The Control of Female Sexuality

The Control of Female Sexuality The sexual revolution opened the way for greater expression and practise of female sexuality, at least in Western cultures. However, society has historically and still does exert control over female sexuality. This control, in fact, underlies mens general control of women in society. Such control is accomplished through gender definition and social pressure, and economic and political oppression. First, women are conditioned to certain, often oppressive, gender roles by hegemonically male society. Connell (1995) first introduced the term ‘hegemonic masculinity’ as a description of the most valued definition of manhood in a given society. He held that whilst in any society there are many possible types of masculinity, only a few will be the most valued or ideal (Connell, 1995). Society then provides power and benefit to males fitting in this hegemonic definition, establishing their dominance in relation to what is considered feminine and in relation to other, less ideal masculinities. As such, hegemonic masculinity becomes justification for both the hegemonically masculine man’s domination of women and over other men (Cohn and Weber, 1999). For example, Butler (1990) found that most women are trained from early childhood that caring for a home and family are appropriate womens activities. She describes how little girls are given dolls and encouraged to nurture, versus little boys who are given blocks and encouraged to build things. Certain behaviours are also considered acceptable for girls but not boys, and vice versa. Girls are allowed to cry and be more emotionally expressive in their gender roles. Boys are allowed to be more aggressive and assertive (Butler, 1990). In terms of female sexuality, girls are often taught to be little ladies, who do not spread their legs whilst wearing a dress or express their sexuality. Female sexuality is presented as something to be guarded, and young women are encouraged to be good girls. Such gender roles are reinforced by various authority figures, such as teachers and parents. Barnes (2003) finds social workers, for example, will often assume a â€Å"disciplinary gaze† to c ommunicate their understandings of appropriate behaviour for women, typically reinforcing traditional gender roles (149). Gender roles tend to be more strongly reinforced and womens sexuality typically more constrained when opportunities for women outside the home expand. For example, during World War II, when many women occupied jobs traditionally held by men, there is strong reference in the media regarding chaste women as patriotic (Hegarty, 1998). Promiscious female sexuality became a prime target during wartime (Hegarty 1998, 115). Acceptable male behaviour of the same period, however, included drinking, gambling, fighting, and picking up women (Hegarty, 1998, 121). Hegarty (1998) describes in society how the virtuous wife / mother and virginial daughter, devoted to domestic pursuits in their place the home is often presented as a symbolic measure of social stability (113). Sexually open women, in contrast, are considered deviant and refered to by negative language such as slut, whore, and prostitute. There are few negative words in the English language that refer to a sexually open man. Male virgins are often a subject of ridicule in movies and television, whilst promiscious women have historically been portrayed in the media and in culture as destructive to individuals and society, and as spreaders of venereal disease (Hegarty, 1998). These gender roles, embedded in Western society and reinforced through family, authority figures, and the media, create social pressures that exert control over womens sexual activity. Whilst there has certainly been a relaxation of attitudes towards sex in recent decades, women are still expected to exert more restraint and control than men regarding their sexuality and sexual practices, and are more likely to be judged or condemned for sexual openness. Economic and political oppression is another way that female sexuality is controlled. In some cultures and countries, this is through political legislation or religious rules. For example, women in many Arab countries, such as Saudia Arabia, are not legally allowed to vote, drive cars, or own property (Berk, 1985). Religious restrictions in some Muslim countries even prevent women from wearing anything but a very loose garment or from uncovering their heads in public, lest they entice a man. This strongly portrays such reaction from men to womens appearance as the womans fault. Such practice occurs in Western society to a lesser extent, although not regluated by legislation. Victims of rape, for example, are often portrayed as enticingly dressed or loose in their sexual expressions as justification for such crimes (Butler, 1990). A number of countries with strong religious foundations for their governments also directly legislate birth control and abortions, thereby exerting political control over female sexuality. Many countries with Muslim or Catholic foundations to their government restrict the use of birth control and do not allow abortions for any reason (Butler, 1990). As such, these governments control female sexuality, as women must then be concerned regarding unwanted pregnancy, often curtailing their sexual activity. Men obviously do not face such issues, and are therefore less curtailed by such laws (Butler, 1990). Economically, unequal vocational opportunities and a social responsibility for housework place many women in a dependent state on the men in their lives. A woman with small children and little work experience, for example, is in a much more difficult economic condition to leave her husband or make decisions contrary to his wishes (Berk, 1985). Baxter (2001), in review of multiple studies on gender and housework , concludes â€Å"women do a much larger proportion of child care and routine indoor housework tasks than men, regardless of marital status,† educational attainment, or vocational duties (19). Such duties leave them in an economically dependent state, where their sexual wishes are often subverted to accomodate the men on whom they depend (Oakley, 1974). Acceptable expression of sexuality, therefore, becomes one that is either controlled by or designed to serve men (Butler, 1990). For example, pictures of attractive women provacatively dressed in popular magazines serve as both a reinforcement to women that their attractiveness to men is of prime importance, and provide men with stimulating pictures. Hawkesworth (1997) contends that many men would be happy to look at such pictures, but not for their wives or daughters to dress or portray themselves as such in public. As such, women are constrained to dress or behave a certain way at the bidding of men, not as a direct expression of their own wants or desires (Hawkesworth, 1997) Such social pressure, political and economic oppression allow not only control of womens sexuality, but of a more general control of women by men in society. As social systems were typically designed by men and with their best interests in mind (such as the wife staying home to serve her husband, whilst he participates in career and other interests and even equally employed women retaining responsiblity for many hours of unpaid household labour each week), the control of women and keeping of them in their place becomes a need in regard to stability (Oakely, 1974, Hegarty, 1998). Expressions of women that conflict with such traditional power relationships, including that of female sexuality, therefore threaten both the fabric of society and the power position of men within it. REFERENCES Barnes, A. 2003. Social Work, Young Women, and Femininity. Affilia, Vol. 18, No. 2, Summer 2003, pp. 148-164. Baxter, J. 2001. Marital status and the division of household labour. Family Matters, Vol. 58, Autumn 2001, pp. 16-21. Berk, S. F. 1985. The Gender Factory. Plenum: New York. Butler, J. 1990. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge: London. Cohn, C., Weber, C. 1999. Missions, Men and Masculinities. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 1999, pp. 460-475. Connell, R. 1995. Masculinities. Polity Press: Cambridge. Hawkesworth, M. 1997. Confounding Gender. Signs, Vol. 22, No. 3, Spring 1997, pp. 649-685. Hegarty, M. 1998. Patriot or prostitute? Sexual discourses, print media, and American women during World War II. Journal of Womens History, Vol. 10, No. 2, Summer 1998, pp. 112-36. Oakley, A. 1974. Housewife. Pantheon: London.

