Analysis Of Huawei And Its Core Competencies Management Essay

Analysis Of Huawei And Its Core Competencies Management Essay Huawei Technologies was founded in 1998 by Ren Zhengfei who is a former Peoples Liberation Army officer and telecom engineer. It was incorporated as a private enterprise which manufactures telecommunications equipments for domestic Chinese companies at a much lower price than its international competitors. And since the beginning, Zhengfeis vision was to build innovation capability into the company. However, contrary to the Chinas policy of exchanging market for technology, Zhengfei is convinced that having a joint venture with foreign companies would only cause the Chinese to lose their domestic market and not enable them to acquire foreign technologies. In performing an internal analysis, it is important to have a global mind-set, which is the ability to analyse the internal environment in ways that are independent on the assumptions of a single country, culture, or context. In addition, the businesss portfolio of resources and the bundles of heterogeneous resources and capabilities have to be analysed so that they are be leveraged on if need to. Business Fundamentals Accounting Huawei Technologies had annual revenue of US$6.7 billion and a net profit of US$470 million in 2005. This is an increase from annual revenue of US$5.8 billion and a net profit of US$470 million in 2004. Huaweis net profits in 2002 and 2003 were US$110 million and US$380 million respectively, and it had a net profit margin of 4% in 2002, 10% in 2003 and 8% in 2004. No doubt, Huaweis net profit margin drop by 2% in 2004, Huawei is still generating profit. Finance There are short-term financing and long-term financing options available. Huaweis financial support from the state-owned Chinese Development Bank in the form of a US$10 billion facility and US$600 million from the Export-Import Bank of China are both forms of long-term financing. Risk Management There are three major types of business risks; price risk, credit risk and pure risk. As Huawei has markets overseas, there is bound to be some price risk involved when there is any fluctuation in foreign exchange rates as their receivables and payments are transacted in foreign currencies. Hence, Huawei can use hedging to manage its price risks. In addition, pure risk is assume to be present in virtually any industry and there are four types of pure risk that affect business; damage to assets, legal liability, workers injury and employee benefits. Organisation Design Huawei practice departmentalization as its workforce is spilt into departments such as Research Development (RD) and production. It is also a mechanistic structure as there is high specialization and centralization. Human Resource Management Since its beginning, Huawei had been emphasizing on building a strong RD team and it had been recruiting employees of high caliber with exceptionally high salary by Chinese standard. Operations and Supply Chain Management The success of most businesses is their ability to identify the customers needs and to come up with products that fulfills the necessary requirements. These products will then have to be produced at economically viable costs. As Huawei manufactures and ships its products both locally and overseas. Thus, it is vital that Huawei monitors its operations and supply chain management to ensure that its products remain profitable and that bullwhip effect be controlled. Product Development Huawei has the foresight to invest and develop in new technologies in the industry which gives it a quantum leap in the market from its competitors. Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies Resources, capabilities and core competencies form the basis of competitive advantage. Resources create organizational capabilities when group together and in turn, capabilities result in the core competencies of a firm, and these are the foundation of competitive advantage. Tangible Resources Financial Resources As previously mentioned, Huawei has the financial support from the state-owned Chinese Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China. With their financial support, Huawei received a US10 billion facility for its international expansion over five years and US$600 million respectively. Organisational Resources Huawei has departments such as RD, production and marketing which form up the basic organization structure of the company. Huawei also integrates its marketing employees into its main RD team so that the customers needs can be better communicated to the RD headquarters responsively. Physical Resources Huawei has research centres located in China and overseas. For example, it has a 21 storey research center at its headquarters in Shenzhen and six other research laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangzhou, Xian and Chengdu; a software development centre in Bangalore (India) and research facilities in Moscow (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) and the Silicon Valley in California. Technological Resources Huawei had a large number of patents under its name. It had more than 8,000 patent applications by late 2004, with 800 of them applied in more than 20 countries, including the United States and Europe. In fact, in 2004 alone, Huawei had more than 2,000 patent applications which put it on par with its international rivals in the same industry. Intangible Resources Human Resources Since establishment, Huawei had focused its resources to build itself a strong RD team. Starting off with 500 RD staffs and 200 production staffs, Huawei had a workforce of 24,000 employees by late 2005 with 48% of them engaging in RD works. In addition, the education level of the companys employees was higher than the average worker in China. More than 85% of its workforce had a bachelors or higher degree, and about 60% had a masters or PhD. Innovation Resources Huawei undertook joint RD laboratories with foreign companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Intel, e.g., focusing on different telecom techniques. These joint development efforts were used to complement Huaweis innovation capabilities. Reputational Resources Huawei has a large customer base in China with the major telecom companies being its customer. In addition, Huawei is one of the major suppliers for equipments for the China Telecoms ChinaNet Next Carrying Network, known as CN2, which is the core network for the countrys next-generation business and consumers services. Capabilities Capabilities exist when there are resources on hand that have been deliberately integrated to achieve specific tasks. Huawei had a strong team of RD staff which comprises of 48% of its total employees. In addition, Huawei recruits employees of high caliber, with more than 85% of its employees having at least a bachelors degree and 60% having a masters or PhD. Thus, Huawei is able to come out with innovate products, hence holding an exceptionally high number of patents by Chinese standard. In addition, coming from a military background, Ren Zhengfeis connection with the Chinese military helps create a guanxi network which is extremely helpful to Huawei. Being based in China, Huawei is able to manufacture and offer products at a lower price (typically 30% lower than those of established suppliers). Core Competencies Core competencies are capabilities that are a source of competitive advantage for a company over its rivals. Huaweis first competence is its RD. Because of the inexpensive labour force in China, Huawei had an advantage over its international competitors. In addition, Huawei integrates its marketing people into its RD team, thus the needs of telephone companies and service providers could be communicated through the marketers to the RD department in the shortest time. Another core competence which Huawei had is its close relationship with the Chinese military. This close relationship enables Huawei to create a guanxi network which few other competitors could rival and which helps Huawei to secure big contract orders in its initial years and huge financial loans from the state banks. A third core competence is Huaweis products low price as compare to its competitors. In summary, Huawei would need to maintain these core competencies in the long run to have a sustainable competitive advantage. Valuable Rare Costly to Imitate Non-substitutable RD à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ Close relationship with Chinese military à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ Price à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ *Must meet at least 3 criteria to be a competitive advantage (CA). Value Chain Analysis Using the value chain analysis, we will analyse which are Huaweis operations segments that create value and those that do not. It is essential to understand these issues, as a business will only earns above-average returns when the value created is greater than the costs incurred to create that value. Primary activities Huaweis primary activities are marketing and sales, inbound logistics, outbound logistics and operations. Support activities Huaweis support activities are firm infrastructure, human resource management, service, technological development and procurement. Activities which are not of competitive advantages to Huawei can be outsourced to external vendors so that resources can be put to better use within the company. SWOT Analysis Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Huawei have a strong RD team and high caliber employees which gives it an edge over its competitors. Being based in China, Huawei is able to manufacture and offer products at a lower price (typically 30% lower than those of established suppliers). In addition, with a low-cost workforce, Huawei spends less in RD but achieve comparable results with foreign technology companies who spend more. Ren Zhengfeis connection with the Chinese military enables Huawei to have the support from the Chinese government which is essential to working in China. Weaknesses Being a Chinese company, Huawei will be view in a different light compared to other companies from other countries. In general, the perception was that Chinese vendors were mainly relying on western engineering methods and were turning the higher margins and complex products into standard commodities. Thus, Huawei would have to move beyond this to be view as a serious global competitor. Huaweis lawsuit with Cisco gives rise to the issue that Huawei has infringed Ciscos patents and copyrights by copying its user interface, user manuals and source codes which inevitably affects Huaweis reputation in the United States. Key Success Factors Huawei is able to be successful as in general the Chinese market is a closed industry and foreign companies would need to joint ventures with local Chinese companies in order to enter the market, which will involve large equity investments. In addition, being a home-grown company, the Chinese will prefer to buy their products from Huawei, thus giving it an advantage in such a big emerging market. Furthermore, with Ren Zhengfeis connection to the Chinese military, it would have an unfair advantage over other companies. Secondly, since the onset, Huawei had focus on employing high caliber employees to form a huge RD team. Together with joint RD with other leading foreign companies, this has enables Huawei to come up with innovative products. Question 2. Perform an external analysis of Huawei. Based on your analysis, identify the possible opportunities and threats encountered by Huawei. (30 marks) Business Fundamentals Economics China overtook the United States to become the largest telecom market in late 2002 and by 2004; Chinas telecom industry had US$112 billion in business transactions. This is equivalent to an annual growth rate of 34.9% which was 3.7 times Chinas gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 9.5%. In addition, Chinas telecom equipment market will continue to grow annually at a compound rate of 10.9%, from US$30 billion to US$45 billion between 2004 and 2008. Stakeholder Management There are two major groups of stakeholders; market stakeholders and non-market stakeholders. Market stakeholders are also known as primary stakeholders and they include the employees, customers, suppliers and distributors of Huawei. Non-market stakeholders, also known as secondary stakeholders are people whom are affected by Huaweis actions but without being directly involved with any economic transactions with it. Marketing Huawei had to be aggressive to win contracts and typically, their products are about 30% cheaper than established brands. In addition, Huawei offer incentives when pitching for sales for major contracts. The External Environment The external environment of a company is divided into three major areas; the general, industry and competitor environments, each focusing on different aspects. The General Environment PESTL Model The general environment comprises of dimensions in the broader society that influence an industry and the firms within it. Using the PESTL model, we will gather the information and analyse each segment and its implication. Political Huaweis founder; Ren Zhengfei was from the Chinese military and this connection had created a guanxi network which few competitors could match. This relationship had helped Huawei secure big contract orders with the military during its early years. In addition, financial supports from state-owned banks were given to Huawei for its expansion plans overseas. However, this connection to the Chinese military had also affect Huawei, as a number of distributors in the United States were skeptical about the influence Huawei was subject to, and they were cautious of any implications. In addition, due to ownerships restrictions in China, most foreign firms would need to have a joint venture with local Chinese companies before they can enter the market. Hence, Huawei had an advantage in this aspect. Economics Huawei was the largest telecom equipment manufacturer in China with annual revenue of US$6.7 billion in 2005, and a net profit of US$470 million. At the same time, its market capitalization was estimated to be up to US$10 billion. Sociocultural Despite Huaweis efforts to fit into the United States culture, Huawei still met with difficulties when it first started operating in Plano, Texas in 2001. For a start, the Americans had difficulty pronouncing the companys name to the extent that Huawei had to come up with a working name. However, this caused confusion as