Native Land Claim in Canada

Table of Contents Introduction Historical basis of land claim in Canada Proposed solutions Nature of conflict Application of post colonial concepts Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Land is an essential part of life among all indigenous people (Simons et al., 77). It encompasses the entire use of territory including forests, rivers, mountains, water bodies among other natural resources.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Native Land Claim in Canada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The unique relationship that exists between the indigenous people and the land often makes their rights to land vital for their survival, cultural values and identity (Simons et al., 77). Consequently, colonization of indigenous territories affected the aboriginal people with most of the colonizers gaining ownership of their land which rendered them landless forcing them to lead nomadic lifestyles. The late 1960s marked the beginning of the modern era of law and policy pertaining to aboriginal rights and titles in Canada. In 1969, the white paper addressing Indian Policy was published (Canadian Encyclopaedia 1). This paper proposed the repeal of Indian act and the demolishing of department of Indian affairs. The white paper further outlined that any unique rights possessed by aboriginal people had been submerged in the flow of history hence making such rights irrelevant. The white paper propositions were out rightly rejected by the native Indians, Inuit and Metis and this led to the suspension of the white paper implementation two years later. Following the resistance of the natives to the new regulations, the government of Canada embarked on vigorous reconsideration of the legal, political, and cultural aspects that governed the lives of Indians, Inuit and Metis. This significantly contributed to the definition and protection of the rights of aboriginal people in Canada. The country took various positive steps towards achievement of greater native control of policies and resources. Currently, land claims are adequately dealt with where the rights of the aboriginals are upheld (Canadian Encyclopaedia 1). The process for land claims in Canada is relatively slow with hundreds of claims still pending. Negotiations often incorporate provincial and territorial governments and other third parties who aim at resolving the conflict arising between the two social groups. Negotiation process is formally based on legal concepts with issues of contention ranging from land titles to aboriginal rights.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The process aims at promoting social and economic equality in the modern Canada in addition to solving the social conflict of resources. The settlement often takes the form of cash compensation, return of ancestral lands or rights to self governments (Canadian Encyclopaed ia 1). Historical basis of land claim in Canada Under the Royal Proclamation of 1763, an unspecified track of land currently referred to as Canada was allocated for use to the aboriginal people- Indians, Inuit and Metis. The proclamation forbade unauthorized purchase and possession of the same land by non native settlers and foreigners (Canadian Encyclopaedia 1). However, immigration by other people into the region led to establishment of treaties with some of the Indigenous people which legitimized settlement and ownership of the land by immigrants and colonizers. The countries gradual occupation by foreigners has continued for over four centuries making the indigenous occupants of the land to be the minority groups in the country. This has led to marginalization of the aboriginal people which has posed a threat to their culture as well as their existence. Possession of land by foreigners was facilitated by native people voluntarily giving up their rights of possession to immigrant s, native’s loss of control of the reserve lands, and lack of request for allocation of the reserves by the natives (Canadian Encyclopaedia 1). The native people, most of who lead nomadic lifestyles have found themselves isolated to reserve regions with minimum access to resources that the foreigners enjoy. This has negatively impacted on the natives’ perception of themselves with the experience of being overrun by industrial growth, cities, and agriculture being substantially overwhelming. This has particularly impacted on those Mà ©tis, Indians, and Inuit who never signed the accords. Displaced and marginalized natives have increased their resistance against these forces which has led to the need for reforms in the country’s resource allocation strategies and the need to resolve the land claims. In response to the resulting marginalization, the native people sought to maintain their identity through aboriginal rights and native claims movements. These movemen ts became prominent in the 60s due to various reasons. The movements were highly influenced by increasing world wide concerns regarding the rights of minority groups across the world as well as environmental concerns (Canadian Encyclopaedia 1). Concerns also arose among the native people regarding the imposed education system which threatened to erode the native language and culture and served to alienate young native people. The system further influenced the perception of the natives on white man’s political and legal regime by justifying it. These concerns led to the native resistance movements in Canada.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Native Land Claim in Canada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Proposed solutions As early as 1876, the Canadian federal government established the Indian Act which created the department for of native affairs whose main aim was to ensure that the obligations signed in the treaty were adhered to (Planeswalker 1). The formulation of the White paper in 1968 which was aimed at getting rid of the Indian Act and other land treaties was thus met with a lot of criticisms with the aboriginal people responding in 1970 through the Red Paper (Planeswalker 1). This conflict led to increased need for the government to respond to the needs of aboriginal people. Due to constant opposition by the aboriginal people to any government strategies aimed at promoting the rights and freedom of the settlers, a provision was created which entrenched treaty rights to in the Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms (Planeswalker 1). Consequently, numerous land claims continue to be filed particularly in British Columbia as well as the North West Territories. Most recently, the country has taken positive steps towards greater native control of policies and resources evidenced by the establishment of Statement of Claims of Indian and Inuit people in 1973 and the office of the Nat ive claims in 1974 where tribal claims are dealt with (Waldman 259). In the early 1970s, the Canadian federal government sought to elevate the social status of native Canadians through formulation of a new policy that aimed at settling the native land claims and promoting their livelihood (Canadian Encyclopaedia 1). This policy outlined the Canadian government’s commitment to the fulfilment of the terms of the treaties and to negotiate settlements with native groups. Implementation of the policy required a lot of cooperation between federal, provincial and territorial governments and the native leaders. In 1974, Canadian government established the office of Native Claims which under the leadership of deputy minister, lawyers and researchers dealt with both comprehensive and specific land claims brought forward by the natives (Waldman 259). Specific claims dealt with troubles and complications arising from the running of the Indian accord, Indian finances among others. The aut horities sought to reach a settlement through active negotiation, administrative remedy, or court action which often led to land compensation.