What Made Hatshepsut a Great Leader?

Throughout history, men typically dominated societies. Men have always appeared to have more respect and rights than women, depending on certain civilizations. In societies like Egypt, men were frequently pharaohs and today, are considered to be great rulers. Women were often expected to take the job of motherhood in Egyptian society. Although this was their anticipated responsibility, women, usually upper class and royal, were still permitted to get an education, to possess property, own businesses, have a job and be involved in military control.Women could also rule as pharaoh, which was an infrequent occurrence but did sometimes happen. Hatshepsut, for example, is one of the few women who became a pronounced leader in the ancient world. Her father, Thutmose I, was her mentor and therefore led her to success. Through the teachings of her father and educational schooling, she was destined to be a great ruler from a very early age. She learned many important tactics of ruling from Th utmose and many similarities regarding the success of their reign could be distinguished.Besides the guidance she had, her vivid personality, ambition and creative ideas reflected in art, policies and architecture made her ruling successful as she strived to achieve ma ‘at and legitimize her power as a female ruler. Although Thutmose IV attempted to carve her out of history, these circumstances made Hatshepsut’s greatness possible, as she is known as the first great female ruler in history today. Hatshepsut had many attributes about her that her siblings did not obtain. She had excellent health, a hasty mind and her father’s vigor.These qualities made her stand out and were indications that Hatshepsut was always her father’s favorite, even in her young age. She grew up under her father’s personal guidance as he was preparing her for rule. His teachings were as harsh as he would have ordered for a son, again Ancient Egypt: The Case of marking his fai th in Hatshepsut. She was trained to show respect to her parents, listen to them at all times and to respect her elders. She was taught etiquette such as to speak gently, eat gracefully, and groom herself properly.She was also taught the main prayers that are recited to the gods, which was part of the religious teachings for a royal child. She was well educated as she learned to write originally on slate and then with ink on papyrus. She had to learn all the six hundred phonetic signs. It was vital for Hatshepsut to learn the signs because it would allow her to communicate with her correspondents if she ever came to power. During Thutmose’s rule he was effective in not only war, as he was a successful warrior who re-conquered Nubia, but in peace. Egypt was thriving with progress under Thutmose.Agriculture, trade and mining were advancing rapidly as well as advancements in architecture, literature and art. One of Thutmose’s passions was building as he carried out many b uilding projects. Hatshepsut takes notice of this, as her building projects are a vital part of the greatness of her reign. His kingdom was organized and successful as the laws of ma ‘at and Thutmose’s officials kept stability. The system had developed and progressed through out one thousand years. To Hatshepsut, his ways of ruling were flawless and indestructible, which is why she later uses the same style of leadership.But in reality, Egypt was waiting for her, as she was being prepared to rule her whole life. Thutmose had given Egypt the motivation to grow, and she was always part of that. She stood by him throughout his ruler ship, gaining all the knowledge she could, which ultimately leads to her success. By a lesser wife Hatshepsut’s father and mentor, Thutmose had a son, Thutmose II. Hatshepsut married her second brother, Thutmose II, in which she gained the title â€Å"Kings daughter, Kings sister, Gods wife, and Kings great wife. † She bore him on e daughter, but no sons.After thirteen years on the throne Thutmose II died unexpectedly; the crown was passed to Thutmose III, his son born to the concubine Isis. The new king was still an infant and Isis was not considered adequately royal to act as the pharaoh. Therefore, Hatshepsut was summoned to rule on behalf of her stepson. Thutmose was crowned king but until the day Hatshepsut was deceased, the king had to compete with his stepmother-aunt. At first she acted as an advisor to the king, but being Hatshepsut was close to the throne all of her life, felt that â€Å"she had the most royal power as well as the purest royal blood in her veins. After a few years passed, Hatshepsut presumed the Double crown and made herself king. Hatshepsut had a strong and vibrant personality and intended to overshadow her half brother as well as her husband. Thutmose III was still known as co ruler, but he remained in the background. There were many difficulties regarding her gender when she firs t came into rule, but it did not hinder her greatness. The inscription cutters often made mistakes as all the royal titles were in male form. She had to legitimize herself as female ruler, as she often did through art and statues.In ancient Egypt, literacy was most commonly found among the upper class. Throughout the other social classes, literacy was rare. Therefore visuals were used by the government to inform the people and were often used as a form of propaganda. These images included monuments, sculptures and reliefs. Their purpose was to influence the public to obey the king and so that they would recognize that the king had the divine right to rule. As consort, Hatshepsut had been pleased to be represented in visuals as a traditional Egyptian woman. Hatshepsut herself affirmed that she was the most gorgeous woman in the world.Therefore, while in the position of consort, she was shown as a woman or as a woman wearing clothing associated with masculinity and being king. Two lim estone statues that have been retrieved from her famous temple, the Deir el-Bahari, display Hatshepsut dressed in the conventional head cloth and kilt worn by a king. But her physical characteristics such as a â€Å"rounded, feminine, un-bearded face, and feminine body with breasts and an indented waist† represent her femininity. As king, it was necessary for her to create an image that would establish her new role as pharaoh, while separating herself from the position of consort.In her transformation into king, she is depicted as fully masculine with the figure, clothing and accessories of man while performing male rituals. It is assumed that Hatshepsut knew her role as pharaoh could be considered unsubstantiated because of her gender and through the unusual notion in which she acquired the throne. â€Å"It seems that it is the appearance of the king that matters rather than her actual gender; it was important to Egyptians that she use the conventional iconography of power and locate herself firmly within a long history of dynamic rule. † She â€Å"reinvented herself† by portraying herself as a male pharaoh.Hatshepsut displayed this concept through statues and visuals to gain the support of the people and legitimize her power. Another way Hatshepsut â€Å"reinvented herself† to assert her power was by renaming herself Maatkare. The most important word in Hatshepsut’s new name was â€Å"maat. † Ma ‘at is an ancient Egyptian expression that refers to a pharaoh keeping Egypt in order and â€Å"preserving stability of the universe†, as ordered by the gods. Prolonging ma ‘at to guarantee the success and solidity of Egypt demanded an accredited ruler who could communicate directly with the gods.By calling herself Maatkare, Hatshepsut claimed her power as a qualified ruler on the throne. A way in which pharaohs ensured ma ‘at was by constructing monuments and building projects throughout the empire. Hatshepsut followed in her father’s footsteps as a builder and carried out some of the most impressive building projects, more ambitious than any pharaoh before her. She had a strong policy of rebuilding and restoring destroyed monuments around the empire. Through these public works projects, she built systems of important religious roads and temples.Her most famous and impressive temple was the Dier el-Bahari and is consider as one of the â€Å"architectural wonders of the ancient world†. It was a multi-purpose sanctuary with many memorials dedicated to an assortment of gods in the upper level. The lower level contained beautiful gardens and pools. The walls were decorated with massive pictures of the pharaoh proposing offerings to different gods, which ensured that she would have an incredible after life. It proved her devotion and contact with the gods, again confirming her legitimacy. Her temple walls also had depictions of her accomplishments during her supremacy. Included on these walls, was the success of her trading expedition to Punt. Hatshepsut also went about achieving ma’at in ways regarding her trading policies, another tactic in which she learned from Thutmose, as trade strived under his rule. She sent out voyages to Lebanon for wood, boosted utilization of copper and turquoise mines in Sinai, and accomplished a prosperous trading journey to Punt. Punt was an East African trading center and was a site for unusual items such as â€Å"precious resins, curious wild animals and the ever desirable ebony, ivory and gold† (page 100).Hatshepsut’s diplomat Neshy sailed with a small but well equipped army on a dangerous route to Punt. The pictures on the temple walls describe a variety of goods being traded and that after, Neshy returned home safely in triumph. In this case Hatshepsut used the military for trade, but she also used it to carry out several effective military movements. She is known as a great warrior like he r great grandmother, Ahhotep, and her father Thutmose. She used military