Can Levis be Cool Again

Executive Summary After being in operation for over 140 years, Levi’s is now facing problems as a result of its poor economic performance. After failing to meet the fashion trends of the new generation, the firm has greatly lost its market share and its sales have reduced tremendously. To averse this situation, I propose that Levi’s should adopt a cost advantage strategy which will ensure that its products are of a similar quality as its competitors.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Can Levi’s be Cool Again? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the firm will sell its products at a lower price. This strategy will enable Levi’s to increase its market share by manufacturing products that meet the tastes and preferences of its target market. The strategy will also increase the overall revenue earned by the firm. As a result, Levi’s will be profitable and sustainable in the long run. Problem Statement For an organization to be sustainable in the short run and in the long run, it needs to keep up with the changes that occur within its internal and external environments. In the contemporary world for instance, firms are experiencing stiff competition. Therefore, these institutions need to come up with effective strategies that will ensure that they stand on a competitive edge over their rivals. Regardless of the outcome, it is the consumers who benefit the most since they get a wide range of goods and services to choose from to meet their tastes and preferences. Levi’s is one of the companies that is experiencing an economic downturn as a result of stiff competition. After being an apparel giant for several decades in the United States of America, Levi’s has started to lose the strong market command that it had. According to the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the firm, Philip Marineau, Levi’s was reluctant to respond to the cha nge in fashion trends especially during the mid 1990s. In the process, it failed to meet the needs and requirements of the market whose tastes and preferences had been changing with time. Unlike other apparel companies such as JNKO and Kikwear that focused on the new generation market and used innovative platforms such as online stores to sell their products, Levi’s concentrated on its baby-boomer generation customers. As a result, the sales of the company have been declining hence resulting in massive layoffs and shutting down of manufacturing plants. From its financial reports, it is evident that the firm barely reached the break-even point.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, it is necessary for the management to come up with effective measures that will ensure that the firm’s operations are sustainable in the short run and in the long run hence enabl ing Levi’s to increase its sales and market share. Situation Analysis The aim of any organization is to realise its vision and mission and achieve its goal and objectives. In profit oriented organizations such as Levi’s, profitability is one of the main motives behind their operation. To be profitable, Levi’s has put in place effective measures that have ensured that its operations are sustainable in the short run and in the long run. It is due to this fact that the firm has managed to be operational since it was incorporated by its founder, Levi Strauss during the mid 19th century. For an organization to be operational for over 140 years, its major strength has to lie on its leadership. Levi’s decisions are made by a board of members. At the present moment, the head of this board is Robert D. Haas, the great grandson of Levi Strauss. Prior to being the head of the board, Haas was the CEO of Levi’s until Marineau took over. It is evident therefore that during his era as the CEO, Haas implemented stringent measures that ensured the sustainability of the firm since he not only wanted to achieve profitability but he also wanted to ensure that the firm is sustainable in the long run due to the passion that he had developed in the family business. It is perhaps due to this fact that the Levi family has maintained the ownership of the firm over the years. Haas has been succeeded by Philip Marineau, a former head of Pepsi North America unit. During his time in Pepsi, he managed to increase the market share of the product throughout North America especially after releasing the low-cal Pepsi into the market. Due to its effective leadership and management strategies, Levi’s has managed to develop a strong brand name over the years. As a result of its reputable brand name, the firm has managed to maintain customers who are loyal to its product. For instance, most of the members of the baby-boomer generation regard Levi’s p roducts as the best.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Can Levi’s be Cool Again? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With such levels of brand loyalty, the firm has been experiencing high sales hence enabling it to be profitable. A strong brand name plays a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of a firm and its products in the long run. For instance, despite the fact that many young people do not purchase much of Levi’s products, they hold the company in high regards. However, Levi’s has failed to develop and implement effective marketing strategies that would have otherwise ensured that it maintains its huge market share in the clothing industry. Thus, the main weakness of Levi’s is its failure to keep up with the changing fashion trends. The advancement in technology has brought about sophisticated manufacturing techniques that have increased the quality of products and redu ced the cost of production. This move has greatly increased the level of competition in almost every industry including the apparel, fashion, and design industry. However, unlike its rivals that took advantage of the new technology, Levi’s had been reluctant in adopting and incorporating new technologies in its operations. Levi’s has only been concentrating with one target market, the baby-boomer generation. However, due to their concentration on members this generation, the firm did not realize that a new and vibrant market was coming up. This market is comprised of individuals who are less than 25 years of age. Their taste in fashion is different as compared to the individuals of the baby-boomer generation. The new market has a strong purchasing potential. Therefore, the failure of Levi’s to identify the potential of this market has played a critical role in the declining sales and market share of the company. Levi’s also has a poor supply chain. In the process of its development, Levi’s has been manufacturing its products within its factories. However, the firm was forced to close more than half of its factories as a measure of reducing its operating costs. Currently, the firm is hiring third party factories to manufacture its designs to meet its production targets. In the process, it incurs additional costs that act as a setback to its rejuvenation process. At the present moment, stock replenishment in its outlets is not as effective as it used to be when Levi’s manufactured its own products. Other than delays in stock replenishment, there have been instances where outlets receive different products as compared to the ones that they had ordered for.