Influence of culture on fashion

Influence of culture on fashion â€Å"The more we learn about culture the greater our understanding of the future of global consumerism in Fashion.† Fashion industry is all about making fashion statements. The industry runs on the motto to be different, stylish, edgy as well as continuous changes in every season of every year. Fashion to customers is being different from the crowd or making a statement by using clothing and accessories that set them apart. Fashion industry is getting more expensive with passing time. In the United States, around 250 billion dollars is spent on fashion and accessories like bag, shoe, etc. (Anon., 2012) When fashion industry is concerned, culture is an integral part of it. Fashion and culture goes hand in hand. Our clothes are a source of non-verbal communication which send messages about who we are, where we come from, what we do and etc. Overall, fashion is a way of expressing ourselves through our clothing and accessories. People try to stay â€Å"in fashion† and they are mostly influenced by popular culture which is reflection of cultural forces as well as social factors. Global consumerism: Widespread use of the internet and communications are changing how and on what people spend their money. This phenomenon has led to emergence of the global citizens who participate in the global marketplace through multinational corporations offering brands which meet their ever changing needs. (Byrnes, 2007, p. 1) This combination of global culture and global connectivity can be defined as globalization. Globalization has created a market with no border and as a result culture is running free in this new era. Now a day, we can see Indian food in every city of the globe or people living in Western countries are wearing ethnic clothes. Consumption is an action that varies from culture to culture. (Byrnes, 2007, p. 2) The result of adopting consumption related values on a worldwide scale has been referred to as a ‘global consumer culture’. Global consumer culture is â€Å"shared sets of consumption-related symbols such as product categories, brands, and common consumption activities†. (Lee, 2006) Global fashion consumerism: The global fashion industry is growing and changing at an incredible rate. According to a study in 2010, Dubai was supposed to reach $655 billion in textile and apparel trade which is 6% of global exports. The data indicates how fashion is evolving in the era of globalization. UAE was the biggest market for Swiss watches in 2013 and had increased 23% year-on-year to $835 million. (Wyne, 2013) This data shows the shift it global fashion consumerism. Meaning, now the Middle East has started emerging as the fashion hub though New York and Paris are still considered as fashion cities of the world. This change has been possible because of UAE’s vast amount of disposable income and also the influence of western culture in the people’s mind. Cultural influence on fashion: It is important to know the influence of culture on fashion industry and to foresee cultural and social movements in order to comprehend the fashion environment. Fashion is not an isolated factor of clothing or accessories but it is connected to our life in every aspect and among them culture is the most significant. Fashion goes further than clothing and into the manner we desire to live our lives.Meaning, fashion influences our lifestyle. Fashion is influenced by cultural changes, such as modernization, art and even technological innovation. There is an apparent interaction of shifts in consumer lifestyle, fashion and culture.It is essential to realize that fashion is made by people living in different cultures and different locations. If we want to understand fashion and its trend then it is necessary to understand what surround us in terms of the way we live. It is our society and culture which is our surrounding and they are the ones which influence our lifestyle. Development of new fashions has mainly three sources in terms of culture. They are: High culture, low culture and pop culture. (Anon., 2010) 1. High culture means elite activities like visual art, auditory art, and applied art like photography, design and architecture. In terms of influencing fashion inspiration, these sources bring new types of ideas and concepts to the designers. How art impacts fashion can be seen in the Louis Vuitton partnership with quite a few contemporary artists, like Takeshi Murakami or Stephen Sprouse, who had embellished Louis Vuitton