The Church And Your Role Religion Essay

The Church And Your Role Religion Essay This essay will reflect on what arises from a Christian educational background with view to future Christian teaching praxis. It will focus on my appreciation of the topic at this point of time, canvass my views on the educational ministry of the church, and scrutinize my perceived role as a teacher within that framework. The educational ministry of the church can be defined as the manifestation of the combined facilitation of individual and communal development based on Christian life, and found to be expressed within a Christian faith tradition. It is a ministry based on Christs vision for humanity and the kingdom of God, and exhibits itself in genuine human development. It draws from its overall faith story and belief system with outcomes seen in whole people, relationships, communities, processes and structures. It is within this context that teachers in church schools and institutions are called to ministry.  [1]  Thomas Groome states. I propose that the biblical symbol that best expresses the overarching telos of being Christian and thus evokes the metapurpose of Christian religious education is the reign of God.  [2]   The role of the teacher in educational ministry is to further the nature of Christian education through informing, forming and transforming. Possibilities for the role of a teacher in educational ministry fall into six main categories.  [3]   These categories are as a bearer of the vision, as a story teller, as one who equips and empowers, as a gentle and persistent evoker, as a prophet and irritant provoker, and finally as a spiritual guide and companion.  [4]   In response to the bearer of the vision this role reminds and sustains the community through our lives of Christian action. The story teller relates to the power and purpose of Jesus parable teaching style. One who equips and empowers go hand in hand as they are closely related. The gently persistent evoker calls forth, as seen in the life of Tom Groome.  [5]   Moreover, the prophet and irritant provoker is often the content not the person with the parables designed to perpetrate this end. The spiritual guide and companion embody spiritual formation, mentoring, the selfhood of the teacher and an investment in the self. Accordingly, as stated by Dr. Deidre Palmer, the self speaks  [6]  for we teach what we are. Overall the role of the teacher in educational ministry is to express a dedication to ministry within the church. This is actioned through teaching the Word in scripture and tradition, and by witnessing as part of a community of faith, hope and love. Furthermore, it is achieved by worshipping through prayer and liturgy as much as by caring for human welfare.  [7]   What is your vision for Christian education in and through the life of the church? My vision for Christian education in and through the life of the church is defined by its attention to the life giving presence of God. This entails the fostering of a belief in Gods love and revelation. Christian education will endeavour to nurture vibrant, passionate, dynamic communities which embrace the on-going active presence of God in our world.  [8]   Christian education of the future will be characterized as being a ministry within the church. This necessitates schools and institutions being central to the missionary vision of the church. They will be in constant interaction with the local faith community and other educational bodies and services, as well as the local and universal church. The forthcoming Christian school and institution will be defined as a place of learning. Education will be shaped and nurtured by Christian philosophy, will possess a clear enlightening vision and be manifested in valued, goals and outcomes that are aligned. Christian education in and through the life of the church will be defined as a community of care, and place where individuals belong, are welcomed and nurtured. While reflecting respect and dignity for each person, the school will provide an inclusive and supportive environment in which each person can develop knowledge skills, attitudes and values. It may be characterized by an inclusive and outreaching culture. The Christian school and institution will embrace the inclusive model of learning by being an open, relation-centred community which respects all. It will be an environment where quality teaching and learning occurs, being shaped and directed by a philosophy based on Christian living. Overall, Christian education will be defined by its practice of continuous improvement through renewal. Learning institutions will renew themselves through action and reflection with informed educational priorities and processes. It will be a place of edification and erudition for the communitys young and a source for enrichment and development for societys seniors.  [9]   What are the strengths that you expect to bring to the role of teacher, and what are the areas that you most need to work on in developing your role as teacher in educational ministry? The relevant strengths that need to be brought to the role of teacher are a demonstrated commitment to a Place of Learning through educating the whole person, recognising developmental stages and individual differences, providing a relevant curriculum within a Christian context, nurturing life-long learning, fostering links to the broader community and reinforcing positive partnerships. The areas that need to be worked on in developing the role of the teacher in educational ministry are advanced by the undertaking of relevant professional development. This may be realized through supporting growth in the sacramental consciousness of the whole educational community and the promotion of academic excellence. In conclusion, the intention of this essay has been to reflect on what arises from ones Christian education background with view to the praxis of Christian teaching in the future.  [10]  Subsequently, it can be seen that Christian education commences with the individuals relationship with God and the manifestation of Jesus through the person to the community as a whole. Importantly, faith must be lived in order to throw light into the souls of those darkened by secular insecurities. Moreover, that the educational ministry of the church is the demonstration of the joint efforts of individual and communal growth based on Christian life, and articulated within a Christian faith practice. The role of the teacher in educational ministry is to foster the character of Christian education through informing, forming and transforming. As Jack Seymour notes in Mapping Christian Education, Christian education is a conversation for living, a seeking to use the resources of the faith and cultural traditions to move into an open future of justice and hope.  [11]  