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is a huge blow since a lot of money and time will be spent to ensure that the right merchandise is delivered to the outlets again. The delays will also turn away customers who are specific with their requirements, tastes, and preferences. Consequently, Levi’s has not been having a good relationship with its retailers. For instance, the company has been having wrangles with one of its old retailers, J.C Penny Company. Such disagreements have negative impacts on the sales of the company’s products as well as its brand name. Another weakness that can be seen in the supply chain of Levi’s is its failure to effectively implement IT in its sales operations. The modern world highly relies on ICT in its operations. To keep up with this advancement, Levi’s developed an online platform where people could purchase their products from. This platform would have been an effective tool especially in capturing the young population. However, the firm closed this plat form and directed the traffic on this site to other retailers. This move has not been received well by the people who were using the online platform to purchase Levi’s products especially those who are loyal to the brand. Despite the fact that the websites that the traffic has been directed to might have Levi’s products, the presence of a different brand name such as Penny’s or Macy’s usually sends buyers away. Levi’s has a lot of opportunities that can be instrumental in transforming its operations to be more efficient. On the economic perspective, the clothing market is growing at a tremendous rate. This growth is characterised by an increase in the young population and the changes in fashion trends. For instance, the sale of traditional VF jeans had declined from 50% to 20% in a span of four years. This change is an indicator that the traditional market is not as viable as it used to be several years ago. Therefore, Levi’s can increase it s sales by focusing on this new market. On a social perspective, Levi’s still has a reputable brand name. The people of the old and the new generations are aware of the brand and hold it in high regards. Therefore, the new products of the firm will stand a high chance of being successful in the market given the demand from the individuals from these generations. Furthermore, the advancement in technology will give Levi’s a chance to come up with newer and better designs for its products. Through research and development, the firm has been able to develop new designs that have been manufactured using old and new fabrics to meet the needs of their target market. With proper pricing and marketing strategies, the firm will be able to boost its sales from these products. The major threat that Levi’s is facing is competition from firms that have a strong command in the clothing industry. Firms such as Old Navy, GAP, and Diesel are highly regarded by the members of the new generation who account for the highest percentage of sales in the clothing industry. To overcome this competition, Levi’s has to come up with effective pricing mechanisms that will make its products affordable to its target market. Consequently, the firm can use modern marketing strategies such as online advertisements to reach out to its target market. Alternatives To turn around the performance of Levi’s to be sustainable, effective and efficient, Levi’s needs to stand at a competitive advantage over its rivals. To achieve this goal, the firm has two alternatives: The cost advantage option The differentiation advantage option Resource based option Under the cost advantage option, Levi’s will modify its production process to ensure that it manufactures products that are of a similar quality as its rivals. However, these products have to be sold at a lower price as compared to its rivals. For this strategy to be effective, the firm must put a lot o f emphasis on research and development. At this point, it will be essential for the firm to understand the market trends and the tastes and preferences of its target market to ensure that its products conform to their needs and requirements. Through research, the firm should come up with an effective manufacturing process that minimize costs and maximize the output. This will play a critical role in setting up the final price of its products since they will not only be cheaper as compared to its competitors but they will be of a high quality. With this option, Levi’s will be able to compete effectively with its rivals. The fact that its products are priced at a lower rate as compared to its rivals might play a significant role in attracting customers from the new generation most of whom do not have a strong purchasing power. Given their huge numbers, however, it is possible that Levi’s will be profitable in the long run. Once satisfied, there are high chances that thes e individuals will remain loyal to the brand and even market Levi’s products through the word of mouth. This will greatly widen the market base of the firm. In the process, Levi’s will have a competitive advantage over its rivals. On the other hand however, the low selling prices might have a negative impact on the profitability of the firm especially in the short run. At the present moment, the firm is barely reaching the break-even point. Thus, if the firm fails to reach its sales target, it might run into losses hence turning the situation from bad to worse. The