A Better Future with Green Technology Essay

We live in the 21st century which has been called the â€Å"century of the environment†. Our nation’s leaders and individual citizens are coming to an understanding that we can not assume any longer that problems such as pollution, climate changes and the dwindling amount of natural resources can be put off for a future generation to deal with (Green Technology, 2010). There are many uses and reasons for green technology. However, with the use of green technology we can have a healthier, cleaner and possibly longer future. In this paper, I will be discussing just a few of those many uses. The term technology refers to the application of knowledge for a practical purpose. Now the field of green technology encompasses a continuously evolving group of industries, industrial applications, methods and materials which exploit the value of the technologies that benefit the environment. This includes techniques from generating energy all the way to non-toxic cleaning products ( Green Technology, 2010). These groups particularly exploit the way this technology impacts the human condition. See more: Unemployment – problems and solutions essay The group of effected industries is quite diverse. It includes businesses as far as the fields of energy and agriculture. There are some who predict that someday every consumer product will be affected by green technology. The main goal of green technology is to find ways to produce technology in a way that does not damage or deplete any of the Earth’s natural resources. The use of green technology is supposed to reduce the amount of waste and pollution that is created during production and consumption. There are many different uses for green technology in our everyday lives. These different uses include a renewable energy source from alternative fuels, recycling, building green, natural and environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, green chemistry and even green nanotechnology (Green Technology, 2010). The most urgent of these issues is perhaps the use of renewable energy. The two main ways to be able to generate energy would be by using solar powered panels and the other i s using wind turbines. Recycling is an easy way for us to help out our future generations. Recycling helps to eliminate unnecessary waste in our landfills and is also environmentally friendly. Another good way to also be environmentally friendly is to buy products that have been made using recycled products and natural ingredients. The U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency defines building green , also known as â€Å"sustainable† or â€Å"high performance† building, as the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort (Palmese, 2009). Building green encompasses everything from the choice of building materials to where a building is located (Green Technology, 2010). The United States military is trying to cut back its dependency on their usage of fossil fuels. Therefore, they are turning to more greener and natural approaches to curb their dependency. The green that the military is turning to is definitely not the camouflage. Currently the Army and Navy are both exploring green technology options. Soldiers are going green with solar power units, purifying stagnant waters, solar tents and LED lights (Lowman, 2011). The military is developing two solar powered humvees that they call FED Alpha and FED Bravo. FED stands for Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (Iliaifar, 2011). FED Bravo’s details are very sparse and so it still remains more of a mystery. FED Alpha is suppose to be equipped with a solar panel that is mounted on the Humvee to be able to assist with its electrical systems (Iliaifar, 2011). The U.S. military are currently using solar powered cooling tents in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has a goal to achieve 25 percent renewable energy by the year 2025. Fort Drum, NY has one of the world’s largest solar installations which currently heats the entire base (Lowman, 2011). The U.S. army and the U.S. Navy have both kicked off net zero programs which is aimed at reducing not only energy use on bases and also on water use and waste. The U.S. Navy is aiming for half of its bases to have net zero energy consumption by 2020. The Army is planning to install rooftop solar installations in as many as 160,000 private military home in 33 different states to help with energy costs (Westervelt, 2012). The Navy has commissioned a ship that is energy efficient. It is called the Makin Island. It is the first amphibious assault ship to replace its steam boilers with gas turbines. It is also the first Navy surface ship to be equipped with both gas turbinesand an auxiliary propulsion system (Department of Defense, 2009) The trucking industry is also continuously evolving to be be more green. Carriers are going with cleaner trucks to get better fuel mileage and help cut out on harmful emissions. These days there are numerous opportunities for a carrier to turn their fleet into a green fleet (Britton, 2010). California is becoming more of a green state. The state of California passed new laws to where a truck driver can not idle there truck if it is not a clean emissions truck. Now that the new clean trucks, Freightliner Cascadia and the International ProStar and Lonestar, are readily available it makes this easier to achieve. The trucking industry has been able to achieve nearly zero nitrogen oxide emissions as of January 1, 2010. It also achieved zero particulate matter emissions as of January 1, 2007 (Britton, 2010). Now that the trucking industry has been able to cut back nearly all emissions to zero they are turning their sights on another problem. The new problem the industry is tackling is fuel consumption. One thing they have tried so far is using auxiliary power units, which are also known as APUs, when idoling the truck at a rest area or truckstop has helped instead of burning a gallon of fuel an hour to idol the truck like before it now takes a gallon to idol for all ten hours since having an APU installed on the trucks. Another way the trucking industry was tried to conserve fuel to become greener is by switching to wide-based tires. This has cut consumption as much as ten percent in some cases (Britton, 2010). Freightliner has clean drive technology in all their trucks they make now. They can claim this only due to Selective Catalytic Reduction, or SCR, and Blue Tec Emissions Technology that help their heavy duty trucks to exceed EPA standards while still being cost efficient, practical and proven to stand the wear and tear of the industry (Freightliner). Blue Tec Emissions Technology has proven to increase performance with every drop of diesel fuel, reduce more of the pollutants from exhaust gases, and improve profitability from every mile covered. The Blue Tec Technology treats the exhaust gases and the end results are nitrogen and water. The same thing we breathe in. The Cascadia has an aerodynamic exterior to also help reduce drag and improve on fuel efficiency. There are new developments constantly in the field of green technology. One of the new developments is a hydrogen powered car. It is a zero emission car that produces water as exhaust. Green technology is hitting our major cities. Most cities are going organic and natural to preserve the Earth’s resources. Most larger cities have public transportation that run off clean fuel. Before we know it there will not be a location that is not going green or already gone green. We ourselves can jump on the green bandwagon. We can do this simply by doing a few things we already do to begin with. The first way is to come up with your own cleaning supplies from a few things around the house such as baking soda, vinegar and even lemons. Baking soda is good to remove stains, cut through tough grease and to freshen carpets (US Green Technology,2012). With these three simple products you could clean your entire home. Vinegar and newspaper or paper towel you can clean windows, mirrors and tile. Do not throw out any old electronics. It is better to donate old cell phones to someone in need or recycle them at a store that offers it. This is important because the old battery and possibly even the device still could contain mercury, which is extremely poisonous to the environment (U.S. Green Technology, 2012). After all the hard earned money spent on the device to begin with, it would be better to put it to good use some how. Another way to be green is the stop drinking bottled water because it saves our planet from having another non-biodegradable plastic bottle laying around. It is better to get a filter that you place on your faucet (U.S. Green Technology, 2012). Hopefully the nation’s leaders and all of the individual citizens will come to understand that while we live in the century of the environment, they can no longer assume that the Earth’s natural resources will be there for the future generation to be able to handle the problems of pollution, climate changes and the rapidly dwindling amount of natural resources left. There are many great uses and reasons for choosing to use green technology. The use of green technology can lead us all to a healthier, cleaner and possibly longer future. References Bibb, B. (2011) Green Perspectives Mandatory Commercial Recycling Creates Manufacturing Jobs. Green Technology. Retrieved from http://www.green-technology.org/green_technology_magazine/a-new-kind-of-corporation-in-california-for-a-new-bottom-line-q-/green-perspectives-mandatory-commercial-recycling-creates-manufa/ Britton, D. (2010, February 17) Investing wisely in Green Technologies. Heavy Duty Trucking. Retrieved from http://www.truckinginfo.com/news-details.asp?news_id=69434 Department of Defense. (2009, October 22). Retrieved from http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=49147 Freightliner Trucks (2012, March 5) Retrieved from http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/TruckInnovation/Clean-Drive-Technologies Green Technology (2010) Retrieved from http://www.green-technology.org/what.htm Green Technology (2010) Retrieved from http://www.green-technology.org/about.htm Iliaifar, A. (2011, December 29). Retreived from http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/us-military-planning-to-go-green- with-hybrid-humvees/ Lowman, M. (2011, August 01) The military goes green. Science/Technology. Retreived from http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/08/01/v-print/1381865/the-military-goes-green.html Palmese, R. (2009, June) Green Building Construction in California. Retrieved from http://www.green-technology.org/greentech-report-june09r.pdf U.S. Green Technology. (2012, January 14). How to be Green. Retrieved from http://www.usgreentechnology.com/stories/how-to-be-green/ Westervelt, A. (2012, Febuary 2). Why the military hates fossil fuels. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2012/02/02/why-the-military-hates-fossil- fuels-and-you-should-too-part-one-inefficiency/ Westervelt, A. (2012, February 6). The Military’s Green Tech Strategy. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2012/02/06/why-the-military-hates-fossil-fuels-part-two-alternatives/ Westervelt, A. (2012, February 14). How the Military uses Green Tech to Save Soldiers L ives. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2012/02/14/how-the-military-uses-green-tech-to-save-soldiers-lives/