Tupac Shakur Biography Essay -- essays research papers

Tupac Shakur 1971-1996 Born: June 16, 1971 in New York, New York, United States Died: September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Ethnicity: African American Occupation: Rap Musician, Musician, Actor "Don't shed a tear for me ... / I ain't happy here / I hope they bury me and send me to my rest / Headlines readin' murdered to death."--from "If I Die Tonight" on Me against the World (1995) BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY With his tattoo-splattered physique, piercing deep-set eyes, and shaved head, Tupac Amaru Shakur came across as middle America's worst nightmare, the darkest strain of hip-hop. To fans, Shakur was only "thuggin' against society, thuggin' against the system that made me," as he once rapped. Like some other rappers, Shakur was criticized for his sexist lyrics He celebrated his mother, Afeni, but was equally capable of debasing women in his music. The contradictions hardly ended there. In his last video, "I Ain't Mad at Cha," Shakur--newly arrived in Heaven--saluted an old friend for quitting the "thug life." In "Only God Can Judge Me," Shakur foresaw death bearing down on him, yet seemed unable to tolerate his rival, The Notorious B.I.G. and B.I.G.'s mentor, Sean "Puffy" Combs. Shakur's "Hit 'Em Up," the last single issued during his twenty-five-year lifetime, set new highs of profane rage against B.I.G., who was later gunned down after Shakur's own untimely death. Yet millions of fans found something meaningful in Shakur's troubled life and lyrics, like a thirty-two-year-old Detroit accountant buying her first Shakur album. "I've never supported that kind of music," she told the Detroit News, "but there was something so tragic about the way he died ... It's almost like I'm looking for answers." Politician Jesse Jackson also tried to explain Shakur's downfall and apparent appeal, telling the Los Angeles Times: "Sometimes the lure of violent culture is so magnetic that even when one overcomes it with material success, it continues to call." Acting bug bit early From his June 16, 1971, birth in New York City, Shakur's life read much like an epic melodrama. His mother, Afeni, and father, Billy Garland, belonged to the Black Panthers, a militant group dedicated to achieving racial equality. Just two years earlier, in 1969, Afeni and then... ...'s murder, "just a sad, ugly feeling, very creepy, very hollow," he said. "No art, no life, just ashes." Larger-than-life Vibe chief executive Kevin Clinkscales, however, advised fans against anymore "rumor-mongering," which he found disrespectful to Shakur's family. "These are not comic-book heroes," he told USA Today. "These are real people." That said, however, most agree that Tupac Shakur has won the larger-than-life immortality he craved so much. The sightings and resurrection theories place him in a select club that includes the late Kurt Cobain, Doors singer-poet Jim Morrison, and Elvis Presley. On that score, fans need not fear, as poet Nikki Giovanni acknowledged in her own tribute, "All Eyez on You": "don't tell me he got what he deserved he deserved a chariot and / the accolades of a grateful people / he deserved his life." Nor did Giovanni stop there, getting her own "Thug Life" tattoo to honor Shakur's memory, telling the Chicago Tribune: "Young black men are in a holocaustic situation." So long as that persists, fans insist, Tupac Shakur's musical legacy will be hard to deny.

Recreating the Brain :: Biology Essays Research Papers

2001: Recreating the Brain Perhaps one of the most interesting and least understood aspects of neurobiology is human consciousness. For many, this "experience of self" (an aspect of consciousness which will be used interchangeably with consciousness in this particular paper) defines what it means to be human. Personality and emotion, and their connection to the experience of self, can yield insight into creating artificial intelligence that can mimic conscious human brain function. By discussing the implications of consciousness in computers with artificial intelligence, the significance of the experience of self within humans becomes clearer. The challenge of understanding personality may be more easily surmounted by studying the significance of personality in relation to something else, in this case alcoholism. Alcoholism is a disease that affects millions of people and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors (1). Low self esteem and abusive relationships can lead to alcoholism in individuals who do not show a genetic tendency towards the disease. However, it is not necessarily the alcoholic's fault, or his/her family's fault, that the individual displays alcoholism. No one is destined to become an alcoholic, but it is true that a tendency towards alcoholism can be inherited. Alcoholism is twice as likely to appear in homozygous twins than in heterozygous twins (1). Children born to alcoholic parents, but brought up by non alcoholic adoptive parents, are three times more likely to develop alcoholism than the natural children of the adoptive parents (1). However, many children of alcoholic parents never have to battle alcoholism themselves (1). Therefore, it should be viewed as a disease that individuals can be predisposed towards, much like diabetes or hypertension (1). Personality traits also seem to have a role in inheriting a tendency towards alcoholism (2). Some researchers believe that, using personality traits, they can predict with 80% accuracy which individuals have the capacity to develop alcoholism (2). This implies that individuals who manifest these personality traits are most likely genetically predisposed to develop alcoholism at some point in their life. So individuals are genetically predisposed toward personality traits as well. This interplay between genetics and personality traits brings up an important point, the exact definition of the word "personality". Careful inspection of the common use of the word "personality" illustrates that it holds different meanings at different times. When an individual refers to someone else's personality, they refer to that person's tendency to behave in a certain way.

