Lacan, Foucault, Sedgwick, Binary Essay Example for Free

Lacan, Foucault, Sedgwick, Binary Essay The world consists of a collection of dual concepts. Things either are or they are not, especially at the level of conception. One is either alive or dead; there are no in-betweens with this notion. In the essay, The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as revealed in Psychoanalytical Experience, Jacques Lacan describes a certain binary that takes place, and interacts, within a child as soon as they learn to recognize their own image. Lacans recognition of this initial dualism that takes place in an infant, leads to the recognition of several other dualisms. Michel Foucault speaks of a binary when speaking of sex and sexuality in chapter one of The History of Sexuality, Volume 1, an Introduction. In the second Axiom from Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick discusses the heterosexual and homosexual dichotomy. Lacan believes that after eighteen months, a child discovers its libidinal dynamism (1286). Libidinal means psychic and emotional energy associated with instinctual biological drives. Dynamism means active and interactive movement. Through action and interaction with its psychic and emotional energy, instinctual biological drives in a childs mind. It is through this dual and cooperative interaction between the physical and metaphysical, in the mirror, that a child begins to form identification with itself and its reflection. Via this reflection, the child will see its body as Gesalt, a collection of parts of the whole (Lacan 1286). The child views the sum of its biological, physical, and psychological bodies as an entire unit; being made up of several different parts, and at the same time just a singular object. The child recognizes and views its reflection in relation to its surroundings, i. e. urniture, itself, its mother, yet this realization that unites the childs parts to form a singular I. This mental permanence, meaning the child will permanently see itself as I, is what will alienate others due its large singular view of itself, and not a view as part of a whole. With the childs actualization of its image and that it can be seen and interpreted, it shall then recognize a binary of physical reality and dream reality. The dream realm is a reality of sorts, in the sense that it is real because it is experienced. That dream realm is then filled with not nly the childs own image, but the image of the physical world it inhabits while awake. This I image is thus residing in the spectrums of this binary where its realities exist both in the physical world and in the mental world. The mirror stage itself is an entire dualistic concept. On one hand, it marks the initial conception of self-actualization, while on the other, maps the libidinal normalization process. Foucault outlines the history of sex in terms of children, how they communicate it, who discusses it, and where it resides in the binary. Children have for many years had a freedom of language with their mentors in relation to sex (Foucault 1654). This is to say that there was less shame in the attitude towards sex. It was a very openly discussed topic outside the realm of perversion and deviance. It was not until the seventeenth century that the French bourgeoisie placed a censorship on all speech that was of sexual manner. Children, across all social classes, gradually became more silent in regards to their sexuality (Foucault 1654). This notion of silence is where duality comes into to play, or lack thereof. Foucault defines silence as the things one declines to say, or is forbidden to name, the discretion that is required between different speakers, (1654). Foucault views silence as a non-passive action, even if it may appear to be doing nothing. One can convey a message just as effectively, and arguably more, by remaining silent than actually speaking. Silence is something that functions alongside speech in such a way that it becomes difficult to differentiate the two in terms of the outcomes they produce. Foucault acknowledges this lack of binary by stating that there is no division to be made between what one says and what one does not say (1654). In terms of the government enforced censorship on sexuality and speech during the 1600s, this silence surrounding sexuality spoke volumes more than explicit dialogue about it. During this time another binary became prevalent, the public and the private. While the people remained relatively silent in public, they were conversing greatly privately. In the 1700s this silence multiplied the forms of discourse on the subject of sex (Foucault 1655). The topic of children sex exploded with many participants partaking in the discussion. There was a great market for this discourse on sex that included the realms of medicine and politics, often interweaving the two. The topic of sex was forced out of the private realm into the public. Foucault says that sex has become something society cannot speak enough about, that [society] convinced [itself] that [they] have never said enough on the subject, throwing society onto a perpetual search for answers (1657). The sexual realm does not reside in the binary of public