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, comprehensive claims aimed at resolving the conflict emanating from the traditional use and occupancy of land by the three aboriginal groups’ members who failed to sign the treaties but had continued to occupy the land for years. These claims were compensated in monetary terms, return of land, provision of specific rights and some form of local government. These solutions promoted wealth redistribution and promotion of equality among the two social groups. Nature of conflict The conflict arising from native land claim is a representation of social conflict emanating from unequal distribution of resources. Land acquisition by foreigners provides an opportunity for foreigners to enrich themselves while denying the native people a chance to utilize land resources for the advancement of their own socio economic goals. This serves to heighten the social gap between the native and foreigners which often results in a feeling of oppression among the native people. As proposed by Karl Marx, the most dominant conflict in society results from unequal distribution of material resources with those in power using these resources to exploit the poor. The decentralized nature of the Canadian government further serves to complicate the conflict resolution process due to the presence of complex bureaucratic procedures in settlement processes. The negotiation process has been continuing for a period of over two decades with the system having to adjust to national and international changes in communications, economy, value systems and politics. The economically unstable and politically volatile environment serves to further intensify the tension between the natives and foreigners. The dynamic nature of society has considerably slowed down the land claim process and numerous unresolved land claims remain pending. Application of post colonial concepts Colonialism brought with it the marginalization of ethnic people which led to resistance against this domi nation through many forms of active and passive resistance (Young 4). Resistance movements led to the winning of independence from colonial rule and balance of power in most regions. Independence further led to shifts towards formal empires which in turn required additional labour which was fulfilled through immigration. Immigration led to a blurred division between West and the rest of the ethnic groups but the power within these regions remained fully oriented towards self governance. The experience of land dispossession and landlessness was facilitated by the settler colonialism and it is historically the most difficult form conflict to resolve in most regions (Young 49). The struggle for native title has been a major concern especially for native settlers in Canada which has resulted in vigorous movements and campaigns for basic land rights embodied in the original declaration. The fight for land repossession is therefore a post colonial struggle which deals with the aftermath o f one of the most controversial yet a key feature of colonial power. Varying techniques been used in attempt to resolve the ongoing conflict in the post colonial period some of which are outlined below. Post colonialism entails the notion that nationalities of the three non western continents are often in a situation for subordination to Europe and North America hence promoting economic inequality (Young 4). It consists of the reactions, extensive analysis and the cultural context of colonialism and incorporates theories borrowed from philosophy, political science, sociology, and religion among other areas of studies. The native people in Canada lost ownership of land due to their nomadic lifestyles which led to the declaration of that land as ‘empty’ by the Europeans. Scholars have argued that the idea of nomadism can be extended to include all forms of cultural and political activity that transgress the boundaries of contemporary social codes (Young 53). This can be e xplained by the fact that nomads move across territories consequently operating as lateral resistance across borders in an attempt to defy the hegemonic control. Hence, the indigenous settlers of Canada may use nomadism strategy to secure the native lands. Some scholars have suggested that the process of land confiscation and appropriation from those who formally owned it can only be achieved through the concepts of territorialization, deterritorialization or reterritorialization (Young 52). Deterritorialization may take the form of three distinct typologies which include negative deterritorialization; the element of deterritorialization is subjected to some form of retteritorialization which in turn obstructs the line of flight (Swearingen 161) In the second type, deterritorialization is positive but fails to connect with other lines of flight while the third type, deterritorialization is presented in its absolute form enhances its ability to connect with the lines of flight leadin g to creation of new territories (Swearingen 161). Reterritorialization refers to the violent approach of colonial and imperial propagation of economic, cultural, and social transformation. It refers to the varying forms of reconnection of a deterritorialized element in line with other assemblage. Resistance to deterritorialization through land claim movements would enhance the native land claim process (Young 52). In addition, the government may natives may engage in combinative negotiation with the state which involves repurchase of land which was appropriated to the white settlers during their settlement in respective colonies in the 19th century and which are currently being abandoned as virtually worthless due to reduced productivity. The land can then be apportioned back to the native settlers in a bid to settle the land claims. Conclusion The history of Canada has been characterized by numerous attempts by the native settlers to reclaim their land. According to the land claim s, the land which was originally possessed by the aboriginal people under the Royal proclamation was acquired by immigrants and colonialist consequently marginalizing and rendering the natives landless. The government have sought to settle these claims through treaties most of which have proven unsuccessful in the past, monetary compensation, return of land, provision of certain rights among other strategies. However, most of the native land claims remain unresolved with the negotiation process often resulting in futile outcomes. Failure to resolve the ongoing conflict has resulted to increased attention not only from national and international bodies, but also from scholars and researchers who suggest that the land claims can be resolved through application of post colonial concepts such as reterritorialization and deterritorialization, nomadism, and combinative negotiation. Deterritorialization refers to a process that alters a set of relations consequently resulting in higher lev els of actualization. In cultural context, the concept has been used to refer to removal of people from certain locations due to continuous weakening of their culture and status. Since deterritorialization is often followed by reterritorialization, it can be used to resolve the persistent land claims in Canada. Works Cited Canadian encyclopaedia. â€Å"Land claims.† Historica Dominion, 2011. Web. Planeswalker, Mishra. The evolution of aboriginal land claims and treaties in Canada, Helium Inc, 2010. Web. Simons, Robert. Malmgren, Rachael Small Garrick. Indigenous peoples and real estate valuation, NY: Springer, 2008. Swearingen, James. Extreme beauty: aesthetics, politics, and death, NY: Continuum International Publishing group, 2002. Waldman, Carl. Atlas of North American Indian. New York: InfoBase Publishing, 2007. Young, Robert. Post colonialism: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. This essay on Native Land Claim in Canada was written and submitted by user Britney Jarvis to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Statistics and management sciences