Blue Tooth Technology Essay

Bluetooth is an open standard for speech and data transmission. Besides the applications for this new technology, e. g. the wireless connection between mobile station and terminal equipment, also the structure of the Bluetooth system architecture is presented. The set-up of so-called short-range ad hoc networks (piconets and scatternets) will be introduced. Bluetooth wireless technology is an open, accepted standard for wireless communication which means that Bluetooth electronic equipment can communicate as long as they are within approx. 10 meters of each other, making it possible to transfer data, speech, music or images without a physical connection. The mobile telephone manufacturer Ericsson invented Bluetooth technology, naming it after the Viking King Harald Bluetooth. Just as King Harald Bluetooth united Denmark and Norway, Bluetooth technology â€Å"unites† various types of electronic equipment to form a coherent whole. Ericsson formed the foundation for Bluetooth as early as 1994, but the standard was not ready for use until 1998. The first Bluetooth products came on the market in 2000. Today, Bluetooth technology can be found in all types of electronic equipment – including mobile phones, mobile headsets, PCs, keyboards, mouse devices, printers, GPS navigation units, video cameras and pocket PCs – and new products are emerging every day. Today, Bluetooth technology is an essential everyday tool to be found in a variety of electronic equipment. The technology makes it easy to transfer speech between a mobile phone and a headset, a mobile phone and a pocket computer or images from a digital video camera to a PC. Even though two Bluetooth units can find each other and be connected, because they both comply with the standard, it may not necessarily make sense for them to speak to each other. For instance, a Bluetooth mouse would not profit much from a connection with a digital camera, or a headset with a keyboard. The basic requirement for Bluetooth units to be able to communicate is that they are located within 10 meters of each other. That is the range of the Bluetooth radio waves – at least under the current standard. The study intents to (1) know the key features of Bluetooth technology; (2) evaluate Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and its key role in maintaining specifications of the protocol, profiles, testing and qualification, interoperability and compatibility and; (3) how Bluetooth applies to wireless technology. II. Background As Bluetooth technology becomes more common, however, we will undoubtedly see CD players that send sound to amplifiers via Bluetooth, which then transfer the sound to speakers in the same way. A Bluetooth enabled pocket computer will automatically synchronise with a company’s diary and make sure that the day’s e-mails are ready to be read on the screen. And car radios will turn the music down and transfer the speech from a mobile phone when it rings (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. 36-38). Moreover, the Bluetooth brand is now recognized worldwide on products with short range wireless communication capabilities. The brand is a label that is not a single company technology but is shared by many members of the Bluetooth SIG. The brand is applied to devices implementing the Bluetooth technology; even if it says little about the way the technology works (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. 36-38). III. Discussion A. Features of Bluetooth Technology The logo for Bluetooth is based on Runes surrounding the legend of Harald Bluetooth. Bluetooth the technology is based on communications central to man’s own personal space. Fundamentally Bluetooth operates within the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at 2. 4 GHz. It is a short-range wireless communication standard defined as cable replacement for a Personal Area Network (PAN) (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, pp. 87-94). Figure 1 is the Bluetooth Logo. A cable replacement standard has been defined because cables limit mobility of the consumer; they are cumbersome to carry around, are easily lost or broken. Often connectors are prone to difficult to diagnose failures; or are proprietary. To counteract these limitations Bluetooth is designed to be light and portable. It can be embedded to take the riggers of physical knocks and shocks. It includes standards and protocols to make it mobile, robust, reliable and not limited to one manufacturer (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, pp. 87-94). The operating band also fits the goals of Bluetooth, imposing requirements as a cable replacement. The cost needs to be comparable with cable. Reductions can be achieved by operating in the licence free 2. 4 GHz ISM band, keeping backward compatibility wherever possible lowers the cost of ownership by avoiding upgrades and having a relaxed radio specification enables single chip integrated circuit solutions. It also needs to be as reliable and resilient as cable and cope with errors and degradation caused by interference. For mobile devices it must be compact, lightweight, low power and easy to use (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, pp. 87-94). A. 1 Frequency Hopping We have addressed the reasons for the Bluetooth without delving into the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the technology to discover how it operates. For the majority of countries the ISM band used by Bluetooth is available from 2. 40-2. 4835 GHz, although some countries impose restrictions. In this band Bluetooth uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) techniques in order to improve its immunity from interference (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). In unrestricted countries the radios hop in pseudo random sequences around all available channels, this equates to 79 RF channels with a channel spacing of 1 MHz. Starting at a base frequency of 2402 MHz then the frequency of the channels, f, can be expressed as: f =2402 + n MHz where, n, is the channel number with an integer value in the range of 0 to 78. In restricted countries a limited frequency hopping schemes with just 23 channels is used and is catered for in the Bluetooth specification. Both hopping schemes have a 1 MHz channel spacing making it possible to design a simple radio interface whereby the baseband only has to specify a channel number and the radio multiplies this up to the appropriate frequency offset (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). In this FHSS scheme there are 1600 hops per second, which is a hop every 625  µs. Part of this hop timing is taken up by the guard time of 220  µs allowing the synthesizer time to settle. The frequency hopping implements time division multiplexing as shown in Figure 2. The basis of the scheme has the Master device transmitting in the first 625 us slot, k, and here the Slave receives. In the next slot k = 1 the Slave is permitted to transmit and the master listens (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). Figure 2: Frequency Hopping, master and slave interact on corresponding slots The radio must be able to retune and stabilise on a new frequency within tight time constraints. This is pushed further when establishing a connection; the hop rate can be shortened to every 312. 5 us. As the radios are constantly hopping to different radio channels, this ensures that packets affected by interference on one channel can be retransmitted on a different frequency channel. To further enhance resilience both ARQ (Automatic Repeat reQuest) and FEC (Forward Error Correction) form part of the specification (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). One drawback with the normal hop sequence is the time taken for production testing. Bluetooth ensures adequate frequency coverage with a test sequence allowing the radios to be tested at a faster rate (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). A. 2 The Bluetooth SIG and Specifications If the success of Bluetooth is measured by its initial interest alone then its prominence has already been assured. Before products were on sale, hundreds of companies joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Bluetooth brand became recognized worldwide. Before investigating the technology further it is appropriate to comment about the role played by the SIG, the administrative structure of which is outlined in Figure 3. With membership of the SIG nearing 2500 members it is only right to look at how the SIG works to promote, shape and define the specification and position Bluetooth in the market place. Positioning of the technology is important when you consider other wireless technologies that share the same ISM band, e. g. IEEE802. 11b, HomeRF and DECT. Differentiation is key in avoiding confusion of potential users.

