Social Structures and Perceptions in Kuwait

Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Literature review Evidence and Analysis Discussions Conclusions Reference List Abstract This paper describes the regional stereotypes attached to the people of Kuwait. It, therefore, looks at the misconceptions and opinions associated with the Kuwaiti nationals and the Arab world. The introduction gives a summary of the main points.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Structures and Perceptions in Kuwait specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Literature review, then, summarizes other scholar’s articles and researches related to these stereotypes. The evidence and analysis part, on the other hand, provides information that dispels these stereotypes. Thereafter, the discussion explains the final thoughts on these stereotypes. Finally, the conclusion provides a short summary of the whole paper. Introduction Culture is a set of ideals, attitudes and routines that define a particular group of people (Andriyenko 2010). Therefore, culture refers to the norms learned from people’s values, attitudes and believes. Different cultural experiences help us in making sense of the world. Culture, hence, shapes our communication, work and interactions. Failure to recognize the different cultures within a country or the world leads to stereotypes. â€Å"Stereotyping involves a form of categorization that organizes our experience and guides our behavior towards ethnic and national groups† (Adler 1993, p.5). Additionally, stereotypes describe the behaviors of a group of people rather than individuals. A number of stereotypes are associated with Kuwait. Most of these stereotypes affect Kuwaiti nationals and the local commercial environment negatively. This paper describes the regional stereotypes attached to the people of Kuwait. Literature review According to Al-Shammari (n.d.), Kuwait is a victim of major stereotypes associated with the Arab world. To start with, most people believe that Kuwait is a desert. Some foreigners go to the extent of stating that there are thousands of camels roaming around Kuwait. In addition, 10% of the world’s oil reserves are found in Kuwait (Al-Shammari n.d.). For that reason, there is a misconception that all Kuwaiti nationals are rich. It is presumed that every Kuwaiti has acres of oil fields. Furthermore, these fields are later sold to the government for millions of dollars. Tessler (2003) states that culture and religion are some of the causes of international conflicts. Furthermore, most people in the west relate terrorism to Muslims and their culture.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, it is widely expected that there are hundreds of Arabs with machine guns on the streets of Kuwait. Another misconception is that the Arab world in uncivilized (Ardisson 1998). For that rea son, Kuwait is expected to have low literacy levels and old towns and cities. An additional stereotype associated with Kuwait and other Arab countries is that women have no rights whatsoever. Evidence and Analysis Contrary to many people’s opinion, Kuwait is not a desert. According to Al-Shammari (n.d.), Kuwait is one of the Gulf countries. For that reason, its cultural heritage is derived from the sea. For instance, Kuwait’s citizens have a long history in diving for pearls and sailing. Interestingly, only 40% of Kuwaitis have seen a desert in their whole lives (Al-Shammari n.d.). Al-Shammari (n.d.) adds that not all Kuwaiti nationals are rich. Their flamboyant lifestyles make them look wealthy. However, some of them are in debt (Al-Shammari n.d.). In his study, Tessler (2003) found out that there is no correlation between the Muslim faith and attitudes towards war and democracy. Therefore, there is no relationship between Islam and terrorism or Islam and oppressive l eadership. These are mere stereotypes or misconceptions. It is, thus, very difficult to encounter a violent incident in Kuwait. The Arab world is also highly civilized. Accordingly, Kuwait is highly developed. One of the unique features of Arab civilization is the mingling of ancient and modern cities (Ardisson 1998). Therefore, there is an exceptional blend of civilization dating from the time of Christ. The notion that Kuwaiti women have no rights is not factual. In the Muslim faith, women can freely own and keep properties (Ardisson 1998). It is also not mandatory for them to combine their wealth with those of their husbands. Therefore, women entrepreneurs are encouraged to invest in Kuwait. Moreover, there are well educated and independent women of Kuwaiti nationality in Kuwait. Discussions According to Ardisson (1998), perceptions of Americans towards the Arabs are based on historical biases and misconceptions. For instance, to an American a Kuwaiti national is a mere Arab. In some instances, an American will see a Kuwaiti national as a fundamental terrorist. This attitude towards the Arabs is based on stereotypes. Stereotypes influence people’s feelings and thoughts. For that reason, erroneous judgments about other people or their culture are made. According to Amnesty International (2012), Arabs and other Muslims face prejudices from the West. This fuels discrimination in employment and education. For that reason, Kuwaiti people, being predominantly Muslim, are likely to have a rough time in the USA or Europe.