and private, of being secret or outspoken, yet resides in both. It is because of this need for secrecy that sex has taken such a firm place outside of being a secret. Foucault says society teeters on the middle of the binary system of public and private, that society has consigned sex to a shadow existence, but that they dedicated themselves to speaking of it ad infinitum, while exploiting it as the secret (1658). The history of sex is a prime example of a concept being able to reside in the realms of the public and private binaries, and at the same time residing in neither. Sedgwick claims that sexuality lies in a realm separate than that of gender. She defines chromosomal sex as that of biology that follows the strict XX and XY chromosome pattern of distinction among Homo Sapiens (Sedgwick 2439). She defines gender as an elaborate and rigid social production that strictly serves the binary of only male and female (Sedgwick 2439). She then defines sexuality as an array of acts, expectations, narratives, pleasures, identity-formations, and knowledge, in both women and men that focus on genital sensations, but not adequately defined by them (Sedgwick 2440). She states that gender is only one dimension of sexual choice and that sexuality strictly deals with how the individual feels and has no relation to, or effect on, procreation. Whereas chromosomal sex is strictly based on procreative purposes since it lies in the realm of biology, where a sexed male and a sexed female are the only sexes that can reproduce with each other. This notion thus makes sexuality the polar opposite of chromosomal sex, rather than gender being its opposite, in the binaries. She states that both gender and sexuality are concepts to be chosen. The differences between them are that gender serves the binary of male and female, while sexuality, contingent on the individual, are not limited by such a simple binary. This binaries construction was only to serve the male identity. Sedgwick says that any system with gender at its focus will have an inherent heterosexist bias, meaning that the female gender is constructed as a supplement to the male identity (2442). That the binary by which gender is trapped only exists because it required being a binary, the female gender only exists because the male gender required a counterpart. The binary of heterosexual and homosexual fits a deconstructive template more so than the binary of male and female, thus rendering sexual orientation and gender different. All people at birth are publicly assigned to one of two genders and because of this are forever unalterable. Sexual orientation, on the other hand, is often times rearrangeable, ambiguous, and has a doubleness quality to it that allows for easy alterations (Sedgwick 2444). Sedgwick does not find the gender binary to be one of complexity, but of a rather simple and unchallengeable one. She states the essentialism of sexual orientation is less easy to maintain, incoherent, stressed and challenged (Sedgwick 2444). There is a contradictoriness to Sedgwicks claim that sexual orientation is easy to alter and rearrangeable, yet at the same time less easy to maintain. It is, however, this seemingly contradictoriness that makes sexual orientation different from the gender binary. It is this complexity and fluidity that gives sexual orientation its ability to make leaps and bounds across its multinary systems. The most important aspect of the difference between gender and sexual orientation is the fact that one can choose their sexuality, but not their gender. Lacan, Foucault, and Sedgwick all deal with historical values. That is to say, they deal with issues and topics that occur at the early stages of young life, thus making these dealings at the conception level of thought. Lacans mirror stage describes a childs actualization of self. Foucault deals with the history of sex and the history of childrens conception of sex. Sedgwick discusses the differences of sex, sexuality, and gender. The uniqueness of Sedgwicks notion is that gender is assigned at birth and can never be altered. This ties into Lacans mirror stage where once a child realizes its image, and the placement of that image in the world it lives in, it can never un-see that image, and moreover, can never remove that image from its surroundings. Foucault greatly discusses children in his chapter, however he does not delve deeper as to what about children relate to their sex. Sedgwick supplies contextual substance to Foucaults article that deals mainly with the history of sex and not the sex itself. Lacans concept of self-actualization of the I, can be coupled with Sedgwicks gender assignment at birth, that the I is gendered, and will effect, and often dictate, the childs asymptomatic journey to reach it. Lacans concept of the binary of physical and metaphysical realization of self-image, is the basis for a binary discussion, something either is or is not physically here. Foucault discusses the history of sex and how a binary of speaking about sex or remaining silent does not exist. Sedgwick deals with the gender binary. This theory of dualism, binaries, dichotomy, lays foundation for these authors, and philosophers, and their works.