Brazilian Economics Essay Research Paper Executive Summary

Brazilian Economics Essay, Research Paper Executive Summary Brazil is a big state with a big population. The natural resources that Brazil possesses are some of the richest in the universe. From minerals to timber to manpower, Brazil has all the natural stuffs to be an economic human dynamo. However, Brazil is being held back from doing great industrial paces. The job for Brazil lies in its inability to travel its supplies and merchandises. The roads, although better than they have of all time been, are non up to par with other industrial states. Until Brazil becomes more efficient they will non go an industrial giant. The economic crisis that has hit Brazil threatens to destruct all the advancement that has been made in the last decennary. Its high rate of rising prices must be brought under control for foreign investors to recover assurance. There is much promise in Brazil but its inefficiencies and current economic jobs must be overcome for Brazil to take its topographic point among the industrial giants. Introduction The Republic of Brazil is one of the largest states in the universe. Its population of more than one hundred sixty million topographic points it fifth among universe population centres. Its wealth of natural resources and easiness of entry makes it a valued trading spouse and an chance for new market growing. Population Brazil is one of the most thickly settled states in the universe. With a population of more than one hundred 60 million people it ranks 5th among universe population centres. The population growing rate of Brazil is keeping steady around 1.2 per centum. The birth rate is 20.4 births/1,000 population, this translates into about three million two hundred and 64 thousand unrecorded births each twelvemonth. Thirty per centum of Brazil s population is under 15 old ages of age and 65 per centum of the population is between 15 and 64 old ages old. Merely five per centum of the population is over 65 old ages of age. The ratio of work forces to adult females is.98 , which is about the same as the planetary ratio. One characteristic that has ever been present in Brazilian society is migration from one portion of the state to another. During the late twentieth century the western portion of the state has had the highest net inflow of population. The Southeast has besides received big Numberss of migrators, but these have been really unevenly distributed. The most rural southeasterly provinces have had steady decreases of their population through migration. There are three basic racial beginnings for Brazilian people. To the original dwellers ( Indians ) were added consecutive moving ridges of Europeans ( largely Portuguese ) and slaves ( largely Africans ) . The integrating between the Europeans and the Indians began shortly after colonisation ; it was non until the 1600 s that this procedure besides grew to include the freshly arrived Africans. A mixture of these three beginnings makes up the bulk of the Brazilian population. This is non to st ate that there are no other mixes in Brazil. Recently many people of Asiatic decent ( chiefly Japanese ) have begun to immigrate to Brazil. Members of all nationalities and races immigrate to Brazil every twenty-four hours in hunt of better things. Economic statistics and activity The GDP for Brazil is around one trillion dollars. This breaks down into the mean Brazilian holding about $ 6,300 of buying para. This figure is non bad, but it is non every bit high as the more industrialised states. This figure is expected to turn, but the economic crisis that has seized Brazil will most probably decelerate this growing. The growing rate is 2.9 % which shows that Brazilian industry is turning, merely non at an explosive rate. Brazil has an copiousness of natural resources, which, with suited direction, could go on to be good for coevalss to come. Improved transit has made more of these resources accessible either for export of for usage by Brazil s increasing industries and turning popul ation. Brazil is known to incorporate highly rich mineral sedimentations, this includes huge Fe ore militias. Brazil s industries absorb most of its other mineral production. This includes chrome, Mg, vitreous silica, Cu, lead, asbestos, and nickel. Brazil is a major gold and diamond manufacturer, but measures fluctuate widely from twelvemonth to twelvemonth and topographic point to topographic point as sedimentations are located and exhausted. Brazil is besides the largest universe provider of semiprecious rocks. These rocks include topazes, amethysts, opals, aquamarines, tourmalines, emeralds and others. Brazil has oil and natural gas militias, which became significant with the development of offshore Fieldss. The mineral militias are under changeless geographic expedition by authorities and private beginnings. Brazil is besides rich in biological resources. About two-thirds of the state is under wood, supplying about one-seventh of the universe s entire forest country. Hardwoods predominate in the Amazon and Atlantic coastal zone. Exploitation of the Amazon rain forest, nevertheless, has been hampered by the insufficiency of conveyance installations. Arable land is non abundant, sing the size of the state. With a coastline of more than 4,600 stat mis and legion well-stocked rivers, Brazil has entree to significant fishing evidences. This resource, nevertheless, is developing and productiveness is low. For a state every bit big as Brazil, development of an efficient agencies of transit has been a affair of critical importance. Throughout much of its history the state s different parts remained stray from each other, but this changed dramatically after World War II, foremost with the growing of air conveyance and, two decennaries subsequently, with the extension of a modern route web. Most rider and cargo traffic moves over the main roads, with coastal and inland transporting the following largest manner of transit. Brazil, like most states has four major man ners of transit. These manners include railroads, main roads, waterways, and airdromes. Except for commuter lines in the major metropoliss, railwaies are merely of minor importance in Brazil s transit web, Brazil has merely 27,000 kilometers of rail. Few new railroads of any significance have been built since World War II, when Rio de Janeiro was linked by rail to Salvador because German pigboats were taking a heavy toll on transporting. Most of Brazil s path day of the months from the nineteenth century, when the economic system was based on exports of natural stuffs. Brazil has improved its main road system greatly since the terminal of World War II. During the rainy season surface communications could be interrupted along the major regional links for hebdomads at a clip, marooning automobilists in countries with limited lodging and nutrient supplies. The building of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil in 1964, for which many bulky stuffs had to be airlifted in during the rainy season , alerted the state to the hapless province of its roads. When the armed forces assumed power in 1964, the upgrading of the route system became a primary aim. As a consequence, an first-class system of paved roads now connects all the major points in Brazil, including several links northerly into the Amazon part. Brazil has about two million kilometer of roads, of this one hundred 80 1000 stat mis are paved. Brazilian coastal transportation was, for many old ages, in no better status than its railroads. Like the railroads, the transportation industry was confined to transporting low-value majority goods that could digest long holds and non infrequent losingss. After the federal authorities launched a ship building plan in the 1960 s, nevertheless, the tunnage of ladings increased markedly, and more significantly a larger per centum of higher valued goods was carried. The more important ocean ports in Brazil are located in Rio de Janeiro, Paranagua, and Recife. The extended Brazilian river system has a entire river navigability of about 27,000 stat mis. Within the Amazon Basin navigable waterways are the rule means of transit in northern Brazil, widening into the Spanish speech production states to the West. The two rule Amazonian ports are connected by a modern, if at times fickle, steamer service are Belem, at the oral cavity of the river, and Manaus, some 1,000 stat mis inland. These and lesser ports are of import as trade centres for the broad assortment of trade that sail the Waterss of the chief rivers and some 1,000 feeders. As with most states, air passages are highly of import to the Brazilian economic system. Brazil has over two thousand five 100 airdromes, of this one thousand five 100s have paved tracks. Every capital and of import metropolis in Brazil has a major airdrome, and most of the smaller metropoliss are serviced by jet aircraft. Few locations are without a least a soil set downing strip. Most of the major metropoliss are besides linked by a shuttle service. However, overall flight frequences and the size of terminuss are at a much smaller graduated table than at comparable centers in west Europe or North America. This is due to the relatively high cost of fare and competition from inexpensive intercity bus services. Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo handle most of the international air traffic. Numerous airlines flourished in Brazil at one time or another, but they have been consolidated into three major ones that compete nationwide. Brazil has three major communication systems; telephones, radios, and television. There are over seventeen million telephones in Brazil. The Brazilian telephone system is fairly efficient as long as one remains close to a city. As the distance from a city increases, the number of phones and the reliability of service tends to drop. As one might expect there are no conventional phone lines in the deep Amazonian jungle. Radio broadcast stations are very important in Brazil. Brazilians own seventy-five million radios, and use them to listen to almost one thousand five hundred AM radio stations. Radios are cheaper than television sets so more Brazilians can afford them. Television is a major industry in Brazil. One hundred twenty stations can be found on Brazilian TV. This makes Brazil the fourth largest television broadcasting system in the world, reaching an estimated forty million Brazilians who own televisions. Foreign companies have been investing in Brazil for years. Because of its large population and plentiful natural resources, Brazil is very attractive to companies looking to expand into new markets. Large companies form Coca-Cola and Pepsi to Wal-Mart and Kentucky Fried Chicken have invested millions of dollars in order to gain a foothold in Brazil. One reason for the large number of companies with interests in Brazil is ease of entry. There are few barriers to entry in Brazil and the government encourages foreign investment. With Brazil s increasing population it can expect the foreign influx to continue for many years to come. Brazil exports about fifty billion dollars worth of products every y ear. The largest importer of Brazilian goods is the European Union (26%), followed by the United States (23%), Latin America (22%), and Argentina (11%). Brazil is the world s leading exporter of coffee, which is its most important single export. Most Americans think of Columbia as being the biggest producer of coffee, but Brazil produces almost twice as much as Columbia. Brazil is also a prominent producer of minerals. Brazil is one of the largest producers of iron ore in the world, and thanks to new mining techniques and technology this trend is expected to continue. Brazil also exports soybeans, tropical fruits, footwear, and sugarcane. Brazil is also the world leader in the production of semiprecious stones, gold and diamonds. Brazil imports about fifty-five billion dollars worth of goods every year. Crude oil is one of the major imports that Brazil receives regularly. In order to lessen its dependence on gasoline, the Brazilian government decided to run the country s vehicles on something a little less pricey, sugar. The government planned to replace gasoline with ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Processing the sugarcane in modern plants became the most successful such program in the world. For a number of years, virtually all new automobiles in Brazil have been engineered to run on this fuel. Brazil also imports other products that it is lacking at home. These products include capital goods for industry, chemical products, foodstuffs, and coal. Brazil has had a trade deficit for almost its entire history. There are many reasons for this but the main reason is a lack of ability to get to its resources. Brazil is a country with huge amounts of natural resources, but they are hard to get to. New roads and shipping channels have helped open up some more of Brazil s resources, but more must be done if Brazil ever expects to have a trade surplus. One thing that has been beneficial to Brazil is the influx of new business from outside the country that helps Brazil s abil ity to export more products. Unfortunately for Brazil its economy has recently taken a downturn. The inflation has gone through the roof and there has been a leveling off of foreign investment. The World Bank and the United States recently formulated a bailout plan for Brazil. This bailout included loans and other economic aid. The reason for the bailout lies in the belief that South America goes as Brazil goes; if Brazil encounters a recession than so will the rest of South America. A South American economic crisis combine with the one that has hit Asia would mean an almost certain worldwide recession. Brazil s labor force is a relatively strong one. Sixty-one million people are included in Brazil s work force, and this number is increasing every year. Forty-two percent of the work force is employed in services, while thirty-one percent work in agriculture, and twenty-seven percent work in industrial occupations. The unemployment rate is not large, but it is growing. Six percent of the Brazilian population is unemployed and the number is increasing with the recent economic crisis. Developments in science and technology With the help of foreign investors, Brazil is quickly increasing its technological capabilities. With the influx of new businesses from other countries, better technology became essential. These companies came into Brazil and trained their new Brazilian employees in the use of state of the art equipment. Advances were also made in the mining and extraction fields which were put to good use in Brazil. These advances will make it possible for Brazil to get back on its feet and compete in the global marketplace once the inflation is curtailed. Another reason for the growth of Brazilian technology is the educational system. More and more students are learning to use computers and at a younger age. There can only be benefits for Brazil in the long run if this trend continues. Channels of Distribution Brazil s businesses work in much the same way as they do in the United States. The retailers come in all shapes and sizes, from small family stores to multinational chains like Wal-Mart. Items are mainly purchased through cash transactions but buying through credit is also done. There seems to be less of a reliance on credit cards than the United States. The penetration of urban centers is high for the simple reason that there are more people able to buy products in urban areas. In rural areas it is more likely to see a small family store than a large outlet because there are simply not enough people to support a larger store. Media Brazil is a large country with a large population and therefore has many sources of media available to the public. Television, radio, and print media are all found in Brazil. Brazil s major newspapers are published in the cities of Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, but numerous others are published in the smaller cities and towns. There are also a number of weekly magazines that cover subjects from news t o hobbies. Press and broadcasting are intimately linked in Brazil, including television s TV Manchete and the TV Globo, which, with Radio Globo, is the largest and most influential of the county s broadcasting media. There are also several lesser networks in radio and television as well as a large number of regional and local stations. An educational channel broadcasts to a limited number of cities. Common television fare includes the tremendously popular prime-time novelas (soap operas), sporting events, news, special reports, foreign movies dubbed into Portuguese, and children s programming. In many ways television, in conjunction with massive urban migration, has furthered the homogenization of Brazilian culture and the modification of regional differences. When the Brazilian government as run by its military many of the stations were owned by the state. This is not the case today. Today television and radio stations operate in much the same manner as they do in the United States . Commercials are paid for by companies wishing to advertise in a form of media and are played. The only noticeable difference would be the amount of nudity on regular stations at all hours of the day. Bibliography Britanica Online. Brazil: Physical and Human Geography. http://www.eb.com:180/cgi-bin/g?DocF=macro/5000/84/24.html October 29, 1998. Brazilian Embassy, London. Brazil in Brief. http://www.brazil.org.uk. Oct 19, 1998. Brazilian Embassy, Washington DC. The Brazilian People. http://brasil.emb.nw.dc.us/bzpeople.htm. October 24, 1998. CIA Factbook. Brazil. http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/br.html October 29,1998. Eletronic Library. Brazil. http://www.encyclopedia.com, October19, 1998. Republica Federativa de Brasil. The Wonders of Brazil. http://psg.com/walter/brasil.htm. October 24, 1998. [Home] [Brazil] [Economic Paper] [cultural paper] [marketing]

Literature Review and Resource File Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature Review and Resource File - Essay Example et al. (2007). The Effectiveness of HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services in Increasing Identification of HIV- Positive Individuals: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 33(2S), 89-100. The central idea addressed is that a PCRS effort that employs the use of provider referral is effective in identifying people infected with HIV. However, this research cannot find enough evidence to determine if PCRS is also effective for reducing transmission or changing behavior. Robinson, R. et al. and Moodie-Mills, A. C. (2012). HIV/AIDS Inequality: Structural Barriers to Prevention, Treatment, and Care in Communities of Color: Why We Need A Holistic Approach to Eliminate Racial Disparities in HIV/AIDS. Center for American Progress. pp. 1-20. The author(s) of this article, Robinson and Moodie-Mills, provides important and informative concepts for a public health practitioner because it not only identifies a range of barriers in the prevention and treatment of HIV in a certain community, but also suggests ways in which those barriers can be removed. The article explores structural barriers that include but are not limited to racial disparity, residential segregation, housing discrimination, lack of sex education, criminal injustice, laws for HIV exposure, and immigration. The overall idea advanced by this article is creating awareness in people about what HIV is, how it is acquired, and how it can be prevented, providing sex education to people, using miscellaneous strategies of treatment of HIV, and suggesting necessary modifications in laws and regulations to help tackle the problem effectively. This article is important for a public health practitioner in order to understand what is the present level of knowledge and information regarding the cure for HIV and what options are available for treatment of the infected people. The article explains that No cure has been identified for HIV-1 as yet, although therapeutic research is

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing - Assignment Example Martha should subdivide the market further. There are a lot of professional women who does not stay at home and who are equally busy as men. There are also students, single women, etch. What Martha should initially target are the house wives who stays at home that takes care of the children. They are the natural market of Trap-Ease it protects the infants and toddlers from the threat of poisoning of other rodent control products. But Martha should not stop with the mothers, she should include the fathers too which is another segment of the market. In fact, the right market segmentation for the product is not merely stay home housewives but should be parents. But given the outlay of the investors that she needs to recoup, this market segment may not enough to cover the cost. So she should expand her market to other segments like business establishments who has the same need for rodent control. This is a promising market for Trap-Ease as the product is nicely designed that would not be an eye sore in a corporate setting. Also, it is ideal for this market for it will spare the workplace from the foul smell of a rodent brought by other similar product category. 4) Describe the current marketing mix for Trap-Ease.