Unrestricted Capitalist Development and the International Monetary Fund

Unrestricted Capitalist Development and the International Monetary Fund: Their Economic and Social Effects on Buenos Aires. Argentina The day is Friday, December 21, 2001. After three days of massive riots the city of Buenos Aires looks like an abandoned battlefield. Its grand palm-lined avenues are strewn with burnt-out shells of cars, smashed glass, rocks, and twisted furniture. Unemployed people, pensioners, and women with babies climb through smashed supermarket windows searching for any food that looters left behind. Most banks and shops are closed, and dazed people wander the streets, confused and fearful of their nation’s state of affairs (Arie 11). The â€Å"battle† started on Monday, December 17, with massive food riots and looting of trucks transporting food, led by thousands of poor families. The Argentine government said there were 20,000 looters in Buenos Aires alone, as citizens broke into stores and smashed shop windows, stealing items including food, clothing, and toilet paper (Gardner 9). Food riots erupted in the working-class belt surrounding the capital, such as Lanus, as well (Rohter 6). Television footage from Rosario, a city northwest of Buenos Aires, showed more than one hundred slum dwellers descending on an overturned cattle truck and slaughtering the animals with sticks and knives so they could carry off chunks of meat (Abel 20). Silvia Tebez, an unemployed 27-year-old mother of three said, â€Å"a few hooligans made off with television sets and the like, but by and large these were parents who were hungry, with no money and no hopes of obtaining any† (Rohter 6). Hungry or not, the government, headed by President Fernando de la Rua, attempted to control the rioters by instituting a sta... ...State University of New York Press, 1987. Rodriquez, Alfonso. â€Å"Argentine Food Riots End, But Hunger Doesn’t.† The New York Times. 24 December 2001: 18. Rohter, Larry. â€Å"Argentine Food Riots End, But Hunger Doesn’t.† The New York Times.23 December 2001: A6. Soriano, Alex. â€Å"Argentine Police Smash Protest by Workers.† The Montreal Gazette.19 April 2002: 12. Sparr, Pamela. Mortgaging Women’s Lives: Feminist Critiques of Structural Adjustment. London and New Jersey: Zed Books Ltd., 1994. U.S. government. 12 April 2002: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook. Valente, Marcela. â€Å"Labor-Argentina: Workers Give New Life to Abandoned Factories.† Inter Press Service. 19 March 2002: 1-3. Ximenez, Daniel. â€Å"Argentina People Throw the Bastards Out.† Labor Notes. 22 February 2002. http://www.labornotes.com.

B2B – Product Marketing Plan.rev1

The vison of the wool manufacturing sector of Australia is to expand its export sales to emerging markets in the ASEAN region. Emerging markets are those of the developing countries with high demand on basic raw materials for clothing manufacturing and other industries related to uses of fiber, plus the corollary products from the same category of industry. Emerging markets maybe from developing countries, rather than highly developed ones. The mission would be to penetrate these emerging markets, create a foothold with the right liaison procedures and obtain long term contracts for wool, wool products and its ancillaries.The main objective is to increase the export revenues of the wool manufacturing sector, thereby contributing to the GNP and GDP of Australia to improve per capita income and to generate more employment. The specific objectives are: a. To find out the trade channels of emerging markets in the ASEAN Region and penetrate these markets. b. To develop the right strategy how to penetrate these emerging markets and establish long-term trading activities with the same. c. To research more uses of the wool fiber as raw material, whether in bulk raw wool or thread wool or fabric wool.d. To involve foreign investors as allies in the development of wool fiber for new uses of wool and its corollary products mentioned herein. e. To secure a captured market in exchange for foreign investments. 1. 1 Sales Objectives The general sales objective is to establish a continuing and growing demand for export sales of wool, wollen products, probably new developed products out of wool, and corollary wool products, e. g. sheep meat or lambchops and sheep leather. The increase in sales may not actually mean increase in profitablity in the short term.It is the long term objective that is the main focus in order for sales projections to be drawn with ease and followed. Long term projections can only be done if investment-marketing contracts can also be drawn with the prob able buyer of the manufactured products. It would be an investment laden project, such that the need for investment can be specifically pinpointed in terms of machinery, labor, working capital and project costs or, in order to find out the specific uses of the capital investment.From there, the Return on Investment (ROI) or the Return to Equity (ROE) can be calculated and deemed to be viable or feasible to Autralian preferences. Thus, the sales objective considers the long term viability of the project and determines what level of equity the Australians should allow any foreign investor to come in and intervene in the wool industry. 1. 2 Product Positioning There is no substitute for a high quality, optimum priced product and consistent supply and these factors must be the position of the products.In order to elaborate further the market position, it is best to enumerate the products that may come from the wool industry, expound the charecteristics of the products and analyze where it uses would be. Thereon, there could be research and development (R&D) to improve the product so that there is value added when it is sold. a. Bulk Raw Wool Fibers Bulk raw wool fibers maybe classified. The usual process starts with sheering, washing, bleaching, drying and bailing. Then there can be classifying, perhaps, into which batch comes from a more mature or younger herd of sheeps or known sheep varieties.Another way, which would need R&D, is to find out how to separate the long fibers from the short fibers. Then the method of classification can be into long and short fibers. Machineries can be designed to seggregate which fibers are long or short. Both kind of fibers can be wooven into fabric with different characterics and long fibers can be an additive in matress production for car seats. In Europe car seats have organic fibers as substitute for foam cushions, and is already a regulation. Foam cushions produce toxic fumes when it burns in case of accidents.b. Wool Thread If and when wool can be seggregated into long and short fibers, there can also be two kinds of threads produced. Short fibers will produce thread with short elasticity because the spinning process produces a more fine textured thread. Long fibers will produce thread that is more elastic, which is wool’s characteristic and has been accepted by users of this thread. Fine thread from wool can become a new product which can be compared to cotton thread. c. Wool Fabric When wooven into cloth, long fibers make the cloth stretchable.The stretchable fabric is usually used for insulation such as