Islamic Fundamentalism Essay Example for Free

Islamic Fundamentalism Essay 20 March 2007 Introduction On September 11, 2001, the United States of America experienced the worst act of terrorism ever perpetrated on American soil, as major targets in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania were the scenes of the massive slaughter of innocent civilians. From the moment that the first act commenced, the rumor mill flew into overdrive, conveniently blaming the terrorism on â€Å"militant Islamic† people, and implying that this movement had suddenly sprung up out of obscurity to strike at the heart of America like a thief in the night. The reality is much more complex, for fundamentalist Islam has a much longer history, and the threat it continues to pose to Western Democracy, even today, had been growing and mutating for generations prior to 9/11. In this paper, the very definition of fundamentalism at its beginning will be presented, as well as the perversion of it that has led to the challenges and threats the West now has come to bear. Roots of Fundamentalism. To begin, one needs to understand two very different and specific terms: followers of Islam and Islamic Fundamentalists, as the two groups are vastly different, yet both claim legitimacy under the same doctrine. In its purest form, Islam is based upon the ancient teachings of the prophet Muhammad, who was said to have been given the Quran, or holy book of Islam, by God himself, with Muhammad as the messenger and deliverer of the Quran and its teachings to the masses (Davidson). If one were to follow the teachings of Islam in a more traditional sense, as Muhammad is said to have received the word from God, they would be peaceful, obedient servants of God, and Muhammad, thereby enriching their lives, raising solid families and leaving the world a better place than what is was when they were born into it. Eventually, however, political turmoil distorted this message and gave rise to a strain of Islam that is known as Fundamentalism or Extremism, depending upon the source of the material. This interpretation of Islam and the Quran takes the inflexible view that those who do not believe in Islam, and follow the Quran, are characterized as â€Å"Infidels†, and the price of their infidelity to Islam is death. Of course, the Christian ideals of the West make America a convenient target of this sort of massive hatred, but this hatred has also been fueled over the years by America’s defense of other enemies of the fundamentalists/extremists such as the people of Turkey and Israel (Mustikhan). Eventually, the rage of these Islamics would erupt against the US on a large scale, beginning in the 1970s. The Islamic Terrorist is Born It is generally agreed that those who are today termed â€Å"Islamic Terrorists† were first given that moniker by the West in 1979, when the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran was seized by terrorists, taking hundreds of American diplomats and their support staffs hostage in a siege that ultimately lasted 444 days, and brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran. The group of Iranians and assorted others who were in essence the foot soldiers who undertook the plot, led by the extremist leader Ayatollah Khomeini, came to be called Islamic Terrorists (Hoveyda). From there, the stereotype of what a terrorist is, and their potential to wreak havoc on innocent people, began to grow in the minds of the world community. Threats to Western Democracy Due to the widespread presence of Islamic Extremists/Militants, the threat to Western Democracy has become very real, and of course has manifested itself in such tragedies as the Iran Hostage Crisis and 9/11. Given the humble beginnings and admirable teachings that are found in the Quran, and were exhibited by Muhammad and carried down by his disciples, it is a wonderment as to exactly how/why Islam eventually spawned a militant faction which goes against the foundations of the faith itself. In a word, the violent offshoot is the byproduct of fanaticism. Fanatics are those members of the Islamic community who have taken the position that any government, or religion (in their mind, they should be one in the same) that does not practice the teachings of the Quran are the equivalent of parasites that must be eradicated for the good of the human race. The defense of this attitude, and the resultant violence which comes out of the attitude, is due to misinterpretation of the Quran, hence making these individuals worthy of the extremist label. Because the Islamic Extremists have convinced themselves that they are doing the will of God, as laid out in their creative interpretation of the Quran, there quite literally is nothing stopping them from continuing to launch attacks against the Western Democracies, as well as other â€Å"infidels† who hold views and practice lifestyles which are contrary to theirs. One particularly chilling reality of the threat against Western Democracy is the fact that Islamic Extremists, while found in large numbers in some nations more commonly than others, really do not have a nation with borders, do not fly an identifiable flag, or wear a uniform that indicates that they are Islamic Extremists, despite what the leadership of the United States may choose to claim in the present day. Rather, the Extremists have the ability to move freely about the globe and do not have a set territory where organized armies can pursue and battle them. This sort of an invisible threat, not centered in a geographic location but highly organized and well financed as well as armed to the hilt, holds the potential to destroy their enemies, such as the Western Democracies, which are somewhat restrained by physical borders and the need to engage in conventional warfare. Because of this, the paradox is clear- how can an enemy be fought if it cannot be readily seen or tracked? Also, the inability to negotiate with Islamic Extremists closes another avenue of resolving differences and stopping the bloodshed. Conclusion- What is the Future Threat? This paper has shown that Fundamental Islam has the means, mindset, and determination to bring Western Democracy to its knees, as well as the point of annihilation. What this will mean for the future is anyone’s guess but one thing is for sure- without some sort of decisive action against Islamic Fundamentalists, many more innocent lives may be lost, and hard lessons may be learned too late and at too high of a price. Works Cited Davidson, Lawrence. Islamic Fundamentalism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Hoveyda, Fereydoun. The Broken Crescent: The Threat of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998. Marin-Guzman, Roberto. Fanaticism: A Major Obstacle in the Muslim Christian Dialogue. the Case of Twentieth Century Islamic Fundamentalism. Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ) 25. 3 (2003): 63+. Mustikhan, Ahmar. The Roots of Islamic Extremism. World and I July 1999: 74.

