic means, or personal visit. Users of direct marketing include retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and service providers, and they use a variety of methods including direct mail, telemarketing, direct-response advertising, online computer shopping services, cable shopping networks, and infomercials. Traditionally not viewed as an element in the promotional mix, direct marketing represents one of the most profound changes in marketing and promotion in the last 25 years. Aspects of direct marketing, which includes direct response advertising and direct mail advertising as well as the various research and support activities necessary for their implementation, have been adopted by virtually all companies engaged in marketing products, services, ideas, or persons. Direct marketing has become an important part of many marketing communication programs for three reasons. First, the number of two-income households has increased dramatically. About six in every ten women in the United States work outside the home. This has reduced the amount of time families have for shopping trips. Secondly, more shoppers than ever before rely on credit cards for payment of goods and services. These cashless transactions make products easier and faster to purchase. Finally, technological advances in telecommunications and computers allow consumers to make purchases from their homes via telephone, television, or computer with ease and safety. These three factors have dramatically altered the purchasing habits of American consumers and made direct marketing a growing field worldwide. Direct marketing allows a company to target more precisely a segment of customers and prospects with a sales message tailored to their specific needs and characteristics. Unlike advertising and public relations, whose connections to actual sales are tenuous or nebulous at best, direct marketing offers accountability by providing tangible results. The economics of direct marketing have also improved over the years as more information is gathered about customers and prospects. By identifying those consumers they can serve more effectively and profitably, companies may be more efficient in their marketing efforts. Whereas network television in the past offered opportunities to reach huge groups of consumers at a low cost per thousand, direct marketing can reach individual consumers and develop a relationship with each of them. Research indicates that brands with strong brand equity are more successful in direct marketing efforts than little-known brands. Direct marketing, then, works best when other marketing communication such as traditional media advertising supports the direct marketing effort. Direct marketing has its drawbacks also. Just as consumers built resistance to the persuasive nature of advertising, so have they with direct marketing efforts. Direct marketers have responded by being less sales oriented and more relationship oriented. Also, just as consumers grew weary of advertising clutter, so have they with the direct marketing efforts. Consumers are bombarded with mail, infomercials, and telemarketing pitches daily. Some direct marketers have responded by regarding privacy as a customer service benefit. Direct marketers must also overcome consumer mistrust of direct marketing efforts due to incidents of illegal behavior by companies and individuals using direct marketing. The U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and other federal and state agencies may prosecute criminal acts. The industry then risks legislation regulating the behavior of direct marketers if it is not successful in self-regulation. The Direct Marketing Association, the leading tra de organization for direct marketing, works with companies and government agencies to initiate self-regulation. In March of 2003 the National Do Not Call Registry went into affect whereby consumers added their names to a list that telemarketers had to eliminate from their out-bound call database. Emerging Tools of IMC Sponsorships (Event Marketing) Sponsorships, or event marketing, combine advertising and sales promotions with public relations. Sponsorships increase awareness of a company or product, build loyalty with a specific target audience, help differentiate a product from its competitors, provide merchandising opportunities, demonstrate commitment to a community or ethnic group, or impact the bottom line. Like advertising, sponsorships are initiated to build long-term associations. Organizations sometimes compare sponsorships with advertising by using gross impressions or cost-per-thousand measurements. However, the value of sponsorships can be very difficult to measure. Companies considering sponsorships should consider the short-term public relations value of sponsorships and the long-term goals of the organization. Sports sponsorships make up about two-thirds of all sponsorships. Social Media Marketing The concept of social media marketing basically refers to the process of promoting business or websites through social media channels. It is a powerful marketing medium that is defining the way people are communicating. It is one of the significantly low-cost promotional methods that provide businesses large numbers of links and huge amount of traffic. Companies manage to get massive attention and that really works in favour of the business. Social media marketing is a potent method applied by progressive companies for selling their products/services or for just publishing content for advertisement revenue. Social media is an extremely useful tool using which companies can get their information, product descriptions, promotions all ingrained in the chain of networking world. Considering the newness of this marketing method, organizations are coming up with innovative ways to develop their marketing plans. New platforms are being created to approach potential clients. A large number of business organizations are allocating budget for online