Keleigh Mallory. Ms. Katie Schwartz. En140-11. 29 April

Keleigh Mallory Ms. Katie Schwartz EN140-11 29 April 2017 As people we have all come across a point where we have faced a problem. Problems are always happening to us, whether we want them to or not. We have all thought, Why can t they just give me a break? Giving you a break would make their day easier, which will never happen, so you should always look forward to facing some sort of problem. Everyone faces different problems, so it may be hard for someone else to realize that you are having this problem. Sometimes discussing your problems can help better the situation. Whenever I have a problem I usually call and talk to my parents, and they tell me to always look at the more positive things. An example, my dad always says, â€Å"You’re†¦show more content†¦I think my mom kind of got tired of me asking, â€Å"Can I please have my phone back,† but she really didn’t make it known. Even taking away my electronic devices didn’t seem to help me sleep any better. I still had hard times falling asleep. My mom would sometimes come in my room and say, â€Å"You are still awake, you went to bed a whole hour ago.† I would always respond, â€Å"I just can’t go to sleep, I don’t know why.† This happened about every school night, so eventually she gave in. She knew that electronics was not the problem here, so I went from starting the year off going to sleep without my phone, to finishing the year with it. Sometimes it is just hard for anyone to go to sleep, but others believe this is only certain when your smart phone is involved. I think that where you sleep plays an important role. If you sleep on a hard mattress, or even a sleep sofa, sleeping becomes harder. â€Å"The bedroom environment can have a significant influence on sleep quality and quantity. Several variables combine to make up the sleep environment, including light, noise, and temperature. By being attuned to factors in your sleep environment that put you at ease, and eliminating those that may c ause stress or distraction, you can set yourself up for the best possible sleep.† â€Å"In this book, Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow reveals how you can

Susan Glaspell s An Interesting Story Of A Woman Named...

Susan Glaspell writes an interesting story of a woman named Mrs. Wright whose husband slowly has taken away everything she loved in life. In return, she ends up taking his life while he’s asleep, by slowly killing with a rope. The story begins in her house with Mr. and Mrs. Peters, the sheriff and his wife, along with Mr. and Mrs. Hale, who are her neighbors, and Mr. Henderson, the county attorney. The male and female gender dynamic of the story plays a significant aspect in the roles of the characters and their behavior. The men expect the women to live a domesticated lifestyle and fulfill the roles of a good wife and housekeeper. The women do embrace the roles; however, they understand the struggles that come with being a wife. Since, they understand the struggles this explains why they react they way they do with the men in the play. Trifles opens your eyes to an interesting view of what being a housewife could do to a woman over time. While the female characters find the i tems Mrs. Wright as asked for, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters begin to notice details that lead them to the explanation of Mrs. Wright’s death. Females are more aware of smaller details than men. Men often look for bigger signs that are more obvious to see. This proves true multiple times in the story, but one stands out the more than any other. There is an empty bird cage in the house Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters notice it and Mrs. Peters examines the cage. She states, â€Å"Why, look at this door. It’s broke.

Performance Analysis of Crypto System †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Performance Analysis of Crypto System. Answer: Introduction: The process of conversion of a plain text data to an unreadable version of data by the use of standard algorithm is known as encryption. Encryption is generally used for protecting the sensitive information from the access of unauthorized persons (Biham Shamir, 2012).. The process of encryption is common in WiMax in order to encrypt and protect all the traffic it experiences in its network. Out of many different encryption standards management, the most commonly used encryption standards in WiMax networks includes triple DES, AES or advanced encryption standard and CCMP or Counter Mode Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Protocol. These three encryption standards are elaborated further in the following table- Triple DES AES CCMP Triple DES or 3DES is a symmetric key algorithm protocol that uses three keys of 56-bit length for ensuring a high level of encryption. 3DES uses a symmetric block cipher and implements the basic DES algorithm three times to ensure extra protection. However, the running of the algorithm three times results in the process becoming slower and therefore the performance of DES is much slower in comparison to other encryption standards and algorithm. 3DES has a fixed key size and therefore it becomes easier to implement this encryption standard. The 3DES technology uses or based on ANSIX9.52 standard 3DES is one of the most widely used encryption standard for WiMax network. 3DES led to the evolution of a more advance encryption standard, which is known as triple AES or advanced encryption standard (Singh, 2013). Advanced encryption standard or AES is a better and more secure encryption standard for WiMax network It uses different encryption keys of 128 bit, 192 bit or 256 bit as standard encryption keys. AES is a symmetric block cipher algorithm (Karthik Muruganandam, 2014) After 3DES, AES is the most commonly used encryption standard for WiMax protocol (Daemen Rijmen, 2013.). It however requires a dedicated processor for implementation of AES in WiMax network. CCMP or counter mode cipher block chaining message authentication is an encryption standard generally developed for wireless LAN. It uses 128-bit key for protecting the access of data (Saberi et al., 2012). It is a block cipher mode encryption standard. CCMP is based on AES or advanced encryption standard. Offers enhanced security as it employs 128bit keys and a 48-bit initialization vector. Wireless personal area network is a network of interconnecting devices, which enables connection of wireless connection to the different devices. WPAN technology is generally used for setting up short range communication and helps in setting up a low power consumption in a very low cost. It is beneficial and is used for setting up small personal networks. The example of two such WPAN technologies is Bluetooth and ZigBee. Bluetooth is a standard for short-range wireless interconnection of mobile phones and other electronic devices management. ZigBee is however more simple than Bluetooth and is less expensive. The cost of installation and the cost of data transfer are very low. There are however, certain security concerns that are associated with the WPAN technologies that are discussed in the following paragraphs- The different threats that are associated with the Bluetooth technology includes blue bugging, bluejacking and bluesnarfing. In these attacks, the hacker or the attacker gets an unauthorized access to the network. This may lead to the information leakage and installation of malicious contents into the network (Minar Tarique, 2012). ZigBee is a very simple network infrastructure and therefore, an attacker can easily gain physical access to the data and encryption key of the devices, leading to the disclosure of the confidential information and data. Furthermore, the node of a ZigBee can be readily imitated that may lead to the hacker gaining access to the physical network (Zillner Strobl, 2015). The process of gathering energy from external, natural or manmade resources is known as energy harvesting. The different external sources of energy includes harvesting of solar, wind, radio frequency energy and so on. Wireless sensor networks face a lot of energy problems as it requires a continuous supply of energy to perform the functions properly (Shaikh Zeadally, 2016). The wireless sensor networks has increasing popularity due to its pervasive nature and its use in internet of things. The different energy harvesting techniques can help in acquiring continuous energy supply to the nodes of wireless sensor networks, which will help in ascertaining a promising future in the field of wireless sensor networks management. The problems associated with Wireless sensor networks are mainly due to the use the continuous loss of current from the battery power due to current leakages and battery breakdown. Therefore, the battery as an energy source is to be replaced in order to ascertain th e normal working of the sensor nodes. Energy harvesting helps the wireless sensor nodes in acquiring continuous supply of energy, which in turn helps in reducing the use of conventional energy (Ulukus et al., 2015). The different energy harvesting techniques that can be implemented for eliminating the related energy problems associated with the harvesting of energy is elaborated below (Shaikh Zeadally, 2016)- Energy harvesting using radio frequency is one of the modern energy harvesting techniques that can be used for conversion of radio waves to DC power energy. This helps in eliminating the energy issues associated with the wireless sensor technologies. Solar energy harvesting is another efficient energy harvesting techniques, where the solar energy is used to yield electrical energy, which may help in impending the energy problems associated with the wireless sensor networks. Thermal energy is another important energy harvesting techniques that converts the heat energy to electrical energy. The energy of the wind can be harvested for generation of electricity that can be used for eliminating the energy problems associated with the wireless sensor networks. In hydro energy harvesting techniques, the energy of flowing water is harvested to convert that energy into electrical energy. In flow based energy harvesting techniques, the energy of turbines and rotors are used for converting its rotational energy to electrical energy. References Biham, E., Shamir, A. (2012).Differential cryptanalysis of the data encryption standard. Springer Science Business Media. Daemen, J., Rijmen, V. (2013).The design of Rijndael: AES-the advanced encryption standard. Springer Science Business Media. Karthik, S., Muruganandam, A. (2014). Data Encryption and Decryption by using Triple DES and performance analysis of crypto system.International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research, 24-31. Minar, N. B. N. I., Tarique, M. (2012). Bluetooth security threats and solutions: a survey.International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems,3(1), 127. Saberi, I., Shojaie, B., Salleh, M., Niknafskermani, M., Alavi, S. M. (2012, May). Improving confidentiality of AES-CCMP in IEEE 802.11 i. InComputer Science and Software Engineering (JCSSE), 2012 International Joint Conference on(pp. 82-86). IEEE. Shaikh, F. K., Zeadally, S. (2016). Energy harvesting in wireless sensor networks management: A comprehensive review.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,55, 1041-1054. Singh, G. (2013). A study of encryption algorithms (RSA, DES, 3DES and AES) for information security.International Journal of Computer Applications,67(19). Ulukus, S., Yener, A., Erkip, E., Simeone, O., Zorzi, M., Grover, P., Huang, K. (2015). Energy harvesting wireless communications: A review of recent advances.IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications,33(3), 360-381. Zillner, T., Strobl, S. (2015). ZigBee exploited: The good the bad and the ugly.

