General motors company

General motors company The overwhelming topic of this paper is without a doubt internationalisation; this process can be described as, the gradual increase in international market involvement a firm engages in within a framework of business and economic factors. Within this document I will describe the different theories and models surrounding internationalisation as a process, and how they can be applied to MNEs. The literature will provide a direct link to the actual processes the chosen company has gone through in order to internationalise. The chosen theories and models will be picked depending on their direct similarity and emphasis they hold, in comparison to the business methods that have allowed the company to expand to the level it is at today. A Bit About General Motors Company The United States (U.S) MNE General Motors Company (GM). Is one of the worlds largest automakers, tracing its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 235,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Golden, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Opel Vauxhall and Saab. In 2006 it sold over 9 million cars and trucks globally in 5 continents with a global market share of 13.5 %. Outlined below, are the main theories that I have found explain and express the best, the pattern and path my chosen firm has followed in order to well and truly be considered a MNE. Dunnings Eclectic paradigm which sets out to explain that foreign direct investment as a theory can be unified as long as the firms applying it consider the ownership, location and internalisation of the process that will produce substantial benefits if applied accordingly. This is also the case if the extent, the form and pattern of international production is founded on the juxtaposition of the ownership to specific advantages that a firms posses when contemplating foreign production. This is reflected in GMs move to manufacture most of its China-market vehicles locally, through its Shanghai GM joint venture. The eclectic paradigm has always recognized the importance of the locational advantages of countries as a key determinant of the foreign production of MNEs (Dunning, J.H., 1998. Location and the multinational enterprise: a neglected factor. Journal of International Business Studies 29 1, pp. 45-66. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (223)Dunnin g, 1998). This is reflected by the locational advantages that the area posses but it also offers GM a market seeking investment prospect. There are also plans to create a research facility in Shanghai for $250m to develop hybrid cars and alternative energy vehicles. Therefore GM follows a path suggested by Dunning to gain advantage in terms of competitiveness and cost by ownership in foreign market and aims to expand based on the initial success it has encountered. Initially, too, the eclectic paradigm primarily addressed static and efficiency related issues (Dunning, 1977), but more recently has given attention to the dynamic competitiveness and locational strategy of firms, and particularly the path dependency of the upgrading of their core competencies (Dunning). The Network Approach emphasises the industry as a system of networks, each firm within a network has relationships with customers, suppliers and other actors within their overall business circle. These relations are important competitive advantages which the network model also suggests the firm needs to take into account and evaluate. But not only its own position in the market in relation to its customers, but also the environment of that market in relation to others such as competitors, new entrants etc†¦ In order to study the internationalisation of a firm we need to understand the context in which it operates, such as, environmental conditions and the firms relationships (Madsen Servais, 1997). GM and Fiat formed a strategic alliance, with GM owning a 20% share in Fiat and Fiat SpA receiving 5.1% of GMs shares in exchange. Production and ownership have both been improved when a recent alliance took place under the form of two joint ventures (owned 50% by Fiat and 50% by GM) . The first will conduct purchasing activities, while the second will produce engines and gear equipment which is mainly aimed at cutting expenses. Hence GM has followed the network model to some degree as their joint venture come in terms of relations with Fiat. By collaborating they have reduced the cost and the innovation has resulted in new production techniques. Which gave both of them some degree of competitiveness as they have gained purchasing power as well as reduced cost in terms of purchasing from the suppliers. Firm-specific location advantages and high complementarities make the use of strategic alliances or joint ventures beneficial, whereas country-specific advantages point, in the case of market failure, towards inter-industry trade or wholly owned subsidiary (Moon 1997) Porters Competitive Advantage is the ability gained through attributes and resources to perform at a higher level than others in the same industry or market (Christensen and Fahey 1984, Kay 1994, Porter 1980). By producing goods of a higher standard whilst still using the resources attributed to the location, this results in a superior performance in that sector and yields a higher profit at no extra cost, ensuring survival and a prominent placing within the market. This is perfectly demonstrated by GM in their production of alternative-technology vehicles that include: hybrid vehicles, all electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles. All of the models mentioned target a premium price in the automobile market and due to the adaptability and the manipulation of already acquired resources and facilities, the profitability even in a market that has many competitors will override the associated costs of production. This process was based on an already successful business strategy that has be en tried, altered and integrated by the company in the past on similar types of innovative projects. A firms capabilities are a complex pattern of relationships between staff and resources that over time accumulate creating an in house knowledge database that is accessible on multiple levels and makes objectives such as innovation and market superiority a key element that maintains the firm at a high level within its market. Anything that can be moved or sourced from a distance is no longer a competitive advantage† (Porter, M. E. (1998). Location, clusters and the new microeconomies of competition. Journal of Business Economics (in press)..Porter, 1998p. 29). Uppsala Model is the theory that a company gradually expands its operations within its domestic market, firstly gaining knowledge and practical information before deciding on wherever to enlarge their initial operations a little further. These activities will in turn influence market knowledge and market commitment at later stages (Johanson Vahlne, 1977, in Johanson Associates, 1994). Knowledge is the key ingredient to internationalisation in this case, either objective knowledge that can be thought or experiential knowledge that can only be learnt through personal experience. After this acquired the expansion process will continue, overlapping into a foreign market preferably of a close geographic location with also similar cultural understanding. Before again, repeating the process until the optimal market placement for the firm is achieved. This particular internationalisation theory is probably the best suited theory for explaining the internationalisation process that resulted in the creation of General Motors Europe, that was created in 1908 only three years after the companys creation. Early starters can, if they are willing, directly enter large markets not necessarily neighbouring markets but markets culturally close to the home market (Hollensen, 2001). This leap frog effect, going from country to country either setting up joint ventures and strategic partnerships before moving onto more serious operations such as the acquisitions of Vauxhall and Opel in the space of nine years. Today they operate 11 production and assembly facilities in 8 countries, and employ around 64,500 people. Why I Chose GM As A Company To Demonstrate Internationalization For me GM was a perfect candidate to fulfil this assignment not only because it is situated within an industry that is represent well and truly on a global level but also due to the nature of the automobile industry and the pattern and high level of collaboration that takes place within it. There is also a historic background to the company, spanning over a century of knowledge in automobile producing that is rooted back in the industrial manufacturing sector for automobiles in the U.S Detroit Michigan. The brand recognition is still very strong in the U.S representing one of the big American corporations that has lasted for the good part of a century, which represents the spirit of capitalism that the country adores. This also obviously happens to be the main market that they have relentlessly continued to supply resulting in it being their prime customer. The rich history behind GM can be understood by the large amount of collaborations it has gone through over time. Internationalisation Within The Industry The American automobile industry is the biggest in the world in terms of number of cars manufactured and sold. The U.S. automobile market is saturated with the global car manufacturing companies however; the majority of the market share is occupied by domestic and Japanese companies. The outcome of this is a drop in