Monogram bags in the past. 2. Pop culture or popular culture, is a cultural segment, which is followed, appreciated and understood by a larger portion of the world audience. Usually it is highly influenced by movie or music celebrities. This type of culture is seen as a mercantile culture which is produced at a mass level for mass consumption.An example of how pop culture influences our lifestyle and our fashion can be seen by taking into account the most fashionable TV shows, like ‘Sex and the City’ and how everybody wanted to wear clothes like the central characters of the serial.With the progress of globalization, common trends of fashion are seen all around the globe (i.e. Levi’s jeans). 3. Low culture includes local street activities like graffiti or Hip Hop. The power of subculture to fashion can be seen clearly skateboard culture from the 70s to present day.It can be difficult to distinguish certain styles as subcultures because they are quickly (predominantly clothing and music) adopted by mass culture. For example, the Japanese Harajuko girls, who are teenagers, originally from Tokyo’s Harajuko district, who dress in a particular way. American singer Gwen Stefani named her 2005 world tour as well as her clothing line after these girls.In this way, a subculture or local culture has become a part of the global fashion and has been adopted by the global fashion market. (Anon., 2010) Macro and micro trends in fashion: Macro trends are drivers for 5-10 years whereas micro trends are drivers for 1-3 years. (Sheppard, 2014) Like most industries fashion industry is also shaped by macro and micro trends. Macro trend is a larger behavioral group and a micro trend is the mini fashion craze. Currently the micro trend is undoubtedly the skinny jeans, which is closely followed by leggings and footless tights. But a larger macro-trend for a while in the fashion has been ethical and environment friendly clothing and accessories. Trends come and go because of the impact of media in our lives. The hit US TV drama Mad Men, which is set in the early 1960s, has had a big influence on high street fashion. Actress Christina Hendricks has helped to bring back full skirts, longer hemlines, and cropped cardigans as well as almost single-handedly brought back the curvy fit in the fashion market. The micro trends are also changing because of the internet.(Anon., n.d.) Culture is made of factors like society, education, values, and norms and so on. Since, fashion deals with how we look and what we wear; it is largely influenced and controlled by culture. In the past, fashion was segmented and local culture influenced but with the emergence of globalization we are turning towards a more global fashion consumerism. This is why brands like Chanel, Burberry are seen in India, Thailand, and Dubai and so on. To understand the future of global fashion consumerism, we need to understand how people interpret fashion these days and whether they are influenced more by their own culture or popular culture. Though in countries like India, local culture plays a bigger influence on consumerism but still common people are seen wearing trendy clothes matching current global fashion. This shows the cultural difference among the people in the country. Thus, understanding the culture is very important for global fashion consumerism. Bibliography Anon., 2010. Cultural influences on trend forecasting. [Online] Available at: http://www.intothefashion.com/2010/01/cultural-influences-on-trend.html [Accessed 22 February 2015]. Anon., 2012. Fashion and Consumerism. [Online] Available at: http://fashionormassconsumerism.blogspot.com/ [Accessed 21 February 2015]. Anon., n.d. BUDGET STYLE TIPS: FASHION CYCLES. [Online] Available at: http://www.bargainshopper.com.au/Fashion-cycles [Accessed 22 February 2015]. Byrnes, K., 2007. The Sharing of Culture: Global Consumerism. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research. ght.com/tools/porters-five-forces.html Lee, J.-W., 2006. Young consumers peceptions of multinational firms and they acculturation channels towards western products in transition economies. International Journal of Emerging Markets. Sheppard, S., 2014. FORECASTING THE FUTURE. [Online] Available at: http://global-influences.com/interview/forecasting-the-future/ [Accessed 22 February 2015]. Wyne, H., 2013. Consumerism, affluence fan UAEs fashion flames. [Online] Available at: https://www.zawya.com/story/UAE_puts_shine_on_fashion-ZAWYA20131013094850/ [Accessed 21 February 2015].