Relationship Between Racist Symbols and Prejudice

Relationship Between Racist Symbols and Prejudice Pre-test measures Image and question selection was twofold, primarily, the author identified possible images against three criteria political, general and racial, selected from a general cross-section of images located on internet sites identified by the search race hate groups white supremacy and political symbols. Various Discussion groups were then facilitated, one prisoners and one civilian group[1]. The dual grouping was to negate any prisoner only bias. Twenty selected images were displayed in each of the three categories to each group separately. The means of display was in a room which had reduced lighting and the individual images being projected onto screen. A semi-structured discussion then followed with the facilitator noting each image, which appeared to raise awareness or interest within the group. The images selected for treatment use were seven racial, five political (with a balance between parties) and two general (see appendix A). Further discussion groups with different prisoners a nd civilians; incorporating a variety of closed and open-ended questions being tabled around a different selection of images, which were similar in design to those already selected for use in the experiment. The responses from within these groups were noted as to which questions appeared to raise awareness or interest from each pilot group. Thus the questions selected were: Three scales were used as outcome measures in this experiment: British Prejudice Scale: The British Prejudice Scale (BPS) (Lepore Brown, 1997) is the amalgamation of several existing instruments: the Modern Racism Scale, the New Racism Scale and the Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale. The authors subtly altered these scales post-amalgamation to make them appropriate for white British respondents. The scale is designed as a general measure of anti-black prejudice. This scale was chosen because it contains a substantial component of anti-immigration, anti-foreigner sentiment. This sentiment closely approximates out-group hostility, distance and perceived worldview threats that are central to the theoretical argument being developed in this thesis. The internal consistency for this scale is high, Cronbach a=.92 (Lepore Brown, 1997).The scale consists of 15 questions answered on a scale from 1 7 (strongly agree to strongly disagree) and are summed indicating a range from 15 (high prejudice) to 105 (low prejudice). Thus a respondent scoring lower on this scale will be deemed more racist than a person with a high score. Social Dominance Orientation Scale: The Social Dominance Orientation Scale (SDO) (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth Malle, 1994), measures individual differences in the extent to which respondents prefer inequality among social groups. There are four separate versions of this scale; the 16-item scale has been selected for use in these experiments to allow other measures to be included. According to the scales authors, SDO is not a direct measure of racial attitudes, but, like authoritarianism, is a focal part of social ideology that predicts a wide range of political and racial attitudes. The measure has strong internal consistency, Cronbach a= .84 (Pratto et al., 1994). SDO conceptualises the importance of racial and political attitudes and therefore will be a direct measure of racial attitudes. It is purported that a person high in SDO will quite probably develop a negative attitude towards some group that is low in status or prestige. Further indications are that for those respondents high in SDO display a tendency to favour hierarchical relationships within groups and suggest an alignment of superior-inferior dimensions. According to the authors, individuals high in SDO accept legitimising myths that include racial and ethnic prejudice, nationalism, patriotism, separation between high and low culture, sexism, meritocracy and political conservatism (Pratto et all., 1994). Scale items are scored on a 1-7 (very positive to very negative) scale and scores are averaged across items. Thus a respondent scoring higher on this scale would indicate a stronger social dominance orientation or more prone to racist thinking than a person with lower scores. Selection of this scale was important to the study because those high in SDO display out-group hostility or denigration and would therefore likely seek to ensure a greater social distance from members of those out-groups. In addition the scale has been designed to independently indicate racism as apart from traditional pol itical ideology. Social Distance Scale: The Social Distance Scale (SDS) (Bogardus, 1933) was designed to measure the extent to which people want to keep a distance and avoid intimate contact between themselves and people from different racial, ethnic, national or social groups. The scale has a high internal consistency, with Cronbach a greater than .90 (Kleg Yamamoto, 1995, Mielenz, 1997, Osei-Kwame Achola, 1981). The scale consists of measuring first feeling reactions to a list of social, racial, ethnic and national groups ranging from regarding distant social contact (e.g., as visitors to ones