business development using social media marketing. It is a booming sector which is going to redefine the way marketing strategies are being formed and promoted. Internet Marketing Internet marketing also referred to as i-marketing, web-marketing, online-marketing or e-Marketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. The Internet has brought media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing in terms of providing instant responses and eliciting responses are the unique qualities of the medium. Internet marketing is sometimes considered to be broad in scope because it not only refers to marketing on the Internet, but also includes marketing done via e-mail and wireless media. Management of digital customer data and electronic customer relationship management (ECRM) systems are also often grouped together under internet marketing. Internet marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including: design, development, advertising, and sales. Internet marketing also refers to the placement of media along many different stages of the customer engagement cycle through search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), banner ads on specific websites, e-mail marketing, and Web 2.0 strategies. Mobile Marketing Mobile Marketing involves communicating with the consumer via cellular (or mobile) device, either to send a simple marketing message, to introduce them to a new audience participation-based campaign or to allow them to visit a mobile website. Mobile connectivity not only enables people to connect to the Internet via a cellular telephone, PDA or other gadget, but also consolidates the different communication channels in a simple, yet effective medium. Cheaper than traditional means for both the consumer and the marketer and easy enough for almost any age group to understand and engage with Mobile Marketing really is a streamlined version of traditional eMarketing. Strategic Framework for IMC in Rural Markets in India A strategic framework for implementing Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) in the rural markets in India has been proposed. The following are the elements of the framework: Objectives: The firms need to set and review their objectives for the rural markets. The desired effects and output needed from an integrated communications programme need to be decided and this becomes the base for the next steps in the implementation framework. 3As of the Adoption Process: Awareness Creation: Firstly, awareness needs to be created about the brand and the product in the rural market. An urban product might have low or almost nil awareness level in the rural market. The various tools that should be used at this stage are Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Advertising and Events. Adopt the Brand: Once awareness has been created about the brand, steps need to be taken so that the rural markets adopt the brand. The various tools that should be used at this stage are Personal Selling, Sales Promotions and Road shows. Brand Purchase: Once people have adopted the brand, steps must be taken to ensure that people purchase the brand and become repeat buyers. The tools which must be used at this stage are Sales Promotion and Personal Selling. IMC Tools: As mentioned before, different tools serve different purposes in the rural markets. For awareness creation, Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Advertising and Events are useful. Rural advertising will be different from the urban advertising keeping in mind the different profiles of the rural customers. Events also are very effective tools as they engage prospective consumers. The tools useful for adopting the brand are Personal Selling, Sales Promotions and Road shows. The markets accept and adopt the brands once salience has been achieved in the previous stage. Road shows are newer IMC tools which are proving to be very effective. They should be leveraged in the rural markets. In the brand purchase stage, tools like Personal Selling and Sales Promotions must be used as they have a direct impact on the brand purchase by providing incentives and more direct information about the brand. Select Right Mix of IMC: All these above mentioned tools need to be used judiciously and in the right proportion to achieve the desired marketing objectives. There needs to be a strategic fit between the chosen tools and the IMC objectives. Depending on the stages of the adoption process, the corresponding tools should be given importance over others and also overall media budget must be considered. Adds Incremental Value to the Firm: The implementation of an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) model in the rural markets in the above mentioned manner will add incremental value to the firm. Since most of the corporate are looking in a big manner to exploit the rural markets in India, the above strategic framework might be useful for them to devise an IMC strategy. And it goes without saying that an urban IMC will be different from a rural IMC. Conclusions Customers in villages have their own set of aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services. Companies are understanding that to play the game in rural markets is to understand and innovate products exclusively for the rural consumers and after tasting success can also be replicated in the urban markets. The rural environment is different from the urban and therefore communication to potential customers in a proper and effective manner is a major challenge for corporate marketers. An urban communications approach might not hold well in these rural markets and thus there is a need to have a different Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach for the rural markets in India. The strategic framework for Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) developed in this paper may be used by companies as a part of their rural strategy. Thus the companies can add incremental value to themselves.