Discrimination in US Security

Is there systematic discrimination in government and private security organization? Discrimination is the biasness based on color, religion, race, age, sexual orientation, national origin and gender. There is systematic discrimination in government and private security organization especially among blacks and other minorities like the Muslims. Muslims and blacks according to government and private organization are perceived to be more capable of committing crime as opposed to people from other races.For example in 2001 after the September 11 hijackings an airport security firm in Washington was under fire for hiring seven Muslims women who were screeners. This was because among the seven women five were from Sudan which has been blacklisted by the U. S. government and private security organization, one was from Egypt and the other from Afghanistan which has been believed for years to be the hideout for Osama who the US government believe to be responsible for the 1998 bombing attack and 2001 and therefore is their enemy number one. Is racial profiling ever appropriate?Racial profiling is the act of using a person’s race or his characteristics of his ethnic background to determine his capability in committing a specific crime. It is inappropriate especially in matters of security as it allows crime to mushroom in certain races as the policemen tend to divert their attention to one particular race for example in airports, the screeners tend to scrutinize people from middle east origin and Asian origin more than the way they do it for the American citizens and European nationals. Also the United States policemen have been on several occasion accused of racial profiling the African Americans.In that when crime has been committed in a particular neighborhood, the first suspect is always an African American. Although racial profiling is only appropriate when the physical traits of the suspect has been given out for example hair color, body weight, complexion. This is the only circumstance that the policemen are allowed to racial profile because racial profiling always leads to injustice in the community in various occasions and the innocent ones are the ones who are always caught. (http//www. amnestyusa. org/racialprofiling/sevenfacts. html) Do you believe it is justifiable to take such actions to protect US national’s security?It is justifiable for US government to take such actions to protect US national security because it is a superpower country in world and as one she is the main target for terrorists as they want to bring it down because it is the only country that is brave enough to question the their action. The US government is allowed to discriminate in security organization and to racial profile because most of the terrorists like Osama are from Muslim origin and one fact that we know is that Muslims are very brave they can do anything and this is why we have suicide bombers.Also in US majoring of the criminals are blac ks because most of them do it to revenge on the misery they have gone through and discrimination. Most of them are illiterate as a result they can’t get a decent job and as a result the only option they have is to commit crime because even the music industry in US is flooded as we can not have everyone in the music industry. As a result the US government does all this to maintain peace and harmony in order to make united state a favorable and suitable environment for people to stay in and to work in. (http//www. amnestyusa. org/racialprofiling/sevenfacts. html) Reference Amnesty International U.S.A. Racial Profiling. Retrieved on January 8th 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http//www.amnestyusa.org/racialprofiling/sevenfacts.html

