Demographic Segmentation

Study of a demographic segment and its sub segment falling in the age group 18 year to 25 years Saneel Gaonkar IBS Gurgaon Study of a demographic segment and its sub segment falling in the age group 18 year to 25 years Introduction Different kinds of people display different buying patterns even in a segment of age group 18 years to 25 years. This truth is well understood by those people who are responsible for market research, product development, pricing, sales and strategy. Market segmentation is the identification of portions of market that are different from one another. Every individual falls under one or other demographic segment of the society ‘Mr. Philip Kotler has defined a market segment as a group of customers who share a similar set of needs and wants (Philip Kotler, 2009). ’ A market segment is a sub-set of a market made up of people or organizations with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product and/or services based on qualities of those products such as price or function. The criteria that a true market segment should meet are as follows: distinct from other segments, homogenous within the segment, it responds similarly to market stimulus and it can be reached through market intervention. Researchers try to define segments by looking at descriptive characteristics: geographic, demographic and psychographic. Then they examine whether these customer segments exhibit different needs or product responses. Few other researchers have tried to define segments looking at behavioral consideration such as consumer responses to benefits, use occasions or brands. Researchers than see whether different characteristics are associated with each consumer response segment. (Philip Kotler, 2009). The key here is to identify customer differences. The major segmentation variables are Geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation. Living in metropolitan city like Mumbai exposes you to a wide competitive market in all sectors. Segmenting Consumers in Mumbai by using these segmenting techniques gives a thorough idea of the consumers in Mumbai Geographic Geographic segment calls for division of the market into different geographical units such as nation, states, region, countries, cities or neighborhoods. In India geographic segmentation assumes importance due to variation in consumer preferences and purchase habits across different regions, and across different states. In India rural and urban markets differ on number of different essential parameters like literacy levels, income, spending power. There is a vast difference in infrastructure such as electricity, telephone network and roads. The need to segment the market geographically becomes clearer when we look at some of the characteristics of the market. In India there are 5000 towns and over 6, 38,000 villages (Pradeep Kashyap, 2003-04) (Philip Kotler, 2009) Region Mumbai falls in Western region of India. There are few significances of this region that needs attention, Maharashtra the state with Mumbai as its capital derives its culture from Indo – Aryan Vedic culture influenced by the Maratha Empire and the British Empire. City of Mumbai According to 2011 census, the population of Mumbai was 12,478,447 (The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, 2011). (censusindia. gov. in) According to extrapolations carried out by the World Gazetteer in 2010, Mumbai has a population of 13,830,884 and the Mumbai Metropolitan Area has a population of 21,347,412. The population density is estimated to be about 20,482persons per square kilometer. The sex ratio was 838 (females per 1,000 males) in the island city, 857 in the suburbs, and 848 as a whole in Greater Mumbai, all numbers lower than the national average of 914 females per 1,000 males. PopulationIndia. com, 2011) The low sex ratio is partly because of the large number of male migrants who come to the city to work (â€Å"Parsis top literacy, sex-ratio charts in city†, 2004) As Per 2011 census, Greater Mumbai, the area under the administration of the BMC, has a literacy rate of 94. 7 %, higher than the national average of 86. 7%. (The Registrar General & Census Commiss ioner, 2011)Sixteen major languages of India are also spoken in Mumbai, most common being Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati and English. The religions followed in Mumbai include Hindus (67. 39) , Muslims (18. 56%), Buddhists (5. 22%), Jain (3. 99%), Christians (4. 2%), Sikhs (0. 58%), Parsis and Jews making the rest of the population. (Mehta, 2004) Mumbai is also home to the largest population of Parsi Zoroastrians in the world, with about 80,000 Parsis in Mumbai. (â€Å"The world's successful diasporas†) Looking at the data it is clear fact that Mumbai is a large market with intelligent customer. Amount of exposure to brands and products a person goes through in Mumbai is vast. Culture This Research also includes finding new potential markets in the age group of 18 to 25 years, for this purpose knowing the culture of Mumbai is also essential. The culture of any place is always determined from its people, cuisine, religion, language and festivals. Mumbai has a mixture of people from various communities and subsequently they follow different religions. The metropolitan observes modern trends; here people enjoy participating in all festivals irrespective of caste, creed and color. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema. The influence of the Bollywood in the cities culture is observed. The cultural heritage of Mumbai presents a combination of old and new. The ‘bindaas' or carefree approach of the Mumbaikars comes alive in their dialect of Mumbaiya Hindi too. (Principal Cities) Economy Mumbai is the financial and commercial capital of India. It generates 6. 16% of the total GDP. It is the economic hub of India, contributing 10% to factory employment 25% of industrial output, 33% of income tax collection, 60% of custom duty collection, 20% central excise duty collection ,40% of India’s foreign trade , Rs 4000 crore in corporate taxes. â€Å"The world's successful diasporas†) In April 2008, Mumbai was ranked seventh in the list of â€Å"Top Ten Cities for Billionaires† by Forbes magazine, (Forbes Magzine) Demographic In demographic segmentation, the market is divided into groups on the basis of variables such as age, family size, family lifecycle, gender, income, occupation, education, religion, race, generation, nationality, and social clas s. Demographic variables are very popular among marketers as they are often associated with consumer needs and wants; another is that they are easy to measure. (Philip Kotler, 2009) Age and Lifecycle Age and Lifecycle are important variables to define segments as the needs and wants of the consumer change with age. Johnson & Johnson’s baby oil which is popular in India is a classic example of product of infants. (Philip Kotler, 2009) This research is focused on the market segment which falls in the age group of 18 years – 25 years. Consumers