campaigns to protect Egypt and eliminate the threats of foreigners from the south and east.These actions helped ensure that Hatshepsut’s ruling would be a time of peace and prosperity, just like her father before, and that it was. After 22 years of successful ruling, Hatshepsut dies. Thutmose III, now of age, was free to rule by himself. Near the end of Thutmose III’s rule, he tried to delete Hatshepsut from history. He carves her name and pictures out of artwork. At the Deir el-Bahari many statues and monuments of her are taken down, destroyed and then buried. Although it is apparent that he tried to erase her, it is not certain why this happened.It is assumed that Thutmose was an unenthusiastic co-regent and extremely angry that Hatshepsut stole the throne from him. Egyptologists suppose that it was a â€Å"damanatio meoriae† meaning the intentional deletion of a person’s identity, which would lead to a horrid after life. In the end, Thutmose III was not successful in permanently removing Hatshepsut from history. By the 19th century, the hieroglyphics had been interpreted and the truth about Hatshepsut’s reign was shed to light. Hatshepsut was a great ruler and there are many aspects from which her greatness derived.Not only did her father, Thutmose, instruct and mentor her but also she was extremely intelligent and well educated. She took the ideas and policies of Thutmose’s reign, and applied them into her own. Her bright personality and ambition to achieve ma ‘at through trade and building projects allowed her empire to strive. She displayed herself in visuals and statues, and even sometimes dressed like a man, to legitimize her power and gain the support of the people. She is considered the first great female ruler of Egypt and is an important and exemplary part of history today. ——————— ———————– 1 ]. Hilliard, Kristina, and Kate Wurtzel. 2009. â€Å"Power and Gender in Hatshepsut. † Art Education 62, no. 3: 25-31. [ 2 ]. Evelyn Wells, Hatshepsut (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1969) p 16-91 [ 3 ]. Jacquetta Hawkes, Pharaohs of Egypt (New York: American Heritage Pub. Co. ,1965) p 58 : Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 [ 4 ]. Hilliard, Kristina, and Kate Wurtzel. 2009. â€Å"Power and Gender in Hatshepsut. † Art Education 62, no. 3: 25-31 : Coffin, Judith, Robert Stacey, Joshua Cole, and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations. Vol. 1. (New York, NY: W. W.Morton & Company, 2011) p 42-43 : Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 : Wilson, Elizabeth B. 2006. â€Å"The Queen Who Would Be King. † Smithsonian 37, no. 6: 80-87. [ 5 ]. Wilson, Elizabeth B. 2006. â€Å"The Queen Who Wou ld Be King. † Smithsonian 37, no. 6: 80-87 : Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 [ 6 ]. Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicles of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 [ 7 ]. Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicles of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106

Exporting Toys from Belgium to the People’s Republic of China

[pic] ________________ KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Faculty of business and economics International Marketing Toys: Exporting toys from Belgium to the People’s Republic of China [pic] Julie Mertens 1 Master TEW Prof. Pierre FrancoisAcademic year 2008-2009 1. Table of contents2 2. Introduction3 3. Consumption culture in the People’s Republic of China 4 1. China and its economic growth 1. Export5 2. Open economy 3. Middle class people’s consumption culture 2. Culture 1. One child policy 2. Filiarchy6 3. Six pocket syndrome 4. Parental education 5. Children’s personal expenditures . Mian zi7 7. Mien-tsu & Lien 8. Guanxi 9. Fake products 10. Cheaper before better8 11. Religion 12. Astrology & superstition 13. Language 14. Emotions9 15. Business culture 16. Research studies 17. Hofstede10 4. Proposed Marketing adaptations 11 1. Segmentation 2. Targeting 3. Positioning 4. Price adaptations 12 5. Product adaptations 1. Product specifications 2. Assortment chang e13 3. Brand name 4. Image 5. Packaging 6. Service level 6. Distribution Strategy14 7. Communication15 1. Media and the message 2. Advertisement and promotion 5. General conclusion16 6. References17 7. Apendices18 . Introduction Nowadays, in this time of economic depression, some people believe the era of globalization is over. Others consider globalization as a necessity in these times of integration into one worldculture. In this paper, I will try to indicate if and to which extent the marketing-mix should be adapted when exporting Belgian toys to the People’s Republic of China. First, a little company introduction is given. Secondly, some relevant facts and numbers about the People’s Republic of China are discussed. Then, some cultural differences between Belgium and PRC are considered. Finally, the proposed marketing adaptations will be under consideration. Lilliputiens: a company introduction Lilliputiens is a Belgian company that specialises in the production of fabric-based toys. What sets them apart is the extremely high product quality. Their aim is to ensure that all of their toys combine their three core values: provide quality toys at reasonable prices, which are fun to play with, great to look at and have an educational value. [pic][pic] In order to properly stimulate their little customers, namely boys and girls in the zero to five age range, they have created gentle toys made of soft fabric. Their senses are stimulated thanks to the use of a diverse range of textures, sounds, shapes and colours. The toys are designed with the knowledge that toys enable children to imagine, touch, create and think. Those provide a key role in children’s development. Another special feature of the toys is that they evolve in a way that accompanies the baby throughout his or her passage into early infancy. As the child grows, the new play elements are revealed, making new activities and games possible. As a consequence, these toys no longer need to be put back in the box after just three months! Not only dolls but also a play mat, a food pyramid, a table set and a ruler are amongst the Lilliputiens’ product line. [pic] [pic] [pic] 3. Consumption culture in the People’s Republic of China China and its economic growth China is the greatest and most challenging new frontier that international marketers are facing today. China is the most populated country in the world. With one fifth of the world population and the largest population of children in the world, it is an enormous potential market. China’s economic growth has risen 11% during 2007 and keeps developing. There is new money to spend by the 200 million acquisitive people in the middle class. But numbers are not everything; you have to win people’s hearths to be and stay in business. Let that be the issue of this paper. [pic] Figure 1: China’s estimated per capita income per province in 2003 As shown in figure 2 and 3, China’s economic growth passes unequally. Eastern regions have known a faster growth that has given rise to an enormous gap between Eastern and Western China. Eastern China has become more occidental with different needs as a result. In this paper, only China’s Eastern, urban regions will be discussed since China’s ten largest cities, which contain only four percent of China’s population, account for approximately 22 percent of its earning power and 19 percent of its spending power. The urban children’s market contains around 100 million children. Figure 2Figure 3 Export The Chinese market is a paradise for both internal and foreign investors. In 2006, Belgium has exported for almost 3 billion euro to China. This makes China Belgium’s thirteenth trading partner with 1. 1% of our GDP. However compared to India, Belgium’s eighth business partner, the export ratio is lower. To further improve export, good connections will be needed. Open economy According to Eugene Wang, China is relatively open to foreign investments. China has the largest supply of foreign direct investments. Compared to India, China’s tariff protection is more modest and keeps declining. This has resulted in a rapid increase in the volume of imports. In 2003, China’s imports rated 30% of its gross domestic product, which is twice the import ratio of the U. S. Foreign firms with facilities within China account for 25% of all manufactured goods. These goods can be exported or could serve China’s internal market. Middle class people’s consumption culture The present middle class or â€Å"new rich† have made money and acquired standing in only one generation. China has an ambiguous relationship towards foreign culture; Chinese both worship and avert it. Imported goods represent purchasing power, status and good taste. Chinese start to adore Western culture and lifestyle. Although the Western consumption culture conflicts with their traditional consumption culture of thrift and spending in proportion to income, the middle class have become a part of the consumerism culture, especially in the fashion consumption. Albeit their norms and values tend to incline towards the Western culture, imitation is gradually transferring into their own consumption culture. â€Å"I consume so I exist† is the new attitude. The new rich surpass actual needs and as a result become more qualified for merchandising and advertisement. They spend a lot of money on consumer goods, like toys. A potential market is definitely there! Culture Cultures are learned by parenting as well as social interactions and therefore they can change. Despite the impact of current globalization, cultural differences will stay. One-child policy The biggest cultural difference between the rest of the world and China is the â€Å"one-child policy†. Since 1979, due to China’s history and more specifically the population