country) to the most intimate (e.g., as a family member by marriage). In Bogarduss original scoring method (1933) a low score on this scale indicates the person is less inclusive or welcoming of out-group members than those respondents with a high score. Unlike the British Prejudice Scale and the Social Dominance Orientation Scales, which utilise closed-ended questions and Likert scales, the Social Distance Scale design is based on the uni dimensional Guttman-type scale. Clear written instructions on how to respond to the questionnaire and each scale were provided to all respondent prior to each scale. The British Prejudice Scale and the Social Dominance Orientation Scales being of the closed question style were pre-coded and the response sets were in a Likert scale, this allowing for ease of analysis. The Social Distance Scale design is based on the uni-dimensional Guttman-type scale, with increasing levels of intimacy. Clear written instructions on how to respond to the questionnaire and each scale were provided to all respondent prior to each scale. The main body of the questionnaire, as previously noted, was pre-determined by the use of existing scales. Consideration at this stage was given to a methodology of image presentation, due to the social undesirability of racial comments, and it was further considered unlikely that respondents would answers openly and honestly if they were fully aware that they were being questioned about racist attitudes. Furthermore, fully informed consent was not realistic prior to the experiment. The selected scales were already of a political nature by being measurements of political attitudes. The scales used dictated the information required, therefore consideration only had to be given to the construction, format ordering and filler questions required to ensure the deception was successful. The filler questions were selected by using a pre-general election governmental questionnaire[2] . It has been acknowledged that the style of question can influence the reported response, thus this method, by which elimination of any bias from the researcher is effected was deemed the most appropriate methodology. The questions were subsequently piloted,[3] with random introduction, the facilitator noting the level to which questions appeared to lead or invoke discussion or a better response from the group members. These questions were then used to fill the questionnaire and disguise the real intention of the measure. The design of the questionnaire was against two specific criteria, simplicity of administration and level of cognition of intended recipients prisoners. Instructions and layout were deliberately simple with additional concentration on ensuring the design was short, thus ensuring a minimisation of respondent fatigue and high response rate. The demographics were selected to identify length in prison, first or further prison sentence, number of previous prison sentences, age and level of education, thus allowing for statistical tests for possible influence or bias. Post-test measures The study investigated whether exposure to racist signs and symbols impacted participants scores on measures associated with hate and prejudice. The hypothesis was tested in seven different ways, firstly against the British Prejudice Scale, which was designed as a measure of anti-black prejudice; Secondly, against the Social Dominance Orientation Scale, the Social Dominance Orientation Scale conceptualising the importance of racial and political attitudes, therefore being a direct measure of racial attitudes. The next five tests of the hypothesis were sub-components of the Social Distance Scale which measures the extent by which people want to keep a distance and avoid increasing amounts of intimate contact between themselves and people from different racial, ethnic, national or social groups. A Man-Whitney U[4] test was conducted to determine whether the experimental and the control groups were comparable, on the demographic information from the sample. The demographic variables used in this experiment were length in prison (time spent in present establishment), first time in prison (whether or not this was a first custodial sentence), previous times in prison (number of previous custodial sentences), length of sentence (length of present custodial sentence), age and education. Independent t-tests were also conducted using the British Prejudice Scale, and the various elements of the Social Distance Scale scores. In order to take into account multiple testing, a Bonferroni adjustment[5] was also calculated. Analyses of covariance[6] were considered but no variances in dependant variables were apparent. Hypothesis The primary hypothesis of this research is that viewing racist signs and symbols increases prejudice against out-groups and factors associated with racism and hate. FINDINGS British Prejudice Scale On average, the control group scored significantly higher on the British Prejudice Scale (M= 64.67, SD= 16.41) than the experiment group (M= 36.68, SD= 18.46). The results of the test were significant (t(126) = 9.08, p=

Essay --