falling into this age group may have the falling into this group may be college going students, working, pursuing higher education, married and working, having their own business . Their wants and needs differ from each other. College going students will have their own wants and needs, what a college student would need is education, books, clothes, food his wants are a cricket bat, mobile, bike etc, he may desire to get education in a higher graded college, a car, Touch screen mobile etc. Working consumers have different needs compared to students. Working consumers may need a mobile, laptop, bike, blazers; he automatically becomes a prospective customer to housing development companies, car companies, furniture companies, aviation companies, Food chains, financial service companies, holiday tours and travel package companies etc. Consumer who I married and working may need jewelry for his wife, furniture for his house and other consumer durable and non durable products, prospective customers for car manufacturers, Insurance companies etc. Consumers having their own business may need, a working space, desks, electricity, ac’s, he may become prospective customer for insurance companies, luxury car companies, High end products etc. So Consumer pursuing higher education falls between these four sub-segments, His needs are all a mixture of all three, he will be getting married so all the needs and wants of a married working is a part of this consumer group. So by this we can infer that this wants and needs of this group is a mixture of all the other sub- segments. Slicing this segment further by Gender we find Men and women are different in their behavior, Research shows that women are likely to pick up the product without prompting while men often like to read product information before buying. (Philip Kotler, 2009) Income Income segmentation is a long standing practice in variety of products and services. Income determines the ability of consumers to participate in the market exchange and hence this is a basic segmentation variable (Philip Kotler, 2009) Slicing the segment on the base of income we may see college going student, Students pursuing higher education are dependent on their family’s income , while other sub- segment are earning consumers who control their consumption pattern through their own pocket. Psychographic Segmentation Psychographic Segmentation is the process of using psychology and demographics to better understand consumers. In psychographic segmentation, buyers are divided into different group based on psychological / personality traits, lifestyle or values. People within the same demographic group can exhibit very different psychographic profile. (Philip Kotler, 2009) VALS (â€Å"Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles†) (Philip Kotler, 2009)is a research methodology used for psychographic market segmentation. VALS was developed in 1978 by Arnold Mitchell and his subordinated at SRI International VALS Framework and Segment Innovator: These Consumers have the highest incomes, and such high self-esteem and abundant resources that they can indulge in any or all self-orientations and are on the leading edge of change, Image is important to them as an expression of taste, independence, and character. Their consumer choices are directed toward the â€Å"finer things in life. † ? Thinkers: These consumers are the high-resource group of those who are motivated by ideals. Their characteristics are mature , responsible, well-educated professionals. They have high incomes but are practical consumers and rational decision makers. Believers: These consumers are the low-resource group of those who are motivated by ideals. They are predictable and conservative consumers who favor established brands. They have modest incomes. ?Achievers. These consumers are the high-resource group, motivated by achievement. Work-oriented people who get their satisfaction from their jobs and families fall under this category. They are politically conservative and respect authority and the status quo. They favor established products and services that show off their success to their peers. ?Strivers. These consumers are the low-resource group who are motivated by achievements. They have values very similar to achievers but have fewer economic, social, and psychological resources. Style is extremely important to them as they strive to emulate people they admire. ?Experiencers: These consumers are the high-resource group of those who are motivated by self-expression. They are the youngest and energetic of all the segments, . They have a lot of energy, which they pour into physical exercise and social activities. They are avid consumers, spending heavily on clothing, fast-foods, music, and other youthful favorites, with particular emphasis on new products and services. Makers: These consumers with low-resource group of those who are motivated by self-expression. They are practical people with value self-sufficiency. They are focused on the familiar-family, work, and physical recreation-and have little interest in the broader world. As consumers, they appreciate practical and functional products. ?Survivors. These consumers are with lowest incomes. They have t oo few resources to be included in any consumer self-orientation and are thus located below the rectangle. Oldest of all the segments, with a median age of 61. They tend to be brand-loyal consumers. The age group taken into consideration here is 18 to 25 year. Some of them may fall into Experiencers segment who are young and energetic and who are motivated by self expression. Some of them are thinkers, i. e. Smart buyers. Behavioral Segmentation Behavioral segmentation divides a population based on their behavior, the way the population respond to, use or know of a product. Consumer behavior is a subject studied in depth over time in marketing management. This is mainly because there are several factors which a consumer takes into consideration before taking a decision. Thus consumer decision making is affected by his behavior and that is exactly how the behavioral segments are targeted. (Philip Kotler, 2009) Forms of Behavioral segmentation Buying on occasions: Buying on occasions is the first form of behavioral segmentation. Products such as chocolates and premium foods will sell on festivals. Similarly, confectioneries will sell when there is a party. Thus these products are generally targeted by behavioral segmentation. Benefits sought – Several products are targeted towards the benefits sought by the customer. Recently, there has been a war between Colgate and sensodyne to target the people who have sensitive teeth. Similarly, there are other toothpastes which are targeted towards whitening of teeth. Hair shampoos are targeted towards split ends, anti dandruff or others. Loyalty – There are two ways to grow a business. First is to acquire new customers and second is to retain your existing customers. The more loyal your customer is to you, the more your customer base