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Structures and Perceptions in Kuwait specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Accordingly, the US and most European countries must do more to curb these negative stereotypes. All cultures are not perfect. For that reason, we can learn a lot from other people’s culture. In addition, we should try to understand why people behave in a certain way before making our final judgment about them (Adler 1991). Consequently, we will be able to tolerate their way of life. Ignorance of other people’s culture is what leads to misconceptions.  To succeed abroad, managers must educate themselves on other people’s cultures. Multinationals should act as local companies. Therefore, managers must integrate their culture with the host’s culture. Cultural differences affect all business functions. For that reason, companies should always be ready to make cultural adjustments. For instance, employees may find it difficult to adjust to or accept foreign cultures. As a result, employees are distressed and demoralized. On top, a company undergoes losses due to reduced output. Social collision arises when a company fails to consider different cultures within its operating environment. Additionally, cross-cultural communication occurs when people from different cultures communicate (Adler 1991). Adler (1991) adds t hat cross-cultural miscommunication arises when there is a misunderstanding between communicators from different cultures. For that reason, the aim of the message is not realized. Cross-cultural miscommunication is prevalent in situations where there are too many differences between a sender’s culture and that of the receiver (Adler 1991). Conclusions To curb stereotypes, people should try to understand other people’s culture. As a result, it is easier to appreciate other people’s culture. After all, people tend to fear what they do not know. Additionally, a Kuwaiti national and a person from the US will use similar words to describe another Kuwaiti national. Furthermore, people must enjoy the uniqueness in their culture without any interference. Denying someone his cultural expression is tantamount to disallowing him his freedom. Finally, for businesses to succeed, there should tolerance and good communication between different cultures. Therefore, misperceptio ns can have a negative impact on the people and the local commercial environment of Kuwait.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reference List Adler, N. J. 1999, International dimensions of organizational behavior, PWS-KENT Publishing Company, Boston.  Al-Shammari D n.d., Stereotypes about Kuwait. Web. Amnesty International 2012, Muslims discriminated against for demonstrating their faith. Web. Andriyenko, A. 2010, Is identity shaped by culture?. Web. Ardisson, S. 1998, An introduction to the Arab world: Stereotypes, misconceptions, and what is the Arab league? Web. Tessler, M. 2003, ‘Arab and Muslim political attitudes: Stereotypes and evidence from survey research’, International Studies Perspectives, vol. 4, pp.175–181. Web. This essay on Social Structures and Perceptions in Kuwait was written and submitted by user Johnny Harris 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.

Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper

In â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper†, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the main character describes herself as a little insane woman. In the beginning of the story, although she is suffering from a continuous nervous breakdown, her mental condition is not so serious and deep. She has a good family, nice house for the summer, and she has talent in writing. However, she is getting increasingly insane everyday that she lives in the bedroom with the yellow wallpaper and the bars on the windows. Then, why did she stay there? We can prove some of the reasons why the main character stayed so repressed throughout the summer retreat at the mansion: one - her oppressive husband, two – her exclusion from writing, and three - the struggle within herself. First, there is John, her oppressive husband. John keeps his cloak of control over her with his profession and his male dominance. In addition, he is seemingly the leading person in the marriage as a typical middle-class male was in the past. He tells her to rest and sleep and never truly listened to her; â€Å"Personally, I disagree with their idea. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?†(p. 407). Even though she tries to discuss her feelings, his stern, reproachful looks and comments make her withdrawn, and her only choice becomes to go back to her bed. In addition, he also thinks what she says is just silly fantasies and illusion. She was almost imprisoned in her bedroom with the yellow paper. Moreover, she is not allowed to have visitors either. Specifically, his oppressive action pushes her deeper into madness. Secondly, she is not even allowed to work on her writing because of her oppressive husband; â€Å"There comes John, and I must put this away - he hates to have me write a word † (p.409). â€Å"So I take phosphates or phosphites – whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman the unnamed protagonist is obsessed with the yellow wallpaper because it represents the insanity in her life that snowballs from post pardum depression to a serious nervous disorder. When we first learn of the protagonist, we find she suffers from post pardum depression, which her husband, a high ranking doctor, attempts to address by treating her with a â€Å"Rest-cure† (pg. 617) by placing her in a colonial mansion away from society. It is this location where she comes in contact with the yellow wallpaper. Automatically when the narrator views the yellow wallpaper of the room, she is appalled at the way it looks. She states she had never seen worse paper, and that it had â€Å"committed every artistic sin.