Zapessay2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zapessay2 - Essay Example est by Bram Stoker (1914) is the story of Jonathan Haker, who receives an invite to Count Dracula’s castle that is on the borders of Moldavia and Transylvania. He receives various warnings on the way, and when he eventually gets there he realizes, though a little too late, that he is, in fact, a prisoner. The events that unfold within the rest of the novel purely based on Dracula’s superhuman nature, being a vampire and the fight that Jonathan puts up against Dracula (Poe et al 51-62). This paper’s primary focus is to compare the role that Montresor played in the Cask of Amontillado with that of Dracula in Dracula’s guest. The two are the main characters in both stories and despite the fact that the two novels were written during different time frames and different settings. Notably, there are a number of similarities and quite obviously differences that can be drawn from their personas. The following is a layout of their roles and representations, beginni ng with their similarities Both characters illustrate deceitful tendencies. They use friendship and kindness to lure their victims. Montressor carefully tricks Fortunato into thinking that he has the best wine for him knowing very well that Fortunato happens to have a weakness for the drink. This illustrates that Montressor in his selfish quest is willing to use the weaknesses that he is well aware his friend has against him (Espinosa 34). Dracula, on the other hand, uses his sophisticated appearance and educational appeal to lure Jonathan into feeling at home. It is because of this same appearance that it takes Hacker some time to realize that he has been lured into being Dracula’s slave. To capitalize on the extent of their deceitfulness, both characters only show the true nature of their persona’s after their victims are well into their thresholds and their intentions are clearly only in their own best interests (Stoker 28-32). Montresor depicts himself as being very proud. Despite that he is not

West indians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

West indians - Essay Example Following the arrival of the white man, numerous African black people were shipped over to work as slaves on sugar plantations on the islands and now make up a large proportion of the population. It is estimated that there are about 36 million people living in the West Indies today, most of African heritage. This is impacted by lower infant mortality rates with increased access to health care and other services. It is also estimated that millions of people have moved from the West Indies to the United States and other parts of the world. According to the article â€Å"West Indies† (2008), at least one million Cubans have moved into the United States with equally high numbers of Puerto Ricans and other West Indians also pursuing greater job opportunities and educations for their children. Most of these people speak Spanish, but this is not the only language spoken. Other languages spoken in high density include French and English, including a creole version of these languages. Dutch is spoken on some of the islands and Hindi and Urdu can still be heard on Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies, 2008). More than half of the West Indian peoples live in urban areas and live lives that are relatively comparable to the lives of people living in urbanized areas anywhere. However, the islands are not overly abundant in their own resources, so farming plays a large role in their economy. The climate is very warm for most of the year, so clothing is generally light and loose with hats, with wide shade-giving brims, playing a significant role in fashion. Perhaps because of the heavy slave-influenced past, their attitudes toward marriage, family structure and religion are somewhat different from what is found in the Protestant-influenced United States to the north. There are four types of family organization within West Indian families, each of which is centered around different religious ideals. The Christian family follows the

Perceived vs. Real Traits.What Would You Do Essay

Perceived vs. Real Traits.What Would You Do - Essay Example As a part of the project, a lot of drawings and diagrams were to be made. We had a team leader who was supposed to assign each member with a particular task of the project. In fact, I am a good painter and I am good in drawing too. However, the job of drawing was given to another student who was well below mediocrity in drawing as the leader could not recognize the skills in me. In addition, the task given to me was to develop a slogan related to the theme of the project; mere literature work I was very poor at. From my appearance, what he could perceive was that I was a good writer, thus I was forced to perform a task that in fact does not suit me. To prevent the issue of perceived traits, it is highly necessary to promote communication, understanding and most importantly, a friendly atmosphere. It is highly necessary to improve the team’s understanding and acceptance of diversity for harmonious functioning of the organization. Heermann (1997) suggests a method named Personal Mandala to let the team members know each other.

Nike's Global Women's Fitness Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nike's Global Women's Fitness Business - Essay Example Improve the integration levels within particular divisions. Goal â€Å"To take a more consumer-oriented approach to the market, optimizing the company’s activities to give customers holistic collection of everything they want and need in a particular sports category.† Analysis Structure Currently, Nike uses the matrix organizational structure. This type of structure groups employees according to their functions and by product type that they are involved in production. In this type of structure, there is a horizontal flow of information and skills. The following components are distinctively identified with the matrix structure of organization: there is a top manager who is in charge of the entire matrix and is charged with the responsibility of balancing the two chains of command. Then there are two matrix managers who are in charge of their respective sub-groups. One of them is the product manager and the other is the functional manager. Pros: there is coordination to m eet dual customer demands. It is suited for complex decisions. The structure is also suited for an organization with multiple products, like Nike. Cons: there are frustrations brought about by dual authority. This type of structure is time-consuming in decision making and conflict resolution. People This is a highly populated organization with more than 26,000 employees. There is specialized expertise in the organization with employees only working in their areas of specialization; such as footwear, equipment and apparel. Nike’s senior executives are supportive of the employee’s activities. For example, the executives offered support to the Change the Game team when the team made its presentation on the strategy to approach the women’s market. Most people in Nike, especially those who have been there for a long time like Darcy Winslow, know a large percentage of the community. The company, in its effort to move to a consumer-based organization from the current p roduct-based, appointed team captains who would set-up and run different categories of sport. These captains were responsible for bringing together the right people to spearhead a business plan for the particular sport category that they are in charge of. People were also supportive of the company’s ideas and it is clear that they wanted these ideas to succeed. They attended meetings with enthusiasm and commitment. Pros and Cons The support that the executive gives to the other employees boosts their morale and working spirit. The employees are motivated and the quality of their output is bound to improve. Knowing a big percentage of the community helps the company to get the necessary feedback on their products and services. The people can also give recommendations about a particular type of product. Using team captains and a group of specialists guarantees the company of quality results. There was resistance from retailers who were not willing to allocate more space to Nike . These retailers did not want to change their traditional practices. Incentives Nike worked out an incentive methodology that was aimed at motivating the performance of the employees. Most members were measured according to the results that they achieved, for example, selling shoes. In areas where there were added responsibilities, incentives were also increased to match up to the work. Cash bonuses were also offered

Barclays Retail Banking in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Barclays Retail Banking in India - Essay Example Analysis of Environment 5 1.1. PEST Analysis 5 8 1.2. Industry Life Cycle 8 2.0. Competitive stance of Barclays in India 9 2.1. Porter’s Five Forces 9 Section 2 13 2.1. Scale and Scope 13 2.2. Analysis of Strategy 14 2.3. Evaluation of Sustainability 15 References 17 Bibliography 21 Introduction After realising the potential of the emerging markets, many internationally operating business institutions have shifted their focus from developed economies to developing economies, such as China, Russia, and India (Raman, 2009). Following the trend, Barclays Bank Plc, which is by its origin an England-based financial institution, decided to expand its business in India in the year 2006. Conversely, the organisation had already entered the market almost 30 years before the commencement of retail banking in the economy (Barclays, 2011). The paper focuses on the business environment of Barclays Bank Plc in India and services rendered by the company in the economy. With this concern, the paper discusses the macro-economic factors existing in the Indian Banking Sector through PEST analysis. It also intends to identify the strategic alliances adopted by the company with the assistance of Porter’s Six Forces analysis and evaluate its appropriateness in overcoming the challenges existing in the economy. With the objective to analyse appropriateness of the strategies adopted by the company, the discussion of the paper presents a comprehensive outlook of the current status of the industry in the economic region. It also represents the various facts regarding the strategic behaviour of the company. Section 1 1.0. Analysis of Environment 1.1. PEST Analysis Political Factors The Indian political system has a great influence on the commercial sector of the economy. The current scenario of the political environment in India possesses few advantages and disadvantages which in turn can affect the banking sector to a large extent. For instance, the economy possesses a wel l-structured regulatory framework to control commercial banking and on the contrary a high inflationary rate which is most likely to have an effect on the growth of the banking industry (The Times of India, 2010). Moreover, in the current fiscal year the government of India have subscribed to recapitalise the public sector banks in order to assist them in achieving a target of 15% in terms of outstanding loans (Scribd, 2011). One major reason which can be identified in this context is the growing concern of the political leaders in the economy to improve the financial market trends with an objective of stimulated economic growth. This reformation will certainly make the competition fiercer in the market and thus affect the operations of Barclays in India. Economical Factors The GDP rate of the economy is recorded to continuously increase and currently figures around 5.75% (as was recorded in March 17th 2011). According to the economists, the economic growth rate shall persist to inc rease in the next few years (Ganesh, 2011). The interest rate of the economy is forecasted to continue on a high percentage (i.e. 5.75%). However, the inflationary rates of the economy are also recorded at an increase with 9.30%. Interest Rates of the economy currently figures to 5.75% and thus reflects a challenging business environment (Ganesh, 2011; Trading Economics, 2011). The economic situation of