will increase. That’s one more kind of behavior which marketers target. The strategy for brand loyal customers is very different from that used for acquiring new customers. Usage rate – In residential or commercial segment, the usage can be demonstrated in the form of heavy usage, moderate usage or lesser usage. Taking the example of beauty parlors or personal care. There are some customers who use a lot of personal care products whereas others do not use personal care products much. Thus depending on their usage the customers can be targeted. Among the age group that we are focused on one may find all such behavioral buying patterns. A person can be loyal to one brand for one product , but for other product he may switch brand as he is getting discounts. Research Methodology Data Gathering and Analysis To have a clear perception of the term research one should know the meaning of scientific methods. The two main terms, research and scientific method, are closely related. Research as we have already stated can be termed as â€Å" an inquiry into the nature of, reason for and the consequences of any particular set of the circumstances, whether these circumstances are experimentally controlled or recorded just as they occur. Here the researcher is interested more than particular results; he is interested in the repeatability of the results and in their extension to more complicated and general situation. Research in common refers to a search for knowledge. Research can also be defined as a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. It is usually an art of scientific investigation. The purpose of research is to discover answer to question through the application of scientific procedures. The main aim of research is find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered as yet. Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as science of studying how research is done systematically. It has many dimensions and research methods do constitute a part of Research Methodology. The scope of Research methodology is wider than that of research method. 1. Why a research study has been undertaken? 2. How the research problem has been defined? 3. In what way and why the hypothesis has been formed? Are usually answered when we talk of research methodology concerning a research problem or study. Whatever may be the types of research works and studies, one thing i. e. important is that they all meet on the common ground of scientific method employed by them. The research methodology can be defined as a way systematically solves the research problem along with the logic behind them. Researchers not only need to how to develop certain indices, how to calculate mean, mode, median and how to apply particular research technique and what would they mean and indicate and why? All this means that it is necessary for the researchers to design his methodology for his problem. The scope of Research methodology is wider than that of research methods. Thus research methodology deals itself not only with research method but also in considering the logic behind the methods used in the research study. Research Design: The research design is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted. It is a plan of action, a plan of collecting and analyzing data in economic, efficient and relevant be manner. It contains the blue print for the collection, measurement & analysis of data. The proposed study is an exploratory cum descriptive. The purpose of preparing research design could be either to test a hypothesis or to give a cause effect relationship to the given situation. The design provides answers for questions such as: â€Å"What techniques will be used to gather data? † â€Å"What kind of sampling will use? † As in this case research is to be a quantitative research. We are dealing with 12,478,447 population of Mumbai and slicing it to different segments. The data that has to be collected should be from an authentic source as the research is based on authentic facts of the region. Quantitative research Systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. Asking a narrow question and collecting numerical data to analyze utilizing statistical methods. The quantitative research designs are experimental, correlation, and survey (or descriptive). ] Statistics derived from quantitative research can be used to establish the existence of associative or causal relationships between variables. SOURCES OF DATA: The data that has to be collected has to be authentic, so it should be collected from authentic source like government websites, this type of research require authentic quantitative data. Data collection from primary sources is not a option here. So data has to be collected from secondary sources. Secondary Data: Information regarding the project, secondary data was also required. These data were collected from various past studies and other sources like magazines, newspapers, and websites which qualified as reliable. Limitations of the study †¢Limited Access to Secondary data †¢Lack of time Conclusion Mumbai is a large consumer base, the youth population following in the age group of 18 to 25 years itself is diverse in their own ways, each of them have different wants , needs and desires. All of their wants and needs are not always satisfied. Markets are oversaturated with products at claim to fulfill their needs; some fulfill the needs some partially. Buying decision of the consumer in this age depends upon what he thinks about the product and the brand and the amount of exposure he has gone through for that brand. As we are saying the needs of the consumers may be partially filled, so automatically there is a consumer base who wants something that will fulfill their needs in totality, this brings about a market opportunity for the companies which can be targeted by them, i. . slicing into that segment of Mumbai consumers. Many of the consumers are unaware of their needs as well, Example, Including the use of day today technology in household activities etc, there are many untapped markets in Mumbai that has to be exploited by the companies, Consumers of this age group are attracted to new technology and feature, they want to stay ahead of their generation, these wan ts and desires should be tapped upon by the companies. Bibliography â€Å"Parsis top literacy, sex-ratio charts in city†. (2004, september 8). Times OF India . The world's successful diasporas†. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Managementtoday. co. uk. censusindia. gov. in. (n. d. ). â€Å"Ranking of districts of Maharashtra by population size 2011†. Retrieved from censusindia. gov. in. Forbes Magzine. (n. d. ). Mehta, S. (2004). Maximum City Bombay Lost and found. Philip Kotler. (2009). Marketing Manager- A South Asian Perspective. Dorling Kindersley. PopulationIndia. com, â€Å". . (2011, June 1). Populationindia. wordpress. com. Pradeep Kashyap. (2003-04). â€Å"Selling to the Hinterland†. Business World , 88-91. Principal Cities. Government of Maharashtra.