The Manhattan Project was one of the first outlets America used to show the era of scientific triumph. The directors of this project, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, Leo Szilard and General Groves played a big contribution in the outcome of World War II. I have researched the argument of(that) the Manhattan Project being(was) vital for the legitimate ending to World War II. While other(s) some(take out some amd put could) say(that) they could have not dropped the second bomb, or(take out or) since Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki formed a new War cabinet to bring the war to end on its own. (Stoff, Michael B., Fanton, Jonathon, F., William, Hal, R., EDT. Al. 1991, p. 1991). This project had many different components for it to run successfully. Components such as theology and applied sciences were used. Oppenheimer was the main administrator credited to put the organization together. I will cover how(take out how) the time periods from 1938 (the discovery of Nuclear Fission) to 1 945 (when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.) This major contribution is important today because the technology and the leap of science were emphasized greatly during the war. I will also be covering some results and life after the two bombs(were) set off. In the book â€Å"The Manhattan Project† by Jeff Hughes, during the 1930s, America was not the only country to research the secrets of nuclear transmutation. This justifies one of my points that the bombs were not a rational decision made by the Truman administration. The elements and materials needed to create the atomic bombs were not only the U.S’s call. Discoveries(that were) made in a short amount of time and having to put a team together to make the world’s first weapons of mass destruction is ... ...the military advantage of this war.† (Compton, 1945) It was better to demonstrate the bombs in the most non-lethal (way) to gain international control. James Frank a physicist pull(pled) together a committee (along with Leo Szilard) that wrote up a rejection of the surprise attack on Japan. They suggested they should demonstrate the power of the bomb on a random island. Martin Sherwin argued that the Frank committee shared the same views as President Truman, were(where) an attack on Japan would shock the Russians. (Compton, 1945) Even though the Russians had spies aware of the Manhattan project way before the bomb was developed, so(take out so) it would (not) have no(take out no) mattered. According to Truman’s Memoirs (The Manhattan Project, 1991) he mention to Joseph Stalin about having some powerful weapon device, the Soviet Leader didn’t really get surprised. Essay -- The Manhattan Project was one of the first outlets America used to show the era of scientific triumph. The directors of this project, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, Leo Szilard and General Groves played a big contribution in the outcome of World War II. I have researched the argument of(that) the Manhattan Project being(was) vital for the legitimate ending to World War II. While other(s) some(take out some amd put could) say(that) they could have not dropped the second bomb, or(take out or) since Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki formed a new War cabinet to bring the war to end on its own. (Stoff, Michael B., Fanton, Jonathon, F., William, Hal, R., EDT. Al. 1991, p. 1991). This project had many different components for it to run successfully. Components such as theology and applied sciences were used. Oppenheimer was the main administrator credited to put the organization together. I will cover how(take out how) the time periods from 1938 (the discovery of Nuclear Fission) to 1 945 (when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.) This major contribution is important today because the technology and the leap of science were emphasized greatly during the war. I will also be covering some results and life after the two bombs(were) set off. In the book â€Å"The Manhattan Project† by Jeff Hughes, during the 1930s, America was not the only country to research the secrets of nuclear transmutation. This justifies one of my points that the bombs were not a rational decision made by the Truman administration. The elements and materials needed to create the atomic bombs were not only the U.S’s call. Discoveries(that were) made in a short amount of time and having to put a team together to make the world’s first weapons of mass destruction is ... ...the military advantage of this war.† (Compton, 1945) It was better to demonstrate the bombs in the most non-lethal (way) to gain international control. James Frank a physicist pull(pled) together a committee (along with Leo Szilard) that wrote up a rejection of the surprise attack on Japan. They suggested they should demonstrate the power of the bomb on a random island. Martin Sherwin argued that the Frank committee shared the same views as President Truman, were(where) an attack on Japan would shock the Russians. (Compton, 1945) Even though the Russians had spies aware of the Manhattan project way before the bomb was developed, so(take out so) it would (not) have no(take out no) mattered. According to Truman’s Memoirs (The Manhattan Project, 1991) he mention to Joseph Stalin about having some powerful weapon device, the Soviet Leader didn’t really get surprised.