National campaigns Essay Example for Free

National campaigns Essay Walker Crisps control the largest part of the crisps market in the United Kingdom, but lost significant market share three years ago when consumers began turning to other forms of snack. Furthermore, as the populace is made increasingly aware of the poor nutrition of some snack foods, the high salt content, and high fat content, they appear to be turning away from brands perceived as less healthy. Unfortunately, despite a revamping of products in 2006, most crisps products are viewed as less healthy and nutritious than alternatives such as cereal bars. National campaigns designed to improve the quality of school lunches were effective at turning parents away from crisps as a lunchbox staple and adult health campaign have lead people to consider other snack options including fruits, nuts, yogurt and cereal bars. In addition, there is some indication that a declining birth rate has also negatively impacted demand for crisps as they tend to be most popular among the males in their teens and early twenties. Older and more affluent snackers choose other options including specialty, private label crisps, corn-based snacks and gourmet crisps with exotic flavors. It also seems clear from evidenced reported by Mintel analysis of the snack food market that there are some areas in which crisps cannot compete, as some consumers, particularly women seem attached to chocolate and sweet biscuits as a preferred indulgent snack. And, there is a marketing nightmare brewing. While crisps must shed their image as fatty, over-salted snacks with no nutritional value if they are to maintain their market share in a health-conscious environment, evidence suggests that men in particular do not want to eat something labeled as â€Å"diet† or â€Å"healthy†. The key appears to be a serious media campaign to change the way people think about crisps. Evidence suggestions that the three trends most likely to impact the crisps market are: a desire to purchase healthier snacks, a desire for classier snacks, and a desire to eliminate snacking in general. The Move toward Healthier Snacks The evidence is clear that the trend in snacking is to find healthier alternatives. Walker crisps was able to regain some of its lost market share in 2006 with the introduction and promotion of healthier, â€Å"baked† varieties, but still faces an uphill battle. In a recent poll, nearly half of the consumers questioned said they would be willing to spend more to be able to buy foods that were free from chemical additives (Mintel, 2007). Since many so-called â€Å"diet† foods are laden with chemicals ranging from preservatives to artificial sweeteners, this may be a market niche that Walkers could exploit with an all-natural crisp. However, it will take a serious marketing campaign to educate consumers about the â€Å"dangers’ hidden in other snack foods. Mintel’s analysis of Walkers marketing expenditures over the last three years has indicated that they have begun to see the value of print advertising that explains the benefits of their newer, â€Å"healthier† product lines. However, it seems likely that Walkers will have to consider a new multimedia advertising campaign that redirects the way people think about crisps. A strict marketing campaign that shows crisp consumption as part of a healthy diet could also help the company retain market share. Currently, consumers are increasingly turning to other snack options in the belief that they are healthier than crisps. It might be advantageous to do a head to head comparison between crisps and several other snacks demonstrating the relative fat content, calories and other nutritional information. For example, the Mintel study showed that 23 percent of consumers snack on cereal bars, often in the belief that they are a healthy sack. However, reading a product label makes it clear that the average cereal bar has as many calories and carbohydrates as a bag of baked crisps. Walkers also needs to continue with current advertising campaigns which explain the change in oils used to create the crisps and the reduction in salt. All of these combined attacks on accepted nutritional ideas can help to recreate crisps in the minds of the consumer. Furthermore, Mintel analysis shows that consumers are less likely to buy branded products or healthy products when buying for use in entertaining. As part of their overall health campaign, Walkers might want to consider an advertising campaign similar to the ones used by American beer companies. â€Å"Friends don’t let friends drink bad beer† could become something along the lines of â€Å"Show your friends you have great taste, buy walker crisps. † Though the concept is a bit loose, it could be refined and would likely results in increased sales for Walkers. The Move to Classier Snacks Another interesting trend within snack food is the move toward hand-cooked or gourmet crisps. These premium brands tend to be smaller manufacturers instead of multinational corporations like Walkers, which is a division of PepsiCo. These brands are gaining in popularity among more affluent, educated consumers. They have shown a preference for exotic flavors like â€Å"Thai sweet chili† and sea salt and malt vinegar instead of the standard crisps (Mintel, 2007). To that end, it is in the best interest of Walkers to continue to expand their line of premium crisps and to develop new flavors that are likely to appeal to consumers. Within this market, it is also important to appeal to the health conscious consumer, so any effort that can be made to create these new flavors using infused oils and natural spices instead of something cooked up with chemicals is a plus (Mintel, 2007). These consumers are more educated and therefore more likely to be well-informed about the products that they are putting into their bodies. These consumers are in many ways the perfect target for an educational advertising campaign which asks why they are depriving themselves of the textures and flavors they love just so that they can eat a cereal bar that tastes like cardboard. This is also a good market to explore because this demographic is less concerned about the price and more concerned about giving themselves a special treat. Often, hey view everything they eat, drink and wear as a form of status symbol and Walkers would do well to establish their premiums brands within this niche. An advertising campaign that reminds consumers that doing something nice for themselves should also taste good would play well to this demographic. The Move Away from Snacking As part of a health-consciousness campaign, citizens of the United Kingdom are being taught that snacking between meals is leading to the Britain’s obesity problem and should be cut out (Mintel, 2007). According to the Mintel poll, fewer people every year admit to eating between meals. While this may be a factor of people not admitting to themselves what their true behavior patterns are, it can mean that they are not planning ahead for snacking and not purchasing traditional snack foods like crisps. One of the best ways to deal with this would be another form of reeducation for the populace. Though dietary requirements are in an ever-changing state of flux as science learns more and more about how the body works, many diets argue that five or six small meals a day maintain blood sugar levels better than the traditional three meals a day. So, even if the addition is simply mid-morning and afternoon tea, Walkers and other snack providers need to change the way the United Kingdom thinks about snacks. Again, the goal is not to have crisps replace full meals like breakfast, but crisps with tea might be a marketing ploy that Walkers could successfully market especially in terms of their premium, exotic brands. Acknowledging that they are competing with scones and sweet biscuits and everything else for every moment the consumer chooses a snack is imperative to Walkers efforts to maintain their market share. Conclusions The simple truth is that snack foods are facing an increased amount of competition every day with more and more companies looking for alternatives to the standard potato crisp. Therefore, companies which rely on crisps as a major segment of their brand identity must find new ways to market and appeal to consumers. Since we have established that current buying behavior seems to be based on perceived nutritional value, perceived class and the perception that snacking makes you fat, an aggressive marketing campaign designed to challenge these notions and change them is necessary. Walks must change the perception of crisps as an unhealthy waste of calories and a blase snack. They must jazz it up and create a desire for people to incorporate crisps into their daily diet. Otherwise, they will continue to watch their market share slip away. WORKS CITED â€Å"Crisps and Snacks†, Mintel Reports, May, 2007.