The problem with Management of Police Corruption

The problem with Management of Police Corruption Introduction Police corruption is a problem facing many global law enforcement systems. Most countries are faced with challenges of dealing with corrupt police women and men who undermine enforcement of the law. Police corruption involves acts of misconduct aimed at obtaining personal benefits, financial gain or advancement in careers which are performed in exchange for selectively pursuing or not pursuing an arrest or investigation (Peter 74). There are many forms of police corruption and one of the most common is acceptance of bribes in order to ignore arrest or investigation of certain criminal activities. In the US, this form of corruption is seen where organized crime such as prostitution or drug activities are concerned. Another common form of police corruption especially in the US is flouting conduct and procedures to gain conviction of a suspect. This may take the form of falsifying evidence which implicates a suspect. In rare cases, police participate in criminal activities. Most law enforcement agencies do not state statistics of police corruption due to fear of loss of public support for the force in fighting crime. However, it is acknowledged that police corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to fighting of crime. It is even harder to fight organized crimes since in many cases; police officers receive payment to protect the criminals. In countries such as Mexico, fighting drug use is a serious problem since most police officers are corrupt and protect the drug lords. This paper will evaluate poli8ce corruption, the forms it takes and appropriate recommendations which should be implemented in order to end the vice and ensure equal application of the law. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end. Forms of police corruption There are various forms of police corruption which are witnessed in the police force. These will be briefly discussed below; Opportunistic thefts This is a form of police corruption where officers engage in theft whenever they encounter an opportunity which facilitates the same. This is a major challenge facing the police force since it is difficult to prove opportunistic thefts by police officers in courts of law. An example of an opportunistic theft may occur when officers recover stolen property or money but intentionally undervalue it in order to keep some for themselves. Others may arrive at accident scenes or murder scenes and steal valuables from the injured or dead. In certain cases, police officers steal money or valuables from people they arrest. Such forms of corruption are difficult to prosecute since in most cases there are few if any witnesses who witness the crime (Roleff 16-18). Protection of illegal activities Protection of illegal activities is one of the greatest challenges facing established law enforcement agencies across the world. There are many police officers who are involved in protecting perpetrators of organized crime and in many cases, such officers have high authority. This makes it difficult for junior officers to arrest and prosecute such offenders (Jerome 8). Organized crimes such as sale of drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and gambling usually thrive due to protection from police officers. Usually officers are offered cash incentives or other benefits which compromise their principles. In yet other cases, police officers are either blackmailed or threatened with harm to their families or themselves in order to guarantee their protection of illegal activities. Such forms of police corruption are also difficult to prove in a court of law since organized criminals are usually intelligent and hide their activities very efficiently. Police officers who protect them also m ake prosecuting such criminals very difficult. Corruption of authority This is a form of corruption which involves the reception of free meals, drinks and gratitude from people the police are supposed to serve. This form of corruption may or may not be originally be intended to corrupt the police officer. Sometimes the public gives officers free gifts as a means of appreciation for services rendered. However, over time, this culture leads to corruption in the police force since officers feel obliged to serve people who reward them more efficiently than those who do not (Punch 53-58). Some corrupt individuals may also use such gifts as a means of blackmailing officers to perform specific services which may not be lawful. Many police departments have outlawed the reception of gifts of any form by police officers from the people they serve. Direct criminal activities There are cases where law enforcers including policemen directly commit crimes which they are supposed to prevent. Such police officers commit crimes while disguised as civilians and this makes it difficult for other law enforcers to arrest and prosecute them. Police officers have sophisticated training beyond that possessed by ordinary civilians and they are likely to leave little evidence when committing crimes which creates a challenge of prosecuting officers who engage in crime. Some officers have also been known to lend their weapons or uniforms to criminals who may commit crimes which masquerading as police