Essay --

BIOT643 Spring 2014- Quiz2 (50 points) Due in TIN and Assignment folder before midnight Sunday Feb 23rd. Please provide short, but specific and complete answers. Q1) For each of the following components, briefly describe how each is used in the construction of DNA libraries. (5 points each) Reverse Transcription is an essential step in constructing a complementary strand, or cDNA library. DNA is converted into mRNA by transcription. In reverse transcription mRNA is incubated at 70 degrees with a primer to denature the structure. This will allow the primer to anneal to the mRNA. After dNTPs and buffer are added to the reaction. Then, transcription occurs at 37 degrees Celsius, followed by the temperature is increased 70 degrees Celsius to inactivate the enzyme (Life Technologies). A 3’ end polyA tail, is used to pull the mRNA from the cells and starting point for reverse transcription in order to make cDNA from the mRNA. Then, the ribonuclease breaks the mRNA to make a produce only a single stranded cDNA (Ebrahimian, 2014). The 5' cap of mRNA strand is replaced with a synthetic RNA oligonucleotide, called 5’-Oligo –Capping. The 3'end PolyA and the 5' Oligo cap are tags to make sure the ends of the mRNA molecule are present in the cDNA. The cDNA, with now a 5' Oligo cap and 3' end polyA, through DNA polymerase is entered into a vector to make cDNA clones (Ebrahimian, 2014). A way to chop an entire DNA of an organism is with restriction enzymes. A restriction enzyme makes small fragments. Two examples of these enzymes used MMLV and SSIII (Life Technologies). The small fragments are then cloned into a vector (Ebrahimian, 2014). In a genomic library, the vector creates a recombinant. Eventually the cloning of numerous recombinan... ...gical is used to identify the protein. You will not use hybridization if a DNA probes, such as homologous and heterologous gene probe is not available. In addition, hybridization screening will be used for large number of clones, if the cDNA clone is not at full length, and synthesized products in the host that are not antigenically of biologically active (Ebrahimian, 2014). Reference: Cloning and Molecular Analysis of Genes. (n.d.). North Dakota State University . Retrieved February 20, 2014, from http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/cloning/clone5.htm Ebrahimian, S. (Director) (2014) Definition of DNA Library. BIOT 643. Lecture conducted from University of Maryland, University College, Adelphi Life Technologies Corp (2012, December 6. Simplified RT- Reverse Transcription Animation. Retrieved February 21, 2014. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MJIbrS4fbQ

Free Will in John Miltons Samson Agonistes Essay -- Samson Agonistes

Free Will in John Milton's Samson Agonistes John Milton’s Samson Agonistes is based on the story of Samson, an Israelite hero in the Old Testament who falls from grace. In this work Milton shapes his version around the issue of accountability, whether Samson or God is responsible for his actions. Milton displays Samson’s accountability by contrasting his God-given strength with his self-effected weakness. When Samson was born, God gave him extraordinary physical strength. The very fact that God puts prohibitions on Samson implies that there is an element of free choice. His parents told him that in order to preserve his strength he should not cut his long Nazirite hair or drink alcohol. Therefore Samson has control over his strength and can be held accountable for his deeds. Initially, Samson did not appreciate the gift given to him. Before losing the privilege of his power he was unaware of its significance. He says that God put the strength in his hair in order to show him how minor the gift is. "Proudly secure,† (55) he worried about things that now "least afflict [him].† He regarded his strength as a matter of course because he had never experienced weakness and did not recognize that he was â€Å"liable to fall.† The first time he assumes responsibility for a major decision is when he chooses his wife. He is free to choose the wife he pleases. Nevertheless, he is unaware of the responsibility with which he is confronted. He does not take into account the fatal consequences that could result from his decision. His marriage to Dalila, a Philistine woman, harms not only himself but also the other Israelites. Samson’s decision leads him to blindness and captivity and his people to suffer under the rule of the Philisti... ...nistes†. When this work was published in 1671, the author did not regard himself as a Calvinist, as he had during most of his life. Instead, he held an Arminian belief, which criticized the Calvinistic view of predestination; Arminianism allowed human decision a role in achieving personal salvation. The belief in predestination makes life seem hopeless for every effort would be in vain. Moreover, predestination could serve as an excuse for immoral behavior because we could refuse to bear responsibility for our shortcomings. It is a valuable gift that we are all capable of taking responsibility for ourselves and for the people close to us. We can only hope that everyone will be brave enough to make good use of this gift. Works Cited Milton, John. Samson Agonistes. In John Milton: Complete Poems and Major Prose. Ed. Merritt Y. Hughes. New York: Macmillan, 1957.