the new name was not adopted nor promoted consistently and the Americans were confused by two different names belonging to the same company. To make matter worse, Huaweis employees had difficulty adapting to the Texas accent and their local culture. Huawei itself has a unique corporate culture within the company. Due to Ren Zhengfeis military background, he had instilled military style training for new employees and his employees were urged to learn from the behavior of wolves. He wants Huaweis marketing department to be aggressive, just like a pack of wolves. Technological Technological advances in the internet boom continued till 2006, and the technology choices and service requirements of service providers were getting more diversify. As previously mentioned, China had overtaken the United States to become the largest telecom market and hence, telecom service providers were now focusing on network improvement and value-added services rather than on infrastructure development. Huawei had the foresight to venture early and invested heavily in the third-generation (3G) mobile communications technology and it started its own research and development (RD) in Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in 1995. And over the next few years, Huawei invested more than US$370 million in wide-band CDMA (WCDMA) technologies with a dedicated team of 3,500 RD employees deployed throughout research centres in China and other countries. In 2003, Huawei formed a 3G research joint venture with Japans NEC and Matsushita and entered the mobile handset market in early 2004 to familiarise itself with the 3G industry in future. At the same time, a joint venture was also formed with Siemens to test TD-SCDMA (Chinas home grown standard) mobile handsets and networks equipments. As a matter of fact, Huawei had invested one-third of its RD spending on 3G technologies for the past two years. Legal Huawei was sued by Cisco in the United States six months after setting up a subsidiary there. It had allegedly infringed a number of Ciscos copyrights and patents and Cisco was seeking damages in the lawsuit, which includes the discontinuation of Huaweis Quidway routers, and the impoundment and destruction of all Huaweis routers and manuals in the United States. By the time Cisco dropped its lawsuit in July 2004; many sales contracts which Huawei was pitching for were lost. To make matter worse, a Huaweis employee was caught taking photographs of high-tech equipment from Fujitsu in a trade show in Chicago in June 2004. The Industry Environment The Five Forces of Competition Model The intensity of competition and the profit potential of an industry are the functions of the five forces of competition; the threats of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products and rivalry among competing firms. Threat of New Entrants There is a low to medium risk for Huawei for the threat of new entrants in the industry. Chinas telecom industry had grown to become the largest telecom market in the world and most of the leading global telecom equipment firms had already started operations in China by setting up joint ventures with local Chinese companies. Among the multinationals in China now are leading global telecom equipment firms such as Motorola, Nokia, Lucent Technologies and Siemens. Thus, it is already a competitive market with little room for new players. In addition, as previously mentioned, foreign companies wanting to enter the Chinese market would have to set up joint ventures with Chinese companies due to ownership restrictions and this usually involve equity investments. Hence, it is capital intensive for a new player to enter the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers No evidence found in the case study. Bargaining Power of Buyers The buyers have a high bargaining power. Phone subscriptions had increased to 390 million mobile phone users and 348 million fixed-line users by October 2005. As there was low switching costs for customers, telecom service providers are focusing on network improvement and value-added services to win customers and make existing customers stay. In addition, Chinas telecom equipment market has been forecasted to grow at a 10.9% annual compound rate between 2004 and 2008, from US$30 billion to US$45 billion. Threat of Substitute Products There is a low threat of substitute products as there is basically no substitute for the industry. There is currently no other products that can offer the same usage and convenience offered by the telecom equipment industry. Rivalry Among Competing Firms There is a high rivalry among competing firms. Beside the influx of multinationals telecom enterprises, there are also a number of domestic companies that are becoming competitive. There is little differentiation among competitors and hence, customers have low switching costs. Besides Huawei, there are three more companies; ZTE, DTT and GDT that have started to emerge. Both Huawei and ZTE were expected to enter further into international markets in the near future, going neck-to-neck with the established multinational enterprises for the same customers. The Competitor Environment Intense rivalry creates a need for Huawei to understand its competitors and their objectives, strategies, capabilities and assumptions. To help Huawei prepare for a response to its competitor, four dimensions (future objectives, current strategy, assumptions and capabilities) about the competitor should be found out and understand. SWOT Analysis Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Having already facing difficulties entering the United States market, Huawei can present itself better in the United States by collaborating with some of the United States companies. In this way, customers will not perceive Huawei as a low-cost vendor. In addition, as long as Huawei delivers reliable equipments, quality service and continues its product development, it will pose a formidable opponent to foreign companies. Threats Huawei have to be wary of competition from companies from low-cost countries where they pose a direct threat. Question 3. Identify the business level strategy adopted by Huawei and discuss the strategic actions implemented by Huawei in supporting this strategy. (20 marks) Huawei had adopted an integrated cost leadership/ differentiation strategy for its business level strategy. With its focus on RD and owning more than 8,000 patents, Huawei is able to differentiate their products in many ways. In addition, being located in a low-cost workforce country, Huawei is able to have their products manufactured at a much lower cost compared to others. Huawei engages in both value-creating primary and support activities that enables them to simultaneously pursue cost leadership/ differentiation strategy. By having an efficient production, low costs can be maintained while creating products of unique value give rises to differentiation. Primary activities As mentioned in question 1, Huaweis primary activities are marketing and sales, inbound logistics, outbound logistics and operations. Marketing and Sales Huawei priced their products about 30% cheaper than other established brands and to make it more attractive, Huawei offers attractive incentives as a sales package when pitching for major contracts. Support activities Huaweis support activities are firm infrastructure, human resource management, service, technological development and procurement. Firm Infrastructure Huawei had a good infrastructure that enables it to effectively and consistently identify its external threats and opportunities, resources and capabilities and support core competencies. It had a very good relationship with the Chinese military which is paramount to its success in China. Human Resource Management Huawei focus on having high caliber employees to build up its RD team. With more than 85% of its employees having a bachelors degree and above, Huawei ensures that they are highly paid by Chinese standard. In addition, due to Ren Zhengfeis military background, new employees are put through intensive military style training for the initial months. Service To offer unparallel service to its customers, Huawei hires local personnel in customers home country as part of its strategy to tailor technologies and services according to customers needs. Technological Development Huawei ventured early and invested in third-generation (3G) mobile communications technology and it started its own research and development (RD) in Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in 1995. With a dedicated team of 3,500 RD employees deployed throughout research centres in China and other countries, Huawei invested more than US$370 million in wide-band CDMA (WCDMA) technologies over the next few years. In addition, to familiarise itself with 3G industry, Huawei formed a 3G research joint venture with Japans NEC and Matsushita in 2003, and entered the mobile handset market in early 2004. At the same time, Huawei started a joint venture with Siemens to test TD-SCDMA (Chinas home grown standard) mobile handsets and networks equipments. Procurement Huawei has research centres both in China and overseas. It had a 21-storey research centre in Shenzhen, and six other research laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangzhou, Xian and Chengdu; a software development centre in Bangalore (India) and research facilities in Moscow (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) and the Silicon Valley in California. Flexibility Flexibility is needed by firms in order to complete both primary and support activities that allow the production of differentiation products at relatively low costs. Three sources of flexibility are: Flexible manufacturing systems, information networks and total quality management systems. Flexible Manufacturing Systems Flexible manufacturing systems enable a firm to produce a variety of products in moderate quantities with minimum human intervention. Through either patent-mining or reverse engineering, Huawei had turned high-profit and complex products into standard commodities. In addition, to offer better differentiation products, Huawei hires local personnel in customers home country to tailor technologies and services according to customers needs. Information Networks By linking companies with their suppliers, distributors and customers, information networks provide another source of flexibility. Ren Zhengfeis relationship with the Chinese military had helped Huawei to have a close guanxi network which other competitors do not have, and this had helped Huawei to secure big contract orders. Furthermore, Huaweis major customers in China were the big players in the industry such as; China Telecom, China Mobile, China Netcom and China Unicom. Huaweis networks in China has over 400 million people across the country, occupying 25% of the mobile network market shares and supplying 80% of all SMS from China Mobile. Total Quality Management (TQM) Systems TQM emphasizes the companys commitment to the customer and to continuously improve process through usage of data-driven, problem-solving approaches from empowerment of employee groups and teams. Huawei is able to simultaneously reduce cost while making use of its ability to develop innovative products. This increases their flexibility which is beneficial to implementing an integrated cost leadership/ differentiation strategy. Question 4. What other strategic actions would you recommend to Huawei to compete better in the future? Justify your answer. (20 marks) Besides the current strategic actions which Huawei is already implementing, I would suggest that Huawei consider acquisition where Huawei will buys a controlling, or 100% interest in another company to make it Huaweis subsidiary business within its portfolio. They are several reasons for acquisitions and we shall look at each of them: Increased Market Power Market power exists when a firm is able to sell its goods or services above competition levels or when the costs of its primary or support activities are lower than those of its competitors. Hence, to increase its market power, Huawei can use horizontal acquisition where it acquires company competing in the same industry. Overcoming Entry Barriers Presently, Huawei experiences problems entering the United States market. Hence, by making a cross-border acquisition, Huawei can overcome these entry barriers and gives it more control over its international operations. Cost of New Product Development and Increased Speed to Market Acquisitions allow Huawei to gain access to current and new products that are unique to the acquired firm. Returns are more predictable as the performance of the acquired firm products can be observed and assessed prior to acquisition. Lower Risk Compared to Developing New Products As the results of an acquisition can be easily and accurately estimated than that of developing a new product, Huawei will find that there are lower risks involved. Increased Diversification Huawei can find it easier to develop and introduce new products through the acquired firm as it may be difficult to develop products that deviate from their current product lines. Reshaping Firms Competitive Advantage Competitive rivalry can affects Huaweis profitability. Thus, to reduce the effect of an intense rivalry, acquisitions actually reduce Huaweis dependence on one or more products or markets. This will in turn alters Huaweis competitive scope. Learning and Developing New Capabilities Acquisition can allows Huawei to gain new capabilities which it does not currently possess. Through acquisition, Huawei can broaden their knowledge base and reduce inactivity. In addition to acquisition, Huawei can also have a nonequity strategic alliance with other companies. A nonequity strategic alliance is a form of alliance where two or more companies have a contractual relationship such that they share some of their unique resources and capabilities to create a competitive advantage. This is used in more uncertain situations, and companies do not establish any independent company and hence do not have any equity positions. Through nonequity strategic alliance, Huawei can have licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and supply contracts with other alliance companies. Usually, outsourcing commitments are specified in the form of nonequity strategic alliance. In conclusion, I would recommend that Huawei consider acquisition and nonequity strategic alliance as its business strategy in the future so that it can better compete with other competitors.