officers. Other collaborate with criminals to commit crimes especially crimes involving stealing of large sums of money such as money escort services. Police officers who commit crimes are usually sacked fro the force and prosecuted as civilians. However, as was previously mentioned, their knowledge of handling weapons and gathering evidence makes tracking and prosecuting su ch officers difficult. Sabotaging criminal cases This is a serious form of police corruption which involves directly sabotaging evidence or court processes in order to ensure that a particular suspect is found not guilty and released. Some officers tamper with evidence gathered or intentionally do not follow rules of gathering evidence in order to ensure that suspects are released on a technicality. Other do not attend court sessions when summoned in order to ensure that there is inadequate evidence against a suspect. In extreme cases, officers have been known to aid the escape of suspects from custody. All these are serious offences since they undermine the justice system and prevent guilty people from being prosecuted for crimes committed. Solutions for preventing corruption in the police force There are various recommendations which may be useful in discouraging police officers from facilitating or engaging in criminal activities. These will be discussed below; Legislation Legislation is one of the most effective deterrents to crime. Harsh fines and sentences usually deter criminals from engaging in criminal activities. This form of deterrence also applies to corrupt police officers. Heavy punishment and fines against police officers who are proved to be corrupt in court will act as deterrent to other officers who are considering engaging in criminal activities. Legislators should pass laws which encourage stiff sentences to officers who engage in corruption. Local police departments should also develop tough policies which discourage corruption against police officers. These policies should encourage the sacking of officers who are found to have engaged in corruption at any level. This will encourage officers to follow their code of conduct and observe equal application of the law to all. Effective remuneration In many countries, police officers are underpaid and they are forced to work in dangerous conditions with little or no incentives. In fact, many officers are unable to cater for the basic needs of their families on their income alone and they are forced to supplement their income with income from other activities. This is one major factor which encourages police corruption. Many officers engage in corruption due to an inability to sustain their families with the income they earn (Tim 31-37). They are forced to engage in illegal activities in order to supplement income. Effective remuneration of officers including adequate allowances will reduce their motivation to engage in corruption and it is likely to reduce cases of police corruption significantly. Sensitizing police and the public Police and the public should be sensitized on the adverse effects of corruption in the police force as a long term solution to police corruption. This is the most effective solution to the problem of police corruption. The police should be informed that corruption goes against the oath they took and that it destroys the fabric of society. They should also be aware of the consequences of being caught practicing corruption. The public should also be made aware of the harm caused to society by collaborating with corrupt police. They should understand that corruption within the police force makes society unsafe and causes an upsurge in criminal activities (Prenzler Ransley 78-83). Community policing should be encouraged and communication avenues given to the public to report corrupt police women and men. Recording contact with public Recording contact between officers and the public is very effective in reducing corruption. Many officers are unlikely to engage in corruption if they are aware that their actions are being recorded. This is an effective strategy which has worked well in the US where police cars have cameras which record contact between such officers and the public. However, it must be noted that this is not a very effective long term solution to corruption in the police force since police have devised other methods of practicing corruption away from the glare of the camera. It must also be noted that such recordings are usually effective when police officers are dealing with relatively minor offences such as traffic offenses. Summary and conclusion Police corruption has been seen to be a serious problem affecting society. Although there are few statistics on police corruption, the effects of police corruption are clear to all. Various types of police corruption have been discussed and these include opportunistic thefts, protection of illegal activities, corruption of authority, direct criminal activities and sabotaging criminal cases. These forms of corruption lead to an increase in crime and few prosecutions of criminals. Solutions to the problem of police corruption include legislation, effective remuneration, sensitizing police and the public and recording contact with public. Once these recommendations are implemented, cases of police corruption will drastically reduce.