Education Essay Essay

Education? is? not? only? conditioning,? but? conditioning? for? the? future? and? conditioning? for? the? mind.? Somewhere? along? the? way? the? strive? to? learn? has? been? lost? on? education.? Its? hard? to? determine? where? this? all? went? wrong.? Like? many? in? the? past,? those? who? have? the? drive? to? learn,? earn? an? education.? Drive? and? determination? can? not? be? taught? in? a? classroom.? Some? of? the? most? important? subjects? that? should? be? taught? in? class,? are? not.? The? purpose? of? education? is? to? condition? youth? for? the? challenges? they? face? in? the? future.? Students?  are? trained? not? educated.? I? have? never? had? to? overcome? a? language? barrier.? I? have? never? had? to? overcome? a? racial? barrier? either.? As? long? as? I? can? remember? learning? has? been? a? part? of? my? life.? Not? just? learning,? but? education.? The? struggles? Richard? Rodriguez? and? Fredrick? Douglass? went? through? do? not? apply? to? me.? Rodriguez? and? Douglass? were? both? lucky? enough? to? discover? education,? where? as? education? found? me.? Fredrick? Douglass? once? said,? â€Å"Without? struggle? there? is? no? progress. †? This? quote? really? sums? up? Douglass? and? his? message.? Douglass? went? through? his? fair? share? of? struggles? and? became? a? better? man? because? of? it.? If? what? I? face? now? in? my? life? is? a? struggle,? how? much? can? I? really? progress At? least? I’ll? always? have? education? to? take? advantage? of.? All? Americans? are? given? the? right? of? an? education.? Depending? on? the? person,? this? right? can? either? be? used? or? ignored.? A? large? part? in? why? so? many? immigrants? travel? to? the? US,? is? because? it? offers? free? public? education.? Because? of? taxes? no? child? has? to? pay? to? learn.? There? are? also? no? restrictions? on? who?  has? the? right? to? an? education? in? the? United? States.? Yet? education? is? not? appreciated? by? most? like? it? should.? Learning? is? a? power.? Not? a? power? that? all? people? have? but? the? ones? that? do? have? it? need? to? use? it,? completely? use? it.? Fredrick? Douglass? realized? how? powerful? the? ability? to? learn? could? be.? So? did? Maya? Angelou.? Neither? of? them? would? have? lived? the? lifes? they? did? without? the? power? of? learning.? To? make? mistakes? and? learn? from? them? so? they? don’t? recur.? Read.? Comprehend.? Write.? Read.? Comprehend.? Write.? And? repeat.? I? create?  sentences? so? I? can? reap? the? benefits.? Until? a? student? becomes? proficient? in? reading,? comprehending,? and? writing? that? student? won’t? be? successful? in? the? educational? system.? The? goal? isn’t? to? learn.? Education? used? to? be? about? learning.? Different? people? learn? in? different? ways.? Education? is? interesting? to? some? but? boring? to? others.? For? one? to? be? educated,? they? first? have? to? learn.? The? ability? to? learn? is? not? a? strength? all? people? are? born? with.? It? is? an? important? skill? most? people? develop? throughout? their? life.? Frederick? Douglass? was?  not? taught? as? a? child.? Douglass? did? not? go? to? school,? but? the? fact? that? he? is? educated? can? not? be? argued.? Based? off? that? fact? alone,? it? is? proven? that? one? does? not? need? to? be? schooled? to? be? educated.? Douglass? was? determined? to? learn.? He? was? steadfast? in? educating? himself? to? have? a? brighter? future.? Being? a? slave? in? the? 19th? century,? a? bright? future? does? not? exist.? Through? his? determination,? Douglass? shows? how? the? importance? of? an? education? is. Education? does? not? always? occur? in? the? classroom.? It? can? be? found? almost? anywhere.? Frederick? Douglass? mentions? in? his? narrative? Learning? to? Read? that? the? little? boys? who? taught? him? how? to? read? will? be? free? at? twenty? one? years? old? men,? whereas? Douglass? just? wishes? to? be? free? more? than? anything.? Learning? does? not? only? occur? in? the? classroom.? It? happens? in? many? everyday? experiences.? Sometimes? the? only? way? to? learn? something? is? to? do? it? personally.? Maya? Angelou? once? said:? â€Å"Words? mean? more? than? what? is? set? on? paper.? It? takes? the? human? voice? to? infuse? them? with? a? deeper? meaning. †? Just? because? a? student? reads? from? a? book? does? not? guarentee? they? will? receive? the? full? effect? of? the? writing.? Words? need? to? be? said,? plays? need? to? be? acted,? speeches? need? to? be? read.? Most? american? scholars? today? dredd? the? idea? of? reading.? High? schoolers? all? across? the? country? will? try? to? find? anyway? to? get? around? actually? having? to? read.? For? education? to? be? successful? in? teaching? a? student? a? lesson,? the? attitude? of? the? student? must? be? appropriate.? Students? who? don’t? want? to? learn? won’t,? it’s? really? that? simple.? Students? need? to? be? taught? how? to? learn.?   