Kids should be monitored on the internet Essay

The internet is known for many miraculous advances in today’s technology. We have an unlimited quantity of knowledge on this so-called information super highway. Plus we can purchase merchandise, and talk to friends and family from around the world without leaving the comfort of our own homes. Seems great right? Sure, but if it’s placed in the wrong hands all of this can be spoiled. Particularly when a child is sitting behind the computer screen. This is why I believe children should be monitored while being on the World Wide Web. There are numerous dangers out there that both parents and children should be aware of. First, there is the subject of the â€Å"new and improved† way of shopping, on-line. If a child wonders onto a website of this sort then the child may be able to by something that cannot be afforded, or something the child is prohibited to own, but this is only the beginning of the problems your youngster will encounter if he or she is unsupervised or uneducated about on-line purchasing sites. They might reveal important information such as name, address, credit card, number etc., and if a website is not secure (make sure the website as a privacy policy of some sort) then a hacker -someone who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system- may use your personal data for things such as identity theft, and they might even want to learn the whereabouts of you and your little one. It ordinarily doesn’t get this extreme, but you should never take any chances when dealing with something this serious. This leads me to my most important issue. Pedophiles and pornographers on-line. This is an utmost danger for kids on the internet. Kids can find themselves on a pornographic website unintentionally while just surfing the web. For instance if they type the wrong characters into the address bar (Examples: typing .com instead of .org) you may be asking yourself â€Å"Why is this allowed to happen, shouldn’t there be guidelines?† Well in 1996 congress passed a provision known as the Communications Decency Act, (CDA) which was designed to protect children from indecent material on-line. In 1997 the Supreme Court ruled the CDA unconstitutional. It was said to be  against the first amendment, freedom of speech. Lastly, we are on the most critical of things. On-line pedophiles or â€Å"Internet Predators† These are people who prey on children and persuade them to do things that the predator desires. Usually without the child knowing or realizing what is happening is wrong. Predators try and find children on-line such as websites, chat rooms and even e-mail. Usually the predator will try and make friends with the unsuspecting child often pretending to like the same things or even to be the same age as the child. After corresponding with the child for a while the predator will usually want to talk on the phone or meet in person. This could lead to unspeakable situations where the child may be sexually assaulted or even killed. In a study done in 2000, it was discovered that nearly one in five youths had received an unwanted sexual solicitation or approach. It is extremely saddening to hear about these dreadful crimes. Although it is chilling to hear about these crimes, there are ways to protect yourself and your young-ones from the dark places on the internet. First, parents must educate themselves about cyberspace. Most parents don’t even know what a chat room or a screen name is. Another way to keep internet safe is to have your computer in a public place in your home such as the living room or kitchen area. You may be saying to your self that you can’t watch your child all day, but in cases like this you can always get some kind of software that allows you to block certain web pages and even sites with key words (example: drugs, sex, violence) Never forget though not to be too over protective, because if something does happen your kids might be afraid to mention it, in fear that you will be angry with them. In case of an emergency or you just have a question about online safety call the CyberTipline (1-800-843-5678)

A Review of Good Poverty Essay Topics

A Review of Good Poverty Essay Topics The 5-Minute Rule for Good Poverty Essay Topics Quantitative data are usually numbers, example surveys and census may be superior supply of such info. Choose which sources that you want to use to assist you. You should employ a significant amount of sources. You may consist of secondary sources and share arguments about the topic. Use what you read to assist you create some search terms, and to aid you choose your own position. It can be challenging to think of a topic off the surface of your head. Our site features custom writing help and editing aid. The Pain of Good Poverty Essay Topics An increasing number of aid appears to be going to minorities in which there's a high density (like African-American or Hispanic communities). One of the principal sources of poverty is the shortage of investment later on in any respect levels. None of us has power over natural forces and at times natural occurrences can result in poverty. Sometimes people with power ensure that individuals continue being poor so they can supply the essential labor. There are various perspectives to think about with poverty and you must get a point of interest to assist you present an intriguing argument you may prove. It is in fact a relative concept. In the modern society, gender means much more than it used to. International poverty comes in plenty of shapes and sizes. There are a lot of things to argue when it regards the law. The reasons might be absolutely different. Even the very best writer on earth cannot compose a high-quality academic paper the evening before it's due. The primary aim of topic choice for a proposal essay is to demonstrate the idea can be put into place in practice. Therefore, for your convenience, you have a superb chance to monitor the development of the assigned writer and make sure an essay will be ready in a timely method. A good example will give a general idea. The Basics of Good Poverty Essay Topics You Will be Able to Benefit From Beginning Today There are lots of aspects about a sport that may be argued in an essay. When it has to do with writing an argumentative essay, the most essential issue to do is to select a topic and an argument which you can really get behind. Once you get your proposal essay ideas, now is the time to get started writing. Most issues can have essays on all the aforementioned questions. What's more, if you check several essay samples with distinct titles based on this issue you will need to cover, it would be far less difficult to make think up your ideal headline. Books should not be banned. As tempting as it might appear to skip past the extra info and go right to the list of persuasive essay topics, don't do it. The option of compare and contrast essay topics isn't a simple task because you must demonstrate your analytical skills. Then you are able to compare the word with different terms that are very similar to your topic. Quite frequently, the very best topic is one which you truly care about, but you also will need to get ready to research it. You will probably locate a different and terrific topic you will love to write about. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Good Poverty Essay Topics Year round school isn't a good idea. Everything on earth is interrelated. For instance, you can pick a topic for elementary, middle, or higher school. Some feel parents ought to be allowed to provide permission for their minor children to acquire tattoos, since they are making the decision for their own children. Together with the UK Essay Help undergraduates cannot get worried about the time but delight in a complete life. Music censorship and the way it's affecting us.

Sperry/Maclennan Architects and Planners Essay - 1031 Words

Read Case 3-2, â€Å"Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners,† located at the end of Chapter 3 in the text, Marketing Research, by Aaker, Kumar, and Day. Prepare a 1,050-1,400-word case study analysis of the case. Be sure to address the following in your analysis: a. Describe the situation discussed in the case. b. Identify the key issues for the organization in your selected case. c. Discuss possible ways in which the organization can address these issues. d. Based on your analysis of the case, explain the value of market research in the global community. Summary â€Å"Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners,† Summary of the company In August 1988, a junior partner and director of Sperry/MacLennan or better known as (S/M), which is†¦show more content†¦Although, salaries were a major business expense, capital and etc. accounted for only 4.5 percent of revenue. Now it is late August, and with the weather cooling, Mitch Brooks reflects on his newest task, planning for the coming winter’s activities. The company’s reputation in the Canadian sports facility market is secure. The Industry It is imperative that the architect convince the client that he or she has the necessary experience and capability to undertake the project and to complete it satisfactorily. S/M has found with its large projects that the amount of time spent meeting with the client requires some local presence, although the design need not be done locally. Architects get business in a number of ways. â€Å"Walk-in† business is negligible, and most of S/M’s contracts are the result of one of the following five processes: client gives a referral. A juried design competition is announced client publishes a â€Å"Call for Proposals† or a â€Å"Call for Expressions of Interest† as the start of a formal selection process. A potential client invites a limited number of architectural firms to submit their qualifications as the start of a formal selection process, or potential building and contacts the client, presenting its qualifications Although juried competitions are not that common, the publicity possible from success in landing this work is important to S/M. The company has foundShow MoreRelatedGlobal Market Research Case Study Analysis: Sperry/MacLennan1354 Words   |  6 PagesStudy Analysis: Sperry/MacLennan The Business Dictionary defines opportunity as an â€Å"exploitable set of circumstances with uncertain outcome, requiring commitment of resources and involving exposure to risk† (Opportunity, 2012, para. 1). To grow and prosper, an organization needs to seek continually opportunities to do so; thus the subject of the case study â€Å"Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners† (Aaker, Kumar, Day, 2007, pp. 72-75). In this case study, Sperry/MacLennan considers its nextRead MoreEssay on Sperry/MacLennon Architects and Planners1132 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Market Research Case Study Analysis: Sperry/MacLennon Architects and Planners The firm, Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners, is a successful Canadian enterprise. The company has sustained itself for many years since its inception in the 1970s; it has survived slow periods, and overall has been successful for many years. The company is at a crossroads and is ready to consider new business endeavors and developments. It is considering expanding its operations to the United States;Read MoreMarketing Research Case Study Essay1092 Words   |  5 PagesMarketing Research Case Study: Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners Introduction Marketing Research can be designed for many scenarios. It is often referenced in existing companies to understand how clients purchase their product, competition or how to best communicate with the audience. This type of research is also necessary in a successful world-wide expansion as it provides a company with a blue print of how to grow. This paper will examine a global expansion case study and how to performRead MoreMarketing and Market Research1746 Words   |  7 Pages|1 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |Daily |1 | |Individual |Resources: Case 3-2: Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners of Marketing Research (Aaker, |Day 7 |10 | |Global Market Research Case |Kumar, Day): | | | |Study

The End Of Easy Everything - 1052 Words