the level of consumption as there are too many entrants competing in the same industry. Because of this decrease in consumption, the automobile industry leaders have been offering attractive incentives and lower prices leading to a loss in profitability. The world-class automakers are gradually expanding into foreign markets, as new emerging markets in China, South East Asia and South America are showing signs of sustainable economic growth. GM overseas operations were a method of diversifying themselves against the risks and uncertainties in their domestic market life cycle, by setting up new operations abroad multinationals can diminish adverse economic downturns. Most MNEs also follow a pattern that has often been laid out in front of them by competitors or similar sized companies that have adopted or mimicked behaviour that has been tested and proven to be success, if the right measures are taken when adopting it. For instance, it has been argued that organizations tend to imitate actions that have been taken by large numbers of organizations, because such practices are legitimized or their success is taken for granted (Fligstein; Haunschild; Haveman; Kraatz; Lewitt). This can also have an adverse affect on an MNE when entering a new market, leaving them less cautious and with a diminished aspiration towards growth, knowing that the chances of that market already being saturated and that the first come first served knowledge is already guaranteed not to be in their possession. This often happens when the specific market they enter does not suit their domain of expertise and experience, resulting in them investing much faster and with a lesser de gree of uncertainty that they would have usually applied. What Processes Lead To The Internationalization Of GM? GM has been involved in a range of global ventures aimed at extending their penetration and shares in the carmakers market and also increased its share of the sales. GM uses exports, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances to enter foreign markets based on business considerations. GM has also expanded its capabilities in manufacturing through technological competences. This was achieved by forming subsidiaries, strategic alliances and joint ventures with other automobile companies in different parts of the world. According to (GM Press Release, 2006), the company has been involved in a range of global ventures throughout its history, each of which has aimed at extending its market penetration. Partnering enables GM to rapidly expand its technical fields and brings that knowledge in-house transferring it to multiple levels within the business, even extending it sometimes to corporate issues. Through the various stages of internationalisation, GM was able to enlarge its distribution and provide access to essential materials. Additionally, the company developed and improved its operations, facilities and processes all of which have provided access to new technologies and a rich database of knowledge and new capabilities. GMs move to internationalise was mainly to reduce costs, attract a larger market and the creation of strategic alliances. The company strategically allied with Fiat in 2000 by acquiring 20 percent of Fiats equity to establish a joint procurement venture. With a split of 50 percent of the capital each, giving them a concentrated purchasing power of about $32 billion per annum, this alliance has the capacity to strengthen their bargaining power as well as reducing the supplier management cost. GM also moved production overseas, as the number of internal competitors grew too high in most of the emerging country home markets. GM needed to find a new incentive to manage a new market while remaining at low cost. A Typical MNEs Move Towards Internationalisation GM is a good example of an MNE which underwent internationalization whilst maintaining its position as one of the leading carmakers. It has also followed the theories laid out about internationalisation such as the typical way a company proceeds to penetrate and enter a foreign market. Firstly the firm will look at the options available and analyse what will be best suited for them considering the high degree of uncertainty and risk associated with entering an unknown market. One such option available to it is licensing, but it has to be assessed in a precautious way, due to the fact that they might be risking firm specific advantages by engaging in premature licensing agreements, this is also the least preferred of all three options due to the fact that there is a risk of knowledge dissipation. The only instance when licensing will be considered as a viable option is if the revenue generated from the licensee exceeds the cost of policing it. But also, if they do choose go for an ear ly licensing agreement it may be because their firms specific advantage is hard to duplicate or they have a tight control over the licensee, meaning that they would find it very hard and potentially dangerous to resell any kind of sensitive material to any potential competitor or a third party of any kind. The second option is the possibility that the MNE might only be willing to export at first if the demand of the local market is not high enough for them to want to engage in foreign direct investment and set up an overseas subsidiary, or they may also consider this as a possibly a bit longer down the line depending on the potential growth generated from initial sale patterns and the profitability a larger scale operation would yield. The exporting option also depends on the trade agreements, tariff barriers, taxes, transportation costs and quotas between the two countries involved which sub sequentially determine if the operation will be profitable or maybe another option should b e considered. GM Case Studies Below are two strong examples of how internationaisation has been reproduced by GM in two separate continents. The first is the case of General Motors do Brasil, which is GMs third largest operation outside of the U.S after being recently overtaken by China. In the beginning, the activities were in the assembly of vehicles imported from the United States. After five years, GMB officially opened its first plant in 1930 in Sà £o Paulo. Here we can see that exporting lead to the full scale creation of a production facility which was so successful a second one was opened 28 years later, thus resulting in Brasil being the main exporter of GM automobiles in the whole of South America. Breaking out of their domestic market and becoming an exporter themselves in a very short space of time and for such a large operation really does provide evidence that internationalisation does not spread from one point outwards with only one epicentre at its core but rather creates and distributes smaller nodes that in time expand themselves and repeat the process so on, just as how it is described in the network a pproach. Once the firm has passed the cultural barriers and had its first experience of foreign operations, it is generally willing to conquer one market after another (Carlson, 1966. S. Carlson , Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, International business research, Uppsala (1966).CarlCCarlson, 1966). The second example is when the Cadillac brand was introduced to China in 2004, starting with imports from the U.S, which then lead to the Chevrolet making its first appearance on the Chinese market one year later. They were then able to move production operations to their Shanghai GM plant which opened as a joint venture with SAIC in 1997, initially created for the Buick brand that is especially strong in China. In this case exporting was clearly used as a testing method for foreign products penetrating the Chinese domestic market, market-specific knowledge and general knowledge are important for a firms internationalization (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977). This also clearly outlines the typical way a company like GM would proceed in its internationalisation process, firstly by exporting a product that clearly had success amongst the local population which lead to the joint venture being formed and being able to produce the product on location for the domestic market. In 2007 the sales v olume for the Buick brand over took the sales in their original market the U.S, selling approximately 330, 000 making up 35% of the total automobile sales in the whole of China. The advantages that market opened up for them are truly extraordinary, when the Chinese started to manufacture smaller engines for their domestically made Buicks, the U.S saw the profitability and started importing them for a different model in their own market thus reducing the costs on both sites which really proves to be the sign of a mutual beneficial venture for both of them. Conclusion Internationalisation goes hand in hand with globalisation and they are both forever expanding concepts that due to their nature will continue to push from market to market to country to country feeding off the capitalist lifestyle we live under. The businesses that start to see internationalisation on the horizon will become smaller and more local as time goes by as all areas of business and trading will be linked some way or another. The number of small to medium enterprises will diminish and will start to become part of a wider group of companies belonging to a conglomerate which will in turn be associated with a number of other conglomerates. Internationalisation is fast becoming the process a company follows if it encounters any kind of success and is norm amongst businesses that expand their horizons.