Race: Is It a Valid Issue? Essay -- Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Race: Is It a Valid Issue? Biological advancements such as Darwinism and Mendelian genetics had a profound impact on the study of race in the scientific community. These new concepts eventually led some scientists to question the validity of traditional notions about race. The resulting debates continue even today. The idea of race, especially in citizens of this country, evokes strong feelings because of the enormous social implications associated with racial identity. The social connotations of racial categories have had a profound influence on the way scientists understand human variation. Early ideas of race were colored by these connotations, and they still play a critical role in the way we understand race today. This paper will explore, with an emphasis on historical context, the current debates over whether to continue to inlude race in scientific, and especially medical, studies. Recently, some scientists have advocated the elimination of race from scientific studies altogether. They argue that it is not a useful category for the study of human subjects. Others argue just as strongly that it is. It will be helpful to first examine the historical development of the concept of race before examining the usefulness of race in scientific investigations. Race is a relatively new concept. Ancient civilizations, though they encountered and included people from many different parts of the world, did not make social distinctions based on physical appearance. They distinguished people according to customs and religion; not race. Acclaimed classicist Frank M. Snowden writes: The Egyptians, whose contacts with Nubia dated back to the Old Kingdom, did not usually designate Kushites by color terms. Though the monarchs of... ...ction. New York: G. P. Putnam's 1940. Sauer, Norman J. "Applied Anthropology and the Concept of Race: A Legacy of Linnaeus" Race, Ethnicity, and Applied Bioanthropology. Ed. Claire C. Gordon. Arlington, VA: National Association for the Practice of Anthropology 1993. Shanklin, Eugenia. Anthropology and Race. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company 1994. Smedley, Audrey. Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview. San Francisco: Westview Press, Inc. 1993. Snowden, Frank M., Jr. Before Color Prejudice: The Ancient View of Blacks. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP 1983. Stepan, Nancy. The Idea of Race in Science: Great Britain 1800-1960. Hamden, CT: Archon Books 1982. Williams, David R., Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, and Rueben C. Warren. "The Concept of Race and Health Status in America." Public Health Reports. 109, no. 1 (January/February 1994): 26-41.

Brave new world - Embrace misfits? :: essays research papers fc

Embrace misfits? People in today's society tend to be "normal" and have a place to "fit" into our society. However, there are those who are "abnormal" and do not "fit". In today's social order, it is "normal" for those who "fit" and those who do not "fit" to co-exist. In the novel Brave New World, those who do not "fit" are cast out onto an island far away from civilization. Those who are cast out are referred to as misfits. Looking at Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World as a guide, should we embrace or shun the misfits in our own world? When a world is manipulated it is insufficient and flawed since those who have created it are imperfect. There are different types of misfits in the book Brave New World. They represent and illustrate how man will never have full control, or are able to improve an already perfect world. The following paragraphs will discuss that by abolishing feelings, individuality and intellect to per fect a community, faults and outcasts are emphasised. In the world today, people are encouraged to value the family. Incorporated with a family is sex. A portion of females in our society today, are brought up to cherish their virtue and taught that sex is a very sacred and special thing that should be only shared with the one you love. Unfortunately, with so much resting on the importance of sex and love people may be come infatuated with it and sometimes even obsessed. â€Å"Mother, monogamy, romance. High spurts the fountain; fierce and foamy the wild jet. The urge had but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder these poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn’t allow them to take things easily, didn’t allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy. What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remorse’s, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the pover ty – they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly (and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation), how could they be stable?† (Huxley 41). This suggests the way of living in the World state sees love, romance and sex as a flaw in our society today. However their mistakes of such assumptions are represented in misfits who do not share the same instincts as the other citizens of the state. Brave new world - Embrace misfits? :: essays research papers fc Embrace misfits? People in today's society tend to be "normal" and have a place to "fit" into our society. However, there are those who are "abnormal" and do not "fit". In today's social order, it is "normal" for those who "fit" and those who do not "fit" to co-exist. In the novel Brave New World, those who do not "fit" are cast out onto an island far away from civilization. Those who are cast out are referred to as misfits. Looking at Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World as a guide, should we embrace or shun the misfits in our own world? When a world is manipulated it is insufficient and flawed since those who have created it are imperfect. There are different types of misfits in the book Brave New World. They represent and illustrate how man will never have full control, or are able to improve an already perfect world. The following paragraphs will discuss that by abolishing feelings, individuality and intellect to per fect a community, faults and outcasts are emphasised. In the world today, people are encouraged to value the family. Incorporated with a family is sex. A portion of females in our society today, are brought up to cherish their virtue and taught that sex is a very sacred and special thing that should be only shared with the one you love. Unfortunately, with so much resting on the importance of sex and love people may be come infatuated with it and sometimes even obsessed. â€Å"Mother, monogamy, romance. High spurts the fountain; fierce and foamy the wild jet. The urge had but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder these poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn’t allow them to take things easily, didn’t allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy. What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remorse’s, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the pover ty – they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly (and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation), how could they be stable?† (Huxley 41). This suggests the way of living in the World state sees love, romance and sex as a flaw in our society today. However their mistakes of such assumptions are represented in misfits who do not share the same instincts as the other citizens of the state.