sweaters and blankets, the main finished products of wool. Although standard woolen fabric is good insulation, it has a charcteristic very distinct from cotton cloth. The wool fibers are a bit abbrasive and may induce allergy or itchiness to human skin and is generally heavier than cotton fabric. Should there be fine thread from short fibers wooven into wool fabric, then the outcome would be fine and lighter cloth, which can become a versatile material in sewing clothes.Definitely, this range of product development needs R&D. d. Sheep Leather Sheep skin can be processed into leather to manufacture rubber shoes. China and Korea are becoming top producers of rubber shoes. Those countries could be the target market of sheep leather if it were tanned in Autralia. Thus, tanning sheep leather can become a side manufacturing concern of the wool industry. Cow and kangaroo leather from Australia is already known in the world market. It would not hurt if the sheep leather market can be developed.Rather than disposing sheep skin as fertilizer, it may be manufactured into leather. e. Sheep Meat or Lamb Chops It is only logical that there is consistency in the supply of raw materials for wool. Thus, backward integration to produce wool becomes an inevitable factor when there are plans to expand the wool market. Therefore, sheep production, which Australia is also known for, becomes an integrated portion of the wool export industry. Sheep are proliferous and multiply like goats and there will be surplus of sheep in terms of number of heads if the wool industry were to expand.Lamb meat can become one of the ancillary products of the wool industry and capacity of processing plants for fresh or even canned sheep meat must be ready when the market is developed. 1. 3 Product Objectives It is best to enumerate again what are the probable export products derived from the wool industry: short fiber raw wool, long fiber raw wool, fine wool thread, ordinary wool thread, lamb chops/sheepmeat, and sheep leather. The overall product objective is to enhance the development of products manufactured from the wool sector. This sector starts from the livestock production of sheep, an integral part of agriculture.Wool must not be the only product that can derived from this industry. In terms of short and long fibers that need R&D, new machineries may have to be brought in. This c ould be done by asking foreign investors to conduct the research, design and fabricate the machinery themselves. The machines needed would pertain to milling machines, weaving, and knitting machines. If China were the choice of partnership, it has already developed its machineries for weaving and knitting. It may be the milling machine that should be designed in order to segregate the short and long fibers before milling into threads.The threads may be further processed so that the texture could be close to or the same as silk, a well known Chinese fabric. In any case, innovation should come in so that the end products becomes a new one and will probably have its place in the fashion world, which is very big business. Should this happen, there will be curiousity from European buyers, thereby creating a damand, as the capital of fashion is in Paris, France. This would expand the manufacturing sector thereby generating more employment for the locales.In terms of sheep meat, blast free zing and cold storage facilities upgrade may be needed for the expansion of the industry. Foreign investors may also be invited. The same protocol may be applied to sheep leather manufacturing. The machineries acquisition can be negotiated such that it may come in the form of a loan, whereby, part of the payments would be in the form of manufactured products the machineries would churn out. In general, the direction of this concern is towards expanding the manufacturing sector in processing, increase employment, generate export revenues and foreign investments.1. 4 Pricing Objectives General market re-entry, just like pricing, is an art. The general pricing objective is to retain optimum profits that would benefit the industry in the long term. The volume of business may compensate the optimum profit margins when the demand for the manufactured products increase. The pricing should be generally lower than competition. This would attract foreign manufacturers to buy the wool and wool en products. When it comes to leather, the pricing should be comparable to hog leather (e.. g. Hush Puppies use hog leather).Only when if it becomes a fad and is highly sought for, should sheep leather prices be increased to a maximum level. Shoes are a basic necessity too. Leather bags and luggage may not be a necessity and fashion trends may dictate the demand for these leather products. When it comes to sheep meat, prices should go lower than that of pork or chicken prices as cheap food is a sign of progress. Generally, product innovation should be one of the largest factors in product objectives. It is a fact that wool has been a fabric since the medieval ages and is outdated.Sheep meat has been a staple food to some countries but has not been promoted as a low cholesterol meat. Sheep skin could have been used only as insulation or rough clothing during the medieval ages also, and not as leather for shoes and bags. Innovation is altering the product so that when it is used or co nsumed, it is new and attractive. Thereon, consistency in supply and quality again should be sustained. Lastly, when innovation is implemeted, the product or products has to pass the taste and preferences of the target market. Test marketing can be done through the trade envoys in the various embassies.That wold be part of promotion and advertising already. 1. 5 Retail Objectives As previously mentioned, one of the objectives is to sell the products to wholesalers and not go into direct retailing. The fibers of bulk wool, and wool thread may be sold to textile mills suppliers. The woven fabric may be sold to textile wholesalers whose down the line customers are tailors, haberdashers and manufacturers of apparel. The leather can be sold to large leather wholesalers. Lastly, the meat can be sold to a main office of a chain of grocery stores. 2. 