Statistics and management sciences Free Online Research Papers Statistics is â€Å"The mathematics of the collection, organization, and interpretation of numerical data, especially the analysis of population characteristics by inference from sampling.† (The American Heritage ® Dictionary) â€Å"The collection, presentation, analysis and interpretation of the numerical data. The facts which are dealt with must be capable of numerical expressions.† â€Å"Statistics is a discipline which is concerned with designing experiments and other data collection, summarizing information to aid understanding, drawing conclusions from data, and estimating the present or predicting the future.† (The University of Melbourne) The word statistics originated from Latin word â€Å"status† meaning â€Å"state†. Earlier it was identified solely with displays of data and charts pertaining to the economic, demographic and political situations prevailing in a country. Even today a major segment of the general public thinks this way. However gigantic advances during the twentieth century have enabled statistics to grow and has made it important as a discipline of database reasoning. WHAT IS MANAGEMENT SCIENCES? Management science (MS) is the discipline of using mathematical modeling and other analytical methods, to help make better business management decisions. A management science is the application of scientific techniques that enable managers to make better decisions. Good decision-making can enhance the efficiency, productivity and profits of business firms. Management Sciences techniques are applied in many business functional areas, including supply chain and logistics management, inventory control, quality control, operations planning, production scheduling, sales forecasting, financial management, enterprise data mining, and customer relationship management. For instance, mathematical models can be used to create dependable flight schedules and crew shifts for airlines. Quantitative techniques can be used in deciding on service centre location, controlling production, or implementing statistical quality control in manufacturing companies. These techniques can also be used by service organizations such as banks, hospitals and investment firms to increase productivity, to provide better services to their customers and to increase prof its. In this era of technological advancement in information technology, management sciences makes extensive uses of information technology to effectively model and solve large and complex management problems. RELATIONSHIP OF STATISTICS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES The statistics plays a very crucial role in the field of management science. It is practically in practice in the organizations. The management’s main responsibility is to make logically sound decisions and the base of the decisions is the data that depends on the work and the statistical tools. So the statistical is inevitable for the business. Role of statistics in management sciences is discussed below: 1) HELPS IN MAKING SENSE TO NUMERICAL INFORMATION Every manager operating in business environment requires as much information as possible about the characteristics of that environment. The most important thing is that majority of information required is of numerical nature for example interest rates, stock market prices, money supply, market demand strength, an auditor’s concern about number and size of errors found in account receivable etc. These information in raw form are impossible to comprehend fully. Statistician’s role involves the extraction and synthesis of the important features of a large body of numerical information. One objective is to give sense to numerical data by summarizing in such a way that a clearly understandable picture emerges. At some places simple and straightforward numerical or graphical summary is sufficient whereas at times you need to employ heavy artillery of formal techniques to provide a good basis for deeper analysis. QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT The world marketplace has faced immense competition over the past few decades. An international revolution in quality and productivity improvement has heightened pressure on economies. In order to survive the need is to mobilize workforce for continuous commitment to quality improvement. Improvement is possible knowing the current standards of quality provided and surveying what is required. At this stage, statistical skills in the collection and presentation of summaries are required. MONITORING ADVERTISING CLAIMS The public is constantly bombarded with commercials that claim the superiority of one product brand in comparison to others. When such comparisons are founded on sound experimental evidence, they serve to educate the consumers. Not infrequently however, misleading advertising claims are made due to insufficient experimentation, faulty analysis of data, or even blatant manipulation of experimental results. Government agencies and consumer groups must be prepared to verify the comparative quality of products by using adequate data collection procedures and proper methods of statistical analysis. HELPS IN REMOVING UNCERTAINTY Statistics does not deal with question of WHAT IS but of WHAT COULD BE or WHAT PROBABLY IS. At a time when assertions are made its not possible to tell surely of what is going to be the truth. This means that there is element of uncertainty. For example: The price of IBM stock will be higher in six months than it is right now. If the federal budget deficit is high as predicted, interest rates will remain high for rest of the years. Although an analyst may believe that anticipated developments over the next few months are such that price of IBM stock is likely to rise over six months period, he or she will not be certain of this. This means that this possibility exists but to what extent or how much more likely to rise? This is answered with the help of statistical probability tools. SAMPLING Before bringing new product in market, a manufacturer wants to arrive at some assessment of the likely level of demand, and a market research survey may be undertaken. He wants to know about potential population of all buyers. However, it is prohibitively expensive, if not impossible, for a typical market research survey to contact every member of that population. Rather a small sample of population members will be contacted, and any conclusions about the population will be based on information obtained from sample. The technique of sampling large population is largely used in business. For example decisions about whether a production process is operating correctly are based on the quality of a sample from its output. When we have information on a sample from population, it is generally straightforward to summarize the numerical sample data. However taking a sample is merely a means to an end. The objective is not to make statements about the sample but, rather, to draw conclusion about the