† (pg. 618) We learn of her resentfulness of the wallpaper through writings in her journal. She is not allowed to visit her Cousin Henry or Julia, her husband is gone most of the day and she is not allowed to leave the room, which leads her to discuss the wallpaper, or in reality her portrait of herself. She talks of how horrid it is and a spot where there is a bump in the pattern that looks like a broken neck. This represents her dissatisfaction with her life. She cannot overcome the wretchedness of the paper because she cannot overcome her own problems. She believes the wallpaper looks at her â€Å"as if it knew what a vicious influence it had.† (pg. 620) This represents the tremendous impact the depression has on her life and her refusal to accept her inner chaos. Her simple hate of the wallpaper grows into a hallucination of images that emerge from it when she begins to realize her need for help. She begins to see â€Å"a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure.† (pg. 621) This shows that the narrator is inwardly analyzing herself as well as her illness and yet she still cannot come to terms with it. She says the wallpaper has no laws, and everything ... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wall Paper In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wall Paper†, by Charlotte Perkins, Jane and her husband move into a rental house for the summer. The room in which Jane stays has ugly yellow colored wallpaper. During the story Jane goes from being â€Å"sick†, to really becoming insane. Her insanity is shown through the images she sees in the wallpaper and her behavior toward them. At the beginning of the short story Jane is told that she is sick, and that she should not do any work or take part in any stressful activity. She is taking phosphates and tonics under her husband’s advice. Jane enjoys her writing, but is told not to continue. Throughout the story she continues to write, hiding the writings from her husband and only working when he is away. Her husband considers her condition to be temporary nervous depression, which is to be treated with lots of rest. She is told that she should not leave the room, which in actuality, only makes her true condition worse. As the story progresses Jane’s actions and thought patterns become stranger and stranger. Her hatred for the yellow wallpaper continues to grow and her husband still sees no point in removing in a three month rental. The longer she is enclosed in the yellow room the worse her condition becomes. Jane starts to see shapes of discoloration in the paper, and soon begins to see eyes staring back at her through the yellow covering. In her writings she comments on a smell that is believed to be coming from the walls, she decides that it must be the wallpaper. When the sun is just right she can see a formless sort of figure sulking behind the horrible walls. Jane notices that the walls change color, but no one else is able to see this. By now, halfway through the story, Jane has decided that the figure she keeps seeing has a form to it not unlike that of a woman. She also begins to fear John as her mental condition becomes worse. With one week l... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper, â€Å"Explanations of Insanity.† "The Yellow Wallpaper", written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a story of a woman, her psychological difficulties and her husband's so called therapeutic treatment of her aliments during the late 1800s. Gilman, who writes from her own personal experiences, is suffering from a â€Å"temporary depression.† She is having to face the overwhelming fact that this is a male dominated society and sometimes women suffer because of it. Gilman sets up the story to convey a certain opinion of the repercussions a woman faces in the care of a man. She states right from the beginning that "John is a physician, and perhaps(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind) perhaps that is the one reason I do not get well faster." (McMichael, George, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† page 667.) The story mentions that she has an older brother who is also a physician and concurs with her husbands theory, thus leaving her no choice but to subject herself to this torment of being totally alone in this room with the yellow wallpaper. The narrator with absolutely nothing else to do is reduced to staring endlessly at a pattern in a wallpaper, thus creating some image that she feels is necessary to find out. Perhaps to save her own sanity? Once the narrator determines that the image is in fact a woman struggling to become free, she somehow aligns herself with the woman. She continues to pursue this obsessive project of getting the woman out. Gilman is obviously putting her dilemmas along with the women stuck in the wallpaper into the same category. That would be the thought and feeling of being â€Å"trapped!† The narrator wants the women to be free of the paper just as bad as she wants to be looked at as a sane person as well as being allowed to read and write again without being scolded by her mentally and vocally abusive, overpowering husband... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper Prior to the twentieth century, men assigned and defined women’s roles. Although all women were effected by men determining women’s behavior, largely middle class women suffered. Men perpetrated an ideological prison that subjected and silenced women. This ideology, called the Cult of True Womanhood, legitimized the victimization of women. The Cult of Domesticity and the Cult of Purity were the central tenets of the Cult of True Womanhood. Laboring under the seeming benevolence of the Cult of Domesticity, women were imprisoned in the home or private sphere, a servant tending to the needs of the family. Furthermore, the Cult of Purity obliged women to remain virtuous and pure even in marriage, with their comportment continuing to be one of modesty. Religious piety and submission were beliefs that were more peripheral components of the ideology, yet both were borne of and a part of the ideology of True Womanhood. These were the means that men used to insure the passi vity and docility of women. Religion would pacify any desires that could cause a deviation from these set standards, while submission implied a vulnerability and dependence on the patriarchal head (Welter 373-377). The medical profession’s godlike attitude in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† demonstrates this arrogance. The Rest cure that Dr. Weir Mitchell prescribed, which is mentioned in Gilman’s work, reflects men’s disparaging attitudes. His Rest cure calls for complete rest, coerced feeding and isolation. Mitchell, a neurosurgeon specializing in women’s nervous ailments, expounded upon his belief for women’s nervous conditions when he said, American woman is, to speak plainly, too often physically unfit for her duties as woman, and is perhaps of all civilized females the least qualified to undertake those weightier tasks which tax so heavily the nervous system of man. She is not fairly up to what nature asks from her as wife and mother. How will ... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper In â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper†, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the main character describes herself as a little insane woman. In the beginning of the story, although she is suffering from a continuous nervous breakdown, her mental condition is not so serious and deep. She has a good family, nice house for the summer, and she has talent in writing. However, she is getting increasingly insane everyday that she lives in the bedroom with the yellow wallpaper and the bars on the windows. Then, why did she stay there? We can prove some of the reasons why the main character stayed so repressed throughout the summer retreat at the mansion: one - her oppressive husband, two – her exclusion from writing, and three - the struggle within herself. First, there is John, her oppressive husband. John keeps his cloak of control over her with his profession and his male dominance. In addition, he is seemingly the leading person in the marriage as a typical middle-class male was in the past. He tells her to rest and sleep and never truly listened to her; â€Å"Personally, I disagree with their idea. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?†(p. 407). Even though she tries to discuss her feelings, his stern, reproachful looks and comments make her withdrawn, and her only choice becomes to go back to her bed. In addition, he also thinks what she says is just silly fantasies and illusion. She was almost imprisoned in her bedroom with the yellow paper. Moreover, she is not allowed to have visitors either. Specifically, his oppressive action pushes her deeper into madness. Secondly, she is not even allowed to work on her writing because of her oppressive husband; â€Å"There comes John, and I must put this away - he hates to have me write a word † (p.409). â€Å"So I take phosphates or phosphites – whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wall-Paper By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman In the story, The Yellow Wall-Paper by Perkins Gilman, the yellow wall paper symbolized the character and her marriage to her husband John. The character expressed herself through the wall paper. She reflected her life to the yellow wallpaper. She saw a woman trapped behind bars, crawling around the wallpaper fighting to free herself. Those bars resembled her husband. Throughout their marriage, she felt trapped. She always did what she was told by her husband. She was not allowed the write in her journal or even allowed to read. Her husband made all of her decisions for her because according to him, she was unable of making her own decisions. Everything he did was for her best. The yellow wallpaper intrigued the character so much that towards the ending, she became that woman in the wallpaper. She started to crawl around the floor and eventually crawled all over her husband. It seemed that when she crawled over her husband, she changed completely , she no longer was the obedient â€Å"little girl† that her husband loved. At the sight of her crawling, her husband fainted. The yellow wallpaper is a very important symbol in the story. It portrayed the character’s life. The character was trapped in her marriage just like the woman was trapped in the wallpaper. Both of them constantly tried to release themselves. The woman in the wallpaper consistently shook the pattern and the bars, while the character would try to talk to her husband and try to make him see that she is smart enough to make her own decisions. The bars from the wallpaper coincided with John. Those bars would not permit the woman from liberating herself. John would not permit his wife to become independent. He wanted her to need him to survive.... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper Women’s Literature The Importance of Symbolism and Imagery In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Often times the best work of writing, be it a short story or an extensive novel, is one that examines an issue using a variety of literary techniques, such as symbolism and imagery. Charlotte Perkins Gilman did just that. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a short story in which a woman, who suffers from some sort of nervous condition, is basically confined to one room in a summer home while on any number of medications. Her husband doesn’t allow her to work and even forbids her from writing, which was a deprivation of the only outlet she truly had. Gilman uses various forms of symbolism and imagery throughout the novel that, as in most cases, can be interpreted in a variety of forms. One of the most significant examples of imagery and/or symbolism in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is actually the yellow wallpaper. It surrounds, in somewhat of an encompassing manner, the room occupied by Jane, the main character and narrator. Jane says at the beginning of the story â€Å"I never saw worse paper in my life. One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin† (Gilman 1135). The paper was stripped off in certain areas of the room and apparently its yellow color was more of a stain, while at the same time it possessed some type of bad odor. â€Å"It is the strangest yellow, that wallpaper! It makes me think of all the yellow things I ever saw- not beautiful ones like buttercups, but old, foul, bad yellow things† (Gilman 1141). To me, somebody with a sickness confined to one room for an extended amount of time should not feel this way about the room they are in. This ugly, almost evil wallpaper symbolizes a few different things. In her perception, the paper has eyes and exerts some sort of power over her. Hour after hour she lay in her bed, which is nailed to the floor, and tries to follow the pattern of the wallpape... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is an account of a mentally disturbed woman. The woman portrayed in this short story plays the role of a dominated, inferior lady who is not outspoken and willing to take a stand on behalf of her own well being. She does not realize she can have her own ideas and stand up for herself; this is her main problem in the story. By applying all the concepts of style, symbolism and time era Charlotte Perkins Gilman has conceived a well-written story. The time frame has a great importance to the overall story. The account does not just deal with a woman going insane but a woman’s standing in society in the late 1800’s. During the time in which Gilman’s piece was written, women were not often prominent figures in society. Men frequently dominated them, and it was rare to find a very outspoken female willing to stand up for her own well-being. It is a very disturbing look at how a man could have dominated a lady in the time frame in which the story was set. It exemplifies how woman were disregarded at times and treated like frail beings at others. All woman really needed was moral or emotional support to break free of a male dominated society. Throughout the story symbolism is a strong key point. The wallpaper has many symbolic examples in it. The pattern at one point in time start to look like bars and the woman behind them is constantly shaking them at night to escape. The key factor is that the woman is somehow freed from the bars during the day, yet trapped behind them at night. This is symbolic of her husbands not being home during the days, while he is working. During this time she is alone and free to be herself, without anyone’s rules to suppress her emotions. Because of this she does not feel the urgent need to escape. At night however when her husband returns home she is thrown back behind those imaginary bars that symbolize her feelings of control. In the ... Free Essays on The Yellow Wallpaper The majority of works written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman were written as â€Å"forceful statements of her opinions on women’s need for economic independence and social equality† (151). However, the one story that is considered her artistic masterpiece greatly deviates from her typical fiction. This story, entitled â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† is a not a feminist statement, but a true work of art; merely an artist using her talent. Current feminist critics have come up with a profusion of in-depth views and symbolism that have altered the way this work is read. After a careful rereading of The â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper,† it becomes clear that while this is a work of fiction, it is also laced with subliminal symbolism in the story’s setting and environments. When reading â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, a reader cannot miss noticing the importance of the setting in which the action takes place. The author’s intent is to focus the reader’s attention into the story in a gradual manner; in this way, the unusual events presented later on will produce a greater impression on the reader. In addition, setting is a strategy for the author to introduce symbols in the text, symbols that are not obvious to decipher at the first read. As an expert on symbolism in human culture, Carl Jung writes in Man and His Symbols: â€Å"Thus a word or an image is symbolic when it implies something more than it’s obvious and immediate meaning. It has a wider ‘unconscious’ aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained† (Jung 20). These symbols represent Gilman’s view on the status of women in the patriarchal society of the nineteenth century. Views that were so shocking for those times that their direct unveiling may have led to strong criticism and perhaps the exclusion of publishing the story. This effect is created with a combination of several techniques. The most prominent and easiest to observe is the manipulation of setting. The story ...