Aspects And Subcultures Of Digital Culture Media Essay

Aspects And Subcultures Of Digital Culture Media Essay Today digital trends are increasingly connected with the world of culture and arts, involving different aspects of culture, media and information technologies, and influencing new forms of communication. This course paper will review 3 fundamental aspects and particular subcultures of the digital culture. The term digital culture includes 3 main aspects digital culture in videogames, in music and in the Internet. It also includes the vast array of subcultures that have grown up in the last years around these aspects. These new trends have deeply modified all of our day to day activities. In the Digital culture: pragmatic and philosophical challenges Marcelo Dascal speaks about the changes that are transforming the nature of international communication and are modifying the way in which we carry out research, engage in study, keep our accounts, plan our travel, and so on. This article depicts the changes in todays digital culture and that is why it is the article this course paper st arts with. The relevance of the issue is explained by the pace of technological evolution which is much more rapid than the cultural one. No one controls the direction that technological development is taking, it is directing us (Dascal, 2006) This phenomenon of the digital culture influences all the spheres of our life. Today people cannot imagine their lives without digital culture. In the work Youth culture, music, and cell phone branding in China (2005), Jing Wang admits that nowadays music, Internet and video games are all connected with each other. The article examines the place of music in an emerging youth culture. As for the games culture, this course paper will refer to Live in your world, play in ours (by Sheila Murphy and What is video game culture? Cultural studies and game studies by Adrienne Shaw. Besides, the course paper also relies on the work by J.A. McArthur A geek meaning of style (2008) that considers the culture today should be understood as an open and dynamic process that is based on interactive communication. It changes every minute. This means that digital culture is a living system that always changes. That is why it is interesting to discuss the so-called geek subcultures. The present research is a brief review of the articles and an attempt to define how the digital culture and subcultures are reflected in academic studies. This paper summarizes various aspects of digital culture in two steps. It defines three key aspects of the digital culture and demonstrates three main subcultures of digital culture. Aspects of digital culture In the study of digital culture one thing can be pointed out is the sociological aspect. Digital culture is considered to be a socio-cultural phenomenon. There are three main aspects in digital culture. These are video games, music, and the Internet. Video games It is possible to say that computer and man communicate. To the question How will man and computer work together? there is an answer: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦through speech. (Dascal, 2006) Today there is a tendency for the newspaper articles to point out that video gamers are not necessarily who we think they are. As one article asserts, the stereotype of the gamer as a glaze, incoherent teenage boy is wrong (Shaw, A. 2010) What is video game culture? Cultural studies and game studies, p407). In the culture the gamer identity is defined by technical proficiency, geek cultural capital and maleness. While the games that they play make up a wide range of genres there is little diversity among the gamers themselves. According to the data, released by the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), 62% of PC gamers are male and 60% of those gamers are under 36 years old (Murphy, 2004). Dovey and Kennedy (2006) define video games culture by the way of the major discourses used by members of th e video game development industry. Games culture isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a critical site, where discourses around technology, technological innovation, and technological competence converge with dominant conceptions of gender and race (cited in Shaw, 2010, p405) 1.2. Music Music is definitely an aspect of digital culture J. Wang claims according to a BRANDchild study nearly 50% of wired urban teenagers frequently download music from the Internet.(2005, p 187) Basing on this statistic data, no doubt it is important for the youth. We can even say that it has become a new way of communication communication through music. Today people all over the world buy music from iTunes and it is a major part of digital culture that is growing form year to year. The changes happen in music sphere extremely fast and the reason for that is the computerization of the modern world. Almost everybody has a computer and an Internet access, and therefore has unlimited (free or paid) access to music. Such an access is very convenient although uncontrolled. Besides, music has become mobile with the wide spread of portable phones and other gadgets. Mobile music is said to be the panacea that cuts across cultural borders, able to attract global cool youth. (Wang, 2005, p 188) Actually, the world youth prefer music, which is well-known in many countries, therefore music becomes international, no matter what language it uses. Gadgets are developing very rapidly, new mobile means and new opportunities for listening to music arrive. Music has become a field in which tastes and preferences have become more eclectic than ever before (McArthur, 2008) Transnational marketers consider music as the fastest way into the mind and soul of todays youths (Wang, 2005) It rarely needs to be argued that music is the global language of the Now Generation. Internet Of course, it goes without saying that Internet has changed the world we used to know. Today it is one of the main parts in digital culture. Such a global phenomenon as Internet culture has appeared thanks to development of the net and has become a social event in human history. The Internet today is not only huge quantity of computers, but also the improbable quantity of the people, for which network is an essentially new way of dialogue almost not having of analogues in the material world. (Silver, 2004, p 57) The Internet gave everybody a chance of self-realization in this vast space: digital youth subcultures can not be centered round musical preference. (McArthur, 2008) The Internet may be a new resource for the affiliation and expression of sub-cultural identity. It may serve as a place for sub-cultural development. Moreover, it is a place where some subcultures (such as hackers) are born. The use of the Internet as a resource for subcultures suggests that subcultures today are able to affiliate across location and time constraints. It is no doubt effective across time and space.(McArthur, 2008) Subcultures Gamers Video games have produced a variety of subcultures. Some authors look at games as a social practice. For example, T. Taylor (2006) describes an outline gaming culture as a social practice and a shared identity created in the game space. (cited in Shaw, 2010). In the gamers culture, subcultures are marked by their look, specific linguistic jargon, and a sense of solidarity. Gamers often wear clothing that reference specific games, comics, television shows, or movies that are not widely known outside of a small following (Shaw, 2010) One of the biggest subculture of video gamers in the world is the World of Warcraft Community. As Hackeleman (2011) claims: As game developers have strived to create engaging environments and immersive stories for players to experience, independent machine producers have taken an unofficial and sometimes controversial role by expanding the game universe from a different perspective: tinkering with the game engine itself. The demand for this type of user generated content has risen as the addictive qualities of games like World of Warcraft have stimulated the creation of vast social networks and thriving online communities that provide gamers with the ability to stay connected while outside the virtual space. (2011, p 2) To understand the size of the community one can look at its Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/warcraft) where 1,430,549 people (assessed on April 26 2011) claimed their affiliation with the game by following the games group page. According to the official website, more than 11 mln people play World of Warcraft around the world (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com) That is a size of a big city and if we bear in mind that they meet offline, buy different objects form each other and have their own language, they are a real culture, which is only one example of the video game culture. Many other communities of video gamers (such as Second Life, Sims Online, Grand Thief Auto Online) have their own subcultures which include almost 300 mln people playing online (based on estimate provided in Yahoo Answers). In different countries people have different attitudes to this. According to my observations, in Russia most of these players are thought to be computer geeks because they are different non-gamers and communicate with other gamers much easier. But when looking at the worlds most advanced video game culture South Korea à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is stressed that Koreans are very different from Americans because they treat pro-gamers as heroes, unlike U.S. sports culture that values real athletes. (Shaw, 2010) Music fans The next digital subculture which is considered is connected with the aspect of music. Studies of youth subcultures during the past 30 years have typically coincided with studies of popular music preferences. (Bennet, 1999, cited in McArthur, 2008. p. 58) There are many different music genres, which vary respectively to the style of music. For example, there are widely known rappers and rockers, but in modern world we commonly associate them more with their look and outfit, than the music genre. Those features, which show belonging to certain music style, allow to identify the typical representatives of different music subcultures. That means that there is not only music it is backed up with the different types of culture. One of the most influential musical subcultures existing nowadays is punk. From the Wangs point of view there are 2 types of punk-lovers: originals and wannabes. First group focuses generally on the punk music itself, while the other is more concerned about the fa shion code, and punk music is simply part of their lifestyle. This process went further so much that it has become common to treat punk as a sociological rather than a musical phenomenon from start. Punk is often considered as implementation of youths rebellious moods, but often their interest in punk culture symbolizes the search of band that will help them [students] say I am unique without making them look weird or socially unacceptable. According to Jing Wang, there is a so-called punk syndrome, which refers to the mentality, culture, lifestyle of punk-lovers. The typical representatives of this subculture are angry young high school kids, and the music is their way to show disobedience or the way to cope with the pressure they receive at school. In his article Jing Wang talks about several high school kids, who managed to pull through their entrance exams with the help of punk music. The anger of music, played with drums, bass guitars and songs performed in the aggressive or even shouting ways affects enormously peoples emotions. Online communities An online culture has