One of the major issues in global affairs today consists of the supply of energy and other minerals and commodities. Michael Klare in â€Å"The End of Easy Everything† argues that the transformation from an effortless to a more resilient resource period will be financially, environmentally, socially, and politically costly. Looking at the state of the supply of energy oil and natural gas today, I tend to agree with the findings as presented by Michael Klare. Klare explores contentious issues in which easily obtained supplies are terminating. Particularly, companies that deal in such resources must turn to the more difficult methods to extract sources of oil, natural gas, and various minerals. This has led to controversial methods such as deep-water oil wells, hydrofracking for natural gas and other energy sources. Also, the acid fracking for copper: which some environmentalists maintain that these methods cause environmental damage and should not be permitted. Klare argues that discovery of a natural resource, for instance, oil, result in producers seeking and exploiting the most desirable, best quality and those closest to markets. Over time, these â€Å"easy† resources become scarce, of poorer quality, harder to extract and extend into areas further away from the market. This subsequent need to extract â€Å"tougher† resources has catalyzed an age of discovery that energy experts call the â€Å"shale revolution.† Daniel Yergin, an author and energy optimist describes the â€Å"natural gasShow MoreRelatedThe End Of Easy Everything1024 Words   |  5 PagesBernard C. Hilton GLBAFF 301 OL Bernard Hilton Robert Weiner February 20, 2016 UMS ID: 00762747 The End of Easy Everything One of the major issues in global affairs today consists of the supply of energy and other minerals and commodities. Michael Klare in â€Å"The End of Easy Everything† argues that the transformation from an effortless to a more resilient resource period will be expensive. Looking at the state of the supply of energy oil and natural gas today, I tend to agree with the findings asRead MoreGraduation Speech : Becoming A College Student862 Words   |  4 Pagesthe support of my family boosting up my self-esteem helped me make it through my freshman year of college. Life is like a rollercoaster you experience many ups and downs but in the end it’s worth the ride. Becoming a college student has been a different experience than what I had in mind, you learn how to do everything on your own and putting your part into it. If you don’t do your best it’s going to be a waste of money and semester. Money is a big important thing in college, back then you didn’tRead MoreFriendship and Enmity736 Words   |  3 Pageslines I was angry with my friend , I told my wrath my wrath did end which means that and shows that it is very easy to end your problems with your friends and it is very easy to say sorry and tolerate each other and everything returns again as it was. That is the relation that anyone deserves . Being friends is much easier, to work together and learn how to love each other and build our relationships on peace. As a result everything will run steadily and the community will develop. After only twoRead MoreStand Your Ground821 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant message in life. Nothing worth having comes easy but you should never give up. In William Shakespeares most famous play, Romeo and Juliet, two teenagers who fall deeply in love find that their parents acceptance does not come easy and suffer tremendously. Romeo and Juliets love is constantly challenged by the rivalry, Tybalts temper, Juliets arranged marriage, and Romeo being a murderer. Being together is not an easy task once everything turns against them, even destiny itself. Friar LawrenceRead MoreSomeone Who Has Influenced My Life1200 Words   |  5 Pagesold. I admire and respect my father for everything he has does and has done. I work hard at everything I do for the greatest reward at the end of all my accomplishments is making my father proud. In conclusion, I am daddys little girl and proud of that. I could not of asked for a better father. My dad has always been there for me and I wil always be there for him. I respect my father because he deserves to be. He stayed and was a father and never took the easy way out like in the world today mostRead MoreOvercoming Adversity Analysis852 Words   |  4 Pagesdoing are sent to a prison, Brett Dalton is the main character from the book Raw written by Scott Monk, â€Å" Brett is a tough guy - hardened, angry, uncaring and always ready to use his fists† Bretts natural thought is to try to fight his way through everything and anything, but when love comes in the way Brett is faced to think otherwise. Andy Dufresne, on the other hand, is an innocent man who is faced with two life sentences, for being wrongly accessed of killing his wife. Although he is faced withRead MoreEnglish Should Be Ficial Language Of The United States1303 Words   |  6 Pages(Grovum). The majority of the states have agreed to this law meaning most people in the states know English or are learning it immediately if they are immigrants coming in. Immigrants in other states don’t necessarily have to learn the language so many end up not learning it keeping the nation divided. Although these states have made the law official some states just see it as symbolic and do not fully follow the law (Grovum). With the laws not being followed immigrants are encouraged to learn EnglishRead MoreEnglish Should Be Ficial Language Of The United States1303 Words   |  6 Pages(Grovum). The majority of the states have agreed to this law meaning most people in the states know english or are learning it immediately if they are immigrants coming in. Immigrants in other states don’t necessarily have to learn the language so many end up not learning it keeping the nation divided. Although these states have made the law official some states just see it as symbolic and do not fully foll ow the law (Grovum). With the laws not being followed immigrants are encouraged to learn englishRead MoreEvolution Of Jerome By Jerome. Jerome1615 Words   |  7 Pagesreally get connected to Jerome. Despite obviously being the main character as well, he was in the background so much that it was easy to get caught up in Vincent’s character. As the story line progresses Jerome’s role becomes much more important, undeterred by many of his actions still being behind the scenes. As the story becomes increasingly focuses on Jerome it is very easy to sympathize; viewers start to notice him more because as tragic as his life has become, but he still chooses to take selflessRead MoreTime Management From The Inside Out1677 Words   |  7 Pagesdoing in the future, because things may come up and cannot deal with it. Some people usually miss their deadline and go insane because of that. From that angry, they put it to their daily lives and cannot control in any situation. At th e end, they lose everything that they have built for a long time and cannot bring them back on track. That’s why this book â€Å"Time Management from the Inside Out† by Julie Morgenstern has become a handy, because it shows you the way to manage time and how to deal with

Spirit Bound Chapter Three Free Essays

string(65) " driven off that I could bring myself to respond to her comment\." THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS were strange. The other novices and I might have had the flashiest graduation, but we weren’t the only ones finishing our education at St. Vladimir’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Spirit Bound Chapter Three or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Moroi had their own commencement ceremony, and campus grew packed with visitors. Then, almost as quickly as they came, parents disappeared–taking their sons and daughters with them. Royal Moroi left to spend their summers with their parents at luxury estates–many in the Southern Hemisphere, where the days were shorter this time of year. â€Å"Ordinary† Moroi left with their parents too, off to more modest homes, possibly getting summer jobs before college. And of course, with school wrapping up for the summer, all the other students left too. Some with no family to go home to, usually dhampirs, stayed year-round, taking special electives, but they were the minority. Campus grew emptier each day as my classmates and I waited for the day when we’d be taken to the Royal Court. We made our farewells to others, Moroi moving on or younger dhampirs who’d soon be following in our footsteps. One person I was sad to part with was Jill. I happened to catch her as I was walking toward Lissa’s dorm the day before my Court trip. There was a woman with Jill, presumably her mother, and both were carrying boxes. Jill’s face lit up when she saw me. â€Å"Hey Rose! I said goodbye to everyone else but couldn’t find you,† she said excitedly. I smiled. â€Å"Well, I’m glad you caught me.† I couldn’t tell her that I’d been saying goodbye too. I’d spent my last day at St. Vladimir’s walking all the familiar sites, starting with the elementary campus where Lissa and I had first met in kindergarten. I’d explored the halls and corners of my dorms, walked past favorite classrooms, and even visited the chapel. I’d also passed a lot of time in areas filled with bittersweet memories, like the training areas where I’d first gotten to know Dimitri. The track where he used to make me run laps. The cabin where we’d finally given in to each other. It had been one of the most amazing nights of my life, and thinking about it always brought me both joy and pain. Jill didn’t need to be burdened with any of that, though. I turned toward her mother and started to offer my hand until I realized she couldn’t shake it while maneuvering the box. â€Å"I’m Rose Hathaway. Here, let me carry that.† I took it before she could protest because I was certain she would. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, pleasantly surprised. I fell in step with them as they began walking again. â€Å"I’m Emily Mastrano. Jill’s told me a lot about you.† â€Å"Oh yeah?† I asked, giving Jill a teasing smile. â€Å"Not that much. Just how I hang out with you sometimes.† There was a slight warning in Jill’s green eyes, and it occurred to me that Emily probably didn’t know her daughter practiced forbidden forms of Strigoi-killing magic in her free time. â€Å"We like having Jill around,† I said, not blowing her cover. â€Å"And one of these days, we’re going to teach her to tame that hair.† Emily laughed. â€Å"I’ve been trying for almost fifteen years. Good luck.† Jill’s mother was stunning. The two didn’t resemble each other much, at least not superficially. Emily’s lustrous hair was straight and black, her eyes deep blue and long-lashed. She moved with a willowy grace, very different from Jill’s always self-conscious walk. Yet, I could see the shared genes here and there, the heart-shaped faces and lip shapes. Jill was still young, and as she grew into her features, she’d likely be a heartbreaker herself someday–something she was probably oblivious to right now. Hopefully her self-confidence would grow. â€Å"Where’s home for you guys?† I asked. â€Å"Detroit,† said Jill, making a face. â€Å"It’s not that bad,† laughed her mom. â€Å"There are no mountains. Just highways.† â€Å"I’m part of a ballet company there,† Emily explained. â€Å"So we stay where we can pay the bills.† I think I was more surprised that people went to the ballet in Detroit than that Emily was a ballerina. It made sense, watching her, and really, with their tall and slim builds, Moroi were ideal dancers as far as humans were concerned. â€Å"Hey, it’s a big city,† I told Jill. â€Å"Enjoy the excitement while you can before you come back to the boring middle of nowhere.† Of course, illicit combat training and Strigoi attacks were hardly boring, but I wanted to make Jill feel better. â€Å"And it won’t be that long.† Moroi summer vacations were barely two months. Parents were eager to return their children to the safety of the Academy. â€Å"I guess,† said Jill, not sounding convinced. We reached their car, and I loaded the boxes into the trunk. â€Å"I’ll e-mail you when I can,† I promised. â€Å"And I bet Christian will too. Maybe I can even talk Adrian into it.† Jill brightened, and I was happy to see her return to her normal overexcited self. â€Å"Really? That would be great. I want to hear everything that goes on at Court. You’ll probably get to do all sorts of cool things with Lissa and Adrian, and I bet Christian will find out all sorts of things†¦ about things.† Emily didn’t seem to notice Jill’s lame editing attempt and instead fixed me with a pretty smile. â€Å"Thanks for your help, Rose. It was great to meet you.† â€Å"You too–umph!† Jill had thrown herself into me with a hug. â€Å"Good luck with everything,† she said. â€Å"You’re so lucky–you’re going to have such a great life now!