The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson Essay Example

The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson Paper Subject Matter The Age of Andrew Jackson was a time of revolution when enormous changes were â€Å"shaking and transforming America. † Prominent figures â€Å"wrestl[ed] with the nation’s prospects and with each other,† further shaping the people and its democratic government. (Remini, i) Every decision Jackson and his men made in some way or another affected the social, economical, and political aspects of life in the Age of Jackson. Once Andrew Jackson took office, the people immediately embarked on a journey to develop a closer relationship with the government. Though conflicts, many times over particular issues concerning the nation’s practices and patterns, occurred between the President and Congress, Jackson proved to be a â€Å"living symbol of the advance of American democracy† and, eventually, Congress seemed to agree. (Remini 27) The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson is arranged into three parts, or â€Å"books†. Each describes events primarily through the accounts of prominent historical figures such as Webster, Clay, and Jackson. The events, spanning from westward expansion to the days of Jackson, are presented chronologically. Book I of The Revolutionary Age of Jackson, titled â€Å"A New Age† talks of how â€Å"American society itself had changed. † The nation simply â€Å"throbbed and pulsed with energy. † People began to believe in equality of opportunity. They believed that â€Å"no one should have special privileges†¦ Government must†¦ prevent any one from gaining an advantage over the others. † (Remini, 15) Many issues had also risen, many concerning preserving the Union, slavery, Indian presence, and etc. And â€Å"central to all these issues† was Andrew Jackson. We will write a custom essay sample on The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jackson’s election â€Å"marked a new beginning in the relationship between the government and the people† Never had there been such an inauguration of a President. Never before had the â€Å"ordinary citizen—the common man—so spontaneously expressed his enthusiasm for a new administration. † (Remini, 33) It already shows that the people and the government were bonding. It was â€Å"the beginning of truly popular government in America† and all because of Andrew Jackson and his administration. (Remini, 150) The Age of Jackson marked the beginning of modern political campaigning. Now he politicians were reaching out to the masses, employing â€Å"gimmicks of all kinds to arouse and sustain popular interest in the activities of the party. † (Remini, 50) All the proof needed to argue that popular government had indeed arrived was seen in the constant rise of the number of voters and by looking at the candidates elected into office. To a la rge extent, popular government emerged because of a small group of men: Martin Van Buren, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Thomas Harton Benton, and John C. Calhoun. Book II, titled â€Å"Issues and Answers†, is where Remini presents his purpose. He presents the many issues of the time—â€Å"how to make America truly democratic; how to hold the Union together, when slavery was threatening to tear it apart; what to do with the Indians†¦ how to solve the fierce power struggle between the President and the Congress†Ã¢â‚¬â€and explains the actions of Jackson and how he changed American life. (Remini, i) Making America truly democratic began with politics. Jackson believed that government jobs belonged to all and thus supported the principal of rotation to avoid corruption of the office holders. Rotation meant that more people served. And when more people served, there was a more democratic system. â€Å"It seemed to the ordinary citizen that the people themselves had finally assumed control of their government. † (Remini, 135) Whether or not a democracy truly came to America can be debated. What matters is that the people believed democracy had come. When the Civil War drew near, many Americans â€Å"wistfully looked back to the Age of Jackson and remembered how their President had guided the country away from secession and its bloody consequence. (Remini, 84) He exerted notable leadership and had the desire to â€Å"save the Union. † A debate concerning states’ rights commenced with Calhoun and Jackson on different sides. While Calhoun worked to defend the rights of the South, Jackson â€Å"did everything within his power to work out a compromise. † (Remini, 103) The president had successfully avoided armed conflict and the breakup of the Union by issuing the Compromise Tariff of 1833. The Indian problem proved to be an â€Å"ugly contradiction to the general democratic mood of the Jacksonian age. (Remini, 105) While many Americans felt Indians blocked the progress of â€Å"the civilized white man,† Jackson felt they made notable advances. He acted out of concern for the well-being of the Indians, moving them out west of the Mississippi because â€Å"it was necessary to preserve [their] life and culture. † (Remini, 113) Apparently, the democratic government freely elected by the people had solved the Indian problem to its own satisfaction. It is â€Å"a terrible contradiction† that a powerful democratic nation had solved one of its problems by the â€Å"near extinction of the entire race of people. Despite the severity and the cruel nature of the matter, what Jackson did was possibly the only course of action they could take. With such an explosive fervor for land and expansion, the Indians were at threat, and Jackson had placed them beyond â€Å"the reach of injury or oppression. † (Remini, 120) Book III, titled â€Å"The Growth of Presidential Power†, concerns the struggle between the President and Congress. The Bank War, a substantial issue under Jackson’s administration, runs through the entire last third of The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson. A quote from Henry Clay calls it a â€Å"revolution†¦ tending towards a total change of the†¦ character of the Government. † (Remini, 124) The Bank of the United States had gained a considerable amount of power, controlling financial operations of the entire country. Such privileges â€Å"ran contrary to the spirit of this democratic age. † (Remini, 128) Jackson, thinking that the Bank was dangerous to the government, wrote a veto message and sent it to Congress in 1832. It â€Å"changed and amplified the fundamental power of the President. (Remini, 134) Whereas previous vetoes were issued by question of constitutionality, Jackson believed the President can veto a bill when he felt it harmed the nation. This interpretation of presidential â€Å"prerogatives† changed the relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government. The Presidential Election of 1832 was the first election in which the American people were â€Å"actually inv ited to decide an important issue. † (Remini, 140) Also, the selection of candidates was conducted in a more democratic manner than ever before. The election marked the beginning of the end for the Bank of the United States, and it also signaled the democratization of the electoral process. â€Å"A climate of respect and regard for the popular will† had risen, and this was â€Å"one of the great contributions of the Jacksonian era. † (Remini, 151) â€Å"’The President is the direct representative of the American people,’† said by Jackson, was truly a revolutionary statement. It â€Å"certainly did not accord with the practice or beliefs of previous Presidents,† and it â€Å"restructured the government to the advantage of the executive branch. (Remini, 165) Many prominent figures such as Calhoun and Clay rose up against the President and accused him of despotism. However, finally finding acceptance of his theory, Jackson altered the essential character of the presidency. The President from this point on became the â€Å"true† head of government. Remini finally finishes his book with a conclusive chapter. He praises Jackson for increasing the number of ordinary individuals involved in the functioning of the government, exercising a leadership new to presidential history, and redefining the presidency in its relationship with Congress and the people. The Jacksonian Era broad about a â€Å"new breed of politician who preached the doctrine of popular rule,† and represented the political beginnings of modern America. (Remini, 178) Thesis The author explicitly states that â€Å"the revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson changed much of America’s way of life. It established the nation’s basic political practices and patterns. It stands at the beginning of the modern America we have inherited. † (Remini, ii) Jackson was one of the people, spoke for the people, and acted for the people. He was the people’s President, and because of his beliefs, he revolutionized American politics. America was changed forever. Politically, Jackson created a truly popular government in spirit. The people of America were always supporting the President, whose first election was already the most enthusiastic of the time. More of the masses began voting and more of them began looking at the candidates running in office. The rotation system even brought more of the people themselves into office. Activity in the political parties sparked and contributed much into the dvancement of democracy within the nation. Andrew Jackson ultimately â€Å"brought the people and the government closer together. † The time period was thus coined the era of â€Å"Jacksonian Democracy. † (Remini, 66) His leadership created a precedent for future presidents to come. His â€Å"desire to save the Union† did save the Union in a time when the issue of slavery first made its way over the country. The way he handled the issues was unmatchable, as proven from the failure to avoid the Civil War decades later. Remini, 84) Also, as a President who â€Å"had sworn to uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute the laws of the United States,† he did â€Å"not tolerate defiance of the national government,† exercising the use of government military strength. (Remini, 102-103) A result of the Bank War was an increase in presidential power. Jackson’s relentless use of vetoes proves that. The War also â€Å"altered the fundamental structure of government. † (Remini, 123) When Congress declares a bill constitutional, it doesn’t mean that it has to be signed. According to Jackson, if one feels it unconstitutional, it isn’t necessary. It is up to the people, who are â€Å"equally entitled to protection by law. † (Remini, 136) The conventional system was also changed by the age of Jackson. â€Å"More people were involved in the process†¦ They represented every section, state, class, and economic interest and most political views in the nation. † The system provided for electoral success and the purposes of democracy were well served. The traditional notion that voting was only for the rich vanished, and Jackson changed the entire direction of government. He â€Å"marked a new beginning in American political history† by saying, â€Å"The President is the direct representative of the American people, and he is elected by the people and responsible to them. † (Remini, 165) This revolutionary philosophy changed the course of presidential history and its relationship with the Congress and its people. Remini, again, emphasizes the influence of the revolutionary age of Andrew Jackson, which created fundamental practices for the future. Though it was a time of departure from traditional operations of government, it represented the political beginning of a modern America. Critique Robert V. Remini is qualified for being a notable author, clearly demonstrating his scholarship in the Jacksonian Era from his many novels about the time period. Though retired from teaching history and humanities at the University of Illinois at Chicago, he still retains his title as a venerable professor. Not only is he consultant to â€Å"The Papers of Andrew Jackson,† the â€Å"official project which will publish all of Jackson’s important papers and correspondence,† but he is also Historian of the United States House of Representatives, commissioned to study and document its past. Goodman, 2) Even Christina Jeffrey, a visiting Professor of Politics at Coastal Carolina University agrees, saying that â€Å"he is beyond question superbly qualified to be Historian of the House of Representatives. † He is, without denying, â€Å"one of our greatest living American Historians. † (Goodman, 4) Remini’s The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Ja ckson employs many quotations from many documents of the Age of Jackson, which primarily give the novel a more narrative feel as well as provide evidence for Remini’s claims. Throughout the novel, many quotations were taken from prominent historical figures, travelers, and foreign visitors during the time. For instance, Remini was describing the changes of American society, and the words of Daniel Webster proved that the Jacksonian Age was â€Å"wholey [sic] of a different character from the past† while the words of an Englishman stated that the continent â€Å"present[ed] a scene of scrambling and roars with greedy hurry. † (Remini, 5) At one point in the novel, instead of telling the death of Rachel, Jackson’s wife, in a factual, unadorned manner, the author describes the scenes with vividness. According to Remini, Jackson had â€Å"spent the night by Rachel’s side, his face in his hands, grieving†¦ He would look into the face and feel the heart and pulse of the one to whom he was totally and utterly devoted. † (Remini, 28) As shown, the effectiveness of the presentation is not only enhanced by authentic pieces of hard evidence, but also augmented by the author’s style of writing. Robert V. Remini presents a thesis with plenty of evidence to justify his claims about the Jacksonian Era. Much of it is from dialogue of significant people and common folk which significantly raises the book’s credibility because change in American life an’t be proven without what people have actually said during the time. And all this evidence is structured in such a way that the Age of Andrew Jackson comes alive in all areas of life: political, economical, and social. All these aspects of life were delved deep into, and Remini made sure that each one was explained to the fullest in as little bias as possible. Modern day government was sparked by the Age of Jackson, which Remini fully explains, and the change that he talks about is undeniable. The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson proves to be an interesting book. Richard Norton Smith, while commenting on one of Remini’s works, praises him for having research that is â€Å"impeccable, his storytelling on a par with his outsized subject. And what a story he has to tell. † (Goodman, 3) Remini purposely sets up his story with such a fashion that Jackson turns into a protagonist while the others turn into antagonists. Jackson is a hero who had sworn to â€Å"uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute the laws of the United States† and his enemies such as Nicholas Biddle were described as â€Å"arrogant† with â€Å"questions about [their] integrity. (Remini, 102) This book is highly recommended for its novelty in history telling and its fundamentality to an understanding of contemporary American government. Evaluation The American Pageant and The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson, though drawing upon the same conclusions, treat Andrew Jackson’s career quite differently. The American Pageant expresses more o f a negative tone toward the man than does Robert V. Remini. The spoils system, for example, was treated quite differently. Remini’s book calls it the â€Å"rotation† system, and treats it as a great democratic tool that brought about a closer relationship between the people and its government. The textbook, on the contrary, emphasizes the scandal when one million dollars was extracted from the Washington government by Samuel Swartwout. Although The American Pageant affirms the fact that the system was â€Å"an important element of the emerging two-party order,† it accentuated the negative aspects of the system rather than the positive, which contrasts greatly with The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson. (Pageant, 263) The nullification crisis during the 1830s was also treated in different manners. The textbook credits Calhoun for saving the country from armed conflict. He was â€Å"the true hero of the hour,† not Jackson. Instead, the President was a â€Å"cantankerous general† and threatened the states if they were to secede. (Pageant, 265) The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson disagrees, praising the President as a man â€Å"sworn to uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute the laws. † (Remini, 102) Both texts, however, agree that the next time the â€Å"nullies† and the Union clash, it would be a time when compromise would prove more elusive. The Native American problem was also presented differently. The American Pageant noted Jackson’s â€Å"callous jibe at the Indians’ defender,† the Congress, and his harsh comment, â€Å"John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it. † (Pageant, 267) Yet, Remini goes on to explain that Jackson â€Å"acted out of concern for the well-being of the Indians and for their civilization,† which completely opposes the first description. (Remini, 111) It was undeniable that these views are at odds, but the fact is that the Indians were moved to reservations after having attempted to assimilate them into white culture. The American Pageant only spends a few pages on the President and doesn’t go quite as far in depth as Remini’s The Revolutionary Age of Jackson. It is interesting to note the different views of President Andrew Jackson. Some may view him as a very controversial man, while others may view him the same way Remini does. The facts are given in The American Pageant, but The Revolutionary Age of Andrew Jackson gives the facts and tells an intriguing story that speaks of the triumphs of a once living symbol of American democracy.