The IOM Future of Nursing report related to the nursing workforce Essay

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British Airways Analysing Financial And Non Financial Indicators Tourism Essay

British Airways Analysing Financial And Non Financial Indicators Tourism Essay British Airways is considered as one of the largest international airlines of United Kingdom. British airways Plc and many other subsidiaries companies make the whole British Airways group. Currently, British Airways(BA) covers more than 550 destinations. According to the data of the year 2008/09, more than 34 million passengers have travelled through British Airways. British airways main business operating hub location is Londons Heathrow airport which serves the company with large geographical area. British Airways is also listed in stock exchange of London.. (Company Information, n.d.).The following report will analyse and then evaluates both the indicators of the British Airways ie, financial as well as non-financial by making it compare with the performance of other company, which is Dubai based named as Emirates Airlines. Talking about Emirates Airlines, being launched in 1985 and since then shown the signs as of one of the fastest growing airlines of the worlds airline industr y. Currently, the company covers more than 100 different destinations throughout the world. (The Emirates Group, 2009). Further in the report the evaluation of the performance of both these companies is being done by using ratio analysis and there will also be discussion about the financial performance trend analysis of both the companies in the last few years. This report will also look at the managerial and non financial challenges faced by both of these companies using SWOT analysis, and then talking about the challenges and solutions for those challenges. The last section of this report will discuss and analyses the comment by John Rishton due to adoption of IFRS and also look at the differences between IFRS and US GAAP. Section B The following paragraphs will cover the changes and the financial pressures recently faced by the airline sector. According to keynote report, Factors like increase in the prices of oil during first half of 2008 which seriously affected the operating costs of airlines, then the impact of global recession made the condition even worse as affecting the number of passengers and thus decreased the demand for air travel globally. In response the different airlines companies have abandoned those routes which were unprofitable and also cut down the un-necessary costs. In such a difficult phase of the airline sector, the companies must understand that how its customers are rephrasing value and their reaction in the period of recession, instead of cutting down on the budget which they have planned for the market research. Now we will discuss specifically about the British airways and Emirates airlines, also will consider the different financial and managerial challenges that are faced by the above two companies. SWOT analysis is used as tool to clarify the difference between the both the airlines. SWOT analysis Strengths British airways made a strong brand identity as United Kingdoms leading airlines because of trust and loyalty being showed by its customers. Strong brand identity also brought advantages of economies of scale. There is being a new subsidiary launched by British airways named as, Open Skies, which offers only business class for the traffic between U.S and major European countries. British airways has got huge capacity for its air planes because of its main operating base hub ie, at Heathrow airport and With the proposed merger with Iberia, British airways is aiming to become second largest airline company after Air France of Europe. British airways offers different loyalty programmes for its customers as to make sure the again travel from their airlines only. On the other side Emirates airline has made its brand strong in the marketplace using different advertisements and many sponsorships. One of the main strengths of emirates airline is having its focus on diversified market and the entrance into the cargo shipping proved very beneficial for the company. Emirates airline has made its corporate culture by listening and identifying the needs of its customer. Emirates also has low cost, which is around 30% less than its European competitors. With the opening of emirates terminal 3 at Dubai international airport recently and the continuous ability to renew with improvement in the service gives the emirates airline the strength edge over its competitors. Tim Clark who is the president of emirates airline, stated that the past results of the airlines have exceeded above expectations despite of the increase in jet fuel prices for emirates airlines from US$1.68 upto US$2.78 per gallon by the end of the year. Weakness With the opening of new terminal 5 at Heathrow airport by the British airways, the company faced problems with training of staff, which led in flights being cancelled, complains of missing luggage. Moreover the rising fuel prices led to increase in ticket prices. The slowdown of both the UK and US economies has affected British Airways as the company has become very vulnerable to financial instability. The bankruptcies in the US banking sector decreased the number of premium booking passengers in British airways heavily. The route of Heathrow and New York is having huge traffic of passengers and forms an important part of