Organizational structures and cultures

Organizational structures and cultures Organizations are social arrangements for the controlled performance of collective goals. (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1991) The writer Chester Barnard (1938) used the example of a man trying to lift a stone which is too heavy for him. By getting together with another person, and combining their efforts, the man is able to move the stone. Organizational Structure:- Every organization to be effective must have an organizational structure. Organizational structure is the form of structure that determines the hierarchy and the reporting structure in the organization. Organizational structure shows information, flows from level to level within the company. It is also called organizational chart. Designing of Organizational Structure:- Work Specialization:- Work specialization is the key element of organizational structure and it refers to the degree to which tasks in the organization are subdivided in to separate jobs. In the work specialization the entire job is subdivided into different steps and each step have to complete separately by individual. For example: making of an automobile. Advantages of work specialization are that, employees skills can increases by doing one job again and again. It saves time and there is accuracy in production. It allows managers to supervise more employees. While the disadvantages are that, employees might get bored by doing same job again and again. Sometime if the person is on leave then no one can do his job, due to which absenteeism rises. Quality of work may suffer. Departmentalization:- Through departmentalization common tasks can be coordinated. In Departmentalization, work or individuals are grouped into manageable units. The primary forms of departmentalization are:- Functional Departmentalization Customer Departmentalization Geographical Departmentalization Product Departmentalization Process Departmentalization Chain of Command:- Chain of command is the formal line of authority, communication, and responsibility within an organization. According to classical organization theory the organizational chart allows one to visualize the lines of authority and communication within an organizational structure and ensures clear assignment of duties and responsibilities. In many organizations, the chain of command principle is still very much alive. Military is an example of straight chain of command which starts from a top to low level ranks. Span of Control:- In a business of more than one person, unless the business has equal partners, then there are managers and subordinates. Subordinates are workers controlled by the manager. Span of control can be:- Tall and Narrow:- The manager controls six or few employees. There is close supervision of the employees, tight control and fast communication. However, the supervision can be too close; the narrow span means that there are many levels of management, resulting in a possibly excessive distance between the top and the bottom of an organization. Flat and Wide:- A wide span of control forces managers to develop clear objectives and policies, select and train employees carefully. Since employees get less supervision, they are more responsible and have higher morale with a wide span of control. Flat and wide span of control is successful if employees have the awareness about their responsibilities and job tasks because managers are not able to have a look on each employee every day. Centralization and Decentralization:- Centralization and decentralization refer to the extent to which decision making power is devolved in an organization, or the degree of delegation of duties, power and authority to lower levels of an organization. Organizations which have a high degree of delegation of power are thought to be decentralized. Organizations which have a lower degree of delegation of power tend to be centralized. A decentralized structure often means power over both operational issues and strategic direction is devolved to lower levels in the hierarchy. Matrix Structure:- An organization which has a Matrix structure contains teams of people created from various sections of the business. These teams will be created for the purposes of a specific project and will be led by a project manager. Often the team will only exist for the duration of the project and matrix structures are usually deployed to develop new products and services. The advantages of a matrix include that, individuals can be chosen according to the needs of the project. Project team which is dynamic and specialist are brought together in a new environment to view problems in different ways. Project managers are directly responsible for completing their project in a specific time and budget. Whilst the disadvantages include: A conflict of loyalty between line managers and project managers over the allocation of resources If teams have a lot of independence can be difficult to monitor. Costs can be increased if more managers (i.e. project managers) are created through the use of project teams. Organizational Culture:- Culture basically refers to the norms, values and behavior adopted by the organizational members during the working. When the members of an organization join the organization they adopt particular culture of an organization. Every organization has different culture depending upon their situation of working and the nature of their business. From the culture of organization one can assume the operating environment and working behavior of employees. Types of Culture:- Power Culture Within a power culture, control is the key element. Power cultures are usually found within a small or medium size organization. Centralized Decisions making are found in the power culture organization. That person likes control and the power behind it. As group work is not evident in a power culture, the organization can react quickly to dangers around it as no consultation is involved. However this culture has its problems, lack of consultation can lead to staff feeling undervalued and de-motivated, which can also lead to high staff turnover. Role Culture Common in most organizations today is a role culture. In a role culture, organizations are split into various functions and each individual within the function is assigned a particular role. The role culture has the benefit of specialization. Employees focus on their particular role as assigned to them by their job description and this should increase productivity for the company. This culture is quite logical to organize in a large organization. Task Culture A task culture refers to a team based approach to complete a particular task. They are popular in todays modern business society where the organization will establish particular project teams to complete a task to date. A task culture clearly offers some benefits. Staff feels motivated because they are empowered to make decisions within their team, they will also feel valued because they may have been selected within that team and given the responsibility to bring the task. Person culture Person cultures are commonly found in charities or nonprofit organizations. The focus of the organization is the individual or a particular aim P2:- Analyze the relationship between an organizations structure and culture and the effects on business performance. Task for P2:- Here you will discuss how organization culture and structure affect the organizational performance positively or negatively. This should be attempted as a continuation of P1. Organizational Culture and Structure creates a number of various concepts, strategies, and situations which affect every level of planning when it comes to any type of hierarchical institution. The implications of organizational structure and culture apply to companies, corporations, charitable organizations, governments and even sports/organizations. Organization Culture and structure affects the organizational performance both in positive and as well as negative direction. In positive sense the organization culture and structure creates the distinctions between one organization from the other and also it defines the boundary role to the same organization. It provides a sense of identity for the organizational members on the basis of which the employees work betterly for the achievement of organization goals. This organization culture and structure can generate commitment of employees towards the organization. As the culture represents the norms and values of the society so it can enhances the stability of the social system inside organization. The organization which has a strong culture will have good working environment in which the employees shared different norms and values. The culture and structure also provides appropriate standards of working environment. The organization culture and structure shapes the attitude and beha vior of employees and it also serves a sense of making and control mechanism. Every organization has policies according to which the employees work by following certain rules and regulations. These rules and regulations of the organization can be bitterly formed by accessing to organization structure and culture. This organization structure also shows the responsibility for each employee which reflects that who will be reported to whom. Through strong organizational structure, the organization will have to make right decisions at the right time. The organization structure and culture has also negative impact on business performance. The same culture becomes liability when the employees do not agree to share their values with others which raise conflicts. When the organization environment is dynamic then this can affect the business effectiveness. If the organizational structure is complex one then the decision making process in that organization will be very slow and also there will be centralized decision making in which the lower level employees will not be entertained. P3:- Analyze the factors which influence individual behavior at work. Task for P3:- In this area discuss the factors that influence behavior at work, your answer should focus on personality, traits and types, its relevance in understanding self and others There are many factors that influence behavior at work for instance difference in opinions of individuals but the most important are personality and perceptions. Personality is defined as the characteristics and distinctive traits of an individual and the relation between them and the individual response to the situation and adjusts to other people. This include big five factors of personality dimensions known as OCEAN that influences behavior at work which is given in the table below. Personality dimensions and the poles of traits they form. Based on Costa McCrae (1992: 14-16, 49). Personality dimension High level Low level Neuroticism sensitive, nervous secure, confident Extraversion outgoing, energetic shy, withdrawn Openness to experience inventive, curious cautious, conservative Agreeableness friendly, compassionate competitive, outspoken Conscientiousness efficient, organized easy-going, careless Neuroticism is a measure of affect and emotional control. In the given table high level neuroticism shows sensitivity and nervousness those experinces negative emotions. They more frequently become unstable, worried, temperamental and sad. Resistant persons on the other hand need strong stimuli to be provoked where as low level shows confidence, emotional stability and active at their workplace. Extraversion dimension presence in high level in an individual shows outgoing and energetic. They are physically verbally active. The opposite of extraversion known as introverts or low level presence tend to be more independent, reserved, steady and like being alone. Extraverts are adventurous, assertive, frank, sociable and talkative. Introverts may be described as quiet, reserved, shy and unsociable. Openness to experience is a measure of depth, breadth and variability in a persons imagination and urge for experiences. Individuals with a high openness to experience have broad interests, are liberal and like novelty. The preservers with low openness to experience are conventional, conservative and prefer familiarity. Agreeableness individual can be described as altruistic, gentle, kind, sympathetic and warm. Person with high level are friendly, compassionate and able to work in team. Whereas low level are more competent and outspoken. Conscientiousness is scale of goal oriented and control over impulses. Individual with high level are more organized and efficient. They focus on limited goal and strive to achieve these goals. The focused person concentrates on a limited number of goals but strives hard to reach them, while the flexible person is more impulsive and easier to persuade from one task to another. The more conscientious a person is, the more competent, dutiful, orderly, responsible and thorough. Personality can be regard as the most complex aspects of human being that influences behavior in big way. Personality traits offer an opportunity to the organization to understand the individuals behaviors and directing their effort and motivating them for the accomplishment of the organizational goal P4:- Analyze how organizational theory underpins principles and practices of organizing and of management. Task for P4:- Discuss the major organizational theories and discuss their salient features (focus on functions of management, managerial roles, and managerial authority) Please see the course contents for detail. Management The attainment of an organizational goal in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, leading and controlling organizational resources. Planning It is the on going process of developing the business mission and objectives and determining how they will be accomplished. Planning includes both the broadest view of the organization, e.g. its mission, and the narrowest, a tactic for accomplishing a specific goal. Organizing Establishing the internal organizational structure of the organization. The focus is on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization. It is in this function that managers distribute authority to job holders. Commanding Fayols called this maintain activity among the personnel, it involves instructing and motivating subordinates to carry out tasks. Coordinating This is the task of monitoring the activities of individuals and groups within the organization, reconciling differences in approach, timing and resource requirement in the interest of overall organizational objectives. Controlling It is a four step process of establishing performance standards based on the firms objective, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two and taking corrective or preventive action is necessary. Managerial Roles A role as defined as an organized set of behaviors belonging to an identifiable office or position. Thus actors, managers and others play roles that are