31 Ways a Freelance Writer Can Increase Productivity (And Earn More Money)

Its your year to start freelance writing. Yes, youve mulled it over and finally have taken the first step to becoming a freelance writer. But, theres one that that can hurt your chances at ever making a living as a freelance writer. Its the distraction. Distraction from people and social media. Even after three years as a freelance writer, I still have to stop myself from diving into Facebook or spending a few minutes on Pinterest. I know that if I allow myself that time, an hour will be wasted. So, how do you increase your productivity as a freelance writer? Lets look at 31 ways freelance writers can be more productive and earn more money. 1. Have a Workspace This might seem like a silly thing, but there are a whole bunch of freelancers out there trying to have a business on their couches! Please dont do that. Create a dedicated workspace to do your client work. My husband works downstairs in his office during the day, and I work upstairs in our bedroom. Nowadays you can pick up a desk and computer chair second hand or if you are bootstrapping it work in your kitchen. Be careful though. The height of your table when youre typing can ruin your hands and cause pain. Standing may be a better option. 2. Have Your Necessities Near By Distractions will creep up when you have to leave your workspace to get a drink of water or grab a snack or get your phone. Instead, decide beforehand what necessities you need to have a productive workday. For me, they are: Water bottle Hair tie Headphones Fruit Pen Notebook Whenever I take a quick break, I have everything I need nearby. 3. Listen to Music Music improves your mood and gets you focussed. Peoples minds tend to wander, and we know that a wandering mind is unhappy, Dr. Sood said. Most of that time, we are focusing on the imperfections of life. Music can bring us back to the present moment. Listening to music helps you write faster and come up with more content ideas. I still listen to the same album whenever I write for my clients. I have conditioned my brain to associate this music with writing, and as soon as I hear it, I am in my writing zone. And whats more important, the type of music you listen to Baroque music improves concentration and productivity. 4. Use a Productivity App If classical music isnt your thing, try an app instead: Brain.fm Coffitivity [emailprotected] Brain Upgrade 5. Create a Habit The best thing you can do for your freelance writing is to make it a habit of writing every day! When you write every day, you become a better writer, learn to optimize your time better and be more efficient with your learning. But, how can you write every day if you work 40+ hours a week that sucks the creativity out of you by the time you come home? First, decompress with whatever you need to do spend time with the kiddos outside, bike ride, shower, TV, music, books, etc.. Then, read a blog post or two to ease yourself into the writing mode. From there, get your necessities and write anything like: A Tweet A LinkedIn post A Facebook post Your to-do list on Trello An outline of a sample piece A blog post (dont have a blog? Start one here!) Respond to an email you received Your freelance writing pitch A guest post 6. Get Dressed This is for the stay-at-home moms like me 🙂 I tend to lounge around in my classic yoga pants and sweatshirt. But, you know what? When I look frumpy, I feel frumpy. And this zaps my creativity. So, I found that if I just do a little better with my dressing you know, nicer yoga pants and a nicer fleece or wrap depending on the weather and a touch of makeup that my creativity shoots through the roof! And even though I promote writing in your pjs (because thats really the best!), only do that occasionally 🙂 7. Remove Distractions To be more productive as a freelance writer, try removing the most distracting parts of your day. For example, social media is a HUGE distraction for me. As a way to limit that distraction I can remove my Facebook news feed. And thats another reason why I listen to music so I dont hear the doorbell ring or my husband in the kitchen cooking his lunch. 8. Have a Work Schedule and Stick to It Working for yourself will feel very liberating. Taking that break in the middle of the day will be exhilarating. It was for me! But, I learned I wasnt as productive as I could be if I had a schedule to follow. Now I do. My schedule has changed over the years, but for now, its: 8-9 am chores + get twins ready and off to school 9 am- 12 pm Email, client work, blog posts, Pinterest graphics 12-1 pm lunch + chores 1-3 pm Client work, learning time, blog post writing, social media 3-8 pm chores + family and kid time, supper, bath, bed for twins 8-11 pm Blog post writing, course lessons 9. Plan Out Your Projects One of the things freelance writers need to know is how to structure a blog post. I go into this in Write Your Way to Your First $1k, but for right now, what I can mention is to work on the core parts of a blog post or whatever your project is. For example, if a client wants a blog post, I would make sure to work on: Headline Hook (introduction) Subheading points CTA Screenshots of what Im talking about Source links When you have a system of how you handle your projects, youll work faster overall. 10. Write When the Kids Nap For the moms out there, no house cleaning during nap time! This is the time you need to work on your freelance writing business. I know, its tough when youre staring at a sink full of dishes or a bucket full of clean laundry. When my twins napped, I did as much as I could with them awake. My twins enjoyed spending time with me helping me sort the laundry and playing with the pots and pans while I put the dishes away! I was less guilty, then, when they did finally nap, that I could get the time to find freelance writing jobs. Figure out what works for you. If that means only working during nap times 3x a week, thats better than working during the fringe hours of the day. 11. Use the Pomodoro Technique The Pomodoro technique is a lifesaver for work at home moms with little ones! Children have a short attention span, so if you can work when they are playing and then take a break when your children lose focus, its a win-win in the house. The Pomodoro technique goes like this: Work uninterrupted for 25 minutes (I did it for 20 minutes as my twins were little at the time) Take a 5-minute break ( I took a 10-minute break to do an activity with my twins) Work uninterrupted for 25 minutes Repeat Do a few chunks of this and then take a longer break 25 minutes to 1 hour depending on your needs. This is a flexible schedule that you can adapt and it works! It keeps you focused on what you need to do during that time. 12. Hide Your Phone Im going to age myself here, but after my twins were born and I started freelance writing, I lost interest in my phone. Before twins, I used my phone constantly because I worked outside the home and my husband and I would venture out around the town. But, with twins, I stayed home more and now that I freelance write, I dont venture out as much (although now that the twins are older, we are going out more). So, if you live by the phone, try moving it to another room while you do your work. It will be hard I know, but trust me, you wont implode without your phone! 13. Drink Copious Amounts of Coffee Coffee is my vice. On bad days I can drink up to three cups. Its not good for the nerves, but coffee can help you be more productive. You are more alert, and you can act on your actions easier. So, if you can, start your writing with a cup of coffee. 14. Automate Parts of Your Business I love my business tools! They help me streamline my business, increase my work production and decrease my stress. I feel that part of the investment in your business should go to tools and services. My top three are: Tailwind for automating my pinning strategy ConvertKit to grow my email list Contena to help me find freelance writing jobs quickly (as this mama has NO time to search countless job boards) 15. Create Templates When I write my content pieces, I generally follow a template. This just makes writing easier and faster. You can also create templates for your pitches. As a new freelance writer, youre going to be hustling hard and pitching many times a day. As a way to maximize your time, you can create a standard template for your pitch emails. I dont suggest you send the same pitch to multiple job offers. Instead, use it as a framework to write a personalized pitch. You can draft one up in Evernote or Google Doc or your notepad. Just have it handy when its time to pitch. 