Transhumanist Philosophy Essay -- Future Science Fiction

Imagine that you are able to teleport to the not too distant future. In this world you discover that disease and poverty are no longer causes for human suffering, world hunger has become eliminated from society, and space travel is as easy as snapping your fingers. Cryonics, nanotechnology, cloning, genetic enhancement, artificial intelligence, and brain chips are all common technologies at a doctor’s office. You gasp as a friendly sounding electronic voice cries out, â€Å"Welcome to the future Natural!† You are unsure of whether being called a Natural is an insult or not, so you feign a half-hearted hello at the posthuman in front of you. Getting over the initial shock you ask the posthuman, â€Å"Who are you?† The posthuman gives an electronic sounding chuckle and shakes his head. He replies, â€Å"I am a Posthuman, and you Natural, are in Utopia. Welcome.† Sounds pretty science-fiction based right? Well, to those who follow the Transhumanist philosophy, a â€Å"utopian† world could be a reality. Susan Schneider a philosophy professor at University of Pennsylvania defines Transhumanism as a â€Å"philosophical, cultural, and political movement which holds that the human species is now only in a comparatively early phase and that its very evolution will be altered by developing technologies† (271). In simple terms, transhumanists believe that the human species is in its early phase. Our species is a work in progress and our evolution will be altered by advancing technologies. With these advancements in technology, transhumanists have optimistic plans about the future. Transhumanists hope that as our current technology advances we will soon be able to create superhumans or â€Å"posthumans†. According to the World Tanshumanist Association a... ...d, working definition of what a person is, enhancing will be newest fad. Humankind is on an irreversible evolutionary journey where super-intelligence will be the normal IQ for children, war and death are no longer terms in the english dictionary, and being 1,000 years old is considered young. It is a bright and prosperous future looking through the lens of a transhumanist. One that I cannot wait to see through bionic eyes. Works Cited Brooks, R. A. 2003. Prologue, In: Flesh and Machines: How Robots Will Change Us, Vintage. Elliott, C. 2003. Humanity 2.0. The Wilson Quarterly, 27(4): 13(8). Schneider, S. 2008. Future Minds: Transhumanism, Cognitive Enhancement, and the Nature of Persons. Forthcoming in: Penn Bioethics Reader. Accessed online July 20, 2010: http:/repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=neuroethics pubs

Influences on the Philippines Essay

Although some may have had a longer lasting impact on the Philippines each one helped create the Philippines to what it is today. India has influenced the Philippines in all aspects of life, from writing, music, and language to even religion. Because of the high trade between India and the Philippines India was able to have a huge impact on the Philippines. Some religion that can be seen from Indian influence is Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. This can be seen in the most southern island, Mindanao. Some Tagalog words are even Indian influenced, such as mukha (face), putong (turban), and guro (teacher). Just like India the Chinese have also left a mark in the language but that is not what they are most known for. The Chinese has left many different types of food in the Philippines that are now in the every day lives of Filipinos. Some famous Filipino dishes that are Chinese influenced are pancit, lumpia, and lechon. Some chinese influenced words are susi (key), pinto (door), and kuya (older brother). Some very important influences from the Chinese that as help revolutionize the Philippines is the use of metal and gunpowder. It would then help give Philippines the power to defend itself later on. Probably the most influential group of people would be the Spaniards, which was during the colonization of the Philippines by the Spaniards. Even the name of the Philippines was given by the Spaniards, which was named after the king of Spain Philip II. Going along with naming, a lot of surnames of Filipinos are Spanish influenced as well. Religion probably had the biggest impact on the Philippines because the majority of Filipinos are Roman Catholic. Filipinos follow Hispanic traditions when it comes to religion and some festivals are also Spanish influenced. Just like the Chinese and the Indians the Spanish also had an impact on the language of the Philippines. The language of the Philippines is a melting pot in itself because of the different words derived from other languages. Last but not least the Americans also left a mark on the Philippines during the wars. The Jeepney is a popular form of transportation and can be seen all over the Philippines. After World War II there were many military standard jeeps that were left behind in the Philippines. As innovative as Filipinos are they used the jeeps to their advantage and thus created the Jeepney. English is probably the second most spoken language in the Philippines. An English speaker would not have any problem trying to make their way through the Philippines. The Philippines continues to grow in itself with the everlasting influences of the many countries that came to the Philippines.