differentiation advantage option highly relies on research and development. Under this option, Levi’s will manufacture products that are of a superior quality as compared to its rivals. For this option to be sustainable, Levi’s will require to adopt and implement new production techniques that utilise a variety of resources such as fabrics and production technology to ensure that its products a re of a superior quality. Consequently, the firm needs to effectively market these products to ensure that they register higher sales. It is a common practice for customers to pay more for high quality products as a means of satisfying their needs. The main complaint that people of the new generation had with regards to Levi’s products is that they did not fit their description since they were either too tight or too big. The firm also avoided using stretchy fabrics in designing its products. Thus, this option will allow Levi’s to manufacture its products using the latest fabrics and techniques. With such products, it is possible that the firm will capture the attention of the individuals of the new generation and still maintain its baby-boomer clientele. However, this option is capital intensive. Consequently, Levi’s will incur additional costs in contracting firms to manufacture these products given the fact that most of its plants were closed. This will ultim ately increase its selling price. Therefore, despite its high quality, buyers will regard Levi’s as an expensive brand that should be avoided. The final alternative that Levi’s can apply is the resource based option. For this option to be successful, the firm needs to combine the resources that it has together with its capabilities to ensure that it manufactures products that are of a higher quality and value as compared to its rivals. From the information gathered from its operation history, it is evident that Levi’s has superior resources as compared to its rivals. Despite the challenges that it is facing, Levi’s has various manufacturing plants and equipments that can be influential in its manufacturing process. The firm also has a reliable supply chain system whose efficiency can be improved by a few modifications. Consequently, the firm already has a reputable brand name and loyal customers who are willing to purchase its products once they meet thei r tastes and preferences. With its highly qualified personnel team, Levi’s can put all its resources and capabilities into play to stand at a competitive advantage. Therefore, the firm needs to reopen and modernize its manufacturing plants, improve its supply chain, enhance the quality of its workforce and market its products in an effective and efficient manner. In so doing, the firm will attract more customers hence command a huge market share. In the long run, the firm will be profitable and sustainable. However, this option is capital intensive. Consequently, it contains a lot of risks since Levi’s rivals might adopt these strategies and produce products that are of an even better quality. Conclusion Given these two alternatives, I believe that cost advantage option is the best alternative that Levi’s can take given its current situation. With this option, the firm will be able to maximize on its strengths, improve on its weaknesses, overcome its threats, an d take advantage of the prevailing opportunities. This option will ensure that Levi’s increase its sales and market share, improves the quality of its products, and most importantly, it will enable the firm to keep up with the trends in the fashion industry. These are the main problems that the firm is facing at the moment. Therefore, addressing them will ensure that its operations are sustainable in the short run and in the long run. The differentiation advantage alternative is not the best option for Levi’s given its current situation since it does not fully address the problem that Levi’s is facing with regards to meeting the needs and requirements of the new generation. Despite the fact that its products will be of a high quality, it is not guaranteed that they will conform to the tastes and preferences of the target market. Consequently, this alternative is capital intensive and might lead the firm into financial problems. Therefore, this option is associat ed with high risks that might threaten the overall sustainability of the firm. To ensure that the cost advantage alternative is implemented effectively, I recommend that: The firm should invest more on research and development to ensure that it understands the market. This will enable it to manufacture products that meet the tastes and preferences of its target market. Levi’s needs to have effective price mechanisms that ensure that its products are sold above the unit production costs but below the market price. Levi’s needs to enhance its marketing strategies and utilize platforms such as the internet (social media), television, radio, print media, and word of mouth. Levi’s needs to develop an organization culture that ensures its staff are highly skilled and competent and work to achieve the set goals and objectives. Implementation To ensure that the selected option is implemented effectively, the firm will need to conduct thorough market research. In the p rocess, Levi’s will be able to understand market trends and consumer tastes and preferences. This information will enable the firm to know the types of products to produce, their quantities, and their qualities. Levi’s will also need to re-open its closed factories and equip them with up to date equipments to ensure that the production process is smooth, effective, and efficient. Through its pricing and marketing strategies, the firm will determine the best price of its products after putting into consideration the costs that it has incurred, the market price of substitutes, the prevailing economic situation, the purchasing power of its target market, and their profit margin. Finally using a platform such as social media will not only ensure that Levi’s reaches out to most of its customers but it will also act as a feedback mechanism where the firm will get reviews and suggestions on how to improve its products. This plan will modify Levi’s into a modern company that understands its target market. This case study on Can Levi’s be Cool Again? was written and submitted by user Elle Spears 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.