control, law states a maximum of one child per household. Observational data shows that there are 18% more boys than girls. Compared to the world average, this percentage lays 15% higher! In China, men stand for responsibility for the family and are raised to become the head of the household. Therefore, people prefer to have a baby boy rather than a baby girl. However, in the urban regions this is gradually changing. More and more parents cherish the same ambitions for their girl. In fact, in the big cities girls are preferred because parents will not have to worry about being able to provide enough hope chest. [pic] Figure 4: Advertisement to promote the one child policy: carry out family planning – implement the basis national policy Filiarchy Whether a child is born as a boy or a girl, it is born with much more responsibility on his shoulders than in the rest of the world. When it comes to education, health or money, parents will do whatever it takes to contribute to the success of live of their children. For that reason, the one child determines the household. According to Mc Neal and Yeh, Chinese children influence the consumption pattern in such a significant way, namely by 68%, that outsiders look upon him or her as a â€Å"spoiled brat† or â€Å"little emperor†. In the case of toys, the influence on the parents’ purchases mounts up to 93% for children in the zero to five age range. On an annual basis, Chinese children exert a direct influence on play item purchases of three billion dollar per year. It can be said that China has shifted from a patriarchy to a filiarchy; kids have become the centre of the universe! Six pocket syndrome Chinese parents spend much more time, money and effort on their only child’s development. Chinese children are not only raised by their parents but by the whole family. This second source of money, the grandparents, lives in the same household due to other standards of living. This results in six adults indulging one child. This effect is better known as the â€Å"4-2-1 indulgence† or the â€Å"six pocket syndrome†. Parental education In China, society is much more collective than in Belgium. This is reflected in the Chinese family and kinship system. It is not unusual that grandparents live under the same roof. Not surprisingly, family has a tremendous impact on a child education. From birth, Chinese children are learned to respect and obey their elders. Unlike in Belgium, Chinese adults keep seeking for parental approval. Children’s personal expenditures In the first place, children learn about new products from other children, followed by advertisement and store visits. Research has shown that there is a difference in requests between boys and girls. Beyond expectations, girls ask significantly more for toys than boys! But who pays for their expenditures? For children under the age of four, it are the parents and other relatives who buy and pay for the toys. Unexpected but true, according to Chan children start to spend their own money on their own wants and needs from the age of four, mostly toys and food! Mian zi Chinese children do not spend all of their money. A four year old saves around 75% of his pocket money. Their regular income can be spent but special incomes given on birthdays or Chinese New Year are expected to be saved. Learn how to manage money is a second but just as important reason why Chinese parents give their children money. China derives from a socialist economy and has a culture that emphasizes on saving money because they believe this contributes to the development of one’s prestige, which is called â€Å"mian zi†. Mien-tsu & Lien Mien-tsu stands for a reputation through drive, ostentation and success –often expressed by personal wealth-. The more mien-tsu a person has, the higher his social status is and the more influence a person has on others and important decisions. A person’s mien-tsu is dynamic; it can change over time by someone’s success or failure. Lien represents the confidence of society in a person’s sincerity and can only be lost by misconduct. Together, they determine the importance of a person in his interpersonal relations among Chinese. In China, this is extremely important when doing business, because contracts are defined by trust and connections. Guanxi If a Chinese wants to be successful in business, he needs more than just brains. Guanxi is a personal network of influence and social relationships that is used to obtain a service or favor for ‘reasonable purposes’. Guanxi can be compared to social capital and so it is not an act of bribery. The line between guanxi and corruption is rather thin. Chinese have a different view on corruption and crime. Corruption is very big issue in China, even within the Chinese government, which censors certain information. As a result, statistics should always be used with cautiousness. Fake products In China, counterfeiting is a national sport. 40% of all counterfeit toys have China as its country of origin. Although China has signed international agreements on patents and production rights, there are two reasons why they do not hold on to them. First, it is a result of historical factors. Most Chinese do not consider copying someone else’s work as a crime. Secondly, Chinese believe the Western companies are already rich enough, so counterfeiting does not harm the genuine producers. This way, China stays the epicentre of the fake industry. [pic] [pic] Cheaper before better The question: â€Å"Are Chinese genuine and counterfeit products are worse than Western products† has no unilateral answer. On the one hand, China stands for â€Å"cheaper -and therefore often dangerous- instead of better†. Think of the Mattel incident, where Chinese toys had to be taken back because the paint had too much lead in it. The â€Å"Made in China† is rather a warning than a quality label. On the other hand, a difference between â€Å"made in China† and â€Å"Made by China† has to be made. European companies who produce in China generally correspond to the Western criteria, so â€Å"Made in China† does not always indicate risks. According to Holslag, a researcher at the Brussels Institute for Contemporary China Studies, China will catch up to the Western norms concerning quality within the foreseeable future. Also a shift from knickknacks to high-tech products is taking place. Religion China is a country full of traditions. One of them is Confucianism, which was the state doctrine until 1912. Confucianism is not really a religion but more a philosophy or guideline for everyday life and determines what to eat, how to behave, what to wear, ect. According to Confucius, laws are not a good basis of the State. He believes imbueing people with rituals is more effective to reach State stability. Confucius’ society is very hierarchic; everyone knows his position and should act like it. Though society is not static. His idea was that talented people should be able to move up in society, which has had a great impact on the Chinese vision of life. Later, Buddhism, Christian and mainly Taoism influences mingled with Confucianism into neo-Confucianism. So, it is not strange to find a Chinese who is a Confucian, Buddhist as well as a Taoist. [pic] Nature & Astrology & superstition Chinese culture stands in function of nature. Chinese consider themselves part of nature and try to live in harmony with it. In Chinese astrology, the zodiac of twelve animal signs represents twelve different types of personality. The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the rat, followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, ect. This year, Chinese New Year falls on 26th of January and stands in the sign of the ox. Superstition plays an important role in Chinese culture. Although fortune-telling is forbidden, people go to fortune-tellers to ask whether their child will be a boy or a girl. Language Mandarin is the most spoken language in China. If you speak Mandarin, you have 915 million native speaking conversation partners! Next to the official language, there are numerous dialects. Besides the different spoken languages, there are also two written languages. [pic] Emotions You will not often see a Chinese crying! Chinese often get blame for not saying what they really think or feel. Westerners find that Chinese behave in a cold manner. A possible explanation is the fact that people were hanged in the past for taking a different view on certain matters. Another explanation is that defending one’s opinion is a Western way of dealing with a situation when there are opposing thoughts. Chinese are learnt at school to accept what is told. Business culture A difference between Belgian and Chinese culture is that Chinese do not work by a model as much as Belgians do. In Belgium, people set up a plan and execute it. In China, people are much more flexible. They anticipate and react on the situation. A possible explanation can be found in their education. Chinese children come in contact with much more opinions during their family education. Laws, contracts and rules are less significant. Chinese have a different calendar, namely the Moon calendar. Fortunately, for business they also use the Gregorian calendar. Research studies Culture is defined by what we buy and why we buy it. National culture determines consumer behaviour, not income. (De Mooij) At first sight, culture does not seem relevant when it comes to toys. Toys are used for children’s entertainment. However, there certainly is a difference in usage between Belgium and China. As mentioned before, Chinese parents find it extremely important that their child stands out from the mass. Therefore, Chinese parents buy toys to stimulate their children to learn as soon as possible rather than for entertainment. So, marketing, branding and advertising strategies should be adapted when