Online Business And Internet Strategies Essay

Internet presence for a business is a powerful communication and advertisement tool. Using a website to sell a physical product, a service or an intellectual property, becomes an incredibly cost-efficient business tool. Online businesses are environmentally friendly and a sign of professionalism today. Business through Internet can help to increase the projected revenues for any product that can be conceived. Marketing over the internet also means that there would not be any worries about the attrition of employees or inventory liability. Potential buyers are better expected to find a website of your business than about you or your country.   Choice of Business Focusing on a business sector like the providers of corrugated-paper boxes to large businesses, would be great idea to start. With its uniqueness, this type of online business venture will also ensure that online competition is minimal. Of course they are many prospects that are untapped in this field. The target market for placing online orders of paper boxes would be: Large fast-food chains that are expanding their businesses in newly liberalized economies of Eastern Europe. (UNCTAD, 2005) Small and large courier companies that rely on huge quantities of paper boxes for every kind of shipment. Businesses and shops of any scale and any location would require efficient packaging material. Other online businesses that require to ship physical products to their customers like online art auctions, gift sellers and gadget showcases, may require fluctuating quantities of paper boxes. Since they cannot stock such an item as packaging material, the best option would be to purchase the required quantity online. Capital and Infrastructure The main advantage of setting up this online business would require minimal investment at the onset just as in any other online venture. Another positive is that the customers usually pay upfront in online businesses, so the cash conversion cycle would always keep the business with cash-in-hand. Major chunk of initial investment would be towards: purchasing a suitable domain name that either resembles â€Å"paper box† or the region where the potential customers are located. For instance if McDonald’s from USA is planning to set-up new outlets in Eastern Europe, then the domain name could be www.boxesineurope.com (this domain is available) purchasing a suitable website hosting service provider (hosting company for website space and website design) by checking that company’s website. One should be thorough about a web-hosting provider’s integrity and background as many of them stoop to blackmail their clients if they see a profit-making business. So, it is imperative for the safety and security of my business as well potential clients. cost of â€Å"search engine optimization† of websites should be taken care of at the design stage itself. Websites that are better optimized for search engines, appear at a higher rank than other when a search of a particular â€Å"term† is run on the popular search engines like Google. Most importantly, all the results with the term â€Å"paper box providers in Eastern Europe†, apart from my website, would be my competitors. So I would be pro-active in spending some amount getting a better ranking on search engines. there would be random costs involved that include the cost of getting a high speed internet connection, setting up communication network with local manufacturers of paper boxes, office equipment etc; of course my own basement will serve as office. Strategic Alliances The most important business partners could be located online and the best way to check their authenticity, quality and service would be to set up meeting with them, if they are geographically approachable. Otherwise, even through good business proposition email, any business would like to expand and extend their network. (NFIB, 2002) Most important allies for my website www.boxesineurope.com would be quality manufacturers of boxes. Again, their website, portfolio and background would be a good measure of their reliability.   