British airways earning. Therefore, the drop in the bookings of premium class affected the profitability of the company. British airways also suffered from increased in non fuel costs like from staff and the landing charges. For emirates airlines, there is some weakness also associated with it, like it is not being successful in all of its diversification and approaches, which has emerged as a weakness of the company. Analysts have blamed the company for too much emphasizing on high end acquisitions and diversifications in spite of getting the type of results from such decisions. As U.S is a major market for the airline industry and emirates airline does not cater to many places in the U.S., which is also a weakness for the company. Opportunities If British airways will fully acquire the Iberia airlines with currently 13% share, then it will be in the list of the worlds biggest airlines having approximated combined stock market capitalisation worth of EUR 5.5 billion. There is an opportunity for the British airways to expand more in emerging markets like Middle East Region, India, and China. Another opportunity for British Airways is to now improve the operating conditions of its terminal 5 at Heathrow airport. The company should focus on minimum cost of travelling to fulfil customer needs. With the increase of fuel efficient aircrafts of British airways it can minimize the environmental damage, as protection of environment is emerged as an important issue throughout the world. The company should also see an interest of customers towards new places and develop new routes wherever possible. On the other hand for emirates airline the opportunity lies in which, it can use its well developed infrastructure business to go into the new emerging markets where internet adoption is not very well developed. Same as for the British airways, there is also an opportunity for emirates to introduce new routes by observing the interest of customers. As also Dubai and the middle-east region is more advancing for tourism and commercial purpose enables emirates airline to grow. Emirate airline does no pay income tax so this also gives a tax benefit to it. This saves around $250 million of money per year. Also due to close proximity of Dubai from Indian and Pakistan gives a chance to the airline to access hugely available cheap labour. The benefit of cheap labour in the emirates airline can be seen from the figure as from the total operating budget of the company, the cost of labour accounts upto 18% which is very less as compared to Lufthansa airline having 27% and united airlines with 2 9% of cost of labour. Threats The current threat to British airways is from current economic slowed down, increased fuel prices and weaker pound. The global recession has severely affected air transportation. The travel and tourism industry is moving towards including more green practices. There is pressure from European Union on all the airlines companies to limit carbon emissions Across EU. After the events of 11 September 2001, the security measures have been more tighten by the airline companies. There is also strong competition from low cost airlines, cruise and rail transport that constitutes a bigger share in travel market. Low cost carriers are increasingly looking for new routes for customers with affordable ticket price. Another matter of concern for British Airways is the trade union power. The trade union already did many strikes in august 2004 and 2005. Cost of fuel is also can be at risk as the political situation in Iraq is supporting the rise of oil prices, which will result in add up of another à ‚ £100 million to the cost of British Airways. Whereas, there is severe threat on emirates airlines also from its competitors naming Qatar airways and Etihad airways. Due to political instability in middle-east could lead to have a negative impact on emirate airline. Although the cargo commercial and passenger segments of emirates airlines have managed to achieve their targets, but increasing oil prices affected last quarter net income. As more desire of commodity trading affected oil prices due to brokers were not revealing the actual figure of shortage of raw material. 4 Challenges: There are some of the challenges still left out to be tackle by the BA at the time of developing its climate change programme. As the company operate in environment which is uncertain and political environment is just a part of whole environment but it gives challenges like of changing climate. BA has taken various initiatives to face solved these challenges right from developing in-depth understanding on how to face these challenges, keeping debate with government and asking for their cooperation. (British Airways SWOT Analysis, 2006). BA had to face many threats from competition besides the security threats like after the incidence of 9/11 terrorist attack, as its been considered as amongst the world most profit making airlines so for them to lead the industry the competition becomes more stiff for that they not only have to face threats like escalating fuel cost but also have to operate with low cost. BA has been helped by keymetric with 2006 transformational online programs to save nearly about 38 millions. Operating profit has gone down to 80 percent which shows sheer and utmost decrease due to the weak customer confidence and thus reducing the traffic volumes. Challenges are mainly face due to the so many cost which has become hot air balloon and going high, if busted