0 SWOT Analysis of the Products a.Short and Long Wool Fibers in Bulk, Fine and Ordinary Wool Thread, and Fine and Ordinary Wool Textile Wool f ibers and products are unique in a sense that it provides better protection against cold weather. It is organic in nature and does not come from synthetic resins. It has been known to be the source of textile since production in Europe started. Clothing sewn from wool generally cater to residents of temperate and artic countries. Australia, because of its vast grazing lands can produce sheep in voluminous quantities assuring the consistency of supply. These are the strengths of these products.The weaknesses of wool products is that Australia’s geographic position is far from temperate and artic zones that are most populated, no market. On the side of the globe where Australia is located, the most developed market is Japan. Europian markets are not that accessible due to the distance which would increase freight costs. Another weakness is the acceptability of wool sewn clothing. Though fabric from wool make good blankets, its acceptability seem to be outdated because of the em ergence of felt and other cotton like materials that are also thick and provides good insulation from the cold.Blankets and sweaters are the most sewn apparel from wool, with the introduction of thicker textile substitutes, the demand for wool decreased. Another weakness is in terms of the acceptability of the fabric when in contact with human skin which may induce allergies. Lastly, the fabric produced is heavier in terms of weight, than other fabrics. Opportunities lie in the current and biggest emerging market, China. China is about 2 billion in population. China is an aggressive market because it has positioned itself in the ASEAN Region with trading agents and its strategy has become an open trade policy if proper liaison can be done.With very cheap machineries fabricated from the mainland, it may be possible to negotiate the R&D portion for the bulk wool fiber. The biggest threat comes from its largest competitor, cotton. Cotton is light and is very variable in terms of sewing clothing. Countries producing cotton are located near the tropical zone and are positioned nearer the emerging markets than Australia, meaning the freight costs are cheaper. b. Sheep Leather The strength of this product also lie in Australia’s capacity to produce it in bulk and it may come out cheaper than cow leather.The opportunity lie in the huge market in China and Korea for leather and it may mean the introduction of the product at the right quality, quantity and price to garner this market. As earlier mentioned, China and Korea have been manufacturing rubber shoes. The threat is again is in its competitor, cow leather, and Australia’s own leather production may be the same culprit. Balancing the export of the leather products, whether it comes from cow, kangaroos or sheep might be hard to implement if there is over production. c. Sheep Meat/Lambchops The strength of this product lie in the consistency of production.With the vast grazing lands in Australia and it s agriculture technology, sheep production has become comparable with cow production. Australia has gone into export of lamb meat during the mid 90’s, but has not fully developed the market potential. Australia is also known for its beef supply, though sheep meat has already been marketed (e. g. Philippines), the market forces somewhat gave the impression that supply is inconsistent. The weakness of this product is its acceptability because of its semi-pungent odor and knowledge has to be transferred to those who would cook it.Sheep meat, the same with goat meet, has to be processed or seared with heat first before it is cooked and the process is just simple frying of the exposed surfaces. There is a very large market opportunity for this due to two (2) given and existing circumstances: (1) there is growing consciousness about the carrying capacity of bad cholesterol of pork, chicken and beef, and (2) Muslims do not eat beef and they tend to shy away from pork as customary pr actice, instead, goat’s or sheep’s meat is preferred. The Muslim people and Chinese (because of the large population) in the ASEAN would also be in need of food.The opportunity to develop the demand for lambchops or sheep meat exists. This is a very large opportunity because there are large Muslim populations also in the same region. Mindanao in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have a significant number of Muslims in their populace. Sheep meat has threats from cheap pork and chicken meat (beef prices are very high). Producers of pork and chicken in the ASEAN have been in the doldrums too because of the high cost of feed ingredients but once in a while there is glut in these particular markets when the U. S. and Canada dumps its excess production into the ASEAN region.The nations where excess are dumped generally protect their producers by imposing high tariffs for these products and this may also pose a threat if sheep meat becomes a lot cheaper than prices of pork or chicken. 3. 0 Strategies The brand positioning of wool, woolen products, sheep meat and leather may take the low key, low profile stance at first. Raw material from Australia, final product made in China or Korea. Australians may, might as well take advantage of the cheap labor from these manufacturing countries, and should allow the same to manufacture the end or final products such as shoes and apparel.When it comes to sheep meat, it could carry an Australian brand since there is no other large sheep production in the region. The market entry or re-entry strategy can be to invite Chinese investors to conduct the R&D portion for the short and long fiber segregation. Let them develop and fabricate the machinery then buy the machinery from them with the intent to supply the manufactured fibers to them also. With fiber segregation, comes thread production, then textile milling or fabric production. The Chinese have already machinery for these and it could be included in the package.It may revolutionize Australia’s textile industry. The practice of machinery acquisition in exchange of manufactured end product or raw materials have already been done by the Chinese in Thailand and the Philippines. To exemplify, vapor heat treatment plants for mangoes were put up in Thailand in corroboration with a private company and the Thailand government, provided the Chinese will buy the entire mango produced. In the Philippines, decorticating machines for coconut fibers were loaned to a government agency in charge of the coconut industry, provided all the fibers (whether short or long fibers) were bought back.Thus market entry or re-entry is possible with the Chinese, to supply the R&D, needed machinery, and provided all the produce would be bought back. The general strategy for market expansion is to let foreign investors come in and put up their own plants to manufacture the mentioned products herein, provided they market the products themselves. Sal es strategy advertising is easy with the global upgrade in information technology. But, for the general public to be aware of emerging new policies of trading in Australia could require direct advertising in television and newspapers.This could be done through the trade consuls of the embassies of Australia in the countries within the ASEAN Region. The strategy for product positioning can be generalized to be generic sold products at first, and then acquire a brand name later on. This could probably mean that the goods are traded are in bulk status. 3. 1 Sales Strategies For market segmentation, the particulars could be Japan, China, and Muslims from the ASEAN Region. It would be better to cut off the supply with Japan first, let China enter.Market forces should be monitored for control and market research. China has several retail outlets in key cities in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagasaki, etc.. ). For Muslims, which would pertain to sheep meat marketing, trade consuls can offer counte r trade measures to promote the product. Counter trade means there is no change hands of currency but plain barter. This is usually done on a government to government (G-to-G) basis. Stratety in distribution would be in terms of volume. The best would be to allow China to buy all, as this has been their practice with other countries.Slowly remove the Japanese market and let the Chinese do the trading and networking, make the Chinese Australia’s allies in trading. Definitely there will be some unpleasant reactions with the U. S. and the U. K. with these move, thus the Australian government should be ready for this. 3. 