developed as online social relationships have deepened and matured (Silver, 2004) The net is an accessible and user-friendly area in which subcultures can form, meet, and interact both in online and offline mode. Different groups of users appeared: anime geeks, hackers, flooders and etc. The Internet provides an opportunity for would-be members of cultural groups to seek out people who have similar thoughts to them. As Parker (1989) claimed computers have become a part of the genesis of a new crime from that has added computer programmers, computer operators, and electronic engineers to the traditional categories of criminals. (cited Turgeman-Goldschmidt, 2005). Hacking is a widespread international phenomenon, and hackers actions occasionally reach the media headlines. They are one of the most interesting subcultures that appeared on the Internet. According to Turgeman-Goldschmidt (2005, p 8) the hacker community is clearly male dominated and hackers are typically young adults. Moreover most hackers have no previous criminal record, are White and nonviolent, and come from middle- to upper-class backgrounds. The subculture can be divided in several communities of different type hackers. First ones hack the computer system to achieve fame jokers. Not likely to cause serious harm to the system, and express themselves making various humorous captions, viruses with different visual and sound effects (music, shaking or turning the screen, drawing all sorts of images, etc.) Next community type is professional crackers they carry out hacking a computer system to steal or substitute information stored there. They are characterized by systematic and organized action. The last ones are called vandals they carry out hacking a computer system to its destruction: delete data, create viruses or Trojan horses. But no matter what their type of hacker community is according to Taylor (1999, cited in Turgeman-Goldschmidt, 2005) there are six motivators for hackers : feelings of addiction, urge of curiosity, boredom with educational system, enjoyment of feelings of power, peer recognition and political acts. During his research Turgeman-Goldschmidt (2005) gives an explanation to each motivator in the hacker subculture. First of all, he says is the feeling for addiction to anarchy and anarchy is extremely entertaining. Secondly, their curiosity for hackers lies in the desire to learn and know as much as possible. Overall, it is stated that original hackers mostly do it not for revenue, but for the idea of free knowledge. They fight against Microsoft and help Linux in any way they find. They are trying to change the world the way the can, fighting with globalization, starting wars against the multinationals, and just by helping to find bugs in the anti-virus software. The considerable group of hackers regularly organizes hacker conventions. It operates a conference in Las Vegas which is annually visited by several thousand participants from all over the world from the U.S. to Australia. Each year the World Congress takes place in Germany is the of hackers, under the auspices Computer Chaos Club. CCC is a three-day conference on technology, society and the future of mankind. (Coleman, 2008) During these meetings hackers even manage to create their own outlook, own language, and made their own bible. For the hackers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ hacking is a new form of entertainment based on the play-like quality that characterizes the use of digital technology and is a new form of social activity. Hacking can be considered a new form of entertainment that could not have existed before the development of an adequate technology. (Turgeman-Goldschmidt, 2005) Today hackers became a wide dangerous subculture. Conclusion Digital culture is a largely modern phenomenon. It should be understood primarily as part of general culture, one of the most important aspects of cultural activity in general. There are many other subcultures in the digital culture, but my research is focused primarily on three most popular ones. These three subcultures demonstrate aspects, which are more or less typical for other subcultures, associated with digital culture. As for my experience, during the research I have found out a lot of new about aspects and subcultures in general to particular differences inside different type of subcultures. In general, it was unexpected to learn that every subculture consists of those who are original and those who are posers. Every subculture does have a group of people that are a part of it only because they adore how people of this subculture look like not even understanding the main idea of it. This can be proved by a subculture I have analyzed in my course paper punks. I did not know that there are so many posers that just like the outlook, not knowing the history, nor understanding the main idea of the subculture. Besides, I have never heard of the attitude towards pro gamers in South Korea. They are thought to be almost national heroes there. The interesting fact is that every year they have a championship, in which anyone can participate. It is as popular as watching the hockey matches in Russia. Special TV channels translate news for gamers and computer geeks, youths and aged watch the championship matches together. In result the winner gets a major gift from the sponsor (which reaches $500,000) and incredible respect. The amount of money for winning the tournament motivates people to play professionally from early childhood. As a result, different kind of gamers all together are a tremendous size subculture in South Korea. In Russia digital subcultures are just getting born because our Internet and technology evolution is several steps back from the United States of America or South Korea. But I am sure that in several years we are going to have our own specific subcultures that would be interesting to analyze. Drawing to the conclusion, it is necessary to remember that this issue is extremely complicated and it worth more research. It is always interesting to analyze people, there communications, and new subcultures that reflect current situation in the country. That is the reason why I plan to keep on my research work in a slightly different way after I finish this course paper to analyze the digital subcultures in Russia and their influence on businesses for the next course paper.

Essay --

The Apostolic Fathers are a group of Early Christian Authors who wrote between the end of the New Testament times and c. 150. J.B. Cotelier created the term â€Å"Apostolic Fathers† in 1672 as he designated five writers as ‘Patres aevi apostolici’, which translates to ‘Fathers of the apostolic age’. These authors didn’t come together on their own to create a group themselves, but were put together because of their writings by scholars. As a group, their writings teach us about early Christian struggles in the early second century when Christianity was still growing. These writings include The Didache, 1 Clement & 2 Clement, The Apology of Quadratus and The Epistle to Diognetus, The Shephard of Hermas, The Epistle of Barnabas, The Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch, the Epistle to the Philippians, and The Martyrdom of Polycarp. The Didache’s date and place of origin are uncertain. Researchers have narrowed it down to areas in western Syria, especially Antioch. They estimated the date to be around the first to second century. The Didache can be divided into four different parts. The first part is the Two Ways: The Way of Life and The Way of Death. The second part is describing rituals of baptisms, Christian prayers, and the Eucharist. The third part is rules on receiving wandering apostles and prophets. The fourth and final part is about electing officials such as bishops and deacons. The next is the 1 Clement and 2 Clement. 1 Clement was a letter from the Church of Rome to the Church of Corinth. Iranaeus dates 1 Clement to have been written around 95-97 AD. Although he doesn’t claim that Clement is the author, some historians name him as the author. 1 Clement was sent because the Church of Corinth had replaced its elders in office with... ... the story of his death in twenty-two chapters as a letter from the church in Smyrna to the congregation of Philomelium. â€Å"The execution of Polycarp is particularly significant in early Christian literature because of the framework that it provided for later depictions of the deaths of faithful followers of Christ† (Jefford 2005, 19). The person who witnessed Polycarp’s martyrdom was Everestus. This letter suggests that Polycarp and Jesus lead similar lives. They both prayed for the safety of their followers, hosted a final meal, and betrayed by someone close to them. The Apostolic Fathers were a group of authors that wrote about what was happening with Christianity at the time of their lives. Some authors are known, and some are still unknown to this day. All of these texts help us to learn about what early Christians went through in different parts of the world.

Egypt Essay -- Egyptian Politics, Economy, Culture

Egypt 2 Egypt is a very important trade country to its surroundings. Egypt has one of the most interesting rivers in the world called the Nile River. Its is three hundred and eighty-six thousand square miles four times the size of the British Isles. (Wilkins Frances 1999.). Approximately the size of Texas and New Mexico put together There year of independence is 1922. (Worth & El-Naggar 2010) There highest point of elevation is Mount Catherine of two thousand six hundred and twenty-nine meters. The lowest elevation point is Qattara Depression, which is one hundred and thirty-three meters. The natural hazards do Egypt are earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity, windstorms called Khams in, dust storms, and sandstorms. (Birgeneau Dean. 2002). Egypt’s is a small country located in Africa. It is in the northeastern part of Africa next to the Mediterranean Sea and Red sea. Its surrounding countries are Libya and Sudan. Its absolute location is twenty-seven degrees north and thirty degrees east. The total area surrounding is one million four hundred and fifty square kilometers. The land could fit three New Mexico’s inside. (Britannica Encyclopedia 1995.) Egypt can divide into elevated plateaus and low plains. There are many places with ground water discharge also. (Cultural Gram). The most fertile land in the world is along the Nile River. The Egyptians all relay on the river to there everyday needs. In the city Alexandria there is the largest seaport called Port Said. This is located along the Mediterranean Sea. The land in Egypt is very arid. (Wilkins Frances 1999.). Egypt is divided into four regions. Number one is the Nile valley and Delta. Number two is the Western desert including Mediterranean Sea. Number t... ... from using their Egypt 7 river as much as possible. Egypt has a very strong trade connection with coastal countries along the Mediterranean and Red sea. Also has a strong trade with its neighboring countries. Yes Egypt may not like to share the river but it brings in good profit for their whole Country. (Foreign Affairs 2010) Most Egyptians prefer a relaxed and quite life. They are very patient people Characterized by the word Ma alesh which means â€Å"don’t worry†. This term helps the people dismiss concerns or conflicts that are not that serious. They are emotionally expressive which helps in their poor conditions. Society is a serious debate battling for the hearts of the Egyptians. Rural men wear gallabeyya to long clock like dresses. All women must not show any skin but the eyes. There country is very protective and understanding. (Cultural gram).