will not beneficial for the company. The cost balloon include so many costs like right from fuel cost, employee cost, cost of engineering, landing fees and besides this, also includes more operations costs due to delay in shifting to terminal 5 like, cargo handling costs, trucking charges, cost of ground equipments, IT and strong euro rate etc. Whereas, Emirates airlines firstly penetrated the market by launching it s routes to the places in west Africa like in Nigeria and Ghana altogether. To sustain in to the market and feel the presence in these two countries there is also a challenge to be able to handle many multilingual issues and the problems with double byte sites. As emirates is present internationally, to manag e its data which is globally spread through internet, the company took the decision of spreading out SDL Tridions content for management solution. With such a decision enabled the Emirates, to cater to wider and variety of audience. As now the customers from all over the world can access to common information available to them. (Simon, 2007) Solution: Aviation industry requires huge sums of investment to operate and it adds risk to the return as well. The main money source of income for firms is shareholder. BA secures its position in the world aviation through focusing its aim towards its prospective shareholders and product betterment with handing cost efficiently. BA aims to achieve unique culture in airline by focussing towards customer and their requirements. BA believes that, differentiating their strategy from their competitors will bring the huge market. After being loosed the battle in to the business class which has been collapsed, after their position has been taken over by Silver Jet Airlines as a business class leader. But after this move in the aviation industry, British Airways took some good decisions like purchasing of Lavion Paris Airline, which was a quiet successful for BA. British Airways is always prepared to the change according to the environment and that alo shows in their course of planned action. BA has released the Terminal 5 which was going through good functioning with 6 million passengers (Marzouqi, N.D.). Emirates on the other hand, had find out a niche for itself as a route for success and not in the way of following others. Unlike BA, emirates was not very much affected by 9/11 incident and also with decline of profit levels, seat factors the company managers didnt shake and through their belief in their company and dedication took them out in such a crisis situation and thus, they were remained profitable. Whereas, other airlines were reducing and laying off their workforce so as to cut down the cost but, emirates didnt do this and their unique working paid off. (Sull, 2005)

Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale Essay example -- Atwood Handmaid

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale In "The Handmaid's Tale", Margaret Atwood tells a saddening story about a not-to-distant future where toxic chemicals and abuses of the human body have resulted in many men and women alike becoming sterile. The main character, Offred, gives a first person encounter about her subservient life as a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a republic formed after a bloody coup against the United States government. She and her fellow handmaids are fertile women that the leaders of Gilead, the Commanders, enslave to ensure their power and the population of the Republic. While the laws governing women and others who are not in control of Gilead seem oppressive, outlandish and ridiculous, they are merely a caricature of past and present laws and traditions of Western civilization. "The Handmaid's Tale" is an accurate and feasible description of what society could be like if a strict and oppressive religious organization gained dominant power over the political system in the United States. Of course, one does not need to try to predict the future in order to get a picture of what life would be like if such a strict and oppressive religious organization obtained a stranglehold on our political system. The Holy Roman Empire and various kingdoms of the not-to-distant past, ruled by kings appointed by God through birthright, are packed with stories of poor treatment of those who oppose them and have a consistent theme for foul treatment of women. Few, if any, religious conquests were as gruesome and devastating as the Inquisition. Starting in the 13th century, monarchs from all around Europe, with approval from the Popes during their reigns, anointed inquisitors to track down a certain group of he... ...omen than men and more stories of women succeeding in business and government, one might think that society has evolved from the mediaeval, torturous times of the Inquisition. However, we mustn't forget that the Inquisition did not end until the early 19th century, and that most Western Civilizations did not make strides towards equal rights for women until the 20th century. "The Handmaid's Tale" is a shivering warning about the brutality that humans can enact upon each other, given the opportunity. Many of the religious sentiments expressed during the story are echoes of today's events. From the Inquisition to toxic waste dumps poisoning hundreds of people in a small town to abortion clinic bombings, some of the outrageous and unbelievable events of "The Handmaid's Tale" have already been taking place for centuries, but are hopefully not a omen of what is to come.