Good Writing Skills †That’s what’s Up

Good Writing Skills – That’s what’s Up If you have not heard any college students complaining about the amount of writing in college courses, then you may want to get your hearing checked before you go off for your freshman year. It is the most common complaint among college students across the nation, on large or small campuses, day and night. You have to be a good English student in every course you take, because every essay or paper is graded on content and composition bummer. Developing Writing Skills Its Not Optional If you come to college with less than stellar writing skills, you have to do something about that right away. And if you dont know how to develop writing skills, then here are some tips Get to the campus writing lab. It has been built and staffed for students like you. When you have an essay or a paper due, you can go and get some extra help from people who write really well. While you are working on your writing skills, those assignments are still showing up on your syllabi in frightening numbers. Once you have your topic, get online and find samples on those same topics. No, you cant just lift them youll get caught! But you can print them out and use them as models for the one you have to write. At the very least, you can mimic the organization and the points covered. If you need to, find a reputable writing service online. You will need one that has qualified writers, guarantees an original piece of writing, and guarantees that it will follow your instructions and meet your deadline. This can be a true live saver when your back is up against the proverbial wall. Start writing your own essays and find someone to edit them for you. Staff at the writing lab will help you, if they are available, or you can try to pay a fellow student who seems to be getting As on everything s/he turns in. You can even barter for this if you can offer something in return. If not, turn those essays over to that writing service you found, and get one of their pros to do it. The point is this: You only want to turn in writing assignments that are well don otherwise that GPA starts hovering over the toilet. Excellent Writing Skills Not a Cinderella Story No one is going to wave a magic wand over you and give you instant writing success. You have to put in the time and practice to develop writing skills. In the meantime, however, take whatever measures you see necessary to turn in writing assignments that will compete with the quality other students are submitting. Yours will be measured against theirs thats a fact. Its really unfair that your writing skills have to be a part of your grade in every course, but that is how our system is set up. Just consider it some good training for real life there will be other things that seem unfair out there too.

Discuss a detail information of the movie Crash Essay

Discuss a detail information of the movie Crash - Essay Example An individual has the tendency to believe that he is better than anyone else because that person is not his own. This has been the root of discrimination. People do not accept differences rather they see them as borders of power and superiority. Discrimination appears at every point in one’s life although it can be portrayed through different situations. One may discriminate overtly and another might do it in subtle ways. But all the same, discrimination is a negative way of dealing with differences. Someone different from one’s own race, gender and culture is thought to be someone less than who that person is. Crash has presented different types of discrimination and biases towards gender and race. It does not, however, give the viewer a solution to the problem rather it moves to wake people up from denying that there exists in every person some kind of discrimination and bias. The portrayal of gender biases is more subtle in the movie than racial biases. Both biases, however, are presented in a way that makes us see the reality that although there have been certain changes in our society’s notion of gender and race, there is still always some way how discrimination creeps in our thoughts and perceptions. Being different is one major perpetuator of creating discrimination, whether one blatantly displays or not. The movie presents discrimination in two major ways, prejudice and stereotyping. These ways have been spun by one’s predisposition about superiority, differences and social groupings. One tends to accept his own but think differently about people not of their own, whether its gender, skin color or racial background. The beginning of the movie, wherein a shop clerk threw racial comments at the Persian customers, set the tone of the movie. It is very important to consider that even at the beginning of the movie, there is already discrimination. It is like saying that in the

Cultural diversity and its effects on child development Research Paper

Cultural diversity and its effects on child development - Research Paper Example It is also of importance to consider several elements required to help reduce negative effect of cultural diversity on developing children. Conclusively, better understanding of cultural diversity of children is through introduction of education during tender ages. Cultural diversity and its effects on the development of kids Cultural diversity is a term used to denote the difference arising in diverse cultures within a certain region. The principal cultural diversity element affecting growth of children is communication, which entails mass media and journalism. The existence of many tribes in a particular region results to an increase in the effects that culture is likely to have on the progress of children. Communication differs from a tribe to another. Desire of children to learn about the moral values of other cultures increases the probability of cultural confusion. Children concerned about other cultures lack the capability to determine the best of the cultural morals. Accordin g to the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (2010), lack of adverse knowledge on the culture of other tribes leads to negative influence towards progressing children. Reducing negative impact of cultural diversity a) Developing an effective way to address diversity Cultural diversity can have a positive effect on the progress of children through learning. ... Communication is vital, as it is the basis of passing over understandable information regarding the culture of other tribes. Parents should enlighten children on the importance