predetermined, although individuals may interpret them in different ways. Interpersonal Roles Figurehead The manager is a symbol, obliged to perform a number of duties. He represents the organization in various ceremonies etc. Leader Managers select and trained the team members. He/she used to motivate the team to achieve pre defined goal. Liaison Manager duty is to communicate with people outside the work unit trying to coordinates two project groups. Informational Roles Monitor The monitor involves seeking current information from many sources. The manager acquires information from others and shares it with concerns people to stay well informed. Disseminator The managers send external information into his organization and internal information from one subordinate to another. Spokesman The managers transmit information out to his organizations environment to speak on behalf of the organization. Decisional Roles Entrepreneur The manager acts as initiator and designer of much of the controlled change of the organization. By using the monitoring role, he seeks opportunities, sees problems, and initiates actions to improve situations. Disturbance Handler The manger role involves resolving conflicts among subordinates or between the managers departments and other departments. Resource Allocator This role of manager involves deciding about how to allocate people, time, equipment, budget and other resources to attain desired outcomes. Negotiator Managers participate in negotiation activities. Managers represent department during negotiation of union contracts, sales, purchases, budgets, represent departmental interest. Managerial Authority The formal and legitimate right of a manager to make decisions, issues, orders and allocate resources to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Managerial authority is the position that empowers a manger to exercise command and control over those placed under him for realization of the assigned role in an organization. Originally, the overall authority is centrally vested in person of the manager. However, it is not possible for a single man to effectively execute and monitor each and every task. Therefore various functions with a suitable quantum of authority are devolved downwards to concerned subordinates for better and convenient output. The practice also provides a rationale for organizational Tree specifying various powers and responsibilities in both vertical and lateral hierarchy. P5:- Compare the different approaches to management and theories of organization used by two organizations. Task for P5:- This will be the comparative analysis of the two organization, you will do the comparison with another organization (assigned to another group). This will be covered through the presentation. You must give soft and hard copy of your presentation to the teacher. Functional Theory Followed by SNGPL:- Organizations must make choices to organizational approach how to perform their work. There are five common methods used by management to perform work i.e functional, divisional, matrix, team, and networking. Each organization have follows different ways according to their needs and requirements. For instance Sui Northern Gas Pipe Line uses functional approach which is the simplest form of organizational structure. Below is an example of management of sui northern In functional structure approach the features are well defined the channels of communication and responsibility. By following such structure by SNGPL it improves productivity, minimizes duplication of employees and also simplifies training of employees. There are some drawbacks of functional structure approach as it is narrowed perspectives which causes reduce cooperation. Decisions are slow to take place because of many hierarchy layers in which authority is more centralized. This kind of structure only gives employees experience in only single field they dont have the opportunity to oversee all the firms operations. Divisional Theory Followed by Disney:- On the other hand management of Disney follows divisional structure compare to sui northern to keep track of their operation. Below in an example of Disney management structure. In large firms like Disney its difficult to keep track of all the activities for that purpose specialized departments are developed which is divided according to the organizational output this grouping of organizational structure are called divisional structure. It makes performance easier to monitor which allows managers to better focus on recourses and results. This kind of structure may cause duplication and create competition among the division due to limited resources. M1:- Discuss the organizational structure and the prevailing culture in the Organization under study. Also discuss how the structure and culture affect the performance of the business. Task for M1:- This task should be taken as continuation of your answers to P1 and P2; Here you will discuss what is the prevailing structure and culture in the organization. This will be seen with the view that you can see the application of the concepts in real life. Organization Structure and Culture in HBL and UBL Culture and Structure of HBL:- Organizations have their own structure and culture. If there is any informality in the organization culture and employees believe that they are a part of organization then behavior effect positively. Culture and structure is very important for an organization in a culture there are many people belong to different groups and the structure of organization is made from the people if there is unity of command, Span of control and intrinsic motivation so it effect the motivation level of the employees. In organization if they have a good culture and they have the good social norms, values and ethical behavior so culture automatically control behavior .Culture is develop by good social norms, good contents, good peer group and culture cannot be reinforced, it is link with the inner behavior and change is also continuous process. In organization good and positive behavior controls the culture aspects. Culture also pushes the member to behave in a way that is counter to the formal mission an d goals of organization but it can be changed through inter personal skills and good behavior. In organization good, positive and progressive culture and structure is shared among the people. Organizational structure is the way in which the interrelated groups within and organizations are set up to allow them function smoothly from a large stand point. The two main purpose of successful organizational structure is to ensure effective communication between various parts of the company, as well as to increase coordination between different departments. Culture Structure of UBL Culture and structure is important in organization but each organization has their own structure and culture. According to this organization, there is not a specific culture in organization but through employees and their related environment culture is develop. They develop their own culture according to their own requirement. Culture controls the behavior of employees according to their nature which accepts the efforts to that culture. They develop that culture which they need. Culture depends upon the nature of employees it develop the behavior of employees according to that culture. Culture does not remain the same but the unwanted culture will changed according to mew environment. In organization culture is made when employees share their own culture. In this organization the bureaucratic structure is used .Employees r not involved during taking of the decision they are totally depended upon the orders of their boss. Through structure it is easy for the organization for placement of employees, staffing and they also know how many employees are required for the jobs in organization. In the absence of structure some difficulties occurs for the organization that how many employees they need for the job and how they control the organization. Factors Influencing in Both Organization Culture and structure is important in each organization because through good culture there is friendly environment between the manager and employees. And through good structure the organization runs fast towards its objectives and can achieve the goals easily. In both organization culture developed by sharing their own culture which is very effective for both organization because by communication with each other and sharing their views least conflict occurs between the employees and manager. Through this friendly environment occurs which helps organization to run as high as they want. In organization the bureaucratic structure should be avoided and during decision making employees should involved because under this structure employees cannot work by their heart. They take their work as a burden. Under this structure organization cannot run towards there goals as fast as they need for their success because employees are not motivated by this structure they do not share their views, th eir ideas among them selves. This structure has negative effect on organization. It can be good thing in small doses especially in tackling issues that will become recurring themes in large businesses. Through good culture and structure employees are motivated and they share their new idea. They help each other and also solve the problems of organization. A fully healthy organizational culture and structure is exactly what should be expected when all is functioning normally M2:- Discuss what approach of management adopted by the organization, with Focus on management functions, roles and authority. Task for M2:- Here you will apply the concept of organizations theory and what is being discussed in P5 and apply your knowledge to the organization under study. Management Functions:- Planning:- Objectives of HBL Following are some main objective of HBL To earn profit for the Bank itself and maximize its shareholders value. To provide solutions for multiple requirements of clients of diverse financial nature To manage with the changing trends of the modern day financial market To be a diversified bank by offering all basic consumer services and specialized services Honest and ethical conduct, including ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationship. To provide employment opportunities to people To help in development and industrialization of the country Mission Statement:- To make our customers prosper, our staff excel and to create value for shareholders. Leading functions in HBL:- Motivation:- Managers of HBL motivate the employees by providing free medical treatment, free education and incentives to them. Resolving Conflicts:- Managers of HBL always try to resolve conflicts among employees. Giving importance to their opinions. Giving new ideas for solving problems. Sometimes giving group tasks to employees. Managerial Authority In HBL CEO Give orders and issues polices to the managers. Then further the managers forward these instructions and policies to their subordinates and so on. All of them accept and obeyed those instructions/polices/orders. Managerial Role:- Spokesman: Spokesman of HBL attending the seminars outside the bank and negotiating with the people in banking issues. D1:- Discuss what problems the organization can face in the performance areas and what is your suggestion/solution to the problem. Task for D1:- You must identify some problems observed regarding organizational structure and culture (there is no organization which is flawlessly perfect). You will give your recommendations and justify your recommendations in light of the management knowledge you have gained in the class. Problems:- The basic objective of organizational structure is to establish a network of relationship among the different level of employees. When the structure becomes so tall and complex one then the problem arises that how those employees will keep a permanent network of relationship. This problem will also have certain impacts upon the decision making process of an organization. The organization structure also keeps coordination between different departments/units. Sometimes the responsibility of one unit mixes with another unit which affects the units in achieving their goals as in case of selling and marketing department. Through organizational Culture the employees shares the values, belief, norms and symbols during working. The problem arises when there is diversity of work force. Problem arises when culture is dynamic. Rituals, stories, symbols, ceremonies and also the rules of organization form the culture of organization. These all are subjective in nature and having different perceptions during different timing so sometimes the problem arises that it misguides an individuals. Recommendations:- The organization should focus on participative and pre active work of management through which the organization can easily analyze the problems. The participative approach will also be effective in keeping relationship among the employees and as well among the different unit of organization. When there will strong relationship then the decision making process will also be quick. The organization should focus on training and development in order to guide the employees regarding the culture of organization. Through training and development the employees will come to know about the norms, values, beliefs and symbols which should be adopted during the working. In order to minimize the problem related to workforce diversity the organization should guide their employees by having a dynamic culture. D2:- Discuss your recommendations which should use the synthesis of different approaches, this should also include the convergent and lateral thinking. Task for D2:- In this task you will come up with recommendations for the organization theory for the organization. We will encourage amalgamation of two or more approaches considering the environment in which the organization exists. In addition we will also appreciate your approach towards the solution you are recommending as it should a) solve the organizational problem, b) should also consider the internal and external environment requirement. Approaches followed by the Managers:- There are different approaches which are followed by the managers in order to solve the problem arises inside an organization. There are many factors which will determine the structure and culture of an organization. If the organization size is so large then it will be difficult for the organization to keep the structure tall. The management encourages the flat structure and decentralized decision making for those large organizations for the smooth operation of an organization. On the other side if the size is small then it will be better to use the tall structure and centralized decision making. Assessment Brief Unit and Assessment Details Course Title: HND Business Unit Name: Organization and Behavior Assessor: Ms. Neelam Marwat Internal Verifier: Mr. Sajid Fahim Assessment Titl