† I returned the hug, unable to explain how jealous of her I was. Her life was still safe and innocent. She might resent spending a summer in Detroit, but the stay would be brief, and soon she’d be back in the familiar and easy world of St. Vladimir’s. She wouldn’t be setting out into the unknown and its dangers. It was only after she and her mother had driven off that I could bring myself to respond to her comment. You read "Spirit Bound Chapter Three" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"I hope so,† I murmured, thinking about what was to come. â€Å"I hope so.† My classmates and select Moroi flew out early the next day, leaving the rocky mountains of Montana behind for the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. The Royal Court was a lot like I remembered, with the same imposing, ancient feel that St. Vladimir’s tried to impart with its towering buildings and intricate stone architecture. But the school also seemed to want to show off a wise, studious air, whereas the Court was more ostentatious. It was like the buildings themselves tried to make sure we all knew that this was the seat of power and royalty among the Moroi. The Royal Court wanted us to be amazed and maybe a little cowed. And even though I’d been here before, I was still impressed. The doors and windows of the tan stone buildings were embossed and framed in pristine golden decorations. They were a far cry from the brightness I’d seen in Russia, but I realized now that the Court’s designers had modeled these buildings off the old European ones–the fortresses and palaces of Saint Petersburg. St. Vladimir’s had benches and paths in the quads and courtyards, but the Court went a step further. Fountains and elaborate statues of past rulers adorned the lawns, exquisite marble works that had previously been hidden in snow. Now, in the full throes of summer, they were bright and on display. And everywhere, everywhere were flowers on trees, bushes, paths–it was dazzling. It made sense that new grads would visit the guardians’ central administration, but it occurred to me that there was another reason they brought new guardians here in the summer. They wanted my classmates and me to see all of this, to be overwhelmed and appreciative of the glory for which we were fighting. Looking at the faces of the new graduates, I knew the tactic was working. Most had never been here before. Lissa and Adrian had been on my flight, and the three of us clustered together as we walked with the group. It was as warm as it had been in Montana, but the humidity here was much thicker. I was sweating after only a little light walking. â€Å"You did bring a dress this time, right?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Of course,† I said. â€Å"They’ve got some fancy things they want us to go to, aside from the main reception. Although, they might give me my black-and-white for that.† He shook his head, and I noticed his hand start to move toward his pocket before hesitating and pulling back. He might have been making progress in quitting smoking, but I was pretty sure the subconscious urge to automatically reach for a pack when outdoors was hard to get rid of so quickly. â€Å"I mean for tonight. For dinner.† I glanced questioningly at Lissa. Her schedule at Court always had assorted functions thrown into it that â€Å"average people† didn’t attend. With my new and uncertain status, I wasn’t sure if I’d be going with her. I sensed her puzzlement through the bond and could tell that she didn’t have a clue about any special dinner plans. â€Å"What dinner?† I asked. â€Å"The one I set up with my family.† â€Å"The one you–† I came to an abrupt halt and stared wide-eyed, not liking the smirk on his face one bit. â€Å"Adrian!† A few of the new grads gave me curious looks and continued walking around us. â€Å"Come on, we’ve been going out a couple months. Meeting parents is part of the dating ritual. I’ve met your mom. I even met your scary-ass dad. Now it’s your turn. I guarantee none of my family’s gonna make the kind of suggestions your dad did.† I’d actually kind of met Adrian’s dad before. Or, well, I’d seen him at a party. I doubted he had any idea who I was–my crazy reputation aside. I knew almost nothing about Adrian’s mother. He actually spoke very little about his family members–well, most of them. â€Å"Just your parents?† I asked warily. â€Å"Any other family I should know about?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian’s hand twitched again. I think this time he wanted a cigarette as some sort of protection from the warning note in my voice. Lissa, I observed, seemed highly amused by all of this. â€Å"My favorite great-aunt might stop by.† â€Å"Tatiana?† I exclaimed. For the hundredth time, I wondered how I had lucked out with a guy related to the leader of the entire Moroi world. â€Å"She hates me! You know what happened the last time we talked.† Her Royal Majesty had laid into me, yelling about how I was too trashy to hook up with her nephew and how she had great â€Å"plans† for him and Lissa. â€Å"I think she’s come around.† â€Å"Oh, come on.† â€Å"No, really.† He almost looked like he was telling the truth. â€Å"I talked to my mom the other day, and†¦ I don’t know. Aunt Tatiana doesn’t seem to hate you as much.† I frowned, and the three of us began to walk again. â€Å"Maybe she admires your recent vigilante work,† mused Lissa. â€Å"Maybe,† I said. But I didn’t really believe it. If anything, me going rogue should have made me more despicable in the queen’s eyes. I felt kind of betrayed that Adrian had sprung this dinner on me, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The only bright side was that I had the impression he was teasing me about his aunt stopping by. I told him I’d go, and my decision put him in a good enough mood that he didn’t ask too many questions when Lissa and I said we were going to do â€Å"our own thing† that afternoon. My classmates were all getting a tour of the Court and its grounds as part of their indoctrination, but I’d seen it all before and was able to wiggle out of it. Lissa and I dropped our belongings off in our rooms and then set out to the far side of the Court, where the not-so-royal people lived. â€Å"Are you going to tell me yet what this other part of your plan is?† asked Lissa. Ever since Abe had explained about Victor’s prison, I’d been making another mental list of the problems we’d have breaking into it. Mainly, there were two, which was one less than I’d initially had since talking to Abe. Not that things were really much easier. First, we had no clue where in Alaska this place was. Second, we didn’t know what the prison’s defenses and layout were like. We had no idea what we had to bust through. Yet, something told me all of these answers could be found in one source, which meant I really only had one immediate problem: how to reach that source. Fortunately, I knew someone who might be able to help get us there. â€Å"We’re going to see Mia,† I told her. Mia Rinaldi was a former Moroi classmate of ours–a former enemy, actually. She was also the poster child for total personality makeovers. She’d gone from a scheming bitch who was willing to crush–and sleep with–anyone in her quest for popularity to a down-to-earth, confident girl eager to learn to defend herself and others from Strigoi. She lived here at Court with her father. â€Å"You think Mia knows how to break into a prison?† â€Å"Mia’s good, but I don’t think she’s that good. She can probably help us get intel, though.† Lissa groaned. â€Å"I can’t believe you just used the word intel. This really is turning into a spy movie.† She spoke flippantly, but I could feel the worry within her. The light tone was masking her fear, the unease she still felt about freeing Victor, despite her promise to me. Those non-royals who worked and did ordinary things at Court lived in apartments far from the queen’s quarters and receiving hall. I’d gotten Mia’s address in advance, and we set out across the perfectly manicured grounds, grumbling to each other along the way about the hot day. We found her at home, casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with a Popsicle in her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw us outside her door. â€Å"Well, I’ll be damned,† she said. I laughed. It was the kind of response I’d give. â€Å"Nice to see you too. Can we come in?† â€Å"Of course.† She stepped aside. â€Å"You want a Popsicle?† Did I ever. I took a grape one and sat with her and Lissa in the small living room. The place was a far cry from the opulence of royal guest housing, but it was cozy and clean and undoubtedly well loved by Mia and her father. â€Å"I knew the grads were coming,† Mia said, brushing blond curls out of her face. â€Å"But I wasn’t sure if you were with them or not. Did you even graduate?† â€Å"I did,† I said. â€Å"Got the promise mark and everything.† I lifted my hair so she could see the bandage. â€Å"I’m surprised they let you back in after you took off on your killing spree. Or did you get extra credit for that?† Apparently, Mia had heard the same tall tale about my adventures that everyone else had. That was fine with me. I didn’t want to talk about the truth. I didn’t want to talk about Dimitri. â€Å"Do you think anyone could stop Rose from doing what she wants?† asked Lissa with a smile. She was trying to keep us from getting into too much detail about my past whereabouts, for which I was grateful. Mia laughed and crunched on a big chunk of lime ice. It was a wonder she didn’t get brain freeze. â€Å"True.† Her smile faded as she swallowed the bite. Her blue eyes, always shrewd, studied me in silence for a few moments. â€Å"And Rose wants something now.† â€Å"Hey, we’re just happy to see you,† I said. â€Å"I believe you. But I also believe you’ve got an ulterior motive.† Lissa’s smile grew. She was amused by me being caught in my spy game. â€Å"What makes you say that? Can you read Rose that well or do you just always assume she’s got an ulterior motive?† Now Mia smiled again. â€Å"Both.† She scooted forward on the couch, fixing me with a serious look. When had she grown so perceptive? â€Å"Okay. No point in wasting time. What do you need my help with?† I sighed, busted. â€Å"I need to get inside the guardians’ main security office.† Beside me, Lissa made a sort of strangled noise. I felt kind of bad for her. While she could conceal her thoughts from me on occasion, there wasn’t much she did or said that came as a true surprise. Me? I continually blindsided her. She had no clue what was coming half the time, but honestly, if we were planning on springing a renowned criminal out of prison, then breaking into a security office shouldn’t have been that big of a shock. â€Å"Wow,† said Mia. â€Å"You don’t waste time with the little stuff.† Her grin twitched a bit. â€Å"Of course, you wouldn’t come to me with little stuff. You could do that yourself.† â€Å"Can you get me–us–in there?† I asked. â€Å"You’re friendly with some of the guardians here†¦ and your dad has access to a lot of places†¦.† I didn’t know Mr. Rinaldi’s exact job, but I thought it was maintenance-related. â€Å"What are you looking for?† she asked. She held up a hand when I opened my mouth to protest. â€Å"No, no. I don’t need details. Just a general idea so I can figure this out. I know you’re not going there just to tour the place.† â€Å"I need some records,† I explained. Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"Personnel? Trying to get yourself a job?† â€Å"I–no.† Huh. That wasn’t a bad idea, considering my precarious position with being assigned to Lissa. But no. One issue at a time. â€Å"I need some records about outside security at other places–schools, royal homes, prisons.† I tried to keep my expression casual as I mentioned that last one. Mia was on board with some crazy things, but even she had her limits. â€Å"I figured they must keep that stuff there?† â€Å"They do,† she said. â€Å"But most of it’s electronic. And no offense, but that might even be beyond your abilities. Even if we could get to one of their computers, everything’s password protected. And if they walk away, they lock the computers. I’m guessing you haven’t become a hacker since the last time I saw you.† No, certainly not. And unlike the heroes of those spy movies Lissa teased me about, I had no tech-savvy friends who could even come close to breaking that kind of encryption and security. Damn. I stared glumly at my feet, wondering if I had any chance at all of getting more information out of Abe. â€Å"But,† said Mia, â€Å"if the information you need isn’t too current, they might still have paper copies.† I jerked my head up. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"They’ve got mass storage rooms, tucked away in one of the basements. Files and files. Still under lock and key–but probably easier to get to than fighting the computers. Again, depends on what you need. How old it is.† Abe had given me the impression that Tarasov Prison had been around for a while. Surely there was a record of it in these archives. I didn’t doubt the guardians had gone digital a while ago, which meant we might not find up-to-the-minute details on the place’s security, but I’d settle for a blueprint. â€Å"It might be what we need. Can you get us in?† Mia was quiet for several seconds, and I could see her mind whirring. â€Å"Possibly.† She glanced at Lissa. â€Å"Can you still compel people into being your slaves?† Lissa grimaced. â€Å"I don’t like to think of it like that, but yeah, I can.† It was another of spirit’s perks. Mia considered a few moments more and then gave a quick nod. â€Å"Okay. Come back around two, and we’ll see what we can do.† Two in the afternoon for the rest of the world meant the middle of the night for Moroi, who ran on a nocturnal schedule. Being out in broad daylight didn’t feel particularly sneaky, but I had to figure Mia’s planning here was based on the fact that there would also be fewer people around that time of day. I was trying to decide if we should socialize more or head out when a knock interrupted my thoughts. Mia flinched and suddenly looked uncomfortable. She rose to get the door, and a familiar voice drifted down the hall toward us. â€Å"Sorry I’m early, but I–â€Å" Christian stepped into the living room. He abruptly shut up when he saw Lissa and me. Everyone seemed frozen, so it looked like it was up to me to pretend like this wasn’t a horribly awkward situation. â€Å"Hey, Christian,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"How’s it going?† His eyes were on Lissa, and it took him a moment to drag them to me. â€Å"Fine.† He glanced at Mia. â€Å"I can come back†¦. â€Å" Lissa hastily stood up. â€Å"No,† she said, voice cool and princesslike. â€Å"Rose and I have to go anyway.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed, following her lead. â€Å"We have†¦ stuff†¦ to do. And we don’t want to interrupt your†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hell, I had no idea what they were going to do. Wasn’t sure I wanted to. Mia had found her voice. â€Å"Christian wanted to see some of the moves I’ve been practicing with the campus guardians.† â€Å"Cool.† I kept the smile on my face as Lissa and I moved toward the door. She stepped as far around Christian as she could. â€Å"Jill will be jealous.† And not just Jill. After another round of goodbyes, Lissa and I left and set back off across the grounds. I could feel the anger and jealousy radiating through her bond. â€Å"It’s only their fight club, Liss,† I said, having no need for her side of the conversation. â€Å"Nothing’s going on. They’re going to talk punches and kicking and other boring stuff.† Well, actually that stuff was pretty sweet, but I wasn’t about to glorify Christian and Mia hanging out. â€Å"Maybe now nothing’s going on,† she growled, staring stonily ahead. â€Å"But who knows what could happen? They spend time together, practice some physical moves, one thing leads to another–â€Å" â€Å"That’s ridiculous,† I said. â€Å"That kind of stuff isn’t romantic at all.† Another lie, seeing as that was exactly how my relationship with Dimitri had begun. Again, best not to mention that. â€Å"Besides, Christian can’t be involved with every girl he hangs out with. Mia, Jill–no offense, but he’s not really that much of a ladies’ man.† â€Å"He’s really good-looking,† she argued, those dark feelings still seething within her. â€Å"Yeah,† I conceded, keeping my eyes carefully on the pathway. â€Å"But it takes more than that. And besides, I thought you didn’t care what he did.† â€Å"I don’t,† she agreed, not even convincing herself, let alone me. â€Å"Not at all.† My attempts to distract her proved pretty useless for the rest of the day. Tasha’s words came back to me: Why haven’t you fixed this? Because Lissa and Christian were being too damned unreasonable, both caught up in their own pissed-off feelings–which were kind of pissing me off in return. Christian would have been pretty helpful in my illicit escapades, but I had to keep my distance for Lissa’s sake. I finally left her to her bad mood when dinner came around. Compared to her romantic situation, my relationship with a semi-spoiled royal playboy from a disapproving family seemed downright optimistic. What a sad and scary world this was becoming. I assured Lissa I’d head straight back after dinner and that we’d go see Mia together. The mention of Mia didn’t make Lissa happy, but the thought of a potential break-in did distract her momentarily from Christian. The dress I had for dinner was maroon, made of light, gauzy material that was great for summer weather. The neckline was decent, and little cap sleeves gave it a classy edge. With my hair in a low ponytail that did a decent job of hiding the healing tattoo, I almost looked like a respectable girlfriend–which only went to show how deceptive appearances were, seeing as I was part of a crazy scheme to bring my last boyfriend back from the dead. Adrian surveyed me from head to toe when I arrived at his parents’ town house. They kept a permanent residence here at the Court. The small smile on his face told me he liked what he saw. â€Å"You approve?† I asked, spinning around. He slipped an arm around my waist. â€Å"Unfortunately, yes. I was hoping you’d show up in something a lot sluttier. Something that would scandalize my parents.† â€Å"Sometimes it’s like you don’t even care about me as a person,† I observed as we walked inside. â€Å"It’s like you’re just using me for shock value.† â€Å"It’s both, little dhampir. I care about you, and I’m using you for shock value.† I hid a smile as the Ivashkovs’ housekeeper led us toward the dining room. The Court actually had restaurants and cafes tucked away within its buildings, but royals like Adrian’s parents would consider it classier to have a fancy dinner in their home. Me, I would have preferred being out in public. More escape options. â€Å"You must be Rose.† My assessment of the exits was interrupted when a very tall, very elegant Moroi woman came into the room. She wore a long, dark green satin dress that immediately made me feel out of place and that perfectly matched the color of her–and Adrian’s–eyes. Her dark hair was pulled into a bun, and she smiled down at me with genuine warmth as she took my hand. â€Å"I’m Daniella Ivashkov,† she said. â€Å"It’s very nice to meet you at last.† Was it really? My hand automatically shook hers in return. â€Å"Nice to meet you too, Lady Ivashkov.† â€Å"Call me Daniella, please.† She turned to Adrian and tsked as she straightened the collar of his button-up shirt. â€Å"Honestly, darling,† she said. â€Å"Do you even look in a mirror before you walk out the door? Your hair’s a mess.† He dodged her as she reached toward his head. â€Å"Are you kidding? I spent hours in front of the mirror to make it look this way.† She gave a tormented sigh. â€Å"Some days I can’t decide if I’m lucky or not to have no other children.† Behind her, quiet servants were setting food out on the table. Steam rose up from the platters, and my stomach rumbled. I hoped no one else heard. Daniella glanced off down the hall beyond her. â€Å"Nathan, will you hurry up? The food’s getting cold.† A few moments later, heavy footsteps sounded on the ornate wood floor, and Nathan Ivashkov swept into the room. Like his wife, he was dressed formally, the blue satin of his tie gleaming next to the starkness of his heavy black suit coat. I was glad they had air-conditioning in here, or he’d have been melting in that heavy fabric. The feature on him that stood out the most was what I remembered from before: a distinctly silver head of hair and mustache. I wondered if Adrian’s hair would look like that when he was older. Nah, I’d never find out. Adrian would probably dye his hair at the first sign of gray–or silver. Adrian’s father might be exactly as I remembered, but it was clear he had no clue who I was. In fact, he seemed genuinely startled to see me. â€Å"This is Adrian’s, ah, friend, Rose Hathaway,† said Daniella gently. â€Å"You remember–he said he’d bring her tonight.† â€Å"It’s nice to meet you, Lord Ivashkov.† Unlike his wife, he didn’t offer to put us on a first-name basis, which relieved me a little. The Strigoi who had forcefully turned Dimitri had been named Nathan too, and it wasn’t a name I wanted to speak aloud. Adrian’s father looked me over, but it wasn’t with the appreciation Adrian had shown earlier. It was more like I was an oddity. â€Å"Oh. The dhampir girl.† He wasn’t rude exactly, just disinterested. I mean, it wasn’t like he called me a blood whore or anything. We all sat down to eat, and although Adrian kept his typical devil-may-care smile on his face, I again got the vibe that he really, really wanted a cigarette. Probably hard liquor, too. Being around his parents was not something he enjoyed. When one of the servants poured us all wine, Adrian looked immensely relieved and didn’t hold back. I shot him a cautioning look that he ignored. Nathan managed to rapidly devour his balsamic-glazed pork medallions while still looking elegant and proper. â€Å"So,† he said, attention focused on Adrian, â€Å"now that Vasilisa’s graduated, what are you going to do with yourself? You aren’t going to keep slumming with high school students, are you? There’s no point in you being there anymore.† â€Å"I don’t know,† said Adrian lazily. He shook his head, further tousling his carefully mussed hair. â€Å"I kind of like hanging out with them. They think I’m funnier than I really am.† â€Å"Unsurprising,† his father replied. â€Å"You aren’t funny at all. It’s time you do something productive. If you aren’t going to go back to college, you should at least start sitting in on some of the family business meetings. Tatiana spoils you, but you could learn a lot from Rufus.† I knew enough about royal politics to recognize the name. The oldest member of each family was usually its â€Å"prince† or â€Å"princess† and held a Royal Council position–and was eligible to become king or queen. When Tatiana had taken the crown, Rufus had become prince of the Ivashkov family since he was the next oldest. â€Å"True,† said Adrian deadpan. He wasn’t eating so much as pushing his food around. â€Å"I’d really like to know how he keeps his two mistresses a secret from his wife.† â€Å"Adrian!† snapped Daniella, a flush spilling over her pale cheeks. â€Å"Don’t say things like that at our dinner table–and certainly not in front of a guest.† Nathan seemed to notice me again and gave a dismissive shrug. â€Å"She doesn’t matter.† I bit my lip on that, repressing the urge to see if I could throw my china plate Frisbee style and hit him in the head. I decided against it. Not only would it ruin dinner, but the plate probably wouldn’t get the lift I needed. Nathan turned his scowl back to Adrian. â€Å"But you do. I’m not going to have you sitting around doing nothing–and using our money to fund it.† Something told me I should stay out of this, but I couldn’t stand to see Adrian dressed down by his annoying father. Adrian did sit around and waste money, but Nathan didn’t have the right to make fun of him for it. I mean, sure, I did all the time. But that was different. â€Å"Maybe you could go to Lehigh with Lissa,† I offered. â€Å"Keep studying spirit with her and then†¦ do whatever else you were doing the last time you were in college†¦.† â€Å"Drinking and skipping classes,† said Nathan. â€Å"Art,† said Daniella. â€Å"Adrian took art classes.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, turning to him in surprise. Somehow, I could imagine him as an artistic type. It fit his erratic personality. â€Å"Then this would be perfect. You could pick it up again.† He shrugged and finished his second glass of wine. â€Å"I don’t know. This college would probably have the same problem the last one did.† I frowned. â€Å"What’s that?† â€Å"Homework.† â€Å"Adrian,† growled his father. â€Å"It’s okay,† said Adrian breezily. He rested his arm casually on the table. â€Å"I don’t really need a job or extra money. After Rose and I get married, the kids and I’ll just live off of her guardian paycheck.