How the Cold War Started Essay

The USA and the USSR were allies during World War Two, however they were not natural allies. The seeds of hostility between the USA and the USSR began after World War Two, the period that followed is known as the Cold War. The reason for it being called a ‘cold’ war is due to the fact that no physical war took place between the two countries. Many factors fuelled the tension between the USA and USSR, all of which can divide into three categories: the arms race, Eastern Europe and ideologies. An arms race is a competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons. Historians believe that the arms race was the most prominent factor causing tensions. The significant turning point of the USA and USSR’s relationship, and trigger event to the arms race, was the bombing of Japan. In August 1945, the USA dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed and thousands of people died. The bombs were the most powerful weapons invented. The fact that the USA had not informed their ally, the USSR, before dropping the bombs created suspicion from the USSR. Russia did not have any bombs and this meant that the USA could potentially attack the Soviet Union and they could not do a thing to prevent it. Adding to the tensions, both the USA and USSR have contradicting views on the reasons behind the bombs. In the USA’s perspective, â€Å"any weapon that would bring an end to war and save a million casualties among American boys was justified†¦ the A-bomb would be successful† says the US secretary of state James Byrne. However, the USSR thought that â€Å"the purpose of the bombings was to intimidate other countries†, in the view of Russian historian Vadim Nekrasov. This opposing view reflects their mutual feelings for each other. The USSR felt the need two surpass the USA on arms and so in August 1949, the USSR have their own A-bomb. The increase in weapons and competition over military might was initially begun by the USA to contain communism. The USSR saw the increase in weapons and competition as a threat and felt the need to match or even surpass it. One nation felt the need that if the other were to have nuclear weapons of mass destruction, they should be able to counteract any possible action with their own stockpiles of weapons. The two countries had contrasting viewpoints and could never see eye to eye. This lack of trust and continuous suspicion created unnecessary tension and further disabled any relationships to be fixed. In April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was created. It was a military alliance of the US, Canada and nations of Western Europe against the threat of communist expansion. The USSR saw this as a threat and so in response, six years later, the USSR created an ‘antidote’ to this, being the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was a mutual defence treaty between eight communist states in Europe. The USSR saw NATO as a threat as Article 5 of the charter mentioned â€Å"The parties agree to an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all†. In response, the USSR’s Warsaw Pact stated â€Å"in the event of an armed attack in Europe, one or several states†¦ render the state(s) immediate assistance by all the means it may consider necessary including the use of armed forces†. Both the nations saw these as threats as they showed that each opposing nation was ready to attack when necessary. This heightened the climate of suspicion between them. Within the cold war, things almost turned hot. In 1950, the Korean War took place. The North Koreans (backed by the Soviets) invaded South Korea (backed by the USA). This event was a war between the Capitalists and Communists but took place between two –almost- puppet nations with the USA and USSR pulling the strings in order to avoid war with each other. The Korean War as a complete breakdown in communication between the two and led to even more tension. The fact that both nations felt the necessity to surpass the other was evident in the Space Race. In October 1957, the USSR launched the Sputnik satellite into orbit around the earth. The USA required reassurance of their power and threat level as they realised if the USSR could send technology into space, it would be easy for them to send technology (possibly nuclear weapons) around the globe. They matched the USSR by putting a satellite into orbit in January 1958. This desire to surpass one another and going to extreme lengths to prove their worth showed the other that they were not willing to give up and were highly persistent to be the best nuclear power in the world. The arms race was a seemingly never ending competition between the USA and the USSR as both nations needed to show off to the other and be the ‘last nation left standing’. As their persistence grew, so did their tensions. Others argue however, the Eastern European factors were the main cause of tension. Some could argue that initial tensions began at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences (1945) with the superpowers discussing and deciding the fates of the defeated nations of World War Two. The conferences themselves increased tensions as the powers disagreed over what should happen to Europe and Germany. The Soviets wanted to move Poland’s borders to the West so that the USSR’s borders could move into Poland. Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone so that Russia would be a satellite state and they could also react if ever attacked. Churchill expressed his views on Stalin’s motives to Roosevelt by saying â€Å"The Soviet Union has become a danger to the free world. A new front must be created†¦ as far east as possible†¦ before the armies of democracy melt.† There were a lot of disagreements at Potsdam over what to do about Germany. Stalin left his troops occupying Eastern European countries. The USA disliked this as they detested communism, but now that â€Å"the war had left them holding lots of land in Europe- much too much land† (Clement Atlee, Britain’s Prime Minister), it would make it difficult for the USA to contain communism with the potential of communist expansion through Europe. The conferences sparked the tensions between the two, however, in June 1948, tensions rapidly increased. The Soviets cut off road and rail routes to West Berlin in hope that the allies would be forced to leave Berlin and that the capitalist toxin in Eastern Europe would be removed. The US saw this as the USSR’s attempt to expand European communism and decrease European confidence in America. The USA counteracted this act by supplying necessities via airlift and moving their nuclear bomber force to England as a threat to Russia. Truman justified his actions in 1949 by saying â€Å"We would act when freedom was threatened†, and therefore undermined the USSR’s actions as picturing it as a form of entrapment. The USSR and the USA both claimed their parts of Germany through dividing it. The Western allies turned their occupied zones into the Federal Republic of Germany and the Soviets set up the German Democratic Republic. Germany and Berlin were both divided between the nations. Both the countries wanted to claim their land and used it to show how they were better. The need to show off created tensions as now the two nations were using land and the people in it to prove their worth. In 1961, tensions escalated to a new height. The USSR took their might a step further and built the Berlin Wall to stop communists escaping to the west. The wall was the final straw of tension between the two nations. In an attempt to justify his decisions, Khrushchev stated â€Å"we had no choice to build the wall in order to maintain the freedom of East Berlin. There are more spies in West Berlin than anywhere else in the world†¦causing sabotage and riot.