Cola Wars Bottling vs Concentrate Essay

Compare the economics of the concentrate business to that of the bottling business: Why is the profitability so different? The returns received by concentrate producers differ from those received by bottlers for several reasons †¦ Concentrate producers: Capital investment. Concentrate production business is less capital intensive than bottling. It requires less funds to be invested in machinery, labor and modernization. â€Å"A typical concentrate manufacturing plant cost about $25 million to $50 million to build, and one plant could serve the entire United States† (Yoffie, 2007). The number of significant costs is small. The major ones are: advertising, Market Research and product development. However, concentrate producers tended to employ large number of people to work with bottlers and their suppliers to ensure quality control and efficiency of production as well as reliable supply of raw materials (e.g. cans) and low prices (Yoffie, 2007). Franchising. The concentrate producers work using the principle of franchising. It means that bottlers pay them in order to become part of the bottling network and are granted â€Å"the sales operation in an exclusive geographic territory†¦(Yoffie, 2007)† Concentrate price. Coca-Cola was able to determine its concentrate prices since 1987 when the Master Bottling Contract was established. Pepsi’s Master Bottling contract was a bit different to Coke’s as it obliged bottlers â€Å"to purchase raw materials from Pepsi at prices, and on terms and conditions, determined by Pepsi†. They based the price of the concentrate on CPI and negotiated it with bottlers. â€Å"From the 1980s to the early 2000s, concentrate makers regularly raised concentrate prices, even as inflation-adjusted retail prices for CSD products trended downward†, – another reason for greater returns in concentrate production business. As brand promotion was very strong and formula was always kept a secret the whole thing with concentrate was kind of exclusive, so it greatly added towards the price of the concentrate itself and, as the result, towards the returns of concentrate producers (Yoffie, 2007). Raw materials. Concentrate producers required fewer r aw materials and their major spending were on caramel coloring, citric acid, caffeine and natural flavorings. Bottlers, on the other hand, required large number of production materials. Their major inputs were: packaging (e.g. cans, glass bottles etc.), as well as sweeteners (e.g. aspartame). This process helped concentrate makers reduce the outflow of money which increased their profitability (Yoffie, 2007). Bottlers: Dependency. Bottlers were always very dependent on concentrate producers as they were obliged to buy raw materials from them (Pepsi Master Bottling Agreement). They were also very dependent on suppliers of packaging, flavours and sweeteners. As the price of the concentrate rose, bottlers could not react in the same way and increased the price of the final product as they were being squeezed by other suppliers of different beverages. These factors contributed to lower returns in bottling business. Bottling is a much more capital intensive industry than concentrate production. It requires huge investment and on-going improvement and modernization of bottling lines. Large bottling plant with â€Å"a capacity of 40 million cases, could range as high as $75 million† (Yoffie, 2007). High competition. The number of bottlers is much greater than the number of concentrate producers, so the competition took place between them was fierce. There were approximately 2000 bottlers in 1970s a nd the figure dropped to less than 300 by 2004. Ongoing modernization and increasing capacity was required from bottlers (which were often small and family-owned) and not all of them could meet those requirements, so their number dropped. High competition ensures that returns are really low, only enough to survive Investments. Besides investments in modernization, bottlers bought trucks for transporting and established the distribution channels. It all required some investments as well. â€Å"Bottlers’ gross profits routinely exceeded 40%, but operating margins were usually in the 7% to 9% range (Comparative Costs of a Typical U.S. Concentrate Bottler and Producer). Stability. The returns received by bottlers are less than returns received by concentrate producers due to the risk levels as well. The concentrate producers are responsible for brand promotion and invest heavily in trademark to stimulate sales. High returns are what they get as the result. However, bottlers have little risk in their operations as they are given the famous name well-known all over the world. This development provides them with stable returns, and low risk. How has the competition between Coke and Pepsi affected the industry’s profit? The competition between Coke and Pepsi reached its peak to become a real war battle by the year 1980. This war had affected the industry profit for both concentrate producers and bottlers, while the effect of bottlers was much higher. After the successful â€Å"Pepsi Challenge† (blind taste tests: sales shot up) in 1974, Coke countered with rebates, retail price cuts and significant concentrate price increases. Pepsi followed of a 15% price increase of its own. During the early 1990’s bottlers of Coke and Pepsi employed low price strategies in the supermarket channel in order to compete with store brands. The concentrate producers were always able to increase their profits by increasing the concentrate price, while the bottlers, especially the small-sized, had to suffer from the war dramatically by decreasing their profits. This had a negative effect on the profitability of the bottlers (Operating income in 2009: concentrate producers 32%, bottlers 8%). During t his period net profit for bottlers was in the low single digits. The war forced bottlers to increase their advertising and packaging proliferation, giving discounts for shelf space and spending high capital on new products. Pepsi and Coke were however able to maintain the profitability through sustained growth, for example the successful launch of Diet Coke by Coca Cola or the entry of Pepsi into the food business, which both contributed powerful to the companies and as a result to the industry’s profit.

Smart Material

â€Å"SMART MATERIALS† ABSTRACT The world has undergone two materials ages, the plastics age and the composite age, during the past centuries. In the midst of these two ages a new era has developed. This is the smart materials era. According to early definitions, smart materials are materials that respond to their environments in a timely manner. The definition of smart materials has been expanded to materials that receive, transmit or process a stimulus and respond by producing a useful effect that may include a signal that the materials are acting upon it. Smart materials cover a wide and developing range of technologies.A particular type of smart material, known as chromogenics, can be used for large areaglazing in buildings, automobiles, planes, and for certain types of electronic display. Smart materials have been around for many years and they have found a large number of applications. There are many types of the materials present some of them listed below: Shape memory alloy 2) Piezoelectric materials 3) Magnetostrictive materials 4) Magneto- and electro-rheological materials 5) Chromic materials Due to the property of responding quickly with environment and many applications in daily life smart materials deserve a great future scope.I. INTRODUCTION Smart materials have been around for many years and they have found a large number of applications. The use of the terms ‘smart' and ‘intelligent' to describe materials and systems came from the US and started in the 1980? s despite the fact that some of these so-called smart materials had been around for decades. Many of the smart materials were developed by government agencies working on military and aerospace projects but in recent years their use has transferred into the civil sector for applications in the construction, transport, medical, leisure and domestic areas.The first problem encountered with these unusual materials is defining what the word† smart? actually means. One di ctionary definition of smart describes something which is a stute or ‘operating as if by human intelligence' and this is what smart materials are. A and back again when you return inside. This coating is made from a smart material which is described as being photochromic. There are many groups of smart materials, each exhibiting particular properties which can be harnessed in a variety of high-tech and everyday applications. These include shape memory smart material is one which reacts to its environment aby itself.The change is inherent to the material and not a result of some change in volume, a change in colour or a change in viscosity and this may occur in response to a change in temperature, stress, electrical current, or magnetic field. In many cases this reaction is reversible, a common example being the coating on spectacles which reacts to the level of UV light, turning your ordinary glasses into sunglasses when you go outside alloys, piezoelectric materials, magneto- rheological and electro-rheological materials, magnetostrictive materials and chromic materials which change their colour in reaction to various stimuli.The distinction between a smart material and a smartstructure should be emphasised. A smart structure incorporates some form of actuator and sensor (which may be made from smart materials) with control hardware and software to form a system which reacts to its environment. Such a structure might be an aircraft wing which continuously alters its profile during flight to give the optimum shape for the operating conditions at the time. II SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are one of the most well known types of smart material and they have found extensive uses in the 70 years since their discoveryWhat are SMAs? A shape memory transformation was first observed in 1932 in an alloy of gold and cadmium, and then later in brass in 1938. The shape memory effect (SME) was seen in the gold-cadmium alloy in 1951, but this was of li ttle use. Some ten years later in 1962 an equiatomic alloy of titanium and nickel was found to exhibit a significant SME and Nitinol (so named because it is made from nickel and titanium and its properties were discovered at the Naval Ordinance Laboratories) has become the most common SMA.Other SMAs include those based on copper (in particular CuZnAl), NiAl and FeMnSi, though it should be noted that the NiTi alloy has by far the most superior properties. How do SMAs work? The SME describes the process of a material changing shape or remembering a particular shape at a specific temperature (i. e. its transformation or memory temperature). Materials which can only