Siberia Landscape, History, Climate, and Population

Siberia is the region making up nearly all of Northern Asia. It is made up of the central and eastern portions of Russia and it encompasses the area from the Ural Mountains east to the Pacific Ocean. It also extends from the Arctic Ocean south to northern Kazakhstan and the borders of Mongolia and China. In total Siberia covers 5.1 million square miles (13.1 million sq km) or 77% of Russias territory. History of Siberia Siberia has a long history that dates back to prehistoric times. Evidence of some of the earliest human species has been found in southern Siberia that dates back to about 40,000 years ago. These species include Homo neanderthalensis, the species before humans, and Homo sapiens, humans, as well as a currently unidentified species whose fossils were found in March 2010. In the early 13th century the area of present-day Siberia was conquered by the Mongols. Prior to that time, Siberia was inhabited by various nomadic groups. In the 14th century, the independent Siberian Khanate was established after the breakup of the Golden Horde in 1502. In the 16th century, Russia began to grow in power and it started to take lands from the Siberian Khanate. Initially, the Russian army began to establish forts farther east and eventually it developed the towns of Tara, Yeniseysk, and Tobolsk and extended its area of control to the Pacific Ocean. Outside of these towns, however, most of Siberia was sparsely populated and only traders and explorers entered the region. In the 19th century, Imperial Russia and its territories began sending prisoners to Siberia. At its height, around 1.2 million prisoners were sent to Siberia. Beginning in 1891, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began to link Siberia to the rest of Russia. From 1801 to 1914, about seven million people moved from European Russia to Siberia and from 1859 to 1917 (after the construction of the railroad was complete) over 500,000 people moved to Siberia. In 1893, Novosibirsk was founded, which today is Siberias largest city, and in the 20th century, industrial towns grew throughout the region as Russia began to exploit its many natural resources. In the early to mid-1900s, Siberia continued to grow in population as natural resource extraction became the main economic practice of the region. In addition, during the time of the Soviet Union, prison labor camps were set up in Siberia that were similar to those created earlier by Imperial Russia. From 1929 to 1953, over 14 million people worked in these camps. Today Siberia has a population of 36 million people and it is divided into several different districts. The region also has a number of major cities, of which Novosibirsk is the largest with a population of 1.3 million people. Geography and Climate of Siberia Siberia has a total area of over 5.1 million square miles (13.1 million sq km) and as such, it has a highly varied topography that covers several different geographic zones. The major geographical zones of Siberia, however, are the West Siberian Plateau and the Central Siberian Plateau. The West Siberian Plateau is mainly flat and swampy. The northern portions of the plateau are dominated by permafrost, while the southern areas are comprised of grasslands. The Central Siberian Plateau is an ancient volcanic region that is rich in natural materials and minerals like manganese, lead, zinc, nickel, and cobalt. It also has areas with deposits of diamonds and gold. However, most of this area is under permafrost and the dominant landscape type outside of the extreme northern areas (which are tundra) is taiga. Outside of these major regions, Siberia has several rugged mountain ranges that include the Ural Mountains, the Altai Mountains, and the Verkhoyansk Range. The highest point in Siberia is Klyuchevskaya Sopka, an active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, at 15,253 feet (4,649 m). Siberia is also home to Lake Baikal - the worlds oldest and deepest lake. Lake Baikal is estimated to be around 30 million years old and, at its deepest point, it is 5,387 feet (1,642 meters) deep. It also contains about 20% of the Earths non-frozen water. Nearly all of the vegetation in Siberia is taiga, but there are tundra areas on in its northern areas and an area of temperate forests in the south. Most of Siberias climate is subarctic and precipitation is low except for the Kamchatka Peninsula. The average January low temperature of Novosibirsk, Siberias largest city, is -4ËšF (-20ËšC), while the average July high is 78ËšF (26ËšC). Economy and People of Siberia Siberia is rich in minerals and natural resources which led to its early development and makes up the majority of its economy today as agriculture is limited due to permafrost and a short growing season. As a result of the rich mineral and natural resource supplies, the region today has a total population of 36 million people. Most of the people are of Russian and Ukrainian descent but there are also ethnic Germans and other groups. In the far eastern parts of Siberia, there is also a considerable amount of Chinese. Nearly all of Siberias population (70%) lives in cities.

Logistics and operation managment Free Essay Example, 2250 words

It is commonly heard from the manager that they have about 10 years of supply of certain items. However the major concerns related to inventory management are the level of customers availing the service of the organization and cost associated with carrying and ordering inventories (Dooley, 2013). When the inter-link between the inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling is broken, it may result in overproduction, which may be a loss for the organization as the manufactured product may turn obsolete. It occurs when the organization allows every production operation to work as fast as it can, without concerning the balance between the working of other production operations. The imbalance between the inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling seems to be the result of ineffective management of the material. It is important for the organization to balance the supply chain processes, as not developing effective link between them can lead to disastrous results for the firm. The imbalance between these supply chain operation results in several operational challenges for the organizations such as suppliers’ issue, delivery delay, shortages or excess of product, demand upside, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Logistics and operation managment or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now These lists of challenges will only grow for the organization, if immediate action is not taken to for restoring the balance of the supply chain processes. It is observed that supply chain organizations are always facing some kind of intense budget constraints. In situations like these the organizations are seen flitting from one issue to the other. The managers do not have time to step back and analyze each step of the supply chain process, however they seems to be more concern with gaining control immediate control over the situation. This is when the imbalance between inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling grows and become and alarming issue for the organization. The continuous problems faced by the managers as the result of imbalance in inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling reduce the morale of the production managers as they start doubting their capabilities. This psychological effect resulting from the imbalanc e of the supply chain process may not be evident in short term but their long term effects cannot be ignored at any cost. Inefficiency in the supply chain process may provoke the higher management to question the credibility of the manager. Many of them may have to lose their job as the result of the continuous loss faced by the firm.