16. Create a Swipe File A swipe file is a place where you store: Reference sites Landing pages Sales pages Blog posts Screenshots of social media posts Business blogs You can save whatever you like as long as its a way to help your freelance writing (and save you time). For example, I have a swipe file of sales page copy. I like to view other sales page and their copy techniques to help me with my sales page copy. Similarly, you can swipe blog posts that you find well written or have good sources. 17. Bulk Your Blog Post Content When I have a large chunk of time, I like to bulk up my content. This means I pre-write several blog posts for my blog. If you have a blog as a way to help you land clients, you can spend a day or two writing blog content and drip this content out over several months. In my first year as a freelance writer, I had a full plate of client work. But, I wanted to continue to grow this blog, Elna Cain. So, I asked other freelance writers if they would like to contribute to a blog post. I interviewed several freelance writers, and this helped me get content on this blog for a whole month or more. 18. Track Your Time Do you know that if you simply track your time when you work, you can effectively double your productivity? Alexa of Single Moms Income, tried this method out When I decided to start tracking my work from home time I made a rough list of things that I had to get done for the week and began working. I would write down the exact time I started, what I was working on and when I finished that particular task, Id write the exact time again. I wanted to be thorough so I could report back accurately. Only, writing down what I hadactuallyaccomplished made me want to keep adding to the list. The first day I tried this method I had myentire weeksworthof freelance articles done in one day with time to spare. (I normally space these out from Monday through Wednesday!) I havent tried this tip, but am interested in trying it out this year. 19. Wake Up at the Same Time If you do this full-time, you might be inclined to wake up whenever you want. While this is fine for the short-term, it wont help take your business to the next level. Waking up at the same time conditions your body to be ready for work. It also helps divide your day into your work tasks and personal tasks. When I started freelance writing, I made sure to wake up around the same time each day. And while my twins usually dictated when we woke up, I relied on my internal clock to wake me up. 20. Go to Sleep at the Same Time I know many bloggers that stay up until 2 or 3 am to write that blog post or email. Again, this is fine in the short run, but the best time to work and be productive is in the morning or mid-morning. And if you were up late last night, youre going to be groggy in the morning and probably not feel like writing. So, try to go to bed at the same time. For hubby and me, we try to be asleep by midnight. 21. Batch Your Tasks Batching refers doing one task at a time. You can batch your days out or hours out, or whatever metric is suitable for you. I typically batch my days out: Monday: blog post ideas for clients and my blog Tuesday: outline ideas + pin graphics Wednesday: email copy + social media + writing Thursday: writing, graphics, email questions Friday: course ideas, learning, email questions Try batching your tasks to help you streamline your tasks and be more productive. Heres what Lois of Fox Glove Avenue says about batching: OK, this one I borrowed -stole- from Elna. And its gold. For my blog-a-thon,I broke down the blog writing process into chunks and completed them in batches. I wrote all the headlines and outlines. Then I found all the links I wanted to include. Then I made all the graphics. Then day by day, I wrote the posts. Now that my blog-a-thon is over,I still batch all my posts for the month.Trust me, its a time saver. It does mean you have to have a basic content calendar in place. If the thought of this freaks you out, go and read the One Hour Content Plan by Meera Kothand. Ill eat my tutu if you dont love it. 22. Outsource There might be a time when youll get more inquiries for your content services than you have time for. This is a great time, and you should celebrate! But, instead of turning down work, why not outsource? This is what I did, and it helped grow my income. You can outsource parts of your service to free up time for you. I outsource writing and research mostly. Everything is run past me before I submit to my clients ensuring that its in my voice. 23. Sign Up for a Paid Job Board Look I dont have time to hustle anymore. I have several blogs, several courses, several Facebook groups, Pinterest groups, Facebook pages, clients andmore! Instead of checking many job boards, I just go to one. I can look at all the jobs curated all over online, filter them for just my niche and price point (high-paying of course) and find leads in under 3 minutes. 24. Type Faster An easy way to increase your income is to increase your typing speed. The faster you type, the more content you can pump out in a day, which can increase your daily income. Go to Key Hero to practice your typing speed and accuracy. 25. Find Your Writing Rhythm When you find your writing groove, youll type faster, make fewer mistakes and ideas will flow better. You are optimizing your writing skill when you find your writing rhythm. For me, when I have my associated music and am in my dedicated workspace, I can get in my writing rhythm pretty quickly. 26. Write First, Proofread Later This is a hard one for many writers. Their writing process may show that they self-edit too much, inhibiting the free flow of thoughts. For me, this is the hardest part of freelance writing. I tend to mull over sentences, change things up as I write it and it slows my process down. Im getting better though. The more writing I do, the better typer I become, helping me make fewer mistakes. Also, once Im in my groove, nothing can stop me! So, write first and let it sit. Have lunch, take a walk, cook dinner or whatever. You can go back to it the next day or later that day. Usually, youll have a better picture of what you need to change. 27. Create Public Goals Do you have a Facebook profile? Maybe a Twitter account? Use those social media platforms to share your goals with friends, family, and followers. Others can hold you accountable, making you increase your chances of succeeding. These goals can be writing goals, pitching goals, or client goals. Give your goal a timeline too. For example, For the next two weeks, Im going to cold pitch 5 companies a day. Root for me! 28. Give Yourself Deadlines One of the things I do with my client work is have the client deadline and my deadline. My deadline is usually three days before the clients deadline. Why do I do this? It motivates me to get the job done as fast as possible without ruining quality and when I can turn in my work early, I get big Brownie Points from my clients! And wowing your clients can mean more money in the long run! 29. Be Excited to Work This is for the old-timer freelance writers like me! Ive been doing this for three years, and there are days when this is just a job. I have no creativity to write, and it hurts to get those thoughts out. I have to stop all of that and fill my cup up with creativity and joy before I can write. This might be running, exercising, eating better, playing with my twins, going to the park, or having dinner with my hubby. The biggest help, though, is starting a blog! I meet new people, write whatever I want and have fun doing it! When Im happy, and my life isnt crazy, my work thrives. So get healthy inside and out before you write. 30. Use a Tool Your writing should be error-proof for your clients. I suggest you invest in a tool like Grammarly to help you with your editing process. I use the desktop version for my content pieces and whats nice is that Grammarly follows you online too! So, as Im writing this in WordPress, Grammarly is working, or when I write a message on Twitter, Grammarly follows! 31. Do the Scary Big Thing First This is based on the book, Eat That Frog. What this means is that instead of waiting around for that one big scary thing, just get it over and done with in the morning or before lunch. For you, it might be sending out your first pitch or doing a Skype interview with a client or writing that sample piece. Yes, its scary, but once you do it, youll feel relieved and exhilarated. And when youre happy, youre more productive 🙂 Increase Productivity in Your Freelance Writing Biz Today To make a living as a freelance writer, you need to handle the distractions that come into your life. If your home is too distracting, try going to the library or coffee house. If you gravitate towards your phone, hide your phone while you work. If Facebook calls you, kill the newsfeed. There are ways to limit distractions and increase productivity as a freelance writer. Now its your turn tell me your biggest productivity killer and what you do to stop that. Id love to hear it! Please pin me!