wider population. Thus an important problem for statisticians involves the extent to which it is possible to generalize about a population, based on results obtained from a sample. RESEARCH ANALYSIS Statistics studies possibility and nature of a relationship between two or more variables of interest. For example, what would be effect of 5% increase in price on demand of automobiles? Economics says other things remaining same an increase in price brings decrease in demand. This theory is qualitative. It does not tell us how much demand will fall. Now we must collect quantitative information in order to assess how demand has responded to price changes in the past. Now we will base our assessment on premise that what happened in past is likely to be repeated after proposed current price increase. Objective of using numerical information is to learn something about the relationship between the variables of interest. Procedures for analyzing relationships are possible only through statistics. FORECASTING Reliable predictions are needed in business. Investment decisions must be made well ahead of time at which a new product can be brought to market, forecasts of likely market conditions some years into the future is desirable. For established products, short term sales forecasts are important in setting of inventory levels and production schedules. In forming economic policy, the government requires forecasts of likely outcomes for variables such as gross domestic product, unemployment, and inflation etc. Forecasts of future values are obtained through the discovery of regularities in past behavior. Thus data are collected on past behavior of the variable to be predicted, and on the behavior of other related variables. The analysis of this information may then suggest likely future trends using statistical tools. DRAWING INFERENCES FROM TOOLS The tools and techniques that compromise business statistics include those specially designed to describe data such as charts, graphs and numerical measures. Also included are inferential tools that help decision makers draw inferences from a set of data. Inferential tools include estimation and hypothesis testing. The inferential tools includes two things the estimation and hypothesis testing. ESTIMATION In situations where one would like to know about all the data in large data sets but it is impractical to work with all the data, decision makers can use techniques to estimate what the larger data set looks like. The estimates are formed by looking closely at a subset of the larger data set. HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT Once the decision maker identified the important variables in a situation and established the relationship among them through logical reasoning in the theoretical framework the decision maker is in a better position to test whether the relationship that have been theorized do in fact hold true. By testing these relationships scientifically through appropriate statistical analysis or through negative case analysis in qualitative research we are able to obtain reliable information on what kind of relationships exist among the variables operating in the problem situation. The results of these tests offer the decision maker some clues as to what could be changed in the situation to solve the problem. Formulating such testable statements is called hypothesis development. INTERPRETATION The results is interpreted in the light of the limitations of the original material. Too exact conclusions must not be drawn from data which themselves are but approximations. It is essential however, that the investigator discovers and clarify all the useful and applicable meaning which is present in its data. FACTOR OF CARELESSNESS ELIMINATED Human beings cannot go through life without making mistakes, but should be reduced to a minimum. Factor of carelessness is eliminated by the use of statistics in business decisions by managers. MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONS Companies are organized on basis of functions performed by them and that is why they are referred as functional organizations. Organizations perform three primary functions of finance, marketing and operations. Their secondary functions include maintaining accounting record, human resources management and information systems. Statistics help managers convert data into information which in turn plays a critical role in decision making. CAPITAL BUDGETING Capital budgeting is the process by which a firm generates, analyzes and selects the projects that it will invest in. The most important issue addressed is composition of firm’s product line. Once a product is developed its financial feasibility is a must to be examined. Revenues and costs associated with the project are also important to be known. The probability concept is helpful in dealing with uncertainty surrounding the projected values of future cash flows. SUCCESS OF PROMOTIONAL TOOLS Promotion is final component of marketing mix. A company must communicate with consumers to inform them about the company and its product and make them buy the product. Promotional tools available to achieve these objectives include advertising, public relations, sales promotion and personal selling. Statistical methods can be used to help assess how successful these tools have been in generating sales. LOCATION ANALYSIS AND LOGISTICS A critical decision for any firm is where to locate its production facility, storage center or retail outlet. The circumstances that effect location decision depend on type or facility. A variety of statistical techniques can be employed to help make the decision of choosing appropriate location as per requirements of business. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Project evaluation and review techniques and critical path method are management science procedures that help control and plan large scale projects. Probability distributions such as the normal distribution are applied in this topic. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT People related decisions by a firm are dealt in functional area of Human Resource Management. It involves activities such as recruitment, training, performance appraisal, compensation and motivation. The HRM must forecast its needs in terms of number of employees required and their skills. If new staff is required then tests must be conducted to employ them on merit basis. The high scorers must be given priority over low scorers. Statistical tools can be used to assess the validity of these tests. Analysis of test results can also help to reveal deficiencies in the training programs. Periodic performance appraisal is important for making decisions regarding retention, compensation and promotion. Statistical methods can be used to assess the compensation program to determine whether it supports performance objectives. INDEX NUMBERS An index number is a statistical device designed to show changes in a variable or a group of related variables with respect to time or geographical location such as wages, income, prices, exports or imports etc over a period of time. Today it’s the most widely used statistical device. They are the indicators of inflationary or deflationary tendencies. Industrial production rising or falling, sales are higher or lower than the previous period are all disclosed by index number. CONCLUSION From the above mentioned heads, it is concluded that statistics plays a key role in the field of management sciences. Research Papers on Statistics and management sciencesThe Project Managment Office SystemRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export QuotasOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of India