Swarovski Branding Strategies & Products

SWAROVSKI. Branding for luxury goods Group G. Members: Truong Anh Bao Nguyen Yunkyung Choo Lilit Nagapetyan CONTENT: 1 History 2 Concept 3 Brand Strategy 4 Marketing Mix 5 Positioning 6 Services 7 Target Consumer 8 CBBE Pyramid 9 SWOT analysis 10 Competitors 11 Recommendation 12 References 1. HISTORY: 1882 Daniel Swarovski (1862-1956) invents a revolutionary machine that allows crystals to be cut more precisely than with existing manual methods. 1895 Daniel Swarovski founds the company in Wattens, Tyrol, with the vision of bringing joy to people through crystal.His guiding principle is still followed by the company today: â€Å"To constantly improve what is good. † 1949 SWAROVSKI OPTIK is founded, and goes on to become a leading manufacturer of precision optical instruments for hunting and nature observation (binoculars, telescopes, rifle scopes, range finders, and night vision and optronic devices). 1956 The first Swarovski crystals for chandeliers and lighting are launched, and in 1977 are registered under the STRASS Swarovski Crystal name.Today they adorn classical chandeliers, suche as those in the Palace of Versailles and the Metropolitan Opera, New York, as well as more modern lights. Swarovski starts to manufacture precision-cut gemstones. 2002 Swarovski develops Crystal Fabric: countless tiny crystals create a delicate shimmer over a variety of materials. 2003 In conjuction with leading fashion and jewelry designers, â€Å"Runway Rocks† is founded – a collection of unique jewelry pieces featuring crystal for the catwalk, showcasing design and innovation 2009 At the â€Å"Baselword† watch and jewerly exhibition, Swarovski launches its first watch collection. . CONCEPT More than a century ago, Daniel Swarovski, its founder, once said â€Å"A diamond of everyone† that sparkles everyone's lives, Swarovski today has been thriving for the best to serve its customers, being one of the finest crystal producers in today’ s global industry. Mission Through the mastery of the poetry of precision we continue to be market leader, driving force and reliable partner within our industry to meet people’s desire for adornment and delight since 1895 as * manufacturer, marketer, and retailer of premium jewelry and customer products ranging from decorative objects to lighting and accessories. manufacturer and marketer of premium jewelry stones for customers. * Swarovski provides high quality products and services and anticipate, fulfill and exceed consumers’ desires and customers’ needs. * Swarovski offers our colleagues and teams fulfilling challenges that inspire them to be innovative and creative. 3. BRAND STRATEGY: Not so long ago Swarovski was not very famous and didn't have any branding strategies. ‘For a long time Swarovski didn't â€Å"brand† its product. And back then it wasn't really about branding as it is nowadays.We had to develop a hard-core communications strateg y – a PR strategy – which we pitched to the editors and designers. ‘ said Nadja Swarovski, Swarovksi Vice president of International Communications. Today, Swarovski is almost omnipresent everywhere from fashion awards, catwalk shows, film premieres; its crystals are used by fashion designers from the edgiest Central Saint Martins graduate to the hallowed ateliers of Armani, Dior and Chanel. This is where the real success of Swarovski lies: by aligning the company with the most avant-garde young fashion talent.When the hottest British designers of the time, Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy and Julien Macdonald used Swarovski crystal mesh – a fine fishnet gauze studded with tiny crystals – in his catwalk show, it immediately changed people's perception of the brand. ‘The McQueen show provided a visual that was very different to the standard idea people had of us,' Nadja says. The company then began to re-establish the company's links with the f ashion world, sponsoring younger designers who are in need of capital to make their label take off.Nearly ten years later this winning formula is still producing results. Designers, no matter how edgy or cool, all seem to want to use Swarovski crystals and accept sponsorship. ‘If you're a young designer starting a collection, it's great to have crystal in there because it makes it more haute couture,' Nadja says. ‘It adds elegance, a seriousness, credibility. In fashion, if you have something to prove, then couture, or at least craftsmanship, is the right track. â€Å" Not only enraptured the fashion world, Swarovski also moved on to the film industry.Some of Swarovski's most high-profile projects have been Moulin Rouge, where the sets and costumes groaned under the weight of Swarovski crystals, Titanic and the recent Bond films. During Oscar season Nadja sets up camp in Los Angeles, and stylists can browse the Swarovski jewellery, shoes and handbags with a view to dres sing their clients on the red carpet. These days Swarovski crystals adorn everything from iPods and mobile phones to Maria Sharapova's new Nike tennis dress. They even covered, whisper it, Jordan's wedding dress. 