exporting toys to China. Hofstede But how different are the Belgian and Chinese culture? According to Hofstede, one can define cultural difference on the basis of five dimensions on a 0 to 100-range scale. The degree of power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation determines a national culture. The higher the score, the more dimension determines the culture. Belgium belongs to the more developed Latin countries cluster and China falls under the less developed Asian countries. [pic] Figure 5: Cultural difference between China and Belgium Power distance More than Belgian culture, the Chinese culture knows a larger power distance. In China, the acceptance of hierarchy and authority is higher. Since all people are treated fairly, they do not resist and respect higher ranked and elder people because these stand for wisdom. As mentioned before, Chinese rely much more on human relationships (guanxi) than on contracts. Individualism Esomar research shows that China is a collectivist culture, in which loyalty and social network (Mien-stu, Lien & Guanxi) are important. In China, the group where you belong to defines your identity. In Belgium, people and society are more individualistic, which has enabled capitalism. Masculinity Concerning the masculinity/femininity, there is not much distinction between Belgium and China. Both countries have some features of both characteristics. Uncertainty avoidance In Belgium, people believe they have faith in their own hands. In China, people depend much more on fate and believe their destiny is determined for them. In this fatalistic country, failure is unevitable. Belgians are more threatened by risk and uncertainty than the Chinese. As a result, the Chinese are much more open to change. This confirms the Confucianism influence on China. Long-term orientation Like other Southeast Asian countries, China is long term oriented. This has the similar effect as the Confucian values, which are acceptance of change, perseverance, thrift and pursuit of peace of mind. Belgium, on the other hand, strives for immediate results like other Western countries. According to Hofstede, these cultural differences will remain over time, how much globilization even takes place. Now that the Chinese culture has no mysteries anymore, let’s take a look at which adaptations are to be made. 4. Proposed Marketing adaptations Cross-cultural awareness – the understanding that what is normal in one culture can be offending in another one – starts to gain credit. People start to recognize that to be successful in foreign business, the company should adapt the marketing mix to the country’s values and culture. However, adaptation is very costly and time-consuming. Although China is becoming more Occidental, the marketing mix should be adapted only until the profits do not make up for the costs anymore. Segmentation There is no such thing as an average consumer! Therefore, there is no use -or value- in making an average product. First, the company has to distinguish the different market segments based on similar product needs for consumers. For the Chinese toy market, a distinction between the urban and rural households can be made. The question â€Å"whether a market segment is specific enough to make it a segment on its own† depends on four P’s. The first P stands for product. Children in urban China play with different and more qualitative toys than children in rural China. The second P stands for price. Since urban China is much wealthier, they are less price sensitive than rural China. Also the service level, the third P, differs. The more cultivated East demands a higher servicelevel. The final P, promotion, varies from TV advertisement and word of mouth in urban China to only word of mouth in rural China. | |Size |Product |Price |Service |Promotion | |Urban |36 % |High quality |High |High |TV + word of mouth | |Rural |64 % |Different toys |Low |Low |Word of mouth | Table 1: Segmentation: the four P’s Targeting In a next phase, the company has to make a strategic choice. This hard-to-reverse decision, namely the decision which specific market segment will be targeted, depends on the value that can be offered to customers. Although the final consumers are children between zero and five years old, most of the time it will be the parents who will buy the toys. Since the most profitable segment is China’s urban household segment, this market segment will be targeted. For the reason that this target group lives highly concentrated in the cities, they are easy to reach customers. Positioning Brand positioning is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for a certain product. The question is whether a brand should be global or not. In this case, a global image of the brand is not important. It would be better to distinguish the positioning since in China the focus would be on learning during playing compared to recreation and entertainment in Belgium. Although it is costly, the company will benefit from this investment because of the positive effect on buying behaviour. Two company images will not confuse customers since there is a language and character barrier between both countries. Price adaptations A price can be determined on the basis of costs, by looking at competitors’ prices or in proportion to the value created towards the end-consumer. I would suggest the company to go for the third option. Although the company’s first goal should be market penetration – resulting in low prices –, still a skimming pricing strategy seems best. The dolls are of a superior quality and luxury products demand a high price. I believe 50 euro or 465 Chinese Yuan would be an appropriate price for a 25 by 15 centimetre doll. This high price can be justified because the toy cannot only be used for entertainment but also for educational purposes. Since the income of the middle class is only rising, according to my market research (see apendix) at this price there will be enough potential buyers. Another reason that justifies a high price is the high level of pre and after sales service Chinese demand, which will be discussed further. Product adaptations †¢ Product specifications Nowadays, toy manufacturers do not adapt the features of the dolls! But research has shown that it hurts the childern’s self-esteem. Therefore, the company should customize the skin colour, hair, eyes, height, ect. as shown in figure 6. [pic] Figure 6: A Chinese Lilliputien doll with yellow skin, dark hair and dark slit-eyed eyes. One of Lilliputiens’ toys is the food pyramid by which children can learn how to put together well-balanced meals. Since people in China eat other vegetables, other meat and noodles and rice instead of potatoes, this pyramid should be adapted. Another Lilliputien toy, the table set also should be modified since Chinese eat with chopsticks instead of fork and knife. [pic] [pic] Figure 7: Food pyramidFigure 8: Table set †¢ Assortment change Children like choice; therefore the product line should be expanded. The current themes like the circus, the Indians, the Pirates, the nativity of Jesus Christ could be supplemented with the twelve zodiac animals of the Chinese astrology. A doll of the child’s animal sign can be given as a gift at the child’s birth. A less perfect acquisition for the assortment would be a Buddhist doll, Chinese would find it inappropriate and rude. †¢ Brand name Due to a different language and moreover a different alphabet, it is crucial to change the company name and product names. â€Å"Lilliputiens† would be unpronounceable. My suggestion would be to render the company’s name by transliteration, so that is sounds the closest to its original name. Pu-Tien means â€Å"all over the world†, which fits with the company philosophy, to give all children over the world the chance to play. †¢ Image The new rich people love to show off their wealth. A good idea would be to create a good recognizable logo to put on each doll so that others can recognize the brand and they can brag about expensive purchase. The advertisement campaigns should be identifiable by showing rich and fortunate people. †¢ Packaging Since the packaging has to sell the product, it is essential to make it as colourful and vibrant as possible. The company certainly has to use the colour red on the packaging, since in China, red has a positive connotation and stands for success, honour, fertility, happiness and love. Qualitative information, about the fact that this toy is educational as well as entertaining, must be provided to the Chinese parents. A good idea could be to use a combination of Chinese and English language in the toys manual. Due to internalization, the Chinese middle and upper class have become familiar with English. Toys are often given as a gift. The packaging has to look nice, because gifts are used to build up and strengthen relationships. The dolls are very soft and have different textures, therefore the company could use an open packaging so potential customers can feel and see the product before purchasing. Service level When a child has a need, it wants the need to be gratified as soon as possible. Since fast delivery is thus very important, there has to be enough inventory at any time. Because the Pu-Tien toys are more than just toys, this educational plaything stimulates senses and development of a child, there is need for pre sales service. Although China pays a lot of attention to pre-sales service as well as post sales service, they do not expect a guarantee on toys. Given that the dolls are made for children between zero and five years old, avoiding small parts and implementing warnings can prevent danger to children. Safety regulations are less strict in China. Nevertheless, the company should keep their high level of quality. Since the dolls are made in Belgium, the company should exploit