A Problem Of Rivarly Through The Advertising

A Problem Of Rivarly Through The Advertising Is competitive advertising a good way to present your advertising of your product to the public? Diagnosis of the problem The problem is that the companies compete with each other through advertising and in the advertising they tend to criticize their competitors. Comparative advertising. When they start advertising in this way the start a chain reaction. The first company makes the first advertisement which criticizes the second company and they will react on this with a lawsuit. The third company will profit from this with their own advertising and lawsuits. And this results in bad advertising and a lot of lawsuits. If you look at this case you see that Burger king started with a comparative advertising. Burger King compared their hamburger with the hamburger from Mc Donalds. Mc Donalds reacted with a lawsuit. This gives Mc Donalds and Burger King free publicity witch resulted in Wendys reacting with their own lawsuit. Although this war of words give the companies free publicity it also creates negative publicity. The lawsuits also generates bad publicity and will reverse the effect the advertising had in the first place. The lawsuits creates costs which results in a higher selling price for the costumer. The costumer will not appreciate this and will buy less hamburgers (in this case). Which result in less profit for the company. In this case the companies in the end profited from the advertising war. But as I said in the last paragraph this is not always the case. The three companies showed an increase in sales after everything was over. People say that bad press is better than no press at all. After this case you can ask your self the question whether the companies had planned this war of words. I think that this is possible but highly unethical. I think that it is unethical because you mislead the customer. They get fooled by the information put forward by the fast food companies. In my opinion companies should be honest and ethical in their promotion. This is not the case here. I think it is not ethical to criticize a product from another company to promote your own product. Competitive advertising is in my opinion not the best way to advertise the product. I think that advertising should be positive. If you compare your product to that of an other company you give the advertisement a negative ring to it. You say that you are better that the competition. But you make the customer think about the competition at the same time. It is better to use only your own product and promote it through advertisements focusing on your own company and product. A positive advertising has more effect on the public than a negative one. In Belgium it is not yet allowed to use comparative advertising. This is with the intention to protect consumers but also competitive companies against unlawful advertisements. In Belgium it is seen as unethical and misleading to use comparative advertising. This is why something like the hamburger wars would not occur in Belgium. In Belgium they use positive advertising to promote their products. Fast food in Belgium Fast-food restaurants are defined as restaurants that are specialised in food that may be prepared and served quickly. Fast food is designed for ready availability, use or consumption. Food such as hamburgers, pizzas or fried chicken, that is prepared in quantity by a standardised method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere , are usually recognised as fast-food restaurants. Next to that we also consider the traditional Belgian Chips shops and the healthy fast-food restaurants as major competitors for Burger King. Sandwich bars (e.g. Panos), soup bars, Asian or other foreign food (e.g. WokAWay, pita, pizza, Thai or Chinese etc ) are getting more and more popular in Belgium. Still Mc Donalds and Quick would remain the biggest competitors in the fast-food industry of Belgium. Both of them are strongly present in Belgium, Food is a major component of the Belgian culture. This is evidenced by the fact that they spend about 20 percent of their disposable income on food and beverages. The Belgian fast-food franchising market is growing at an estimated annual rate of about 10 to 12 percent. Beside that, this sector is also one of the fastest growing sectors in Belgium (from 1997 till 2001). The fast-food concept is now beginning to provide an alternative format, especially for the lunchtime consumer, tourists and those on tight budgets. Strengths Mc Donalds Leader in Europe Ranked as 2nd in the hamburger market in Belgium. Mc Donalds restaurants highest concentrations are in the Flanders and the Brussels Central regions. Nowadays there are 56 restaurants in Belgium, of which 55 are local franchised (with a 24 franchise- owners in total). Play centres for young children Fast and friendly service, clean facilities, good food and an affordable price A strong brand image in the local community Environment-friendly (clean restaurant in-outside/ minimum fragrance and noise/ recycling, well checked detritus oil) Global knowledge Varied menu (hamburgers, salads, ice-cream, Mc Veggie, Happy Meal) Drive-in, Take-away Quick Market leader in Belgium and France The GIB Group has surpassed its original goal of having one Quick per one hundred thousand people in Belgium or one hundred Quick outlets for the Belgian population of ten million. Now 105 outlets. Quality of the ingredients (fresh bread, no genetically modified ingredients,) Application of the severe norms concerning food safety Respect for the environment (e.g. packaging) Total transparency against his customers A know-how in service for co-workers and partners Varied menu Quick Express service, which is a revolutionary concept that involves selling hamburgers on the streets to pedestrians Many Quick restaurants are located in the parking lots of hyper- and super-markets of the GIB group (GB) The use of Belgian meat for the hamburgers The benefit from their strong reputation of being Belgian Weaknesses Mc Donalds Has been a target for animal rights demonstrations over the past few years Has been the focal point of these economic frustrations resulting in protests, acts of vandalism Quick Only represented in few European countries and a few non-European countries (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Hungary, Morocco, China) No/low market share (except in Belgium and France) No really relevance in international experience Opportunities Mc Donalds In the next two to four years: multiply the current 64 restaurants to over 100 this implies the creation of 3,600 new jobs. They want to be more present in Belgium in the future, with 70% of McDonalds new investment in the Flanders region. Quick Advertising stunts / promos (free Maxi menus for everybody who comes in cowboy outfit including horse) New receipts for the next years Cooperation with Kinepolis (Reduction for Kinepolis members) The Belgian retailer GIB is researching several options concerning the future of its fast food chain of restaurants Quick. GIB owns 57.9 % of Quick, and is reportedly looking for a strategic partnership for its ailing chain. GIB is considering several options: it could be an operational partnership, or a financial partnership, or even one that offers both aspects. Several names of other fast food companies are already circulating, including those of Wendys and Burger King of UK-based drinks giant Diageo. Threats Both will deal with the following threat ; growing fast food franchising. More and more fast food restaurants will have possibilities (opportunities), not only the hamburger restaurants. Mc Donalds Quick is market leader in Belgium with 105 outlets Mc Donalds had planned to have one hundred restaurants by the year 2000. But because of a combination of high real estate costs combined and significant difficulties in obtaining site permits this has not happened. The big obstacle remains the one of the labour cost issue. In labour intensive restaurants, the problems of job classification and minimum wages have the effect of increasing labour costs. Quick No awareness outside Belgium, France and Luxembourg No/low market share (except in Belgium and France) Less financial vehicles then their competitors Difficult years till 2002 (different years of crisis). 