2 Product Strategies The product strategies can come in terms of service and support. When the Chinese have decided to enter into Australian territories, they might as well have some incentives like free trade zones, less tariffs for machineries, dedicated warehouses and maritime discounts in berthing their ships.This can justify adjusted lower FOB pricing rates and the high costs of freight.. 3. 3 Pricing Strategies Now that the general strategy is to tap China as an emerging market, at first FOB prices of the manufactured goods must be 5 to 10 per cent lower compared to its competitors. This should be done provided a yearly marketing contract can be inked with the Chinese. Chinese traders practice forard buying; which means that they might opt to buy the whole production for one year of a manufacturing plant, securing a low price and selling the manufactured goods when prices of the goods go up.This semi-monopolistic in nature but works very well if a company is into trading and has very huge capital base. Forward buying is very capital intensive. 3. 4 Retail Strategies The trends for market position of wool and its corollary products should start from the very basic step of the product chain that it can access abroad, the wholesalers. China is a wholesaler and bulk trader. The manufacturing sector of wool and other products must at first , take a stand that their final export product must give a privilege for better profit for the wholesalers as their allies.In the short run, this may mean that in order for the products to penetrate the retail market, other people outside the wholesalers network must be deplored and employed by the wholesalers themselves. It also may mean that the wholesalers that are buying the final export products could independently establish their own retail chains. Thus, the first position of the wool and other corollary wool products should be that of the wholesalers dominion. The next, and without violation of the terms and conditions with the current wholesalers, would be the retailing sector. 5.0 Budget The product marketing plan must come in phases; therefore, it would be hard to arrive at a fix budget for the total project cost of implementing the plan. Only in the first phase can a budget be appropriated for approval. The first phase would be to approve the concept and policies in the m agistrates of the Australian government and conduct advertising and marketing campaigns for the re-aligned trade and marketing policies through the embassies. TV and newspaper promotions would be the bulk of the cost of the campaign. Let us estimate the allocation at A$ 200,000.00 per country, targeting seven (7) countries; total estimated budget is A$ 1. 4MM. This can suffice buying airtime and newspaper publishing for one year. Additional single-liaison staff maybe hired in the embassies but the representation allowance should be flexible, as Chinese representatives are hungry for wine and dine related negotiations. 5. 0 Future Trends and Issues of Marketing Concern The future trends in the global market: more use of organic fibers and leather rather than synthetic substitutes because of the characteristic that synthetics churn toxic fumes when it burns.In the last few decades when there was little awareness on accidents concerning toxic fumes, the trend was to use non-organic fib ers. But when research resulted to synthetic fibers as the source of toxicity, the manufacturing sector using synthetics has slowly reverted to organic sources. This is the same trend with foods and sheep meat as health food will become a fad. The future issues that may arise are that of capital flight to Australia from China, exchange rate fluctuations, currency retention in the partner countries. This can be addressed by lowering or totally eliminating the trade deficits between partner countries.Whereas, Australia may buy Chinese machinery and equipment in return for a captured export market, at both profitable levels of operation, ROI’s and ROE’s can be internally kept a secret within and between both trading partners. 6. 0 Conclusion The product marketing plan designed herein to increase the export revenues of the wool manufacturing sector in Australia is to garner a corresponding increase in the gross trade revenues of the country as a whole. It must consider the balance of trade with the ally it will do the trading with.In terms of foreign investments, the trading partner, in this particular case it is China, Australia must be very cautious in the pricing of the machineries and the technology that China will bring in. Machineries and technology prices are hard to determine especially if the entity who would buy such were not involved in the actual design of the latter. Australia could only specify the technical data and the percieved or target outputs of the machineries. At any rate, technology is a fast maturing factor. New technologies emerge as the old ones are still being used.It may be that the cost at the start would be very high, but as the machineries depreciate, the technology depreciates and so with the cost. Further, the after sales service agreement with the Chinese for the machineries could be designed in a such a way that the acquisition of spare parts and other necessary materials to run the machineries can be less costly. T hese would all depend on the transparency of the trading partner. The logic behind it is that both partners should make enough profits from a sustainable industry and the profits should be declared as transparent as possible.This is the very reason why the long-term goals are the focus of the product marketing plan. The rest of the strategies can be adjusted along the way if the plan implementation should follow another path and not as intended. The planners can think of 1,001 strategies and can implement some of them after the planning stage. When implementation diverts from what has been as planned, alternative strategies could be applied. The best thing that could happen is to be right the first time, during implementation. References: Agdayemawer, M. L. (1992). International marketing strategy.Jaipur, India: Printwell. Alexander, P. , Earland, C. , & Hudson, R. F. Wool : its chemistry and physics. Argy, F. , & Committee for Economic Development of Australia. (1992). A long term economic strategy for Australia : key policy themes : an Australia that works, a vision for the future. Melbourne, Vic. : Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Argy, F. , & Committee for Economic Development of Australia. (1993). A long term economic strategy for Australia a discussion paper. Canberra: CEDA. 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AltaPointe Health Systems Company Essay