their country of origin effect and explicitly mention â€Å"Made in Belgium†. Distribution strategy †¢ Business culture In China, paper means nothing. So if contracts do not work, what will? You need to band with local people and win their trust. This is where the Guanxi comes in. To obtain a certain service or favour, a personal network of influence and social relationships are a must. According to Li Qinfu, contact with the Chinese government also plays a very important role. When Westerners want to do business they contact their lawyers, when Chinese do business they contact government officials. †¢ Parallel import I would not set a lower price in the Chinese market than in the home market because due to relative low trade barriers, the risk and impact of grey export from China to Belgium would be too big. †¢ Mode of entry At first instance, due to low costs and a high control level, I would recommend the company to set up a website. But on further consideration, children want their needs to be gratified as soon as possible. In addition, if the toys are reachable (merchandising), they will also nag more, which helps children to get what they want if they have shut-up parents. Shipment costs for a prior delivery would be too large in proportion to the retail price. Another reason why a website would not be a good mode of entry is the level of pre and after sales service a Chinese consumer demands. The target segment, namely middle and upper class people with high requirements, searches for qualitative, pedagogical responsible and save toys. Therefore, these luxury toys should be sold in fancy local retail stores, not in ordinary supermarkets. The trade-off of using retail stores goes between the fact that the products are reachable, ready for delivery, a high service level and less control, more risk and higher investments. Since toy dealers are not motivated to deliver good sales support, a good way to check the service is ghost shopping. This market research technique of sending fake customers will tell if sales men give the right information and service to potential buyers and customers. Since feedback from distributors does not come easily because they are independent, a good idea is to improve relationships with local parties by means of guanxi. Communication A good strategy is nothing if it is not well executed. Advertisement is the most culturally sensitive element of the marketing mix. Therefore, it is wise to decide well how to say what you want to say. †¢ Media and the message When announcing the product launch to the potential customers by the media, the message strategy is of crucial importance. According to Hofstede, the communication style depends on the five dimensions of local culture. China is a developing, high context and collectivistic country. The best communication style is a less informative and more persuasive and emotional approach. When advertising on TV, a good idea would be to use the least words as possible. Optimally, only utilize non-verbal language. Not only because collectivistic cultures are more visually orientated (De Mooij), but also because children between zero and five cannot read and have a very small vocabulary. Toddlers have very well developed visual capabilities and are sensitive to emotions. For that reason, a visual advertisement would do better. In combination with a lot of colour, children’s attention will be monopolized. Although Hofstede suggests a less informative approach, I believe that the message towards the (grand)parents should be informative (information on age, warnings†¦) and focus on the educational value of the product. Pu-Tien toys provide a key role in a child’s development: its senses are stimulated thanks to the use of a diverse range of textures, sounds, shapes and colours. As slogan I would recommend: â€Å"Pu-tien tested, child & educational approved! † As mentioned before, Chinese culture has shifted from a patriarchy to a filiarchy. As a result, advertisement will focus on children and their needs. †¢ Advertisement and promotion Not only the message, also the medium by which potential consumers are informed matters. In a first phase of promoting the product, children need to get to know the product. To gain product awareness, the company should adopt sampling. By offering certain pre-school kindergartens and day nursery centres some free samples, children will come in contact with the Pu-Tien product range. This is a win-win situation. Schools will be thankful to receive teaching aids nd our company will benefit from other children’s word of mouth, which is the best marketing tool. If our product line appeals to the children, children will nag to their parents to get the product. Sampling has as advantage that it is the most effective promotion strategy but unfortunately it is extremely expensive. Advertising on TV will be a second step of the company’s promotion strategy. Due to hypersegmenta tion, there are almost 3000 TV stations in China. With the given marketing budget, it would be too expensive to advertise on all of them. I would suggest advertising on one children’s channel as well as on one adult channel. Although the company’s target group is children between zero and five years old and their personal expenditures start from the age of four, mostly adults will buy the product for them. Since grandparents live in the same household, also raise their grandchildren and are happy to spend their money on their grandchildren’s formation, the commercial should consist of not only the child’s parents but of the whole family. Also some traditional symbols or Chinese icons should be put in because it will help to make the connection between the Western and their own consumption culture. As marketing manager, I think it is best not to invest money in global advertisement. I have computed the extent of standardization and found that toys are a cultural product. Therefore, the message and medium should change. It is not necessary to have one corporate brand image because the children in Belgium and China will not come in contact with each other, so it will not be confusing. Conclusion SWOT-analysis Strengths The major strength of the company’s product is the educational value that comes with the product. Chinese find education extremely important. Weaknesses A relative high price is chosen due to the risk and impact of parallel import. But a small segment with a high price can be more profitable than large volumes of low profit margin products. Opportunities Learning more about China, its culture, rules and laws and setting up a social network, with the government as well, will be extremely important. This will take some time, effort and money but it will enlarge the company’s chance to succeed tremendously. Threats I believe the biggest challenge will be the fierce competition from less qualitative and counterfeit dolls that are much cheaper. To conclude, as a marketing manager, I must say China stays a black box. When you have done all research that is possible; business in China still is risky. At least with the suggested adaptations the risk will be minimized and the success is multiplied. 6. References Interview Interview with my neighbour Yan Lu, a Chinese middle class woman living in Belgium since then years Books Kotler, P. et all (2005). Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall Harlow. pp XVIII, 788. Chan, K. & McNeal, J. (2004). Advertising to children in China. The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong. pp. I, 1-21, II, 23-42. Latham, K. & Thompson, S. & Klein, J. (2006). Consuming China. Routledge. Yau, O. H. M. (1994). Consumer behaviour in China. Routledge. pp III, 63-83. Usunier, J. -C. (2000). Marketing across cultures. Prentice Hall Harlow. pp V Articles Mooij, M. (2005). Mapping cultural values for global marketing and advertising. Dobbelaere, B. & Reynebeau, M. (2008). Bijlage China: de rode boekjes: middelpunt van de wereld, 1,3 miljard sporters, een exploderende economie, paradijs voor investeerders, kleine vrouwen, een wereldmacht, de nieuwe rijken, een milieuramp, de diaspora, traditionele cultuur, culinair. De Standaard Reportage Marketing to children. Een, Koppen, 23/12/2008 Internet pages http://www. lilliputiens. be/EN/philosophy_nobel. htm 28/10/2008 http://www. allcountries. org/china_statistics/4_4_basic_statistics_on_national_population. html 25/11/2008 http://www. namingnewsletter. com/article. asp? id=42 25/11/2008 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_9-10_53/ai_n16084036 23/12/2008 http://benmuse. typepad. com/ben_muse/china/index. html 25/11/2008 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing) 23/12/2008 http://simonworld. mu. nu/archives/105889. hp 24/12/2008 http://smallswordsmagazine. com/articles/life/chinesesarcasm. html 3/01/2009 http://www. wing-international. com/ 03/01/2009 7. Apendices [pic] Market research: Questionnaire: What is an appropriate price for the Pu-Tien doll? 1) Are you a male/female? 2) How old are you? 3) What is your highest level of education you have achieved? 4) What is your marital status? 5) How much do you earn each month? 6) Do you live in one of China’s big cities? 7) What is your housing type? 8) Do you have (grand)children? 9) How many (grand)children do you have? 0) Is it a boy or a girl? 11) Do you believe your (grand)child’s development is important? 12) Do you like to spend money on your (grand)childrens (birthday)presents? 13) How much would you normally spend on your (grand)child’s birthday? 14) Have you ever bought a Pu-Tien doll for your (grand)child? 15) Where you pleased with your purchase? 16) What was the occasion you bought the doll for? 17) How much did it cost you? 18) Did you found it a reasonable price? 19) What would have been the highest/lowest price at which you would buy a Pu-Tien doll?