The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay Example

The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay Example The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay The political career of Kumaraswamy Kamaraj (1903-1975) spanning about 50 years, cutting across the colonial and post-independent phases, of Indian history, is indeed an enviable record. Representing a novel political culture neither bordering on Gandhian thought and action nor possessing the anglicised sophistication and cosmopolitanism of the Nehruvian vision, Kamaraj, rose from an underprivileged background, stood forth as a sober and robust figure winning the confidence and respect of the common people. He showed a rare political acumen and the uncanny ability to grasp social and political realities from the grass roots level upwards. A hard core political realist, his political life was never governed by any high theories or fancy jargon. Accredited with the capacity to be at ease with cliques, groups, factions and castes, Kamaraj applied his energies in favour of common people. Endowed with an extraordinary memory, his minimal formal schooling! was never a serious impediment. In fact rarely could a man from such a humble origin possess such knowledge about Tamil Nadu, be it geography or ethnography, which is beyond most intellectuals and academicians. Kamaraj rose from the lowest Congress ranks during the freedom struggle to become the president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Party for over 20 years (1940-1963) interspersed by short intervals, the chief minister of Madras (1954-1963) for nine years; and, as the president of the Indian National Congress (1964-1967), he assumed the crucial role of kingmaker. Kamarajs ascendancy is all the more significant because he belonged to the low caste Nadar community,1 which had a long history of struggle against social oppression and economic deprivation. The Nadars, originally known as Shanars, were found principally in the two southern districts of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. Palmyra climbing and toddy tapping were their traditional occupations. In the Hindu caste hierarchy the Nadars were ranked very low just above the untouchables and were forbidden entry into temples because of their association with alcohol. Mercantilism and Christianity played crucial roles in facilitating their upward mobility. Within a span of two centuries, they rose from near untouchability to a position of social and economic power. Though Kamaraj typified the Nadar success story he never was a leader of his community2 and transcended the bounds of Nadar caste identity3 dropping the caste title early in his political career. Hailing from Virudhupatti (now Virudhunagar), one of the early settlements of migrant Nadars, Kamaraj, born in 1903 into an ordinary small scale Nadar business family, was a school dropout at the age of 11 and for a number of years never had steady and proper employment. Kumaraswamy Kamaraj evinced interest in politics at the age of 15 when the news of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre reached his ears. Responding to the call of Gandhijis Non-Cooperation Movement, Kamaraj entered the freedom struggle as a Congress volunteer organising meetings, processions and demonstrations. He soon found an abiding place for himself in the Congress ranks as a gritty grass roots level, full-time worker and mass leader of the Congress; and he was imprisoned a number of times for actively participating in the freedom struggle. He spent a total of eight years in British Indian jails during six spells of imprisonment. When the Brahmin dominance in the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership4 was firmly entrenched and the rivalry between the two key Brahmin leaders, C Rajagopalachari and S Satyamurthi, was brewing, Kamaraj wove his way into the top echelons of the Tamil Nadu Congress organisation as the representative of the non-Brahmin enclave. The Brahmin image5 of the Congress found its affirmation at the hands of Rajaji when he introduced compulsory Hindi in schools in 1938 when he was the chief minister. This move was met with resentment and brought about an open confrontation between him and E V Ramasamy in 1938. A massive anti-Hindi agitation was launched by E V Ramasamy unleashing a vehement onslaught on the nexus between Rajaji, the Brahmin and Hindi, the Aryan language of oppression. 6 The statewide anti-Hindi campaign involved picketing schools, picketing in front of Rajajis residence and hunger strikes. E V Ramasamy was arrested in December 1938 and imprisoned for a year. This confrontation sharpened the conflict between the non-Brahmins and Brahmins within the Congress organisation. The agitation was continued till Rajaji had to opt for making Hindi an optional subject in schools in February 1940. At this crucial moment, Rajajis candidate, C P Subbiah, was defeated by K Kamaraj with the support of the Brahmin leader, Satyamurthi. Kamaraj was elected as the president of the Tamil Nadu Congress in 1940, the post which he held till he became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1954. The advent of Kamaraj as the party boss from a low caste non-Brahmin background made a powerful appeal to the vast non-Brahmin majority and attracted the non-Brahmin elites and the political-minded elements who had long resented the power and privileges of the Brahmins, and broadened the social base of the Congress. The non-Brahmin presence in the Congress gained ground, rallying around Kamaraj, a rustic leader who transformed the Congress into a peoples party championing the causes of the lower castes. Kamaraj grew steadily from strength to strength displaying his organising skills to control men and matters. During these years his contact with the people and the respect he commanded made his positio n unassailable. The untimely death of Satyamurti in 1943 improved his position and gave him a further lease of power. With the Congress machinery under his control, he overshadowed his party men and effectively reduced the Brahmin dominance in the party. As the party chief, Kamaraj commenced his active role in the successive elections of the Congress legislative party of Madras and was the prime author of installing three chief ministers between 1946 and 1952: T Prakasam, Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar and Kumaraswamy Raja. The next successor Rajaji was certainly not Kamarajs choice but was appointed by the Congress high command. The re-entry of Rajaji as chief minister8 without even an election could have derailed Kamarajs emerging equations with non-Brahmins. The die was cast when Rajaji, flaunting his authority, introduced a vocational educational scheme based on hereditary calling, which met with stiff opposition not only from the Dravida Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, but also from a large number of non-Brahmins in the Congress quarters. This educational pattern, aimed at imparting to school children the traditional caste occupation of their parents, came to be condemned by E V! Ramasamy as kula kalvi thittam, devised to perpetuate varnashrama dharma. Rajaji also took the drastic step of closing down nearly 6,000 schools, citing financial constraints. 9 E V Ramasamy campaigned against the new educational policy much to the chagrin of Rajaji. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), formed in 1949 by breaking away from the Dravida Kazhagam, also joined the crusade against Rajajis scheme. E V Ramasamy did not rest on his oars till the scheme was dropped. This second confrontation between them proved too costly for Rajaji. Rajaji, the statesman of Brahmin hagiography, had to bow out ingloriously tendering his resignation in 1954. Rajajis political vagaries in 1938 and 1953 meant the passing of Brahmins as the controllers of Tamil Nadus political destiny till the next four decades. With the resignation of Rajaji, Kamaraj was perhaps the natural and logical choice. At the meeting of the Congress legislature party on March 31, 1954, with Rajaji presiding, his arch rival and the target of his ridicule10 Kamaraj was elected as the leader, securing 93 votes as against 41 received by C Subramaniam who was propped up by Rajaji. 1 Kamaraj as Chief Minister Kamaraj was reluctant to accept the chief ministership but the circumstance prevailed upon him as there was no alternative to the kingmaker himself ascending the throne. 12 Kamaraj took the mantle from Rajaji, and formed his first cabinet, which did not contain a single Brahmin contrary to Rajajis first ministry in 1937, dominated by Brahmins. 13 The elevatio n of Kamaraj as the chief minister on the wave of opposition to the Rajaji scheme of education, led to the development of closer ties between Kamaraj and E V Ramasamy. The Congress gained the support of E V Ramasamy and Kamarajs equation with the non-Brahmins was kept intact. E V Ramasamy was all set to endorse his solidarity with Kamaraj on the grounds that in all these years he was the first and only non-Brahmin with Tamil as his mother tongue to become the chief minister; and for the first time a full-fledged ministry had been formed without a single Brahmin headed! by Kamaraj. According to E V Ramasamy all credit should go to Kamaraj for dropping Rajajis educational scheme despite opposition from upper castes led by C Subramaniam and Bakthavatchalam who were in favour of it. 4 Extolling Kamaraj as the pacchai Tamilan he urged his followers to extend every support to sustain the Kamaraj rule and prevent it from being ousted, as the interests of Tamils were safe in his hands. 15 However, Kamaraj did not follow the exclusion of Brahmins as a deliberate policy. In fact, Brahmins were incorporated into his ministry at a later stage, one of the promi nent gainers being R Venkataraman. For Kamaraj, E V Ramasamys open proclamation of support was a great source of strength, arriving precisely at the right moment when he himself was under pressure since doubts were being echoed.

Ariel Sharon- Crimes against Humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ariel Sharon- Crimes against Humanity - Essay Example The peacemaker image of Ariel Sharon is just one side of the story. Actually speaking, there is much about Ariel Sharon that makes him a controversial figure. Most of the world does know only the good things about Ariel Sharon. Yet, it is a fact that Ariel Sharon was involved in multiple crimes against humanity. Ariel Sharon was involved in many acts of gross human rights violations which lead to the killing of a number of innocent Palestinian civilians. Hence, it is a historical fact that Ariel Sharon happened to be an Israeli leader that committed multiple crimes against humanity and was directly responsible for the death of a number of Palestinian civilians. Everybody knows that in the 1948 war, Israel won almost seventy-eight percent of the territory that happened to be the home to thousands of Palestinians. Even after conquering these large tracts of the Palestinian territory, there was a section of the Israeli army that was not satisfied with this victory. There were many officers in the army of the newly found state of Israel who believed that Palestinians needed to be repressed and scared with the use of force. The purpose was to keep the Palestinians so scared that they do not dare to raise a voice against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. The other objective of the Israeli army was to take over such Palestinian territories that were yet not under their control, like Gaza, and the West Bank. Thereby the army of Israel planned an aggressive military strategy against the Palestinians that involved large-scale attacks and massacre of the innocent Palestinians.  

Partnership Working is Easier in Theory than in Practice Research Proposal

Partnership Working is Easier in Theory than in Practice - Research Proposal Example Organizations and practitioners involved in new programs must understand the goals and objectives and information concerning referral processes and qualification criteria. The extent of this understanding is critical to the success of any working partnership. An effective way of nurturing common understanding is to involve all stakeholders in the development of protocols, policies, and procedures that define the partnership (Clarke, 2014:24). Moreover, practitioners, who are not part of the main partnership, must understand the qualification criteria if the partnership is to succeed. The leaders of the partnerships should develop induction and continuous training, which is a constructive way of ensuring the existence of shared goals in the initiative. A history of sound and support joint working is an important element in the success of partnerships. For instance, in the UK, a past history of collaboration between doctors, mental health professionals, and mental health administrators created a new initiative to capitalize on existing informal communication processes and exploit the goodwill that that past experiences had nurtured (Elder, Evans, and Nizette, 2012:19). In many countries, positive strategic cooperation in the past, that may have occurred between various entities (e.g., welfare and private health agencies), have also been identified as supportive of working partnerships. Effective information sharing systems, including shared records and shared or common IT systems are factors that have been identified as enhancing working partnerships by facilitating faster and timelier evaluations of need. Effective communication has also been identified as supportive of priority management (Francis, 2014:12). Many types of research have demonstrated the importance of having enough finances to support working partnerships.  