† We all froze, even me. I knew perfectly well that he was joking. I mean, even if he harbored fantasies of marriage and kids (and I was pretty sure he didn’t), the meager salary a guardian made would never be enough to keep him in the luxurious life he required. Adrian’s father, however, clearly did not think he was joking. Daniella seemed undecided. Me, I was just uncomfortable. It was a very, very bad topic to bring up at a dinner like this, and I couldn’t believe Adrian had gone there. I didn’t even think the wine was to blame. Adrian just liked tormenting his father that much. The awful silence grew thicker and thicker. My gut instinct to fill conversation voids was raging, but something told me to stay quiet. The tension increased. When the doorbell rang, all four of us nearly jumped out of our chairs. The housekeeper, Torrie, scurried off to answer it, and I breathed a mental sigh of relief. An unexpected visitor would help ease the tension. Or maybe not. Torrie cleared her throat when she returned, clearly flustered as she looked from Daniella to Nathan. â€Å"Her Royal Majesty Queen Tatiana is here.† No. Way. All three Ivashkovs stood up abruptly, and a half second later, I joined them. I hadn’t believed Adrian earlier when he said Tatiana might come. From his face, he seemed pretty surprised now too. But sure enough, there she was. She swept into the room, elegant in what must have been business casual for her: tailored black slacks and jacket with a red silk and lace blouse underneath. Little jeweled barrettes gleamed in her dark hair, and those imperious eyes peered down at us all as we offered hasty bows. Even her own family followed formalities. â€Å"Aunt Tatiana,† said Nathan, forcing what looked like a smile onto his face. I don’t think he did it very often. â€Å"Won’t you join us for dinner?† She waved a hand dismissively. â€Å"No, no. I can’t stay. I’m on my way to meet with Priscilla but thought I’d stop by when I heard Adrian had returned.† Her gaze fell on him. â€Å"I can’t believe you’ve been here all day and didn’t come visit.† Her voice was cool, but I swear there was an amused twinkle in her eyes. It was scary. She wasn’t someone I thought of as warm and fuzzy. The whole experience of seeing her outside of one of her ceremonial rooms was totally unreal. Adrian grinned at her. He was clearly the most comfortable person in the room right now. For reasons I never understood, Tatiana loved and spoiled Adrian. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t love her other family members; it was just clear that he was her favorite. It had always surprised me, considering what a scoundrel he was sometimes. â€Å"Aw, I figured you had more important things to do than see me,† he told her. â€Å"Besides, I quit smoking, so now we won’t be able to go sneak cigarettes out behind the throne room together.† â€Å"Adrian!† chastised Nathan, turning bright red. It occurred to me then that I could have based a drinking game around how many times he exclaimed his son’s name disapprovingly. â€Å"Auntie, I’m sor–â€Å" Tatiana held up a hand again. â€Å"Oh, be silent, Nathan. No one wants to hear it.† I almost choked. Being in the same room with the queen was horrid, but it was almost worth it to see her verbally bitch-slap Lord Ivashkov. She turned back to Adrian, face thawing. â€Å"You’ve finally quit? It’s about time. I suppose this is your doing?† It took me a moment to realize she was speaking to me. Until that point, I’d kind of hoped she might not have even noticed me. It seemed the only explanation for her not screaming at them to remove the rebellious little blood whore. It was shocking. Her voice wasn’t accusatory, either. It was†¦ impressed. â€Å"W-well, it wasn’t me, Your Majesty,† I said. My meekness was a far cry from my behavior at our last meeting. â€Å"Adrian was the one who had the, uh, determination to do it.† So help me, Tatiana chuckled. â€Å"Very diplomatic. They should assign you to a politician.† Nathan didn’t like the attention on me. I wasn’t sure I did either, semi-pleasant or not. â€Å"Are you and Priscilla doing business tonight? Or just having a friendly dinner?† Tatiana dragged her gaze from me. â€Å"Both. There’s been some inter-family squabbling going on. Not publicly, but it’s getting out. People are making noise about security. Some are ready to start training up right now. Others are wondering if guardians can go without sleep.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"And those are the tamest of the suggestions.† No question about it. This visit had gotten a lot more interesting. â€Å"I hope you’re going to shut those would-be militants up,† growled Nathan. â€Å"Us fighting alongside guardians is absurd.† â€Å"What’s absurd,† said Tatiana, â€Å"is having strife among the royal classes. That’s what I want to ‘shut up.'† Her tone grew lofty, very queenlike. â€Å"We’re the leaders among the Moroi. We have to set an example. We need to be unified to survive.† I studied her curiously. What did that mean? She hadn’t agreed or disagreed with Nathan’s stance on Moroi fighting. She’d only mentioned establishing peace among her people. But how? Was her method to encourage the new motion or squash it? Security was a huge concern for everyone after the attack, and it fell on her to figure it out. â€Å"Sounds pretty hard to me,† said Adrian, playing oblivious to the seriousness of the matter. â€Å"If you still want a cigarette afterward, I’ll make an exception.† â€Å"I’ll settle for you coming to make a proper visit tomorrow,† she said dryly. â€Å"Leave the cigarettes at home.† She glanced at his empty wineglass. â€Å"And other things.† A flash of steely resolve crossed her gaze, and even though it melted as quickly as it had come, I felt almost relieved. There was the icy Tatiana I knew. He saluted. â€Å"Noted.† Tatiana gave the rest of us brief glances. â€Å"Have a good evening,† was her only farewell. We bowed again, and then she headed back toward the front door. As she did, I heard scuffling and murmured voices. She’d been traveling with a retinue, I realized, and had left them all in the foyer while she came to say hello to Adrian. Dinner was quiet after that. Tatiana’s visit had kind of left us all astonished. At least it meant I didn’t have to hear Adrian and his father bicker anymore. Daniella mostly maintained what little conversation there was, attempting to inquire about my interests, and I realized she hadn’t said a word during Tatiana’s brief visit. Daniella had married into the Ivashkovs, and I wondered if she found the queen intimidating. When the time came for us to leave, Daniella was all smiles while Nathan retired to his study. â€Å"You need to come by more often,† she told Adrian, smoothing his hair in spite of his protests. â€Å"And you’re welcome anytime, Rose.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said, dumbfounded. I kept studying her face to see if she was lying, but I didn’t think she was. It made no sense. Moroi didn’t approve of long-term relationships with dhampirs. Royal Moroi especially didn’t. And royal Moroi related to the queen especially didn’t, at least if past experience was any indication. Adrian sighed. â€Å"Maybe if he’s not around. Oh, damn. That reminds me. I left my coat here last time–I wanted to get out too fast.† â€Å"You’ve got, like, fifty coats,† I remarked. â€Å"Ask Torrie,† said Daniella. â€Å"She’ll know where it is.† Adrian went off to find the housekeeper, leaving me with his mother. I should have made polite, inconsequential small talk, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. â€Å"Dinner was really great,† I told her honestly. â€Å"And I hope you won’t take this the wrong way†¦ but I mean†¦ well, you seem okay with Adrian and me dating.† She nodded serenely. â€Å"I am.† â€Å"And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Well, it had to be said. â€Å"Tat–Queen Tatiana kind of seemed okay with it too.† â€Å"She is.† I made sure my jaw didn’t drop to the floor. â€Å"But†¦ I mean, the last time I talked to her, she was really mad. She kept telling me over and over how she’d never allow us to be together in the future or get married or anything like that.† I cringed, recalling Adrian’s joke. â€Å"I figured you’d feel the same. Lord Ivashkov does. You can’t really want your son to be with a dhampir forever.† Daniella’s smile was kind but wry. â€Å"Do you plan on being with him forever? Do you plan on marrying him and settling down?† The question totally caught me off guard. â€Å"I†¦ no†¦ I mean, no offense to Adrian. I just never–â€Å" â€Å"Planned on settling down at all?† She nodded wisely. â€Å"That’s what I thought. Believe me, I know Adrian wasn’t serious earlier. Everyone’s jumping to conclusions that haven’t even happened. I’ve heard of you, Rose–everyone has. And I admire you. And based on what I’ve learned, I’m guessing you aren’t the type who would quit being a guardian to be a housewife.† â€Å"You’re right,† I admitted. â€Å"Then I don’t see the problem. You’re both young. You’re entitled to have fun and do what you want now, but I–you and I–know that even if you see Adrian off and on for the rest of your life, you aren’t going to get married or settle down. And it has nothing to do with what Nathan or anyone says. It’s the way of the world. It’s the kind of person you are. I can see it in your eyes. Tatiana’s realized it too, and that’s why she eased up. You need to be out there fighting, and that’s what you’ll do. At least if you truly intend to be a guardian.† â€Å"I do.† I was staring at her in wonder. Her attitude was amazing. She was the first royal I’d met who hadn’t immediately freaked out and gone crazy over the idea of a Moroi and dhampir match. If other people shared her view, it would make a lot of others’ lives easier. And she was right. It didn’t matter what Nathan thought. It wouldn’t have even mattered if Dimitri had been around. The bottom line was that Adrian and I wouldn’t be together for the rest of our lives because I’d always be on guardian duty, not lounging around like he did. Realizing that freed things up†¦ yet it made me a little sad too. Behind her, I could see Adrian approaching down the hall. Daniella leaned forward, pitching her voice low for me. There was a wistful note to her words when she spoke, the tone of a concerned mother. â€Å"But Rose? While I’m fine with you two dating and being happy, please try not to break his heart too much when the time comes.† How to cite Spirit Bound Chapter Three, Essay examples

Current Research and Emerging Questions free essay sample

Current Research and Emerging Questions S. Craig Watkins, Associate Professor of Sociology and Radii)-Television-Film, The University of Texas at Austin Introduction Young African Americans have not participated as long as their white counterparts in the media culture industry (Nightingale 1993). In truth, it is difficult to discern a substantive relationship between black youth and the mass media prior to the sass.The Initial exclusion of blacks from popular media culture Is attributable to two main factors: 1) a lack of discretionary income on the part of black outs and their families and, 2) racial exclusionary practices on the part of the culture Industries. Important economic and educational advances since the sass have sharply increased black household and discretionary income (Farley and Allen 1987) and also help to establish a viable African American consumer culture.By the late sass and early sass the film (Gruyere 1993; Watkins 1998) and television industries (Gray 1995) began responding to the shifting sensibilities of black youth culture by creating products that specifically targeted black youth. We will write a custom essay sample on Current Research and Emerging Questions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was also during his time that the wider distribution of television occurred, thus exposing black youth to American consumer culture in ways unknown to previous generations (Nightingale 1993). A primary aim of this paper is to outline some of the important research fledglings and emergent issues that examine the changing relationship between black American youth and the mass media industry.Black Youth, and Media Stereotyping: The Media Effects Paradigm The widespread distribution and consumption of mass media continues to generate Intense debate concerning the extent to which products eke film, television, and music video affect youth behavior and social development. A primary aim of the effects paradigm has been to explore how media socializes youth Into behavior that Impairs their ability to mature Into socially responsible and productive citizens. As black youth have experienced greater access to the products and services manufactured by the mass media industry, additional ques tions have emerged. One specific site of Inquiry Involves the