2002 was the year of recovery Despite the fact that Quick is the largest hamburger chain, American companies have set the pace in the Belgian fast-food market. Fast-food only represents about 5 percent of restaurants sales, which means that the Belgian fast-food sector still lags behind many of its European neighbours. This could be seen as an opportunity for expansion, as Belgium diversifies its traditional eating habits influenced by increased population mobility in a changing Europe. Next to that, Belgium has one of the highest percentages of inbound franchises as a proportion of franchise systems in the European Union, which helps to contribute to the strong competition present in the fast-food sector. Although the most popular fast-food items are hamburgers and pizzas, Belgians continue to have more healthy eating habits. There is a preference for sandwiches, soups, etc This is a result of the dioxin crisis of 1999; Belgians remain septic about food in general. Beside that Belgians are open for new eating concepts and are willing to support new fast food concepts. As the Belgians are having less time for lunch, a quick meal could be the ideal solution, taking into account their preferences. Articles promoting the health problems linked to fast food may have an important impact on social behaviour of the Belgian population (e.g. obesity, illness,). These well-known health problems are not really relevant for the Belgian consumer, because it is fact that the American eating behaviour is different from the Belgians, e.g less fat products, smaller portions, not as frequently visiting fast food chains. Also, Belgians are quite sensitive to the quality of food in general because of previous health dramas the last 4 years (BSE, Bird-plague, etc). It is important that people wont loose their faith in our quality labelled food. Environmental concerns are growing in Belgium; hence foods packaged in earth-friendly biodegradable materials make up a growing segment of the market. Next to that it is important for restaurants to state that the food they offer is not made from genetically modified ingredients. Operational problems increase because it is difficult to obtain planning permissions and licenses in Belgium. The labour costs are also excessively high. This results in a big disadvantage because fast food restaurants are labour intensive. It is of high importance to notice that Belgians believe in their Belgian national pride (as they are a small country). Belgians tend to perceive the United States as a culturally imperialist country. The biggest chance for a hamburger chain to enter the Belgian fast food market would be, offering a value added product in this market. Making each burger according to the customers wishes might appeal to this necessity. By doing this they distinguish themselves from other already existing chains like Quick and McDonalds Two possible niche markets might work; hamburgers at home and hamburgers booth on wheels for festivals (concept of hot-dog booth). This because home delivery is a service well accepted by the Belgians. Secondly, because Belgium is a festival country (Gentse Feesten, Rock Werchter, Beachrock, Pukkelpop, ). The two possibilities can give an added value to the fast food concept, taken into consideration that, extra precautions and new equipments will be necessary. Another possibility is positioning the hamburger restaurant near or at a petrol station or a railway station. The investigation ordered by Rik Daems, minister of Telecommunication and Government Organizations, pointed out some economical facts which might be of interest. One of this is the increasing importance of petrol stations within the Belgian out-of-home-market. The petrol stations are within that market one of the fastest growing segments. Shops, annexed to petrol stations have become strong values within the food service landscape. In these shops, the traditional assortment became broader with more (fresh) impulse articles that anticipate on the on-the-move eating behavior of actual consumers. (Bake-off, pizza, ) Belgium has one of the highest percentages of inbound franchises as a proportion of franchise systems in the European Union, which contributes to the strong competition present in the fast-food sector. Nowadays, Belgium has a high unemployment rate. This might be an opportunity for a new hamburger restaurant, knowing that each restaurant creates new job opportunities inside the region where it would implement (about 70 employees/ restaurant). There are three reasons why I think it is not a good idea for a new fast-food chain to enter the Belgian market. First because Quick and Mc Donalds are the key players in the hamburger market in Belgium. Second, the Belgian market is relatively small compared to other European markets such as Germany or the UK. Third, there are already too many fast food opportunities in Belgium. Nevertheless, if I really would like to play a significant role in the Belgian fast food market, I should think about some methods of strategy development. I could choose between internal development, M A or joint developments and strategic alliances. Mergers and acquisitions are out of the question, I assume that the key players, Quick and Mc Donalds, are not willing to give up their brand name to me a new fast-food restaurant. Joint developments and strategic alliances can be considered. My main reason for this strategy is the cost/risk spreading. The Belgian fast food market is very competitive and difficult. Therefore, I think that I should establish a joint venture, strategic alliance or partnership with other fast food chains in Belgium, e.g. with Panos or Carestel. Panos is present in the Belgian railway stations, known as Panos rail. Since there are just a few hamburger restaurants in the stations, it is an opportunity for me to be the first hamburger chain to be large-scale present there. Carestel, established on 40 different places along the high ways in Belgium and Luxemburg, offers breakfast, traditional Belgian meals, pasta, salads and sandwiches. Starting up a joint venture with Carestel would put me in a unique position to be present along the Belgian highways. The existing platform of Panos and Carestel can be used to accelerate the growth of the brand in Belgium and even across Europe. The size of Panos and Carestels operations and the availability of immediate locations will enable rapid development of a new fast-food restaurant in Belgium. The essence of a joint venture is the synergy effect of two different entities merging. Such an international business strategy will attempt to; solve many logistic problems such as access to good quality meat and other supplies, ease the access to the Belgium market, share risk with a local entity, and finally serve as a sign of commitment to the host government increasing goodwill. In addition, due to the complexity of many barriers to entry into Belgium, a potential