Banyan Tree Research Essay Example for Free

Banyan Tree Research Essay 1. Growth and development of Banyan Tree. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a leading, international hospitality brand that manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas. From a single boutique resort in Phuket in 1994, Banyan Tree has grown into a multi-business operator globally. Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange since 2006, the group currently consists of 30 hotels and resorts, over 60 spas 80 retail galleries and two golf courses in 27 countries, with aggressive expansion plans for the future. Below shows the milestone of Banyan Tree Resort: Banyan Tree Group garnered some 117 international awards and accolades in 2010, bringing the total number of awards it has received close to 640 since the first Banyan Tree property opened in Phuket in 1994. In 2010, Banyan Tree Phuket and its Spa continue to be recognised by industry experts, having won 14 prestigious awards and accolades The Banyan Tree organization has seen very dynamic and expansive growth in the last few years. Banyan Tree attributes is success as a company to their strong brand recognition, command pricing, and superb management. Revenues increased from $187.3 (million) in 2005 to 335.3 (million) in 2006, which is an increase of 79%. In 2007, Revenue increased another 26% to $429, 859 (million). 2. Success factors of Banyan Tree Banyan Tree Capital has its own dedicated construction, project management and cost management capabilities, enabling it to fulfill the role of a developer and assume full ownership of any projects. * Brand Building Branding has started right from the locations of the Banyan Tree resorts and has been consistent through the designs, the facilities offered, and the ambience created in each of the resorts. In line with the â€Å"romantic escape for couples† theme, Banyan Tree has placed a strong emphasis on the locations as a key element of the brand identity. The company has chosen exotic locations with exclusive access to sun-bathed beaches, exciting environment around and a good transportation infrastructure to connect the resorts to the main destination highlights. * Company Growth and Health The Banyan Tree is a rapidly growing company with lots of investment all across the globe. Their expanding nature, coupled with a positive stock price, solid financial earnings, and continual success at all resort locations, is exceptional in the competitive hotel and resort industry. Not many hotel companies can brag about recent success like the Banyan Tree. * Good Brand communications Banyan Tree promotes their product through mass international media. They invite travel editors and writers who could potentially increase editorial coverage on Banyan Tree to use the service. This can make â€Å"Banyan Tree Experiences† distribute to people by word of mouth and it is more effective. It is also make brand awareness and brand value that generated largely through public relations and global marketing programs. * Being a socially responsible and environmentally sensitive organization Banyan Tree Exercise caution with respect to the environmental impacts of their operations, and taking an active role in the protection and remediation of our global ecosystem. * Creating a good culture By combining the Asian culture and heritage with world-class service and luxury, Banyan Tree has been able to build a brand that has appealed to people across countries in Asia and beyond, and successfully been capitalizing on the pan-Asian sentiment. 3. Marketing Strategies * Collaboration with marketing agencies Banyan Tree Holdings appointed a few key wholesalers in each targeted market and worked closely with them to promote sales. Rather than selling through wholesale and retail agents that catered to the general market, they chose to work only with agents specializing in exclusive luxury holidays targeted at wealthy customers. Global exposure was also achieved through Banyan Tree’s membership in the Small Luxury Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World. Targeting high-end consumers, they represent various independent exclusive hotels and have sales offices in major cities around the world. * Winning awards Banyan Tree resort management believe that to publicize their properties, word of mouth is more important than advertisement. Therefore, one of the marketing strategies they adopting is to win awards. Banyan Tree sought recognition in service, innovation and, more importantly, its environmental efforts. To date, it has won more than 570 awards, with two given last week for its excellence in social and environmental responsibility. * Expanding Brand portfolio Banyan Tree to come out with a brand extension in the form of Angsana Resorts (launched in 2000), targeted towards young families and at different price points – typically 20-30% lower than Banyan Tree resorts themselves. It also operates stand-alone Angsana Spas. These measures not only allow Banyan Tree to increase its awareness in new markets and gain international momentum, but also create a strong platform for a portfolio of sub-brands that can be a source of long-term revenue generation. * Online marketing Banyan Tree sets up company website to conveniently update latest information and offers for customers. In additional, the online website allows customers to do bookings for their holidays. Online bookings rapidly increase over the year and it definitely generated more revenue. 4. Future Challenges * Competition There is only one other resort that is comparable to the Banyan Tree: Amanpulo. Amanpulo is situated on a private island in Palawan. The island boasts white sand, crystal clear water and tropical vegetation. They, too, respond to a leisurely lifestyle for the affluent and rich worldwide. In addition, Amanpulo is just as concerned as we are in building environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing resorts. * Copycats The market is crowded with many entrants running similar branded resorts in the upper-end. Particularly in Asia Pacific, where Banyan Tree has its stronghold and traditional base, new entrants are facing only small barriers-of-entry other than huge capital requirements and availability of good locations. A new entrant can always try to copy the â€Å"romance-intimacy-rejuvenation† theme and replicate the serene locations with beautiful villas providing it at lower prices to gain foothold in the market. * Natural Hazards The Philippines sits astride the typhoon belt, which means it’s prone to be struck by dangerous storms. In addition, the country is known to be home of active volcanoes. Other natural hazards known to occur are landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis. * Environmental Issues Existing issues that the Philippines are dealing with, and trying to combat, are uncontrolled deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, coral reef degradation and increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps.