Define a value chain and the significance of the center of gravity. Please also provide an example of a value chain from your place of work or from a company that you have researched. A value chain is a set of activities that are associated together that start with raw materials from suppliers, then goes to a set of activities in which are involved in marketing a certain product, and then ends with providers developing the final properties to the vital purchaser. Value chains can usually be split into two parts: upstream and downstream. The upstream deals where the company begins, how it develops, and what it produces. Then, downstream starts with where the goods, for example, are being transported and how it distributes to suppliers. A company’s center of gravity is the most important part of the company and what the essential proficiencies are. It is usually where the company began, according to Galbraith. It is also where the company stands the strongest. In other words, whatever may be there strongest suit is what the company’s center of gravity is. My company that I work for, AltaPointe Health Systems, can be used as an example of a value chain. AltaPointe Health Systems is a community based company that provides services of mental health to consumers that are struggling mentally and/or patients that are struggling with substance abuse issues. We have two hospital facilities (for adults and children), many residential homes, and also outpatient services. Since the primary focus of a value chain is to study the company of value-creating events, AltaPointe’s surfaces around one primary vision and that is psychiatry. Our value chain starts with having patients who come in (voluntary or involuntary) who are mentally ill or abusing substances. They tell us what is going on and our psychiatrists make an analysis based on their assumption of the patient’s sickness. They decide whether or not our facility is right for them (especially if they come in voluntary). Our doctors and nurses have daily activities with them; whether it is group sessions or one-on-one with the  social worker and doctor, decide what is causing their problems, and make a decision on what is the best way to treat them. The patients then stay for however long it takes to get the patient stable and on the correct medications, and then send them onto our outpatient facilities where they will see a doctor once a month. In this case, our materials that we need to carry on our facilities would be: beds, medications, and supplies for nurses and staff. Activities that are involved in keeping our services are: having mentally ill patients that need psychiatric help and pay to come see us. Without them, we would not be a company. As far as distributors getting the final goods: in our case, it would be our patients getting better and having our name talked about in an extremely good way to the community and other communities near us. If we have happy patients, we will have a successful business that keeps running. Our CEO also works with Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa, which is another psychiatric inpatient facility. Businesses like these, are what helps us to stay open and help one another out. In what ways may a corporation’s structure and culture be internal strengths or weaknesses? Look at your organization, and analyze its structural and cultural strengths and weaknesses. How can the weaknesses be improved? There are three basic types of organizational structures. They are simple structures, functional structures, and divisional structures. Simple structures don’t have any product categories and is designed for small organizations. Functional structures are for medium-sized companies that have several products. Lastly, divisional structures are for large companies that have many product lines in different industries. A corporation’s structure can be a company’s strength and/or their weakness. If the correct structure is developed correctly, then the business can grow and thrive like it should. If the wrong structure is built, then the company could have problems operating correctly. A corporation’s structure has to get its strength from the foundation, because without the foundation you don’t have anything to build on. Based on these three structures is how you want to choose your foundation for the company/business. However, if you do choose the wrong structure, then the business could fall apart because people will not know what their accurate role is within the organization. It is almost  as if everyone would get confused on what they should be doing. Corporate culture is where the beliefs, expectations of a company, and values come together within members of the organization and is passed on from one group of employees to another. A strength of culture could be the organization’s ability to relate with one another and able to get along and be civil with other employees. It is also to have the respect of values that the CEO and other leadership members have for the company. Weaknesses would be the exact opposite. If employees do not understand what the culture is for the company or do not show respect to it, it could make a company fall really fast. Employees are a huge part of a company and without them, you have absolutely nothing. They have to have the ability and want to have respect for others and the management team. For the company I work for, our organizational structure would be a simple structure, because it is a small organization. Our internal strengths would include having the right management. I believe we have top workers that are our chief officers and are able to make excellent decisions. They are always on top of the issues that need to be worked out and help manage the Board of Directors meetings. Our foundation has always been a good one and they keep our company running in good condition at all times. Our biggest structural weakness is our employees not knowing where they stand within the company. Our top managers have difficulty with relating to our other employees whom are not in top management. We have so many employees that work within the hospitals that include: nurses, behavioral aides, security, etc., and our chief officers or hospital administrators do not take the time to try to see if they have any needs or concerns within the company. This is where our company starts making mistakes. This could be an easy fix by making sure our managers take the time to speak with them. They need to start having meetings with other employees and ask what their ideas are and what needs to be improved. As far as cultural strengths, ours is following expectations. Our employees might not like it sometimes, but they know what our CEO expects out of them. They know they cannot call in sick every time something goes wrong and they know their number one priority is the patients’ needs. Our cultural weakness is definitely communication and feedback. If something  goes wrong within one of our hospitals, it is because there was a lack of communication or someone did not speak up when they needed to. This is when the patients start getting ill and irritated. It is completely unnecessary. If our employees would care a little more about what maybe could go wrong, and communicate more than what they are doing, everything would be a lot different.