of their culture in coming times. For instance, children need to know that strict observation of the ancient cultural morals is of importance, as it helps gain respect from other communities (Robinson, & Jones-Diaz, 2006). An additional element of improving the current way of developing children through diversity of culture in a positive manner is through educational institutions. The Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (2010) asserts that teachers need to have advanced training to be able to meet the needs of various children. It is a basic requirement for teachers to take part in special training programs to be able to cope with character of children from different cultural societies. Acquisition of knowledge of various cultures helps children in that teachers necessitate the need to respect the c ulture of other states. b) Impact of diversity on development of kids Progression of children appears to be excellent when children are portraying good manners in the society. Despite the concern that the community, parents, and teachers have on the effect of culture on development of kids, ignorance of children is the principal issue to the negative effects of culture on their (young kid’s) growth. There are various ways of enhancing strategies of developing children from diverse cultures. For one, there is the need for early exposure to the values of various cultures. Children with an experience of diverse cultures since the time when then they were young throughout their adult stages are at the forefront in depicting good morals

Group Minds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Minds - Essay Example However, the fact of life is that all individuals live their life in a group. There are very few people who appreciate to live a solitary life as numerous cannot stand solitude for long. Majority of the people are group animals, even if they fail to recognize it and this is what creates problem i.e. the failure to understand the social law that governs the group and thus that governs us. It is undeniable that the ideas and opinion of an individual belonging to a certain group is influenced by the opinion of that group. It is a tough task to maintain individuality against group opinion. Psychologist and sociologists have carried out various experiments to exhibit that usually the individuals are influenced by the opinion of the group and give up their opinion because the opinion of the majority in-group does not agree with them. People who have experienced this scenario agree that it is a shameful memory of theirs that they gave up their opinion under the influence of the group. It is important to realize this and various other mechanisms of human behavior so that in future we just do not limit our self to collection of information about ourselves but use it to improve our life and situation and free people from blind loyalties and obedience (Lessing,

Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?

Can Democracy Stop Terrorism? There is a general and growing concern about Terrorism and the fear it is spreading all over the world. Fighting it is one of nowadays main priorities and the most effective ways of doing it are being discussed by scholars, governments and people in general. The concept of terrorism has evolved throughout the years and no consensual definition has been reached. There are however certain features that clearly characterizes these unexpected and, many times, devastating events. Yet also the way terrorists are operating and the tools theyre using has been changing, which makes even more difficult to find the better way to stop them. When the huge and powerful democratic country USA became the target of one of the major attacks from all times, then many things were questioned and the sense that no one and no country were safe got easily spread among public opinion. Are Democracies more vulnerable to Terrorism? Is this type of regime the best one to stop the violence? Is Terrorism, or the measures to annihilate it, limiting the rights and liberties that democracy is meant to provide? These are intriguing questions. In this Essay, I will firstly explain what I mean by terrorism and democracy, before analysing the existence of a link between both. Then I will present arguments for and against the idea that democratizing the countries where terrorism comes from might be the solution to this fear spreading phenomenon. I will then show that probably it is not the case and that ending terrorism might involve much deeper measures than a simple change of political system. Finally, and to understand whether or not Terrorism is weakening democracies and its main guarantees, I will show recent examples that might allow us to understand it better. Throughout the paper I will also find in theories and great authors, like Hobbes and Schmitter, the necessary help to better understand these two complex yet challenging and current concepts. Defining democracy and terrorism Democracy can be defined as the political system where political authority belongs to people. The word comes from the Greek, where demos means people and kratos means authority. There are however different types of democracy and in this essay whenever I refer to democracy, I mean liberal democracy. This later concept adds to the general concept of representative democracy (in which people through elections decide their representatives) the fact (among others, but this is probably the most distinguishable) that there is the protection of liberties and rights through a constitution. Among those rights and freedoms there are the freedom of speech and religion, equality before law and others. Confusion between democracy and liberal democracy happens quite often because democracy is the word that resonates in peoples minds and springs from their lips as they struggle for freedom and a better way of life  [1]  . However what they look for in fact is a political system that combines dem ocracy on one hand with freedom, the rule of law, and good governance on the other hand in other words, liberal democracy.  [2]   Although terrorism is a difficult concept to define there are some common features among terrorist attacks that can be stressed: they involve an ideological component, use violence or at least a threat of violence, are generally conducted by an organized group (or at least by a group constituted by a strong leader and faithful followers), and aim, usually, civilians rather than belligerent groups. The main idea is to spread the fear in a generalized way and thats why their targets are common citizens that usually dont even know their purposes but sense fear and the unexpectedness of their acts more profoundly. According to Willem Schinkel  [3]  terrorism works bottom up, that means, that civilians are used as a mean to achieve their real audience (usually states, as symbols of a certain ideology or states themselves in cases of independence fights, like ETA in Spain). Depending on the nationality of those (people and institutions) involved in the attacks, we can differentiate two types of terrorism: transnational terrorism and domestic terrorism. In the former the incident takes place in one country [and] involves perpetrators, victims, institutions, governments, or citizens of another country, in the latter it involves perpetrators, victims, and an audience of the country in which the incident occurs  [4]  . For the purpose of my research I will mainly focus on transnational terrorism. Since within transnational terrorism there are different types, I will mainly focus my analysis on the one played by radical Islamist movements, like Al-Qaeda, for example. As it has already been said, the concept of terrorism has evolved through times. Namely the way fear and terror are being perpetrated is getting more sophisticated. The most common attacks are characterized by bombings, kidnapping and hijacking but the fear of weapons of mass destruction being used turns the finding of solutions even more urgent. Yet, what is frighteningly challenging in this new wave of terrorism is that fear is in the majority of cases unilateral (considering, like it was said before, terrorist groups like Al Qaeda). We can say that in this case fear wont probably be enough to end war, as Hobbes would say. According to this author, the society is composed by selfish beings and so the normal state is a state of war, but the war itself can be prevented because what also characterizes human beings is that they fear things, they fear death for example. However, in the case of terrorism (or in the case of one of the most common forms of it), its actors are not driven by fear, they are trained to face death if necessary and for the sake of what they believe to be a higher purpose.  [5]   Will Democracy be able to stop Terrorism? Mostly after 9/11 attacks in USA, that killed around three thousand people in both New Yorks World Trade Center and Pentagon, the majority of President Bushs speeches regarding the fight against terrorism involved the idea that only through the democratization of the countries generators of terrorism would that fight be successful. In February 2003, for example, in the American Enterprise Institute, Bush stated that The world has a clear interest in the spread of democratic values, because stable and free nations do not breed the ideologies of murder. There is then a great discussion regarding the capability of liberal democracies to end the grievances that feed terrorists actions. Assuming that the majority of terrorist attacks perpetrators come from the Middle East, where theres an undeniable lack of democratic principles, can then a link be made between these two phenomena? Would the democratization of these countries result in less terrorist events? Natan Sharansky in his book The Case of Democracy: The Power of freedom to overcome tyranny and terror defends that it would. He considers that the lack of democracy in these countries favours the flourishment of angry and frustrated minds and urges violence in order to achieve ones goals. He believes that democracy would bring peace to those nations and goes even further by saying that it is Wests responsibility to help the democratization process. According to Sharansky, and supporting Bushs intentions, the west and democratic world should make efforts towards the implementation of a democratic political system where it was never experienced and this would be the most effective way of ending this terrorism era.  [6]   Like Sharansky also Quan Li  [7]  defends that democracy would diminish frustrations and conflict by expanding political opportunities through elections and according to Rudolph Rummel living in a liberal democratic country would per se reduce conflict between people, because the interaction between people in a context of freedom is favourable to everyone. So, would a higher political participation contribute to the reduction of terrorist incidents? According to Michael Freeman  [8]  the mechanisms that drive transnational terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda are four: military, cultural, economic and political. The organized terrorist attacks are then the result of a sense of threat towards Islamic lands (military), a sense of threat towards Islamic culture and identity (cultural), a sense of frustration towards modernization and globalization, which the western world represent and that in the Middle East failed to improve the economy (economic) and a sense of inability to make themselves heard and to reach their demands (political). Considering these four mechanisms, democracy apparently seems to be able to have positive results but most likely wouldnt be enough to stop terrorism. I agree with Gregory Gause  [9]  when he argues that this political system would provide the possibility of a political participation from these groups but there is no guarantee that they would have enough support for their political agenda. And in that case, the question is whether they would accept peoples choice or would that situation make them even more frustrated and incite them to return to their previous modus operandi and attack their democracy and other nations too in order to get the accomplishment of their goals. Besides this uncertainty regarding terrorists reaction before unsuccessful elections, there is also the ideological component of their aims. And that is something that cannot be ignored. It is not just a question of being heard and achieving political representation, I would even risk saying that it is their mi nor priority. There is a rooted hatred towards what the western culture represents. Religious issues and fundamentalism are definitely on the basis of part of that hatred and that is something that should be smoothen namely by education. Islamism is far from the extremist ideas that these organizations stand for and children and young people should learn within an understanding and tolerant environment. Living in a free country, where rights and liberties are assured might not be enough if the mentality remains