Creon as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone Essay example --

Creon as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Antigone Tragedy always involves human suffering, but not everyone who suffers is a Tragic Hero. According to Aristotle, there are five basic criteria that must be met for a character to be considered a Tragic Hero. Aristotle’s ideas about tragedy were recorded in his book of literacy theory titled Poetics. In it he has a great deal to say about the structure, purpose and intended effect of tragedy. His ideas have been adopted, disputed, expanded, and discussed for several centuries. In this essay, I will examine these criteria in regards to Antigone’s Creon, King of Thebes. The first criterion states that to be a tragic hero, Creon must occupy a "high" status position, but must also embody nobility and virtue as part of his innate character. Creon fits this description quite accurately. We know at the beginning of the play that Creon is King of Thebes. Therefore, he occupies a stature of nobility. Furthermore, Creon’s innate character embodies virtue and nobility. For example, when talking to the Chorus at the beginning of the play, Creon says, "†¦anyone thinking/another man more a friend than his own country/I rate him nowhere†¦I would not be silent if I saw ruin, not safety†¦I would not count any enemy of my country as a friend" (Lines 202-210). His standards are set to the point where he would put his country above all else. He would do anything to protect his country; he would "not be silent if [he] saw ruin, not safety" (line 204). Also, Creon shows a high sense of morality when he properly buried Eteocles, Antigone’s brother. Antigone herself says this when speaking to her sister, Ismene, "Creon honored the one†¦Eteocles, they say he has used justly with lawful rites and hid him ... ...earn from. Finally, his punishment delivered by fate exceeds his crimes. Thus, according to Aristotle, Creon is the prefect tragic hero. Works Cited and Consulted Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Segal, Charles Paul. â€Å"Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by R. C. Jebb. The Internet Classic Archive. no pag. http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/antigone.html â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984. Watling, E. F.. Introduction. In Sophocles: The Theban Plays, translated by E. F. Watling. New York: Penguin Books, 1974.

Does religion cause war Essay

War is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is generally characterised by extreme violence, social disruption and economic destruction. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of political violence or intervention. The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war is usually called peace. A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world. Today we have invited our special guests of panel to discuss about the topic â€Å"Does Religion Cause War†. To discuss about the Does religion cause war? On this planet Earth, there have been many wars fought over many different things. They can range from freedom, oil, and religion. There were many wars fought over religion. For example, the thirty years war. The thirty years war was one of the major wars fought over religion. It was mostly fought in what’s now Germany. The thirty years war was one of the absolute longest and most destructive, and brutal conflicts in European history. The war was mainly between Protestants and Roman Catholics; although, this eventually turned into a war including most of the European powers. The major effect of The Thirty Years War was destroying entire regions. In Germany, the disease and famine greatly decreases population, while bankrupting most of the combatant powers. Although the regiments within each military were not strictly mercenary in that they were not guns for hire that changed sides from battle to battle, the soldiers that made up the regiments for the most part probably were. Another example of a war fought over religion was the Crusades. The Crusades were some of the most famous wars, and fought over religion. The Crusades were a series of wars blessed by the Pope, and Catholic Church. Their main goal was to regain Christian access to the city of Jerusalem, and holy places around it. The Crusades were actually originally launched to repel the expansion into Anatolia. Several hundred thousand soldiers became Crusaders by taking vows; the Pope granted them plenary indulgence. Their emblem was the cross, â€Å"crusade† is derived from the French term for taking up the cross. Many were from France and called themselves â€Å"Franks,† which became the common term used by Muslims. The term â€Å"crusade† is also used to describe religiously motivated campaigns conducted between 1100 and 1600 in territories outside the Levant usually against pagans, heretics, and peoples under the ban of excommunication for a mixture of religious, economic, and political In the eyes of many, religion is inherently conflictual, but this is not necessarily so. Therefore, in part, the solution is to promote a heightened awareness of the positive peace building and reconciliatory role religion has played in many conflict situations. More generally, fighting ignorance can go a long way. Interfaith dialogue would be beneficial at all levels of religious hierarchies and across all segments of religious communities. Where silence and misunderstanding are all too common, learning about other religions would be a powerful step forward. Being educated about other religions does not mean conversion but may facilitate understanding and respect for other faiths. Communicating in a spirit of humility and engaging in self-criticism would also be helpful. In recent times further back in history to Hinduism or Judaism along with other religious beliefs. During the same time period there have also been a large number of wars and battles between countries. Many argue that politics are the causes of these