exhibit the shape change or memory effect once are known as one way SMAs. However some alloys can betrained to show a two-way effect in which they remember two shapes, one below and one above the memory temperature.At the memory temperature the alloy undergoes a solid state phase transformation. That is, the crystal structur e of the material changes resulting in a volume or shape change and this change in structure is called a„thermoelastic martensitic transformation?. This effect occurs as the material has a martensitic microstructure below the transformation temperature, which is characterised by a zig-zag arrangement of the atoms, known as twins. The martensitic structure is relatively soft and is easily deformed by removing the twinned structure.The material has an austenitic structure above the memory temperature, which is much stronger. To change from the martensitic or deformed structure to the austenitic shape the material is simply heated through the memory temperature. Cooling down again reverts the alloy to the martensitic state as shown in Figure 1. The shape change may exhibit itself as either an expansion or contraction. The transformation temperature can be tuned to within a couple of degrees by changing the alloy composition.Nitinol can be made with a transformation temperature an ywhere between –100? C and +100? C which makes it very versatile. Where are SMAs used? Shape memory alloys have found a large number of uses in aerospace, medicine and the leisure industry. A few of these applications are described below. Medical applications Quite fortunately Nitinol is biocompatible, that is, it can be used in the body without an adverse reaction, so it has found a number of medical uses. These include stents in which rings of SMA wire hold open a polymer tube to pen up a blocked vein , blood filters, and bone plates which contract upon transformation to pull the two ends of the broken bone in to closer contact and encourage more rapid healing . It is possible that SMAs could also find use in dentistry for orthodontic braces which straighten teeth. The memory shape of the material is made to be the desired shape of the teeth. This is then deformed to fit the teeth as they are and the memory is activated by the temperature of the mouth. The SMART exerts enou gh force as it contracts to move the teeth slowly and gradually.Surgical tools, particularly those used in key hole surgery may also be made from SMAs. These tools are often often bent to fit the geometry of a particular patient, however, in order for them to be used again they return to a default shape upon sterilisation in an autoclave. Still many years away is the use of SMAs as artificial muscles, i. e. simulating the expansion and contraction of human muscles. This process will utilise a piece of SMA wire in place of a muscle on the finger of a robotic hand.When it is heated, by passing an electrical current through it, the material expands and straightens the joint, on cooling the wire contracts again bending the finger again In reality this is incredibly difficult to achieve since complex software and surrounding systems are also required. Figure 1 – Change in structure associated with the shape memory effect. NASA have been researching the use of SMA muscles in robots which walk, fly and swim! Domestic applications SMAs can be used as actuators which exert a force associated with the shape change, and this can be repeated over many thousands of cycles.Applications include springs which are incorporated in to greenhouse windows such that they open and close themselves at a given temperature. Along a similar theme are pan lids which incorporate an SMA spring in the steam vent. When the spring is heated by the boiling water in the pan it changes shape and opens the vent, thus preventing the pan from boiling over and maintaining efficient cooking. The springs are similar to those shown in Figure 5. SMAs can be used to replace bimetallic strips in many domestic applications.SMAs offer the advantage of giving a larger deflection and exerting a stronger force for a given change in temperature. They can be used in cut out switches for kettles and other devices, security door locks, fire protection devices such as smoke alarms and cooking safety indicato rs (for example for checking the temperature of a roast joint). Aerospace applications A more high tech application is the use of SMA wire to control the flaps on the trailing edge of aircraft wings.The flaps are currently controlled by extensive hydraulic systems but these could be replaced by wires which are resistance heated, by passing a current along them, to produce the desired shape change. Such a system would be considerably simpler than the conventional hydraulics, thus reducing maintenance and it would also decrease the weight of the system. Manufacturing applications SMA tubes can be used as couplings for connecting two tubes. The coupling diameter is made slightly smaller than the tubes it is to join. The coupling is deformed such that it slips over the tube ends and the temperature changed to activate the memory.The coupling tube shrinks to hold the two ends together but can never fully transform so it exerts a constant force on the joined tubes. Why are SMAs so flexibl e? In addition to the shape memory effect, SMAs are also known to be very flexible or super elastic, which arises from the structure of the martensite. This property Of SMARTs has also been exploited for example in mobile phone aerials, spectacle frames and the underwire in bras. The kink resistance of the wires makes them useful in surgical tools which need to remain straight as they are passed through the body.Nitinol can be bent significantly further than stainless steel without suffering permanent deformation. Another rather novel application of SMAs which combines both the thermal memory and super elastic properties of these materials is in intelligent fabrics. Very fine wires are woven in to ordinary polyester cotton fabric. Since the material is super elastic the wires spring back to being straight even if the fabric is screwed up in a heap at the bottom of the washing basket! So creases fall out of the fabric, giving you a true non-iron garment!In addition the wires in the s leeves have a memory which is activated at a given temperature (for example 38 C) causing the sleeves to roll themselves up and keeping the wearer cool. PIIEZOELECTRIIC MATERIIALS The piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880 by Jaques and Pierre Curie who conducted a number of experiments using quartz crystals. This probably makes piezoelectric materials the oldest type of smart material. These materials, which are mainly ceramics, have since found a number of uses. What is the piezoelectric effect?The piezoelectric effect and electrostriction are opposite phenomena and both relate a shape change with voltage. As with SMAs the shape change is associated with a change in the crystal structure of the material and piezoelectric materials also exhibit two crystalline forms. One form is ordered and this relates to the polarisation of the molecules. The second state is nonpolarised and this is disordered. If a voltage is applied to the non-polarised material a shape change occurs as th e molecules reorganise to align in the electrical field. This is known as electrostriction.Conversely, an electrical field is generated if a mechanical force is applied to the material to change its shape. This is the piezoelectric effect. The main advantage of these materials is the almost instantaneous change in the shape of the material or the generation of an electrical field. What materials exhibit this effect? The piezoelectric effect was first observed in quartz and various other crystals such as tourmaline. Barium titanate and cadmium sulphate have also been shown to demonstrate the effect but by far the most commonly used piezoelectric ceramic today is lead zirconium titanate (PZT).The physical properties of PZT can be controlled by changing the chemistry of the material and how it is processed. There are limitations associated with PZT; like all ceramics it is brittle giving rise to mechanical durability issues and there are also problems associated with joining it with ot her components in a system. Where are piezoelectric materials used? The main use of piezoelectric ceramics is in actuators. An actuator can be described as a component or material which converts energy (in this case electrical) in to mechanical form.When a electric field is applied to the piezoelectric material it changes its shape very rapidly and very precisely in accordance with the magnitude of the field. Applications exploiting the electrostrictive effect of piezoelectric materials include actuators in the semiconductor industry in the systems used for handling silicon wafers, in the microbiology field in microscopic cell handling systems, in fibre optics and acoustics, in ink-jet printers where fine movement control is necessary and for vibration damping.The piezoelectric effect can also be used in sensors which generate an electrical field in response to a mechanical force. This is useful in damping systems and earthquake detection systems in buildings. But the most well know n application is in the sensors which deploy car airbags. The material changes in shape with the impact thus generating a field which deploys the airbag. A novel use of these materials, which exploits both the piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects, is in smart skis which have been designed to perform well on both soft and hard snow. Piezoelectric sensors detect vibrations (i. e. he shape of the ceramic detector is changed resulting in the generation of a field) and the electrostrictive property of the material is then exploited by generating an opposing shape change to cancel out the vibration. The system uses three piezoelectric elements which detect and cancel out large vibrations in real time since the reaction time of the ceramics is very small . By passing an alternating voltage across these materials a vibration is produced. This process is very efficient and almost all of the electrical energy is converted into motion. Possible uses of this property are silent alarms for pagers which fit into a wrist watch.The vibration is silent at low frequencies but at high frequencies an audible sound is also produced. This leads to the concept of solid state speakers based on piezoelectric materials which could also be miniaturised. Do polymers exhibit these effects? Ionic polymers work in a similar way to piezoelectric ceramics, however they need to be wet to function. An electrical current is passed through the polymer when it is wet to produce a change in its crystal structure and thus its shape. Muscle fibres are essentially polymeric and operate in a similar way, so research in this field has focussed on potential uses in medicine. ature of the piezoelectric