effects of mass media stereotyping on the self-esteem and cognitive development of black youth. For most of its history he mass media industry has produced images that distort and misrepresent the complexities of the African American experience. Contemporary media representations of African Americans can be best described as paradoxical: blacks are simultaneously underrepresented and overrepresented in American media culture. For example. Lacks appear more frequently in both television (Khan 1990; Alicia and Basis 1993) and magazine advertisements (Taylor 1995). But blacks are also more likely to appear in minor or background roles (Wilkes and Valiance 1989) or during black oriented programs (Alicia and Basis 1993). Analysis of the television industry confirms that executives, writers, and directors tend not to place African Americans in dramatic story-plots and programs (Gray 1995). Blacks are most likely to appear in genre formats (I. E. Situation comedies, variety shows) that are ungenerous, light-hearted, and non-threatening. Moreover, a study of local television news programs from twenty-nine cities found that African Americans tend not to appear as necromancer news sources, reporters, or be included in news stories about non-racial issues (I. E. , the economy) thus leading to a pervasive form of normalization (Campbell 1995). Whereas blacks are underrepresented in many areas of mass media they are overrepresented in television sports broadcasts and crime and violence related portrayals. Ironically, Sharpe and Curry (1996) argue that while images of blacks in magazines has increased, this may actually be a counterproductive trend because blacks are predominantly portrayed in athletic roles. Similarly, Bowen and Schmidt (1997) found that while images of blacks in mainstream magazines has increased there is little role or occupational variation. In this study, blacks were more likely to appear as athletes or musicians. Hofmann (1997) maintains that the Italianization of the black image reproduces and popularizes long-standing myths about biological and intellectual differences between blacks and whites.Furthermore, studies demonstrate that when African Americans are portrayed in television news it is generally in aggressive, violent, or criminal roles (Piffle et al. 1996). Analysis of reality-based television programs produced two important findings: 1) violent crime was overrepresented and, 2) blacks and Latino are disproportionately depicted as criminals (Oliver 1994 ). In one of the cost extensive studies of television news, Reeves and Campbell (1994) found that coverage of cocaine use and violent-related behavior during the sass typically treated young black males and females as pathological threats to society.Also, a recent analysis of the film industry asserts that blacks tend to be restricted to low budget features that focus disproportionately on crime, violence, and youth delinquency (Watkins 1998). How does the current image landscape affect the self- esteem and cognitive development of African American youth? Tan and Tan (1979) examined the effects of the limited portrayal of blacks in high-status occupations. These researchers tentatively conclude that heavy exposure to white-aimed television programming causes lower self-esteem among blacks.Similarly, in his ethnographic study of poor black youth, Nightingale (1993) argues that their relationship to mass media culture leads to serious social and psychological problems. He argues that, wh ile black youth live in a world of unprecedented material abundance, conspicuous consumption, and media advertising, their poverty stricken status severely limits their ability to participate in a rapidly expanding consumer culture, thus leading to personal frustration, social stigma, and alienation. Lee and Brown (1995) contend that black youth may be especially influenced by television advertisements featuring black athletes. They found that parents and teenagers frequently disagree and argue over purchase decisions of consumer products. Poor youth pursue possession of compensatory status symbols (I. E. , expensive sneakers, clothes, Jewelry) in order to help them negotiate social stigma and economic normalization (Nightingale 1993). Conversely, some media scholars contend black youth may not be negatively influenced by media culture because of the higher social status and professional concludes that blacks were heavy viewers of black television shows and generally rated black television characters more positively than did non-blacks.Thus, she asserts that television does not have a negative influence on the self-esteem of black television viewers. Strongman (1986) examined cognitive development of black children in relation to their television viewing habits and concludes that black children display a very positive attitude toward blacks who appear in high status roles. Strongman (1991) maintains that television both negatively and positively affects the social and cognitive development of black children and adolescents.Rather than generalize the presumed negative effects of television, Strongman believes the medium can provide youth with important knowledge about the world that is unavailable to them in their immediate environment. She acknowledges, however, that the extent to which television can be a means to enhance the self-concept of black children depends greatly on the intervention of parents, educators, and industry personnel guiding youth toward more educational oriented programming.Black Youth: Media Colonization and Quality of Life Issues Television viewers among black youth is higher than their white counterparts (Pinpointed and Strongman 1981). Social and economic factors explain this trend (Greenberg and Dominick 1969). For example, high levels of television viewers tend to correspond with low economic status. Because poor and workin g class children are less likely to have access to non-school related extra- curricular activities, they may spend more time at home, thus increasing their viewers of television. Also, because black children are more likely to be reared in single parent households, they may not receive the same degree of parental supervision as white children. Consequently, black youth may be more likely to use television for companionship (Surliness and Dominick 1970-71). Because of its accessibility and penetration of American domestic life, many researchers regard television as the most powerful form of media colonization. Insofar as television is a powerful agent of colonization, its effects are likely to be most pronounced on populations that view it most.High levels of television viewers have important quality of life implications for youth. Three of the most important quality of life indices include educational development, sexual behavior, and goals, aspirations or reception of life chances. First, high amounts of television viewers among youth can contribute to lower levels of literacy. The time devoted to television reduces the amount of time youth have available to further develop and enhance their reading skills (Gaudy 1986; Strongman 1991). Second, television viewers may also influence youth sexual behavior.In a survey questionnaire of 391 adolescents, Brown and Newcomer (1991) found a relationship between their sexual behavior and viewing of sexual content on television. While causal direction was not clear from the data (I. E. , id exposure to sexual content increase likelihood of sexual intercourse or vice versa? ), the authors suggest the need for increase portrayal of the use of contraception on television. The findings have potentially grave quality of life implications (I. E. , teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease) for black youth. Fife chances youth envision for themselves. The repetitious depictions of blacks in athletic roles creates a limited range of adult and professional role models for young black males and may even contribute to low levels of educational attainment (Gaston 1986; Iberian 1990). Faced with few media images of successful African American men, young black males are especially vulnerable to the widespread marketing and communication of black athletes. In general, the study of media effects on the social, cognitive, and behavioral development of black youth produces inconclusive claims at best.Measuring the effects of media on human behavior is a difficult enterprise. Researchers generally acknowledge that the cognitive development and behavior of youth are influenced by a wide range of institutions (I. E. , schools, religious), social relationships (I. E. , parents, ere groups), and economic factors (I. E. , poverty). Black Youth and Media Culture: the Cultural Studies Paradigm One of the most significant breakthroughs in media research in recent years has been the flourishing of cultural studies.In contrast to the effects paradigm, the cultural studies approach is primarily interested in examining the ideological and political work media performs in the reproduction of social, economic, and political hierarchies (Hall 1977). Proponents of the cultural studies model contend that the sphere of media culture is marked by constant instability, ideological struggle, and cultural resistance. This perspective has been especially adept at examining the complex ways black youth intervene in the production of popular media culture.Gray (1995) contends that media culture is an essential location to think and theorize about African American culture, representation, and politics. One particular site receiving increased attention from practitioners of cultural studies is hip hop culture. The formation of hip hop culture illustrates how dramatically the relationship between black youth and the media culture industry has changed. This particular formation of youth culture developed in he context of profound social, economic, demographic, and spatial transformation (Rose 1994; Watkins 1998).The hip hop movement has developed into a fertile reservoir of youth culture and media production. Rap music is the most prominent expression of hip hop culture. I would like to briefly identify three notable research issues related to the production of rap music: 1) the role of technology; 2) the political aspects of the youth culture; and, 3) communication. Black Youth and Media Technology Some analysts argue that rap music is the product of a rapidly evolving media and technological landscape.Whereas early critics of mass media (Adorn and Herkimer 1989) argued that technology would stifle artistic creativity and lead to the ratification of recorded music, new technologies appear to be having the opposite effect; new sound mixing devices and video appear to be enabling new regimes of popular music production to emerge (R ose 1994). Black Youth, Media and Cultural Resistance Youth actively select from a varied field of media products and services in order to fashion their own distinct cultures and generational identities. Youth cultures commonly come into conflict with the presumed values, beliefs, and raciest of mainstream society, thus they can mobile distinct forms of cultural 5 Many analysts argue that rap music enables black youth to cultivate a complex body of ideas, worldviews, and representations that generate poignant expressions of social critique (Stapleton 1998). Indeed, rap music is a multi-layered terrain of youth and media culture defined by various styles and sub-genres: neo-black nationalist rap (Decker 1994); gangs (Kelley 1994); and feminist (Rose 1994).Rap music has also been criticized as excessively violent, nihilistic, and misogynistic (Aryans and Matthews 1993). The Communication of Black Youth Culture Finally, the widespread distribution and popularization of rap music has generated questions regarding the effects of communication on hip hop culture. Some critics view the global merchandising of hip hop culture as a form of social control and containment. The communication of black youth culture, in truth, is a complex phenomena.While it is clear that the scope and direction of hip hop has been altered by the marketplace, it has also exerted a powerful influence on the global contours of youth culture (Stapleton 1998). An additional area that needs further exploration is the extent to which black youth have been intimately involved in the communication of rap music and use it as a vehicle to create alternative niches of entrepreneurship and employment. Conclusion In short, the relationship between black American youth and the mass media industry has changed significantly over the last thirty years.