wars; however others claim that it is religion which is the main reason. Religion has had a large influence on many conflicts in the past. While some argue that religion is the cause of wars, it is inconclusive whether war would or would not exist if there was no such thing as religion. Some would say The Crusades are a major example of religion causing war. From the 11th century to the 13thcentury Christian states in Europe launched what are sometimes called Holy Wars against Muslims in the East. These wars centred on the city of Jerusalem which held a Holy significance in the Christian world. However when 3000 Christians were massacred, this began the ‘retaliation’ and therefore the beginning of The Crusades to release the Holy City of Jerusalem from the rule of Muslims. In this example, religion has clearly caused The Crusades as there would not have been any war if the city of Jerusalem did not have Christian significance. However, a contrary argument to this would be that it was the massacre of 3000 Christians which caused The Crusades to begin and not because of differing religious beliefs, although it is unquestionable that religion played a major part in the beginning of the Crusades as the massacre may not have taken place without a religious background. As the argument for religion causing war heavily outweighs the opposing argument, in this context it is fair to say that using this example, religion does cause war. The Israel-Arab wars from 1948 to the present day are often seen as wars over religion. In fact, they say, they have been about nationalism, self-defence or the liberation of territory. So why is religion a factor in war at all when all the main faiths have little time for violence and advocate peace? Because, it is suggested, leaders use differences over faith as a way of sowing hatred and mobilising support for political wars. As the American civil war leader Abraham Lincoln put it almost 150 years ago: â€Å"The will of God prevails. â€Å"In great contests, each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, but one must be wrong. â€Å"God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. â€Å"

Ideal Types of Authorities

SOC 1301-01 Ideal Types of Authorities According to Max Weber, there are three kinds of authority: the legal rational authority, the charismatic authority and the traditional authority. President Nixon, Adolf Hitler and Moroccan Monarch Hassan II were all great leaders. However, the source of their powerful domination and their political leadership differ from one to another. In fact, considering a â€Å"Weberian† classification, we will consider Nixon as a legal rational leader, Hitler as a charismatic leader and Hassan II as a traditional leader.In this paper, we will try to emphasize the characteristics of each one of them based on their domestic or foreign policies. And then we will see their resemblance and similarities. Richard Milhous Nixon was sworn in as president on November 5, 1968 with only five hundred fifty thousand votes more than the Democratic candidate, and Vice-President under Johnson administration, Hubert Humphrey. (Strober & Strober, 2003) According to We ber: â€Å"Rulership is seen to rest on legal authority. As citizens of constitutional governments we assent to authority because its powers are based on procedures and institutions which have been legally enacted. (Whimster, 2004) Nixon is a legal rational leader since his authority is tied to the American government that is a rational and bureaucratic institution. As he was putting his administration together, â€Å"Nixon was always bringing in new people†¦this was one of the keys to his success. † He chose to work with a small group of assistants, advisors â€Å"and his longtime secretary Rose Mary Woods. † Nixon had a simple, but efficient philosophy: to bring in new blood to his administration. â€Å"He understood that people can perform up to a certain level; then they may lose interest, or may get bored. Moreover, one of his biggest strength was his political foresight. â€Å"Some of the best political minds of the past twenty years have been Nixonâ€⠄¢s finds. † (Strober & Strober, 2003) Domestically, Nixon believed in equality in the repartition of civil rights. He insisted that the country should help black people and that â€Å"the answer was to give them a chance to be capitalists – not just jobs† but figure out a way to have them involved in the American economy and the capitalist system. Afterwards, black people began to have more ‘office’ jobs and less hysical or illegal jobs, for instance â€Å"they became employers and tax payers,† which â€Å"shifts the whole burden in the economy. † Nixon also believed that although it was not necessarily a good political move because it will not get the administration any votes, they â€Å"will do it, because it’s the right thing to do. He had a conviction that that was something that needed to be done. † Subsequently, the program was called Minority Business and was expanded to â€Å"four ethnic groupings of people in th e United States that are considered by the Congress to be minorities: blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians. It was a success but what Nixon mostly saw in it was what he called â€Å"an equal Place at the starting line. † Nixon continued to fulfill his domestic policy, and one of his most remarkable works in this area is clearly the integration of the South. His â€Å"administration had to desegregate the school systems† they tend to do it in a diplomatic way in order not to impose radical changes on very conservative people in the South. â€Å"And by 1972, the South had some of the most integrated systems in the country. This whole integration issue made Nixon very popular in the South. (Strober & Strober, 2003) Furthermore, Nixon brought reforms to ex-President Johnson’s Health care system. In Nixon’s proposal on health care systems, he proposed a health insurance coverage that everyone would benefit from and created the Environmental Protect ion