4.Marketing Mix Products: The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal glass sculptures and miniatures, jewelry and couture, home decor, and chandeliers. They're best known for imitating â€Å"colored germs† All sculptures are marked with a logo. The original Swarovski logo was an edelweiss flower, which was finally replaced with the current swan logo in 1988 Subsidiary companies: Swarovski Fashion accessories and crystal-based ornaments. Daniel Swarovski Jewelry, handbags, accessories and interior design objects. Swarovski Optik Optics.Atelier Swarovski Fashion and jewellery designers. Swarovski Crystal Palace Avant-garde lighting and design (chandeliers etc. ). Swarovski Elements Crystal designs. Swarovski Gemstone Business Gemstone designs. Swarovski Lighting Swar ovski finished lighting products and solutions with crystal for architecture. Tyrolit A bonded grinding and dressing tools company. Swareflex A road safety products specialist. Schonbek A crystal chandelier manufacturer. Touchstone Crystal Swarovski's direct sales company for ready-made jewelry PlaceAll boutiques are beautifully set up and conveniently located in the fashion mall/heart of big 19 metropolitan cities from Dubai, Madrid, Hongkong to New York City over 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Also online website is available with convenient shipping services Price 100$ to $42,800/item Promotion Promotion is via press, social network (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube) as well as via traditional and on-going sponsorship for young talented artists/ designers to use Swarovski crystals in any kinds of their designs in fashion show, film awards, etc.Therefore, the best season to promote Swarovski crystals is during the fashion week (twice a year- January to March and from September to October) and movie/film award ceremonies seasons (October to February) 5. Positioning Swarovski is positioning itself as a luxury fashion by creating a customer experience to let people know Swarovski’s brand values of innovation and modernity. They would like to position themselves as creating premium, high-quality products for the consumers. They are trying to be a market leader in the luxury jewelry industry by innovating continuously.Recently, Swarovski hired Yellowdoor as retained agency, which will focus on positioning as an affordable luxury brand. * Luxury fashion brand * Market leader in the luxurious crystal industry * Multi-faceted business * Affordable luxury brand 6. Service * Collection of rings, pins, earrings, pendants, necklaces, hair jewels, cuff links, charms, brooches, bracelets, bangles and gifts. * Large variety of color options * Vast selection of gifts available for fewer than $100 * Magazine and group for Swarovski enthusiasts. * Free shipping standard on orders more than $95 * Customized gift messages Free gift wrapping and bag * Scheduled delivery * Right to return (2 week return policy) * Product warranty * After sales services 7. Target Customer Swarovski's target customer is â€Å"every female† from 17 to 71 in terms either of buying or gift receiving because they offer diverse products to such a broad range of people. Even though each group (tweens, generations X,Y and Baby Boomers) has its own needs and values, Swarovski meets most of them. Swarovski Jewellery bases most of its market on women of age 25 and above by creating bridal, business, classical and sophisticated collections.It also include men accessories such as bracelets and watches, and of course kids over 6 years old. Also, one of the biggest Swarovski's market target today is fashion industry. Swarovski crystals are affixed to everything from Victoria's Secret bra sets and Kawasaki motorcycles, to the clothing collections of such as Dolce ; Gabbanna and avant-garde vintage revisionists Imitation of Christ. 1) Women collection of * Sophisticated * Business * Classical * Bridal collections 2) Men MEN’s collection * Rings * Bracelets * Necklaces 3) Kids * Disney collection Hello Kitty collection 4) Other Industries: Swarovski crystals are affixed to everything. * Victoria's Secret bra sets * Kawasaki motorcycles * Clothing collections * DJ Headphones 8. CBBE Pyramid Resonance: HIGH LOYALTY Brand resonance is high due to active loyalty of customers Consumer Judgments: GLOBAL BRAND WITH RICH HERITAGE Perfect and innovative crystal products High quality production Consumer Feeling: PRESTIGIOUS ELEGANCE Prestigious, elegant, fragile, dedicated, timeless Humble and sophisticated Feels like a fairy Brand Performance: EXCELLENT SERVICESExtremely durable, serviceable Offers timeless, high quality crystal products Innovative product lines: Optik gears, etc. Brand Imagery: GLAMOROUS Glamorous luxurious crystal pro ducts Women/young ladies with high income, high taste of elegant sophisticated jewelries Brand Salience: HIGH DEPTH & BREADTH Extremely high recognition on the crystal market Most known for its crystal jewelries product line If it's crystal, it’s nothing else but Swarovski! 9. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Strong brand identity and high company reputation World widely recognized market leaderCheap materials, high added value products Craftsmanship (durable quality) Online store New techniques Perfection High quality After sales services Weaknesses Expensive production in Austria Repetitive design Opportunities Diversity of customers of all ages New markets in Latin America ; emerging markets in Asia Various product lines through collaboration Unlimited design according to crystal cutting Threats Cheaper competitors Imitators/substitutes Relies on disposable income of consumers Slowdown in market growth Cheaper artificial crystal 0. Competitors Price: Cartier – Swarovski â⠂¬â€œ Pandora – Preciosa Reputation in jewelry market: Cartier – Swarovski – Pandora – Preciosa Variety of jewelry products: Pandora – Swarovski – Cartier – Preciosa Quality of crystal: Swarovski – Cartier – Preciosa – Pandora 11. Recommendation †¢Product Strategy Swarovski should expand its business in the jewelry market, having more product