Analysis of the Korean Film Industry

Analysis of the Korean Film Industry CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This dissertation consists of six chapters. The first chapter gives a detailed background of the Korean Film Industry, its origin and development and how it has led to the so-called ‘Korean wave or ‘Korean fever†. It also explains this term in order to give a better understanding of the title. The next chapter consists of literature review, which will form the basis of the findings and the conclusion. The third chapter is a case study, I which the top films of Korea will be discussed and compared with some top Chinese films. The fourth chapter will go on to explain the methodology that will be used in this dissertation to facilitate the findings and arrive at the conclusion. It will explain the methods used in the research and the research questions around which the dissertation revolves. The third and fourth chapters will form the crux of this dissertation. The next chapter provides the findings and analysis of the study based on mostly on the literature review and the research method used. This chapter will deal with the analysis and evaluation of the Korean film industry with respect to the Chinese market and provide the answers to the research questions posed in the previous chapter. The last chapter, that is chapter six, will provide a conclusion, that is, a result of the findings and will be followed by recommendations to ensure that the Korean film industry continues to grow. 1.1 Background A countrys film industry represents the culture, and lifestyles of the people living in that country. The Korean fever or Korea wave is normally regarded as the substantially enhanced popularity of South Korean culture all over the world. Besides, it is regarded as Hallyu (Hangul: Hanja: RR: Hallyu), from the Korean pronunciation. In this connection, this term was coined in China in the middle of 1999 by journalists in Beijing, China, surprised by the rapid increase in the popularity of contemporary South Korean culture as well as entertainment business in mainland China. The Korean film industry represents the film industries of North Korea and South Korea. While both these countries have relatively strong film industries, only the South Korean Industry has been able to achieve international acclaim and recognition. The North Korean film industry still revolves around topics like communism and revolutionary ideas. As is the case with all other industries and aspect of life in Korea, its film industry has also had to endure the heavy influence of political incidents. Be it the Joseon Dynasty or the Korean War, the governmental influence is evident in the Korean cinema. Since the beginning, the Korean film industry revolved around such scenarios as politics, wars, and even the activities of the government. A number of variables, such as the impact of the strategies undertaken by the most successful Hollywood film producers, the availability of a large budget, and the quality of the films produced in Korea, itself had a profound influence on the film industry of Korea. 1.2 Development of the Korean Film Industry The first movie theatre of Korea was established in 1903. Before the existence of this movie theatre, the European and American films kept the Korean film screens occupied. Not only this, but in the period 1926-1930, it was the Japanese who owned, and operated the Korean cinemas. It was during this time that a series of films were launched, that provided the beginning of quality films in China. Despite the fact that the film industry of Korea was at its peak in the 1950s, yet in the 1970s and 1980s with the countrys rapid economic growth, the Korean government was under pressure to liberalize is import policies and financial markets for all industries. The film industry had depended upon the quota system to gain screen time for its product and to make sure a certain amount of revenue. The production of the Hollywood blockbuster films, itself, was a continuous threat to the film industry of Korea, not only in terms of its decreasing market share, but also down to the question of its survival. The market share was witnessing a downward trend because the Korean films were produced with a low budget and low quality in the face of the blockbuster films produced by Hollywood. As a result, the market share had dropped to as low as 15% in the late 1980s. However, soon after that, the transformation of Korean film industry had started, and Korean cinema earned recognition as a commercial cinema outside the country after the success of the blockbusters, such as the film â€Å"Shiri†. The movie was produced in 1999, and captured an audience of approximately 5 million people, making it to the top of the South Korean films. The film was so successful that it broke the records for the all time favourite, â€Å"Titanic†, and welcomed the entry of the many film prod ucers who were keen to produce internationally repudiated films for Korea. In the process, the market share of the Korean films rose to 39.7%. A number of Korean films followed the league of â€Å"Shiri†, and the fact that the government had introduced a new legislation, allowing a two day weekend for the Koreans, gave rise to the success of the Korean cinemas. In the process, the film industry of Korea was reported to grow by approximately 18% each year, and according to a variety of sources, in a period of nine years only, the market share of the Korean films had grown from 15% to 45.2%. This was taken as a good omen by many of the most successful moviemakers of Hollywood who immediately stepped in the film industry of Korea, in order to obtain licenses so as to reproduce those Korean films that had been the most successful on the box office. In these connections, the relations between national cinema and history is refraction, fluid rather than reflection, and what is intriguing about contemporary Korean cinema is how the shared political history of the 1980s has become a commercial lure for the audience. Recently, the popularity of the Korean films, Korean music, and even Korean dramas has been increasing in Asia, with the Chinese being the major viewers of such Korean television programs. With such immense success and popularity of the Korean TV programs in countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, along with other parts of Asia, it is not unusual to find the influence of the Korean culture and traditions, as portrayed on the Korean screens, on the Asians.   Due to this rapid spread of the Korean lifestyle, and culture in most of the Asian countries especially china, the Chinese used the word â€Å"Hallyu† to refer to the influence of Korean culture in other countries primarily through the media. This had been initiated by the broadcasting of â€Å"Daejanggeum†, a Korean drama, which made China the greatest victim of the Korean influence in 2005. Soon after, a number of articles on the new Korean wave began to be featured in journals, magazines, news papers, etc. It was even believed that the major reason for the Korean influence lies in the fact that the Korean government took advantage of the Korean screens to step out of the financial crisis, thus taking major steps to promote their film industry, and export their films. The fact that China and Korea share some similarities, not only in terms of their culture, but also down to civilizations and philosophies, explains such a deep impact of the Korean films on the Chinese. Today, both North Korea and South Korea have extremely flourished film industries. However, when it comes to global acclaim, it is undoubtedly film industry of South Korea which seems to capture the international market. The movies of North Korea focus more on rebellious, radical and insurgent themes. 1.3 Structure The aim of this research is to evaluate and analyze the relative success of the Korean film industry, and the influence of the Korean cultures in many of the Asian countries, especially China. The focus of this thesis is attempting to summarize and analyze whether and how this Korean wave is shaped in China mainland market and how it has impacted to Chinese audiences by critically commenting the latest top five Korean movies compared with the latest top five Chinese movies, reviewing the previous research findings and performing box-office performance analysis in the captured period. This will give information as to how the Korean film industry has impacted the population of China. It also aims to analyze the factors that have led to the Korean fever, and to what extent have the Chinese been influenced as the Korean traditions become prevalent in China, and other parts of Asia. The area of the research will mainly focus on the Korean film industry, as well as the film industry of China, since the top movies produced by both the countries will be compared. The area of the research will also include the other Asian countries, and the Korean cinema influence on their activities. The research objectives involve analyzing the performance of the Korean movies and the impact that they have had on Asian markets, in particular, China. The research methodology The data in this thesis is analyzed using a variety of sources. First of all, the box office performance is analyzed over the recent period, the data obtained from the Korean Film Council. The data captured from this source helped assess the market performance of the Korean films. The data is further broken down into sub-periods in order to evaluate the dynamics of the Korean films market performance. Finally, appropriate statistical techniques are used to assist our analysis. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Korean Wave The   â€Å"Korean Wave† or   hallyu ( à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã…“à «Ã‚ ¥Ã‹Å") refers to the time period of 1990s, when Korean culture was internationally visible, not only in East Asia but even countries like United States saw a rapid surge of Korean values. Television serials, pop music, feature films and other musical forms are all part of the wave phenomenon. As the Korean wave is associated with the spread of Korean culture, it is referred as both national and a trans-national phenomenon. A great number of researched have been conducted to evaluate why and how pop culture of Korea was famous in other countries. These two regarding the success of Korean wave are distinct but not so related to each other. When government use sales figures of other countries to measure the success of Korean wave, overseas consumers are considered the arbiters of Korean culture. This signifies the ironic impact of the success of Korean culture; not only people in Korea but non Korean consumers are also being entertained by the Korean media. Infact, it was a Chinese journalist who coined the term ‘Korean wave or (hanliu à ©Ã… ¸Ã‚ © à ¦Ã‚ µ?) to describe the surprising effect of the rapid increase in popularity of contemporary South Korean culture as well as entertainment business in mainland China. Researchers believe that Korean wave is the interaction of many fields. The variable of pop culture existing in phenomenon of Korean wave has allowed it to be studied in cultural studys field (Chua and Iwabuchi 2008; Howard 2006). It is also studied along the dimensions of marketing and business, as government, promoters and corporate agents were selling the Korean culture as a commodity in the international arena.   (Cho and Kang 2005; Han and Lee 2008; Kim and others 2008; Lee, Scott, and Kim 2008). It was also evaluated as being an important concept in the political arena. The Korean government undertook measures like subsidizing the cost of reediting for the international market. Such policies and regulations by government ensured that the Korean film industry expanded successfully in other countries. (Chua and Iwabuchi 2008, 28). Suddenly, Korean government started using pop star figures to attract tourists.   (Yu-Shan Lin and Hwang 2008). 2.2 Growth of the Korean Culture In 2003, when a Korean drama serial ‘ Winter Sonata was broadcasted by Japaneses stations, it quickly became popular. Suddenly, yhe Korean mass culture gained popularity in Asian countries ( HAN, 2004:124-125) along with the word Hallyu. The word Hallyu was then associated not only with the rapid spread of Korean culture but also with the economc boom in Korea. According to G, a researcher at SAMSUNG Economic Research Institutute,   Korean wave or Hallyu was developed through four stages. In the first stage, Korean culture became popular with the increased production of films, and dramas. Second stage signified the increasing demand of products associated with the famous pop idols. In the third stage, people moved on to buy Korean goods and services like electronic products which were not directly related to pop stars. People perceived a desirable impression of Korea in the fourth stage of Hallyus developmental; cycle. 2.3 Changes in Korean Domestic Market Okon Hwang and Hillary Finchum-Sung are two researchers who were concerned with the effects of Korean Wave on the local market. Essay written by Okon Hwang title ‘No ‘Korean Wave Here: Western Classical Music and the Changing Value System in South Korea attempts to evaluate and analyze the positive impact of changing the flow of information on the successful expansion of a countrys culture. According to statistics, there has been a rapid increase in the Korean TV programs exported since 1988. This growth rate of export was more evident during the spread of Korean wave and with a sudden decrease in the foreign TV program in Korea. Since the launch of broadcasting industry in Koreas, majority of the shows broadcasted were American programs. Factors like lack of technical skills, experience and technological equipments hindered the production and the broadcast of local TV shows. The national broadcasting station of Korea was established in 1961, and since then it was dependent on foreign TV programs to fulfill the entertainment needs of the population. It was America that introduced TV sets, radio, transmitters and colored became possible when international firms gained a consensus to stop the manufacturing of monochrome TV sets. (JOUNG AND JANG, 2000:142) An audience rating survey in 1996 reflected that American programs were most popular among the Korean population. The time allotted to the broadcast of these shows increased till mid 1970s, after which more local TV programs were broadcasted. Although American TV shows like wonder women, six million dollar man, bionic woman were very popular during 1970s, but at the same time local shows increased in quality and the audience rating for them surged rapidly. A fall in the import of American TV programs was not only due to the improvement in production and broadcasting technology, but government regulations contributed significantly to reduce imports.   An order of military government to broadcast limited number of shows resulted in a competitive race between the broadcasting stations where each and every station was striving hard to increase the ratings of domestic shows. The audience rating thereby, compelled broadcasting stations to improve the quality of local shows, develop a bet ter infrastructure and acquire superior equipments. Moreover, Asian games and Olympics held in Seoul contributed a lot in increasing the audience rating of the local programs. While Korean TV shows gained popularity in 1980s, the market share of Korean films did not increase till 1990s. From the 200 movies that were produced during 1970s, only a few of them were able to break the records. Contrasting to the broadcasting industry, film industry produced movies since 1960s and was exposed to the stringent control and regulations by government. The government not only controlled the production and distribution facilities of films, but the censor department limited the freedom expression by controlling the content of movies. The establishment of the ‘law of cinema reduced the number of production firms from 70 to less than 20 and import restriction made it difficult to acquire imports without the permission of government. The year 1984 proved to be a turning point for the Korean film industry. It was during this year that censorship standards and import regulations were revised. Moviemakers were able to release movies simply after filling a permission fo rm and foreign films gained an entry in the Korean market escalating the competition level. 