Agency. According to Max Weber â€Å"The charismatic leader gains and maintains authority solely by proving his strength in life. If he wants to be a prophet, he must perform miracles; if he wants to be a warlord, he must ‘prove’ itself in that those who faithfully surrender to him must fare well.If they do not fare well, he is obviously not the master sent by the gods. † (Weber, 1946) Thus, Weber’s notion of â€Å"Charismatic leadership† perfectly suits Adolf Hitler. Since he joined the German Worker’s Party in 1919, he generated a cult around his person. In 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of the third Reich and in the same year the Reichstag passed the â€Å"Enabling act of 1933† that gave Hitler full power. Moreover, after the death of the president Eidenburg, Hitler became Fuhrer of the 3rd Reich, which is the fusion of Chancellor and president. Nicholls, 2011) therefore, he was the leader of the â€Å"German nation defined in racial terms†¦he was the leader for whom people had been waiting: The Hitler Myth. † People placed him above every sacred thing in their lives; then it made â€Å"it possible for him to retain his status as charismatic leader. † Traditional authority rests on â€Å"an established belief in the sanctity of immemorial traditions and the legitimacy of those exercising authority under them. † (Swedberg, 2005) Hence, this kind of rulership â€Å"involves subjects accepting rule because the king or chief has always exercised power. (Whimster, 2004) This definition is applicable on the deceased king of Morocco Hassan II. His reign extended from 1961 until his dead in 1999 after he had inherited the throne from the Alaouite dynasty generally and from his father Mohammed V in particular. Hassan II was a conservative; he established the first Moroccan constitution in 1963 and it granted him with large powers. Hassan II and Adolf Hitler were both characterized by thei r strong rulership. Hitler was a dictator who transformed the Weimar Republic into a totalitarian regime known as the third Reich.Thereafter, he drove the whole nation into World War II. On the other hand, Hassan II whose methods also were too radical, if not to say dictatorial, was at the head of an authoritarian government or a disguised dictatorship. Under it people did not enjoy their civil rights, they lived a dark period called â€Å"years of lead† because of the brutality, the assassination such as the case of Ben Barka who was kidnapped from a pubic area in Paris, and the deportations to Tazmamarte prison.Otherwise, although Hitler was a dictator, he came to power in a legal manner when his party the National Socialist German Workers Party came at the head of the electoral vote with 43. 9% in 1933. Unlike Nixon and Hassan II, Hitler is very segregationist and he was willing to fulfill his pan-Germanist ideology to gather German origin people in one country. He eradica ted black people, Jews and the disabled while Hassan II gave the same rights to Moroccan Jews and Muslims, and Nixon established health care programs for ill and disabled people. Nicholls, 2011) Furthermore, Nixon, Hassan II and Hitler had different foreign policies. The keyword of Nixon’s foreign affairs was ‘overture. ’ As soon as installed in the White House along with Kissinger, his National Security Advisor, Nixon planned to withdraw from the War in Vietnam. Nixon firmly believed that â€Å"the American policy should be one that stressed the withdrawal of external forces. † (Lee & Haynsworth, 2002) Hassan II was an ally of the West especially the USA; he also was a intermediate between the Arab world and Israel. (Dalle, 2011).However, Hitler’s plan was to eliminate all Germany’s enemies especially France and the USSR. He also planed to make Germany economically self-sufficient by series of territorial conquests in Central Europe, France and USSR. (Nicholls, 2011) In conclusion, we may say that according to Weber notions of ideal types of authorities and kinds of leaders, Nixon is a rational legal leader, Hitler is a charismatic figure and Hassan II is a traditional leader. However, we also notice that these classifications are not radical; therefore, one leader can fit in two or all the types of Weber’s ideal type of authority.Consequently, in our case, Hassan II and Nixon are also charismatic figures in addition to their original classification. Even though people believe Hitler came to power with brutality and terror, he actually became chancellor in a legal democratic way. In 1933, the national Socialist German Worker’s party won the popular vote and then Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Then he used manipulative (Reichstag incendiary) and brutal ways (imprisonment of political opponent) to become the Reich Fuhrer. Thus, Hitler was also a legal rational leader once he became chancellor of Germany.O therwise, Weber’s classification of types of authorities does not mean that each category of leaders share the same values and govern with the same manner. Indeed, Both Hitler and Nixon were charismatic, and legal rational leaders, yet Nixon was an ardent defender of Human and civil rights. He launched programs of desegregations and health care systems, and withdrew the American troops from Vietnam. On the other hand, Hitler started World War II and invaded several countries such as France and Poland. Further, he was responsible of the holocaust and created a segregationist program of pan-Germanism to gather German people in Germany.References Dalle, I. (2011). Hassan II: entre tradition et absolutisme. Paris: Fayard. Nicholls, D. (2003). Adolf Hitler: A Biographical Companion.. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Swedberg, R. , & Agevall, O. (2005). The Max Weber dictionary: key words and central concepts. Stanford, Calif. : Stanford Social Sciences. Weber, M. , Gerth, H. H. , & Mills, C. W. (1946). From Max Weber: Essays in sociology . New York: Oxford University Press. Weber, M. , & Whimster, S. (2004). The essential Weber: a reader. London: Routledge.