attached to the idea that Islamism is being threatened by countries like the USA and that that justifies the so called jihad. A crucial step to be taken is also the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Osama Bin Laden assumed that this conflict was one of the main reasons for attacking the USA in 2001. This is a very sensitive question which generates great part of the sense of threat towards Islamic lands. It is then important to establish a peaceful relationship between Israel and Palestine so that a calmer Middle East can be achieved. Besides everything said before, the theories that see democracy as the solution for terrorism do not consider an undeniable reality: there are democracies that still have terrorist groups IRA in Ireland and ETA in Spain are two of the most resounding examples. Even though these are domestic terrorism organizations, they are examples of how it is possible that terrorist groups (with different purposes but with similar ways of terrorizing people) can emerge within a democratic system. Are Democracies becoming more fragile as a result of Terrorism? There is a strong discussion regarding the vulnerability of democracies before terrorism. The arguments in favour of a higher vulnerability of democracies when compared to other political systems are mainly two. First, some authors for example Paul Wilkinson  [10]  defend that the particular features of a liberal democratic nation such as free press, freedom of political organization and of movement facilitate the organization of terrorist attacks. Also Bianchi and Keller stated that the irony is that their [democracies] distinguishing traits and foundational tenets in many ways constitute fertile ground for international terrorism.  [11]  Namely the free speech right might be able to raise some violent reactions from the outside, when for example, like in Denmark, cartoons with Mohammed wearing a turban with a shape of a bomb (among other cartoons with the prophet) were drawn. This happened in 2005 and for several weeks not only the cartoonist responsible for the drawings wa s target of direct death threats and attempts but also Danish embassies throughout the world (namely the Muslim world) were burned. What started to be the result of a mans creativity and freedom of drawing whatever he wanted to (or the result of any other motivations, which Im not discussing here) turned out to be one of the biggest international crisis for Denmark after II World War, as Danishs Prime Minister at the time stated. The second argument regarding the higher vulnerability of democracies is defended by some authors who consider that it is not the result of democracies particular features (because in that case they would be as vulnerable to domestic terrorism as to transnational terrorism and they defend it is not the case) but the result of how they position themselves in the world, i.e., the result of their foreign policies. Democracies tend to engage themselves in foreign issues and get involved in conflicts, to which they believe they can give a positive contribute. Th is involvement might create certain resentments  [12]  . As B. Savun and B. Phillips stated The more frequently a state engages in conflict with other states, the more likely that it will create resentment and hostility abroad. Although this resentment may be most pronounced among the people who are directly affected by such hostile actions, it is likely that such hostile actions result in a broader resentment and negativity toward the participants of such crises.  [13]   Whether it is because of one type of argument or the other the fact is that many democracies have been throughout the years target of terrorist attacks. And this brings me to another question: At what extent are these attacks and the counterterrorism measures that they induce to be taken, making democracies weaker and making them lose some of their most important features, by obliging governments to restrict certain civil and political rights? This makes us rethink about governments priorities: security versus liberty. Should the state provide security, as being the most important good, like Hobbes would suggest, or should it be more worried with guaranteeing liberty for its citizens, above anything else, like Locke defended? My intention is not to prioritize between these two values but understand if there really is a trade off between both, i.e., if fighting against terrorism is in fact limiting some liberties. Some authors have tested that and reached some conclusions (like for example Weinberg and Eubank  [14]  ). First I would like to say that in this particular study of Eubank and Weinberg, democracy was measured by using Polity IV scales, civil liberties and political rights were measured according to Freedom House and Terrorism (please note that Im always referring to International Terrorism) was measured using the number of attacks occurred per year between 1968 and 2005. They included 24 countries in this test from West European countries to Latin America and South Asia. The results indicated a poor relationship between terrorism and civil liberties and political rights, indicating that probably there is no trade-off after all. These results were then against the authors first perception (that political rights and civil liberties have been suffering a reduction as a result of the spread of terrorism). In my opinion, however, (and even though the regressions might not be statisti cally significant in proving that there is an inverted relationship between terrorism and political and civil rights) a more empirical analysis would suggest that it can really exist and might even embody a trend to getting worse in next years. Statistics may not cover certain modifications and policies, which after a more careful analysis might be considered as reducing certain liberties, for example, in terms of privacy rights. For the sake of a safer country for example in the United States and since 9/11 attacks, several measures have been taken with controversial effects in ones privacy: wiretaps in private telephones, databases of phone calls made in American soil, inspections with warrant in suspicious packages received by Post. More recently, a failed attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines airplane in its flight from Amsterdam to Detroit stressed the major preoccupation regarding the possibility of terrorists hiding explosive engines in their bodies and being able to carry them to the airplane. This incident brought to the discussion