lines as well as jewelry designs since it's already has a reputation in the crystal industry: Extend their product lines (perfumes, watches, Home electronics , etc. Extend their jewelries products (leather bracelet, wedding ring, etc. ) Focus on jewelry customization †¢Place: Establish stores in Latin America and expand business in emerging markets †¢Pricing No changes †¢Promotion No changes 12. REFERENCE: http://www. swarovski. com/ http://www. brand. swarovski. com/Content. Node/home. fr. html#/en/aboutus/ourevolution http://www. brand. swarovski. com/Co ntent. Node/home. fr. html#/en/aboutus/spirit http://swarovskijewrley. blogspot. fr/2010/09/week-4-marketing-environment. html http://online-jewelry-review. optenreviews. com/swarovski-review. html http://www. brandchannel. com/ http://www. prweek. com/uk/news/890882/Swarovski-hires-Yellowdoor/? DCMP=ILC-SEARCH http://fashion. telegraph. co. uk/news-features/TMG3361538/Swarovski-the-glitz-spirit. html http://www. crystalfanaticsclub. com/about_swarovski. php http://globalfashionanalytics. com/ritejl/brending/157-marketingovaja-strategija-v-ljuksovom-segmente. htm http://news. naver. com/main/read. nhn? mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=001&aid=0005922714

Elizabeth Johnson-Revisonist Method of Theology Essay

Elizabeth Johnson is perhaps one of the most preeminent Catholic theologians of the new millennium. The fact that she is a woman religious who writes from a feminist perspective adds to her unique and distinguished career. This paper will examine the revisionist method espoused by Elizabeth Johnson, in an effort to understand her approach to Christian feminism. An overview of revisionist methodology will be presented so as to understand the framework in which Johnson works. References to some of Johnson! s writings will then be presented in an effort to illustrate her revisionist method. Finally a survey of various critics will then be presented in an effort to determine what has made her method, approach and style groundbreaking in the area of feminist theology. In its simplest form, revisionist methodology involves looking back at one! s tradition in an effort to gain new insights into the situation at hand or to uncover what has been lost. In a more elaborate definition, David Tracey states that, †In its briefest expression, the revisionist model holds that a contemporary fundamental Christian theology can best be described as philosophical reflection upon meanings present in common human experience and language, and upon the meanings present in the Christian fact. †1 Tracy then outlines five theses that are intended to explicate this particular model: The first thesis defends the proposition that there are two sources for theology, common human experience and language, and Christian texts. The second thesis argues for the necessity of correlating the results of the investigations of these two sources. The third and fourth theses attempt to specify the most helpful methods of investigation employed for studying these two sources 1 David Tracy, Blessed Rage for Order: The New Pluralism in Theology (New York: The Seabury Press, 1975) 43. 1 (methods include phenomenology of religious dimension for human experience and language and historical and hermeneutical investigations for Christian texts). The fifth and final thesis further specifies the final mode of critical correlation of these investigations as an explicitly metaphysically and transcendental one. 2 If we apply the aforementioned description to our area of interest, then revisionist Christian feminism can be seen as seeking,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to mutually and critically correlate the central and liberating themes of biblical and Christian tradition with the experience of women in the contemporary situation. 3 In one of her most noted works, She Who Is, Johnson captures the essence of her revisionist Christian feminism in the metaphor of a braided footbridge,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦between the ledges of classical and feminist Christian tradition. Throwing a hermeneutical span from side to side may enable some to cross over to the paradigm of women! s coequal humanity without leaving behind all the riches of the tradition that had been their intellectual and spiritual home. †4 It clear already from this brief introduction, that Johnson employs the revisionist model of theology. Tradition is key to anyone employing the revisionist model and Johnson is no exception to this. Tradition is important for Johnson, but not necessarily in the sense that one should mindlessly adhere to every aspect of what we inherit. On the other hand, we cannot put our heads the sand and deny the existence of tradition or avoid learning about it. We are all part of a tradition and it becomes part of our shared history and allows us ,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to see far thanks to the stature of those who have handed on the 2 3 Tracy, Blessed Rage for Order: The New Pluralism in Theology , 43. Shannon Schrein, Quilting and Braiding: The Feminist Christologies of Sallie McFague and Elizabeth Johnson in Conversation (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1998) 2. 4 Elizabeth Johnson, She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1992) 12. 2 tradition to us. †5 Johnson is respectful of tradition, with the understanding that it often needs to be analyzed to determine if is contributing to pain and suffering. In her book, Consider Jesus, the emphasis is not just on tradition, but on a â€Å"living tradition†.