City of God Analysis

City of God Analysis The films studied for this essay City of God (2002) and Favela Rising (2006) have taken favelas from the marginality of Brazilian society and transported them into the consciousness of the international public. Favelas have become a cultural icon of Rio de Janeiro, as famous as the postcard images of Copacabana beach and the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado mountain. Since 1992 tourists have been able to sign up for â€Å"favelatourâ€Å" and see first hand the favela of Rocinha via one of the multiple tourism agencies competing for business in what has become one of Rios most popular tours. [1] City of God Fernando Meirelles film City of God (2002) is based on the Brazilian novel of the same name by Paulo Lins (1996). City of God (Cidade de Deus) is the name of the favela where Lins grew up, and the novel is based on a true story taken from interviews and research conducted by Lins in the favela over a period of 8 years regarding the state of drug trafficking and gang warfare. The film has attracted much critical acclaim due to its confrontation of the issues within the favela as well as the gritty realism with which it was shot and unabashed depiction of violence within the favela. The film is narrated by one of two central characters, Rocket, and tells the story of the lives of himself and Lil Ze, children who grew up in the Cidade de Deus in similar circumstances yet who chose separate pathways in life. In the film the character Rocket symbolises hope, as he dreams of becoming a photographer, and this is used as a vehicle within the film to portray imagery of the favela to both the media in Rio de Janeiro within the story, and to the viewer. Lil Ze is a child with the taste for crime that grows up to be the favelas most powerful and notorious drug dealer. The lives of the two are intertwined and ironically Rockets dreams of becoming a photographer are realised through his access to life in the favela and his depiction of the crimes perpetrated by Lil Ze and his gang. The films opening and closing sequence include a 360 degree rotational shot of Rocket in the centre of a face off between the gangsters and the police, unsure of where to turn. This is symbolic of the story of the film in that his life can take one of either direction. The narrative is then broken down into a series of vignettes which tell the story of the favela and the central characters, and ultimately which path Rocket decides to take. I argue that this film was imperative in raising awareness of both the existence of as well as the issues within the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, and was one of the first cultural representations to emerge from Brazil to show the darker side of the city and an alternate reality to what is commonly perceived about Rio, that is postcard images of beaches, sunsets and samba. Via this cultural vehicle I argue that it was possible to begin to conduct businesses in the city such as favela tour and favela party due to interest from foreigners in seeing and experiencing a slice of life in the favelas. Which raises the question: Did this film glorify life in the favelas, or did it depict a realistic perspective of reality? How has consciousness raising of the foreign public since affected the inhabitants of these urban spaces and has this effect been positive or negative? I argue that one of the key strengths of the film is realism. The actors are amateurs recruited from the favelas, and the central character Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) is from the Cidade de Deus favela itself, which lends authenticity and personal perspective to the characters. The film was shot inside a real favela rather than a film set, taking the viewer directly into the urban space of favela inhabitants. There are several key themes in the film which I will outline below and which raise points of discussion related to the reality of life for favela inhabitants. Alongside the theme of choice, the film raises the questions of what options children who grow up in this environment have for survival. One of the most shocking and criticised features of the film is its portrayal of violence executed by young children in the favela. The characters The Runts are a group of children in the favela aged younger than 8 who view crime and becoming part of a drugs ring the only option for their future. Their youth is emphasised in a scene where they are discussing wanting to take over the most powerful drugs ring in the favela whilst sat in a fenced off cubicle which could be likened to a childrens playpen. This scene culminates in possibly the most memorable and shocking scene in the film, where a child wishing to be initiated into Lil Zes gang is forced to decide between which two children from t he Runts he wants to shoot and kill. We are faced with his indecision coupled with his detachment from the situation he is placed in. One of the children whose life is being decided bursts into tears, and with a close-up shot of his face we are immediately drawn to his extreme fear of the situation he is in, as well as his age, which could not be more than 5 years old. The child character who pulls the trigger. Steak and Frites, is later depicted in the house of the rival gang being questioned as to why he wants to be involved in the gang warfare, and says: â€Å"I smoke, I snort. I have killed and robbed. Im a manâ€Å". At the termination of the film when the Runts have murdered Ze and are discussing how they will take over his business and become the leaders of the favela, their lack of education is highlighted when one of the group asks for the purposes of creating a hit list of those they intend to murder who here knows how to write? and one of them responds a little. Either these children have had no access to education, or more concerned with their survival in the favela consider schooling to be an unnecessary part of life. An important aspect of the manner in which the film is shot, and a characteristic for which the film has received much criticism, is that of detachment. How the viewer feels towards the acts of violence and the characters they are enacted upon is a metaphor for how society in Rio de Janeiro feels towards the favelas- unemotional, detached, separate. That what happens inside the favela is their own business and does not affect those who live outside. The majority of characters in the film are presented in a one dimensional manner and are not depicted displaying emotion. Thus when they are murdered they become another number of the large headcount in the film. Characters are filmed from a distance and the lack of facial close-ups imbues the viewer with this sense of emotional detachment. The one exception to this is portrayal of the gangster Benny, Lil Zes best friend, who decides he wants a life outside of crime and the favela. We view him preventing Ze from shooting those who owe him money, his kindness in letting people out of debts owed to him, his desire to give Rocket a camera to pursue his dreams, and intimate scenes with his girlfriend. When Benny is killed by an addict and thus prevented from leaving the favela we are confronted with the only moment of remorse in the film; this is the only moment where Ze shows emotion, where the camera shots linger at the scene of the death, and where the viewer is in a sense instructed to feel grief for his loss. His death is also paramount in depicting the difficulty of trying to be a good character within or trying to leave the life of the favela. The final key theme of the film I would like to discuss is that of police corruption in Rio, which is clearly depicted in the film as integral to the survival of drug rings and proliferation of access to weapons. At the climax of the film when the two rival druglords Lil Ze and Carrot are captured by police, we witness two important events: Carrot is kept in custody by the police who say he will be a present for the media, whereas Ze is let go and through Rockets camera lens we see that police have been providing him with weapons and drugs in return for money. Favela Rising On August 30th 1993, a group of approximately 30 masked officers from Brazils Policia Militar entered the favela Vigario Geral and using machine guns and hand grenades killed 21 residents, including 8 members of an evangelical Christian family inside their home (NYT 1993). Henceforth known as the Vigario Geral Massacre, this was said to be in revenge for the murder of four policemen at the hands of the Comando Vermelho drug faction several days earlier. Day to day life within favelas is often referred to as wartime in a country officially at peace. Residents are accustomed to daily gun battles and being under the control of the armed drug factions. Police corruption is viewed by many as the prime reason this war is able to take place. As depicted in City of God and Favela Rising, and as told by favela residents under interview, Brazils military police provide the weapons to drug factions, and facilitate the trafficking of drugs in and out of the favelas. A 1993 robbery of an armoured van in Sao Paolo perpetrated by members of Comando Vermelho was found to have been possible using metal piercing bullets from automatic weapons legally available only to the Policia Militar. (NYT 1993). The documentary XXXX shows film footage of police transporting weapons into the favela. Violence within a Political Democracy Brazils military dictatorship ended in 1985 after 20 years of rule, however under the democracy many Brazilians feel less safe. (Caldeira) Since democratic rule, police violence has reached critical levels and events indicate serious degradation of democracy, with high levels of violent crime, police crimes against citizens, and human rights abuses a regular occurrence. Public space in Rio de Janeiro is often characterised by assaults of different types, muggings, and general lawlessness, creating a culture of fear and suspicion (Caldeira). Policies attempting to bring violence under control, such as Operaà §Ãƒ £o Rio in 1994 where military police were sent into the city on a mass scale, are replacing democratic initiatives at state level with assertion of civil order in an episodic manner. Public opinion polls found general support for the operation, with a general attitude that suspected criminals should not be subject to the same human rights conventions as normal citizens (Calde ira). Violence against civilians in favelas should also be considered a failure of democracy to protect their rights. Violence towards favela inhabitants can be seen as the result of a mixture of public attitudes towards criminal activity and middle and upper class attitudes towards favela inhabitants coupled with a police system which effectively serves only the elite. Public attitude plays a large role in the politics of policing and providing assistance (or lack thereof) to favelas. Volunteer worker XXXX in the film Bus 174 spoke of the public opinion polls in relation to the police shooting of 8 street children at Candelaria, where people said the shootings were a positive event, and that â€Å"society needs to be cleaned of this dirtâ€Å". **QUOTE CALDEIRA HOLSTON P699 CRIMINALISATION OF THE POOR*** ***ALSO ALTERNATIVE JUSTICE IN FAVELAS P713*** Development of Brazils Urban Spaces Industrialisation in Brazil began in the early 20th century and has always had significant links with urbanisation, directly influencing the composition and evolvement of the urban network. The primary urban centres of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo received the largest amounts of investment during the course of Brazils economic development, resulting in mass amounts of migration from rural areas. The National Census in the year 2000 (IGBE) documented 82% of Brazils 174 million residents live in cities. Furthermore, 80% of the total population live in 25% of the municipalities, indicating strong spatial concentration. (Xavier). Despite being one of the more important economic centres of Brazil (together with Sao Paolo constituting 20% of Brazils GDP (Acioly) ) the metropolitan region of Rio De Janeiro is marked by discernible social and wealth disparities between inhabitants. The needs of low income families unable to afford rent and living in favelas and cheap land on the periphery of the city mean continuous large volumes of transit of inhabitants between the periphery and the centre, where they have access to employment and services, creating severe socio-spatial stratification at the metropolitan level. In the 1990s, confronted with increasing social tensions and the recession of the entire country, favelas and low rent land became the focus of violence, with drug trafficking establishing a power parallel to official local controls, to the detriment of municipal regulations and law. The residents associations (AMs) which were very active in the 1980s fell under continuous intimidation and fear, and were often physically in the centre of shoot-outs between gangs and police. History of Favelas in Rio The Portuguese founded Rio de Janeiro in 1565 and by the end of the 16th century the hilled regions of the city were already substantially populated. Swamplands surrounding the hills were drained and soon also attracted settlers. Until the late 18th century the primary crop of the economy was sugarcane grown on the peripheries of Rio, which greatly influenced the spatial structure of the city. (Xavier). Following the relocation of the Portuguese Royal family to Rio in 1808 and the naming of Rio as the capital of Brazil, the population increased 25%, 50% of whom were slaves. (Xavier). There was a need for construction of housing for the higher income migrants and Portuguese nobility, with houses built closer to the periphery of the city, shaping the beginning of the patterns of segregation in Rio as rich and poor lived separately and in greatly different standards of housing yet within the same city centre. In 1888 slavery was abolished and freed workers from the coffee plantations migrated in large numbers to Rio. The word favela originated in the first low income residence to be constructed in the city centre, named Morro da Providà ªncia and later â€Å"Morro da Favelaâ€Å" by residents who were primarily ex soldiers and ex-slaves whom were not capable of integration into the citys economy. (Xavier). Government initiatives to modernise Rio led to large low income residential areas including those on hillsides being demolished, displacing predominantly the citys poor and forcing them further to the peripheries to resettle. By definition a favela is a squatter settlement, usually self-built by its inhabitants illegally on land lacking any infrastructure and without any urban plan for its development. The last official estimate for the number of favelas in Rio de Janeiro was 605 (PCRJ, IPP) but unofficial estimates read that 100 more have arisen since then. The typical location of favela construction is hillside areas, though in the 21st century they have increasingly been built in swampy land areas such as near the higher income Barra de Tijuca expansion zone. (Xavier 8) Rios first urban plan was developed in the late 1920s, named Plan Agache, following a segregated functionalist principle to organise the city (Xavier). In this plan the southern beachside areas of Ipanema, Leblon and Gavea were reserved for the upper classes, while the working classes were relegated to the suburbs, and the first plans for total eradication of the favelas were made. This was the first official document to describe favelas as a problem which must be eradicated; they were viewed as an epidemic which was blighting the most expensive land in Rio. As a result of this first urban plan dividing lower, middle and upper classes into distinct sections of the city, the only option left for the poor who did not fit these categories was to move into squatter settlements, either on the city outskirts or in dangerous and therefore undesirable locations such as steep hillsides. Alongside the explosive population growth and industrialisation of the following decades, Rios transport an d housing systems were unable to cope with the rise in migrants to the city, leading to the increasing spread of favelas into the city centre into environmentally fragile areas such as the hillsides separating the upper class suburbs. Living conditions in Rio display exceptionally poor distribution, demonstrated by the discrepancies in living conditions between the rich and the poor. There is a high level of socio-spatial inequality, with income being concentrated in a miniscule proportion of the population; the poorest 50% of Rios population earn only 13% of its income, while 12% of income is earned by the richest 1%. (IPEA). The social inequality prevalent in Rio de Janeiro is not applicable only to the physical make-up of the city but in the social configuration. Those located in the periphery in a physical sense are not only spatially remote; even when located in the centre of the city nest to a high income suburb, the favelas are in contrast with the â€Å"formal cityâ€Å". (Xavier). This inequality resonates in the difficult quotidianity of life for favela residents, who constitute 17% of Rios 5.8 million residents according to the 2000 census (IGBE). Segregation Telles (1995) in his study of the structural sources of socioeconomic segregation in Brazilian metropolitan areas concludes that the extent of urbanisation and predominantly population size is the key to understanding socioeconomic spatial inequalities in Brazil, and explains the majority of variations in segregation between different metropolitan areas. In dividing up income and race groups in Rio de Janeiro based on data from the 1980 census of Brazil it can be clearly seen that there is the smallest proportion of non-white households in the largest income group, and this percentage grows proportionately as the income levels are lowered. Due to issues of race and class being strongly correlated in Brazil, segregation (found to be largest between Rios lower and middle classes) becomes racialised. Thus racial segregation is partially ascertained by the higher numbers of non-whites in poorer socio-economic groups. However in the specific case of Rio, Telles finds class identities to b e stronger than racial identities, and this is explained by Rios particular spatial factors, for example the idiosyncratic mountainous landscape which played a part in the formation of Rios favelas. Bibliography Xavier, Helia Nacif Magalhaes, Fernanda (2003) Urban Slums Report: The Case of Rio de Janeiro Understanding Slums: Case Studies for the Global Report on Human Settlements UN IPEA/PCRJ/PNUD (2000), Relatà ³rio de Desenvolvimento Urbano A distribuià §Ãƒ £o de renda na cidade do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, RJ Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro PCRJ, IPP (2000) Anuà ¡rio Estatà ­stico da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro 1998, Instituto Pereira Passos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Website: http://www.armazemdedados.rio.rj.gov.br News Articles Brooke, James: 21 Shot dead in Rio Slum; Policemen are Suspected New York Times Section A p3 Column 1 August 30 1993 www.favelatour.com.br