† However, from an outside and unbiased perspective into the Berlin wall, a modern world textbook states â€Å"the Wall was built to prevent the loss of many well educated East Germans. This was bad publicity for the East and Communism.† This shows how far the USSR would go to make sure Capitalism does not interfere with the Communist beliefs. He used his people and ‘entrapped’ them in order to make Communism look good. Kennedy however, did not counteract Khrushchev as much as Truman and Roosevelt as he said â€Å"It’s not a nice solution, but a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war†. Kennedy did not like what happened, but appeased. Contrary to the popular belief, tensions initially ignited as far back as 1917 during the Russian Civil War. Russia’s ruler Tsar was overthrown and so a provisional government was set up, however the Bolshevik party overthrew the government. The Bolshevik party faced oppositions known as the whites and there was a civil war. Foreign states including the USA got involved in order to stamp out the communist Bolsheviks and Russia saw this as an invasion of private affairs. The USA was Capitalist and believed in private ownerships and social mobility. The USSR was Communist and believed in complete equality for everyone and no private ownership. The two nations had highly contrasting ideologies and the difference in beliefs is what started the tensions in the first place. Churchill flagged up the problems with communist Russia through his Iron Curtain Speech in 1946. He stated â€Å"an iron curtain has descended across the continent†¦ Cities and populations lie in†¦ The Soviet sphere and all are subject, not only to Soviet influence, but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow†. Stalin simply said he was â€Å"anxious for its (Soviet Union) future safety†. The Western allies had a fear for the Communist expansion throughout Europe and wanted to contain communism. Truman stated â€Å"it must be the policy of the United States to support free nations against direct and indirect communist aggression† in reference to the Containment Policy. The Truman Doctrine was the USA’s initial attempt of containing communism. Greece and Turkey were each going through a civil war; the policy provided military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey as they were threatened by communist governments. In reference to the Truman Doctrine, Truman says â€Å"Greece must have assistance if it is to become a self-supporting and self-sustaining democracy. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world.† The fact that the Truman Doctrine aided the two countries made it less likely the countries would have communist governments. Russia could not control Turkey and Greece, thus not allowing them to expand their communist empire throughout Europe. In 1948, the Marshall Plan was introduced The state of Europe post World War Two combined with the coldest winter on record reduced Europe to starvation. The USA became Europe’s hero as Marshall promised that Americans would do â€Å"whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world† Marshall Aid took the form of fuel, raw materials, goods, loans, food, machinery and advisors and was only available to those nations willing to cooperate. The Soviets feared that turning down Marshall Aid would cause unrest in their satellite countries and recognised that the USA were somewhat ‘selling’ their ideologies to the nations. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 however was the most tension-dense event. Cuba was influenced by the USA and was a trading nation with them until Fidel Castro, a communist took over. He set up a communist government which scared the USA into stopping trade with them. Castro increasingly sought help through the Soviet Union. President Kennedy allowed supporters of Batista (Cuba’s previous leader) to attack Cuba but failed to gain support and were defeated by Castro’s men. Shipments of arms were sent to Cuba and the USA saw potential in attacks. Kennedy did not want to use weapons against Cuba, but did not want to appear weak and so he decided to place a naval blockade around Cuba. This significantly heated tensions as the possibility of nuclear attack was at a new level and the nations were close to a war. The Soviet Foreign Minister, Gromyko saw the USA’s attempts as â€Å"an unrestrained anti-Cuban propaganda campaign†. Once again, the two nations lacked the capability of seeing eye to eye and had miscommunication faults. It could be argued that the contrasting ideologies were the underlying cause of tension and kept tensions alive and healthy throughout the 17 year period. The change in presidents and leaders changed the level of tensions. As opposed to Stalin, Khrushchev wanted to improve relations and opposed to Truman and Roosevelt, Kennedy was fairly passive (e.g. Berlin Wall). Without the initial friction created from the differences in ideologies, there would not have been an arms race or competition for control over Eastern Europe. Both countries aimed for peace, but their methods for peace were constantly viewed as threats due to the hatred of the opposing ideologies. Khrushchev believed â€Å"the main thing is to argue without resort to arms† and Kennedy believed â€Å"a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war†, showing that neither wanted to end up going to war and so both nations were in an arms race solely to prove their ideologies’ worth. The knowledge that the opposing nation wanted to expand their ideologies blinded the other and created them ignorant, hiding their ignorance through control over Europe and accumulation of nuclear arms. Overall, the contrast in ideologies was the factor which, throughout the cold war, created the foundation of and was the heart of tensions between the USA and USSR.