7 Different types of office chairs used in the every office

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Analysis of Ethics in the 21st Century - Coursework Example The conference held by UNESCO between September 21 and September 22, 2001, produced a well-known report on ethics (UNESCO, 2001). Ethical behavior entails sincerity, trustfulness in transactions, accountability, and responsibility in all dealings. Ethical behavior should be fair and unprejudiced in every relationship as well as gentle and compassionate in every situation. These rules guiding ethical presentations are powerful and straightforward. As an individual, one should adhere to these simple rules, and should not be discouraged or change views owing to external pressure. Ethical management necessitates one to choose to do that which is right in the threshold of ethical norms in the society. These norms entail empathy, care, and responsibility towards others one oneself. There are several issues that should be emphasized in order to remain loyal to one’s ethical principles and responsibilities. These include honesty, diversity, integrity, and access (Zaidi, 2012). Today’s world attributes the cause of the increased ethical quagmires to technological and scientific advancements that dominate the modern human life. Human beings respond to ethical issues with the assistance of technology. One should cite references from the conventional wisdom in order to arrive at ethical solutions of problems at hand. There are mainly two types of ethics related to globalization. The first ethic is based on the sovereignty of states and the power structure while the second one is based on the responsibilities of the liberal market (Wilkins, 2009). Globalization in the 21st century has led to the emergence of harmony, and, thus, increased interactions among people.

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Riordan Manufacturing Service Essay Example for Free

Riordan Manufacturing Service Essay Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion (Riordan Manufacturing, 2013). The plastics that Riordan produced include beverage containers, custom plastic parts, and plastic fans which are made in three different facilities in Albany, Georgia, Pontiac, Michigan, and Hangzhou, China. Their corporate headquarters resides in San Jose, California where they conduct research and development. Riordan’s customers include automotive parts manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers, the Department of Defense, beverage makers and bottlers, and appliance manufacturers. Stakeholders There is always room for improvement and in order to improve Riordan’s existing Human Resources department, they need to update their system. 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Hugh McCauley (Chief Operating Officer) – Directs, administers and coordinates the activities of the organization in support of policies, goals and objectives established by  the chief executive officer and the Board of Directors. Information-Gathering Depending on what information needs to be gathered, more than one type of gathering technique might need to be used to obtain said information. TechRepublic.com lists ten different gathering techniques which include the following: 1. One-on-one interviews – this technique involves sitting down with a client and asking what they need. However, this type of interview needs to be planned ahead of time. Certain aspects of what is required need to be known before asking any questions. 2. Group interviews – Similar to a one-on-one interview, group interviews usually have two or more clients. Since more people are involved in this interview, information can be gathered quicker and more efficiently since the same information most likely won’t be repeated. 3. Facilitated sessions – Much like the ladder, this technique involves five or more people in which you are trying to gather a set of common requirements from the group. 4. Joint application development (JAD) – Much like facilitated sessions, JAD sessions groups stay together until the original objective is complete. 5. Questionnaires – Questionnaires are a great way of gathering information from users who aren’t local. They’re also great for when you need to gather information from hundreds of users when an interview or JAD just won’t work. 6. Prototyping – This type of technique is much more modern in which something is built based on your individual needs. You then present this prototype to someone to gather more information. You’ll be able to gather whether you need to add or remove something as well in addition to what needs to be improved on. 7. Use cases – Use cases are somewhat different in the fact that you tell stories of how something works, usually told by actors. They may be easier but more detailed information will need to be gathered. 8. Following people around – When explaining something is hard to do, following them around and see what they do helps much more. You’ll begin to learn what becomes a habit and how they can improve their duties. It is also helpful to participate in the work to experience what the user is experiencing. 9. Request for proposals (RFPs) – If you are a vendor, you may receive requirements through an RFP. This list of requirements is there for you to compare against your own capabilities to determine how close a match you are to the client’s needs (T. Mochal. 2008). 10. Brainstorming – When an idea is brand new, solutions  needs to be laid out and discussed. This type of technique is best for when uncovering information isn’t really going to work; it’s best to discover new ideas and talk about them in a group. Key Factors Every business needs to closely manage the decisions they make as it can make or break them. By managing their decisions and investments, they will be able to determine if it’s a good time to move forward or focus on what needs to be completed. To ensure that Riordan’s HR department is being updated and improving, meetings need to take place to discuss any issues that might come up. There will be a meeting once a week to discuss whether goals are being met and to see what stages are being worked on. At the end of every month, there will be another meeting to discuss the weekly meetings and see if issues are being resolved. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are at the heart of any system of performance measurement and target-setting. The priority of a KPI is to focus on quantifiable factors that are clearly linked to the drivers of success in your business and your sector (Info Entrepreneurs. 2009). However, just because something can be quantifiable, it doesn’t mean that it is financially beneficial to the business. The stakeholders of Riordan will be interviewed when decisions need to be made. Once the information is gathered, it will be discussed in the meets mentioned above. Solutions will be discussed and based on what was gathered during the interviews, a final choice will be made that is best for Human Resources. To ensure that decisions are being made and information is gathered in a timely manner, there will be due dates. This will help in tracking the progress of any changes that are to be made. One of the many challenges that a business faces is time, and it needs to be managed appropriately if a system is to be improved on and working correctly. Project Scope A project scope pertains to the work necessary to deliver a product (Project Scope. 2014). There are key concepts of a project scope that need to be known and they include the following: Scope planning does not occur after only one planning sessions. The scope baseline consists of the project statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary. A collaborative approach is the most  effective method of scope planning. All stakeholders must understand the scope baseline to minimize scope creep during project execution. Scope planning is an important step as it sets a baseline of deliverables in the analysis phase. It helps lay out a plan for the future and analyze what needs to be done to a current system. It is helpful to collaborate some of the gathering techniques from previous phases to help breakdown requirements needed. Reference Riordan Manufacturing. 2013. Employee Site. Riordan Manufacturing. Retrieved from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/index.asp Riordan Manufacturing. 2013. Job Descriptions. Retrieved from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/HR/JobDescriptions.asp T. Mochal. 2008. TechRepublic.com. 10 techniques for gathering requirements. Retrieved from: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-techniques-for-gathering-requirements/ Info Entrepreneurs. 2009. Measure performance and set targets. Retrieved from: http://www.infoentrepreneurs.org/en/guides/measure-performance-and-set-targets/ Project Cope. 2014). Project Scope. Retrieved from: http://www.projectscope.net/

Does “Assassin’s Creed” Influence a Teen’s Mind Essay Example for Free