2.4 Changes in Broadcasting Regulations and Policies The following section has categorized the growth of Korean broadcasting industry into five stages and explains the policies of government during those stages. In the pre-takeoff stage, the TV broadcasting was not considered very important. A small number of studios existed and number of TV viewers was also limited. Authoritarian regimes existed in Korea during this pre-takeoff stage and throughout this time local media was used according to government objectives and mission. Only those dramas and movies were broadcasted which were I n line with the aims of the government. The interests of state were valued more than the interests of public (KWAK 2009). The government controlled the entry, the content and the distribution channels as well. The laws such as ‘practice outline, ‘administrative advice and ‘purification of the broadcast ensured that government controlled each and every stage of broadcasting from production to distribution of movies and dramas. In 1945, the Japanese movies, music and dramas were banned in Korea which compelled local broadcasting stations to improve the local dramas. During the transition from pre-take off to take off 1 stage, the broadcasting stations expanded rapidly, and government started imposing rules and regulations. The government control was also backed up by the military control of the government. In the takeoff stage 2, all stations were unified into two networks. In the maturity stage, the democratization of politics greatly affected the cultural industry.   Commercial broadcaster entered the industry and government viewed this industry as a potential one in terms of supporting the economy. There was a shift in paradigm and government undertook several policies in 1990 to support the industry. These included: Ownership for commercial broadcasting Outsourcing production programs was allowed Human resource training of broadcasting professional Participation in trade fairs was encouraged A broadcast video industry promotion plan was introduced All these policies supported the broadcasting industry to move from the maturity to the expansion stage. 2.4.1 Effects of These Policies The control of foreign flow of information and the supporting policies contributed immensely to the growth of the cultural industry. Allowing the outsourcing of production programs meant that there an   increase in the independent production companies which created a competitive environment causing different station to find ways to increase the quality and standard of services if they were to remain in the industry. The infrastructure facilities supported the growth of small firms which handled operation for the independent companies. The ban of Japanese programs proved as an incentive for the local producers. However, some other government policies like increasing the participation in trade fairs was not effective as many negotiations were done outside the fair. The direct financial supported did not have any significant impact on the export of domestic programs as large proportion of it was given to the documentary programs. 2.5 Changes in the Film Industry This section has grouped the development of film industry in four stages. The film industry existed for many years unlike the broadcasting industry. Expanding the domestic market size of film industry proved to be difficult because of the different economic environment of the film industry. The advertisements were the most important source of revenue for the broadcasting industry; thereby it was related to economic development of country. However, the source of revenue for the film industry was sales in box office and for that it was necessary to produce some block buster movies. In the pre- takeoff stage, government introduce ‘law of cinema to support the industry. It believed that it was important to increase the size of production companies and for that it restricted the entry in film industry. It became essential for companies to have a certain amount of production facilities and equipments before they could enter. Moreover the policies related to censorship made it difficult to export film in foreign countries. In the take off stage, theatre entrance fees was increased, which contributed to the expansion of market size. Although the strict policies of censor existed as well as other governments controls, still the market was seen to expand with just the increase in entrance fees. In 1984, when restrictions were removed, the film industry moved to the maturity stage with number of film companies increasing, talented people were attracted and it appealed the electronic companies as well. Foreign distribution companies entered the local market, increasing the standard of competition. In the expansion stage, the quality of Korean movies increased significantly and various Korean movies won international awards. 2.5.1 Effects of these changes The introduction of screen quota system ensured that a certain budget and screening time was allocated to movies.   The educational support by Korean Academy of Film Arts supported the industry by providing talented actors. Indirect financial system such as loans proved to be an incentive for moviemakers. The foreign distribution policies such as supporting filmmakers to participate in international festivals helped in making global networks. 2.6 Positive Effects of the Korean Wave As mentioned above, Korean government contributed a lot towards the development of the Korean wave. The government aided the media industries, broadcasting stations and networks to expand and promote the Korean pop culture internationally. The main aim behind this action was to boost up the Korean economy and develop a positive national image. The government was successful in achieving both of the aims. Korean pop stars attracted attention of viewers all over the world. Korean government took advantage of their increasing popularity and used them to gain attention for other commercial sectors such as the tourism sector of Korea. The success of TV drams like â€Å"Winter Sonata† attracted tourist from around the world who visited Korea especially to see places where this drama was filmed. Businesses like travel agents were also taking advantage of the situation by customizing the themes of group tours according to the themes of different dramas for e.g. a tour was titled â€Å"Best of Korean drama trailer deluxe tour†. Pop idols or drama stars revolutionized the consumer culture of Korea. Food and fashion trends (including make-up, clothing) were changing and consumers all over Korea were suddenly following their favorite drama stars. Theses consumers called themselves the members of ‘Korean tribe. Consumers not only imitated the fashion style of their idols but went ahead to look like their idols with the help of plastic surgery. The posters and pictures of Korean stars were seen everywhere, from backpacks to notebooks and the wall. For example, Inlingua School in Singapore reported a 60% increase in the number of students willing to learn Korean in 2003 as compared to 2001 because of the attention generated by Korean movies and dramas. Almost every organization in the Korean economy benefitted from Korean wave. Pop stars were used to sell different goods and service. Celebrity endorsements were used extensively to promote superior brand image. Pop idols took advantage of their gaining popularity through several means. According to news, Actor Kwon Sang Woo charged $200 for some seats at a fan meeting in Tokyo. Tickets were also auctioned online for as much as $500. Moreover, according to a match making service, the role of pop stars as being romantic lovers led to the perception Korean men were generally like that in real life as well. It was due to this fact that more than 6400 female required match making services to find suitable Korean lover for them. The impact of the Korean wave was not only limited to the Korean economy, but it affected the lives of pop idols themselves. After Korean wave, Korean male celebrities like Bae Yong Joon were one of the highest paid actors in the worldwide film industry.   There are some positive impacts associated with the consideration of Korean wave as a transnational phenomenon. Apart from earning foreign currency for the local economy, it helped in improving the foreign relations of Korea. Korea had a long history of diplomatic frictions with the neighboring countries. Korean soldiers fought against the Liberation Army of Vietnam and it established ties with Beijing in 1992 at the cost of its relations with Taipei. 2.7 Negative Effects of the Korean Wave Korean wave has been criticized due to several reasons. It isbelieved that it was introduction of foreign films in Korean cinemas that threatened the Korean culture. According to a Chinese news magazine, government of South Korea was representing its culture as the essence of Asian culture.   Before the Korean wave, classical music has been a part of cultural accomplishments and was a source of pride for the Korean population. But after the Korean wave, classical music and culture was suddenly replaced by the pop culture. Increasing Demand for the pop culture was no longer considered a problem and government exported it to foreign countries. There was an overall change in the conceptual framework as the Ministry of Sports and tourism promoted venues and advertising campaigns by incorporating classical and pop culture.   Finchum-Sung explained how the dynamics of these new measures resulted in the formation of new form of cultural production. The neighbouring countries of Korea undertook several measures to protect their own entertainment industry. Chinese media limited the amount of time for the broadcast of Korean dramas. The government of Vietnam also threatened to ban Korean shows if the number of Vietnamese shows on Korean television was not increased. Taiwan also considered limiting the foreign shows played on national television. All these examples prove that countries were retaliating against the success of Korean wave. 2.8 The Korean Wave in China and Japan The development of the Korean wave phenomenon was most evident in China and Japan because of several reasons. The culture of Korea, China and Japan are very similar to each other. the Korean wave initially began in China, which is the most attractive and profitable market for the Korean products. Japan also happens to be the biggest consumer market of Asia. According to Jung, Japanese TV dramas were creatively transformed for the production of Korean dramas which contributed immensely to the increasing popularity of Korean dramas among young people all over Asia, including Japan and China (Iwabuchi 2008, 153). In fact the concept of Korean wave has generated a new dimension in the one way flow of globalization and researchers have been forced to revise it (Kim Sujeong 2009; Jeon and Yoon 2005). Korean wave is an appropriate example of mutual circulation of cultural values between the non-western countries. It questions the existing theories relating to the belief that information flows from western to non-western countries. According to the imperialism theory, capitalist societies of west have threatened the growth of non-western cultures and have homogenized them. (Schiller, 1976, 1991; Hamelink, 1983; Mattelart, 1984). Even during 1970s the unilateral structure of information flow was based on dependency theory suggesting that information was sent by First World countries and received by Third World countries. In 1980s, some new approaches developed with the growth of media in Korea. These new approaches extended the application of imperialism domination to the field of communication technology. However, this was also criticized by researchers, (Tomlinson, 1989 ; Friedman, Pieterse Hall) according to whom the information was not exchanged unilaterally.   The imperialism theory was then replaced by globalization, which promoted a greater understanding of diverse cultures. (Friedman, 267. Pieterse also argues that the impact of non-western culture on west should not be ignored (Pieterse, 307~9). The growth of global television in 1990s contributed significantly to flow of information from Asian economies to western economies. (Barker, 1999). As the media in Asian markets grew, western TV programs were imported to these nations while at the same time TV programs of these nations were exported to western countries. Therefore Chan (2000) addressed that China could be a centre of this unique mass cultural expansion in Asian regions. 2.9 Factors Supporting the Korean Wave in China There are many contextual and textual factors that are thought by researchers to have facilitated the rapid expansion of the Korean wave in China. Contextual factors are all those which consist of the wider aspect of Sino-Korean relationship as well as the various changes in China which helped in the diffusion of Korean culture in China. These factors include the relationship between China and Korea, the cultural exchange in Asia, the reforms in the Chinese culture â€Å"industry† and the Chinese audience. On the other hand, the textual aspect has more to do with the strength of the Korean drama and includes factors like the similarity between the cultures of the two countries (resulting in an emotional involvement) and the fact that the Chinese audience see the Korean cinema as a mixture of traditional values with modern style, which adds to its appeal. 2.9.1 Contextual Factors Contextual factors consist of wide aspect of Sino-Korean relationship as well as varied changes in China, which supported the diffusion of Korean culture in china. Sino-Korean relations and cultural exchange within Asia There have been historical and geographical connections between China and Korea. The relations between both the countries have been strained since the communist regime. However in 1992, diplomatic relations improved leading to superior economic and cultural ties. Due to its open policy, china has always permitted the expansion of foreign culture in its region. Many cultures like Japanese, and Taiwan were imported to China. By 1990s, Korean culture also started spreading rapidly in China. China has been a hub of Confucianism for many years. Socialist culture was not a source of satisfaction for Chinese people. Western culture was also not popular among Chinese people. They did not accept Japanese culture as well, and the roots of these sentiments were embedded in historical Japanese invasion of china. It is believed that Chinese people were looking for their identities when Korean culture was introduced in China. Chinese people had anti-Japan and anti-war sentiments but no anti- Korea sentiments existed. In fact Korean culture was perceived as a favourable culture, with a lot of talented people. Chinese cultural industry The cultural market of China has always been highlighted due to its open policies. These