partner with sufficient contacts/networks with government agency officials may smoothen the process of setting-up operations in the nation. The potential joint-venture partner should be large, well established, provide excellent distribution channels and have personal network access to government officials. It should also have modern equipment and a good management record. It is recommended that a partner is found by backwards integration. In other words, it is a good domestic meat supplier. In order to ensure total commitment and balance of power between the two partners, a 55/45 joint venture, with me as the dominant partner should be set-up. A joint venture will also significantly ease the entry to the Belgium market. In addition, local business customs and laws can be quicker understood and the local knowledge of culture, language and geography is beneficial for any entrant into a relatively unknown market. Concerning a joint venture with Panos rail, I see this concept more like one location where we are both present and where the consumer can choose between a sandwich or a burger. The reason for the shared site is only practical. Suppose a group of people coming for a snack but they have to be dining separately, is not nice. The consumer can choose in which section he wants to sit, even with a burger is should be possible to sit in the Panos rail area. The fact that the consumer is offered additional choices and varieties on one site is the major commercial advantage. For Panos this would be a unique opportunity to try this concept, and if the joint venture succeeds, Panos could implement this strategy in other European countries. Currently, they only have one franchise abroad, namely in the Netherlands along the A6 in a Q8 petrol station. I think that the best way of promoting my product when it is present at a railway station is in my opinion giving price reductions or free coupons to potential customers by combining the promotion with the train ticket. When a person buys a ticket they will get a coupon or something like that to persuade them to visit my restaurant and buy something. Concerning Carestel, situated along some petrol station on the Belgian highways, we can set up a joint venture. On the current sites of Carestel we could create a burger section and similar like in the railway stations, the dining area should not be separate. It is obvious that these restaurants only have to be established along the busy highways like E 19 Antwerp-Brussels, E 17 Antwerp-Ghent, E 420 Brussels-Charleroi, which is already the case for Carestel. In this case the promotion will probably be in the form of billboards present at the highway or at the sign of the petrol station. I will also try to establish an agreement with the petrol station for coupons and promotion related items to be placed at the counter to make the customers aware that I am there and to persuade them to visit me and try my products.

O'Brien and Szeman Critical Insight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

O'Brien and Szeman Critical Insight - Essay Example O’Brien and Szeman The concepts of O’Brien and Szeman show that there is a direct correlation between cultural expressions and the new possibilities within contemporary art. This begins with the understanding of techniques that are used with art and how this is beginning to transform. The first concept is related to ideas of language. In popular culture, this is beginning to transform, break down and alter into new expressions and ideologies. The approach taken is one which is defined specifically by new expressions that are combining disciplines. The idea of language is one which begins to move into concepts of how language can be expressed in visual arts, multimedia, dance and other concepts. Integrating this into artistic forms and developing a sense of hybridity allows individuals and the languages to move forward with specific concepts and to create a sense of understanding that moves outside of the traditional ideas of language and into something that is understoo d within popular culture. O’Brien and Szeman continue this concept with the ideas of signs, representation and discourse. The ideas of hybridity and ways in which these theories turn into new expressions lead into different areas of exploration. ... Instead of creating a representation that is based on a medium, the medium becomes a tool that is used with the representation or discourse that is being expressed. With this concept, one is able to combine different types of artistic works to move a step further with the representations that are being created. Critical Insight The concepts which are associated with O’Brien and Szeman are one of the leading changes that are occurring within the arts create questions based on how the popular culture and contemporary art turn into hybrid and interdisciplinary approaches. The concepts of hybridity that come from the main tools recognized by the two authors are only one of the components that are a part of creating interdisciplinary approaches to art. This is further transformed with ideas and representations which are based on exploration. The idea of exploration with the mediums and the arts as well as popular culture, is one of the defining points of art work. Without this, art ists wouldn’t be able to create and express what is needed. The tools discussed then become a way to experiment and interchange the ideas of discourse, signs or language used with the techniques that are related to O’Brien and Szeman. The main concept which is associated with the theories is one which is based on ideas of expression and creation. The most important challenge that is created is one that is based on how art can move forward in both terms of experimentation and in popular culture. Using techniques, such as certain mediums, as well as combining this with different concepts of practices, is one that is now becoming secondary. The question which is being

Film Critique of Titanic Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film Critique of Titanic - Term Paper Example Film Critique of "Titanic" Titanic, directed and written by James Cameron, generally is about an old 101-year old woman, who narrates her story to her female grandchild Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell and Anatoly Mikailavich. The story was set back in 1912, on April 10, on a ship that was called The Titanic. Rose, a young woman, boards the ship which was leaving with the first-class passengers, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, her fiancà © Caledon Hockley and her dear mother. In the meantime, a wanderer by the name Jack Dawson, an artist, and his close friend Fabrizio De Rossi succeed in getting third-class tickets to the ship after winning a game. The old Rose DeWitt gives a detailed information on the whole story from time Titanic departed until the it’s death of on its very first and final journey on the 15th of April, 1912 in the morning at 2:20. The artists, or rather filmmakers who were behind this movie include: James Cameron (producer), Pamela Easley (associate producer), Al Giddings (co-producer), Grant Hill (co-producer), Jon Landau (producer), Sharon Mann (co-producer), Rae Sanchini (executive producer), James Horner (responsible for the original music), Russell Carpenter (director of photography), Film Editing was done by: Conrad Buff IV, James Cameron and Richard A. Harris. Others include: Mali Finn (In charge of casting), Peter Lamont (production designer), Martin Laing (art director), Charles Dwight Lee (supervising art director), Michael Ford (set decorator), and Deborah Lynn Scott (costume designer).