Does â€Å"Assassin’s Creed† Influence a Teen’s Mind Essay Imagine a world where everything that happened was secretly controlled by a large organization of people. Every day you are constantly recorded and monitored. Everything that you do is secretly planned out in advance, yet you think that everything you’re doing is by your own free will. Everyone including your family, your friends, and the government are all controlled by this organization, and you can’t even tell. While you blithely and involuntarily follow the path planned out for you, another organization is secretly and quietly trying to put a stop to the evil plans of the organization that wants to control your every move. This is the plotline of a very popular videogame known as Assassin’s Creed. Assassin’s Creed is a great game that has influenced and challenged people’s view on government and democracy. The game Assassin’s Creed influences people’s minds by making them think more outside the box, and by aiding there curiosity of conspiracy theories. Assassin’s Creed take places in 2012, following the life of Desmond Miles, a bartender who is a descendant of several Assassins. Although Desmond was raised as an Assassin, he fled his nomadic family to seek out a more common lifestyle. While enjoying his freedom he is kidnapped by an evil company known as Abstergo Industries, the modern-day face of the Knights Templar who are aware of Desmonds ancestry. Templars want to control everyone, and they believe in absolute order similar to totalitarianism. Desmond is forced to use a device known as an Animus which allows him to experience his assassin ancestral memories. Abstergo is seeking to discover the location of several artifacts, known as Pieces of Eden, in order to obtain great power and control mankind and alter its fate, bringing humanity into a single unified group. Later Desmond escapes Abstergo due to the help of some modern-day Assassins who he later ends up working with. Desmond uses their version of the Animus (Animus 2.0) to continue to re-live the memories of his ancestors and discover the locations of the Pieces of Eden before Abstergo can do so. Desmond relives the events of his Assassin ancestors who live in worlds full of chaos, injustice, and indirect captivity. Doesn’t this seem similar to the way the world is today? Several countries have yet to establish a government system where people have a say in what they want the government to do for them. There are even more countries that have yet to abolish their governing laws on slavery. Our own government is hiding secrets from us (trying to protect us), yet causing more accidents and tragedies that could be avoided if only we had access to their classified information. Assassin’s Creed is a completely made up story, but it has a lot of interesting and intuitive facts to its plot. In fact, the majority of it seems plausible, and many others within my age group seem to think the sa me after playing this game. Along with the several games that my peers play that can relate to Assassin’s Creed, there are also several books that are similar. Assassin’s Creed got its inspiration from the novel Alamut written by a Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol, which is what inspired most of the first game’s plot. Another story very similar to the plotline of Assassin’s Creed is The Traveler written by John Twelve Hawks. The book takes place in the future and lays out a world where the power lies not with people or governments, but in the hands of a secret organization who call themselves â€Å"the Brethren.† Their enemies refer to them as â€Å"the Tabula†. The Tabula are an ancient secret society who thinks that control and stability are an absolute necessity, similar to extreme Utilitarianism. The Tabula gets the majority of their influence from the ideas of philosopher Jeremy Bentham. The Tabula wish to enforce a Virtual Panopticon which is a society where all i ndividuals become accustomed to being watched and monitored and they act at all times as if they are being observed; making them more afraid to do immoral things. The Tabula’s sole objective is to kill all Travelers. Travelers are people with the special ability to â€Å"cross-over†, which is often inherited from an ancestor. Crossing-over can be defined as your spirit leaving your body and going off to another realm, and then returning. Upon this return, most Travelers would have experienced a different perspective of our world. Many Travelers become religious prophets, or enemies of the Tabula who have hunted them almost to extinction. Harlequins are a warrior group sworn to defend the Travelers from the Tabula. The Harlequins are opposed to the Tabula, and the two sides spent centuries fighting over control and power which allowed the Tabula to gain control and almost completely exterminate the Travelers and Harlequins. Despite the nobility and self-sacrifice of their cause, the Harlequins are cold and cruel figures who dedicate their lives to fighting and killing without remorse or hesitation. Sound familiar? Due to its graphic, plausible, and suspenseful storyline, Assassins Creed has become a big hit to gamers, historians, and conspiracy theorist alike; causing them to have a current series of five games in all, selling millions of copies worldwide. The series has been a big success and has won a number of awards. All of the Assassin’s Creeds make an adolescent see the world they live in differently. I wouldn’t even have considered governmental control, Templars Tabula, or Assassins Harlequins as being realistic, but now I’m starting to have second thoughts (I also know of several friends in the same state as me). Reading books similar to The Traveler and playing videogames similar to Assassin’s Creed makes one think a little more outside the box and take into consid eration other conspiracy theories and stories.

The Sand Creek Massacre

The Sand Creek Massacre Although the American general public in the 1860s believed that Native American Indians were nothing more then savages, there are a few cases where the general public were sympathetic to Native Americans. The Sand Creek Massacre is the most public example of where the United States government mistreated Indians, as well as an ideal example of where the public was outraged at the handling of Indians. The Sand Creek Massacre occurred on the 29th of November 1864 forty-two miles away from Fort Lyon Colorado, on this day friendly Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians were attacked by a group of Colorado militia led by a man called Colonel John Chivington. (History.com, n.d.) The Sand Creek Massacre was a horrific tragedy in which many terrible war crimes were committed. Important People Colonel Chivington is one of the most prominent figures of the Sand Creek Massacre. Colonel Chivington was the commanding officer of the Colorado Militia. Chivington was born in 1821; he later became a Methodist minister in 1844 who preached against slavery. When the Civil War started he signed on for a fighting commission, in 1862 Chivington had worked his way to the position of Major in the Colorado Volunteer Regiment. He was herald as a military hero for his role in battle of Glorietta Pass. (THE WEST, 2001) Tensions between whites and Indians were approaching its climax in the middle of Chivington political career. He openly opposed the idea of having peace talks with Native Americans. (THE WEST, 2001) Chivington was a known bigot, who was known to have said I have come to kill Indians, and believe it is right and honorable to use any means under Gods heaven to kill Indians. (A Closer Look, 2002) In August of 1864, he declared that the Cheyennes will have to be roundly whipped or completely wiped out before they will be quiet. I say that if any of them are caught in your vicinity, the only thing to do is kill them. (THE WEST, 2001) On November 29 of 1864 Colonel John M. Chivington lead a group of Colorado Militia of around 700-750 to attack the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian reservation, that had approximately only 500 men, women, and children. (Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre, 1864-1865) Colonel Chivington, in the interrogation by the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War had reported that there were about eleven (11) or twelve (12) hundred Indians: of these about seven hundred were warriors, and the remainder were women and children. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) When Chivington was questioned by the Committee on the Conduct of the War about the number of Indians killed including women and children killed he responded by saying I judge there were five hundred or six hundred Indians killed, and From all I could learn, I arrived at the conclusion that but few women or children had been slain. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) However the actual numbers are more likely around 105 women and children and 28 men, as well as mutilating the dead and wounded. (A Closer Look, 2002) Chivington was asked for what reason did he commit the attack and what led he believe that Black Kettles Cheyenne Indians were aggressive towards whites. To wh ich he replied My reason for making the attack on the Indian camp was, that I believed the Indians in the camp were hostile to the whites. That they were of the same tribes with those who had murdered many persons and destroyed much valuable property on the Platte and Arkansas rivers during the previous spring, summer and fall was beyond a doubt. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) In his testimony, Chivington was asked if he had any reason to suspect that Black Kettle and the Indians with him had been peaceful. Chivington responded by saying I had no reason to believe that Black Kettle and the Indians with him were in good faith at peace with the whites. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) This is in fact a boldfaced lie because several witnesses testified that Captain Soule and Lieutenant Cramer led a large contingency of Fort Lyon soldiers that confronted Chivington and told him that Black Kettle had surrendered. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives , 1865) Eventually Chivington was court marshaled for his part in the massacre, nothing came of it because he was no longer part of the Army, and hence no charges were ever made. He did however lose his military and political power in Colorado, he moved back to Ohio where he attempted to run for a state legislature seat but was quickly shut out. He then moved to Denver where he became a deputy sheriff until his death in 1892. (THE WEST, 2001) Black Kettle was the Chief of the Southern Cheyenne. Black Kettle lived on an enormous area of land that reached from western Kansas to eastern Colorado which was given to the Indians on the conditions of the signing of Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty defined territory for each tribal group in order to end intertribal rivalry and it permitted travelers and railroad workers on the Platte River Road. (Nd.gov,) However this treaty was broken after the discovery of gold at Pikes Peak in 1859. Instead of removing the unlawful settlers, the U.S. government forced the Southern Cheyenne to sign a new treaty forfeiting most of their lands, with the exception of the Sand Creek reservation. Even though the Sand Creek reservation was inhabit, not able to grow crops and not close to any herds of buffalo, Black Kettle was fearful of the United States Massive Military power and what would happen if they refused. Due to the lack of food and supplies, younger male Indians started to raid settlers and wagon trains. In the spring of 1864 a Colorado Militia group attacked a group of peaceful Cheyenne Indians. This horrid incident sparked Indian uprisings all over the Great Plains region. Black Kettle knowing that even with the Civil War going on the whites still had a vastly superior military power, so in order to secure his tribes survival, Black Kettle went to Fort Weed, Colorado, where he was promised th at his tribe would be safe as long as they stayed on the Sand Creek reservation. (Black Kettle, 2001) Colonel Chivington however, attacked the Sand Creek reservation, by some miracle Black Kettle and his wife both survived the attack. Even having lived though the carnage at Sand Creek he continued to advocate peace with the U.S. After being moved to another reservation, Black Kettle signed the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867, which moved his people onto two smaller reservations in modern day Oklahoma. History tends to have a way of repeating itself. On the 27th of November 1868, just two days shy of the fourth anniversary. On this fateful day Lieutenant Colonel Custer attacked Black Kettles village and both Black Kettle and his wifes luck had run out and they were killed. (Black Kettle, 2001) The Battle of Sand Creek The Battle of Sand Creek, as the Rocky Mountain News called it, was stated that it was Among the brilliant feats of arms in Indian warfare, the recent campaign of our Colorado volunteers will stand in history with few rivals, and none to exceed it in final results. (Rocky Mountain News, p.1) Although Colonel Chivington portrayed the attack on the Sand Creek reservation as a battle in which there were, at the time of the attack, about eleven (11) or twelve (12) hundred Indians: of these about seven hundred were warriors (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865). However in truth there were only about 500 men, women and children according to John Smith in the village. (Smith, 1865) The Indians were in fact peaceful and tried to surrender. When the Indians first saw the soldiers, they rushed to go and get the United States Indian interpreter and special Indian agent John S. Smith who was stationed in the village in order to get intelligence on the Indians. Black Kettle ran this American flag up to the top of his lodge, with a small white flag tied right under it, as he had been advised to do in case he should meet with any troops out on the prairies. (Smith, 1865) That is a crystal clear picture of a peaceful group of Indians, the white flag of truce or peace is a near universal symbol. Regardless of this the soldiers attacked with artillery and then foot soldiers swept the Creek bed, killing every Indian they could find, often hunting down fleeing children. Kill them big and small, (Smith, 1865) Chivington was reported saying. After six hours, about 150 Indians, a quarter of the camps population, lay dead. The soldiers took three prisoners, all children. A doze n soldiers were killed, some apparently by friendly fire in the frenzy. (Smith, 1865) Much less then what Chivington who estimated that between three and four hundred of the savages got away with their lives, and taking into account the huge exaggeration of about eleven (11) or twelve (12) hundred Indians: of these about seven hundred were warriors at the camp. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865). Atrocities The Sand Creek Massacre was packed full with scores of despicable atrocities. The Sand Creek Massacre in itself was horrific, more women and children were killed then actually warriors. Out of 150 dead Indians more than 70 percent were women and children. Seventy dead bodies lying there; the greater portion women and children. There may have been thirty warriors, old and young; the rest were women and small children of different ages and sizes. (Smith, 1865) This was said by John Smith a Native American interpreter in his congressional testimony. Furthermore there was massive mutilation to the corpses of the deceased Indians. In John Smiths testimony he declared I saw the bodies of those lying there cut all to pieces, worse mutilated than any I ever saw before; the women cut all to pieces. (Smith, 1865) When asked how they were cut? Smith replied With knives; scalped; their brains knocked out; children two or three months old; all ages lying there, from sucking infants up to warriors. (Smith, 1865) Even Mr. Smith half-breed son was not spared, even though several officers thought that the kid could be handy as a translator and guide. (Smith, 1865) Those are the more extreme, of course there was the usually spoils of war, or looting depending on who you ask. The Repercussions The Sand Creek Massacre forced the United States government to reconsider the treatment of Native Americans. Many members of congress started to look into the mistreatment of Indians and stated To maintain peace with the Indian, let the frontier settler treat him with humanity, and railroad directors see to it that he is not shot down by employees in wanton cruelty. In short, if settlers and railroad men will treat Indians as they would treat white men under similar circumstances, we apprehend but little trouble will exist. (New Directions, 1868) After the Sand Creek Massacre there were two major conflict category events that involved Indians happened, the Battle of Little Big Horn and the Wounded Knee Massacre. Many people in the United States do not know that the Sand Creek Massacre was a major turning point in the treatment of Native Americans. This is due to the Civil War that was in full swing at this point in time. Because of the Civil War the Indian problem, this is including the treatment and the general racism against Indians, took a backseat in favor of the issue of racism towards African Americans. The Sand Creek Massacre brought the issue of Indian mistreatment to Congresses front door. Sand Creek massacre History.com This Day in History 11/29/1864. (n.d.). History.com History Made Every Day American World History. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-sand-creek-massacre (History.com, n.d.) PBS. (n.d.). PBS THE WEST John M. Chivington. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved December 5, 2012, From http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/chivington.htm (THE WEST, 2001) Davis, S. L. (n.d.). Sand Creek Massacre: A Closer Look. BUFFALO SOLDIERS INDIAN WARS . Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.buffalosoldier.net/SandCreekMassacre.htm (A Closer Look, 2002) Great Battle With Indians! The Savages Dispersed! 500 Indians Killed Our Loss 9 Killed, 38 Wounded Full Particulars, . (1864, December 14). ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, p. 1. (Rocky Mountain News, p.1) Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). PBS THE WEST Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre (1864-1865). PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/four/sandcrk.htm (Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre, 1864-1865) U.S., Congress, House of Representatives (1865) Massacre of the Cheyenne Indians, (Report on the Conduct of the War, 38 Cong., 2 sess.,p.101-108) Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1865 Retrieved from http://www.kclonewolf.com/History/SandCreek/sc-documents/sc-2JCCW.html (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) Tribal Historical Overview The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty. (n.d.). ND Studies. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.ndstudies.org/resources/IndianStudies/standingrock/1851treaty.html (Nd.gov, ) Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). PBS THE WEST Black Kettle. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/blackkettle.htm (Black Kettle, 2001) Congressional Testimony of Mr. John S. Smith. (1865, March 14). UH Digital History. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3psid=1150 (Smith, 1865)

Love...Never having to say your sorry :: essays research papers

â€Å"Love Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry.† Essay #3 Draft - Nicole   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My childhood years were very lonely at times, for I did not have any siblings to play with. I spent most of my time with my maternal grandparents. We always lived close enough to my grandparents that I could walk to their house on a daily basis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I was four years old my grandparents moved away to Florida. I spent my summers and most major holidays with them in Florida. I went every summer like clockwork. Days after school let out I would be on an airplane flying into the Tampa airport. My summers turned into great adventures traveling and site seeing many places. I always felt so loved and secure when I was with my grandfather. He was more like the father that I never had. When my grandfather and I were together we were inseparable day or night. My only mental memories as a child are with my grandfather. My childhood was truly lived when I was with him. I was my grandfather’s â€Å"Little Angelâ€Å".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Things changed when I became a teenager. My last summer visit with him was when I was 15 years old. When I was sixteen, the engine in my car blew up. I did not have the money to buy another car, so I asked my grandfather if I could borrow some money. My grandfather said that he would â€Å"loan† me the money, but I would have to pay him back. I agreed to the terms and took the money with no hesitation; needless to say, I never paid him back. When I did not pay back my grandfather for the car loan he was very disappointed. My reneging on the deal closed a door on the relationship between my grandfather and I. One that I would never open again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My grandfather became very sick with emphysema and struggled with the sickness for 6 years, so much that at times he would be holding onto life by a machine and had tubs breathing for him. He was always such a strong man emotionally and physically that seeing him in this condition saddened me. I knew that his life here on earth would soon be ending, so I managed to visit a few more times, not near as many as I should have. Life had dealt me a few wild cards and I felt as though I had let my grandfather down.