Marketing My Online Business Website: Promoting a website means to increase the number of visitors reaching the webpages. Larger the number of visitors, higher would be the probability that their visits would convert into potential business or purchase. So increasing website â€Å"traffic† would be the main aim of any online business; including mine. Here are few options that I would explore to improve the visibility and accessibility of www.boxesineurope.com: In order to get the most of search engines, I would keep the website search engine optimized and updated. A part of revenue will be diverted to professaional optimizers. For instance Google recenlty annouced that more than 5 billion searches took place on their search engine in a month of 2005; even a conversion rate of 5% can give huge returns on the amount of money spend on search engine optimization. To put it simply, even if 5 out 100 visitors on my website, turn into actual customers, then cost accrued in bringing those 100 visitors bears huge profits. (Gonsalves, 2006) I would use online advertizements, banners and sponsored links on the websites that my potential customers are likely to visit. Since, the target market is widely distributed, sales professionals or procurement personnel of my potential customers are likely to search for few specific terms. (NCC Ltd   2007) Websites that are non-competitors for my business but show on such search results, became an ideal business partners for exchanging website links. As people who likely to be their customers may reach my website and potential buyers of paper boxes may reach their website. Sponsored links through search engines can help me to generate revenue even if I do not sell the product showcased on my website. So, it’s an alternative tool to generate capital that could be invested in online advertizements. To keep customers coming back the focus would to upgrade/update the website frequently. I would keep changing product picture and text design without compromising on the sober looks of the webpages. Posting periodic newsletter on the site would be a good idea to to provide something new to read for the visitors. Once the website popularity improves, I would focus on building a database of my consumers or those who simply enquired about the products. Such a database will provde invaluable and dividing visitors into segments will be very useful for launching targeted marketing campaigns. There are also advanced software to help in refining online marketing to different sets of customers. (Business Link, 2007) Email: Since the online business marketing is for the net users, emails would provide useful for building relationships and keeping my acquaintances aware about my business. Periodic emails, popularly known as newsletters can assist to update the customers about offers. Email is a less intrusive mode than telephone marketing. I would be searching the liason offices and business personnel of potential customer and send them personalized emails. Hiring a third party for doing email marketing may prove illegal in case they try to spam. (Prodesk, 1999) Short Messaging Service: Marketing via text messaging is a viable option as almost everybody carries a mobile phone these days. However, I would be careful to not to invade privacy by sending unsolicited and unexpected messages to unknown people. Though equipped technically and planned well ahead of time, even an online business would require certain ethics that I would never violate. I would ensure that customers get exactly what they order and in the promised time. website visitors will always be secure regarding their personal information and banking credentials like credit cards, debit cards or any other mode of transaction. there would be strict filtering for spam, viruses and any other security threats for the website visitors and customers alike. investment would be timely to keep the technology and the content of the website updated to real time ie an outdated or irrelevant information would never be displayed. With these marketing strategies and plan for online business, I am confident of setting up a viable internet business enterprise. REFERENCES    United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2005) Report : â€Å"Eastern Europe remains top FDI destination†. Available on: http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/eastern-europe-remains-top-fdi-destination/article-143913 National Federation of Independent Business. (2002). â€Å"Benefits of Online Services to Independent Business†: NFIB. Available on: http://www.nfib.com/object/1583715.html Gonsalves, Antone. (2006). â€Å"Google Grabs Half Of Booming Web Search Market†: TechWeb News National Computing Centre. (2007) Available on: http://www.nccmembership.co.uk/ Business Link. (2007). â€Å"Practical advice for business† Available on: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/ Prodesk. (1999). â€Å"Email Marketing Strategies Revealed†: www.prodesk.com BIBLIOGRAPHY Woodhead, Robert. (2007) www.selfpromotion.com 2007 Simpson, Gemma. (2006).†UK small businesses set to boost IT budgets†: ZDNet.co.uk Available on: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39285382,00.htm