Woodspurge Analysis Essay Example for Free

Woodspurge Analysis Essay â€Å"The Woodspurge† is a sixteen-line poem divided into four-line stanzas that describe a grief-stricken narrator in an outdoor setting. In his depressed state, the narrator emotionally observes the details of the woodspurge, a species of weed that has a three-part blossom. The poem’s first stanza presents a countryside and begins to suggest the narrators’s state of mind. The narrator is not walking toward a specific destination; he moves in the direction the wind is blowing and once the wind ceases, he stops and sits in the grass. The fact that his walking and stopping are guided merely by the wind indicates aimlessness and passivity The narrator’s posture in the second stanza indicates that he feels exceedingly depressed. Sitting on the grass he is hunched over with his head between his knees. This shows that he is insecure. His depression is so severe that he cannot even groan aloud or speak a word of grief. His head is cast down, as is his soul – so much that his hair is touching the grass. He remains in this position for an unknown length of time but long enough that he â€Å"heard the day pass†. In the third stanza, â€Å"My eyes, wide open, had the run† let the readers know about the sudden changes in his attitude. He finally accepts what had happened and knows that he has to move on. From his seated position, he says there are â€Å"ten weeds† that his eyes can â€Å"fix upon†. This reflect that he sees his problem and becomes aware of it. He realises that the â€Å"weeds† (his problem) are in his way and the hardiness of the â€Å"weeds† tells that the problem that he faced are hard to be rid of. Out of that group, a flowering woodspurge captures his complete attention and he is dramatically impressed by the detail that it flowers as â€Å"three cups in one†. The narrator attributes his depressed state to â€Å"perfect grief† in the final stanza. He then comments that grief may not function to bring wisdom and may not even be remembered. He implies that he himself learned nothing from his grief that day and can no longer remember its cause. However, â€Å"One thing then learnt remains to me†: He had been visually overwhelmed by the shape of the woodspurge and consequently, its image and the fact that â€Å"The woodspurge has a cup of three† have been vividly burned into his memory forever. Themes and Meanings Although the cause of the narrator’s sorrow is never specified, the poem was written in the spring of 1856 when Rossetti was in an anguished state. He was experiencing intense strife with Elizabeth Siddal over the issue of her desire for marriage. Rossetti was also tormented at that time about relationships with other women and what he perceived as lost of artistic opportunities. However, nothing in the poem points to these specific issues. By leaving the cause of the narrator’s depression unspecified, Rossetti gives universal expression to the psychological phenomenon of acute mental awareness and heightened sensation simultaneously with mental and emotional distress. Although â€Å"The Woodspurge† has a plant’s name as its title, the poem does not have nature, or even the woodspurge itself, as its subject. Nature does play an indirect role in the poem, but it is not the focus here or in other works by Rossetti. Both in his painting and poetry, the function of nature is to act as a background for the presentation of human action and emotion. The depiction of details from nature is not meant to draw attention to nature itself but to mirror an inner experience. In conclusion, â€Å"The Woodspurge† is about the narrator’s grief and that an insignificant detail or image can remain vivid after emotional pain is forgotten. It concentrates on creating emotional effect, accuracy of detail and the use of nature as a framework for the expression of the mental and emotional state of the narrator.

Social Work Essay -- Sociology, Social Division

This essay will discuss social divisions; social exclusion and social inclusion, of which there are many definitions and interpretations. Social divisions and Social exclusion has been around for many years. Social exclusion was first noticed in France in 1970s in relation to people who fell outside the range of the social insurance system, such as disabled people, lone parents and the young unemployed (Townsend and Kennedy, 2004). Before 1997 Social exclusion was referred to as ‘poverty’, which means where people lack many of the opportunities that are available to the average person (Palmer; 2010). However for the purpose of this assignment, it will focus on homelessness as a social division, the relationship between exclusion and inclusion, and how this relates to social work practice. Everybody in society is part of a social division. Thompson (2010) states that social divisions are complex and people are not only part of one group they are often part of other groups, for a example a asylum seekers can be linked with social divisions such as poverty, unemployment and homelessness. Asylum seekers can also be marginalised by language barriers. Supporting Thompson (2010) is Armstrong (2006) who stated in 1997, 4.8 million adults suffered from five or more disadvantages of exclusion. Social divisions are: class, race, disability, identify, gender and geographical environment, they are often problematic to individuals, groups and communities. Each Government which has come into power has tried to eradicate poverty, poor health, poor communities, discrimination and prejudice towards certain individuals and groups (Alcock, 2008). Social exclusion, which excludes people from society, can be categorised into people who are,... ...them (Dalrymple and Burke, 2006). Homeless people as already stated may have a number of disadvantages, one maybe a language barrier, English may not be their first language, therefore the social worker would find it useful to use an interpreter, which shows they value their cultural and want to help and support them. In conclusion the role of a social worker is increasingly significant when working with people who are socially excluded, due to multiple factors such as, poverty, homelessness, race, mental health and sexual orientation. The essay has shown how people are effected by how Government oversee the country and how they encourage social workers to follow laws and polices, they need to believe in social justice and have an understanding of social divisions, social exclusion and how it informs their practice and then how people’s lives are impacted.