a new technology that is being developed, consisting in a full-body scanner. This scanner is able to see through clothes and do the same thing to a human body like the x-ray engine doe s to the luggage. Some say this is a clear invasion of privacy but theres a quite majority (among public opinion and states responsibles) believing that this is a necessary evil, regarding how terrorism is evolving and how, besides all the level of protection, a terrorist was still able to bring explosives to the airplane. Counterterrorism policies will evolve accordingly to terrorism threats. And this is the main reason why I said that not only terrorism is jeopardizing certain liberties and rights but also it will keep doing it even more, as terrorist methodologies keep improving and surprising police authorities. Besides privacy rights issues, terrorism is also contributing to the rise of prejudice demonstrations around the world. One may often understand this everyday, mainly against people coming from Middle East. Since some of the more recent and major terrorist attacks (USA in September 2001, Madrid in March 2004 and London in July 2005) were perpetrated by Muslims or Muslims descendents, a climate of anti-muslim and anti-arab feelings was installed. These feelings are reflected in some common citizens reactions and attitudes towards Muslims but also in a wider attention from authorities in relation to them. This is a clear restriction to ones right of being equally treated. Conclusion Coincidently or not both terrorism and democracy have become more frequent in the last decades. Terrorism has been assuming new shapes, hitting apparently stronger targets and spreading fear throughout the world, at a growing rhythm. In a similar rhythm have been countries all over the world turning their political systems into democratic ones. My goal in this Essay was to analyse the link between democracy and terrorism from two different perspectives. First, I tried to understand whether the implementation of a democratic regime in the countries where terrorism is mainly generated would stop terrorism. I concluded that it could help but it surely wouldnt be enough. I exposed the four mechanisms that stimulate terrorism and theyre not only related to political reasons of lack of participation and week democratic principles, they have also a deep ideological, cultural and religious component that turn it even more difficult to understand and, as consequence, to contain terrorism. I suggested that higher efforts could be put on education in what concerns to religious and cultural tolerance. Moreover, I consider, as well as different heads of state, that in fact it is important that the conflict between Israel and Palestine is solved, since this conflict is, most probably, the highest responsible for the instability in the Middle East. Second, I analysed if democracies are getting weaker as a result of terrorism or more specifically as a result of counterterrorism policies. Said by other words, what I wanted to understand was whether certain rights and liberties were being limited or not by the terrorism environment that characterizes modern times. I presented one study, whose results do not prove the existence of a trade off between rights and liberties and terrorism. However, even though statistics do not corroborate my argument, and this I believe is a consequence of the fact that indicators do not catch every single law modification, I substantiated it through practical examples, where the reduction of privacy rights, for example, are quite visible. At the end of this essay I realized how difficult it is to define a concept so broad and always in constant evolution like terrorism. Making a link between this difficult concept and the political system that in last decades has been conquering more and more countries throughout the world is very challenging. I am sure that the current era of insecurity that were living nowadays together with the technological development speed will certainly add many chapters to this discussion in a near future.

Production Context of Bye Bye Blues :: Anne Wheeler Bye Bye Blues Essays

Production Context of Bye Bye Blues In his essay on the historical fiction film, Leger Grindon writes: "History is no more than a useful device to speak of the present time. The historical film indulges its contact with the immediate and generally refuses the past its distinct and foreign character" (Grindon 189). It is exactly this distinct character, however, that director Anne Wheeler hoped to capture in her 1989 film Bye Bye Blues. In an interview taken during the film’s production, Wheeler explained: "I’m trying to present history as it was, not as we hope it was" (Hays 9). With Bye Bye Blues, Wheeler has created more than simply what Grindon purports the historical fiction to be; her film captures much of the detail of life on the Canadian home-front during the Second World War. Wheeler does, however, weave into the film a deeper message about the role of the woman in society, which, ultimately, speaks directly to the audience of the 1990’s. While Bye Bye Blues is factual, the film does not d epict history entirely as it happened. This is not to say that Wheeler has overtly classified the forties as a period of triumph for feminists the world over, for she has not. Much of Bye Bye Blues is indeed authentic. "Wheeler has said time and again in interviews that stylistically, she likes to keep things as realistic as possible" (Hays 9). This is evidenced by the manner in which Wheeler tackles her subject; the film treats the events of the past with subtlety. "The overall impression left by accounts of life on the home-front is of ... boredom and ... deprivation punctuated by moments of terror" (Klein 10). Had the director exaggerated the events of the war, even on the home-front, she would have sacrificed some of the film’s realism. Instead of glorifying the war and over-dramatizing events like the return of Daisy’s husband, the story is presented in a straight-forward and unsentimental manner. Wheeler presents problems that are true-to-life, such as Daisy being unable to afford new shoes for her son . And certainly the events the film addresses are historically accurate: Japan did invade Singapore at the end of 1940, taking enemy soldiers hostage as prisoners of war (Snyder 267). During the war, women were left to fend for themselves and their children, without knowing whether their husbands were dead or alive, let alone where they could write to them (Vickers 25).