Causes and Consequences of Chernobyl Incident Research Paper

Causes and Consequences of Chernobyl Incident - Research Paper Example As a fact the power supply was already lowered down almost 15 hours before the experimentation had resumed this time. Later on, this emerged in a news report that the said nuclear reactor was functioning at almost 7 per cent of its full capability. Records indicate that the test begun at 01:23 a.m. local time (The Telegraph 2011). It took not more then the next 60 seconds and a dreadful accident had occurred. The power supply had intensified which led to two disastrous explosions. As a result, highly intensified radioactive substance was also unleashed. The reactor was thoroughly destroyed, leaving behind an immense cloud of radioactive substance that rose to an estimated 3,300 feet straight to the skies. Due to the intense force of the blast, some of the released substance gradually scattered in the surrounding areas yet most of it was able to travel as far as Western Europe (Park 1986). International news agencies became active. The incoming reports strongly suggested that the over all design along with most of the operating functions of this High Power Reactor were outdated and poor. A lack of safety measures and other omissions on the part of reactor’s operating crew were being further added to the latest insights that may have led to this happening. More causes that actually lead to this disastrous accident were clarified after months when Soviet officials declared that the accident was a result of several failures (Park 1986). In the year 1992, a report was put together for the UN nuclear power watchdog, in which chief of the reactor’s statement was also quoted. It read: â€Å"01:24, serious shocks.† This statement that was obtained from the operator log clearly indicates that things were pretty much out of control right after the experimentation had begun. The report further elaborates as the engineer explains â€Å"the rods of Reactor Control & Protection System had actually stopped moving before they had touched the lower limit ene rgy switches.† Later on, it was clarified in a report that was published in the Soviet newspaper that the atomic station was under-staffed during the accident, adding that most of the workers had left due to the upcoming â€Å"May Day holiday† This news added a lot to the situation. Some of the key engineers were also among those that were not present that day (Hoffmann 1986). Few analysts said that it was rather good that a less amount of people were available when the blasts occurred whereas others raised the point that this was probably an additional cause of the explosion. Due to the instant explosion, one of the workers was killed right away. His body was never to be found while another operating member lost his life after few hours following the grieve accident. He was taken to the hospital but could not survive. Firefighting team arrived in a short bit. They started their efforts to somehow extinguish the fire and take over the chaotic situation. More teams were summoned. All these fire-fighters were a target of an abnormal dose of radiation. Thus a total of 28 rescue workers along with plant’s serving members that were present at the sight would die in the up coming weeks. They were more likely to get infected by Acute Radiation Syndrome, commonly known as (ARS). Even though the number of causalities that had taken place and those that were to follow the leakage clearly called for a state of emergency, the Soviet authorities remained silent for another three days. On April 28th, TASS, an official

Gender Equality and Social Institutions in USA and United Arab Essay

Gender Equality and Social Institutions in USA and United Arab Emirates - Essay Example It is clear from the discussion that in both USA and United Arab Emirates the education system followed in English, even though Arabic is taught in UAE. USA is famous as superpower and UAE is famous for its oil wealth. Both the countries are well known as the tourist destination. Both America and UAE has a large population of expatriates and is haven for migrant workers who look for better prospects in life and career. Just like America, UAE also consists of different states which are called â€Å"emirate† unitedly known as UAE. The currency of UAE is closely as valuable as American Dollar. Both American and UAE have a high living expense and high standard of living. The citizens of UAE like Americans lead a comfortable and quality life. Both these countries have a strict law system and criminals are punished severely once convicted. UAE like America has a population of an indigenous tribe who were early descendants of the country. In general USA and UAE, both allow freedom of religion to its citizens. The population of UAE is also similar to Americans in food habit as they love junk food. They too like Americans mainly follow a meat-based diet along with vegetables. Since UAE like the USA is a very modern, free-market country, people enjoy indulging in new products and different varieties of fast foods. For the very same reason, both countries have high obesity rates among citizens. The primary and prominent difference between both the countries is the religion they follow. UAE is an Islamic country and USA is predominantly a country which follows Christianity.UAE has Islamic laws governing the country whereas the USA is a secular nation. American is a highly liberal nation and gives complete freedom to its citizens whereas, UAE nationals are bound by Islamic laws. The USA has a government system whereas UAE is ruled by royal family of the nation. The national language of USA is English whereas UAE follows Arabic as their national language. The USA is a country with regions of varied geographical nature and climate, but UAE is a desert region and most part of the year is hot and humid. The geographical area of both these countries also varies drastically. USA is a huge country whereas UAE is a tiny country.UAE nationals unlike Americans are family oriented and are closely connected with family members. Among UAE nationals, the private functions are attended by men and women separately. The marriage ceremonies and other functions are truly Islamic law based. When it comes to the costume of UAE nationals they follow traditional outfit whereas American is casual and trendy in their dress sense. One will only find UAE men in white robe and women in a Black hijab with a veil on their face. America is famous for its pop culture and fast life but UAE follows Bedouin culture and lives a life which is medium paced.UAE imposes a restriction on dressing code, alcohol, and vulgarity in public while America is pretty much liberal.