effect making them invaluable for the niche applications which they occupy. MAGNETOSTRIICTIIVE MATERIIALS Magnetostrictive materials are similar to piezoelectric and electrostrictive materials except the change in shape is related to a magnetic field rather than an electrical field. What are magnetost rictive materials? Magnetostrictive materials convert magnetic to mechanical energy or vice versa. The magnetostrictive effect was first observed in 1842 by James Joule who noticed that a sample of nickel exhibited a change in length when it was magnetised.The other ferromagnetic elements (cobalt and iron) were also found to demonstrate the effect as were alloys of these materials. During the 1960s terbium and dysprosium were also found to be magnetostrictive but only at low temperatures which limited their use, despite the fact that the size change was many times greater than that of nickel. The most common magnetostrictive material today is called TERFENOL-D (terbium (TER), iron (FE), Naval Ordanance Laboratory (NOL) and dysprosium (D)). This alloy of terbium, iron and dysprosium shows a large magnetostrictive effect and is used in transducers and actuators.The original observation of the magnetostrictive effect became known as the Joule effect, but other effects have also been ob served. The Villari effect is the opposite of the Joule effect, that is applying a stress to the material causes a change in its magnetization. Applying a torsional force to a magnetostrictive material generates a helical magnetic field and this is known as the Matteuci effect. Its inverse is the Wiedemann effect in which the material twists in the presence of a helical magnet field.How do magnetostrictive materials work? Magnetic materials contain domains which can be likened to tiny magnets within the material. When an external magnetic field is applied the domains rotate to align with this field and this results in a shape change as. Conversely if the material is squashed or stretched by means of an external force the domains are forced to move and this causes a change in the magnetisation. Where are magnetostrictive materials used? Magnetostrictive materials can be used as both actuators (where a magnetic ield is applied to cause a shape change) and sensors (which convert a move ment into a magnetic field). In actuators the magnetic field is usually generated by passing an electrical current along a wire. Likewise the electrical current generated by the magnetic field arising from a shape change is usually measured in sensors. Early applications of magnetostrictive materials included telephone receivers, hydrophones, oscillators and scanning sonar. The development of alloys with better properties led to the use of these materials in a wide variety of applications.Ultrasonic magnetostrictive transducers have been used in ultrasonic cleaners and surgical tools. Other applications include hearing aids, razorblade sharpeners, linear motors, damping systems, positioning equipment, and sonar. MAGNETO– AND ELECTRO RHEOLOGIICAL MATERIIALS All of the groups of smart materials discussed so far have been based on solids. However, there are also smart fluids which change their rheological properties in accordance with their environment. What are smart fluids? Th ere are two types of smart fluids which were both discovered in the 1940s.Electro-rheological (ER) materials change their properties with the application of an electrical field and consist of an insulating oil such as mineral oil containing a dispersion of solid particles (early experiments used starch, stone, carbon, silica, gypsum and lime). Magnetorheological materials (MR) are again based on a mineral or silicone oil carrier but this time the solid dispersed within the fluid is a magnetically soft material (such as iron) and the properties of the fluid are altered by applying a magnetic field. In both cases the dispersed particles are of the order of microns in size.How do smart fluids work? In both cases the smart fluid changes from a fluid to a solid with the application of the relevant field. The small particles in the fluid align and are attracted to each other resulting in a dramatic change in viscosity as shown in Figure 7. The effect takes milliseconds to occur and is com pletely reversible by the removal of the field. Figure 8 clearly shows the effect of a magnet on such an MR fluid. With ER fluids a field strength of up to 6kV/mm is needed and for MR fluids a magnetic field of less than 1Tesla is needed. Where are smart fluids used?Uses of these unusual materials in civil engineering, robotics and manufacturing Electrodes Suspension fluid Particle Figure 7 – Schematic diagram showing the structure of a electrorheological fluid between two electrodes. The top figure shows the structure in a low field strength where the particles are randomly distributed. When a higher field strength is applied, as in the bottom diagram, the particles align causing a change in the viscosity of the fluid. Figure 8 – A puddle of magnetorheological fluid stiffens in the presence of a magnetic field. courtesy of Sandy Hill / University of Rochester) are being explored. But the first industries to identify uses were the automotive and aerospace industries wh ere the fluids are used in vibration damping and variable torque transmission. MR dampers are used to control the suspension in cars to allow the feel of the ride to be varied. Dampers are also used in prosthetic limbs to allow the patient to adapt to various movements for example the change from running to walking. Future Scope: The future of smart materials and structures is wide open.The use of smart materials in a product and the type of smart structures that one can design are only limited by one’s talents, capabilities, and ability to ‘‘think outside the box. ’’ In an early work5 and as part of short courses there were discussions pertaining to future considerations. A lot of the brainstorming that resulted from these efforts is now being explored. Some ideas that were in the conceptual stage are now moving forward. Look at the advances in information and comforts provided through smart materials and structures in automobiles. Automobiles can b e taken to a garage for service and be hooked p to a diagnostic computer that tells the mechanic what is wrong with the car. Or a light on the dashboard signals ‘‘maintenance required. ’’ Would it not be better for the light to inform us as to the exact nature of the problem and the severity of it? This approach mimics a cartoon that appeared several years ago of an air mechanic near a plane in a hanger. The plane says ‘‘Ouch’’ and the mechanic says ‘‘Where do you hurt? ’’ One application of smart materials is the work mentioned earlier of piezoelectric inkjet printer that serves as a chemical delivery to print organic light-emitting polymers in a fine detail on various media.Why not take the same application to synthesize smaller molecules? With the right set one could synthesize smaller molecules in significant amounts for characterization and evaluation and in such a way that we could design experiments with relative ease. A new class of smart materials has appeared in the literature. This is the group of smart adhesives. We previously mentioned that PVDF film strips have been placed within an adhesive joint to monitor performance. Khongtong and Ferguson developed a smart adhesive at Lehigh University. 0 They suggested that this new adhesive could form an antifouling coating for boat hulls or for controlling cell adhesion in surgery. The stickiness of the new adhesive can be switched on and off with changes in temperature. The smart adhesive also becomes water repellent when its tackiness wanes. 50 The term ‘‘smart adhesive’’ is appearing more frequently in the literature. A topic of research that was in the literature a few years ago was ‘‘smart clothes’’ or ‘‘wearable computers’’ being studied at MIT. The potential of this concept is enormous. This sounds wonderful as long as we learn how to work smart er, not longer.CONCLUSION: From the abilities of the smart material to respond the environmental changes the conclusion arises that ‘‘smart’’ in the name do not meet the definition of being smart, that is, responding to the environment in a reversible manner. Due to their properties they must deserve a great future. REFERENCES [1]Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook: Materials and Mechanical Design, Volume 1, Third Edition. Edited by Myer Kutz. [2]www. memorymetals. co. uk [3] www. nitinol. com [4] www. sma-inc. com [5]www. cs. ualberta. ca/~database/MEMS/sma_mems/sma. html [6]http://virtualskies. arc. nasa. gov/research/youdecide/Shapememalloys. html

King Lear and the Analysis of the Family Concept Essay

The issue regarding which is more important, love and family ties or fame and political power are issues that are always present in every generation. Well, which is really more important that we should devote our lives in search for the more important thing? Is blood really thicker than water? It is a subjective topic in which persons have different experiences and stand about the subject matter. This paper aims to answer this question by referring to the epic play of William Shakespeare: King Lear. It is also important to look at the values and actions displayed by the characters of the stories and to analyze whether they are still applicable in our contemporary time. â€Å"King Lear† is regarded by many critics as one of the best works of the arguably greatest writer that has ever lived, the immortal William But despite being on of the author’s last works, â€Å"King Lear† had echoed throughout literary history as one of the best read and staged play. It has also become a staple material for those who endeavor in literature studies. The success of the text owes much to the themes that the text generates. One of those themes is an issue that the whole world can relate to about a family. The socio -cultural nature of the family had amplified significantly the readership of the text as it is being used as a study text by those in the social sciences. Family and Society Family is an essential part of the society. It is a major component in the aspect of social health in the world we live in. The family which includes the parents and children, all play a big role in shaping the society, in maintaining the social health of the place we call home. The family is a means of the propagation of life, wherein because of the family, societies continue to exist. It is because of the parent’s capability to bear children and raise them to become better people, thus accounting for a better society. Comparison and Contrast between Modern and Shakespearean King Lear Family The modern American family has more diverse components not just the typical family members. Often times, the structure of a modern family is greatly influenced with the modern influence brought about by the changing