Immigration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Immigration Law - Essay Example Descent is another mode of becoming a British citizen if the applicant was born outside the UK and if the applicant’s parents were British. Citizenship can also be obtained through naturalisation which is subject to the discretionary powers of the Home Secretary. At the present instance, the rights of citizens are under critical review and legislation has been enacted in order to prohibit any manner of discrimination. The central idea behind this review is to create an equal and vibrant society (Citizenship 1906-2003). The composite citizenship of the UK and its Colonies provided by the British Nationality Act of 1948 has been replaced by the British Nationality Act of 1981, which had been effective from 1983. Under this act, British citizenship can be attained only by birth in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands to a parent who was a British citizen, or a settled resident there, by descent, by registration or by naturalization. In the year 1999 the Government restored full citizenship to UK Overseas Territories and Overseas citizens. Further, Commonwealth citizenship includes all sorts of British citizenship besides citizenship of any country of the Commonwealth. Citizens of the UK automatically become citizens of the EU (British citizenship, 2003). Naturalization is a legal process through which a non – citizen of a nation, by taking an oath of allegiance, attains the citizenship and the rights of a natural – born citizen of a nation. The British Nationality Act of 1981 stipulates the requirements for naturalization in the UK. These conditions include a definite period of residence or service for the Crown abroad, good character, considerable proficiency in English, and an intention to reside in the UK (Naturalization, 2003 ). The British Nationality Act 1981 restricts the acquisition of the status of a British subject to persons on whom the British Nationality Act 1948 bestows this status. Persons who had been citizens of the UK and its Colonies under the 1948 Act, but failed to become citizens of the country where they lived, would continue to enjoy their status as British subjects.  

Evolution of Correctional System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evolution of Correctional System - Essay Example In America, the correction system has witnessed great, interesting changes from the medieval times, to the current super-max prisons. With this in mind, this paper will address the evolution of the correction system, including a historical overview of different types of corrections and custody levels. The criminal justice system of America is concerned with both punishment and corrections, however, today; America has the highest inmate population in the world. The history of corrections system in America traces back to the European system, which was in England, Holland, and France. America only improved on this system in the way they executed it. In the past, common law comprising set rules offered guidance and helped people in solving different social problems. The process of law was under the guidance of judges, as they were responsible for making decisions relating to law. However, as time went by, the colonial system developed their system of criminal justice, which laid the foun dation for the present criminal justice system in America (Gottfredson 11-15). In the 16th and 17th Centuries, there were various correction modes. Most of them were based on public shaming, in order to teach offenders a lesson, and deter others. This approach was to prevent the recurrence of criminal activity, and included, cutting off ears, the stocks, whipping, ducking stool, and placing people in the pillory. For much heinous crimes such as murder, the criminals faced execution through public hanging. The act of imprisonment was rare in colonial years. However, this later found its way into the American criminal justice system. In prisons, people waited for their trial or punishment, while in detention. All types of criminals were detained together while waiting punishment. However, these prisons were poorly maintained, due to the negligence of the prison warders. Most people detained in prisons lost their lives due to various diseases, such as the gaol fever. Houses of correcti on were to serve a purpose of instilling industry habits in offenders through labor in prisons. The people held in these houses were mainly petty offenders, the local disorderly poor, and vagrants. Near the end of the 17th Century, houses of correction were absorbed into the prison system, and put under the control of the local justices of peace (Tonry 12-15). In the 18th Century, many executions of criminals were undertaken. This raised concerns and led to the opposition of the death penalty by many people. They suggested that not all offenders found guilty should be subjected to a death penalty, however, only those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, should be executed. This opposition was counter-productive as jurors finally considered executions for petty offenders extreme. They therefore had to look for a much fairer way of punishing petty offenders, other than execution. In the mid-18th Century, imprisonment, with hard labor, was decided on as the most appropriate form of punishment for petty offenders (Freeman 77-80). Transportation was the most appropriate method used to dispose convicts. These were transported by ship to the America and other British colonies by ship. This happened until the America War of Independence. However, at the end of the 18th Century, there was curtailing of transportation. This means that alternative sanctions had to be put in place. These were later