times and ideas. Modern societies are not only characterized with the great influence of technological advances and dependency, but rather in more complex terms, the modern family is subjected to changes in the ideals behind the essence of a modern family image. (Woloch 1997) But unlike in modern families, the aristocratic family of King Lear in Shakespeare’s work typifies the basic notion of family struggles at that time. The character of King Lear is portrayed as a struggling human being eager to win the favour of his children in the most drastic ways he knows best. The intention of the character of King Lear is to do what he thinks is best for his sons and daughters. However, he became so obsessed in power and blinded by his intention to protect his daughters at all costs in the expense of Cordelia. In discerning the true identity of a modern family, we realize the need to evaluate the changes in the basic unit of structure in the society from Shakespeare’s time until now. During the early centuries, the family is characterized by only one true virtue: it is composed of the father, the mother and their children. The history behind the family as a concept, involves the idea of each roles portrayed by each entity. The father is the sole provider of the family; the mother is the one who takes care of the children and the household; and the children are there to be nurtured, loved and provided for. But generally these concepts have become the main stereotypes brought into the modern societies. The play has those stereotypes. King Lear is portrayed as a noble aristocrat obsessed with his power. Cordelia is also a pivotal character in King Lear wherein she is seen as a typical good daughter who always follows her father. However, the fool can be put as an allegory of Shakespearean society wherein truth is at its essence of being true. Times change and almost everything in the society changes and has changed. Not just from infrastructure, but also the amount of knowledge shared and experienced by everyone. The concept of family has also changed dramatically. Brought by the women revolution and the emergence of the feminist concept, the country has experienced the women greatly influence the manner in which concepts in the society is changed.(Woloch 1997) The role of women in the society has greatly changed from the stereotyped domesticated females, to the working and productive women of the future.(Kemp & Squires 1997) This is an important phenomenon in history that must be addressed in order to define the concept of changing family image. One notable contribution came from the â€Å"changed† status of women and the achievement of gender equality in the country. Another contributing factor to the changing views in family image made by the play King Lear is the role portrayed by men in the society. From a patriarchal type of society, King Lear for instance, experience a dramatic change brought about by the change in the status of women.(Woloch 1997) Men in modern times have to compete more and more with women in context of career and including family life. There is a great paradigm shift of roles from the earlier centuries wherein men have the sole right to work for their family. In modern societies, women share equal roles in bringing and managing resources within the household. These events are clearly depicted in both stories of King Lear and Cordelia. Placed in both different contexts, the two characters in the play depicted the changes within the modern family. In the King’s character, the life of a domesticated father is shown albeit part of the aristocracy. The concept of tough love towards Cordelia is present in all acts. Having experience what probably most modern fathers are experiencing, Shakespeare realized is that being a domesticated father entails the kind sympathy for mothers who spends most of the time taking care of the kids. While men busily work to earn their monthly income, mothers are entailed with a much greater responsibility in terms of taking care of the children. There is a conflict shown in the essay in which the author questions his capacity, as a male figure in the society, to handle such responsibility in the home. While his wife is away, he maintains to struggle between his job as a writer and as an on-hands father. Every domesticated father will realize that it is somehow degrading to realize that he can not do his job or fulfill his professional aspirations in life if he exchanges his role with the wife. There is the internal conflict that lies within the men to question their respective roles in the society and specifically in their own family. Osborne explains the struggles experienced by men in accepting that hard roles that women portray in the society. Once they too have experienced being domesticated, this eventually changes their own perception of their role in the family. Sexual identity and social identity is another main idea in the play’s depiction of courtship. In the story, social acceptance has a main role in considering this kind of modern family. This can be seen over the courting of the Duke of Cornwall towards Cordelia. Over the years, society has witness the growing number of social class relationships that includes a child or the wanting of a child. Many states still is irreconcilable with the issues behind aristocracy. But it is of practice to respect and tolerate the decision by the protagonist in handling his family. Obstetrics, Family, and Social Health on King Lear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obstetrics is a key in maintaining social health because it deals with a big part in the society – the family. A particular concept which can be adapted in thes paper, Obstetrics makes sure that life propagates, because it takes care of the women’s concerns during pregnancy, the formation of a new life, a life that would play a big role in the society. Obstetrics takes care of being able to have children of your own, which is another important factor in the family. A child, the product of the parent’s love and efforts, completes the society’s building block, the family (Nesbitt, 2002). As in the case of the main protagonist in the play, the same concept can be applied since King Lear had a difficult time in handling his children effectively. Comparison of the Concept of Family in other Shakespearean Plays In the story of Antigone, Haemon must choose between her love for Antigone and the fame and political power that await him if he obeys his father. In both Antigone and King Lear, the concept of patriarchal obedience is evident. Now Haemon is facing a dilemma because of the conflict between his love and his father. The same choice goes for Antigone for she wants to give her brother the honor of being buried in the right way. Both cases can be traced back to the struggles of Cordelia under his father. However, doing so would mean that she must disobey King Lear’s order. Disobeying the king does not only take the opportunity to be the princess by marrying the king’s son, Haemon, but her own life as well. But Antigone and Haemon decided to follow their hearts. In the end, Antigone killed herself. Knowing that his love is death, Haemon also decided to end his life. Thus, their value for their love ones cost them their own lives. However, they still gain the respect and sympathy of the people of Thebes. It can be said that the actions of Antigone and Haemon are not applicable in our present time. Although there are several movies that portray the same idea, this rarely happen in reality. It is a very rare case in which lovers decided to end their lives since it is impossible for them to be together. They can be considered as martyrs rather than heroes because of the act. Antigone also displays the kind of courage and determination that is greatly needed in our society today. Although she is a woman, she defies the odds and even the king for what she believes is right. Adding to the fact that she lives in the period when woman are considered inferior to man. This kind of courage is really needed by the present generation. Not only woman but men as well that have the courage to stand up and are willing to sacrifice their own lives in order to make a change. Today, although woman are accepted by our society and are ‘said’ to be equal to men, there are still some times that they are afraid to speak out and fight for their rights. Also both men and women are sometimes afraid to question some of the things that they find unjust in the society. They are afraid to face the consequences and are unwilling to make a change to improve social order. This characteristic is really needed in our society today, the courage to fight for what is right even if the whole society is against us. If only there are those like Antigone that are willing to give it all in order to make a change, I’m sure that our society will be a better place to live.   On the other hand, King Lear cannot consider himself victorious. His persistence and determination to exercise his power over the people of Thebes had a considerably great cost. Not only had he lost the sympathy of his people not to mention the approval of the gods but the life of his daughters and sons as well. His authority blinded him and the result is loosing the persons that he values the most. If our present leaders will demonstrate the same reason and behavior like that of King Lear, the people will surely revolt and take their powers and authority away and give it to someone more deserving and just. The people will surely not tolerate such actions. Whether to choose love and family over fame and political power is really a big decision. You cannot have the best of both worlds. To pursue love means to let go of powers and fame and vise versa. Also we cannot really determine which is important, whether to choose love and family ties over fame and power depends upon the situation. What is important is that we do not only consider our own benefit in making the right decision. Also the stories show that to pursue love and power is not wrong, however living your life to attain just one of them is sure to cost you a lot. In making a decision we should both consider the heart and as well as the mind in order to come up with the right decision. References: Ashbee, Edward. American Society Today. New York: Manchester University Press, 2002. Hertz, Rosanna, and Nancy L. Marshall. Working Families : The Transformation of the American Home. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. Hutter, Mark. The Changing Family. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Kemp, Sandra, and Judith Squires. Feminisms. Oxford Readers. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Woloch, Nancy. Early American Women : A Documentary History, 1600-1900. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Wakefield, Thaddeus, and NetLibrary Inc. The Family in Twentieth-Century American Drama. New York: P. Lang, 2004.